Stetson’s Roland George Investments Program ranks among the nation’s elite Student Managed Investment Funds, worth approximately $7.4 million. And on Nov. 5, during the annual RGIP Showcase, the program’s signature prowess was on full display.

At downtown Orlando’s upscale Citrus Club, five student teams presented their equity research reports around the theme of “artificial intelligence infrastructure” — specifically, the energy and utility companies powering the American energy grid and supporting the growth of AI data centers. The evening turned out to be a very real way of illuminating the program’s lofty status.

The students shined brightly, handling their duties with “impressive composure and insight,” as described by Matthew Imes, PhD, CFA, associate professor and director of Roland George Investments Program.

“This was a great success,” Imes said. “We had an outstanding turnout — more than 100 alumni, investment professionals, CFA [Chartered Financial Analyst] charterholders, community members, and students joined us for an evening highlighting the research and professionalism of our students.

“The event provided a wonderful opportunity to connect current RGIP students with alumni and industry professionals while showcasing the rigor and applied learning that define the Roland George Investments Program.”

Model of Excellence

Indeed, the showcase was quintessential RGIP.

In a “Shark Tank”-style pitch setting that tested both preparation and mettle under pressure, the students competed for $2,000 in prize money. Each presentation was followed by a live Q&A session, with audience members posing thoughtful and challenging questions. Then, after all presentations concluded, trustees from Stetson’s School of Business Administration voted for the best presentation while audience members selected their top three teams. As part of winning, the top team also received the trustees’ approval to invest a portion of the university’s endowment in the companies it recommended.

Following the formal program, the audience had the chance to meet and network with the students during a social reception.

Keith Ohanian, a senior majoring in Finance, pointed to the event’s “twofold” experience. “First, it is genuinely fun to do a deep dive on a company, look under the hood and try to find a diamond in the rough worth pitching,” Ohanian said. “Second, it is competitive. Everyone wants to win, and the culture in the program turns the weeks leading up to showcase into a grind to out-research and out-pitch each other. We spent altogether over 100 hours on the pitch, which included forecasting, modeling, industry and company analysis, creating the pitch, and finally rehearsing.”

Established in 1980, RGIP represents the essence of experiential learning at Stetson, labeled Hatter Ready. RGIP students apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting by conducting and presenting their own equity research. They function much like members of an investment management firm, investing a portion of Stetson’s endowment fund and returning all profits back into the endowment. And, not coincidentally, the students enjoy a 100% success rate after graduation, with many of them fielding multiple job offers in the industry.

In summation, the RGIP students learn to articulate their investment theses, backed by relevant financial data, industry trends and market analysis.

It was an RGIP Showcase of real education in live action.

“I did the RGIP Showcase last year as a junior too and had a lot of guidance from the seniors on our team,” commented Gigi Kiniyalocts, a Finance major with a minor in Applied Statistics & Business Systems and Analytics. “It was nice to be able to pay that forward as a senior myself in this year’s showcase. I enjoyed being able to showcase the work we do in RGIP.”

The Winning Teams

BWX Technologies was voted the top team, consisting of students Keith Ohanian, Georgianna (Gigi) Kiniyalocts, Jude Drake and Conal Walsh. Second place went to Tetra Tech (students Caitlyn Kulczyski, Sydney Jenkins, Michael Bernier and Pedro Sanford Sampaio). The third-place team was Quanta Services (Nico Radaelli, Sacha Roiena, Julia Ivashko and Ali Zayniddinov).

The securities selected for purchase, and approved for investment by the School of Business Administration trustees, were BWX Technologies (BWXT), Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) and GE Vernova Inc. (GEV).

-Michael Candelaria