Stories
Gary Ellis graduated from the business school at the University of South Dakota in 1978. Since then, the Ellis family has been avid supporters of the university, and their latest gift has made a big impact on the Beacom School of Business. Their generosity led to the creation of the Ellis Finance & Analytics Lab in the USD Beacom School of Business, officially opening at the beginning of the 2019 fall semester with a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the occasion. Gary and Sue Ellis were present for the ceremony to celebrate the opening.
“The lab turned out better than Sue and I imagined,” said Gary Ellis. “These resources will allow the students of USD to be even more successful in their careers and we are honored to be able to help with that.”
The lab houses Bloomberg terminals, the industry standard for accessing financial data. Finance professionals around the world use these same terminals, meaning students have access to the top-notch technology they will use once they begin their careers. Subscriptions used by the Bloomberg terminals include Bloomberg, Morningstar and Wharton Research Data Services.
The Ellis Finance & Analytics lab also includes laptop computers and analytics software platforms, offering students access to data, research, news and analytics to encourage interdisciplinary research and equip students with state-of-the-art technology.
“The Ellis family gift affirms USD’s reputation as the leader of business education in South Dakota,” said USD President Sheila K. Gestring. “Our students can compete with the best of the best and will know how to use the world’s most sophisticated business and finance technology even before entering their first job. This gift is transformational for USD and will lead to graduates who will change our state and world.”