Academic Research

Scholarly research, published in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, keeps faculty members on the leading edge of their academic disciplines, which benefits students and advances the body of knowledge, practice, and policy in various fields.

The work of MU finance professors Steve Ferris and Sterling Yan was reported in national media last year. According to their research, regulations passed by the Securitiesand Exchange Commission with a goal of improving mutual fund governancemay not be as effective as intended.

“Faculty members who engage in cutting-edge research add to the body of knowledge related to a specific subject. In addition, I believe their research adds to their effectiveness in the classroom by keeping them up-to-date on key issuesand trends in their field,” Ferris says. “Through their research, they contribute to what is being taught in classrooms and what is being written in textbooks around the world.”

Fundamentally, research is integral to the mission of a major university such as MU. A major trend in recent years, at least in the MU College of Business, is that more and more research is focused on topics that are very relevant to business practices or public policy.

The research activities of the college’s facultyimprove the quality of education the college provides to its students and often has a positive impact in the business community.In addition, an active research agenda helps the college attract and retain top-caliber faculty members and doctoral students who are interested in examiningand answering interesting, significant questions in their disciplines.

Last Edited: 3/10/2008