St. John’s Alumnus Donates Bloomberg Terminal to Tobin College

December 04, 2012



Thanks to the generosity of alumnus Michael J. McInerney ‘72NDC and his wife Nancy, Peter J. Tobin College of Business students on the Staten Island campus now have access to a terminal equipped with FactSet and Bloomberg software and database systems, robust applications that offer a wealth of financial information and analytical functionality.

“Having an MBA from a prestigious school is great, but knowing how to use the Bloomberg terminal will help you get further,” emphasized McInerney during the dedication ceremony held on Thursday, November 29, 2012 in Spellman Hall on the Staten Island campus. “Gain the knowledge you need and work hard because hard work is the key to success.” 

As a guest visitor to Dr. Therese Pactwa’s finance class, Mr. McInerney learned students had to travel 60 miles roundtrip to the Tobin’s Financial Information Lab (FIL) on the Queens campus to conduct financial research. At that moment, he vowed to help put a terminal in place for the fall 2012 semester.



The industry-class software and database tools available through the FactSet and Bloomberg systems can be utilized by students across all Tobin College disciplines from economics students analyzing portfolio performance or marketing majors developing business plans to accounting hopefuls accessing mergers & acquisitions information. 
 
Aleaxander Olaskiewicz, a returning student to St. John’s after working in the banking industry for five years noted struggling with limited resources prior to the new terminal, “In our Funds class, we did what any major investment bank would do but with fewer resources. During the year we learned about the global economy as a whole and then applied the invaluable skill-sets we gained to conduct research which took quite a bit longer than it would have if we had access to this system,” explained Olaskiewicz.

“Before the Bloomberg terminal, we didn’t have a central resource to pull financials and stock prices, which made developing a 45-page report more time consuming. Due to this generous donation, future students will be able to access that information much easier,” added Matthew Palcic, a fellow senior and finance major in the Tobin College of Business.



Dr. Pactwa and other Staten Island faculty have incorporated this equipment in their courses and are encouraging student to become Bloomberg certified. “Having a terminal on the Staten Island campus gives Tobin students a competitive advantage and puts them on an equal level with students from some of the best schools around,” said Pactwa.

In the future, the Tobin College of Business plans to develop a small-scale Financial Information Lab on the Staten Island campus that would include additional terminals.
 
Mr. McInerney earned his B.A. in Psychology in 1972 at University’s previously-named Notre Dame College on Staten Island. Prior to retiring in 2011, he had an impressive career in securities and investments, holding positions as trader at Glickenhaus and Company; vice president and trader at Drexel Burnham Lambert, Greenwich Street Advisors and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. He later became the managing director and trader at Par IV Capital Management LLC. Mr. McInerney is a member of the Loughlin Society, St. John’s leadership giving society and serves as a member of the St. John’s Alumni Recruitment Team.



About the Peter J. Tobin College of Business
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business has provided a high-quality business education for over eighty years, offering individuals from throughout the world the opportunity to study in New York’s dynamic business environment. The innovative curriculum emphasizes an analytic and hands-on understanding of business practice that prepares graduates to excel in today’s global marketplace.

For more information about the Peter J. Tobin College of Business, please contact Asia Hauter at (718) 990-6218 or hautera@stjohns.edu.