1. Tell us about your basic background? Where did you come from, former education, former jobs.

 I came out of an Econ/Finance track at the University of Alabama. I knew very little about Illinois except that the professors at Alabama whom I’d enjoyed learning from had spoken very highly of OFOR. 

2. What was the research you performed while at OFOR?

While at OFOR I had two main research projects in my thesis and work as an RA. My thesis studied the overshooting hypothesis, or the role of interest rates in commodity prices. My work as an RA which later became a white paper for an alternatives fund was focused on microstructure in the corn spread markets.

3. Where are you currently working? What are your main responsibilities?

Currently I run a desk at a mid sized prop firm in Chicago. My job is to identify opportunities in futures markets of all kinds. I then to design, manage, and improve strategies in addition to developing other traders. 

4. How did OFOR contribute to your development as a scientist and as a person?

While I’m not sure I would be considered a scientist, OFOR is the single most impactful experience on my approach to markets. OFOR gave me a perspective on markets through an understanding of the successes and failures of past works in addition to the tools necessary to dig into the details. Specifically, OFOR gave me the skills to think beyond the “input data output answers” aspect of modeling and to always run the “sniff test”.

5 .What is one memory about OFOR you carried with you?

I am fond of many memories at OFOR, but I think what sticks out to me is the classes which focused on students developing research papers. Presentation days were always filled with lively and open discussion about what parts of the analysis went well and what didn’t pass the sniff test. There was always a sense of gaining experience via osmosis as professors and students discussed empirical work as it was being created.