Faculty Spotlight: Jedrzej Bialkowski – STA 375H

Written by Megan Tran-Olmsted

After building relationships with The University of Texas during his first visit in 2012, visiting professor Jedrzej Bialkowski was invited by the Department of Finance to teach and conduct research at UT for the Spring 2017 semester. With his breadth of knowledge in research areas such as microstructures and market risk management, The McCombs School of Business is lucky to have Professor Bialkowski for the semester!

Professor Bialkowski is teaching the Statistics and Modeling for Finance course (STA375H) to Business Honors Sophomores. The course serves as a hybrid between statistic skills learned in Statistics 309, market topics in Finance 357, and coding skills from MIS 301 – all courses required by BHP. The course seeks to help students utilize programs like SAS and @Risk to analyze market data and draw conclusions about financial performance. When teaching the class, Bialkowski routinely gives students real-world data from projects that he has worked on, allowing students to see the material learned in practice.

Jedrzej Bialkowski has been recruited by the world’s top universities and has been teaching for almost a decade after receiving several higher educational degrees. Professor Bialkowski was born and raised in Poland, but has received his education from universities around Europe. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, he pursued a master’s degree in mathematical finance, received his PhD in financial economics in Frankfurt, Germany and his post-doctoral degree in Paris, France.

Professor Bialkowski was then contacted by the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand for a research and teaching position within the finance department. After spending several years at the university, Bialkowski took an associate professorship at The University of Canterbury within the department of economics and finance.

When Dr. Bialkowski was choosing a career path, he briefly considered a career in financial services, but saw the benefits of academia as far greater. He says that his favorite aspect of teaching is that he can see students growing throughout the semester. Additionally, Bialkowski says that being a professor allows him to be the owner of his own time, something that he sees as invaluable.

In his free time, Professor Bialkowski enjoys traveling and has done so in several countries and across multiple continents. Though he was born in a country known for its chilly winters, Bialkowski says that he has an inkling for warm weather, and a particular weakness for the pacific island of Fiji. During class times, Bialkowski spends the last five minutes of class discussing notable places to travel within New Zealand, including famous beaches, museums, and even a bungee jumping spot that he ventured to.

If you spot him around McCombs, be sure to ask Dr. Bialkowski a couple of these questions:

  • Where are your favorite travel spots within New Zealand?
  • What are your favorite sports and classes that Gregory Gym offers?
  • Where else would you like to teach or live?

Stop by Professor Bialkowski’s office hours on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30PM – 5:30PM in CBA 3.440. He is eager to get to know students with interest in statistics, finance, and more.