Eric Kelley, associate professor of finance, Goodner Professor of Banking and Home Federal Bank Scholar, has a passion for life-long learning. As a researcher, he focuses on market microstructure and empirical asset pricing, with particular emphasis on how information is incorporated into prices.

“My current research projects focus on the role sophisticated traders such as short sellers play in the trading process,” Kelley says. “For example, I study the types of information these traders discover, the extent to which they can predict returns and how their presence in the market affects stock prices.”

Before joining the Haslam College of Business in 2014, Kelley spent eight years on the Eller College of Management faculty at the University of Arizona and a year at Washington State University. He earned his doctorate in finance from Texas A&M University, his master’s from Texas Tech University and his bachelor’s—double majoring in computer information systems and finance—from West Texas A&M University.

His research has been published in the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Finance and Quantitative Analysis, and the Review of Financial Studies. He also has presented at top finance conferences such as the American Finance Association and Western Finance Association annual meetings

Kelley says his career goals are to learn about the workings of financial markets through research and effectively communicate this knowledge to the world.

 “Equally important is my desire to develop my students into life-long learners themselves,” he says.  

Kelley currently advises a number of doctoral students on their dissertations and teaches undergraduates investment and portfolio management and MBA students financial management.

“My favorite thing about this college is definitely the people,” Kelley says. “And when I say the people, I mean students at all levels, my faculty colleagues and our administration alike. There’s a neat spirit of community and a joint commitment to growth and excellence. I love being a part of this group. I’ve found that many of my students genuinely want to learn and understand the concepts. Their honest curiosity encourages and inspires me.”