A focused group of professionally dressed University of Florida students listens intently during a Gator Student Investment Fund meeting, reflecting engagement and dedication to finance and investment education.

Gator Student Investment Fund

Manage investment funds in a role that mirrors Wall Street

Join more than 50 of your classmates to invest the $1,500,000 in assets under management of the Gator Student Investment Fund.

You’ll deploy capital in value-oriented, domestic equities while managing portfolio risk. Funds support scholarships for first-generation, low-income students. You’ll also gain a sizable network, plus knowledge and experience that prepares you for internships and full-time positions.

If you’re selected, you’ll be placed into industry-focused research teams that pitch undervalued equities with support from our finance professionals.

Investment mandate

Students construct a stock portfolio with the objective of outperforming the S&P 1000 Index. Working in teams that cover sectors within the S&P 1000, students identify undervalued stocks using a value-oriented investment approach grounded in rigorous fundamental research.

How we invest: Security selection

  • Target inefficient markets: The fund invests in small- and mid-cap companies where lower sell-side coverage and structural inefficiencies create more frequent mispricing than in the S&P 500.
  • Outperform the benchmark through fundamental research: Sector teams identify undervalued businesses through diligent research, use both intrinsic and relative valuation, and pitch those ideas to the investment committee.
  • Filter ideas through a rigorous pitch pipeline: Candidate investments move from rapid “swift pitch” screens to formal proposals and ultimately a full-fund final pitch before the investment committee deploys capital.

How we invest: Portfolio construction

  • Sector neutral portfolio: GSIF allocations to each sector closely match the S&P 1000 benchmark sector allocations. The fund returns only deviate from the S&P 1000 benchmark as result of security selection with sector portfolios.
  • Risk limits: Position sizes in individual stocks are set to maximize returns versus the S&P 1000 benchmark with a limit on the amount of tracking error volatility versus the S&P 1000.
  • Limited macro factor exposures: The portfolio is constructed so that changes in the macroeconomic environment have little impact on the fund’s performance versus the benchmark index.
A Gator Student Investment Fund advisor actively engages in discussion during a panel session, surrounded by attentive students and professionals. The image highlights the collaborative, competitive environment students join when accepted into the fund.

Join the fund

The fund accepts new member applications each semester in a highly competitive process. Applicants in their first or second year of study are preferred. Students from all academic disciplines are welcome to apply.

Apply to be an analyst

Application process

Applicants should demonstrate curiosity for financial markets and investing, a collaborative attitude with a desire to learn, the ability to articulate ideas persuasively and a creative and thoughtful stock pitch.

  • An information session details the organization’s structure, investment philosophy, and application process, and introduces the Portfolio Managers to applicants. 
  • The stock pitch session provides an overview on expectations and how to pitch a stock.
Sign up for info session
Join a stock-pitch session

Pitches that focus on an original thesis highlighting a difference from the broader market view are recommended. Discuss why the stock is undervalued and what factors will prompt the stock to rise to its “fair value.” Please focus on the qualitative story of the investment thesis backed by thoughtful supporting research and logic rather than model calculations. Pitches are evaluated on:

  • Long-term value-oriented investment
  • Public U.S. Equity with a market-cap greater than $200 million (ADRs are allowed)
  • Pitch length of 3 pages max. Submit as a PDF. 
  • Supporting quantitative analysis through Excel is welcome – submit via email (not required).

Refrain from pitching mega-caps (e.g., Apple, Tesla, etc.) or equities that lack significant historical financial data as it is difficult to develop and defend a viewpoint that is differentiated from the market.

Submit background information, a resume, and a stock pitch. The pitch is the most critical element of your application as it demonstrates creativity, analytical ability, and interest in the stock market and long-term investing.

The GSIF executive team extends final-round interviews to qualified candidates only. Interviews
include behavioral and technical components, and the difficulty level is scaled to reflect the
candidate’s experience (e.g., candidates who submit a DCF will receive questions on it). These
interviews will be the basis for final decisions on the new analyst class.

Students in the Gator Student Investment Fund participate in analyst training at computer workstations, analyzing financial data using Bloomberg terminals. The immersive eight-week program equips first-year analysts with skills in value investing, financial modeling, and equity research.

