The floor, to be named the Exelon Trading Center, will feature information needed to trade commodities, specifically the purchase and sale of electricity, in addition to securities. The new center, funded in part by a $500,000 donation by Exelon, is scheduled to open in spring 2008 in Purnell Hall.
The center will provide an interactive learning experience for students. And, while the trading floor is the most visual aspect of this new relationship, the partnership will feature a number of ways for UD professors and students and Exelon Power Team employees to learn from each other.
A faculty in residence program will provide opportunities for UD faculty members to work on Exelon's trading floor in Kennett Square, Pa., and a trader in residence program will give Exelon employees opportunities to work with students taking courses that use the University's trading floor.
“This innovative program will be a great opportunity for University of Delaware students,” Exelon Power Team President Ian McLean said, adding, “But I am especially excited about having the opportunity to recruit the University's top talent to Exelon Power.”
“We are thrilled by the partnership,” Harker said during a ceremony Monday, Oct. 1, outside Purnell Hall. “The Exelon Trading Center will provide hands-on learning opportunities and interaction with some of the leading traders in the world.”
“By forming a partnership with Exelon, the University will be able to provide more discovery learning and experiential learning opportunities for students. Not only will this benefit business students but this will also provide avenues for students in other disciplines such as computer science, engineering, geography and agriculture to participate in this partnership,” said Conrado (Bobby) M. Gempesaw, dean of UD's Lerner College of Business and Economics. “It will also allow our faculty to interact with Exelon traders in taking a deeper look into the commodities market. This partnership is truly a win-win opportunity for both UD and Exelon.”
The project also encourages students to seek internships outside the classroom with Exelon.
The idea for the partnership came from Exelon Power Team trader and UD alumnus Frank Henshaw after he read about Harker's interest in bringing academia and industry together.
“This relationship represents one of those rare opportunities where the partnership is truly a 50-50, win-win for both parties,” Henshaw said. “We will benefit by reducing learning curves for new hires, tapping into young talent for our workforce, and bringing academic expertise into Exelon, and the University benefits through the overall improvement of their programs, the potential for increased enrollment, more competitive graduates, and national recognition for a one-of-a-kind academic trading experience.”
Exelon Generation is a unit of Exelon Corporation, one of the nation's largest electric utilities with more than $15 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by Duane Perry