University of Wisconsin students who plan to one day invest in mutual funds must choose their investments carefully, according to Distinguished Lecture Series speaker Bennett Freeman. Freeman, the Senior Vice President for Social Research and Policy for the Calvert Group, spoke in Ingraham Hall Tuesday night as part of the series. The Calvert Group is an investment company that offers a broad range of investment options, including the nation's largest array of "socially responsible mutual funds," according to Calvert's website. Freeman leads the social, environmental and governance research, analysis, policy and advocacy work for all socially responsible mutual funds. Freeman opened his lecture by discussing his own personal background and some of the positions he has previously held. Freeman was manager of corporate affairs for General Electric from 1985 to 1993, and later served in three positions as a Clinton presidential appointee in the State Department, his last title being Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 1999 to 2001. A graduate of the University of California-Berkeley, Freeman said he sees many similarities between the UW and UC-Berkley. "Madison has progressive values and a willingness to change — it's obvious the two cities have a lot in common," Freeman said. The talk's theme was "Socially Responsible Investing." "SRI is an investment strategy that integrates social or environmental criteria into financial analysis," he explained. "It's nothing new — people around the world have cared about the social aspects of business forever." SRI was first formally practiced by religious investors who avoided companies involved in tobacco, alcohol and gambling, Freeman said. The modern movement of social responsibility began in the early 1970s, Freeman said, and the movement has gained popularity since its inception. "In the mid-1990s social responsibility began to pick up speed because you were hearing about sweatshops, footwear factories and companies like Gap, Nike and Exxon." Freeman said. "This was also when globalization came around and concerns about poverty and human rights were being raised." Currently, many multinational corporations participate in social responsibility, Freeman said. This has made the movement become mainstream. About $2.3 trillion in assets in the U.S. today are managed by the SRI strategy, Freeman said, mostly in the form of pensions. Freeman added The Calvert Group only invests in companies that meet their minimum standards in areas like governance and ethics, the environment, community relations, product safety, and impact and human rights. UW students attending the lecture said it is important for a company to be socially responsible. "Social responsibility is something I care about, and I'm a huge advocate for human rights and the environment." UW junior Phoebe Taurick said. "I would support and invest in socially responsible companies," Freeman concluded by saying he did not think social responsibility is a fad. "Nothing is a fad when it's about money," Freeman said. "If it affects a business's bottom line, it is sustainable."