Training for first-year analyst

New analysts train for eight weeks in value investing, accounting, financial analysis, due diligence, modeling and valuation, while also learning Capital IQ and Bloomberg software. Post training, you’ll prepare equity research that guides your final pitch.

  • Week 1: Introduction to the fund and value investing
  • Week 2: Accounting
  • Week 3: Ratios, multiples, and discounted cash flow
  • Week 4: Discounts and value drivers
  • Week 5: Investment thesis
  • Week 6: Portfolio management
  • Week 7: Attribution
  • Week 8: Special topics in corporate finance
New York Stock Exchange with many screens showing stock prices and company logos

Training for existing members

Existing members undergo comprehensive training designed to expose them to a wide range of finance sectors, helping them identify areas they want to pursue for junior summer recruitment.
The program covers key fields of finance through both lectures and hands-on case work, giving members a practical understanding of each area. This allows them to make informed decisions on which fields align with their interests and career goals. Areas include:

  • Investment banking
  • Credit & restructuring
  • Private equity
  • Public market investing

Areas of study

Use of the Bloomberg terminal

Discounted cash flow analysis

Use of S&P Capital IQ

Catalyst identification

Coverage of all major financial news and data outlets

Comparable companies analysis

Insights into relative valuation and multiples

Financial modeling

Fund leadership

Portfolio managers and senior advisors

Watson Hewitt

Watson Hewitt

Investment Committee

Nikash Jakkidi

Nikash Jakkidi

Investment Committee

Sophia Miele

Sophia Miele

Investment Committee

Cullen Wyatt

Cullen Wyatt

Investment Committee

Blake Disler

Blake Disler

Head of External Relations

Aditya Gandhi

Aditya Gandhi

Co-Head of Development

Siddarth Pandey

Siddarth Pandey

Co-Head of Development

Alexander Winning

Alexander Winning

Head of Attribution

Fund sectors

A woman wearing a brown leather jacket stands in front of a brightly lit grocery store produce display, viewing neatly arranged fruits and vegetables.

Businesses that sell goods and services directly to individuals, driven by household spending patterns and brand preference. Notable investments include Deckers, Sonos, and United Parks & Resorts.

A female engineer wearing a hard hat and high-visibility jacket stands near an industrial site with power lines and refineries in the background, holding a laptop.

Companies involved in supplying and transporting energy resources, including traditional hydrocarbons and emerging renewable solutions that support global industrial activity. Notable investments include Tidewater, and World Kinect.

A person uses a calculator while reviewing printed financial charts and graphs, with a laptop and pen on the desk, representing financial analysis and investment strategy.

Firms that allocate, intermediate, insure, or manage capital through lending, underwriting, payments, and data-driven financial infrastructure. Notable investments include Encore Capital Group, First Horizon, and Morningstar.

A group of scientists and medical researchers in lab coats work collaboratively in a modern laboratory, surrounded by microscopes, monitors, and lab equipment.

Providers of products, technologies, and services that support patient care, medical treatment, and the broader health ecosystem. Notable investments include Arcadia Healthcare, Envista, and Select Medical.

An industrial engineer in a hard hat and safety jacket operates machinery in a manufacturing or processing facility, surrounded by heavy equipment and control panels.

Operators that produce equipment, infrastructure, and mission-critical services that enable transportation, construction, logistics, and industrial capacity. Notable investments include Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Amentum, and SAIA.

A smiling man sits in the driver’s seat of a new car, testing the steering wheel while another man, possibly a salesperson or friend, stands outside the car offering guidance.

Companies that extract, process, or transform raw inputs into essential chemicals, metals, aggregates, and specialized materials used across the economy. Notable investments include Akzo Nobel, Knife River, and Royal Gold.

A woman in a white suit stands in a futuristic room surrounded by glowing digital screens displaying entertainment, social media, gaming, and communication interfaces.

Owners and developers of income-producing properties across commercial, residential, specialty, and land-based assets. Cash flows are generated through leases, development, and long-term asset appreciation. Notable investments include Essential Properties Trust, Macerich, and Terreno Realty.

Close-up of a person using tweezers and a soldering tool to work on a computer circuit board, highlighting detailed microchip and hardware components.

