Baruch MFE Student Profiles
Jacek Aviles earned his Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Economics from New York University. Since 2007, he has worked at Deutsche Bank in Front Office Solutions in Technology. His work directly helps traders on the Interest Rate Derivatives desk to price various securities and manage their risk. Jacek is very interested in trading and developing pricing models for derivative products. In his spare time he enjoys swing dancing.
I took the pre-MFE courses and found the teaching to be excellent. Since then I knew this was the program I wanted to be in.
Alejandro Canete obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Civil Engineering from Universidad Técnica Federíco Santa María,Valparaiso, Chile and a M.S. in Applied Finance from Universidad del Desarrollo in 2006 prior to coming to the Baruch MFE program. Since graduation, Alejandro has worked as a developer at IFITEC in Santiago,Chile, and more recently as the Head Quant Developer at Pan Alpha Trading in New York, NY. He has several published papers in topics such as kernel price pattern trading and generating synthetic prices of a high frequency time series using cointegration. Alejandro came to Baruch interested in extending his algorithmic trading skills to newer asset classes, and enjoys spending time with his wife, practicing martial arts, cooking and traveling.
I decided to join the Baruch’s MFE program, because about two years ago during one of my business trips to NY I took Professor Stefanica’s two-week Calculus for Financial Engineering refresher course and it was one of the best learning experiences that I have ever had. I liked the pace and the quality of the students. I loved the rigorous yet practical approach. I really appreciated the professor’s commitment and closeness to the students, and most importantly I was amazed with the depth and breadth of what I ended up learning in such a short period of time.
Andrew Chang earned his Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science and Economics (Summa Cum Laude) from Baruch College. He is currently an intern at Goldstein Capital dealing with mortgage backed securities. He has also worked at Haver Analytics performing economic research. Andrew desires a model validation role upon graduating from the MFE program. He also enjoys playing basketball, Texas holdem, tennis, running, and tetris.
I joined Baruch MFE because I knew firsthand the quality of the faculty. Professor Howard was an amazing professor for Monte Carlo Simulations; Professor Gatheral and Professor Kosygina were innovating in Financial Mathematics. The guidance that the professors of the MFE program provided me is the main reason I joined the MFE program at Baruch.
Goodwin Chen received his Bachelor of Science in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he also minored in Economics, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science. He has worked at Jump Trading where he traded S&P e-mini contracts. At HTG Capital Partners, he utilized his technical skills to analyze trading of short-term futures. He intends to pursue a career in trading at a hedge fund or proprietary firm with a focus on statistical arbitrage. In his spare time, Goodwin plays poker and remains active in weight training and tennis.
1. great value
2. Dan’s individual attention for job placement
3. classes teach more practical applications relative to other programs
Jing Chen graduated second in his class with a Bachelor’s in Economics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. While working at the Financial Laboratory at Shanghai University, he assisted in the development of financial software programs. Throughout his undergraduate career, he received numerous scholarships for scholastic excellence, exemplified by one of his publications, “3PL-based Synergy Strategy Model and Information Management System for Industry Cluster in China”. He has previously interned at CitiBank in Shanghai as a Mortgage Originator where he developed contacts with local realtors to increase residential mortgage services and maintained client relationships to retain current business and generate new loans. Jing intends to pursue a career in quantitative risk management. He enjoys playing the guitar.
Excellent career service, dedication of staff to this program, small class size, and low tuition
Alan Coman holds a M.A. in Economics from Queens University, Kingston, Canada, and a B.Math. in Applied Mathematics and Economics from the University of Waterloo, Canada where he graduated with distinction. As a Manager of Quantitative Analytics in the Market Risk Department at the Bank of Montreal in Toronto, he worked on implementation of a new credit risk system. He was also a Senior Analyst in Corporate Treasury at RBC in Toronto where he mostly worked on prepayment and econometric models. He is FRM certified by GARP, and placed in the top 3% at the Descartes Advanced Mathematics competition (2000) in Canada. His career aspirations include a quantitative role in either Fixed Income or Credit. He enjoys reading, riding bicycles, and exercising.
I applied to Baruch, as this is the only place I could imagine attending. I also met some very smart alumni and read excellent reviews of the program and its director.
Siddharth Dagar holds an MBA in Finance from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a B.S. in Electronics Engineering from the Faculty of Technology, Jamia, New Delhi, India. He currently works as a Senior Associate at J.P. Morgan Chase in Model Validation and Risk Group within QR. His role involves assessing model risk for derivatives in Equities, Credit, Rates, Commodities, FX and Structured Products form the derivatives pricing and risk management perspective. Furthermore, he works at validating and benchmarking critical models that have a high exposure and reliance. He intends to work as quantitative trader or proprietary trader within an investment bank or hedge fund. He spends his free time with his three-month-old son, Ishan.
I chose to come to Baruch MFE Program because of the strength of the program, faculty, flexible curriculum and central location in New York.
Jie Fu holds a Ph.D. in Computational Biology from the State University of New York at Albany and a B.S. in Physics from Beijing University. As a research scientist at Columbia University, she worked on her doctoral focus and has published 4 papers on image processing algorithms and computational biology. She also has been the recipient of various awards for mathematics and science from distinguished institutions, notably The Institute of Pure and Applied Math in UCLA and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her career aspirations include credit and interest rate derivatives and algorithmic trading. She enjoys rock climbing, running, and poker.
I chose the Baruch MFE program because of its tight connection with the industry and its location.
Alex Ginzburg earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Investments from Baruch College. Alex is interested in starting his career in commodities structuring or trading/sales. He is also interested in the application of probabilistic concepts in valuing exotic financial instruments and quantifying financial risk. Alex enjoys martial arts, rock climbing, wind surfing, and the guitar.
I paid attention to several criteria when picking the program – overall strength (faculty qualification, variety of offered classes, substance of practical knowledge that students receive), affordability, recognizable name in the NY area, and job placement service. Baruch MFE scored high on all of the points and ranked at the top of my list, so the choice was easy to make.
Alexandre El Hawat earned his MBA at the University of Texas at Austin and his BE in Electrical Engineering from the American University of Beirut. After school, he worked at Jadwa Investment as a Private Equity Senior Associate. He has also worked at Lehman Brothers in Investment Banking, Schlumberger as an Application Engineer, and Tradenet as a Software Engineer. Alexandre is interested in applying the knowledge he gains from the MFE program and his experience in programming to developing quantitative strategies for algorithmic trading. He has also actively traded in the financial markets since 2001, is fluent in English, Arabic, and French, and enjoys dancing and watching college sports.
I decided to go to Baruch because of its growing reputation in the industry, its updated and flexible curriculum, excellent placement statistics and top notch faculty.
Gama Le Bouder received a B.S. in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has worked as a research analyst at the largest Peruvian pension fund where he researched fixed income and equity investment opportunities and forecasted expectations and results based on microeconomic and macroeconomic drivers. His research culminated a presentation of two investments, one of which was immediately added to the portfolio. Gama also participated in the 2010 and 2011 Rotman International Trading Competition at the University of Toronto where his MIT team placed 1st overall. He plans to pursue a career in quantitative finance in either trading or research. He is fluent in French, English, and Spanish, and enjoys traveling and basketball.
