UC Investments, which manages a portfolio of $152 billion for the University of California, is bringing the world of finance and investing closer for demographically diverse students on UC campuses across the state through a new initiative: the UC Investments Academy.
The Academy is designed to educate, motivate, and professionally train UC students for a career in investments.
A recent presentation on the Riverside campus was the Academy’s 10th speaker event but the first at UCR and the first to have a live audience. It introduced students to successful investment professionals from global investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, which has $60 billion in assets under management.
“Three successful investment professionals provided inspiration by telling how they overcame odds to break into the real estate investment field and thrive,” said Craig Huie, investment director for UC Investments. “We believe exposure to these investment professionals provides tremendous value to students.”
UCR School of Business Professor Jean Helwege, Anderson Chair in Finance, who helped organize and facilitate the presentation at UCR, agrees with the value the opportunity provides.
“Many of our students are from lower-income families that do not have knowledge of finance or connections to the industry, so it was also a great opportunity to hear about the journey of someone who came before them that has a similar background,” Helwege said.
Huie designed and launched the Academy in 2022 at the direction of UC Investments CIO Jagdeep Singh Bachher. After starting with 100 students at UC Merced, it has expanded to other campuses, including Davis, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Berkeley, in addition to Riverside. The goal is to reach 10,000 in five years, and participation remains free for UC students.
UCR students interested in participating in the Academy can reach out to Professor Helwege or Professor Greg Richey.
There also are two additional opportunities to connect with the Cerberus team, which is conducting two spring seminars on Exploring Pathways in Real Estate. Register here for the events, May 15 in Manhattan Beach or May 16 in San Francisco.
UC Investment Academy Overview
