Finance Club Wins Campuswide Honor

Students build finance skills, projects, and friendships through hands-on learning

Student-run club Texas Marketrics was recognized this month by the Office of the Dean of Students as “Best New Organization” during The University of Texas at Austin’s 2026 Swing-Out Awards.

Founded this past fall by Dev Naveen Arora, a junior finance major and management information systems minor in the McCombs School of Business, Texas Marketrics is one of 1,040 registered student organizations on campus. Members learn advanced finance skills through hands-on projects, including equity research and quantitative finance, by following a yearlong self-paced curriculum Arora developed. The club has also built a strong sense of community through social events such as game nights and bowling.

“I think the biggest reason the club has resonated with so many students is that from day one, we’ve been very clear about being an output-driven organization,” says Arora, who is an international student from India. “We have a simple goal: If you spend one semester with us, you should walk away with at least one tangible project on your résumé.”

The 60-member group has hosted stock presentations and equity research competitions attended by McCombs professors, including real estate finance professor Rodrigo Cantu and finance lecturer and Marketrics faculty sponsor Mark Zyla.

Part of forming a cohesive student-run club, Arora says, has been to stay in close touch with members and to always be intentional about building genuine relationships. “Around major events, I’m usually juggling 20 to 25 conversations at once, coordinating, checking in, and making sure things are moving,” he says. “It’s about staying approachable and being as friendly as possible with all members.”

As Arora has built the club during the past year, he has learned that although “connections” are crucial, it’s the combination of connections and friendships that truly helps to create a strong and meaningful organization from scratch.

“Connections can help you get opportunities,” says Arora. “But friends are what really help you build something and sustain it. Having both is what makes everything come together.” He’s also been intentional about making the group accessible.

Many Texas Marketrics members are freshmen and sophomores looking for opportunities to learn. “If someone is genuinely willing to put in the effort, we try to make sure they have a clear path to learn, grow, and build something meaningful,” Arora says.

Story by Debbie Blumberg