Western New England University is proud to announce that it has been named as one of the local, state of Massachusetts, four finalists in this year's CFA Institute Research Challenge, hosted by CFA Society Boston. Joining Western New England University in the Massachusetts finals are Babson College, UMass Boston, and Tufts University.
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual international competition that pits teams of university students against one another as they research and analyze a publicly traded company. This year, HubSpot is the firm that Massachusetts teams were assigned. The Western New England University team, comprised of Luke Costanzo, Nolan Dawson, Jessica Morgado, Elizabeth Heiney, and Jacob Boucher, will now move on to the Massachusetts finals, where they will present their research on the company and answer questions from a panel of judges.
"We are honored to be named a finalist in this prestigious competition," said Tara Grealis, Professional Educator of Accounting and Faculty Advisor for the Western New England University team. "Our students have dedicated significant time and effort to this competition, and we are excited to see their hard work recognized. Their journey is a testament to the talent here at Western New England University—their ability to take what they learn in the classroom and expand upon that at a much deeper level to apply it in a professional experience.”
The finals will take place on Wednesday, February 12 at 101 Federal Street, Boston. The teams will present in a randomly drawn order, with each team given 10 minutes to present their research, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.
Said Grealis, “The accounting and finance knowledge these students have gained from this competition is enormous and their ability to learn it at such a rapid pace has been impressive. It has been a true pleasure to watch these five students grow and develop into young Accounting and Finance future professionals. I couldn’t be any prouder of this team and everything they have accomplished.”
After all presentations are completed, the judges will tally their scores, which will be combined with the written report scores and added together. The winner of the challenge will be announced at a reception following the competition and will go on to compete in the virtual Sub-Regional Finals on March 19, 2025.
"We are extremely proud of our students for being selected as finalists in this esteemed competition," said Dr. Sharianne Walker, Dean of the College of Business at Western New England University. "Their dedication and commitment to excellence reflect the strength of our finance program and the opportunities we provide to our students."
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. The competition is organized by CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials.
The Western New England University community extends a special congratulations to this year's talented team of students for their dedication and hard work. They would also like to thank CFA Society Boston for hosting the competition and for providing a valuable learning opportunity for its students.
