It was as if Shippensburg University’s John L. Grove College of Business was giving a glimpse into Wall Street as men and women in business attire conversed as a screen above their heads flashed the latest stocks.

Faculty, students and alumni gathered on the second floor of Grove Hall for the official naming of the new stock trading room.

Brad E. Hollinger, an SU alumnus and founder of Vibra Healthcare, LLC, worked with the SU Foundation to create the stock trading room for SU.

The room was officially named after Hollinger for his donation to SU.

SU President George “Jody” Harpster began the ceremony by describing the stock trading room as a feather in SU’s cap. The room will help SU maintain the reputation Grove Hall has as one of the best colleges of business and will help attract new students, Harpster said.

B. Michael Schaul, chairman of the SU Council of Trustees, also spoke to thank Hollinger for his donation. Schaul was an undergraduate student alongside Hollinger and described his actions as working together as a family.

The stock trading room is an addition to the John L. Grove College of Business with the support from the Charting the Course, Lighting the Way Campaign. Hollinger served on the committee for the Lighting the Way Campaign. Gary L. Grove and Mary Jo Grove created the campaign.

“I believe [the stock trading room] is one of the most exciting things [the] Charting the Course, Lighting the Way Campaign has accomplished,” said John E. Clinton, president and CEO of the SU Foundation. “When the campaign was in the beginning stages, feasibility studies showed the stock room would help students in the college of business.”

The Brad E. Hollinger Stock Trading Room provides students with hands on experience, especially those in the Investment Management Program (IMP). Through the stock trading room, students can learn about the financial market in real time and receive certifications for free, such as the Bloomberg Market Concepts.

“It will give our students the competitive edge that is necessary when they apply for jobs after graduation,” said John Kooti, dean of the John L. Grove College of Business.

In his remarks, Hollinger said that he thinks the new addition to the college of business will produce some of the best students because the room provides a combination of academics and practical experience.

“It really is an opportunity not just for students in business but hopefully all students to understand investing and how stocks work,” Hollinger said.

Students have already begun to take advantage of what the room has to offer. Students are going to use this type of equipment in our future so it is a great opportunity to practice and has driven a lot more people to look for their certification, said Anthony Militano, an IMP student. Militano, on behalf of the IMP, presented Hollinger with a certificate of recognition.

Multiple speakers at the ceremony said they believe the room will help put John L. Grove College of Business on the radar of potential students.“It creates an energy and excitement,” Hollinger said, “It is a really great recruiting tool and makes excellent students want to come here.”

Share