Bonneville Salt Flats Multiple Sclerosis Event

The Bonneville Multiple Sclerosis event I wrote about before was just completed and it was a huge success. My brothers' efforts raised over $3500 for the MS research fund. Thank you to everyone for their generous donations.

As for the event itself----- it was awesome. There were nearly 1000 cars and motorcycles from all over the world. 50cc Hondas going 70 mph to 400 mph streamliners. As for my brother's effort, his Mustang ran flawlessly. He was the first rookie driver to qualify for an A license - which means a sustained speed of over 200 mph. His family was present the day he broke 200, so it was a joyous celebration in the pits. Again thanks to everyone - here's the picture of the car on the Salt Flats.

Bonneville Salt Flats Land Speed Racing for MS

The posting below is from my brother, Dennis, who is heading to the Bonneville Salt Flats to participate in "speed week." He has dedicated the Multiple Sclerosis Society as the primary sponsor of his land speed efforts. The link to make a donation can be found at Bonneville Salt Flats Land Speed Racing for MS. Thank you.

My name is Dennis Krause. My wife Jean and I have participated in many of the MS walks, and have "joined the movement" to help find a cure for MS. Our involvement is a result of our son Joe, now age 35, who was diagnosed with MS over 10 years ago.

As a family we have always enjoyed motorsports competion. I have prepared a 2000 Mustang Cobra to compete at the 2010 Bonneville Salt Flats speed week. I have chosen to dedicate primary sponsorship of the car as a fund raiser to help find a cure for MS.

Today is Tuesday August 10, 2010. We will be leaving for the salt flats tonight, and hope to get the car through technical inspection on Thursday Afternoon. Racing begins on Saturday and continues for 1 week. Many world speed records will be set. Our goal is simply to compete, have fun, be safe, go over 200 mph, and yes help raise some money for MS.

As we prepare for this tremendous undertaking, I would like to thank my wife Jean for her unwaivering love and support, and to some of my best friends Marty Smiltneek, Dean Oschmann and Steve Mueller who have all contributed significant time and effort in the design and construction of this record setting speed machine.

Upcoming Marquette University CIRCLES Event in Chicago on October 27th

Marquette CIRCLES Round Table Event
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Union League Club of Chicago
65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago

CIRCLES is an innovative business networking program that connects Marquette alumni, parents and friends doing business in or providing services to:

• Real estate, construction and design 
• Financial services and law 
• Manufacturing, distribution and supply chain 
• Advertising, marketing, media and public relations

CIRCLES will enable you to:

• Network with Marquette alumni, parents and friends in business sectors of interest to you 
• Find employees, mentors and business associates 
• Develop business leads and contacts

 PROGRAM

• 5:00 p.m. REGISTRATION
• 5:45 p.m. WELCOME
• 6:00 p.m. ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS 
• Please select from 1 of 12 discussions including:
• "Why Hedge Funds Belong in Individual Investor Portfolios in the 21st Century" with Dr. David Krause, Director, Applied Investment Management Program, Marquette University, and Christopher McGuire, Comm ’91, Owner and Chief Investment Officer, Phalanx Capital Management, LLC

• 6:45 p.m. NETWORK

Registration material, additional information and updates can be found at marquette.edu/alumni/events/circles.

AIM ‘Road Shows’ Are a Valuable Element of Applied Learning

AIM ‘Road Show’ Presentations
The AIM students manage three separate portfolios which are part of Marquette University’s endowment. The three funds are:
• AIM Equity Fund (benchmark: Russell 2000 Index)
• AIM Fixed Income Fund (benchmark: Barclays Aggregate Bond Index)
• AIM International Equity Fund (benchmark: S&P ADR Index)

The students are assigned to one of the two equity funds and are responsible for managing the holdings of an individual sector/industry group. They conduct fundamental security analysis to support their buy and sell recommendations – including a valuation model. The AIM students are solely responsible for all of the buy and sell decisions (subject to the constraints of the AIM Funds investment policy statements).

Potential investments that meet the strategy and objectives of the AIM investment policy are identified, analyzed, discussed and voted upon by the AIM students. Their proposed Investments are presented in a formal oral presentation to their peers and a group of financial professionals, along with a concise written report of the pertinent characteristics of the proposed investment. The report is distributed in advance of the presentation to financial professionals.

The students typically make a 5-7 minute pitch, which is followed by about 5-7 minutes of questions and answers for the stock they present. The students fulfill their analyst responsibilities by completing any additional research necessary to make an informed decision. AIM Fund investment meetings take place within the AIM Research Room; however, during the semester the students make occasional ‘road show’ presentations at investment companies and before alumni groups.

The past two years the AIM students have presented before alumni and investment companies in Milwaukee at Timpani Capital Management, MBO Cleary, Wells Capital Management, and Cortina Asset Management; and in Chicago at Driehaus Capital Management and before two Marquette Chicago Alumni groups. Dr. Krause, AIM Director, commented about the external student presentations, “These are excellent opportunities for our students to receive feedback and constructive comments from investment professionals. Over the years I have understood that the student presentations are a vital part of the applied learning process; however, the roads shows have taken this to a higher level. This type of real world exposure can’t be obtained from a textbook.”

