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Listen to this articleHoward University School of Business (HUSB) recently unveiled its new Bloomberg Finance Lab in front of a standing-room-only crowd of students, faculty, and alumni. The lab, made possible through a generous $250,000 gift from alumnus Wendell E. Mackey, CFA, will be used to prepare students to excel in finance-related fields.
“We are extremely appreciative of Mr. Mackey’s donation to the Howard University School of Business, which not only supports the Bloomberg Finance Lab but also student scholarships,” said President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick. “In this full circle moment, we get to witness a student who once benefited from a quality Howard education, return to give back so that the next generation of students can experience the same.”
Mackey fondly recalls taking photos in front of the then newly constructed School of Business on the day of his graduation ceremony in 1986. It was in that moment that he vowed to one day give back to his alma mater. Today, Mackey is a Founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer for Channing Capital Management, LLC in Chicago.
“I am honored to present this gift to Howard University on behalf of myself and Channing Capital Management. I also want to thank my great business partners Rodney Herenton and Eric McKissack for their support along our journey together,” said Mackey. “The skills that the students will achieve with the added benefit of utilizing a Bloomberg Finance Lab will be invaluable to their careers.”
The Bloomberg Terminal is a software platform that provides real-time and historical data, market-moving news and analytics to help leading business and financial professionals worldwide make better-informed investment decisions. The service also features execution platforms for every asset class, research and a global network to communicate securely and reliably. Howard University has contracted to have 12 Terminals with two Terminals earmarked for economics and computer science students.
“We are thrilled to partner with Howard University and offer its students and professors access to the same market-moving news and data relied on by leading business and financial professionals around the globe,” said Erika Irish Brown, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion. “We hope that Bloomberg Finance Lab’s training and coursework will give Howard students seeking careers in financial services an additional competitive edge, while also familiarizing Howard’s computer science students with the technology underlying the Bloomberg Terminal.”
“The Bloomberg Lab will greatly enhance the academic skills of our undergraduate and graduate students in finance, accounting, marketing, supply chain and management, and enhance their professional marketability,” said Barron Harvey, Ph.D., dean of the Howard University School of Business. “In addition, the lab will greatly impact the research productivity of our dedicated faculty in the School of Business.”
As part of the gift to the University, a portion will be used to establish the Wendell E. Mackey/Channing Capital Management, LLC Scholarship, which will sponsor four student scholarships over the next two years for School of Business students. During the ceremony, the two scholarships were presented to Christopher Austin, a junior finance major from Chicago, and Taylor Stephens, a freshman finance major from Atlanta.
“I very much appreciate this scholarship award for the simple fact that someone wants to help me advance my education,” said Austin. “There is no better feeling than knowing that others believe in my future and want to help me along the way toward pursuing my goals and dreams.”
Pictured L to R: HUSB Dean Barron Harvey; President Wayne A. I. Frederick; Wendell Mackey, CFA; HU Trustee Norman Jenkins; and Bloomberg Representative Paras Doshi.
