August 2025 – Edition 48
Ksenia Bobrik, WG’25, reflects on her experiences as a Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Scholar in Quantitative Finance; a new course in financial research honoring the late Howard Butcher III Professor Emeritus of Financial Management Marshall Blume launches this fall; and Michelle Shan-Jeschelnig, WG’02, shares why she and her family have chosen to support the Wharton Global Youth Program.
Being a Jacobs Scholar Opens a World of Possibility
Ksenia Bobrik, WG’25, said she felt honored to be one of the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Scholars in Quantitative Finance during her time as a Wharton MBA. Backed by an elite academic award generously established by Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs, G’79, GRW’86, Bobrik had the opportunity to build strong foundations in quantitative finance and work on practical projects across varied disciplines. Her story highlights how philanthropy fuels deeper academic curiosity and creates space for innovation in an evolving business landscape.
Honoring the Late Marshall Blume, a Groundbreaking Professor in the Wharton Finance Department
Over the course of his four-decade-plus career at Wharton, Marshall Blume, the Howard Butcher III Professor Emeritus of Financial Management, had a profound impact on his students and colleagues, as well as the School overall. A dedicated and pioneering researcher, Blume played a key role in elevating Wharton’s finance department and supporting scholars at every level, from undergraduates to fellow faculty.
Since Blume’s passing in 2019, a number of his former students and colleagues have worked with the School to spearhead initiatives honoring his contributions to Wharton and the field of finance research. Read more about the new, hands-on research course for undergraduates created in Blume’s honor at the link below.
“It’s an Age of Exploring”: Michelle Shan-Jeschelnig, WG’02, on Supporting Young People Through the Wharton Global Youth Program
Alumni Executive Board member Michelle Shan-Jeschelnig, WG’02, knows that exploring one’s passions at a young age can lead to a vibrant, rewarding future — what she calls finding one’s “true north.” That’s why she and her husband, Richard Jeschelnig, have made a generous gift to the Wharton Global Youth Program, which offers an array of inspiring, educational programs aimed at high school students. (The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is among these programs; registration for the 2025–2026 competition closes September 12.)
Learn more about the Shan-Jeschelnig family’s gift to Global Youth — as well as their support of a space within Tangen Hall’s Venture Lab, the home for student entrepreneurship at Penn — at the link below.