Students from the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics earned third place in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Investment Challenge, recognizing their portfolio performance among 27 peer institutions across the region.
For the 2025 calendar year, Gatton students in FIN 485 and FIN 490 generated a total return of 25.43%, outperforming the S&P 500’s 17.88% return and placing third among the participating schools.
The award was accepted at the annual TVA Investment Challenge conference by students Ty Wectawski, Abigail Sutherland and Ashton Mazey (pictured above), who represented Gatton as one of only three teams invited to present.
Students from the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics continued a strong run of results this spring, winning both the team competition and the individual competition and earning a second-place overall finish at the in-person Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge Southern Conference championships held in Knoxville.
The competition brought together more than 70 students from across the region to compete in a series of live Excel-based case challenges, testing speed, accuracy and problem-solving under time constraints.
Across the weekend, Gatton students delivered one of the most consistent performances in the field.
Tonie Morgan, a student in the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, was selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Morgan, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) at Gatton, was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 32 overall pick.
This month, it’s all about the Blue Carpet at the Hall of Fame and Centennial Celebration! Join Dean Sheather as he talks to some big bags of chips on the blue carpet, highlights this year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence winners, makes a historic announcement for the college, and wraps up the centennial celebrations!
Read more about The Bill Gatton Foundation's new matching gift: https://gatton.uky.edu/news/bill-gatton-foundation-announces-matching-challenge-support-college-expansion-project
Watch Keith's video: https://gatton.uky.edu/people/keith-carlson
Through the new challenge, The Bill Gatton Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match on qualifying gifts, up to $15.7 million. This generous opportunity is designed to encourage participation and broaden support for the college by increasing the value of each new contribution.
Please describe your journey to Gatton. Where did you begin, and what transpired along the way?
Tell us about your hometown, your major, and how you came to be a student at Gatton College.
Gatton Alumni: Yajaira Aich West, MBA ’11
The competition challenges students to evaluate publicly traded companies and deliver a structured pitch, simulating the type of analysis and communication required in investment and finance roles.
