Our student investors = better than Wall Street
 Nathaniel Stevens ‘09 can’t officially trade on the stock-market floor, but those hollering brokers in starched suits may want to seek his advice. Stevens and his fellow investors who handle the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) at Geneseo are outperforming the experts.
As of Nov. 19, the Dow Jones average was down 36.86 percent and the SP500 was down a whopping 44.34 percent. The students? They lost much less. Their fund was down 9.32 percent.
“We’ve been kind of sitting back during the recent turmoil,” says Stevens. “It feels good.”
Stevens is a co-manager of the fund with Joe Skinner ‘09, Kevin Licari ’09 and Adam Kelly ’09. They lead the SMIF team and guide investments.
The fund’s success in the tumultuous market is part smart investment, part good fortune, says Michael Schinski, interim dean of the School of Business and the SMIF faculty adviser. The student team dumped poor-performing stocks at the end of last school year and opened a treasury bill account. The idea was to reinvest in the stock market this fall. When the problems hit, students kept money in treasury bills, which have remained stable.
“That has been a good thing for us because that has been very steady for us,” says Schinski. “It’s been good to be there rather than in the markets, which have been taking a beating.”
There is about $42,000 in the SMIF, according to Schinski. He hopes the fund will grow large enough that the program can use some of the money to send student managers to related national conferences or for other educational opportunities.
The SMIF falls under the umbrella of the College’s Finance Club and provides lessons of real-world finance. Donors provide the capital for the students’ experience.
“It really creates a great learning opportunity, that they can get their hands dirty managing real money, having to make decisions that are going to have real consequences in terms of performance of the fund,” says Schinski.
Stevens says the club and SMIF increases members’ financial literacy. Senior members share their expertise with club members, so it’s a round-robin lesson about stocks, exchange rates and other economic points.
Managing a successful fund has real-world career benefits, too. Months before he tosses his graduation cap into the air, Skinner has already landed a prime job at Price Waterhouse Coopers — the largest accounting firm in the world — conducting financial audits on banks, hedge funds and other financial institutions. Potential employers in all five of his interviews singled out his SMIF experience.
“At every point in that interview they drew attention to it,” says Skinner. “They saw it on my resumé and were immediately intrigued by it … It shows them we’re extremely responsible and, I guess, devoted to increasing our knowledge.”
↑top ENCompass holiday schedule and on-location reporting from Nicaragua
Happy holidays! ENCompass will resume weekly publishing Jan. 21.
In the meantime, Editor Kris Dreessen will be on location in El Sauce, Nicaragua, profiling the College’s unique service-learning program and working alongside students Meredith Cannella ‘09 and Adam Davis ‘09, as they prepare adults and children for job opportunities by teaching English, repairing homes damaged by hurricanes and other business- and community-development projects. The College has had a growing presence in the remote town since 2005, helping develop educational, entrepreneurial and recreational opportunities with El Sauce leaders.
We will feature a story and photos Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 from Kris’ on-location reporting. Read the full story and photo essay in the Geneseo Scene June 2009 issue.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Geneseo alumna named to College Council
 Iris Banister ‘70 is the newest member of Geneseo’s College Council, appointed by New York Gov. David Paterson for a term that extends through 2015.
On the 11-member panel, Banister will advise senior college administrators on higher-education matters and provide guidance on problem-solving expertise beyond the campus community.
“Iris Banister has generously immersed herself in the Rochester community in a number of ways and has the respect of community members and leaders at all levels,” said President Christopher C. Dahl. “Her work on parent-child relations has been particularly commendable and we are pleased and honored to have her on our College Council. Geneseo will benefit greatly from her years of experience in education and her dedication to community service.”
Banister is executive director of the Rochester Surround Care Community Corp., launched in 2005 by the Rochester City School District to advocate for children, families and communities in northeast Rochester. She also served as executive director of Wilson Commencement Park, a transitional housing and support services program in Rochester.
Banister earned a master’s degree in education from Geneseo. In her long career she has served the Rochester School District in various capacities for 32 years, including as an elementary school teacher, reading specialist and guidance counselor. She has earned numerous awards and recognitions including the City of Rochester Pioneer Award and the New York State Humanitarian Award. She is a doctoral student at the University of Rochester in human development-counseling, an accomplished author and motivational speaker.
