White shows students the world of finance

Defined as a "very real world subject," finance crosses over all majors, according to Dr. Sue White.

White, who teaches Business Finance and Advanced Financial Management, stresses the importance of finance in the business world.

"A good business leader is knowledgeable about all of the business functional areas, including finance," White said. "Someone who wants to start their own business [sic] will also have to know finance or risk having the business fail."

Between BMGT 340 and BMGT 440, White's finance students receive plenty of real world business experience before graduation. According to White, the financial calculators used in BMGT 340 will help students make difficult financial decisions, such as buying or leasing a car as well as how and when to refinance a mortgage.

White's passion for finance does not go unnoticed with students.

[White] takes a genuine interest in her students' learning, and is always willing to go the extra mile to help students grasp difficult concepts," said Christine Perry, a junior accounting and finance major.

In her BMGT 440 Emerging CFOs class, students recently participated in group presentations about mergers and acquisitions for Lockheed Martin, Harvard and vineyards. The students, along with representatives and bankers from each company, negotiated the terms of the proposed merger or acquisition.

"You can't get much more real world than this" White said.

According to Dr. Alex Triantis, the Smith School's Finance Department chair, White inspires her students to pursue careers in finance thanks to her incredible dedication, techniques and insights.

The finance department offers six Fellows programs, which provide numerous career enhancement opportunities to Smith students.  According to White, the school's events have students interact with finance professionals, who are brought in from a number of different finance areas.

"Dr. White has been enthusiastic about ensuring that all of our Finance Fellows programs be as successful as possible," Triantis said. "She has put a huge amount of energy into these programs."

Prior to arriving at the University of Maryland in 2001, White taught for 12 years at the University of Texas-Austin, where she also earned her doctorate degree in finance. White, who instructed the small, discussion-based capstone course at the University of Texas-Austin,quickly learned how to adapt to the large lectures of her BMGT 340 class.

She also said "it is important to be super-organized to be able to keep track of everything," which is certainly appreciated among White's students.

"The best thing about Dr. White's teaching style was her organization," Perry said.

White utilizes the Smith school's technologically-advanced classrooms to benefit her students. Along with showing videos and running simulations, White also videotapes "how to sessions" for students unable to attend her reviews.

"Dr. White is on top of all the latest technology developments that can be used in the classroom setting," said Triantis.

While she loves the atmosphere associated with the College Park campus, White doesn't mind the mild weather either.