Krause continued, “We already have four external AIM student presentations scheduled for the fall semester – two in Milwaukee and two in Chicago. Also, plans are in the works to conduct an AIM road show in Madison yet this fall or early in the spring semester.”

If you wish to host an AIM ‘road show,’ please contact Dr. David Krause, AIM Director, at: david.krause@marquette.edu or phone (414) 288-1457.

The AIM fall semester presentation schedule can be viewed at: AIM Presentations.

AIM PROGRAM PRESENTATION ON SLIDESHARE

Marquette University AIM Program

View more presentations from AIM PROGRAM.

Marquette CIRCLES in New York, Tuesday, October 19, 2010

If you are in the New York area, plan to attend:
Marquette University's CIRCLES Event in New York
Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Marquette CIRCLES is an annual networking event. This year it is to be held at:

Hearst Tower
300 West 57th Street
New York

PROGRAM 5:30 p.m.

Finance Panel Discussion and College of Business Administration Centennial Celebration, featuring:

• Steve Czech, Bus Ad ’86, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, FrontPoint Partners LLC
• Scott Schroeder, Bus Ad ’92, Law ’96, Grad ’96, Co-founding Partner, Balyasny Asset Management L.P.
• Ben Somers, Bus Ad ’98, Principal, Head of Business Development, Elementum Advisors
• Dr. David Krause, Director, Applied Investment Management (AIM) Program and Adjunct Assistant Professor (Moderator)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 6:00 p.m.

• Buzz Williams, Head Coach, Marquette Men's Basketball

NETWORK 7:00 p.m.

• After the keynote, meet with Marquette alumni, parents and friends connected to your business sector.

AIM Program to Begin Using Zoologic Web-Based Learning Solutions

Marquette University’s AIM program has selected SS&C's Zoologic Learning Solutions as its web-based course content provider. SS&C Technologies (ticker: SSNC, www.ssctech.com) is a global provider of financial services software and software-enabled services. AIM Director, Dr. David Krause, stated, “As of August 2010, the AIM program has created a blended learning program leveraging Zoologic’s web-based materials in accounting, corporate finance, derivatives, equity, and fixed income to support the AIM curriculum. The inclusion of the Zoologic material will help the AIM students master basic financial principles.”

Zoologic’s courseware consists of a comprehensive library of web-based financial content developed for practitioners (www.ssctech.com/productservices/online-learning.asp). The subject-matter experts consist of research analysts, business leaders, university professors and recognized authors. Backed by a vast content library, the Zoologic courseware programs are based on over 5,000 learning objects and more than 200 courses – comprising almost 700 hours of course-based online financial content. Dr. David Krause, stated, “I really like the flexibility of the Zoologic web-based content; it allowed me to easily merge specific subject matter into the existing AIM curriculum to support our in-class lectures and the material presented by outside speakers.”

Zoologic is an online learning tool which allows students to increase their financial knowledge by taking self-paced modules accessible via Zoologic’s website. Through Zoologic, students will be able to:

• Take courses on a variety of topics of a financial nature including derivatives, equity, fixed income products, foreign exchange and risk management
• Take pre-tests to ascertain their level of knowledge on a topic before starting a course
• Select and complete specific lessons in a course
• Complete exercises to reinforce learning
• Track progress through a course
• Take tests to verify their level of retention

Krause further commented, “I like the notion that my students can cover the basics at their own pace with an interactive online system. With the built-in assessments feature I will know that that they have mastered the basics, which enables me to focus more classroom time on real-time applications, case studies, practical anecdotes, and to welcome more outside speakers into the AIM program. I really like the blended learning approach.”

The Zoologic system employs learning paths, where individual course content can be mapped into a specific curriculum. Dr. Krause has worked with Zoologic curriculum planners to build four separate AIM courses – each tailored with specific course content. He stated, “We’ve built learning paths for each AIM course that allows the flexibility for students to review prerequisites and basic material before moving on to newer and more challenging content. Knowing that the students are covering and mastering the theory and principles taught online, I can focus on real world issues. This ensures us that the AIM students leave the program ready to apply their knowledge directly to their daily working life.”

The refinement of the curriculum by incorporating online content is consistent with the mission of the AIM program – which is to provide Marquette University’s undergraduate students the opportunity to integrate the financial principles they learn in the classroom along with relevant internships and investment experiences so that they may become proficient and ethical investment professionals.

Krause added, “The students also have access to ZooFIRST. This is a compliment to the Zoologic courses. ZooFiRST is a reference tool that provides “just in time knowledge” which provides immediate access to content for improving on-the-spot performance, reinforcement of learning concepts, and longer-term learning. This is going to be a very valuable learning tool.”