Master of Financial Engineering Program
Faculty
Berkeley MFE faculty members are renowned groundbreakers and thought leaders in the field of quantitative finance. In addition to undertaking preeminent research that feeds directly into the curriculum, many of these scholars also have practical experience in the creation of financial instruments and software, as well as the implementation of innovative financial strategies.
Pioneers of Financial Engineering
Many Haas School faculty members have long stood at the forefront of the quantitative finance industry. For example, Professor Mark Rubinstein is renowned for his work on the binomial options pricing model (also known as the Cox-Ross-Rubinstein model), as well as his early work on asset pricing in the 1970s. He is currently an associate editor of eight journals in these areas. In 1993, he served as President of the American Finance Association. Many of Rubinstein's papers are frequently reprinted in survey publications, and he has won numerous prizes and awards for his research and writing on derivatives including International Financial Engineer of the Year for 1995.
Like Rubinstein, Faculty Director John O'Brien was an early innovator in the investment consulting space. Before joining Haas, O'Brien served as Chairman of the Capital Market Fund, and the S&P 500 SuperTrust, the first exchange-traded fund. He later co-developed the O'Brien 5000 common stock index, later renamed the Wilshire 5000 index, currently the nation's broadest-based index, considered by many to be the most accurate reflection of the overall market. In 1987, O'Brien was named one of Fortune Magazine's Men of the Year.
Professional Faculty Drawn From Business
In addition to having early innovators and scholars, the Berkeley MFE faculty also draws from some of the most successful minds in today's business community. For example, Lecturer Jeffrey Bohn leads the Financial Strategies group at Shinsei Bank in Tokyo, following his role as head of Moody's KMV's Global Research group. The faculty also includes Barclay's Global Investors executives Ronald Kahn, managing director and global head of equity research; Michael Melvin, managing director and head of currency research; and John Martinez, director of the firm's iShares, Inc.
Berkeley MFE faculty have also playing important roles in the national and international business communities, serving as consultants, board members, and speakers at major business conferences and seminars. Professor Dwight M. Jaffee has been an advisor to the World Bank, the Federal Reserve System, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
