Spring 2023 semester update

I enjoyed welcoming students to campus this week, meeting them in each of the GW Investment Institute (GWII) classes, and learning more about why they are taking one of our classes and what they hope to learn.

This semester GWII is teaching 100 undergraduate students in the following classes:

GW Phillips Student Investment Fund class: Students serve as analysts and manage approximately $2.4 million (as of 1/20/2023) of university endowment funds. Students focus on a particular sector and use fundamental analysis and the GWII Investment Framework to pitch to sell a current holding to fund the purchase of stock that the student believes will be a better long-term investment. This fund was started in 2008 and named in honor of former GWSB Dean Susan Phillips. The fund’s portfolio advisor is Mark Anfang, GW alumnus and a portfolio manager at Scopus Asset Management.

GW Quant Student Investment Fund class: Students learn about common quant investing strategies and focus on data-driven models. They learn how to identify and analyze different types of data and work in groups to build and test predictive models. The fund was established in 2021 and it had over $88,000 in assets under management as of 1/20/2023. The fund’s portfolio advisor is Aron Kershner, GW alumnus, and Senior Portfolio Manager in the Customized Beta Strategies business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management Quantitative Investment Strategies.

Venture Capital class: Students focus on building and evaluating startups while learning about the venture capital business through group assignments and guest lectures. In this class, students also participate in the New Venture Competition (NVC). The course is taught by Prof. Bill Collier, double GW alumnus and Principal at Noblis Ventures. 

I’m excited to host several GWII Advisory Board members and alumni as guest speakers in GWII’s classes.  

Save the date

I hope you can join and support us during the following events:

GWII Annual Conference and Reception, March 24, 2023 at GWSB

GW Giving Day, April 5-6, 2023 (see list of funding opportunities)

Stay tuned for more details on these events.