Experiential Learning

Nittany Lion Fund

The Nittany Lion Fund (NLF) is a student managed investment fund (SMIF) in Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, where each semester, 40 undergraduate students manage an equity portfolio of over $18 million AUM for accredited investors.

In conjunction, students participate in an educational curriculum about stock valuation and portfolio management, attend presentations from industry professionals about financial topics and career insights, and enter various stock pitch competitions. Since its inception in 2005, the Nittany Lion Fund has been an invaluable experience for students at Penn State.

In the 2023-24 academic year, students welcomed guests from Goldman Sachs, TD Cowen, BDT & MSD, Bank of America, and many other firms to present on careers at their respective firms.

The fall and spring Wall Street trips included visits to Bank of America, BNP Paribas, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Incline Equity Partners, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and UBS.

The Nittany Lion Club marks a significant evolution in leadership with Robert Everett succeeding Randy Woolridge. This transition was carefully planned through a national search and implemented by a multi-year transition with a full year of overlap between the two leaders. Watch the Nittany Lion Fund Leadership Transition Video for more information.

Leveraged Lion Capital

Leveraged Lion Capital (LLC) is the nation's first student-run syndicated loan and high-yield bond paper portfolio. The organization actively manages a $125 million paper portfolio via a hands-on approach by researching, analyzing, and pitching speculative grade debt.

Founded in 2016, the organization seeks to educate undergraduate students about the complex world of fixed income markets. LLC utilizes strategic partnerships with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the Loan Syndications and Trading Association, and S&P Global to receive exclusive market data.

This past year, LLC welcomed guest speakers including Angelo Playo of J.P. Morgan, Colin Bathgate of BMO Capital Markets, alumni from BDT & MSD Partners, and former LLC President Luke Zoll, now at Morgan Stanley, each offering valuable perspective on credit markets and career development. The organization also continued its semi-annual Wall Street Trip, visiting firms such as Bank of America, Citi, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, PJT Partners, and one of our sponsors, BNY. This spring, LLC honored Dr. Randy Woolridge for his dedication to the organization since its inception and the overall impact he has had on Penn State over his 46-year career.

Looking ahead, LLC is excited to celebrate its 10-year anniversary this Fall 2026. The organization is producing a commemorative video featuring founders, alumni, and faculty to mark the milestone.

New for 2026, we are excited to welcome Dr. Bharad Kannan as our LLC faculty director.

Penn State Wealth Management Association (PSWMA)

Founded in 2023, the Penn State Wealth Management Association (PSWMA) is a student-led organization dedicated to preparing the next generation of wealth management professionals has grown from a small founding group to roughly 90 members in its first three years.

Members build personalized financial plans for mock clients, compete in wealth management case competitions, and develop technical and client-communication skills through hands-on programming, mentorship, and networking with alumni and industry leaders. Members have earned internships and full-time positions at leading financial institutions, including J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Vanguard, and Fidelity. Membership is selective: students first complete the Penn State Financial Advisors (PSFA) program and then participate in a recruitment process that includes an application and interview.

PSWMA is committed to providing equal access and opportunity to all Smeal students, regardless of campus or background.

Wall Street Boot Camp

Wall Street Boot Camp is a program initiated in 2007 by Robin Stevens and Professor Randy Woolridge. It is designed as a training program to better prepare students who aspire to careers in the highly competitive field of financial services.

The program has been highly successful in serving dual purposes. It provides a true glimpse of the dedication and focus needed to succeed in a career on Wall Street. This preview allows for the candidate field to be narrowed to only the most aspiring individuals. Also, the program’s targeted approach ensures that students completing the program will be sufficiently prepared to utilize the Smeal network of volunteers.

Bonus Boot Camps

Bonus Boot Camps are sessions, open to all students, presented by Wall Street professionals on a wide range of topics relevant to the financial services industry. Presentations have covered such topics as private equity, venture capital, real estate investing, Fin Tech, fixed income trading, wealth management in a family office, innovation and global currency to name a few.

Bonus sessions are advertised on the Smeal College list serves as well as through various student organizations. Ads announcing sessions are also placed on the digital screens located in the Business Building. Reservations are required due to limited seating with instructions on how to RSVP on the ad. Sessions are typically held in the Rogers Family Trading Room.

Corporate Finance Boot Camp

The Corporate Finance Boot Camp's second year built on a strong debut, welcoming 35 students selected from a pool of 214 applicants: a 138% increase in applications over Year 1, achieved entirely without formal marketing. The growing demand reflects the program's reputation on campus and set the stage for an even more ambitious third year.

Boot Camp students spent the 2025–2026 academic year engaging with 20 industry speakers, including CFOs, CEOs, directors, and analysts from organizations such as Vanguard, Johnson & Johnson, Marriott International, Archer Aviation, BNY Mellon, Microsoft, Marriott, Citigroup, Salesforce, Definitive Healthcare, Centerbridge, and Nissan, among others. Sessions spanned technical topics, career readiness workshops, and panel discussions with senior finance leaders, giving students exposure to a wide range of industries and career paths.

Students also completed a semester-long applied consulting project for Pets Come First, a State College nonprofit serving the community's animal welfare needs. Working in teams, students developed a multi-year strategic plan, conducted a revenue and expense analysis, built a capital budget tied to the organization's mission, and delivered their findings directly to the Pets Come First Board of Directors.

In the Johnson & Johnson Spring 2026 Case Competition, a Boot Camp team built a comprehensive business plan for J&J's expansion into the barbed-suture market, analyzing R&D strategy, pricing, marketing, supply chain, human capital, and sensitivity analysis. The team took first place and a $2,000 prize.

The program also expanded its corporate site visit offerings, hosting two visits this year: Vanguard's headquarters in Malvern, PA, where students met with senior finance leaders including the CFO to learn how a global asset manager operates, and AccuWeather's headquarters in State College, PA, offering a contrasting look at a private, founder-led company.

New this year, every Boot Camp graduate received a digital certificate of completion, which students have already added to their LinkedIn profiles. This is just a first step toward a fully Smeal-branded credential that carries the institutional weight of the college.

Looking ahead, the Boot Camp is undergoing a significant structural change for Year 3: it will move from a 1-credit, year-long program to a 3-credit, single-semester course this fall, matching the workload students were already taking on. Applications for Fall 2026 have already grown to 226, with 36 students selected (a 16% acceptance rate). The redesigned course introduces a two-track weekly structure (technical and analytical skills on Wednesdays, alumni and industry sessions on Fridays) and integrates AI directly into the curriculum, pairing core finance concepts with AI workflows so students graduate ready to use these tools credibly and critically. A third corporate site visit, to Campbell's headquarters in Camden, NJ, will round out the year, giving students exposure to a publicly traded consumer brand alongside the asset manager and private company visits from prior years.