David L. Archer President | Christian Brothers University website

Christian Brothers University (CBU) students have excelled in the Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge Program (TVAICP), securing first place among 27 participating universities. The competition, which provides a practical investing experience, requires students to manage a real $500,000 portfolio.

CBU’s portfolio achieved a 39.76% return in 2024, surpassing the S&P 500 benchmark by 14.74%. This outstanding performance earned the students a $14,869 award during the TVAICP Spring meeting in Nashville, where they also presented their investment strategy.

TVA’s Manager of Corporate Investments Ben Duby remarked, “It’s inspiring to see the students at Christian Brothers navigate a dynamic market to repeatedly achieve strong results. More importantly, the ICP teaches more than investing. It provides students the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills to work to prepare them for their professional careers.”

The program is considered one of the largest student-managed investment initiatives in the nation, challenging students to outperform the S&P 500, a key U.S. market indicator. Dr. Bjoern Claassen, CBU’s Department Chair of Accounting, Finance, and Information Security & Analytics, noted the educational value: “This was an incredible real-world learning opportunity, and our students truly rose to the challenge.”

Under the guidance of faculty advisors Dr. Huiyang Li and Dr. Claassen, the CBU team developed an investment strategy based on research, data analysis, and risk management. Dr. Pam Church, Dean of CBU’s School of Business, praised the achievement, saying, “This achievement serves as a testimony to the team members’ ability and hard work, Drs. Claassen and Li’s dedication, and our entire finance program’s excellence.”

Additional details about the TVA Investment Challenge Program can be found on the TVAICP website.