Student Organizations
There are many student organizations at Virginia Tech that provide excellent learning opportunities outside of the classroom for finance students. We highly encourage our finance students to take advantage of the learning, networking and service opportunities that these activities provide. Below is a list of a few of the popular finance-related student groups, along with descriptions and links to their websites. Students can also look for other finance-related organizations on GobblerConnect.
The Finance Club is open to all Finance majors. The group hosts events designed to help students network with each other and with alumni from various career paths. The Finance Club also hosts mixers with the Finance faculty, in which students can network with professors and get to know them better. In addition, the Finance clubs holds information sessions about the finance curriculum at Virginia Tech and the placement process for students seeking internships and jobs.
Faculty Advisor(s): Mike Kender, Elesha Wikle
Students in SEED (Student-managed Endowment for Educational Development) manage a real stock portfolio valued at approximately $5 million. Funds for the portfolio come from Virginia Tech's endowment fund, which is SEED's sole client. Students in SEED learn how to gather data on industry sectors and individual companies, model company financials, perform valuation analyses, trade stocks, re-position the portfolio to respond to market conditions, and prepare periodic reports on the portfolio and its holdings. SEED students also compete in stock pitch contests held at other universities. SEED is one of the largest undergraduate student-managed equity funds in the nation. Students are selected for SEED each semester through a competitive process.
Faculty Advisor: Randy Billingsley
Students in BASIS (Bond And Securities Investing by Students) manage a real fixed income (bond) portfolio valued at approximately $5 million. Funds for the portfolio come from Virginia Tech's endowment fund, BASIS's sole client.
The BASIS portfolio includes investment grade corporate bonds, US Treasury and agency bonds, government sponsored enterprise bonds, and U.S dollar-denominated sovereign and supranational bonds. The fixed income markets constitute the largest financial market in the US. The BASIS fund is one of the few undergraduate student-managed funds devoted solely to debt instruments in the country, as well as one of the largest.
Students in BASIS differentiate themselves by learning how economic conditions, monetary policy, and interest rate changes affect the bond market and interest rates; how to perform corporate credit analyses; how bond indices work; how factors such as duration and credit quality influence the performance of individual bonds and the portfolio; and how to prepare reports and presentations on the portfolio and its holdings to their client and external constituencies. Students are selected for BASIS each year through a highly competitive process.
Faculty Advisor: Will Coleman
The Credit Education Investment Team (CREDIT) is a student-run group at Virginia Tech that manages a $2 million portfolio of commercial bank loan participations. CREDIT is a one-of-a-kind learning experience where students lend to companies through the acquisition of loan participations offered by partner banking organizations. The program receives its funding through the Virginia Tech Endowment that supports its ongoing initiatives.
Faculty Advisors: Fred Hood and Steven Beach
The Financial Planning Association (FPA) Student Chapter is a student-run organization dedicated to providing professional development and networking opportunities to students interested in entering the financial planning profession, whether through comprehensive financial planning or private wealth management. The group hosts numerous guest speakers throughout the school year, enabling students to further their understanding of the profession, shaping the type of planners they will become. The organization also provides service to the local community, with members working with organizations such as Junior Achievement, the Virginia Council on Economic Education and local schools to teach children and teenagers basic financial life skills.
Faculty Advisor: Jesse Lineberry
Founded in 2021, the FinTech club is a student run organization sponsored by the Virginia Tech Finance department. The goals of the club are multifaceted. The club seeks to educate students of all majors on FinTech and Big Data Analytics. The FinTech club provides opportunities for industry networking and mentoring opportunities as well as host industry speaker events. The club is also working to offer peer mentoring, tutoring and guidance. In addition, The FinTech club hopes to compete in different types of FinTech challenges and competitions during the academic year.
Faculty Advisor: Cara Spicer
Finance for Females and Friends is a student-run organization, open to all majors, dedicated to empowering females to take control of their financial futures. We partner with various companies to host panels, treks, and workshops to educate our members of professions within finance, available opportunities, and the roles that finance plays within our daily lives. By networking with faculty and professionals and normalizing the conversation about money, our goal is to improve academics, careers, and overall financial well-being for all of our members.
Faculty Advisor: Elesha Wikle
The Investment Banking Group provides students hands-on assistance throughout their recruitment journey into investment banking, private equity, and other alternative investments. The group focuses on teaching valuation, networking, and interview preparation necessary to achieve roles in these industries. The group carries out a deal simulation with the goal of preparing students for their time in their respective internships and full-time positions.
Faculty Advisor: Mike Kender
The Entrepreneur Club (also known as E-Club) is a student-run club for students who are interested in starting their own businesses. The club holds numerous events throughout the year, including guest speakers, workshops, pitch competitions and hackathons--competitions to devise a solution to a problem. Membership is open to students of all majors.
The Consulting Club is an organization for students who are considering careers in various areas of consulting. The group hosts guest speakers from the consulting profession who educate students about the role of a consultant, the skills required, opportunities available at their firms, and various aspects of the placement process for internships and jobs. The Consulting Club also holds case study competitions where students can improve their analytical and presentation skills. In addition, members can work with businesses around the Blacksburg area to develop business and strategy solutions and gain practical experience. The Consulting Club is open to all business majors.
Innovate is an interdisciplinary residential community for students who want to learn about entrepreneurship and potentially become entrepreneurs themselves. Innovate is open to students of all majors, and students typically join before coming to Virginia Tech through a competitive process. As part of the Innovate program, the students take coursework in entrepreneurship, which they can use towards obtaining an Entrepreneurship Minor. The students also participate in pitch competitions, hackathons (competitions to devise a solution to a problem) and meetings with local entrepreneurs and capital providers, both in Blacksburg and other metropolitan areas, such as Washington, New York and Boston.
Collegiate Women in Business (CWIB) is a student organization that seeks to empower, prepare, and connect our members. We partner with diverse companies to help provide professional development opportunities for our students. In addition, our organization hosts social events to grow our members' networks and bond with women who share common interests. We have an extensive CWIB alumni network and mentorship program for everyone to participate in. Every year we plan treks to various cities to meet with business professionals and explore the area. Any majors and/or years are welcome!
Faculty Advisor: Nadia Rogers and Michelle Seref
Business Horizons is a student-run career fair that occurs twice each academic year. Students play an active role in planning, organizing, and running the event, which regularly brings more than 100 companies and other employers to campus each semester. Participation in Business Horizons provides students with opportunities to network with potential employers and to learn networking skills.
Delta Sigma Pi is a professional business fraternity organized to accelerate business students to become the best they can be in a professional setting. The Zeta Upsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 19th, 1966 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Since its founding, over 1000 undergraduate students and College of Pamplin faculty members have been initiated into our chapter. The Zeta Upsilon chapter is made up of driven and ambitious students at Virginia Tech wanting to change the name of business through incorporating professional development into our everyday day lives