The Baruch MFE program seemed like the best transition for me as I only just graduated from MIT. I believe that the overlap between professionals and academics as well as the opportunity to work full or part time while in the program would avail myself of the best opportunities. Moreover, the sense of community that I saw in the program really appealed to me. Your classmates are your teammates and your support. I did not apply to other programs.
Chi Liu earned his Master’s in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 and his BS in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2008. While at school, he worked as a Wharton School Research Assistant analyzing the politics behind speculative housing bubbles and the effects of social capital on housing prices in China. He has also published four papers on chemical processes and received multiple scholarships. Chi’s immediate career goal is to work in the hedge fund industry while longer-term he is interested in private equity in the health care sector. When not studying, Chi enjoys playing poker, swimming, and running.
I liked the Baruch MFE program because of many reasons: an awesome learning experience in the pre-MFE program, low cost, high job placement, small class, industry practitioner instructors, and NYC location. I was also strongly influenced by the program director.
Thomas Maloney double majored in Mathematics and Physics at Cornell University. Prior to joining the MFE program, he worked at Morgan Stanley, Prime Brokerage Consultant, managing the due diligence query process. Thomas aspires to work in high-frequency trading or risk management. He also enjoys bicycling and playing poker.
I decided to join the Baruch MFE Program after attending an information meeting, sitting in on classes, talking with current students and teachers, and enrolling in two Pre-MFE classes. Class size, high quality of teaching, and attention to recruitment were major reasons for me choosing Baruch over Columbia.
Noam Mendel received his B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Tel Aviv University where he focused on Signal Processing and Bioelectronics. He was awarded 2nd place in Digital Signal Processing at the Weinstein Competition. As an Air Force Procurement Manager for the Israeli government, he supervised the financial aspects of commercial contracts and military procurement cases. His career goals include portfolio and risk management at either a hedge fund or investment bank. He enjoys traveling, exercising, and dancing.
Everyone that I have talked to about this program seems to agree that Baruch genuinely cares and helps its students to be successful. The engineer in me had to verify this information though, so I looked at the employment statistics. This validated my decision to join the Baruch program.
Mitul Patel holds a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from Binghamton University – SUNY and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Engineering from Nirma Institute of Technology. Upon graduation he worked in the Equities and Foreign Exchange ECNs group at Knight Capital Group. He is currently in the Equities Electronic Trading group at Morgan Stanley. Mitul looks forward to building a career in quant trading with special interest in Foreign Exchange and Complex Options. He enjoys cooking, skiing and playing soccer.
I developed strong affection towards Baruch MFE Program while taking PRE-MFE seminars at Baruch. Impeccable quality of education, family-like teacher-student-alumni community, excellent reputation in the industry and incomparable career services offered even to the part-time students are a few of many reasons, that made Baruch MFE the first choice.
Mayur Patel holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering with a Specialization in Operations Research from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program, and for the last three years has worked at the Grant Park Futures Fund in a business development role. He is interested in Risk Management and Derivatives Trading. He enjoys soccer, college football, and travel.
I joined Baruch’s Top Tier MFE Program because of the renowned faculty, rigor and practicality of the curriculum, sense of great camaraderie between current students, exceptional placement statistics, and the great New York City location.
Drusus Pollini earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Economics from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining the MFE program, Drusus worked as an insurance claims examiner and a research assistant in a neuroscience laboratory. His career aspirations lie in commodities model development for a propriety trading desk at a leading investment bank. In his spare time he enjoys training for triathlons and playing the piano.
I had a great experience in the Pre-MFE seminars and after I was done I couldn’t imagine myself in another MFE program. The staff and faculty have been very committed. Current students have convinced me that the attention and professional support is exceptional.
Dmitry Rile obtained a M.S. Summa Cum Laude in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, and later continued with doctorate level postgraduate studies there. He has multiple publications in applied and pure mathematics. Presently, he is working in a contractor role as a Quantitative Developer for Credit Suisse, and formerly at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a similar capacity. He intends to secure a position as a quantitative analyst and eventually a quantitative trader in structured finance at an investment bank or hedge fund. In his spare time he enjoys swimming, hiking, reading mathematics and psychology, and playing chess.
The MFE Program of Bernard M. Baruch College has recently become one of the top programs in the field. I have studied thoroughly Prof. Stefanica’s book, A Primer for the Mathematics of Financial Engineering, and also attended his seminars “Advanced Calculus with Financial Engineering Applications” and “Numerical Linear Algebra for Financial Engineering” of the Pre-MFE Program, as well as the seminar “Probability Theory for Financial Applications” by Prof. Elena Kosygina. In addition, I had an opportunity to attend a lecture of the Prof. Tai-Ho Wang’s Stochastic Processes course of the MFE Program. I really like what I have seen. The students in the program are very intelligent and knowledgeable. The faculty is great and includes well-known industry professionals like Jim Gatheral.
Meshulam Ross obtained a B.S. in Mathematics and Actuarial Studies with a minor in Finance, Psychology, and Education from Touro College. He currently is in an internship at Sterling Asset Management Group. He intends to utilize his skills in a quantitative role in either Risk Management, managing investment portfolios, or creating novel financial products. His hobbies include computers, guitar, drums, and basketball.
- Excellent Professors
- Placement Rate
- Close-knit Classes
- Outstanding Curriculum
Lea Savoji earned her Master’s degree in Economics from Boston University and a Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics and Economics (with honors) from George Washington University. She has interned at the World Bank in the Financial Management Unit. Lea would like to pursue a career at an investment bank or hedge fund as a quantitative analyst. She enjoys tutoring students and reading novels of authors from around the world.
I decided to join Baruch because the program is structured in a way where I will be able to learn the fundamentals of quantitative finance via the core classes while exploring different areas of interest within the financial engineering field through the many electives offered. Moreover, the quality of the program which stems from the highly recognized faculty is undeniable. Furthermore, the Baruch MFE program emphasizes the importance of gaining work experience while in school and Baruch’s impeccable record of internship and job placement, coupled with location, are the rounding factors in my decision to join the Baruch MFE program.
Ivan Shatsilenia earned his Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Quantitative Modeling in Business (Summa Cum Laude) from Baruch College. He is interested in the application of probabilistic concepts in valuing exotic financial instruments and quantifying financial risk. Ivan also enjoys playing chess and volleyball.
1. It offers an excellent collaborative environment with small class sizes and a supportive culture.
2. Highly dedicated faculty members with years of industry experience.
3. A good mix of mathematical rigor and practicality in its approach to finance.
4. Excellent placement record.
5. Affordable tuition rate.
Shyam Sitaraman earned his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Computational Fluid Dynamics from West Virginia University and his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University. He has worked at Interactive Brokers and performed research modeling the tear duct. After completing the MFE, Shyam desires to work in quantitative research. He also enjoys playing baseball with his two boys, running, and reading books.
Baruch was the only program that I applied to. This decision was primarily driven by its outstanding and dedicated faculty. The program is intensive and it encourages a sense of team effort among its students. This was important to me because it maximizes learning within a limited time frame.
Rajan Subramanian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce & Engineering with a concentration in Finance and Economics from Drexel University. After school, Rajan worked for Hirtle Callaghan & Company as a Private Equity Research Intern in the areas of Fund of Funds, LBOs, and Distressed Debt Market. He also worked as a financial analyst for the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation in the commercial loans department. Rajan is seeking employment in either derivatives pricing or quantitative trading. He also enjoys running, weightlifting, and movies.
