Stetson’s Roland George Investment Program has done it again.

In early March, for the fifth consecutive year, an RGIP team won the Florida Final of the CFA Institute Global Research Challenge. The team advanced to the Sub-Regionals and, ultimately, is hoping to compete in the Global Final in May.

The CFA Institute Global Research Challenge is an annual global competition that connects university students with investment professionals from within the CFA Society network (chartered financial analysts). The competition provides students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and ethics, and tests participants’ analytical, valuation, reporting writing and presentation skills. University business students present equity research and valuation reports, which are judged by industry experts. The winning teams from each sub-regional competition advance to the regional competition. Regional winners then advance to the Global Final, where one team emerges as the world champion.

For the Florida Final, Stetson’s RGIP team consisted of seniors Jackson Hockenberry and Colin Weber, and juniors Keith Ohanian and Niki Taropawala. Other teams represented Barry University, Florida International University, Lynn University, Florida State University, the University of South Florida and the University of Miami. 

“This achievement is the result of the team’s relentless dedication, rigorous research and commitment to excellence. It reflects the elite level of training and preparation that RGIP provides — where we set high expectations and deliver industry-ready analysts.” – Matt Hurst, PhD, Associate Professor of Finance

“I am incredibly proud of our team’s dedication and collaborative spirit that propelled us to victory at the 2025 CFA Research Challenge Florida Championship,” commented Hockenberry, who in May is scheduled to receive a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. “Our hard work and innovative thinking not only showcase the strength of our talents together as a team, but embody the values of diligence, discipline and distinction that are at the heart of what we do in the Roland George Investments Program.”

A proud Matt Hurst, PhD, associate professor of Finance, believes the team is building on a “legacy of established excellence” that began years ago.

“Their achievements set the standard, and this year’s team has continued that tradition, proving once again that the Roland George Investments Program produces some of the best young financial minds in the country,” Hurst said. “This achievement is the result of the team’s relentless dedication, rigorous research and commitment to excellence. It reflects the elite level of training and preparation that RGIP provides — where we set high expectations and deliver industry-ready analysts.”

-Michael Candelaria