Randolph Cohen
Encyclopedia
Randolph Baer Cohen is an American
financial economist
, and an associate professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management
. He was previously a professor at Harvard Business School
.
from Harvard College
in 1987 and then obtained his Ph.D.
from the University of Chicago
Graduate School of Business in 1998. Upon graduation he began his career on the faculty at Harvard Business School
where his research focus has been on the interface between the actions of institutional investor
s and price levels in the stock market
.
At Harvard, Cohen has been published in several of the most prestigious and widely cited Journals in the fields of finance
and economics
. In addition, Cohen has published numerous Harvard case studies
s on topics ranging from the valuation of baseball star Alex Rodriguez
to risk arbitrage
. His 2003 research entitled "The value spread" (with Christopher Polk and Tuomo Vuolteenaho) was a nominee for the Smith-Breeden Prize for the best paper published in the Journal of Finance
. His 2005 research entitled "Judging fund managers by the company they keep" (with Lubos Pastor and Joshua Coval), which was profiled in Time
magazine (June 9, 2003), The New York Times
(January 5, 2003), and Barron's Magazine
(December 16-20, 2002), was also nominated for the Smith-Breeden Prize.
In addition to his research and teaching at Harvard, Cohen is involved in the finance industry and is a frequent speaker at investment conferences.
in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
. His father was a practicing attorney
and his mother taught reading at Wordsworth Academy, a school for children with learning disabilities. During graduate school he appeared on the television show Jeopardy!
on an episode that aired January 29, 1997.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
financial economist
Financial economics
Financial Economics is the branch of economics concerned with "the allocation and deployment of economic resources, both spatially and across time, in an uncertain environment"....
, and an associate professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
. He was previously a professor at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
.
Professional career
Cohen received his A.B.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1987 and then obtained his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
Graduate School of Business in 1998. Upon graduation he began his career on the faculty at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
where his research focus has been on the interface between the actions of institutional investor
Institutional investor
Institutional investors are organizations which pool large sums of money and invest those sums in securities, real property and other investment assets...
s and price levels in the stock market
Stock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
.
At Harvard, Cohen has been published in several of the most prestigious and widely cited Journals in the fields of finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. In addition, Cohen has published numerous Harvard case studies
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
s on topics ranging from the valuation of baseball star Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
to risk arbitrage
Risk arbitrage
Risk arbitrage, or merger arbitrage, is an investment or trading strategy often associated with hedge funds.Two principal types of merger are possible: a cash merger, and a stock merger. In a cash merger, an acquirer proposes to purchase the shares of the target for a certain price in cash...
. His 2003 research entitled "The value spread" (with Christopher Polk and Tuomo Vuolteenaho) was a nominee for the Smith-Breeden Prize for the best paper published in the Journal of Finance
Journal of Finance
The Journal of Finance is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Finance Association. It was established in 1946. Its current editors are Campbell R. Harvey and John R. Graham...
. His 2005 research entitled "Judging fund managers by the company they keep" (with Lubos Pastor and Joshua Coval), which was profiled in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine (June 9, 2003), The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
(January 5, 2003), and Barron's Magazine
Barron's Magazine
Barron's is an American weekly newspaper covering U.S. financial information, market developments, and relevant statistics. Each issue provides a wrap-up of the previous week's market activity, news reports, and an informative outlook on the week to come....
(December 16-20, 2002), was also nominated for the Smith-Breeden Prize.
In addition to his research and teaching at Harvard, Cohen is involved in the finance industry and is a frequent speaker at investment conferences.
Personal
Cohen grew up in Philadelphia and attended Germantown AcademyGermantown Academy
Germantown Academy is America's oldest nonsectarian day school, founded on December 6, 1759 . Germantown Academy is now a K-12 school in the Philadelphia suburb of Fort Washington, having moved from its original Germantown campus in 1965...
in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Fort Washington is an unincorporated census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census.-Prior to the Revolutionary War:...
. His father was a practicing attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and his mother taught reading at Wordsworth Academy, a school for children with learning disabilities. During graduate school he appeared on the television show Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
on an episode that aired January 29, 1997.