Category: APMP

Business Students Present Investment Strategies to APMP Advisory Board

Front row (Left to right): Connor Cook, Noah Jukuri, Josh Ackerman
Back row (left to right): Katerina Khardina, Sam Eisenman, Elijah Joseph, Nate Abel
(L to R) Marguerite Goldman, Joseph Petersen, Daniel Zweng, Hunter Oswald, Sam Newman, Josh Terrian

Two teams of College of Business students met with the College of Business Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP) advisory board on September 23, 2024.

The APMP program gives students the opportunity to manage and invest approximately $2.5 million dollars of real money in the U.S. stock market.

At the board meeting, each team gave a presentation about their investment philosophy and the plan for implementing that philosophy into a strategy. Following each presentation, questions were taken from the board.

The board members challenged the teams on their philosophy and implementation strategy, which prompted further discussion following the meeting.

Preparation for the board meeting began many days before the actual event. The student teams were responsible for ordering food, reserving a room, providing parking passes, preparing presentation materials, and more.

COB student Marguerite Goldman says that through the preparation process the teams gained a deeper understanding of what is required to host events like this one in industry.

“There was much anticipation leading up to the meeting, but both teams were well-prepared for the event,” says COB student Elijah Joseph.

“Among many other things, we learned how to prepare and give a professional presentation, how to organize a professional meeting, and how to greet our guests and ensure they had a quality experience,” says Goldman. “We also learned how to improve our investment philosophy and presentation skills through feedback and questions from the board members.”

“My personal experience has been fantastic,” says Marguerite “It is incredible to be able to apply classroom knowledge to the management of a real portfolio and engage in intellectual conversation with other bright business students.”

The teams have been involved in the APMP class since May of 2024.

Laura Sieders Named Edward and Betty Robinson Endowed Faculty Fellow in Accounting

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs has announced that College of Business faculty member Laura Sieders (COB) has been named the Edward ’66 and Betty Robinson Endowed Faculty Fellow in Accounting, which was created to attract, reward and retain highly talented faculty who focus on growing the College of Business’ accounting program.

Sieders serves as director of the MS in Accounting program and co-teaches the Applied Portfolio Management Program. Her teaching philosophy contains elements that provide experiential education, mutual respect and progressive expectations. To assure that her students are prepared for success in their courses and in their careers, Sieders serves on the external engagement committee and is the advisor to the Kappa Sigma Iota (KSI) Accounting Club, which aligns very well with her student-centric philosophy. Outside of campus, she serves as the accounting advisor for two local nonprofits.

Outstanding Students in Business 2023

Best in Business, L to R: Kieran Rowan, Lexi Dembroski, Kevin Hoefer

The Sam Tidwell Outstanding Students in Business awards are presented annually to College of Business undergraduates who embody a dedication to academic, leadership, and extracurricular involvement within the Michigan Tech community. Congratulations to our 2023 recipients:

Husky Bites: Money Matters II—Student Strategies

Photo of Quinnipiac Award trophy
In 2022, students in Michigan Tech’s College of Business won first place (yet again) in the Quinnipiac University Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum XI portfolio competition—Undergraduate Value Portfolio division.

By: Kim Geiger

Jada Hamar, Luke Helsel and Jaharee Weah, all students in Michigan Tech’s Applied Portfolio Management Program, will share their knowledge on Husky Bites, a free, interactive Zoom webinar on Monday, 3/13 at 6 pm ET. Learn something new in just 30 minutes or so, with time after for Q&A! Get the full scoop and register at mtu.edu/huskybites

Master the stock market, but make it Tech.

screen capture of Zoom conversation with five people
Money Matters II” is a continuation of a previous session of Husky Bites, “Money Matters,” which took place on February 27. Read the first blog post, or watch a recording of the first session on youtube.

What are you doing for supper this Monday 3/13 at 6 p.m. ET? Grab a bite with Janet Callahan, College of Engineering dean, and Jada Hamar, Luke Helsel, and Jaharee—students in Michigan Tech’s Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP). Joining in will be Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business at Michigan Tech. Dr. Johnson founded and directs the program.

Just how do Michigan Tech business students consistently win national competitions investing $2 million real money? We’ll find out during Husky Bites—from the students themselves.

