In This Issue
- What's New with the Finance Major?
- Vincent Intrieri Visits Penn State Behrend
- Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund Surpasses $1.4 Million
- Finance Majors Participate in the CFA Society Pittsburgh Career Fair
- Financial Planning Students Explore Career Paths in Pittsburgh
- Faculty Spotlight
- Student Spotlight
- Alumni Spotlight
- Finance Clubs Update
What's New with the Finance Major?
We are nearly halfway through another exciting academic year in the Finance Department, with a lot of exciting news to share. Here are a few highlights:
- Curriculum Updates
- FIN 480, Alternative Investments, was offered to World Campus students for the first time in Fall 2024.
- FIN 362, Intrieri Family Student-Management Fund-Associate Analyst Practicum, and FIN 462, Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund-Fund Officer/Lead Analyst Practicum, will increase to 1.5 credits starting in spring 2025.
- Our Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund surpassed $1.4 million.
- Our Investment Research Challenge (IRC) Behrend team is back to compete at the 2025 CFA Institute Research Challenge.
- It is my honor to announce that we have three Finance Executives in Residence this year: Gene Natali, CEO and co-founder of Troutwood; Chris Krahe, senior director of global strategy at S&P Global Ratings; and Christopher (Kip) Sobel, retired executive vice president/head of business deposits at PNC Financial Services Group.
- Finally, welcome new faculty member Dr. Xuechen (Bill) Gao, assistant professor of finance, to our team! He is teaching FIN 301 Corporate Finance and FIN 451 Intermediate Financial Management through World Campus.
Please read more about the great things occurring within our program in this newsletter!
Dr. Jessica Zhao, Program Chair for Economics and Finance
Vincent Intrieri Visits Penn State Behrend
Alumni with Vincent Intrieri during his November 2024 visit. (L-R) Jared Orr, Aruj Bhargava, Margo Dowd, Jason Pettner, Vincent Intrieri, Joanne Intrieri, Villy Kolesnichenko, and Nick Findley.
On November 6 and 7, we were honored to host Vincent Intrieri, founder and CEO of VDA Capital Management LLC, and his wife, Joanne, as part of Penn State Behrend’s Speaker Series. Vince took part in a mini student-managed fund meeting, sat in on classes, and had lunch with students. Student Leadership and Involvement hosted a dinner on his behalf at Logan House, which was followed by a presentation titled “From Erie to Wall Street: Life Lessons in Resilience, Leadership, and Lifelong Learning” given to an audience of students, alumni, faculty, and guests. Vince and his wife Joanne are creators of the Intrieri Family Student Managed Fund.
Intrieri Family Student Managed Fund Surpasses $1.4 Million Milestone
Since its inception in 2012, the Intrieri Family Student Managed Fund has transformed the educational landscape for Behrend’s finance students. Stemming from donations from the Intrieri family and Samuel P. “Pat” Black III, the fund manages a real investment portfolio exceeding $1.4 million, providing students with real-world experience as portfolio managers, equity analysts, and leaders.
Each trade moves about $30,000 of securities, allowing students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom. As student Jordan Irvine explains, “Managing real money not only helps our learning but makes us more attractive candidates for internships and full-time jobs.” Students like Jordan use industry-leading software like Bloomberg, Value Line, and Morningstar during their valuation processes, going beyond traditional classroom learning.
Each year, the fund has grown in assets under management, a testament to the dedication and passion of its student members. Weekly investment strategy meetings connect Behrend and World Campus finance students, who are occasionally joined by alumnus Benjamin Lowery, hedge fund enterprise sales at Bloomberg, who provides “point of view from the street,” as he puts it. In recognition of their dedication, select lead analysts in the FIN 462 course are awarded scholarships each semester.
Thank you to Vince and Joanne Intrieri and Samuel P. “Pat” Black III for providing members of the fund with incredible opportunities by way of their thoughtful donations!
Finance Majors Participate in the CFA Society Pittsburgh Career Fair
Finance majors who intend to pursue the CFA designation were invited to attend the 10th annual CFA Society of Pittsburgh Career Fair on September 11. These students included Vladimir Perez, Andrew Swartfager, Jonas Bruno, Alex Dayoub, Noah Esper, Andrew Vrabel, Paolo Diamantis, Matthew Young, Robert Barker, Lillie Holt, Christopher Stoudt, and Priyanka Meka.
