FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (11/03)
Contact: Lynn Stewart or Mary Noon, Centenary News Service, 318-869-5120

Centenary Professor Barbara Davis Earns Prestigious Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Designation

SHREVEPORT, LA—Dr. Barbara J. Davis, the Samuel Guy Sample Chair in Business Administration and professor of accounting and finance at Centenary College of Louisiana, has earned the prestigious Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation, administered by the Association for Investment Management and Research® (AIMR®).

The CFA charter is the only globally recognized credential for investment analysis and management. Recipients of the CFA charter have successfully completed a graduate-level, self-study curriculum and series of three examinations that typically require a combined 800 hours of study. Pass rates average about 50 percent at each level. Worldwide, the overall pass rate for all three exams this year was 49 percent.

The curriculum and examinations cover ethical and professional standards, accounting and financial statement analysis, economics, portfolio management and analysis and valuation of debt, equity and alternative investments. Candidates also must pledge to adhere to the stringent ethical standards set forth by AIMR and sign an annual statement attesting to their compliance.

Dr. Davis has taught at Centenary College for the past 17 years. She earned her doctorate from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La., and her undergraduate and master’s from Louisiana State University in Shreveport.

"The CFA designation is a hallmark of integrity and excellence in the global investment community," said Thomas A. Bowman, CFA, president and CEO of AIMR. "Employers and clients know that individuals who have earned the CFA charter have made personal commitments to a comprehensive study program and ethical standards for professional behavior."

This past June, more than 67,000 candidates for the CFA credential converged on 270 test centers in 83 countries and territories to test their knowledge of professional investment analysis and ethics. At test centers from Argentina to Zimbabwe, portfolio managers, securities analysts and other investment professionals and students took one of the three exams required to achieve the CFA designation. Some 8,816 candidates passed Level 3 this year and expect to earn their CFA charter, bringing the number of CFA charterholders worldwide to more than 59,000.

With offices in Charlottesville, Va., Hong Kong and London, AIMR's membership includes 127 local professional societies in 46 countries. In addition to the CFA program, AIMR is known for its industry-leading advocacy and standard-setting work, encouraging full and fair disclosure of financial information for investors and anyone involved in investment decision-making. For more information about AIMR, call +1 (434) 951-5499 or visit http://www.aimr.org.

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