UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business has announced a new partnership with the Barron’s in Education Program from Dow Jones. Wealth advisory firm PagnatoKarp, based in Reston, Virginia, has sponsored a two-year site license to Barron’s, one of the nation’s premier financial resources, that allows free access for Smeal students, staff and faculty.

In addition to the digital subscription, the program also offers access to guest speakers and webinars, connections with corporate recruiters, and opportunities for students to tour corporate headquarters.

“Smeal is at the forefront of Barron’s efforts to reach the next generation of business professionals,” said Charles H. Whiteman, John and Becky Surma Dean of Smeal. “This partnership will help connect the business world with academia by providing experiential learning, forward-looking perspective and analysis, proprietary content, and expert commentary as part of the Smeal experience.”

Last year, Joe Lanza, director of financial literacy and education at Dow Jones Media Group, spoke with business school deans, professors and students across the country to better understand how financial information is used in academia.

“We are delighted to partner with the Penn State Smeal College of Business and PagnatoKarp to bring the Barron’s in Education program to students, faculty and staff and to help promote financial proficiency for tomorrow’s business leaders,” Lanza said.

Smeal alumnus Drew Woolridge class of 1998 in finance, class of 2006 MBA, managing director at PagnatoKarp, was instrumental in bringing Barron’s to Penn State.

“PagnatoKarp has partnered with Barron’s for many years and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together to help spread the word about what sound financial advice is,” Woolridge said. “My colleague, Jennifer Wappaus (class of 2007 in hotel, restaurant and institutional managment), and I both want to give back to Penn State and support students, and this is one way we are able to do that.”

The Barron’s in Education program is intended to spur educational growth by connecting real-world analysis to textbook theory, foster professional growth by exposing students to a wide range of careers in global business, and share knowledge from the world’s top financial professionals.

“The internet is a great tool for today’s students, but it doesn’t put everything together in a cohesive manner,” Woolridge said. “One of the things that sets Barron’s apart from other financial publications is that it covers virtually everything: business deal flow, how people invest, from asset allocation to proper diversification, to looking at the financial management industry so people seeking financial advice can see what is available.”

PagnatoKarp founder and CEO Paul A. Pagnato said the partnership advances the company’s ambitions.

“At PagnatoKarp, our goal is to positively impact a million lives, and we can think of no better way to make an immediate difference than through education,” he said.

The Barron’s in Education program, announced in February 2018, will begin at 16 universities, including Penn State, this fall. 

This gift will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.