When I first took the Pre-MFE program at Baruch, I was really impressed at the quality of the education and the rigor of the classroom. This is exactly what I wanted. Students provided support to each other in private forums online. The quality of the program is also on par with other top programs in the nation if not better. As other students know, Dr. Stefanica has a strong commitment towards the success of the students in the program. I believe that with the Baruch MFE program, I can become successful and obtain my dream job in the field of Quantitative Finance.
Yijia Yang graduated with Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and received her Master of Science in Chemistry from Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. She has been awarded numerous academic distinctions for excellence, and she also has over ten publications mostly in her research of lanthanides.
Baruch MFE program offers solid training in quant skills with emphasis on application of math skills to financial market problems. It has a strong alumni network and connection to Wall Street.
Steven K. Yau received a A.B. in Mathematics of Harvard University, and is presently a Senior Actuarial Analyst at Towers Watson. He plans to pursue a career in algorithmic trading at a hedge fund.
Job placement, strength of academic program, fellow students, great director and cost of tuition are just a few of the driving factors of my decision to join the Baruch MFE program.
Siyu You received a Master of Science in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing. At Yahoo! Labs, Siyu worked as a senior research engineer using statistical modeling and data mining for various advertising products, and led a team in click forecasting of search advertising. He has filed three patent applications on search advertising (sponsored by Yahoo!), and has numerous publications in the Chinese Journal of Semiconductors and the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics.
He plans to utilize his rich experience in machine learning and statistics in an algorithmic trading career. In his spare time he plays soccer, poker, and video games.
Baruch is obviously a good choice to land you a job in NY. Every cent you spend on this program is worth it.
Jingyun Zhang received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Physics from Northeastern University. During his Ph.D., Jingyun focused on the statistical mechanics theory of random walk chain. He proposed novel stochastic models overcoming the flaws of well-established theory in interpreting experiments. Jingyun extended his interest and ability in scientific modeling to financial models and systematically studied financial theories. He is planning to take the CFA II test. He plans to combine his versatile background and professional training from MFE to launch a job in the financial industry. He is especially interested in a quantitative trading and investment management position. He enjoys reading and swimming.
1.Good placement record2.Affordable tuition
3.Top-notch faculty
4.Flexible curriculum
5.Perfect location
Xi Zhang received a Bachelor of Economics and Finance with a minor in Statistics from the University of Hong Kong. She has held internships at Commercial Bank of China and China International Capital Corporation Investment Banking Division where she was in the M&A team and researched the effect of valuation methods development and anti-hostile takeover methods. She was also awarded numerous scholarships for academic excellence including the HSBC Scholarship for Mainland Students (awarded to only 6 recipients University wide). She intends to pursue a career in quantitative analysis with an emphasis in risk management. In her spare time she reads, watches movies, and plays soccer.
I chose the Baruch MFE because of its small class size, personal attention, intensive curriculum and excellent faculty.
Zhechao Zhou holds a Master’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a B.A. in mathematics and physics from Bard College. While at school, Zhechao worked as a research assistant conducting literature reviews and building models to identify the impact of rebate trading on market liquidity and equity pricing. She also collaborated at the University of Notre Dame on a research project involving stochastic complex networks and individual behaviors within networks. Zhechao is seeking employment in quantitative strategy and algorithm trading. She also enjoys playing board and card games, cooking, reading books, running, weightlifting, and movies.
I choose Baruch because of its dedicated faculty, rigorous curriculum emphasizing applications, personal attention to each student, location and impressive placement record.
Sayan Banerjee graduated from the Bengal Engineering College with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering. He also holds a MBA from Baruch College. He is a member of GARP and a candidate for the CFA Level II. He has had extensive work experience in the finance industry, working previously at BHF Bank, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup. He currently is a lead business engineer at Credit Suisse.
I chose the Baruch MFE Program because of its good reputation and to be a part of the excellent community of students, teachers and alumni.
John Benedetto earned a BS in mechanical engineering from John Hopkins University, where he made the Dean’s List from 2003 to 2007. He is a member of the Pi Tau Sigma International Mechanical Engineering Society and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society. He previously worked at Bridgewater Associates as an account management associate. He is interested in risk and portfolio management.
I chose Baruch’s MFE program because of its commitment to all students, both part-time and full-time, in regards to classes and career placement. Also, its small yet highly competitive program creates a true community experience unlike any of its competition.
Bill Diomis holds a BS from New York University with majors in both Mathematics and Economics. He is a CFA Level II candidate, and prior to joining the Baruch MFE program, worked as a consultant at Burger Creations, Inc. He has been involved in many community service activities, volunteering in the Help Organization for International Students and Big Brothers Big Sisters. His interests include golf, table tennis, and motorcycling.
Studying in the Baruch MFE Program will give me a good exposure to the structured finance world. Also, the commitment of Professor Stefanica in finding job opportunities for the program’s graduates, which I have personally observed during the past couple of months, has made my choice even easier. When I met the current students I realized that the small number of students admitted each year maximizes a strong collaboration among the students in their dedicated quantlab. Also, the faculty that I have met, such as Professor Stefanica and Professor Sherman Wong, are very helpful and open. The addition of Dr. Jim Gatheral to the faculty enhanced the extensive experience of the program it has accumulated during the past 8 years and increased my interest to the program.
Yan Yan Echo holds both a MS and BS in Economics from Fudan University, completed in 2003 and 2000 respectively. After graduation, Yan Yan’s experiences include project management at Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals where she focused on risk control and compliance. She also served as an internal auditor for Ernst & Young and a credit risk analysis supervisor for the Lenovo Group. She currently holds a CFA level 1 designation. Yan Yan hopes to pursue a career in risk management or structured finance. In her spare time, she enjoys a good game of table tennis.
Baruch appeals to me for reasons besides those often-cited ones. First of all, considering the stellar faculty and low tuition, Baruch’s MFE has the highest ROI among similar programs and it is a wise investment for any student who wants to study finance. Secondly, its small class size, family-like atmosphere and active community constitute the network I need as an international student who wants to successfully switch to financial service industry. Last but not the least; I see the growth of the programs in the past several years. I am very happy to be part of your growth. I spent several days reading all Baruch-related threads on quantnet since 2006 and the more I read, the more I realize that Baruch is my best choice, rationally and emotionally.
Yassine Ghalem holds an MS in computer science from New York University Courant Institute and has a Maitrise in Physics from Universite de Versailles and a DESS in Physics/Signal Processing from Universite Paris-Est Creteil (Paris XII). His previous work experience includes several years at Merrill Lynch spent developing software for risk metrics.He currently works at Goldman Sachs implementing pricing models for futures, exotic options, and foreign exchange contracts.
I believe Baruch MFE offers a first class program, and -particularly- provides an outstanding support for its students.
Jonathan Jaffe graduated from Lafayette College with a BS in Mathematics. He is a CFA Level I candidate and worked at Fitch Ratings as an analyst in the Quantitative Financial Research Group. His efforts there include research on credit default swap trading algorithms and implied ratings models. He enjoys snowboarding and volunteering his time as a math tutor.