Each year, Michigan Tech students are selected to lead APMP for one calendar year, managing real money in US stock and bond markets. Students are chosen based on demonstrated aptitude and leadership skills in the area of finance, accounting, and financial economic theory. 

In the 25 years since APMP’s founding, teams of Huskies have grown the portfolio into one of the top 50 undergraduate funds in the nation. Students in the program have opened the Nasdaq Stock Exchange and become regulars on CNBC. And although APMP is a for-credit class, the intensive experience often becomes much more of a commitment—and reward.

portrait of Luke Helsel
Luke Helsel ’24

Luke Helsel, who is earning his bachelor’s degree in finance at Michigan Tech, would like to enter into the asset management industry upon graduation, eventually working his way into private equity or hedge fund management. 

“The best part of APMP is that the program exposes students to a high end of financial and statistical topics,” Helsel says. “In addition to this, there is a large focus on applying the topics and ideas learned in APMP, rather than simply memorizing them.”

The most challenging part, and the most rewarding? “It’s the pressure of managing real money,” he adds. “In other programs, the trades are done ‘on paper’ and not executed in the real markets. The APMP provides a really unique opportunity to be able to manage actual dollars, because you get an emotional reaction from making or losing money. Managing this reaction and staying rational is one of the keys to good portfolio management. I’m very grateful to have learned this in college.”

During Husky Bites, Luke, Jada, and Jaharee promise to share their strategies. Dr. Johnson will join the session largely to serve as a co-host. 

As a PhD student in 1996, Dr. Johnson interviewed for his first faculty position at Michigan Tech with a very clear vision. “Right away, I intended to establish a portfolio management program for students.” Back then, giving college students a large sum of real money to manage in financial markets was a particularly novel—and perhaps risky—idea, and Michigan Tech was just the place. And there were alumni, donors, and Michigan Tech Fund board members helping along the way. Dr. Johnson became dean in 2016.

Luke, How did you first get into your chosen major/field? What sparked your interest?

I began as a general business student with a focus on entrepreneurship at Tech in 2020. Soon I changed my major to finance because I really enjoyed the material covered in classes. I’ve chosen to pursue investment finance because the work always changes; one day is always different from the next. In addition, investment finance is sort of like finding treasure, which I really enjoy. 

Family and hometown? 

I was born and raised on a Christmas tree farm in Bellaire, Michigan. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Lifting weights and reading are some of my year-round hobbies. I’m also a brother of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity on campus. 

Photo of Jada Hamar flanked by two dogs
Jada Hamar ’22

Jada, how did you first get into your field? What sparked your interest?

My dad attended Michigan Tech for finance. He’s a local banker. I didn’t initially want to follow in his footsteps until I took my first business class. I quickly realized that finance was the route I wanted to take. I enjoyed the challenge of the classes, and the number of career paths available with a finance degree was really exciting. I graduated from Michigan Tech with a BS in finance this past December. I accepted a position at Ameriprise Financial in Houghton. 

Hometown, family? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I feel lucky to have grown up in this area and be able to continue my education here, too. I am the oldest of six kids, with two younger brothers and three younger sisters. I enjoy time outdoors with my husband and our two dogs—skiing in the winter, and fishing in the summer. We have a five-year-old Goldendoodle, Arlo, and Indy, a seven-month-old yellow lab.

photo of Dean Johnson standing and smiling
Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business at Michigan Tech

Dr. Johnson, how did you first get into your field? What sparked your interest?

I was fascinated by stock prices at a very young age. The flow of capital to fund firms providing the goods and services most in-demand by society is the key to improving the standard of living for all.

Hometown, family, hobbies?

I live here in Houghton, Michigan. I’m married with three children. I enjoy the outdoors and sports in my spare time.

About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accountingbusiness analyticsconstruction managementeconomicsengineering managementfinancemanagementmanagement information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.

Husky Bites: Dean Johnson—Money Matters

Photo of Quinnipiac Award trophy
Have you mastered the stock market? Are you investing wisely for your future? And just how do Michigan Tech students consistently win national investment competitions investing real money via the Michigan Tech Fund? Find out during Husky Bites!

