DENTON (UNT), Texas — A University of North Texas finance senior experienced municipal bond markets in a way that not many undergraduates do. James Verfurth accompanied the UNT System’s finance team to New York in January to sell and refinance a total of $360.4 million in bonds. Working with companies such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Barclays, the two-day experience brought Verfurth into the war room to watch bonds go off the desk and listen to the play-by-play of fast-paced investmen

The experience was humbling, said Verfurth, adding that he learned how critical the work of UNT’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance is to raising funds for things like new student success projects and infrastructure improvements.

“It directly impacts students coming here on a personal level,” said Verfurth. “If we do an effective job, it makes UNT and the students more competitive and helps us win as a system.”

Returning to Denton, Verfurth then presented an overview of the transaction to the UNT Board of Regents.

Verfurth said that he was “well equipped by the entire staff at UNT” and felt fortunate to be given the opportunity to experience municipal bond markets first-hand. Verfurth explained that learning the technical aspects of how municipalities raise funds in the classroom, coupled with the innate competitiveness of UNT, make him proud and well-prepared for the business world.

Verfurth graduates in May and already has a job lined up. He will be traveling to Philadelphia to start his career with Wells Fargo in June.