Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance

The Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance is committed to furthering Babson’s innovative and practical approach to finance education and creating a collaborative environment for students, faculty, and industry practitioners to learn from one another. Your gift supports critical components of our experiential learning programs including technology, software and analytics, student seminars, competition fees, and faculty advisors.

State-of-the-art Finance Lab

Today, nearly one-quarter of Babson undergraduate students pursue a degree in finance. With the increased demands on the Cutler Center, a larger space was required for teaching. In June 2019, we opened an expanded center in the Babson Commons, whose location raises the visibility of finance at Babson. The increased square footage also allows us to expand our curriculum and signature learning experiences that improve the marketability of our finance students.

• The expanded facility includes 42 workstations equipped with Bloomberg, FactSet, Capital IQ, and other analytical tools used by industry professionals. The ability to host classes and seminars in this new space provides students with access to state-of-the-art resources that prepare them for successful careers in finance.
• The lab incorporates a TEAL (technology-enabled active learning) classroom that merges focused instruction, hands-on exercises, and student collaboration to create a rich learning environment. 

"The practical equity research skills I learned at Babson gave me a competitive advantage during my job search. The real-world approach taken by the faculty and the resources offered by the Cutler Center is unmatched. Taken together, the program provided real insights into a career in investment management." - Lilia Chobanova MS'18

Experiential Learning Programs

Babson College believes students learn best through authentic experiences, hands-on learning, and practical application. The Cutler Center provides Babson students with unique opportunities to learn, build valuable skills, and lead outside of the classroom through the following experiential learning programs:

• The Babson College Fund (BCF) is an accredited two-semester course that allows a select group of undergraduate and graduate students to manage $5 million of the Babson College endowment. BCF provides a rich educational experience through the development of both investment research and portfolio management skills
• The Cutler Center sponsors students who participate in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, which involves analyzing a local company and then writing a comprehensive research report with a buy, hold, or sell recommendation. Over the last five years, Babson has won the local competition in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
• The Rotman International Trading Competition (RITC) brings teams of students and their faculty advisors from more than 50 universities worldwide to participate in a three-day simulated market challenge in Toronto. Babson competes annually with students preparing for the competition by building sophisticated quantitative models to guide their real-time decision-making. 

"The Cutler Center sponsors the Babson College Fund (BCF), which was a life-changing program for me. It was through this program that I found my passion for investing. The experience in BCF helped me to better understand the financials markets, to network with program alumni and like-minded peers, and ultimately secure a job offer with Bridgewater Associates." -Yanchuan Cai '19

Thought Leadership

The Cutler Center hosts a wide variety of programs and speakers throughout the year at both the Wellesley and Boston campuses. These events allow Babson students, faculty, staff, and alumni to learn, network, and innovate in a collaborative setting. The Cutler Center hosts the following signature events:

• The Distinguished Speaker Series provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni to interact with world-renowned practitioners in corporate finance, investment banking, and asset management.  Prior speakers have included legendary investor Peter Lynch, Fidelity Portfolio Manager Joel Tillinghast, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, U.S. Presidential candidate, and former Bain Capital CEO Mitt Romney, and Comcast’s Vice Chairman and CFO Michael Angelakis.   
• The Cutler Center offers panel discussions during the academic year, which cover relevant and timely topics based on student interest, industry trends, and links to the Babson finance curriculum.  Prior speakers have included Karina Funk, CFA, Portfolio Manager; Chair of Sustainable Investing at Brown Advisory and Kate Jaspon ’98, Chief Financial Officer of Inspire Brands. 
• The Cutler Center offers a two-semester value investing seminar series with hedge fund manager Gary Mishuris, CFA for undergraduate and graduate students. Gary uses several readings like Benjamin Graham’s Security Analysis to discuss the investing philosophies and processes of successful value investors. 

"The Cutler Centers exemplifies Babson's real-world approach to education, its commitment to innovative research, state-of-the-art resources, and programs that uniquely prepare students for careers in investments and finance." - Bruce Herring '87, Former President, Strategic Advisers, Asset Management Division, Fidelity Investments 

If you have any questions about making a gift, please contact Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving at thefund@babson.edu.