↑top College helps needy families celebrate the holidays
 Thirty-four families in Livingston County will receive gift packages assembled by student groups and College departments through Geneseo’s Adopt-A-Family program, which ensures holiday gifts for those who otherwise would go without. According to Kay Fly, coordinator of volunteerism and service learning, the number of families that will receive packages this year is almost triple the number served when the program started in 1990.
“Volunteerism and commitment to community have always been important at Geneseo and we are very fortunate to have such a large number of students involved in this program with support from staff and faculty,” said Fly. “It will make a big difference in the lives of those living on a shoestring in Livingston County, especially in a slumping economy.”
The Livingston County Head Start Program and Teenage Services Act Program (TASA) provided names of needy families with gift requests and students and college departments bought and wrapped the gifts, which Head Start and TASA representatives are delivering to the families they serve. The presents filled a room in the College Union.
Fly said Geneseo students also have been responding to the increasing need at the Geneseo/Groveland Emergency Food Pantry.
“Most food pantries in the area are hurting but the Livingston County pantry is overflowing thanks to the overwhelming response by Geneseo students to keep it stocked,” she said. “It’s very heartening to see such involvement.”
↑top College history book is ready
SUNY Geneseo is pleased to announce the publication of SUNY Geneseo:From Normal School to Public Ivy, 1871-2007. Shipment is expected Monday, Dec. 29. The 8.5” x 11” limited-edition volume contains over 400 pages of text, complemented with many historic and modern photographs that depict Geneseo's transformation from a Normal School to a nationally ranked college.
Don’t miss your opportunity to relive the events, challenges, and celebrations that have shaped our institution. Order your copy today for only $29.99, plus tax and $7 shipping and handling. For more information or to order your copy, call 1-585-245-5648 or click here.
↑top Kudos
 The American Speech-Hearing-Language Association has awarded SUNY Geneseo speech scientist Dale Evan Metz, professor of communicative disorders and sciences, its highest honor. He was one of five this year to receive Honors of the Association, which recognizes distinguished contributions to the field of speech, language and hearing.
Metz received the award at the association’s annual convention in Chicago in November. The association is a professional, scientific and credentialing association with 140,000 members or affiliates, consisting of audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language and hearing scientists.
Metz has conducted groundbreaking research as one of five original members of the Communication Research Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. His work has led to theoretical and clinical advances in normal speech and in speech production associated with deafness, hearing impairment and stuttering. He also is recognized for his work on simultaneous communication, the use of both a spoken language and a manual variant for communication. Metz has published extensively in his field.
Metz is also commended for his work as a mentor and teacher, encouraging students to participate in research activities and pursue doctoral degrees. He frequently co-authors and co-presents with students.
At Geneseo since 1993, Metz received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the New York State Speech Language Hearing Association in 1994 and the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree in speech pathology from Geneseo in 1970, his master’s degree from Purdue in 1972 and his doctorate from Syracuse in 1976.
- Pre-dental student Joe Vollo ’09 and other Geneseo students were featured on WHAM Channel 13’s Bright Spot Dec. 9 for their volunteer work teaching children the importance of oral hygiene at the Mary Cariola Childrens Center in Rochester. The students taught the basics of good teeth brushing and other lessons and the tooth fairy gave away toothbrushes and other items at Dental Health Day. Watch the telecast here.
- A Geneseo alumnus has won a prestigious 2009 Fulbright Award to teach and conduct research in the Czech Republic. Joseph Fornieri ‘87, an associate professor of political science at Rochester Institute of Technology, will teach courses in constitutional rights and liberties and American political thought at Charles University in Prague. The Fairport resident will also serve as a Fulbright cultural ambassador, comparing democratic ideas and institutions of the Czech Republic and the United States. Fornieri is an expert on Abraham Lincoln’s political philosophy and has published five books. The most recent is “Lincoln's America: 1809-1865.”
↑top PHOTO GALLERY: Student photo of the week 
Note: Faculty, staff, students and alumni are encouraged to send Geneseo-related photos to encompass@geneseo.edu for consideration.
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December 17, 2008
In this week's issue:
FEATURES:
IN OTHER NEWS:
PHOTO GALLERY
 About ENCompass: ENCompass Weekly is designed to keep faculty, staff, students and friends in touch with what’s happening at the College. Please submit story ideas, news briefs and comments or suggestions to encompass@geneseo.edu. Deadline to submit information is Wednesday by noon. If you are having trouble viewing this page, we recommend that you use Firefox, Safari (Mac) or the most recent version of Internet Explorer. If you're still experiencing problems, please send us an email. | |