By: Kim Geiger

Dean Johnson will share his knowledge on Husky Bites, a free, interactive Zoom webinar Monday, February 27 at 6 p.m. ET. Learn something new in just 30 minutes or so, with time after for Q&A! Get the full scoop and register at mtu.edu/huskybites.

What are you doing for supper this Monday, February 27 at 6 p.m. ET? Grab a bite with Dean Johnson, dean of the College of Business at Michigan Tech. Joining in will be recent graduates Jada Hamar and Kasey Kangas, plus current student Jaharee Weah—all three took part in the Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP), directed by Dr. Johnson.

In the 20-plus years since APMP’s founding, teams of Huskies have grown the portfolio into one of the top 50 undergraduate funds in the nation. Students in the program have opened the Nasdaq Stock Exchange and become regulars on CNBC. And although APMP is a for-credit class, the intensive experience often becomes much more of a commitment—and reward.

Dean Johnson, Dean of the College of Business, Michigan Tech

During Husky Bites, Dr. Johnson also promises to share their secret recipe of 25 years—the one that’s been guiding these Michigan Tech students as they manage real money. 

“In addition, we’ll consider paradigms, paradoxes, performance, and persistence, while exploring the history of investment theory and practice from the 1920s to the 2020s,” he says.

As a PhD student, Johnson interviewed for his first faculty position at Michigan Tech with a very clear vision. “Right away, I intended to establish a portfolio management program for students,” says Johnson, who was hired on as faculty in 1996 in Michigan Tech’s School of Business. He became dean in 2016. 

Back in 1996, giving college students a large sum of real money to manage in financial markets was a particularly novel—and perhaps risky—idea, and Michigan Tech was just the place. And there were alumni, donors and Michigan Tech Fund board members helping along the way. 

In 2019, Michigan Tech’s School of Business became its College of Business. “We offer a broad range of degrees, including four graduate degrees,” notes Johnson. “Our program has been accredited for nearly two decades,” he said. “College imparts the prestige indicative of our history, value and offerings—from our top faculty and technology-infused business core, to our esteemed alumni network.”

“Michigan Tech is an exceptional STEM university that provides us with a unique ability to bridge business and technology.”

Dean Johnson, dean, Michigan Tech College of Business

Each year, a new group of Michigan Tech students is selected to lead APMP for one calendar year, managing more than $2 million in real money in US stock and bond markets. Students are chosen for the program based on their demonstrated aptitude and leadership skills in the area of finance, accounting, and financial economic theory. 

Jada, Kasey, and Jaharee not only took part in the APMP together, but were also in many of the same finance classes together at Tech.

Dr. Johnson, how did you first get into your field? What sparked your interest?

I was fascinated by stock prices at a very young age. The flow of capital to fund firms providing the goods and services most in-demand by society is the key to improving the standard of living for all.

Hometown, family, hobbies?

I live here in Houghton, Michigan. I’m married with three children. I enjoy the outdoors and sports in my spare time.

Jada Hamar ’22

Jada, how did you first get into your field? What sparked your interest?

My dad attended Michigan Tech for finance. He’s a local banker. I didn’t initially want to follow in his footsteps until I took my first business class. I quickly realized that finance was the route I wanted to take. I enjoyed the challenge of the classes, and the number of career paths available with a finance degree was really exciting. I graduated from Michigan Tech with a BS in finance this past December. I accepted a position at Ameriprise Financial in Houghton. 

Hometown, family? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I feel lucky to have grown up in this area and be able to continue my education here, too. I am the oldest of six kids, with two younger brothers and three younger sisters. I enjoy time outdoors with my husband and our two dogs—skiing in the winter, and fishing in the summer. We have a five-year-old Goldendoodle, Arlo, and Indy, a seven-month-old yellow lab.

Kasey Kangas ’22

Kasey, how did you first get interested in business?

I took a business introduction class in high school and thought it was fun. My teacher recommended I take her accounting class, so I did—and I loved it! Now I’m an accountant at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital.

Hometown, family?

I grew up in Calumet, Michigan. I have five brothers and five sisters.

Any hobbies?

I love hiking, camping, fishing, cooking, baking, reading, and playing guitar. 


About the College of Business

The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accountingbusiness analyticsconstruction managementeconomicsengineering managementfinancemanagementmanagement information systems, and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the TechMBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.