The fair opened with an overview of the CFA program and a discussion of the CFA charter by Dr. Greg Filbeck, Behrend’s vice chancellor and associate dean for academic affairs and a previous president of CFA Society Pittsburgh. Dr. Filbeck was joined by a panel of four CFA charter holders who discussed their career paths: Lauren Moser, vice president and regional investment consultant at T. Rowe Price; George Emanuele, managing director at Fifth Third Wealth Advisors; Jason Pettner, quantitative analyst at C.S. McKee; and Nicholas Findley, investment analyst at Federated Hermes.
The career fair included recruiters from BNY Mellon, PNC, Federated, C.S. McKee, Waldron, FNB, Erie Insurance, and HBKS. Following the fair, students heard from one final panel led by Larry Basilone, CEO at Baselone Executive Search, and Emily Tobias, a recruiter at DAI Management Consultants. The panelists discussed how to navigate the job market and make themselves as marketable as possible.
Following the career fair, Behrend students were invited to Hapanowicz and Associates Wealth Advisors’ downtown office to hear about internship opportunities and career insights.
Financial Planning Students Explore Career Paths in Pittsburgh
Finance students visit Beratung Advisors during FA24 mini-trip to Pittsburgh. Front row: (L-R) Andrew Reed, Zachary Rosswog, Noah Esper, Drew Angelini, Alta Bialon, Eric Robbins. Back row: (L-R) David Fair, Greg Furer (CEO of Beratung), Zane Lewis, Nick Kerner, Josh Ciotti, Hayden Adams, Padraig McGrail, and Matt Brown
This fall, finance students interested in financial planning or advising had the exciting opportunity to visit top financial firms in Pittsburgh. The trip offered a first-hand look into industry-leading practices and potential career paths, gave students a glimpse into life as a financial professional, and helped build connections that could shape their future careers.
Visits included:
- Allegheny Financial Group. At Allegheny, students explored the company’s unique team-based approach to financial planning and took part in a Q&A session where advisors shared career development tips.
- Beratung Advisors. Beratung, a firm known for its faith and values-based approach, emphasized its client-centered philosophy, which resonated with students looking to build lasting client relationships.
- Federated Hermes. Students were introduced to portfolio construction, guided by Behrend alum Jared Orr, who showcased real-world applications of the students’ Certified Financial Planner (CFP) coursework.
- Fort Pitt Capital. The firm concluded the experience with an engaging roundtable discussion with senior and early-career advisors. Fort Pitt Capital’s focus on customized asset management allowed students to understand the importance of personalized financial solutions.
Faculty Spotlight
Phil Stuczynski, M.B.A., Assistant Teaching Professor of Finance
Phil earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance and an M.B.A. from Penn State. In addition to teaching, he is a faculty co-adviser for the Financial Management Association (FMA) club, which has received the Superior Chapter Award for many years.
He is also a co-adviser for the Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund, allowing him to stay connected to both academia and the private sector through daily fund analysis. Beyond his scholarly work, Stuczynski enjoys tracking his students’ progress. Reflecting on this, he said, “It’s like a trip down memory lane. Former students are now organizational leaders, some even returning as guest speakers and mentors to current students. Sometimes they even attempt to recruit current students!”
Why did you choose finance?
When I was younger, probably like many people, money interested me due to what you can do with money. But as I got older, I started to realize one reason money interests me is more of a question: “Why do so many people have problems with money and can’t manage it?” This gets more into aspects of personal finance, behavioral finance, and all of our society. People could use a little more financial literacy and a lot of help!
What has changed over time?
During my first semester on campus, the building that is now the Burke Center was a mound of dirt and was under construction. Time just flies by. And with that, I’ve seen different people, different markets, different opportunities, and different threats, but the foundational principles have remained the same, and our foundation has helped numerous students. It’s very fulfilling to see the careers our students are able to obtain.
