The faculty who teach the University of Miami’s online course come from different backgrounds and are experts in vastly different fields. However, they all have one key character trait in common: they share a deep sense of responsibility for equipping students with the tools needed to be successful. In a new series of blog posts, we will be putting a spotlight on faculty members from different UOnline graduate programs. Meet Professor Alok Kumar, Ph.D.
A leading expert in the area of behavioral finance, Professor Alok Kumar has been published in numerous leading academic journals of accounting, economics, finance, and management and is a frequent contributor to popular business publications including the Wall Street Journal, the South Florida Business Journal and the New York Times. He is also a faculty member for the University of Miami’s online MS in Finance program where he currently teaches Finance 650, Financial Decision Making.
After moving to the United States from India, where he received a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Kumar went on to receive an MS in Engineering from Dartmouth, a MA in Management from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University. In addition to teaching on-campus and online at the University of Miami, Dr. Kumar also is an active researcher with an interest in the behavior of older investors, analysts, gender bias, social biases, return predictability, style investing, Dow theory, gambling/speculation, risk sharing, monetary theory, computational economics.
In the classroom, Dr. Kumar integrates his research interests and professional experience as the Chief Investment Officer for Coral Gables Asset Management into his curriculum. To begin his online finance course, he has students complete a project where they are tasked with analyzing the performance of stock markets during Republican and Democratic presidencies. Students must devise an economic story to explain any patterns and determine if these stock market patterns can be used to predict future performance. “I teach my students is to find unusual ways of finding patterns the data from financial markets. To look at returns, volumes, prices, etc. The main objective of the class is to discover trading strategies using non-economic scenarios.”
Dr. Kumar also ensures students receive the same quality of education as his on-campus students by teaching the same material online as on-campus. He also tries to replicate the one-on-one interactions he has with his on-campus students by holding online office hours, posting video lectures, and providing direct feedback. He also encourages students to learn from each other by having students participate in weekly discussions.
“The class interacts quite a bit and a debate is simulated through this discussion board. It feels like a class discussion. The online students bring new insights” As a UOnline faculty member, Professor Alok Kumar is there for his students and dedicated to their success inside and outside of the classroom.
“The quality of my class and all of the courses are exactly the same as the on-campus program. If you take the time to engage in discussion with your peers and with your instructors, you’re going to receive a very similar experience.”
