SMU Cox students gain new energy investment learning resource
Students pursuing energy investment at SMU Cox School of Business now have a unique resource that will give them a competitive edge as they prepare to launch their careers.
President R. Gerald Turner (far left), Dean Al Niemi (third from right, back) and Maguire Energy Institute Director Bruce Bullock (center back) joined with SMU benefactor Cary Maguire (center front) to cut the ribbon on the new Scott Sheffield Energy Investment Lab, named by Bryan Sheffield (BBA ’01, third from right, front), who gave the gift in honor of his father, Scott Sheffield (second from left). Also pictured: Kimberley Sheffield (third from left), Kit Sheffield (BBA ’04, second from right) and his wife, Lisa Bulgakova Sheffield (BBA ‘16).
Dallas (SMU) – Students pursuing energy investment at SMU Cox School of Business now have a unique resource that will give them a competitive edge as they prepare to launch their careers.
The Maguire Energy Institute at SMU Cox dedicated the new Scott Sheffield Energy Investment Lab Friday, Oct. 16, in the Fincher Building on the SMU campus. The state-of-the-art Sheffield Lab will give students a unique experiential learning opportunity as they prepare to enter the energy industry. The hands-on learning space is dedicated solely to the advancement of energy investment-related education.
A generous gift from Bryan Sheffield (BBA ’01), founder, president and chief executive officer of Parsley Energy, made this one-of-a-kind learning tool possible. It is named in honor of his father, Scott Sheffield, chairman and chief executive officer of Pioneer Natural Resources. Bryan Sheffield, began his career as a bond trader. Like his father and grandfather Joe Parsley, Bryan Sheffield earned success in the energy industry. On Father’s Day 2014, he told his father of his plans to donate funding to build an energy investment lab at SMU Cox and name it for him.
“I always tried to teach my children to give back,” said Scott Sheffield. “This is one of the best gifts a father could ever have.”
Through his gift, Bryan Sheffield is paving the way for future SMU Cox alumni to do the same.
“We are grateful for alumni Bryan Sheffield’s generosity and vision in providing this tremendous learning resource for Cox students,” said Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute. “Bryan’s gift is making it possible for our energy students to have a competitive edge even before they enter the work force.”
Other investment centers exist on university campuses around the country, but none focus solely on energy, nor do they provide the SMU Cox instructional environment of the Kitt Center Investing and Trading Center and the combined research/collaboration environment of the Sheffield Lab. Designed and arranged in a collaborative set-up, the lab promotes team research and discussion to support the school’s student-managed energy investment fund, one of the first of its kind in the world. Through the Sheffield Lab, SMU Cox students will make team-oriented investment decisions using highly specialized energy specific data feeds and analytical tools, the same kind of work environments they will employ early in their careers in energy investment banking, private equity, corporate finance and other analytical functions.
About SMU Cox
The Cox School of Business (cox.smu.edu), originally established in Dallas in 1920 on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and was named in honor of benefactor Edwin L. Cox in 1978. SMU Cox offers a full range of highly-ranked undergraduate and graduate business education programs: BBA, Full-Time MBA, Fast Track MBA, Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), JD/MBA, MA/MBA, Master of Science (MS) in Accounting, MS in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, MS in Management, MS in Sport Management, as well as Executive Education and multiple certificate programs. The school also offers a number of unique resources and activities for students, including the Business Leadership Center (BLC), the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, the Folsom Institute for Real Estate, the Maguire Energy Institute, the Global Leadership Program and the Associate Board Executive Mentoring Program, as well as an international alumni network with chapters in more than 20 countries.