On Oct. 20th - 23rd, VT Finance Faculty, Alumni, and Ph.D.'s gathered for the 2021 FMA Annual Meeting in Denver, Co. Representing the department this year was Pamplin & Alumni Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Keown, VT Ph.D. Candidate Ruiyao Zhu, VT Finance Ph.D. Graduates Yutong Xie, from The College of New Jersey, and Shahram Amini, from the University of Denver. 

This year’s conference brought together academicians and practitioners interested in financial decision-making, providing a forum for presentation and discussion of new research addressing current concerns in financial management and related topics. The year's conference program listed: 

  • Keynote Speaker - Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Academic Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance.
  • Doctoral Student Consortium - A panel session with distinguished scholars discussing the latest advances in research and offering career advice.
  • Diversity Emerging Scholars Initiative (DESI) - A program that offers early-career scholars from underrepresented identity groups opportunities to gain visibility in the profession, benefit from mentorship, receive feedback and ongoing support on their research from senior faculty, and get advice on professional development.
  • 2021 FMA Innovation in Teaching Award - The Financial Management Association International's (FMA) Innovation in Teaching Award is designed to recognize inspiring educators, enhance the quality and relevance of education in finance, disseminate successful innovative practices, and elevate the craft of teaching to the next level.
  • New Ideas Sessions - For the first time ever, the Financial Management Association International (FMA) will hold several New Ideas Sessions. These sessions will provide people with the opportunity to receive feedback on research that is in its early stages.

Among the panels discussing the latest advances in research and career advice, Ph.D. Candidate Ruiyao Zhu presented her research paper, "Does it pay to hire a friend?" She provided a summary of her experiences at the 2021 FMA Annual Meeting:

"The FMA conference was held both in-person and online this year. I presented a paper called "Does it pay to hire a friend?," at one of the in-person sessions, and although there were fewer attendees at the meeting this year due to COVID, the comments were overall good. I also got to visit Denver Art Museum, which is nice."