The quality of education is phenomenal, the close-knit community feel of the student body, the ideal location in downtown Manhattan, the director’s commitment and availability to students, and the placement rate!
Anuj Jain graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Technology degree in electrical engineering. He has completed internships at Infineon Technologies and Asea Brown Bovery prior to enrolling at Baruch. He enjoys reading, swimming, and is a mountaineering enthusiast.
I decided to join the Baruch MFE program because it offers a strong and flexible curriculum which allows you to excel in your desired field. Dedicated faculty and strong community sense were other factors that encouraged me to join this program.
Samit Jain earned a B.S in computer science from the University of Texas-Austin and a M.S. in computer science from Columbia University. After graduating from Columbia, he worked for five years in the financial industry in New York as a technologist developing high performance low latency distributed systems for trading, simulation and risk management. In his free time, he enjoys soccer, tennis, movies, and sports analysis and commentary.
I decided to enroll in Baruch because of its great location, low cost, and accessibility.
Amanda Kotler holds a Master’s of Engineering in Design and Manufacturing from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh received in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Upon completion of her MBA, she worked as an associate in Equity Research at Caris and Company before transitioning to Renaissance Technologies. She holds Series 7, 55, and 63 licenses. Amanda is interested in quantitative strategy and portfolio analytics. She enjoys ice hockey and snow boarding.
What has struck me the most about the MFE program at Baruch is the small community feel inherent in the program and the vested interest that the faculty take in their students’ success.
Alex Krause graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a B.S. in Engineering with a concentration in structural dynamics and systems engineering. He was a Harvey Mudd College Merit Scholar in 2006 and made the Dean’s List from 2008-10. In his free time he enjoys weight lifting, playing frisbee, riding bikes, and hiking.
I chose Baruch MFE over CGU and UIUC for many reasons. It’s very selective, which means that my peers will be very skilled and the classes will be fast-paced. It has excellent job placement into desired positions in wall street because of it’s superior location and excellent alumni network. Furthermore, the faculty is filled with industry practitioners and C++ is incorporated into almost every class.
Michael Lwin received an Master’s of Science in Mathematics from Hunter College. He did his undergraduate work in mathematics at University of Nevada where he was a Millennium Scholar. He enjoys surfing and chess and is interested in algorithm trading.
Having attended the info sessions conducted by Prof. Stefanica, as well as meeting with him personally, I was consistently impressed by the caliber of the MFE program at Baruch; the level of scholastic rigor and real-life preparation exemplified in their impressive placement statistics solidified my aspiration join the Baruch MFE program.
Xiaoyong Li graduated with a BS in Financial Mathematics from Shandong University in 2010. While there he published on periodic boundary value problems for second order integro-differential equations. He also focused on the application of Monte Carlo methods to risk in equity markets. His previous experiences include an intership focused on foreign exchange trading with the Bank of Communications, a leading Chinese commercial bank. Xiaoyong is interested in algorithm trading and enjoys tennis in his spare time.
Programming integrated courses, renowned and dedicated faculty, small class size, great connection between students, faculty and alumni.
Yingxue Li graduated in 2010 with a BS in Shanghai University of Finance & Economics where he was awarded numerous scholarships for his superior academic record. His experience includes an internship in the corporate banking division of the Bank of East Asia, where he focused on statistical methods. Additional work was performed in the risk group of China Construction Bank, where he performed on loan validation and distribution, and risk metrics. Yingxue also has published several papers, focusing on risk. Yingxue plans to pursue a career in quantitative analysis with a particular emphasis on fixed income and risk.
I chose the Baruch MFE without any hesitation because that the class has a small size, the curriculum is very practical, the location cannot be better, some of the faculty are very famous. I firmly believe this elite program can help me realize my dreams.
Yike Lu holds a Bachelors of Science in Physics from the California Institute of Technology. His past research has focused on particle physics and work in computation chemistry, resulting in multiple publications. He also completed an internship at Charles River Associates and has passed the CFA Level I exam. He is most interested in the fields of structured finance and exotic options trading.
I was admitted to BU, Baruch, Cornell (with scholarship), USC, and NCSU. I chose the Baruch MFE because of its best-in-field value, exceptional faculty, personal attention to each student, prime location, practical approach to teaching, and placement record.
Hildingur Mahanti graduated from Texas A&M University with a double B.S. in mathematics and computer science. He was the recipient of the Phi Theta Kappa society scholarship at Texas A&M University. He has worked at Interactive Brokers as a software developer where his responsibilities included developing software for the company’s accounting system, clearing system, SWIFT infrastructure and cutting edge exchange fee reconciliation system. He enjoys sailing, running, riding his motorcycle, and skiing.
The stellar reputation of the program, the proven success of the program’s graduates and the administration’s obsessive focus on finding their graduates a suitable job are what first attracted me to Baruch when evaluating perspective schools.
Sampad Mishra earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in telecommunication engineering from Vishveshwaraya Technological University and a Master’s of Science degree in computer and systems engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He received a research assistant scholarship award while studying at RPI. He currently works at Citigroup in the Credit Risk Technology department as an advanced technology associate.
Baruch is the only school I applied to because I believe it is the best place for part time students The flexible curriculum will help me manage my job and studies well. Its presence in the financial center of the world would help me get a lot of career opportunities. The personal attention given by Prof Dan Stefanica is what attracted me towards this program.
Avi R. Palley graduated summa cum laude from Touro College with a 4.00 G.P.A. in 2010. He received a B.S. degree, majoring in mathematics and minoring in finance. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Touro College – Lander College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Scholar Award. He passed the first two Society of Actuary examinations, and interned at MetLife as an actuary for two summers. Additionally, Avi has extensive experience with numerous programming languages and systems; he is interested in algorithmic trading, financial product development, and computer security. Avi enjoys hiking, baseball, reading, and table-tennis.
I decided to go to Baruch because of its growing reputation in the industry, smaller more personal incoming cohorts, and its strong focus on relevant coding skills (C++). The great faculty and high job-placement rates also played a significant role in the decision.
Joy Pathak holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Windsor awarded in 2009. While studying, Joy worked for both Ford and General Motors developing statistical techniques to identify sources of faulty parts and wasted materials. He then worked for Syncrude Canada conducting computational and experimental materials research, leading to several publications in the field. Joy is interested in high frequency and algorithmic trading.
The curriculum, top notch faculty,location and the active alumni network were probably some of the biggest highlights of the program for me. The Baruch program has a perfect blend of Finance, Mathematics and Programming that I wanted. The family/fraternity type attitude that Dr. Dan Stefanica has created at Baruch MFE is truly unique and having the opportunity to be a part of it is definitely amazing. Baruch was the best fit for me considering my future goals and ambitions. Complete details can be found here: http://www.quantnet.com/reasons-i-chose-baruch-mfe
David Rappaport holds a BS from Syracuse University with a major in Computer Engineering and minors in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering. He has spent the last four years as a systems engineer at the Sensis Corporation performing research and development work for NASA. He has been particularly focused on developing superior algorithms for air traffic management. He has published several papers on the topic and recevied the NASA Ames Honor Award for his efforts in 2008. He is interested in high frequency trading and statistical arbitrage.
1. NYC Location
2. Top Tier Program
3. Has an extremely dedicated director that serves as an advocate for both the program and the students. This might be the single biggest factor in my selection of Baruch.
