How University Endowments Invest | Private Equity & Institutional Strategy

In this special “On the Road” episode of the Dakota Live! Podcast, Robert Morier travels to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for a live CIO panel discussion on endowment management, private equity, private credit, asset allocation, and manager research & due diligence.
Featuring:

• Rip Mecherle, CIO, University of Tennessee System ($1.8B endowment)
  
  
• Cathy Ulozas, CIO, Drexel University
  
  
• Bridget Sproles, Partner & Co-Head of Healthcare Practice, Cambridge Associates
  
  
• Ryan Farley, Professor and Director, Torch Fund Program, University of Tennessee
  
  

Recorded in front of students from Drexel University and the University of Tennessee, this episode explores how institutional investors think about:

• Endowment portfolio construction (public vs. private markets)
  
  
• Private equity allocation strategy and long-term commitments
  
  
• The risks and realities of private credit in today’s market
  
  
• How CIOs underwrite managers and assess integrity, culture, and risk
  
  
• Teaching students to think like real-world investors
  
  

The panel also shares candid career lessons — including trading mistakes, surviving market crises, and the importance of adaptability in finance.
If you’re interested in institutional investing, asset allocation strategy, manager due diligence, endowment management, OCIO relationships, hedge funds, private markets, or building a career in investment management, this conversation is essential listening.
Learn how top CIOs make capital allocation decisions under uncertainty — and how students can prepare to enter the world of institutional asset management.