MACON, Ga. — Mercer University, for the third time in six years, recently won the 2025 CFA Institute Southern Classic Research Challenge, which features aspiring investment professionals representing colleges and universities in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. The Mercer team won the Challenge in 2021 and 2022 and placed second in 2020, 2023 and 2024.
CFA Institute Research Challenges are held across the globe to test university students’ analytic, valuation, report writing and presentation skills. Each challenge includes analysis of a publicly traded company, mentoring by a faculty and a professional research analyst, writing a research report and presenting the same to a panel of experts. This year’s subject company was children’s apparel company Carter’s (CRI).
Mercer’s winning team consisted of Stetson-Hatcher School of Business seniors Shannon Dougherty, Alina A. Noorani and Luke E. Hand, and junior Dylan J. Mitchell. They will represent the Southern Classic in the next sub-regional round of competition.
The students were led by faculty mentor Dr. Geoffrey Ngene, who has coached Mercer’s CFA Institute Research Challenge teams since 2014 (except in 2024 when he was on sabbatical), and industry mentor Aaron Foresman of Crawford Investment Counsel.
“Winning the competition for the third time after two runner-up placements demonstrates passion, drive for improvement and competitive spirit of the Bears,” said Dr. Ngene. “The process of developing the report and making compelling and impactful presentations to the judges evinces the profound role of experiential learning, critical thinking and analytical-based decision-making process. In addition to raising the profile of Mercer University and Stetson-Hatcher School of Business, the success is a testimony of the writing, presentation, decision-making and analytical skills the students gain in preparation for their chosen career paths.”
The 17th Annual CFA Institute Southern Classic Research Challenge was held on March 1 at Kennesaw State University. The first CFA Institute Research Challenge competition was hosted by the New York Society of Security Analysts in 2002 and involved just five teams from the New York area. Since then, the competition has grown to include thousands of students from more than 1,000 universities in more than 75 countries.
About CFA Institute
CFA Institute is a global, not-for-profit professional organization that provides investment professionals with finance education. It aims to promote the standards in ethics, education and professional excellence in the global investment industry.
About the School of Business
Established in 1984, Mercer’s School of Business is named for Eugene W. Stetson, a 1901 Mercer graduate and business pioneer who leveraged the first major buyout in corporate history, and his grandson Robert F. (Bob) Hatcher, a Macon businessman, longtime supporter, trustee and former board chair for the University. Over the past 80 years, Mercer has granted over 12,000 business degrees, and many of its graduates hold senior leadership positions in companies around the world. Mercer’s business school delivers career-focused business education in order to develop innovative leaders who are responsible global citizens. It holds accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which places it among the top five percent of all top business schools worldwide. Mercer’s business school has been recognized by The Princeton Review for “Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students” and “Greatest Opportunity for Women” as well as being one of its “Best Business Schools.” In addition, it has been recognized among the “Top 15 Schools in the Nation for Marketing and Accounting.” The School offers the following programs: Atlanta (Evening and Online BBA, Full-Time (Day) MBA, Evening MBA, Online MBA, Master of Accountancy, M.S. in Business Analytics), Macon (Traditional BBA, Evening MBA, Health Care MBA, and Innovation MBA), Henry County (Evening BBA). For more information, visit business.mercer.edu.
Featured photo: Mercer’s team won the 2025 CFA Institute Southern Classic Research Challenge held on March 1, at Kennesaw State University. From left: Dr. Jeff M. Ngene, Dylan Mitchel, Alina Noorani and Shannon Dougherty. Not pictured, Luke Hand. Photo courtesy CFA Society Atlanta.
