Michigan Tech teams earned both first and second place in THE Project 2023, a semester-long project management competition sponsored by the Western Michigan Project Management Institute. Finals were held last month at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville, Michigan, where Huskies went up against competitors from Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Hillsdale College, and Western Michigan University.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management 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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management 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.
By Eugene Brown Agyei (Husky Innovate), Shannon Rinkinen (COB)
On Jan. 19, eleven Michigan Technological University students across disciplines pitched their business models to a panel of judges comprised of faculty and business professionals. In it’s sixteenth year, the business pitch competition is a tribute to the late College of Business Professor of Practice Bob Mark and helps nurture Michigan Tech’s entrepreneurial spirit. The tradition is a highlight of Innovation Week activities.
In the end, Bayle Golden (master’s in engineering management) emerged as the top award winner with SafeROW, a startup focused on solving child abductions. Golden also earned the Social Impact Award, sponsored by Elham Asgari, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in the College of Business.
Presenting Tall and Small Designs, an innovation for finding the right clothing fit, was Jordan Craven (management information systems), who earned second prize as well as Audience Favorite and Breakout Innovation Award, sponsored by the MTEC SmartZone and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Third prize went to Asia Motta (engineering management) with the Droplet, a device to keep houseplants alive.
Ideas spanning health, education, and sustainable power generation were also pitched by Huskies.
Presented by the College of Business with thanks to sponsors Rick and Jo Berquist, and Dan and Jane Green for sponsoring the Audience Favorite award.
Sponsored and presented by Gates Professor Elham Asgari, College of Business.
Presented by Patrick Visser, chief commercial officer, MTEC SmartZone.
Sponsored by MTEC SmartZone and Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Special thanks to those who dedicated time and resources to make the competition a success.
Sponsors:
Judges:
Visit the Husky Innovate Events page for upcoming opportunities.
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management 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.
By Jessie Stapleton, Shannon Rinkinen
On Friday, November 11, four Huskies representing three teams pitched their business ideas at Michigan State University during the Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge (MCSC), competing for more than $12,000 in cash prizes. MCSC is Michigan’s university-level business model competition specifically designed for student entrepreneurs across the state. The second-annual MCSC, sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, fosters entrepreneurship by encouraging commercialization of ideas.
Twenty semifinalists representing nine schools pitched their ideas, including the following Michigan Tech teams:
Craven took first place, winning $5,000, for Tall and Small Designs, a retailer software service providing form-fitting mockups of online clothing products for consumers. Sylvain, of Integrated Molecular Innovations, an electrochemical biosensor for at-home detection of T4 thyroid levels, earned fourth place, netting $1,000.
Students spent the first portion of the day pitching their ideas to judges. Ten startups were selected to move to the finalist showcase round.
Hosted by Michigan State, the pitch competition was a collaboration between Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Mid-Michigan College, Northern Michigan University, and Wayne State University.
The Michigan Tech College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management 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.