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SMU Cox Partners With Community to Create EnCap Investments & LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Center
A $3M Gift Establishes Unique Program in Booming DFW
DALLAS (SMU) - With the aid of generous gifts from EnCap Investments and LCM Group, the SMU Cox School of Business is pleased to announce the creation of The EnCap Investments & LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Center. The $3 million gift will provide funding for a new center and center director as well as support development of new courses leading to a specialization within the finance major at the undergraduate level and a specialization within the finance concentration at the graduate level. The courses will also prepare students for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) professional designation.
"We are grateful to David Miller of EnCap and Scott Luttrell of LMC for their foresight and generosity in providing resources for development of this new Alternative Asset Management Center in the Cox School of Business," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. "The Cox School values its close relationships with the Dallas-Fort Worth business community, and this Center will extend the School's involvement in the community through educating leaders for this rapidly growing field of business."
The new program was created to address increased demand for alternative asset management professionals. In the past five years, investments in hedge funds, venture capital, private equity, real estate, and oil and gas have increased exponentially. The hedge-fund market alone has grown from the first fund pioneered by A.W. Jones in 1949 to more than 9,000 today. In light of increased demand for these new investment vehicles, the demand for alternative asset investment professionals has exploded.
"The new center adds another arrow to the Cox School's quiver in terms of attracting top-quality students and placing them upon graduation," said David Miller, co-founder and partner of EnCap Investments L.P. "I'm delighted to support the development of the next generation of leaders in these exciting new areas of investment."
Only a handful of universities in the world currently offer alternative asset management programs designed to meet this need. The new program at SMU Cox is unique among this select few because of the school's close ties to the Dallas-Fort Worth alternative asset market. Texas currently has the third-largest concentration of hedge funds outside of New York and California, and DFW is home to more than 140 firms managing 175 hedge funds with assets in excess of $40 billion. In addition to taking the new courses offered through The EnCap Investments & LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Center, SMU Cox students will enjoy extensive interaction with local practitioners in the DFW market.
D. Scott Luttrell is founder and CEO of LCM Group, Inc. This Tampa, FL based investment firm was created in 1988, specializing in alternative asset funds management. "LCM Group was founded upon the principle of financial stewardship and alternative asset education, so we are thrilled with this opportunity to partner with the Cox School at SMU and EnCap Investments," said D. Scott Luttrell, CEO of LCM Group. "The Dallas-Fort Worth area is possibly the fastest-growing metro-region in the world in terms of quality alternative asset management and we are excited about the opportunity this Center will provide for SMU, participating students, the Dallas-Fort Worth alternative investment community and the state of Texas. The Cox School could not be better positioned for this opportunity."
"The Cox School appreciates the generosity of EnCap Investments and LCM Group," said Albert W. Niemi, Jr., dean of SMU's Cox School of Business. "This pioneering program will give BBA and MBA students the tools they need to pursue careers in alternative asset management along with the opportunity to learn from some of the leading practitioners in the field today. We are honored to partner with these two great companies and excited to add another innovative program to the Cox curriculum."
About SMU Cox
SMU's Cox School of Business offers a full range of business education programs, including BBA, full-time MBA, Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), Master of Science in Management (MSM), Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, and Executive Education. The school also offers a number of unique resources and activities for students, ranging from its Business Leadership Center (BLC), Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, Maguire Energy Institute, and American Airlines Global Leadership Program (AAGLP) to its Associate Board executive mentoring program and an international alumni network with chapters in more than 20 countries. SMU Cox is ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally by major publications, including BusinessWeek, The Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report. For more information on the Cox School, go to www.smucox.com.
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