Dr. Cordell is leaving the PFP Program
Ryan J. Blair
Dr. Cordell asked that I forward the email below to fellow alumni. He will be very involved with the DFW FPA in the future so if you are in the Dallas area you may see him often.
Dear Texas Tech Friends:
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I will leave Texas Tech at the end of this semester.
Although I was not in the job market, I was contacted by The University of Texas at Dallas and offered a position in the Finance and Managerial Economics Department. After long and difficult deliberation, I accepted it.
In addition to my professor duties, I will be Director of Finance Programs. This responsibility will include development of a CFP Board-registered undergraduate curriculum, a Master of Science degree based on the CFA program, and a student managed investment fund. Obviously, I will have a full plate, but I look forward to the challenge.
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to be involved in the PFP Division for almost five years. I am certain that the PFP program will make even greater strides over the next five years, and I regret not being a part of that progress. However, UTD has offered me greater job security, significantly more compensation, and far greater influence in the program. I’ll even have a $5,000 annual travel budget! It was too much to turn down, especially since the campus is less than two miles from the neighborhood where I grew up.
A positive aspect of my departure relates to the CFP Board grant, which was intended to encourage development of CFP Board-registered programs on other campuses. Program development is exactly what I will be doing, and it is clear to me that my experience in the PFP Program has provided me with an excellent preparation for that challenge. Indeed, I hope that Tech and UTD will establish a good cooperative relationship.
Meanwhile, I am confident that the asset management area in Texas Tech’s PFP Division will continue to prosper with the addition of new faculty and, I hope, greater involvement of Harold Evensky. The asset management area and the Student Managed Portfolio will be in good hands.
For those who don’t know anything about UTD, here are some factoids:
· There are 15,000 students including 4,000 business majors.
· The freshman SAT mean is 1220+.
· The GMAT mean for graduate business students is 650+.
· Two Nobel Laureates are on the UTD faculty.
· US News and World Report ranks the graduate business program 53rd in the USA. In Texas, only UT Austin, A&M, and Rice rank higher. Among Big XII schools, only UT Austin and A&M rank higher.
· Financial Times ranks the Executive MBA program 10th in the USA, tied with Georgetown.
· Finance faculty doctorates were earned from Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Chicago (3), Northwestern, UCLA, UT (3), Washington U., and Indiana, among others.
· The faculty has enjoyed great success in publishing in top finance journals, but UTD needs someone to develop the programs and interface with the CFA/CFP® business community. That’s where I fit in.
Finally, many of you have provided considerable support to me during my personal and professional challenges over the past few years. I offer my sincerest appreciation to each of you. Martha and I will take many fond memories with us when we leave Lubbock and Texas Tech.
Warmest regards,
David M. Cordell, PhD, CFA,
CFP®, CLU
Associate Professor of Personal Financial
Planning
MS 1210
Broadway at Akron, COHS 260
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409-1210
806.742.5050, ext. 233
806.742.5033 fax
David....@ttu.edu
Ryan J. Blair
SFMG
5310 Harvest Hill Road | Suite 226 | Dallas, TX 75230
Tel 972.960.6460 | Fax 972.960.6455 | www.sfmgadvisors.com