4. Recently hired Jim Gatheral as a professor + updated curriculum
5. Access to high-frequency real-time/historical tic data via trading lab
6. Capstone project
7. Excellent employment stats
Peter Ruse received a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York in 2007, which was granted with highest honors. He also received the Harry Schwartz Scholarship for exceptional aptitude in mathematics and he currently has a publication pending in the journal Topology Proceedings. Peter is interested in high frequency trading and quantitative analysis. In his free time, he enjoys Russian literature and tennis.
I chose Baruch because of the sense of community and strong connections to industry, its convenient location and affordability.
Alexei Smirnov obtained a dual degree in Computer Science and Biology from SUNY Binghamton University and worked for two years as a developer before joining the Baruch MFE program. While at Baruch, he was a key member of the Trading team which came in third in the Rotman International Trading competition, including fist place in algorithmic trading. He is keenly interested in both algorithmic and discretionary trading, especially ways in which quantitative analysis can be used in conjunction with analysis of fundamentals in the development of trading strategies.
Baruch quickly became my top choice for graduate school after visiting the college in November and sitting in on a class and talking to the students currently enrolled in the program. It was clearly incredibly academically rigorous, and professor Stefanica was one of the most passionate professors I have met, but what impressed me most and made the MFE program stand out from other programs at other universities was the camaraderie of the students – instilled by the program’s homework groups.
Mengdi Wu holds a BA in Financial Economics and Mathematics from Gustavus Adolphus College, where she graduated Sum Cum Laude. She was the co-president of the Chinese Culture Club and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Most recently, she worked at the Financial Services Forum as an analyst and research intern. She is interested in improving existing pricing and risk management models for derivatives and synthetic products.
Baruch was my top choice among all the top MFE programs because of its location, outstanding job placement, and reasonable tuition rate. However, it was not until I started taking the refresher courses that I realized the reasons lying behind these facts. It’s the strong sense of community, the bond between students and alumni, the highly committed program director who endeavors to help every student succeed, the experienced practitioners who are also natural lecturers joining the program, and the top mathematicians dedicated in teaching that make the Baruch MFE program special.
Anuroop Yadav earned a Bachelor of Technology in computer science and engineering from Lucknow University. He is a senior-level IT consultant with four years of experience in risk management, equities, derivatives, fixed income securities, and clearing and settlement systems, having worked at Lehman Brothers and UBS. Yadav is interested in statistical arbitrage.
For a number of reasons; it is a top tier program located in the heart of the financial capital of the world, which is also convenient for me as I live in Newport, Jersey City. It has a vibrant alumni network that has nothing but praise for the program, quality of learning and the Director, Dr. Stefanica. Places equal emphasis and rigor on Finance, Mathematics and Programming. Has great placement services with active participation from the Director. The program does not differentiate between PT and FT students with regards to placements. Finally, it provides a huge cost benefit compared with similar programs in the area with the best value for the money and time invested.
William Yang earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California where he was awarded the Viterbi School of Engineering Dean’s Doctoral Fellowship. His past research experience focused on nanowire synthesis for applications in electronics. He also completed an internship at RBC Capital Markets in the Liquid Products Group. William is interested in structured finance and risk management.
I chose the Baruch MFE Program because of its community and curriculum. From my interaction with former students and faculty, I have seen how supportive and generous the culture is. Many members of the community have reached out to share their experiences and wisdom with me. I know that I will be spending the next year and a half with students and faculty who are driven, committed and share my passions. Finance is a great way to learn mathematics: The curriculum is demanding and covers many fundamental topics that will strengthen my mathematical foundation and better prepare me for a career in finance. I know I will be ready to successfully pursue whatever challenges I take on with the skill set I will have obtained after completing the program.
Xiurong Zheng earned a BS in Information and Computational Science and a MS in Computer Science and Technology from the Harbin Institute of Technology. Prior to enrolling at Baruch College, Xiurong worked at Sun Microsystems and more recently at IBM as a software engineer. His work at IBM has been focused on developing large-scale distributed file systems. Xiurong is interested in quantitative strategy development and enjoys playing badminton in his spare time.
The Baruch MFE Program is only one I applied to because it is the best fit for me. Small size class and good location provide more chances to contact professor and financial service industry. Curriculum with the balance of finance, mathematics and programming matches my educational background and career goal. More importantly, faculty dedication and family-like academic atmosphere is very unique.
Alex Kamarashki graduated summa cum laude as a Honors College Scholar from Kent State University in 2009 with a major in Finance and minors in Economics and Applied Mathematics. He received Kent State University Presidential Scholarship and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Alex spent summer of 2008 at Merrill Lynch where he assisted brokers with various duties, mainly screening for stocks and back-testing investment strategies. In joining the Baruch MFE program, he is interested in a career in proprietary trading at a bond /commodities desk in an investment bank. Alex enjoys basketball, soccer, outdoors, chess, raves.
I wanted to attend small program in a big financial center, and Baruch was one of the few options that initially came out. After visiting the school and meeting with Professor Stefanica, I realized that Baruch is the right place for me not only because of the mentioned above, but also because of the strong sense of community that is implied by the attitude and commitment of the people associated with the program.
Nicholas Chiang received his Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California Institute of Technology where he worked on various research projects during the summers of 2001-2003. Nicholas was a 2004 Intel Undergraduate Research Contest finalist. After MIT, he worked at Intel as a process engineer. In joining the Baruch MFE program, Nicholas prepares for his future career as a trader or quantitative analyst. In his free time, he enjoys weight training, trading, tennis, and basketball.
I decided to join Baruch because I felt that its faculty and student body create a more friendly academic environment that will better facilitate my transition to financial engineering. I also believe that Baruch offers the best value when compared to other programs with similar reputations.
Victor Istratov graduated magna cum laude from Boston University where he received both of his Bachelor and Master degree in Computer Science. Prior to transferring to Boston University, Victor studied for two years in Physics Department at Moscow State University. While at Boston, he interned in the Fixed Income division of State Street Global Advisors. After graduation, Victor worked as a technical consultant for SAP America in its implementation at major stock exchange. Currently a freelancer specializing in web back-end development, Victor enters the MFE program to learn knowledge and specialized skills to implement and improve quantitative models for risk management, derivatives pricing or algorithmic trading in a hedge-fund or investment bank. He enjoys photography, modern art, snowboarding, and swimming.
Baruch MFE Program combines practical and well-balanced curriculum, dedicated professors, and active alumni network. As I learned from current students, real life applications are emphasized in all classes and instruction is intensive and demanding. On the other hand, there is a great active community around the program which I am exited to be part of.
Ming (Stephen) Jin graduated with an MBA from Goizueta Business School, Emory University, GA where he was a recipient of Goizueta Scholarship. After graduation, Stephen spent two years as a Finance Manager at Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL where he analyzed and facilitated investment and organic growth in Asia Pacific markets. Since 2006, he works as Finance Manager for a NYC-based company where his duties include investment analysis and category management. Stephen received his Bachelor of Engineering in Naval Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University, China. After undergraduate study, he spent five years with Procter & Gamble, China where he eventually rose to the rank of national trade marketing manager. His career interest lies in the field of quantitative portfolio management in an investment firm.
