As a pioneer and innovator in connecting academic research with investment management, Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs, G’79, GRW’86, a long-time supporter of Wharton, is helping keep the School at the forefront of business education.
Concurrent this fall with the MBA program launching a new quantitative finance major within the Finance Department, new courses are being offered, bolstered by the establishment of the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Professorship in Quantitative Finance and the new Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Scholars in Quantitative Finance. The new professorship and scholars funds have been made possible by an $8 million gift from Dr. Jacobs. Together, they will usher in a new era of opportunities for students and faculty at Wharton.
“My aspiration in giving to Wharton is to build a community of people interested and invested in quantitative finance and to spark a ripple effect on a global scale,” Dr. Jacobs said. “Great progress has been achieved by the Jacobs Levy Center, Dissertation Fellowships, and the Wharton-Jacobs Levy Prize. Those successes and Wharton’s commitment to the future of finance inspired me to deepen my support of students and the faculty who will enrich future generations of leaders and the broader economy.
“I can think of no better time for this initiative as we face new economic, health, and markets issues that will shape the world economy for decades.”
Jessica Wachter has been named the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Professorship in Quantitative Finance, and as Jacobs Scholars, select MBA students will each be awarded $25,000 in their second year in the new quantitative finance major to support their tuition. Together these offerings will attract and nurture talented students and faculty in quantitative finance and serve to prepare a new generation of leaders in finance for the challenges of today and the future.
The professorship and scholars funds extend Jacobs’ longstanding generosity to the Wharton School. Together with Kenneth N. Levy, WG’76, G’82, he established the Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center for Quantitative Financial Research, the Jacobs Levy Equity Management Dissertation Fellowships in Quantitative Finance, and the Wharton-Jacobs Levy Prize for Quantitative Financial Innovation.
Dr. Jacobs is co-chief investment officer, portfolio manager, and co-director of research at Jacobs Levy Equity Management. He is the author of numerous articles on equity management appearing in a host of academic journals and several books, including most recently Too Smart for Our Own Good: Ingenious Investment Strategies, Illusions of Safety, and Market Crashes, which examines the causes of recent financial crises, and is co-author with Ken Levy of Equity Management: The Art and Science of Modern Quantitative Investing, 2nd ed.
Learn More about the New Finance Major and the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Professorship