Student 1: So, how did you do today?

Student 2: I was up $2.4 million in pork bellies, but then the Asian markets opened, and I got wiped out by the Nikkei.

Student 1: Maybe your parents can lend you some cash?

Thankfully, those parents will not have to take out a second mortgage because our two hypothetical Indiana University Northwest students are talking about a new simulated stock trading program. The forward thinking program opened in early March at the School of Business and Economics thanks to a gift from the Morrow family of Huntington, Indiana.

Virtual Opportunity

The trading floor includes two digital stock tickers, a large TV screen tuned to the financial news channels, and an actual trading room where students can “play the market” using the simulated trading program.  “The virtual trading floor is a unique opportunity for students to see how the markets work and how the orders are placed,” says Chris Morrow. “Students will learn of supply and demand through the class setting, then feel the reality through this program.”

But beyond million dollar deals, the virtual trading floor is an example of how IU Northwest and the Morrow family are using innovative technology to enhance the student experience while investing in the future of the community. The Morrow family, known for banking in the Hoosier state, has been a major supporter of the School of Business and Economics as a means of advancing northwest Indiana.

“IU Northwest is playing a role that makes northwest Indiana unique,” notes Chris. “The campus, being in an urban setting, is able to bring new technology to the region so those who live there can experience something this unique. And we want the students to not only learn, but to someday return to northwest Indiana after their education.” IU Northwest even plans to extend this unique learning environment to the public, by allowing local businesses to access the trading floor through classes. “This is a wonderful program because it will allow people who do not know that much about the stock market to learn how it all works,” says Dean Anna Rominger of the School of Business and Economics.