Hult Alumni Magazine | Page 25

Paulina Roszkowska Associate Professor of Finance 40 Best Business Professors Under 40 2018 Poets&Quants Every year Poets&Quants receives hundreds of nominations from students and alumni for its 40 Best Business Professors Under 40 list. In 2018 Paulina Roszkowska was selected for her exceptional teaching skills and ability to leverage the impressive diversity in her classrooms. Paulina is an Associate Professor of Finance at Hult. She is also a Lecturer at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley and a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Finance at the Warsaw School of Economics. She earned her MA in Finance and PhD in Economics at the Warsaw School of Economics. Outside of academia, Paulina is a member of several professional organizations and has worked in corporate finance, investor relations, and served as a Supervisory Board member for a large utility company. At Hult, Paulina specializes in corporate finance and corporate communication with the financial community, as well as in bridging financial decisions with the ethical dimension of doing business. Paulina’s unique background and fresh perspective enable her to share applied expertise in finance with students and to pursue industry-relevant research projects. Her academic research encompasses business financing in capital markets, asset pricing, business reporting, and ethics in finance. She has published several journal articles, book chapters, and two books. How does it feel to be recognized as one of the top 40 Best Business Professors Under 40? It feels really nice! But not because it comes with Oscar status or boosts my career, but because it’s a genuine sign that students have appreciated my work and feel it is meaningful to them. What is teaching at Hult like? What do you particularly like about it? It is both challenging and very gratifying. I enjoy my in-class interactions immensely, as everybody brings something unique to the table. In fact, I regularly feel like I’m learning and developing as a person at the same time as teaching. The gratifying part is when alumni tell me how my classes have influenced the way they think and how their post-MBA professional life choices have been shaped by what I have taught—that is the biggest personal reward! Tell us about the projects you are involved in outside teaching and what you hope to take on next. As an empiricist, I carry out research projects that build on business decisions and behavior. I am currently exploring the mispricing effects of IPOs. Specifically, we are investigating whether demand shocks on the investor’s side affect company valuation and the degree of the first-day IPO underpricing. Fintech and its role in finance is a very appealing avenue for further research which I hope to explore more. What advice do you have for our alumni community? Professionals who have a long-term vision and hold on to it irrespective of the current environmental pressures win my greatest respect. Focusing on what you believe is right requires a lot of courage, but it also gives you an incomparable sense of meaning and integrity. I hope all Hult students are persistent in pursuing their goals. 25