Professor of Finance Asli Ascioglu, Ph.D., coordinator of the Financial Markets Center educational trading room and the Archway Investment Fund (AIF), has long been a proponent of “beyond the book” learning. In the spring of 2024, the AIF reached an incredible milestone when it passed the $3 million mark — the work of nearly two decades of highly dedicated student portfolio managers and faculty advisors.
For Ascioglu, who recently received Bryant’s Outstanding Faculty Award, preparing the next generation of finance leaders means rethinking the field altogether. A fervent advocate of incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns into investment portfolios, she is also working to create programs that support women and students of diverse backgrounds.
ON PREPARING FOR THE GREAT WEALTH TRANSFER:
“The baby boomer generation holds a significant portion of the world’s current wealth, tens of trillions of dollars, and over the next few decades, this wealth will be transferred to younger generations. These younger generations will care about the impact they make with their wealth, so there will be a greater emphasis on aligning investment strategies with their values.”
“If you look at the studies, when the number of women on a company’s board of directors increases, the company performs better.
ON THE FUTURE OF FINANCE:
“I think the biggest challenge is to find a way to increase wealth without increasing wealth disparity. Take artificial intelligence as an example, which will have a significant impact on all of us. If AI is predominantly used only by the elite, then it will lead to more wealth disparity. We must, instead, find a way to make sure it has a broader base of trained users so it can be an equalizer.”
ON THE VALUE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING:
“If we merely talk to our students about potential experiences, they are only passively listening. However, with the Archway Investment Fund, they actively engage in the learning process and remember what they actually did. This hands-on approach ensures that when faced with similar decisions in the future, they are better equipped to make the right choices.”
ON CHANGING THE FACE OF FINANCE:
“If you look at the studies, when the number of women on a company’s board of directors increases, the company performs better. Female traders do better than male traders under stress, and the more female financial advisors we have, the better we can represent female investors. Yet we still see a disparity, so we need to find ways to support women in the field and take direct action to change things.”
