Finance Department Welcomes New Faculty

This fall Jiun-Lin (“Alex”) Chen, Ph.D., joined the College of Business as assistant professor of finance.

“Dr. Chen brings considerable experience in teaching finance to the college and will augment our efforts to further develop the student-management investment fund,” says Jim Brodzinski, Ph.D., dean of the college of business.

Prior to his arrival at Valpo, Professor Chen served as a full-time lecturer in finance for nearly a decade at the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, Australia, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses and mentoring Ph.D. students as well as two honor students through their research. Professor Chen’s extensive teaching experience also includes eight years of service as a full-time lecturer in Taiwan at the Tainan University of Technology and at Louisiana State University while he obtained his doctorate.

At Valpo, Professor Chen fills a similar role in terms of teaching and research as he did at the University of Adelaide. However, it is the many differences in the Valpo environment that sets it apart and drew him here in the first place.

“One of the reasons I wanted to come to Valpo was its small class sizes and the emphasis placed upon teaching,” Professor Chen says. “The student-centered nature of Valpo enables me to interact with, guide, and prepare more students for their futures. And, my colleagues are already like a family. This is such an inviting, collaborative environment, where I feel cared about and can reach students.”

Currently, Professor Chen teaches international finance and financial management, both upper-level, undergraduate courses. No matter the topic at hand, he focuses on presenting his students with the big picture first, giving them a context for what they’re about to learn and laying out how the information will prove advantageous in their futures. It is his sincere hope that this technique will spark interest in his students and inspire them to devote more time and energy to the learning process.

“Over the last two decades, I’ve come to the realization that every student is different, so I know I have to alter my teaching style accordingly,” Professor Chen says. “But, my varied experiences are my strength. I’ve taught undergraduate and graduate courses, large and small classes, as well as students from different cultures and from around the world. Students within the same classroom can be entirely different, so I encourage all feedback, positive and negative, so I can help all my students.”

Professor Chen’s research interests include investments and financial markets and institutional investors. Presently, his research on institutional investors centers around corporate social responsibility. Companies are rated for corporate social responsibility on various dimensions, including environmental effects, corporate governance, employee satisfaction, and health and safety. Professor Chen is evaluating the impact on institutional investors of acquiring companies with varying levels of corporate social responsibility and delving into which dimensions are most important to institutional investors. He is also engaged in extensive research on the stock market to determine the best strategy for choosing stock in order to increase return without taking on additional risk.

Professor Chen holds a Ph.D. in finance from Louisiana State University, and he earned his bachelor of business administration as well as his master of business administration from National Taiwan University. His professional affiliations include membership in the American Finance Association and the Financial Management Association.

Beyond the classroom, Professor Chen is an avid reader of historical fiction, with a particular affinity for Chinese history. He is the father of two high school age daughters, who are excited to come to the U.S. and attend a university, perhaps Valpo.