2005-2006 Annual Report

15 According to Dr. Bill Ragle, associate professor of finance, the center has increased the quality of education for finance and information systems majors. Monitoring economic and market conditions in real time, Ragle and his students consider the impact of breaking financial news (such as announcements from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke) on the economy and global markets. Double-monitor workstations allow students to log-on to financial websites and seamlessly export data to Excel spreadsheets. The center also boasts Thanks to the generous support of KeyBank and the Key Foundation, the KeyBank Trading Center at Cedarville gives our business students access to cutting-edge technologies and provides a highly interactive, real-life learning experience. Completed in November 2005, the center boasts 20 double-monitor workstations, an electronic data ticker, a data wall of constantly changing financial information, a 63-inch plasma screen for classroom presentations, and a 37-inch monitor for a live financial news feed. Bloomberg software, one of the most powerful financial databases available. Ragle and his students are able to complete in-depth analysis of companies and investments. The Bloomberg software also allows students to obtain certification in managing both equity and fixed-income securities. The KeyBank Trading Center is paying dividends beyond just the quality of education. It is also opening career doors for students. This past summer senior Michael Rhoads completed an internship with KeyBank. The internship —and later a full-time job offer—came to him in part because of his experience with the Bloomberg software. Plans are in the works to take the educational value of the trading center to a whole new level. Approval for a student- managed investment fund (SMIF) is nearing fruition. Once approved, students will be doing the very things that financial professionals do: in- depth research, presentation of research to decision- making bodies, investment recommendations, reviews of performance, and reporting of investment results. It doesn’t get any more real than that! the world of finance Meet Dr. Bill Ragle Associate Professor of Finance Faculty member since 1995 From the flashing electronic data ticker to the live Bloomberg feed, the new KeyBank Trading Center is giving Cedarville business students a market-savvy environment to explore the world of finance. www.cedarville.edu/business