What it's Really All About...
I consider my primary role at Texas A&M to be an educator. My expertise is broadly defined in the area of agricultural finance. Specifically, I work at improving financial decision making for farmers and ranchers, and improving the ability of agricultural lenders to provide adequate and efficient credit to agricultural businesses.
Financial and credit decisions are very dependent on and interrelated with production, marketing, government programs, and external factors. Thus, I consider it important to do collaborative and interdisciplinary work, demonstrated by interdisciplinary focus in publications, and grants and contracts.
An important role of a university and an educator is to educate individuals through classroom instruction and individual instruction. My overriding philosophy in education is to teach students how to learn. The thought process and conceptual framework used to solve new problems are important. This is especially important in making financial decisions because the outcome is dependent on future events; thus, time and uncertainty must be considered. Decisions are not black and white. Good decision makers must choose between alternatives that may seem to be equally good. However, the outcome of these decisions may be quite different. Good analytical and reasoning skills are necessary. I expose students to real problems and frequently discuss articles from the Wall Street Journal that relate to financial decisions.
At the graduate level, my teaching program follows my research interest in financial management and agricultural credit decision making. It is designed to prepare students to conduct independent research and rigorous analysis of agricultural finance problems. My goal is to bridge the gap between theory and applied research and train students to use state-of-the-art research methods. Students are required to write a research proposal to help them identify a researchable micro-finance problem, do a comprehensive literature review, and choose a relevant research method. To help improve their oral communication skills, students are required to present their research proposals in class.
Some Things to Consider...
Greenspan suggests schools bolster math
From The Bryan-College Station Eagle, Feb. 6, 2002, page A10:
WASHINGTON - Schools need to do better at teaching basic mathematics to reduce an alarming lack of knowledge about fundamental financial concepts, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Tuesday.
Greenspan said many studies have pointed to a critical need to improve financial literacy, the lack of which Greenspan said leaves millions of Americans vulnerable to financial losses from unscrupulous business practices.
He said schools should teach basic financial concepts better in elementary and secondary schools. A good foundation for math, Greenspan said, would improve financial literacy and "help prevent younger people from making poor financial decisions that can take years to overcome."