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SMU Alumnus Honors His Father With New Energy Investment Lab

SMU alumnus Bryan Sheffield ’01 has honored his father with a generous gift to the University to create the Scott Sheffield Energy Investment Lab. Shown at the dedication of the lab at the Cox School of Business are (from left) SMU President R. Gerald Turner, Scott Sheffield, Kimberley Sheffield, Cary Maguire, Bruce Bullock, Bryan Sheffield ’01, Cox Dean Al Niemi, Kit Sheffield ’04 and his wife, Lisa Bulgakova Sheffield ’16.

SMU alumnus Bryan Sheffield ’01, founder, president and chief executive officer of Parsley Energy, has honored his father with a generous gift that provides students pursuing energy investment careers with a competitive edge.

Shown at the dedication of the lab at the Cox School of Business are: SMU President R. Gerald Turner (far left), Cox Dean Al Niemi (third from right, back) and Maguire Energy Institute Director Bruce Bullock (center back) joined SMU benefactor Cary Maguire (center front) to cut the ribbon on the new Scott Sheffield Energy Investment Lab, named by Bryan Sheffield ’01 (third from right, front), who gave the gift in honor of his father, Scott Sheffield (second from left). Also pictured: Kimberley Sheffield (third from left), Kit Sheffield ’04 ( second from right) and his wife, Lisa Bulgakova Sheffield ‘16.
Shown at the dedication of the lab at the Cox School of Business are (from left) SMU President R. Gerald Turner, Scott Sheffield, Kimberley Sheffield, Cary Maguire, Bruce Bullock, Bryan Sheffield ’01, Cox Dean Al Niemi, Kit Sheffield ’04 and his wife, Lisa Bulgakova Sheffield ’16.

The Maguire Energy Institute at Cox School of Business dedicated the new Scott Sheffield Energy Investment Lab on October 16. The state-of-the-art Sheffield Lab, located in the Fincher Building, gives students a unique experiential learning opportunity as they prepare to enter the energy industry. The hands-on learning space is dedicated solely to the advancement of energy investment-related education.
This one-of-a-kind learning tool is named in honor of Bryan’s father, Scott Sheffield, chairman and chief executive officer of Pioneer Natural Resources. Bryan began his career as a bond trader. Like his father and grandfather Joe Parsley, he earned success in the energy industry. On Father’s Day 2014, he told his father of his plans to donate funding to build an energy investment lab at SMU Cox and name it for him.
“I always tried to teach my children to give back,” says Scott Sheffield. “This is one of the best gifts a father could ever have.”
Through his gift, Bryan is paving the way for future SMU Cox alumni to do the same.
“We are grateful for alumni Bryan Sheffield’s generosity and vision in providing this tremendous learning resource for Cox students,” says Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute. “Bryan’s gift is making it possible for our energy students to have a competitive edge even before they enter the work force.”
While other investment centers exist on university campuses around the country, none focus solely on energy nor do they provide the SMU Cox instructional environment of the Kitt Center Investing and Trading Center and the combined research/collaboration environment of the Sheffield Lab. Designed and arranged in a collaborative set-up, the lab promotes team research and discussion to support the school’s student-managed energy investment fund, one of the first of its kind in the world. Through the Sheffield Lab, SMU Cox students will make team-oriented investment decisions using highly specialized energy specific data feeds and analytical tools, the same kind of work environments they will employ early in their careers in energy investment banking, private equity, corporate finance and other analytical functions.

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