Conference Draws Pundits

Experts from as far away as Shanghai, London, and New York came to Eugene this July to attend the Lundquist College's biennial finance research conference.

Sponsored by the college's Finance and Securities Analysis Center, the two-day conference focused on institutional investors and the asset management industry.

For associate professor of finance John Chalmers—who co-organized the conference with assistant professor of finance Z. Jay Wang—the event benefits presenters and audience members in complementary ways.

"We bring in people doing interesting research and provide them with constructive feedback on the work they're doing. We also keep current with the state of the art," said Chalmers.

Paula Tkac, vice president and senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, compared the experience to a skillfully curated art exhibit. "You want to put things together so that everyone can appreciate what they're seeing but also so that they find things that they didn't know that they were going to find," said Tkac.

This was Lundquist College PhD candidate Hai Tran's second biennial conference, and he valued the opportunity to get better acquainted with experts in his chosen field.

"Research is a collaborative process—emphasis on collaboration," said Tran. "It is important for us researchers to present and discuss our work with peers. This is done not only through the official presentations but also through informal conversations during a dinner or coffee break."

A McKenzie River rafting trip and meals at King Estate Vineyards, as well as other area dining spots, gave attendees a good taste of Oregon life.

See conference photos