For the past 10 years, Thomas Finke has served as the chairman and CEO of Barings LLC, an institutional asset management company. In addition to spearheading the growth of Barings, Thomas (Tom) Finke supports North Carolina’s Davidson College as a member of its capital campaign committee.
One of the school’s unique educational features is The Farm at Davidson College, a working farm where students can roll up their sleeves and work to grow produce for the campus and the community. In addition to hands-on agricultural learning, The Farm provides interdisciplinary learning.
For example, one environmental studies professor required her students to work on the farm to conduct research on sustainability issues, such as the impact of climate change on topsoil. In another example, students of the social sciences use The Farm to explore the ways geography, race, and economic privilege can limit the access of certain people to different foods and negatively impact their health.
