The Gregory A. LumsdenTrading Room & Research Lab
Not Just Another Computer Lab
At first glance, Constant Hall 2002 may look like an ordinary computer lab, but a closer look reveals that the computers are actually state-of-the-art Bloomberg Terminals. The Gregory A. Lumsden Trading Room and Research Lab (LTR), opened in fall 2012, is equipped with 24 Bloomberg Terminals, making it one of the largest labs in the United States. Each terminal includes a processor, dual monitors, and a special keyboard to access specific Bloomberg functions. The lab also has a Rise Display, showing real-time data from across the globe.
Bloomberg terminals provide a portal to real-time information that Bloomberg and other news and financial services collect and analyze, displayed in a user-friendly format. The terminals are not just for finance majors; the LTR is being used in cross-disciplinary studies and the expectation is that the entire campus will benefit from this exceptional resource. The LTR enhances the ability to integrate real-world data into classes, providing a great platform from which to ask questions and find answers. Among the courses currently being taught in the LTR are the Student Management Investment Fund class; Wall Street 101; and Personal Financial Literacy.
Wall Street 101 Flyer
Millennials: Better Financial Wealth Than Baby Boomers
Putting Students in Touch With Reality
The students who take advantaqe of the resources in the Gregory A. Lumsden Trading Room and Research Lab will have an appealing skill to put on their resume. They can even use the lab to earn a Bloomberg Market Concepts Certificate or prepare for and take the Bloomberg Aptitude Test. "It is my hope that the experience for many of the students using the room will give them a high degree of practical experience which they can better leverage for career opportunities. I want our graduates to get good jobs and we want to make our students more attractive to the outside world. It is my hope that this rooms keeps us moving in that direction," said Lumsden.
Lab at-a-glance
When Gregory Lumsden, whose generous support made the Trading Room and Research Lab a reality, started his MBA at Old Dominion University he had never studied business and had been working in the public sector. After being exposed to the fundamentals of accounting, finance, operations management, and marketing, he knew that he was on his way to a new career path. After graduation Lumsden obtained a Series 7 general securities representative license and sold mortgage-backed securities. In doing so, he had the opportunity to experience trading on Wall Street. He described the experience, "I watched the flow of information in the 1980s and early 1990s really change how the mortgage-backed arena sold and traded both securities and options. I want to help ODU students get in touch with how it works today - for all securities."
