"Although BU was a big school, you had a sense of community. I really had a great experience there."

What it Takes: Couple's gift supports the heart of campus: the Binghamton University Libraries

Steve and Judy Fleishman found much more than a great education at Binghamton University: They also found each other, along with lifetime friendships and the skills needed to build successful careers from somewhat non-traditional paths.

Unlike most of his peers, Steve Fleishman has neither a graduate degree nor a degree from an Ivy League school. But that has not held him back in his career: He is managing director and head of Merrill Lynch's Global Power & Gas Research Group, leading a team of nine analysts who cover nearly 80 companies, and coordinating a global power and gas sector that comprises more than 20 analysts worldwide.

Fleishman earned his bachelor's degree in economics at Harpur College, minored in history and took classes in accounting and finance as well. All that was excellent preparation for his career, he said, with some surprising added benefits.

"My economics degree instilled in me a lot of good common sense, and the courses I took at the School of Management were definitely beneficial," he said. "The economics courses taught me how to think out of the box and not become too focused on numbers. I gained a solid understanding of the big picture -- what drives markets, what drives companies. It was a thorough liberal arts education that helped me to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to go beyond little details to see the big picture. The School of Management courses were very well done, with real-world examples that piqued my interest. I felt like I came to Wall Street hungrier, and without taking things for granted, as did some of my co-workers who came from other schools.

Fleishman became a senior analyst at age 24, just two years out of school. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1996 after serving at Dean Witter Reynolds and Kidder Peabody and establishing a reputation as one of the most-watched industry analysts. He has been quoted in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and has appeared on CNN and CNBC, as well as Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street Week. He is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Board and has been ranked #1 utility analyst for several years in a row by major trade publications and peer surveys.

In September, Fleishman was invited to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee about the causes and implications of the huge power blackout that struck the eastern U.S. last summer.

His wife, Judy, has enjoyed success in her career as a teacher and researcher in social and clinical psychology, specializing in substance abuse. She was admitted to other prestigious universities but chose Binghamton for its affordability. She enrolled as a biology major, planning to pursue a career in medicine. Soon, though, she discovered that was not her path.

"I hated it," she said, "and switched majors for two years before settling on psychology during my junior year. I thought the breadth and depth of my psychology education really prepared me, even though I chose a major relatively late. People from other schools often had trouble adjusting at grad-uate school. I got full tuition remission and a stipend to study for my master's and doctorate at the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University."

With two young children at home and a third on the way, Judy has been counseling and teaching at Adelphi as her schedule allows.

The Fleishmans believe an excellent library is the heart of any campus and have established an endowment for the Psychology Collection at the Binghamton University Libraries. Merrill Lynch has matched the couple's gift.

"Steve and I felt strongly that we received excellent educations at Binghamton that led to our future professional success, and we wanted to contribute something to make that possible for others," said Judy. "The gift to the Libraries was mostly my influence -- I spent time in the Science Library researching and studying and always liked it there. I found it a decent, although not complete, psychology collection. I have used the libraries at many universities and have always felt that the collections were an important, and often overlooked, part of an academic community."

Judy said the residential living system was one of the best things about her Binghamton experience. "Although it was a big school, you had a sense of community," Judith said. "I really had a great experience there."

"The school had an excellent reputation," Steve agreed. "I thought it was a great value and I believe that even more so today. We always say to ourselves, 'Where else could you find such a good value?'"

Both Judy and Steve have siblings who followed them to Binghamton and who've had an equally positive experience. Steve likes to quote now-retired golf coach John Affleck: "He always said, 'There's no such thing as luck. It's when preparation meets opportunity,'" Steve recalled. "I still use that line!"

-- Susann Thiel