The Student Managed Investment Fund is an educational and hands-on learning program led by alumnus Nick Mendelson ’16, financial advisor at Morgan Stanley, with Dr. Douglas Jordan, chair of the School’s Business Administration Department, as faculty advisor. SMIF affords students the opportunity to make live trades with real dollars. Mendelson works closely with students to guide them through research, analysis, and identification of a diversified investment portfolio.
“The Student Managed Investment Fund teaches students critical skills sought after by employers in the financial services and banking industry." - Dr. Douglas Jordan, Faculty Advisor and Professor of Finance
“I was seeking an experience that offered everything I wanted to learn about finance and investment and would pave the way for me to sell myself to future employers. I learned that there are nuances involved in developing a portfolio. You don’t just go in and pick stocks because they are popular blue chip stocks. I learned to peel back the layers of the onion and dissect how a portfolio is really constructed – what must be done in accordance to the fluctuation of the market, what the rebalancing parameters are when our portfolio allocations shift, and what our risk tolerance is.” - Jarod Rohrbach, Class of 2019
Nick Mendelson
Advisor, Student Managed Investment Fund
Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Partner, JSM Group at Morgan Stanley
Nick graduated cum laude from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance. Nick was born and raised in Sonoma County and has a dedication to his community. He serves on the board of directors for a local non-profit, La Luz. Nick enjoys the outdoors, playing guitar, cooking, and photography.
Dr. Douglas Jordan
Faculty Advisor, Student Managed Investment Fund
Professor of Finance
Dr. Jordan teaches corporate finance and investments. He is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and is a regular contributor to that organization’s Baseball Research Journal. He resides in Santa Rosa, California with his wife and twin 13-year old sons. You can contact him at jordand@sonoma.edu.