Dean Glenn Hubbard has announced three new faculty appointments that will take effect on July 1: Charles Jones, the Robert W. Lear Professor of Finance and Economics, has been named senior vice dean; Shiva Rajgopal, the Roy Bernard Kester and T.W. Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing, will become vice dean for research; and Paolo Siconolfi, the Franklin Pitcher Johnson Jr. Professor of Finance and Economics, will lead the School's Doctoral Program. Professor Jones joined Columbia Business School in 1997 as an assistant professor in the Finance and Economics Division. He held the Class of 1967 Associate Professorship from 1998–2003 and served as the chair of the Finance and Economics Division from 2008–11. He is currently the chair of the Finance Subdivision. Charles has received dozens of awards, fellowships, and research grants, including the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence in the Core.
“I look forward to partnering with Charles in the Dean's Office as he continues to lead faculty recruiting and retention while building on [current Senior Vice Dean] Kathy Phillips's success in shaping faculty culture,” Dean Hubbard said. “I will rely on him to foster an environment of engagement and trust. In addition, he will work with faculty leaders to lead their efforts in curriculum, teaching, and research, and he will carry out the School's strategic vision: to be the premier institution to innovate, connect, and lead. Given the strength of his accomplishments in and out of the classroom and his leadership in the field, I am confident that Charles will continue to forge new paths for Columbia's success as we embark on another century of excellence.”
Professor Rajgopal came to Columbia Business School in 2015 from Emory University, where since 2010 he had served as the Schaefer Chair of Accounting at the Goizueta Business School. Previously, he served as the Herbert O. Whitten Professor of Accounting and then as the Julius A. Roller Professor of Accounting at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, where he was awarded tenure in 2004. His research interests include financial reporting, fraud, executive compensation, shareholder value, corporate social responsibility, corporate culture, and auditing. In his new role, Rajgopal will continue to build on the work of Kathy Phillips, who has overseen faculty research as part of her role as senior vice dean.
“I am confident that Shiva will continue to ensure the success of current School-wide research initiatives while, more importantly, spearheading research innovations at the School,” Dean Hubbard said, noting that Rajgopal will work with colleagues across departments to promote faculty research inside and outside of the School, as well as work with the junior faculty research liaisons and department chairs to generally promote the research culture and mentorship climate of the School through research events, awards, and activities. “Shiva is an exceptional scholar and author, an active and highly regarded contributor to the accounting profession, and an outstanding teacher,” the dean continued. “I look forward to working with him in raising the research profile and activities of Columbia Business School to align with our strategic positioning as the School where theory and practice meet.”
Professor Siconolfi joined Columbia Business School as a visiting assistant professor in 1988, after earning his PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. His research has focused on general equilibrium theory, information theory, and dynamic models in monetary theory. Having taught economic theory and economic analysis in the Doctoral Program for many years, Siconolfi has already been working closely with Costis Maglaras, the David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business, who has served as the program's director since 2012 and as co-director with John Donaldson, the Mario J. Gabelli Professor of Finance, from 2011–12. Building on the important accomplishments of Maglaras in this role, Siconolfi will work with the PhD Faculty committee, whose members are appointed by the divisional chairs, to provide academic direction, coordination, and oversight for the programs. He will continue to ensure that the PhD Program is rigorous while training the future generations of scholars and teachers who contribute new ideas and research and enrich the School’s intellectual community.
“I am confident that Paolo will keep Columbia at the forefront of thought leadership, and I look forward to working with him in this new capacity,” Dean Hubbard said. “I also want to thank Costis for his important work in strengthening the program. During his time in this role, Costis oversaw a thorough review of PhD curricula and milestone requirements; developed the PhD student orientation and created PhD-focused workshops; and increased the overall size of the program.” The dean asked the community to thank all predecessors for their tremendous efforts and to welcome the appointees to their new roles.
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