Masters Learning Center Triples in Size
300% MILC ▲
More than 200 Haslam students visit the Masters Investment Learning Center (MILC) each week to take part in Bloomberg training courses, student clubs, and other programming. Beyond theoretical training, the MILC also helps facilitate real-world practice, with student members of the Torch Fund program actively managing nearly $4 million in donors’ funds at the center, a unique opportunity for experiential learning in the field of finance.
Laura Seery Lenn, Sharon Pryse/Trust Company director of the MILC since its 2009 inception, is passionate about helping students gain access to the best, most up-to-date technology to facilitate their decisions. “Our goal is for students to gain a deep understanding of financial markets, investment strategies, and risk management through hands-on experience,” Lenn says. “Along the way, we help them develop critical thinking skills and cultivate ethical, responsible investment practices.”
Recent Renovations
This spring, the MILC reopened after extensive renovations that nearly tripled its size to 1,900 square feet of usable space. The center now boasts 20 Bloomberg terminals, the gold standard of financial market databases, more than any other university in the Southeastern Conference.
Betsy Adams, Haslam’s assistant dean of operations, strategy, and planning, says, “The seamless integration of state-of-the-art technology, courtesy of the Technical Innovative Solutions team’s expertise, has catapulted our student experience into a new era.”
Mike Masters (HCB, ’89), founder and chief investment officer of Masters Capital Management, LLC, and MILC namesake, funded the project to give back to his alma mater and help future students. “It’s a beautiful facility and will attract prospective students to the Haslam College of Business,” says Masters. “I received a great education from UT. Their finance department was excellent when I attended school in the 1980s, and it’s even better today.”
In addition to advanced computer labs, the updated center includes a modern classroom, a conference room, and a break-out room, allowing students to gather for lectures, meet with clubs and study groups, or conduct research on their own. “The environment is designed to mimic real-world financial settings, providing students with an immersive learning experience,” says Lenn. “The expansion means students will have access to more networking opportunities as the added space lends itself to more programming such as lectures, workshops, and hands-on projects.”
Lindsey Campbell (HCB, ’24) says the renovation is already facilitating more student interactions. “It’s really promoting collaboration and mentorship that we never had before,” she says. “As a senior, I collaborated with a lot of sophomores this spring. More clubs were meeting in the space, and some students even started a podcast. All of this arose from having these additional spaces to gather and talk with each other.”
Firsthand Experiences
Enjoying the MILC requires investment from faculty and students. Every day, Lenn works with students to keep the MILC running smoothly, constantly updating the Bloomberg training curriculum because the system changes frequently. “All the content we create is stale within a semester,” says Lenn. “Many universities don’t do what we do because it takes such organization and hard work to keep the curriculum up to date, but we think there is value in it.”
From the required effort comes value in two forms. First, it is helpful for students to have access to training modules that are up-to-date and accurate. Second, engaging in the work of updating the curriculum keeps MILC student workers at the top of their Bloomberg game. “Some students who work for me are Bloomberg ninjas by the time they are seniors,” says Lenn. “They each take a content area and become an expert.”
Within the Bloomberg system, content areas include equity, real estate, fixed income investments, and swaps and derivatives. Students collaborate to assess changes and create updated modules for two courses on how to use the Bloomberg terminals. “There are so many skills I took away from this experience working on the curriculum and with the Torch Fund,” says Campbell. “The biggest one is learning how to work in a community of people in finance. There are not a lot of opportunities on a college campus that replicate a working environment, but the MILC really does that.”
The hard and soft skills students gain through the MILC prove invaluable when they transition to the workplace after graduation. Katie Fowlkes (HCB, ’19), who now works in P&G’s corporate accounting group, says, “All of the company research done as part of the Torch Fund made me familiar with key corporate metrics and gave me financial statement expertise.”
Investing in Students
Lenn ensures students gain more than training through the MILC, as she pours time and energy into connecting with them and aiding their growth and development. “The students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and drive are a constant source of inspiration for me,” Lenn says. “It’s particularly rewarding to see their ‘aha’ moments when a challenging concept clicks, or when they successfully apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios in our simulated trading environments.”
Fostering a collaborative environment that encourages teamwork and a sense of community is also a priority for Lenn. “These experiences not only enhance their learning but prepare them for the collaborative nature of the professional world,” she says. “The most rewarding aspect of my work with MILC students is playing a part in their journey toward becoming skilled, ethical, and successful finance professionals.”
Lenn’s students attest to the positive impact she and the MILC have made. “[She] was an incredible mentor to me during my time at Haslam,” says Fowlkes. “What I most appreciated is her open-door policy with students. Her leadership style created an amazing culture within the MILC and made her known as a true advocate for students.”
Campbell also looked up to Lenn as a mentor. “For me, the most impactful thing was seeing a successful woman in finance,” she says. Lenn’s emphasis on serving others in addition to personal ambition inspired Campbell. “She’d remind us that at the end of the day, we have a duty to help other people, especially other women, to be successful in a field that’s always been dominated by men,” Campbell says. “The idea of servant leadership is what I’ve taken away.”
