Meet the Outstanding Professors New to the Michigan Ross Faculty This Fall

Six new associate and assistant professors joined the faculty at the Ross School of Business this fall, including five in finance and one in marketing. 

The new faculty members are:

Jessica Fong, Assistant Professor of Marketing

Education: PhD in marketing, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2019; BSc in computer science, California Institute of Technology, 2014.

Research interests: Online platforms, empirical industrial organization, behavioral economics 

Personal: Hobbies are playing tennis, horseback riding, board games, and hiking with her dog. 

Why I am excited to be at Michigan Ross: “Great colleagues and a fun college town. I’m excited to be a part of such a spirited community!”

Andrey Malenko, Associate Professor of Finance

Education: PhD in finance, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2011.

Research interests: Corporate investment and financing, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as auction theory and economics of information.

Personal: “My wife, Nadya, is also joining Michigan Ross now, so we have a Michigan (and Ross) family.”

Recent employment: On the faculty at Boston College's Carroll School of Management, 2019-2020, and the MIT Sloan School of Management, 2011-2019.

Why I am excited to be at Michigan Ross: “I am excited about the culture of the U-M community, about teaching and working with smart and driven students, and about wonderful colleagues striving for excellence in research and teaching.”

Nadya Malenko, Associate Professor of Finance 

Education: PhD in finance, Stanford University, 2011; M.A. in economics, New Economic School, Russia, 2006; MSc in applied mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, 2004.

Research interests: Corporate finance, corporate governance (shareholder voting, boards of directors, shareholder activism), private equity, organizational economics.

Personal: Enjoys traveling, movies, and spending time with her family.

Recent employment: Associate professor of finance and Giuriceo Family Faculty Fellow at the Carroll School of Management, Boston College.

Why I am excited to be at Michigan Ross: “My colleagues, Ross’ supportive and collaborative culture and leading research faculty, and going to Michigan football games with my kids!”

Shane Miller,  Assistant Professor of Finance

Education: PhD, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, 2020. BA, University of Virginia, 2011.

Research interests: Asset pricing, macro finance, econometrics.

Why I am excited to be at Michigan Ross: “I’m happy to be returning to the Midwest after many years in Virginia and North Carolina. Ross has a collegial, collaborative atmosphere for both research and teaching; impressive, engaged students at all levels; and I am excited to be part of the team.

Mirela Sandulescu, Assistant Professor of Finance

Education: PhD in economics, USI Lugano & Swiss Finance Institute, Switzerland, 2020; MSc in financial engineering, HEC Lausanne, Switzerland, 2013; BSc in finance, Academy of Economic Studies, Romania, 2011.

Research interests: Asset pricing, international finance, financial frictions, machine learning.

Personal: Enjoys playing tennis, solving puzzles, traveling, and exploring new cuisines. Also, speaks four languages.

Why I am excited to be at Michigan Ross:  “For the unique opportunity to be part of the professional, motivating, and inclusive environment.”

Emmanuel Yimfor, Assistant Professor of Finance

Education: PhD in finance, Rice University. 2020. 

Research interest: Entrepreneurship. Current work is on the different frictions that prevent early-stage firms from raising funds for innovative entrepreneurship. 

Personal: Originally from Cameroon, West Africa. Enjoys doing research, running, and spending time with his wife and three kids.

Why I am excited to be at Ross: “I will take advantage of the financial and academic resources at my disposal here to shed light on opaque private equity markets. I am also well placed to study how private equity would respond to the COVID crisis and how it will change post-COVID.”