2025 (First) Louisiana State University Finance Mardi Gras Conference

Description

The Louisiana State University E. J. Ourso College of Business is pleased to announce the First LSU Finance Mardi Gras Conference. The conference brings together distinguished finance scholars from across the country to share their groundbreaking research and expertise. Designed as an idea-sharing forum, the conference highlights the latest advances in finance, from retail trading to human capital and financial modeling. It provides a unique opportunity for researchers to network, exchange ideas, and gain new insights.
The conference is scheduled around the lively Mardi Gras season, offering attendees a chance to experience Louisiana’s most famous festival. Take advantage of this time to immerse yourself in the culture, parades, and celebrations that make Mardi Gras a unique and unforgettable experience.
Join us for an inspiring day of presentations, discussions, and a keynote address by Lauren Cohen, L.E. Simmons Professor at the Harvard Business School, all dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering collaboration in finance research.
Co-Chairs & Organizing Committee: Don Chance (LSU), Gary Sanger (LSU), and Wei-Ling Song (LSU).
Conference date: March 1, 2025.
Location: The Cook Hotel and Conference Center at LSU

Additional Information

Registration/Further information:
Colleagues from academia and industry are most welcome to attend the conference. There is no registration fee but regular participants will cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. Registration deadline is February 10, 2025 or until the capacity is reached.
For information about the conference program, registration, and travel arrangement, please visit the conference website: https://www.lsu.edu/business/finance/finance-conference.php

For more information, contact Wei-Ling Song at wsong@lsu.edu.

Conference Agenda:

Registration 8:00 - 8:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks 8:30 - 8:40 a.m.
Session 1 8:40 - 10:20 a.m.
Retail Trading
Session Chair: Gary Sanger, Louisiana State University

“An Anatomy of Retail Option Trading”
Presenter: Dmitriy Muravyev, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Discussant: Marina Niessner, Indiana University

“Difficulties in Obtaining a Representative Sample of Retail Trades from Public Data Sources”
Presenter: Rob Battalio, University of Notre Dame
Discussant: Thomas Ernst, University of Maryland

Coffee Break 10:20 - 10:40 a.m.
Session 2 10:40 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Human Capital in Finance
Session Chair: Wei-Ling Song, Louisiana State University

“Big Data and Bigger Firms: A Labor Market Channel”
Presenter: Elena Siminitzi, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Discussant: Bryan Seegmiller, Northwestern University

“The Impact of a Principles-Based Approach to Director Gender Diversity”
Presenter: Laura Field, University of Delaware
Discussant: Kathleen Kahle, University of Arizona

Luncheon and Keynote Address 12:20 - 2:00 p.m.
Lauren Cohen, Harvard Business School

Session 3 2:20 - 4:00 p.m.
Financial Modeling and Simulation
Session Chair: Don Chance, Louisiana State University

“Complexity in a Simple Environment: Monte Carlo Analysis of Factor Models”
Presenter: Kerry Back, Rice University
Discussant: Seth Pruitt, Arizona State University

“Modeling Managers as EPS Maximizers”
Presenter: Itzhak (Zahi) Ben-David, The Ohio State University
Discussant: Joshua T. White, Vanderbilt University and PCAOB