Small class size, best-in-class academics and curriculum, stellar faculty, career service and job placement
Avinash Burra graduated from Columbia University in 2004 with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Since then, he has worked as a Robotic Research Analyst at Surgical Sciences Lab, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York where he applies mathematical models for flight path analysis of data from the da Vinci Surgical System. An author of multiple abstracts and papers published in various Surgical Technology conferences over the past three years, Avinash received his Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. Interested in algorithmic trading and various hedging strategies, Avinash hopes to gain practical knowledge from the Baruch MFE program for his future career as a quantitative analyst at a hedge fund or investment bank. He has a wide range of hobbies; among them cricket, soccer, surrealist art, cooking, playing guitar, progressive/experimental rock, music editing and production.
I attended the info session and a class before I applied to Baruch. I was very impressed by the course structure, class size and just the general feel I got from interacting with the students. The location of the school is convenient for me and of course the tuition is affordable.
Emil Gheorghiu holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from University of Craiova, Romania and a Certificate in Java Programming from NYU SCPS. As a quantitative developer at a New York-based portfolio and risk management software firm the past few years, he has involved in the development and design of custom portfolio trade, pricing and risk capturing tools. With an eye towards better risk management in volatile financial markets, Emil plans for a career in model validation and data mining to bring more transparency to pricing and valuation tools. His interests are as wide as politics, finance, math, basketball, European football, tennis, bowling are different.
Baruch provides one of the best available applied oriented MFE programs, where each individual is carefully observed and trained. I was inspired by its students’ community and their passion for advanced financial mathematics when deciding to move towards quantitative finance field.
Aliasgar Haji graduated first class with distinction from National Institute of Technology, India where he received his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering. Upon graduation, he worked as an IT Support Consultant for Goldman Sachs until June 2008. Since then, he has worked as a Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs where his duties include testing new models for risk calculation, deployment to production, daily delivery of simulated prices of OTC trades, analysis of potential exposure and other risk numbers for institutional counterparts. In joining the Baruch MFE program, Aliasgar aims to work as a quantitative risk analyst developing new models for simulation and pricing used in the calculation potential exposure, Value at Risk and other risk measures for derivative trades. An amateur photographer, he loves to walk around New York City/Jersey City to take pictures of city life. An avid reader, Aliasgar reads everything from SciFi, Satire, and Mystery. He also starts learning to play poker for the past several months.
I did not apply to any other colleges this year. I only applied to Baruch since I believe Baruch’s focus on quantitative methods in the financial industry is in line with my goal of working as a quantitative analyst.
Yoseph Feit graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology where he received both of his graduate and undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering. In joining the Baruch MFE program, Yoseph seeks to return to an investment bank as a programmer in support of the analysis of fixed income and equity derivatives, working closely with traders and quantitative analysts. In his spare time, Yos enjoys alpine skiing and weight training.
Baruch provides a better balance between math and finance course offerings when compared to competing programs run by other universities. The New York location puts it in the center of world finance activity, and reflects the global diversity of student body. The outstanding placement record and reasonable tuition result in a superior return on the educational investment
Daniel Forman holds a Bachelor degree in Physics and Economics from Swarthmore College. A recipient of National Science Foundation REU grant and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research grant, he spent the summer of 2006 at Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC where he designed and implemented laser imaging system for ultra-cold atoms. Daniel also spent the previous summer at Center for Integrated Plasma Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder working on computational simulations of multidimensional plasma structures. For the past two years, he worked on macroeconomic modeling using dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models at Macroeconomic and Monetary Studies Function, Research and Statistics Group, Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His finance interests lie in the area in portfolio or risk management as well as algorithmic trading. Daniel enjoys chess, cooking, rugby.
I was very impressed with Baruch’s sense of community and commitment to teaching. The alumni network seemed to be the most enthusiastic of all the programs, which I believe is a strong indicator of the strength and value of a program. I also felt the teaching was excellent with a great emphasis placed on giving students the necessary skills and guidance to achieve both their immediate and ultimate goals.
Iuliia Palamar graduated from Kiev National Economics University with a Bachelor degree in Finance. A first place winner of the 73rd Kiev National Economics University’s Student Science Conference, she also gained a wide range of professional experience at Prostobank Consulting where she spent two years as a financial analyst performing a great variety of tasks – from conducting market researches and making reports to talking to press and writing small articles to Ukrainian news-papers. In her free time Iuliia usually travels, reads, swims or rides a bicycle. She also enjoys theater and photography arts.
My reasons to apply to Baruch MFE program were impressive employment statistics and rigorous curriculum. Moreover, such facts about the program as personal attention to every student, deep commitment of professors, small class size and strong student and alumni community remind me of my high school, which was a perfect place for studying and personal development.
Bhavna Jhunjhunwala graduated with a Bachelor of Engineer in Electronics from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Mumbai, India. As an Event Head of Indian Society of Technical Education Student’s Chapter, she designed a software called “Bears and Bulls” as a part of the online gaming organized in the bi-annual townhall presentation, which simulates real time Stock Exchange and allows the participant to take part in online transactions. Certified as a Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), Bhavna spent four years at Tata Consultancy Services, India’s leading software solution provider and later at investment bank Bank Of America Merrill Lynch, where her duties include translating the exotic trading strategies into technological language using programming skills which were aimed to maximize profits while curtailing systematic and non-systematic risks. Her career interests are research and development of a comprehensive risk assessment model customized for the Indian capital markets. Bhavna enjoys reading, singing and traveling. A NYCares volunteer, she spent time conducting learning sessions for children, cooking and serving food in soup kitchens, delivering meals to senior citizens.
Baruch is a fast track to a high quality of learning which will aid in turning my ideas in to action and I look upon it as the strong foundation on which my career in Financial Engineering rests. A midtown New York location, and an excellent well-versed faculty, makes it an ideal place for studies in financial engineering. Apart from providing the necessary impetus in terms of knowledge and skills, graduate studies at Baruch would expose me to a rich and varied cultural environment and drive me towards excellence. Baruch’s realistic and experiential style of learning speaks more to me than the one-dimensional academics I outgrew as an undergraduate, as well as the chance to personalize a flexible study plan.
Timothy Ko graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Binghamton University with a Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics. He interned at AAFE Community Development Fund (aafecdf.org) where he developed various database solutions in Access to log clients seeking education and counseling services; to manage and track rehabilitation and maintenance costs of the organization’s affordable housing developments; and to use it for reporting and analysis purposes. He later became co-director of Crimson Kings Drum, Fife, and Bugle Corps (crimsonkings.com) where he managed weekly operations, budgeting, and event planning for the organization, a non-profit dedicated to community service and youth education in musical performance. He led the corps in rehearsals, performances, and parades for major holidays and cultural events in the NYC metro area. Tim would like to pursue a career as a quantitative analyst at a hedge fund or investment bank after his graduation from the Baruch MFE program. His interests are music, reading, rudimentary drumming, and puzzles.
Baruch’s MFE Program is my first and only choice because it offers a strong curriculum and committed faculty along with a tight and active community.
Harpal Singh holds a graduate degree in Business Computer Info Systems from Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business. He works as a software engineer at Trizetto Inc where he designs and implements business intelligence and Web base solution products for Health care business using SSAS, C# technology. Harpal plans a career as a quantitative engineer where he can use the quantitative knowledge acquired from the Baruch MFE program to build better financial models. He graduated first class with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Guru Nanak Dev Engg College, Ludhiana, India. He enjoys sailing, mountain climbing and running.
