Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?
After I completed my master's degree, I wanted a course of study that was more comprehensive and focused in finance. I knew that a PhD would give me the option of working in an academic research environment, at a place like the Brookings Institute, or at a government agency.

Why did you choose Wharton?
I was attracted to Wharton's Finance Department because it has many faculty members working across a broad spectrum of issues. The department as a whole is very strong empirically, and I liked the fact that there were quite a few workshops with that orientation.

Has Wharton been different than what you expected?
Coming in, I thought I was going to focus more on game theory and corporate finance, but I am discovering interesting empirical topics like asset pricing. Because our faculty often work in multiple departments, we are encouraged to work across disciplines, which helps us carve out our own unique niche for research.

What kind of support is there for students?
Wharton's doctoral program supports its students. There are librarians and other staff who can assist you with finding data or help you familiarize yourself with research techniques. Every week I get an email about a seminar on a statistical package or a different way to conduct research — these resources are extraordinarily helpful, especially when you're starting out.

How would you describe the Wharton community?
As a PhD candidate, you have to make presentations to your defense committee or job market committees and many of our classes help us develop that skill early on. I'm looking forward to presenting my research ideas for a Finance Department lunch, which the graduate students put on themselves. It's a good time to get comments, hear what other people are doing and generate new ideas. This year I'm going to try to focus on teaching and maybe get my hands wet with research for the second year paper. There is always some sort of faculty research to get involved with, which is a great opportunity to be exposed to the frontier questions in your area. I met many of my colleagues outside of the Finance Department through the math camp offered at the end of the summer. Students go out to dinner, celebrate birthdays or just meet up for lunch in the student lounge in Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall. We share a common language and we're always able to share our research in a noncompetitive atmosphere.

What's the most challenging aspect of getting your PhD?
So far the biggest challenge has been avoiding distractions. There are so many interesting things going on around campus. But for my first year I knew I had to buckle down and focus on the preliminary exams. At the same time, you want to find the right balance between a social life and a time-intensive academic career.