UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business will continue to offer students and faculty access to Barron’s and MarketWatch, two leading financial news publications, through the Investing in Education program provided by publisher Dow Jones.
Access for the next 24 months is sponsored by Smeal alumni Charles Balducci and Eric Snyder. Balducci and Snyder are partners in the Snyder/Balducci Group, a boutique-style banking and investment group inside of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
Both Balducci and Snyder said they owe much of their success to what they learned at Penn State and that they are excited to give back and pay it forward to the Smeal community.
“We are proponents of providing access to the state-of-the-art tools, technology and thought leadership to ensure that Smeal students have the highest chance of success during their time at Penn State and beyond,” they said in a joint statement.
The Investing in Education program provides complimentary digital subscriptions to Barron’s and MarketWatch for students, faculty and staff through philanthropic support from industry professionals like Balducci and Snyder. It also enables faculty and students to engage with business leaders, top market professionals, C-level executives and successful investors to bring real-world financial experience and know-how into classrooms through speaking events with journalists and financial advisers, a student ambassador program and more.
The Investing in Education program, first announced in February 2018, began at 16 universities, including Penn State. Today, it partners with more than 100 colleges and universities. Its intent is to spur educational growth by connecting real-world analysis to textbook theory, fostering professional growth by exposing students to a wide range of careers in global business and sharing knowledge from the world’s top financial professionals.
Corey Phelps, John and Karen Arnold Dean of Smeal, said that he was deeply grateful to Balducci and Snyder for their investment in Smeal’s students, faculty and staff.
“This gift does more than simply ensure that our students, faculty and staff benefit from direct access to trusted financial journalism and market insight through Barron’s and MarketWatch. It also creates meaningful opportunities for the Smeal community to engage with leading journalists, market experts and business leaders who bring real-world insight directly into our classrooms,” he said.
“I’m especially grateful to Charles and Eric for their commitment to experiential learning that bridges theory and practice and prepares Smeal students to navigate today’s dynamic financial landscape.”
To register for an account, Smeal students, faculty and staff can visit the Investing in Education webpage.
Donors like Balducci and Snyder advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development; and increasing the University’s impact for students, families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.