Baruch was my first choice considering the difficulty of program, class size and great resources provided by Baruch College like Subotnik Center for active trade simulation. Located in the heart of world’s financial capital makes this program great and preferred choice.
Andriy Bulava works as a High Yield performance analyst at Rogge Global Partners. He previously spent time at ING Investment Management in various roles ranging from desktop engineer to performance analyst. A recipient of National Science Foundation Scholarship, Andriy holds a Bachelor degree in Computer Science from Hunter College with a minor in Mathematics. He currently takes courses in the Baruch MFE program where he plans to study for a career in risk management in high yield at his current position upon graduation. He enjoys swimming, boxing, power lifting and definitely traveling.
MFE at Baruch College provides hands on practical experience from the first class. In addition, integrating C++ programming language with almost every course played major difference in making my decision regarding school choice.
Joe Ejzak graduated cum laude from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and concentrations in the areas of Economics, Mathematics, and Computer Science. He spent his summer of 2008 and beyond as an independent futures analyst. Joe worked with various small industrial companies to effectively hedge their commodity exposures. Joe hopes to leverage his education at Baruch to propel a career in algorithmic trading. In his free time, Joe enjoys playing basketball, weight training, and cooking.
I chose Baruch’s MFE program because it seems to embrace a sense of community among the people involved. With the support of the MFE community and the rigorous program, I am confident that my education at Baruch will prepare me for my future career.
Sanket Patel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance (Economics) with a minor in Mathematics from Florida State University. While working as a research assistant there, he authored “Index Arbitrage: A Vector Error Correction Model” – a paper investigated cointegration, mean-reverting, and auto-regressive properties of financial time series. Sanket used the results to write an algorithm to identify and exploit pricing errors between the relative levels of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P500. He also authored “Foreign Equity Capital Flows” – a simple investigation of determinants of foreign equity capital flows. The papers attempted to determine whether the flow of foreign equity capital could be justified via modern portfolio theory. This summer, Sanket will intern at Numerix – a leading provider of pricing and risk analytics tools used by many investment banks and trading desks. Taking courses in the Baruch MFE program since Spring 2009, he is very interested in genetic algorithms and machine learning with a ultimate goal of starting his own high-frequency / stat-arb hedge fund. He enjoys watching all types of sports, but particularly the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. Hobbies include reading financial literature, cooking.
Financial engineering rest on three disciplines: mathematics, computing, and finance. The Baruch MFE provides an excellent mix of all three. Given the applied and hands-on nature of the program, it prepares students for successful careers in the industry. Paired with a director as dedicated as Dr. Stefanica and active alumni community, the program offers an opportunity not found at other schools.
Kiryl Mauryshchau graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information
Science from CUNY’s Brooklyn College. The last several years he has been working as a software engineer at Nielsen’s IAG Research building massively parallel data warehouses for analytical processing of Market Research data using Oracle and ParAccel databases. After gaining knowledge in financial mathematics he plans to start a career in the niche of technology focused buy-side quantitative development and algorithmic trading. In his spare time Kiryl enjoys spending time with his family, camping, listening to music and playing chess.
Aditya Chitral graduated with a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Engineering from Nirma University where he was nominated for the best student award. He interned as research analyst at Anagram, a stock broking firm where he developed portfolio management software. Prior to Anagram, Aditya also interned at Tata Consultancy Services where he worked on code generators. He is interested in risk management and keen to learn about other areas of finance relevant to Indian market. After completing the Baruch MFE program, he plans to work as a risk analyst in investment firm. His dream is to set up an investment firm in India. Aditya spends most of his free time playing tennis and cricket. A devoted follower of Formula I racing. he is an ardent fan of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.
Bhargav Reddy graduated with a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India where he received the Merit Scholarship for academic excellence. He was also the recipient of Pratibha Scholarship from State Government. Bhargav currently works as an analyst at Bank of America where he provides support for structured products trading desk and development teams. He started his professional career with Headstrong, a financial services company where he worked with Bank of America as a client in developing a credit risk management application. After the Baruch MFE program, Bhargav would like to work in a quantitative role in investment bank or hedge fund. He likes to spend free time playing outdoor games (cricket, volleyball, tennis and football). His other pastime activities include following Formula 1, listening to music, solving puzzles and watching movies.
Bin Li holds a Bachelor of Finance from University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), China where he was honored as Excellent College Student and received several Academic Scholarships. As Vice President of Economic Union at UIBE, Bin participated in discussion about economic theories and policies in the real world. He co-authored a book of financial economics with his mentor, finishing two chapters focused on asset pricing and liquidity premium. Bin interned as an analyst at Zhongxin Securities Co. Ltd, where he built volatility estimate model and making analysis based on the model. He also interned at Bank of China as an analyst. After graduation from Baruch MFE Program, Bin plans to join an investment bank or hedge fund as a quantitative analyst. He enjoys reading, hiking, table tennis and swimming in his free time.
Carl Schmidt received a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a minor in Mathematics from Bucknell University. From freshman to junior year, Carl competed on varsity NCAA Division I Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track teams for which he was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He then spent a year after college playing professional poker. He considers himself to be a very knowledgeable student of both the mathematical, game theory side of poker as well as the human aspect of it. For the past two years, Carl has been teaching conceptual and calculus based physics at Wooster School, Connecticut. He joins the Baruch MFE program with the goal of gaining a trading support role after graduation, and then move to an algorithmic trading position. In his free time, Carl enjoys traveling with his wife, competitive running, poker, and chess.
Chuan-Yuan Huang holds an MBA from Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College and a Bachelor of Mathematics from Chung Cheng University, Taiwan. He is working on his CFA L2 exam in addition to joining the Baruch MFE program full-time. Yuan plans to work in the field of risk management or credit evaluation after the program. He enjoys playing softball, watching movies and eating out with friends.
Cristian Matei graduated from University of Bucharest, Romania with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, minor in Mathematics. He has worked at Banc of America where he worked on developing and enhancing risk and PnL management systems for equity derivatives and program trading. Prior to BoA, he spent time at Credit Suisse working on improving the indication of interest system used in NY, London and Hong Kong. Cristian also worked at Ameritrade where he architected, developed and implemented two distributed systems for account aggregation and portfolio reports and alerts. Cristian would like to work on developing new financial products and/or improving existing pricing and risk management models for derivatives, structured or synthetic products. After the MFE program, he would continue his career in a position as a desk quant or as part of a quant/product development group. Cristian enjoys outdoor activities and travel; skiing, swimming and barbecueing are his hobbies. Visiting other parts of the world and understanding other cultures are exciting experiences for him. After trading in his own account he become extremely attracted by the financial markets, and the innovation and creativity that these capital market attracted over the years, Cristian constantly reads financial newspapers and subscribes to financial web sites looking for relationships between events and market movements. Derivatives and engineering new products or cash flows using fixed income, equities and derivatives products are what he enjoys doing for a living.
