Demonstrating the wealth of educational and applied learning opportunities available at Fisher, a team of graduate students recently qualified for a prestigious international event that pitted them against finance competitors from around the world.

Specialized Master in Finance (SMF) students Jared Ablass, Matt Boehner, Erik Norlin and Daniel Ranz, and MBA student Anthony Lazzeri qualified to participate in the CFA Institute Research Challenge Americas Regional in Boston. The students were among 250 representing 54 universities from North, Central and South America who advanced to the 12^th annual competition.

“Our team did a great job representing The Ohio State University and Fisher College of Business by winning the local competition and advancing to the last round in the Americas Final,” said Matt Sheridan, senior lecturer in finance and the team’s advisor. “Over the course of the competition, the students demonstrated the attributes that employers in the financial markets consistently tell me they are looking for — the ability to work well in a team setting, demonstration of strong research and analytical abilities when dealing with uncertainty, and persuasive writing and presentation skills.”

The CFA Research Challenge provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Student teams work to research and analyze a publicly traded company; write a research report highlighted by a buy, sell, or hold recommendation; and then present and defend their findings to a panel of industry experts.

“This opportunity is decidedly meaningful to SMF students as it allows for academic theory to be put into practice in a work-like environment,” Ablass said. “It is perhaps the most practical experience that students can pursue before entering the investment industry.”

At the regional competition, the Fisher team analyzed Greif, Inc., a manufacturer of industrial packaging headquartered in Ohio.

The Fisher team was one of 10 to advance to the competition’s final round.

“The combination of the CFA Institute Research Challenge and the SMF degree provides a springboard of academic and experiential learning on which I will be able to draw for years to come,” Ablass said. “Aside from its intrinsic educational value, the research challenge also provided a talking point which helped me to obtain a buy-side equity research position straight out of school. The experience definitely gives students a leg up in a competitive industry.”