They are already esteemed scholars in their fields, cited in journals like the Journal of Finance and media outlets like The Wall Street Journal—one of them is even Boston College’s first Nobel Prize recipient serving as a full professor. Outside of the classroom, you might find them hiking mountains, hanging out in the stands of Fenway Park, or even writing a song or two. Get to know the Carroll School of Management’s new faculty.
Paul M. Romer
Paul M. Romer
Seidner University Professor, Finance
Research Interests: Economic growth, innovation, technology, regulation, and digital authenticity
Ph.D.: Economics, University of Chicago
If you could give one piece of advice to a current management student, what would it be?
You have to keep learning your whole life. It’s not just that you have to, it's a joy to keep learning. Right now, if you start to get a little bit familiar with code and with math, that will prepare you to take the next steps in the future. When the time comes, and when you need it, you'll be able to invest further in that area and get much better at it. What happens to too many people is they feel as though it's too intimidating. They don't even know how to get started. Just dip your toes into statistics, math, data analytics, and coding, so that even if you don't invest deeply in it right now, at some point later in your career, you'll feel comfortable coming back and pursuing it much more aggressively.
What are you looking forward to about being a part of the Boston College community?
Part of what's exciting about coming to Boston College is that BC is a place where people care about integrity and values. They understand that ethics is critical to determining how we ought to do what we do. So I'm excited to join a community that has that kind of commitment, and I look forward to getting to know all the students who share those beliefs and look forward to working with them.
You are launching the Center for the Economics of Ideas at the Carroll School. What topic do you plan on tackling first?
When I started writing code in 2018, I discovered very quickly that there's a serious problem with code as a language for communicating with other people and achieving what I refer to as digital authenticity. If you get a digital file from anybody, it's very hard to know who the person is that stands behind the message and says “you can believe what's in this message because I vouch for it.” The sender needs to be able to put what's called a digital signature on the message, and the recipient needs to be able to verify the digital signature. The basic tools from mathematics and software development that you need for digital signatures have been around for decades, but they haven't been widely used. The first mission of the center will be to help solve the problem by providing simple, mechanical or technical software-based methods to facilitate authentication of any digital message.
Paul Romer is a recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics and the first Nobel laureate at Boston College serving as a full professor.
Nadya Malenko
Nadya Malenko
Professor, Finance
Research Interests: Corporate finance, corporate governance, private equity, and organizational economics
Ph.D.: Finance, Stanford University
What will be on your research agenda this year?
I plan to continue my research on the role of institutional investors, including large asset managers such as BlackRock or Vanguard, for corporate policies. The growing concentration of institutional ownership has generated a heated debate about the governance role of asset managers, their involvement with environmental and social issues, and whether they are in the best position to cast votes on behalf of their investors. I have several projects that focus on these questions and I am very excited to see how they develop.
How do you enjoy spending your time outside of the classroom?
I enjoy spending time with my family [which includes her husband, Carroll School finance professor Andrey Malenko] and traveling. I love nature trips—my most memorable ones were probably to Yosemite, the Big Island in Hawaii, and the Norwegian fjords. I also love exploring cities on foot and learning about their history and unique architecture.
You previously taught at the Carroll School. Are you excited to be back in the Boston area?
I have traveled to lots of places and there are many beautiful cities that I love to visit, but Boston is the place where I would like to live and raise my kids. This is a reason why I am so happy to be back working at Boston College. I’m also looking forward to interacting with my colleagues, whom I have really missed, and being part of the warm, collegial, and inspiring environment of the Carroll School.
Andrey Malenko
Andrey Malenko
Professor, Finance
Research Interests: Corporate finance, corporate governance, auctions, information economics, and organizational economics
Ph.D.: Finance, Stanford University
If you could give one piece of advice to a current management student, what would it be?
Work hard, but also cultivate relationships with your classmates. The relationships and reputation you create in school can pay dividends for a very long time.
What are you looking forward to about returning to Boston and being a Carroll School professor again?
I’m looking forward to being part of a dynamic and ambitious group that does exciting finance research as well as teaching and working with Boston College students. I am also looking forward to going to Red Sox games and BC Eagles hockey games with my family. I enjoy both sports—hockey since childhood and baseball since immigrating to the US—and more importantly, I enjoy seeing the excitement in the eyes of my children.
What was your favorite class in undergrad and why?
Microeconomics. I was fascinated that it was possible to use math—which was my passion in high school—to model economic behavior of people and firms and get deep insights. This generated long-term enjoyment for rigorous and in-depth analysis, which is useful in academic research and more. Currently, my ongoing research analyzes the dynamics of corporations’ debt policies, decision making in venture capital committees, and the role of institutional investors in corporate governance.
Tolga Dizdarer
Tolga Dizdarer
Assistant Professor, Business Analytics
Research interests: Pricing and revenue management, platform economics, marketplace design, gig economy, and incentives
Ph.D.: Operations, Information and Decisions, University of Pennsylvania
What will be on your research agenda during your first year at Boston College?
I am interested in exploring issues related to worker rights within the freelance economy. My research focuses on balancing the need for greater autonomy and job security in freelance work with maintaining the economic viability of the business model.
What was your favorite class in undergrad and why?
My favorite classes were Mathematical Modeling and Statistics, a preference that might come as a surprise given their method-oriented nature and extensive mathematical content. Nevertheless, I remember feeling fascinated by the systematic approach these classes provided for problem solving and how relevant they were for tackling real world business problems.
How do you enjoy spending your time outside of the classroom?
When I am short on time, I enjoy reading or learning new skills. However, when I have more leisure time, I lean towards activities that break away from my daily routine and immerse me in nature such as hiking, skiing, and, most recently, sailing.
