In our State-of-the-Art Spaces series, we’ll show you academic spaces all over campus that boast unique features and technology that enhance learning, allow students to engage in hands-on experiences, and more. Get an inside look at Colorado State’s state-of-the-art spaces now.
Housed inside the two-story, light-filled atrium of CSU’s Rockwell Hall West, you’ll find the glass-walled Gary B. Halley Finance Data Lab, a room dedicated to real-world investing for students. The lab houses three Bloomberg Terminals, which provide a plethora of data, including real-time global financial data and news feeds that present real-time, real-world stock prices. In terms of technology and investing, the data lab is akin to a full, working investment firm. The only difference is that the firm and the funds used to invest in the market are completely in the hands of students in the CSU Summit Fund.
The Summit Fund mimics an investment portfolio, and currently holds about $700,000 that students use to invest in the stock market. Students gain experience in equity valuation, asset allocation, and portfolio management. Each student serves as an analyst for the fund and in addition is given a functional role (managing directors, economists, risks analysts, sustainability officers). Analysts are assigned to sectors where they conduct their analysis with others in that team. While the students have access to the stock market figures elsewhere, the data lab is a crucial place for them to experience the wealth of ever-changing data and live market prices in full. Access to this data and the Bloomberg platform in full is typically only available to members and clients of firms or successful investors within the industry.
- Who studies here: Students within the College of Business and the Finance concentration primarily spend their time here. The space is only open to students who have taken the prerequisite class (Finance 355) and are enrolled in the Summit Fund Investment Practicum (Finance 486). In addition, students must apply to the Summit Fund program with a resume, cover letter, and statement that answers a prompt. Currently, there are about 25 students in the program.
- Built: January 2010
- Location: Rockwell Hall West. See map.
