JOPLIN, MO (SNS) - Missouri Southern State University students in the School of Business Administration will soon be able to use state-of-art financial management software to invest $300,000 of real money made possible by a grant from the Missouri Southern Foundation.

MSSU President Julio S. León addresses the large crowd at the opening of the Edward Jones Investment Center to be used as a student lab.

On Friday, Feb. 4, the Missouri Southern Department of Finance and Economics in the School of Business Administration announced the opening of the Edward Jones Investment Center where a new laboratory will provide hands-on experience using the new equipment and software.

The investment center, located on the second floor of Matthews Hall on the MSSU campus, allows for the controlled investment experience that will provide students access to the dynamics of financial markets and risk management. Currently, only about 30 major universities have such a lab, said Mr. Brian Nichols, Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics.

Financial software will be used to simulate placing buy/sell orders and portfolio management. The center will include 30 computers with dual LCD monitors, an electronic ticker tape for equity indices, two television monitors with cable programming, a projector and Smartboard screen and one or more dedicated workstations for financial databases, such as Bloomberg and Reuters.

“This room will enhance practical understanding of financial data, increase analysis time, and educate students on software programs and information databases used in the financial services industry,” Nichols said. “It will also provide a competitive edge for our business graduates and reduce training time for employers.”

The center is made possible, in part, by contributions from more than 50 Edward Jones investment representatives and home office general partners. The center will be dedicated to Jim Goodknight, a pioneer investment representative for Edward Jones in the Four-States region. Jim is a 1963 graduate of Joplin Junior College, the predecessor of Missouri Southern State University.

	Don Swanson, a member of the Missouri Southern Foundation Board, demonstrates how some of the hardware and software will work in the Edward Jones Investment Center student lab.

Goodknight served as an Edward Jones investment representative for 32 years, a general partner for 15 years and a regional leader for 15 years. In 1997, he received the company's prestigious Touchstone Award for outstanding service to Edward Jones.

The Goodknight training plan he developed has been used throughout the firm and the industry to help enhance client service. Jim is married to the former Barbara Truesdell and they have two children and six grandchildren.

A dedication ceremony will be held on March 17.

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