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Alperin Financial Center

Technology Brings Wall Street to Scranton

Technology Brings Wall Street to Scranton

The Irwin E. Alperin Financial Center is a simulated trading floor, with computer stations and software configured to facilitate sophisticated analysis and simulated real-time trading of equities and foreign currencies. 

Surrounding the lab on three sides is a massive 107-foot-long Rise Vision ticker showing a constant stream of stock values fed from the New York Stock Exchange.  Four 57-inch LCD screens are mounted on the walls -- each displaying a mix of regional, national, and international financial news and stock quotes, along with internal messages.

Bloomberg logo

The lab has a dozen Bloomberg terminals, which make financial analysis and portfolio management accessible at the highest levels to Kania School students and faculty.  The exposure to the nuances of real-time and historical fluctuations in the values of an array of investment options – from stocks and bonds to currencies and derivatives – brings the theories of investment into living color.

 Students are able to:

  • monitor the performance of a portfolio throughout the day
  • break down a portfolio by industry
  • observe the contributions to portfolio performance of specific sectors or stocks
  • upload two years of history
  • individually analyze the securities that make up any asset class
  • generate price charts
  • produce real-time reports of financial and other markets.
The Kania School opened the center in 2009. The development was made possible by a generous donation from the Alperin family, in honor of the late Irwin E. Alperin, a benefactor and dedicated friend of The ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌà and a driving force in the economic growth of Scranton and Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Through his company, Alperin, Inc., and the various organizations affiliated with it, Mr. Alperin provided employment opportunities for local residents, while also generously extending his philanthropic reach into the community.  He established the Alperin Chair, the first chair in the Kania School of Management, as well as a scholarship that provides financial assistance for outstanding students who otherwise might not be able to pursue a college education.


Ms. Jane Alperin, president of Kingston’s Jane Leslie & Co., a member of the Kania School Advisory Board and a daughter of the late Irwin E. Alperin, led a successful effort to increase to 12 the number of Bloomberg terminals in Brennan Hall, nine of which are housed in the Alperin Center.   

PRISM Group

The PRISM Group (Portfolio of Responsible Investments under Student Management) is the Kania School's student investment-management organization. The club manages approximately $500,000 of the university's endowment, with objectives of safeguarding and growing capital and learning about the market and investments process.

Dr. John Ruddy, associate professor in the Economics and Finance Department, moderates the club. Its members meet on a weekly basis. For more information, contact Dr. Ruddy at john.ruddy@scranton.edu

Alperin Center Director

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Vincent Rocco is a faculty specialist and director of the Alperin Financial Center. He joined the ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌà in 2015 as an adjunct professor. He teaches students to use Bloomberg terminals, focusing on equity, fixed income, commodities, and currencies. He also teaches Introduction to Finance and Information and Oral Proficiency, a course that stresses computer literacy and public speaking skills.
He received his MBA from Wilkes ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌÃ, focusing on small business development and entrepreneurship. He earned a bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌÃ, with majors in finance and marketing. He previously worked as a proprietary equity trader for nine years in New York City.

Doyle Stock Trading Competition

Utilizing the Alperin Center’s stock-trading capabilities aggressively are ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌà students who participate in the annual James C. Doyle ’66 Stock Trading Competition.  Created in memory of Mr. Doyle, a loyal alumnus of the ³Ô¹ÏÌìÌà and respected financial advisor, and funded by contributions from his family and friends, the competition encourages students to understand and participate in the workings of the stock market. 

Using a virtual stock-exchange platform and brokerage accounts provided by Market Watch, student competitors began their trading activity in mid-October with virtual accounts valued at $100,000.  On a weekly basis, they submit their account statements, listing trading dates, transactions and balances to the competition coordinator.

The student with the largest balance at the close of the market on April 15 receives a cash award. 

 

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