Youngeun Lee
Youngeun Lee
Assistant Professor, Marketing
Research interests: Quantitative marketing, empirical industrial organization, behavioral economics, economics of information, and consumer decision-making
Ph.D.: Marketing, Northwestern University
If you could give one piece of advice to a current management student, what would it be?
Work on questions you are most passionate about. There will be ups and downs, especially moments of challenging lows. Your passion and genuine interest in what you do will help you keep riding the wave and remind you what you are riding the wave for.
What is something your students might be interested to know about your professional background or perspective?
I majored in statistics during my undergraduate and master's degrees, and have taught statistical methods to undergraduates before starting my Ph.D. My favorite class in undergrad was Data Mining—that’s where I first learned how to apply statistical and economic theory to real-life questions. I plan on discussing statistical and economical concepts to help solve real-life problems in my classes.
How do you enjoy spending your time outside of the classroom?
I love art-related activities, whether it’s visiting art galleries or sketching. I also like to spend time playing tennis, running, and watching shows from my home country, Korea. Recently, I’ve been watching You Quiz on the Block (a talk show) and I am Solo (a variety show) in my spare time.
Matteo Leombroni
Matteo Leombroni
Assistant Professor, Finance
Research Interests: Capital markets, financial institutions, asset management, and household finance
Ph.D.: Economics, Stanford University
What is your current area of research?
I conduct research examining institutional investors’ portfolios, and their implications for asset pricing and monetary policy transmission. Additionally, I investigate the creation of household portfolios and how household’s decisions are influenced by inflation and monetary policy.
How does your professional background connect to your research interests?
My past experience involved working with the macroeconomic research group of an investment bank, where our primary focus was on analyzing the Euro area economy, and closely following the actions of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the implications for financial markets. This background significantly influenced and shaped my subsequent research interests.
What is something students might be surprised to learn about you?
I love basketball and have been playing it all my life. Fun fact: My coach for the Bocconi University basketball team, Professor Carlo Favero, also taught my Financial Econometrics class which sparked my fascination with financial markets and ignited my interest in research. It was under Professor Favero’s guidance that I found the inspiration to pursue a Ph.D. in economics.
Cheng “Jason” Jiang
Cheng “Jason” Jiang
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Finance
Research interests: Corporate finance, law and finance, data analytics, and management information systems
Ph.D.: Economics, University of California, Riverside
What do you enjoy about being a professor?
Something I value immensely is interacting with my students. Boston College and the Carroll School have a commitment to teaching and education, which aligns perfectly with my own teaching philosophy. I firmly believe in the significance of direct and frequent interaction between students and professors. By fostering this accessibility, students can gain valuable insights from their professors, receive guidance on their academic and career paths, and even collaborate on research if they wish to do so.
What has been your favorite class to teach?
My favorite undergraduate class I’ve ever taught was an introductory course in finance, which was the first finance course most students ever took. It serves as the gateway to the world of finance, igniting students' interest and curiosity. Observing students transform into savvy financial thinkers and witnessing the "aha" moments in their understanding of finance concepts is truly a rewarding experience.
What is something students might be surprised to learn about you?
Most people don't know that I am a secret songwriter. I've written a few songs that have been locked away in the depths of my notebook. These hidden gems remain my little musical secrets, waiting patiently for their moment to shine.
Benjamin Rogers
Benjamin Rogers
Assistant Professor, Management and Organization
Research Interests: Meaning of work, narratives, well-being, and growth mindset
Ph.D.: Organizational Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
What will be on your research agenda during your first year at Boston College?
I will be continuing my research on how employees find meaning in their work, and how the stories we tell about our work shape our attitudes and behavior in and out of the workplace. One primary focus will be preparing my dissertation, which is about how people use the narratives they have about their work roles to find meaningfulness even in the midst of distressing work experiences, for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
If you could give one piece of advice to a current management student, what would it be?
We have limited time, energy, and talent, and we all have multiple projects competing for our resources. Just as organizations have to figure out how they allocate their resources through strategy and planning, people should be thoughtful and reflective about what they truly want out of their lives, careers, and relationships. By keeping that sense of purpose front and center, people can invest their personal resources more effectively to actually achieve those goals.
What was your favorite college class?
Intro to Organizational Behavior was where I discovered my passion for psychology at work, which ultimately led me to become a professor. I particularly liked all the simulations where we got to apply concepts from the course and inevitably discover how hard it is to make effective decisions. My more fun answer would be a history of rock music course I took. Studying usually required listening to great music!
Ashly Scheufele
Ashly Scheufele
Assistant Professor of the Practice, Business Law and Society
Research Interests: Arbitration and the courts, international dispute resolution, and alternative dispute resolution
JD: Boston College
What is something your students might be interested to know about your professional background?
I have been a business litigator for fifteen years and have helped clients from all over the world resolve disputes with other companies. Many of the legal challenges facing my clients were similar across industries—some companies were just more adept at handling those issues than others. I developed an appreciation for business leaders who thought proactively and creatively about ways to address government regulations and manage legal risk in order to maximize value for their companies. Carroll School students are the next generation of business leaders. I look forward to learning what they have to say about navigating the myriad ethical issues that they will face during their careers. We will explore and challenge that thinking together.
If you could give one piece of advice to a current management student, what would it be?
Engage with a part of the Boston College community that is outside of your comfort zone. Our University is brimming with fascinating people and opportunities. Take a course in a different school or department, join an activity that doesn't relate directly to your career goals, or just sit in a different part of campus for a while. The experience might give you a fresh perspective, inspire your creativity, or even introduce you to your future business partner.
What is something students might be surprised to learn about you?
I love the outdoors. My family is trying to hike all 48 peaks over 4,000 feet in New Hampshire before my oldest son graduates from high school in a few years, and we recently returned from a backcountry whitewater rafting trip in Montana.
