Appreciating Asset

URI honors top financial scholar with endowed professorship

Finance Professor Bing-Xuan Lin is the perfect example of a scholar whose curiosity extends beyond his subject and into the classroom. His students, he has found, are a continual source of ideas and a spark for creative thought. “I consider my students as partners in learning,” Lin said. “It is a privilege to stand in front of the classroom and interact with so many gifted individuals.”

For Lin’s students, present and past, the appreciation is mutual. “Professor Lin is one of the most challenging, fair, and professional individuals I have had the pleasure of learning from and working with,” said Christopher Valois ’05, a former research assistant to Lin and now a risk analyst at State Street Global Advisors in Boston. “His knowledge of finance is only surpassed by his ability to impart this knowledge to students in a practical and hands-on way.”

Indeed, Lin’s research on financial market disclosures, mergers, acquisitions, and emerging markets has made him a highly sought-after scholar, with publications in national and international accounting and finance journals.

In recognition of his distinguished teaching and scholarship, Lin has been selected as the first William H. Eigen Endowed Professor of Finance. Eigen, who graduated as a finance major in 1990 and is managing director at JP Morgan Chase in Boston, established the endowment in recognition of the profound influence his professors had on him as an undergraduate in the College of Business. “I feel so good about the direction the school is heading in,” Eigen said. “My years at URI helped make me a success, and I just want to give back. It’s as simple as that.”

Simple, yes, but so significant. An endowed professorship, said Lin, “is the highest academic award that the University can bestow on a faculty member. It signifies to me that my scholarly work is valued and recognized as among eminent scholars at the University. As I start my 21st year of service at URI, I am truly thrilled to receive this recognition.”

“Professor Lin is one of the most challenging, fair, and professional individuals I have had the pleasure of learning from and working with.”

–CHRISTOPHER VALOIS ’05

L to R: VP for Enrollment Services Dean Libutti, TD Director Gerald Williams, President Parlange, Roby Luna ’04, CoB Dean Maling Ebrahimpour Opportunity in AI

Roby Luna ’04 established an endowed scholarship for underrepresented students in data analytics or business artificial intelligence. The scholarship starts with a $100,000 commitment through Luna’s company Aretec, contributed with his business partner Anthony Rivera.

Luna, who serves on the College of Business Advisory Council, has witnessed and appreciates the College’s expansion of AI and analytics capabilities. “I entered URI through the Talent Development program, and I know how that additional support can make a difference,” said Luna. “My education prepared me to find my career and eventually pursue my own vision. We want to see more students and alumni of color find their way in this field.”