APSU alumnus Carroll provides lead gift for new trading room on campus
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 Austin Peay State University is about 900 miles from New York City鈥檚 financial district, but a new trading room in the University鈥檚 Kimbrough Building will soon allow APSU business students to mimic the work of Wall Street鈥檚 top financiers.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 Austin Peay State University is about 900 miles from New York City鈥檚 financial district, but a new trading room in the University鈥檚 Kimbrough Building will soon allow APSU business students to mimic the work of Wall Street鈥檚 top financiers.
The proposed trading room will have 16 computer stations and a Bloomberg terminal, providing APSU business students with the same tools used by financial professionals around the world. The space will also have electronic ticker boards, monitors and two innovation rooms for students to analyze data.
The room, which has been a priority for the last few years, received a boost recently when Larry Carroll contributed a lead gift to help finance the project. The completed area will be designated as the Larry and Vivian Carroll Trading Room.
鈥淎s the (College of Business) develops an investment-oriented track, the trading room will provide hands-on experience that refines the focus and helps in recruiting,鈥 Larry Carroll said in the 2015 issue of Austin Peay Business. 鈥淚t also helps us or any other employer to hire a more qualified candidate.鈥
Carroll, a 1976 APSU graduate, is president and CEO of the North Carolina-based Carroll Financial Associates, and he is considered one of the top financial planners in the nation. In 2012, the Tennessee Board of Regents honored him with the Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Philanthropy for his generous support and outstanding volunteer efforts on behalf of his alma mater, APSU.
He is now supporting the APSU College of Business as it strives to become a leader in preparing students for financial industry careers. The College鈥檚 investment team won last year鈥檚 Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge Competition, with the team鈥檚 student-managed portfolio outperforming the benchmark index by more than 65 percent. In 2012, Austin Peay students managed a portfolio that also ranked first in annual performance. The APSU College of Business stock portfolio is now worth more than $650,000.
The College is still seeking donors to join Carroll in helping to provide this space to APSU business students. For information on the project, contact Susan Wilson, APSU director of major gifts, at wilsonsr@apsu.edu.