Firms that create and distribute technology and digital content, including software, hardware, semiconductor innovation, telecommunications, and modern media platforms. Notable investments include Manhattan Associates, Navitas, and Procore.

Placements

Alumni work in financial services companies nationwide. Graduates are highly sought after because of their real-world experience.

Apollo
Ares
Blackstone
D1 Capital Partners
Evercore
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan
Millennium Hedge Fund
Point72

Class of 2027 summer analyst placements

Blackstone

Private credit

Evercore

Investment banking

Goldman Sachs

Investment banking

Houlihan Lokey

Investment banking

Lorient Capital

Private equity

Macquarie

Investment banking

Moelis

Investment banking

NISA Investment Advisors

Portfolio management

RBC

Investment banking (6x)

Solomon Partners

Investment banking (2x)

Wells Fargo

Real estate banking

William Blair

Investment banking

Investment advisory committee

David Brown

David Brown

Brown teaches fixed-income securities courses and is director of Master of Science in Finance program. His research focuses on real estate finance and the pricing of default risk in corporate bonds. He has been a visiting professor at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and served as an investment officer for NISA Investment Advisors.

Laurence Smith

Laurence Smith

Smith is chairman, chief investment officer and founding partner of Third Wave Global Investors, a registered investment advisor specializing in global macro strategies with $375 million AUM. From 1999 to 2003, he served as global chief investment officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management. In 2002, he simultaneously served as chief executive Officer of CSAM Americas. Smith holds a B.S. in business administration from the Warrington College of Business and an MBA in finance and international business from the University of California, Berkeley.

William Harrell, Jr.

William Harrell, Jr.

Harrell has been a principal of Capco Asset Management since its formation in 2002. Previously, he was a partner in Trenam Kemker, a Tampa law firm where he practiced business litigation. Harrell is a graduate of Duke University (BA 1989), Duke University School of Law (JD 1992) and the Warrington College of Business Administration (MBA 2004, with a concentration in Graham-Buffett Security Analysis), where he was first in his class.

Michael Smith

Michael Smith

Smith is managing director of Global Endowment Management, joining in 2010. Previously, he was chief investment officer of the University of Florida Investment Management Company, investment manager at DUMAC and director of research at Hewitt Investment Group. He graduated summa cum laude from Warrington College of Business with a B.S. in Finance and is a chartered financial analyst.

Canon Coleman

Canon Coleman

Coleman is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida. Previously, he served Invesco US as a small cap value team advisor, senior portfolio manager, and corporate associate, as well as a senior auditor at Deloitte. He graduated from The Wharton School of Business with an MBA and received both a B.S. and M.S. in Accounting at the Warrington College of Business.

Peter Gyle

Peter Gylfe

Gylfe is senior portfolio manager at Millennium. Previously, he was managing director and co-founder of Bay Street Ventures, global equities at Citadel, portfolio manager at Hutchin Hill Capital, senior analyst at Balyasny Asset Management, analyst at Millennium, and investment banking analyst at Citi Bank. He graduated with his bachelor’s and master’s in finance from the Warrington College of Business. 

Paul Cutler

Paul Cutler

Cutler is the retired treasurer NextEra Energy and NextEra Energy Partners. Previously, he served as assistant treasurer for NextEra Energy and treasurer for NextEra Energy Resources. He joined Florida Power & Light Company in 1984 as a financial analyst. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Arizona State University, as well as a master’s degree in computer information systems and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami.

David Schamus

David Schamus

Schamus is a senior portfolio manager at Millennium focusing on the consumer sector. He joined in 2017. Previously, Schamus served as a sector head at Scopus Asset Management as well as a senior associate in the equity research department at Raymond James & Associates. He received his MBA from Emory University (‘07) and graduated with his B.S. in Finance (‘00) from the Warrington College of Business.

Marek Hornak

Marek Hornak

Hornak is an investor at Apax Partners, focusing on private equity buyouts in the technology space. He joined in 2025. Previously, Mr. Hornak served as an investment banking analyst at Evercore, where he focused on M&A advisory in the TMT industry. He also graduated with both his B.S. and M.S. from the Warrington College of Business, and was a portfolio manager of the Gator Student Investment Fund.

1 / n