Student Spotlight
Oliver Petsch '25
Oliver is pursuing dual degrees in Finance and Accounting, as well as a certificate in Financial Controllership.
What has been your favorite course?
Finance 461, also known as Portfolio Management. Being part of the Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund is a great experience. Behrend provides access to Bloomberg, which is the best software available in the finance profession. I feel I can make a real impact by pitching securities that are bought and sold with real-world money.
What do you like most about attending Behrend?
The relationships I have built between the faculty and other students. I am the founder and president of the fraternity Kappa Sigma at Behrend. We support the community by giving back to our veterans. I also enjoy participating in intramural sports.
How will a Behrend degree help you in your field?
The pursuit of my degree at Behrend has opened many doors. The degree itself is strong, but the networking opportunities of being part of the Penn State system set it apart. I was able to land a great internship with Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh & Co. last summer. I expect my degrees to continue to help me in my career journey.
If you could do it all again, would you have chosen Behrend?
I would choose Behrend again. The people, experiences, and opportunities fostered by Behrend have been very enjoyable. Even the difficult courses have been rewarding. The small-school feel with a big-name degree is hard to beat. It would have been much more of a challenge to start a fraternity, host basketball tournaments, and double major at a larger school.
Alumni Spotlight
Owen Valasek '24
Owen graduated with dual degrees in Accounting and Finance and is currently a Financial Advisor Foundations Associate at Baird in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What steps did you take while at Behrend to help prepare for your job?
My top priorities were getting involved with co-curricular programs and taking advantage of the Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund. I believe participating in clubs like the Financial Planning Association, Financial Management Association, and Business Analytics Team gave me great opportunities to prepare for the real world. Also, I was able to increase my skillset by double-majoring in Finance and Accounting.
I highly recommend being in contact with your professors and advisers. They are there to help you. Whether it’s asking questions about coursework or class schedules, or practicing professionalism while emailing, interacting with them is a huge benefit.
What made you choose Baird?
I chose Baird for its amazing company culture. I feel like I really fit in there, and I enjoy Milwaukee. The change of scenery is wonderful. Also, Baird’s national footprint and rotational program make it a top-of-the-line firm to begin my career with.
What advice do you have for current students majoring in Finance, especially those wanting to get into financial services?
Building your network is very important, especially in this industry. A great way to do this is by setting up one-on-one meetings with alumni. I primarily did this with the alumni advisers in the Business Analytics Team. Another important tool is LinkedIn. I routinely followed up with club guest speakers by connecting with them on LinkedIn. Getting and staying on their radar can do wonders when looking for a job, internship, or career change.
Also, take advantage of the scholarship opportunities for professional designations while at Behrend. I was able to study for my CFA Level 1 Exam with no out-of-pocket expenses. The CFA is a renowned designation, and I gained valuable information while studying for it in my junior year. High-level challenges like this helped me understand the rest of the finance curriculum better.
Finance Club Updates
Financial Planning Association
Are you eager to join the financial services industry, or simply interested in learning about the diverse career opportunities available to finance majors? The Financial Planning Association (FPA) Student Chapter is a perfect setting to explore what a career in financial planning entails. Our club provides a platform for students to learn from industry professionals, network with financial planning experts, and gain valuable insights into various career paths. Students have opportunities to learn more about internships, employment, and leadership development. Join us to build a strong foundation for your future in financial planning! Interested in learning more? Contact Jordan Irvine, current FPA president.
Financial Management Association
If you want to learn more about financial management and analysis, consider joining the Financial Management Association. Monthly meetings bring in speakers from the field to share their experiences and journeys through finance. The club also organizes workshops and finance speaker series events with the Financial Planning Association. Club members have opportunities to take trips to various financial firms to learn more about day-to-day operations. Interested in joining FMA? Reach out to Nicholas Kerner.
Business Analytics Team (BAT)
The Business Analytics Team meets biweekly on Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Zoom. The team focuses on discussing real-world topics with alumni and guest speakers. Recently, YouTuber Claw Quest spoke about monetization and brand deals on social media. Many BAT alumni are involved in financial services, working at Bank of America, PNC, BNY Mellon, and more. Join us for our next meeting. Email Ronan Murphy to be added to the email list.