Doug Reich graduated with Honors from Harvey Mudd College where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. During college he attended the US Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, and held job as webmaster for a pilots association and as the student UNIX systems administrator at school. In his senior year project, Doug led a team of five that used operations research to develop a mathematical aircraft scheduling and ticket pricing model for an air charter company’s operations. He currently works as a quantitative analyst at Ithaca Partners, a hedge fund in Connecticut where he performs back-testing, optimization, and execution of trading strategies. Doug hopes the MFE program will further his knowledge as quantitative analyst and eventually prepare him for a portfolio managing role at a hedge fund. In his free time, Doug likes to snowboard, run and ride bike.
Eugene Krel graduated summa cum laude from Baruch College with a Bachelor of Art in Mathematics/Philosophy/NYC Studies. He was an actuarial intern with the New York State Insurance Department where he reviewed life insurance and variable annuity account modifications for current products and new products as well as agent compensation on various life products. A Macaulay Honors College Scholar, Eugene is also member of Golden Key International Honors Society and Dean’s List recipient. His goal is to work in a risk management position in an investment bank or hedge fund after graduation from the Baruch Financial Engineering program. When free, he loves cycling, reading science fiction, traveling to new places and spending time with friends and family.
Fan Zou graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in Finance from Sun Yat-sen University, China where she received First-class Scholarship for Excellent Student (top 5%). She also received a scholarship from the Board of Directors at Lingnan University. Prior to her graduation, Fan spent one semester at HEC, University of Montreal, Canada as an exchange student. Fan spent time at Shenzhen Capital Group, one of China’s biggest venture capital firms, where she worked in the Asset Management Department and participated in both secondary market transactions and stock subscription process. She got introduced into Corporate Banking during her internship at Citibank where she worked in the Commercial Relationship Banking department. Fan plans to work in the area of asset management after her graduation from Baruch MFE program. In her free time, she enjoys playing classical guitar, badminton and traveling with friends and family.
Geoffrey (Ross) Hallock holds a J.D degree from Harvard Law School. He also graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor in Art in Mathematics from Dartmouth College. With more than eight years of experience as an attorney on corporate finance transactions, Ross joins the Baruch MFE program to add quantitative skills to his knowledge of legal aspects of complex financial transactions. Squash and tennis are his hobbies.
Hao He holds a PhD in Mathematics from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he was the recipient of the Math department’s Chancellor’s Fellowship Award. He also graduated with first class honors from Western Illinois University where he received his Master in Mathematics and Academic Excellence Award. During his graduate studies, Hao focused on computational financial mathematics and published a paper under the Black-Scholes framework at Western Illinois University. He also worked on solving financial modeling problems numerically with stochastic processes on large-scale linear programming at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For his undergrad study, Hao graduated first class honor from Fuzhou University, China with a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering. After his bachelor degree, he worked as a project manager for a construction company where he was responsible for organizing the construction project, preparing bid estimates, and creating the budget report. After the MFE program, Hao plans to apply analytical and quantitative skills to derivative trading or investment management. In free time, he usually reads novels, watches movies or plays with computers. Hao also enjoys traveling, playing soccer and table tennis.
Jeffrey DeSoto holds a Bachelor degree in Computer Science from Harvard University. He has been working for IPreo, a financial services software company, for the past 2 years. At IPreo, Jeffrey supports and develops municipal bond trading systems used by various major investment banks to make primary issuances. He is interested in algorithmic trading as well as modeling various financial instruments. Jeffrey plans to work for a buy side firm after graduation from the Baruch MFE program. He loves traveling; he spent a year after college working and traveling through Australia, New Zealand and Alaska. Jeffrey also enjoys Crew. He rowed Crew as an undergrad and then coached after graduation.
John Jurcevic received his Ph.D and Master’s degrees in Astrophysics from Indiana University where he is the recipient of College of Arts and Science Fellowship, Teaching Award, J. & F. Swain Fellowship. Prior to his graduate study, John graduated First-class Honours from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia with a Bachelor degree in Physics. Prior to joining Baruch, he had been an assistant professor of physics at Susquehanna University, an assistant professor of physics at Altertson College, and a post-doctoral research scientist at the Astronomy Department of University of Texas. He has also published more than a dozen papers on astrophysics. His interest in finance includes algorithmic trading, alternatives investment, and prop trading. In his spare time, he enjoys reading science fiction and fantasy novels. Cricket and rugby league are his favourite sports.
Joshua Barr graduated cum laude from the University of Arizona as a double major in physics and mathematics. He currently works for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) as a scientific programmer. Prior to this, he spent time in a similar role at the Steward Observatory. Co-author of three papers related to the development of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), Joshua also conducted a senior thesis studying quantum transport through diatomic molecules. Through the Baruch Financial Engineering program, he is seeking a challenging role in the financial industry in which he can make use of his quantitative and analytical skills. In his spare time Joshua enjoys trading options and traveling.
Jupiter F. Bautista graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of the Philippines where he received a full-tuition scholarship. For the past seven years, he has worked at Goldman Sachs as a Project Manager / Technical Lead managing a team that provides primary global support of several Java/Linux-based metric reporting applications used as risk analysis tools providing information on business trends such as trade volumes and settlements. Jupiter enrolls in the Baruch MFE program to incorporate advanced mathematical modeling concepts into his team’s global metric applications, which process large volumes of collected data, to provide sophisticated ways of performing business trend and risk analysis for management reporting and decision support. He enjoys playing tennis, visiting museums and botanical gardens, walking around the city, working out, taking salsa classes and hopes to very good at it someday.
Ka Wai Lam holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA from Stern School of Business, New York University. He has been a part of product management group at Misys Plc., a global products and solutions provider for the banking, treasury and capital markets and healthcare industries where his responsibilities include design and development of risk management functions across Misys products. Aspired to be an entrepreneur of scientific computing products, Ka Wai joins the Baruch MFE program to further his understanding of financial products. Swimming, running and playing tennis are some of his favorite activities.
Kevin Deutsch graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Art in Mathematics from Yeshiva University where he received the Academic merit scholarship, completed the honors program, won multiple awards for excellence in math. A talented writer, Kevin co-authored a play that was performed at the university arts festival. After college, he taught and tutored high school math. Kevin recently finished the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at The New School where his thesis was a collection of short stories, some of which have been published in literary journals. During graduate school, he worked as a part-time proofreader for Kaplan educational materials, especially math and science textbooks, teacher guides, practice tests. Kevin’s goal after the Financial Engineering program is to work as a quantitative analyst where he can use advanced mathematics skills. Film, reading, travel, crossword puzzles, watching/playing baseball are some of his hobbies.
Li (Mark) Su graduated from Peking University, China with a Master degree in Economics. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. A recipient of the IBM Scholarship, Mark interned as a computer support specialist at Bank of China where he provided IT operations support to the bank’s Wuhan branch. Currently, he is an assistant portfolio manager at Beijing Wintegrity Investment where he works in equity analysis and portfolio risk management. There, he combines fundamental analysis skills and investment insight with quantitative modeling skills to develop market and industry timing strategies and perform scenario analysis and stress test to enhance portfolio risk control. Prior to this, Mark worked as a financial analyst at Harvest Fund Management in equity research department where his responsibilities included producing investment analysis reports based on company investigation and development of models to forecast targeted listed companies’ financial performance. His first job was assistant to Company Secretary at China Southern Airlines where he dealt with correspondence, conducted research and coordinated the production of company annual report. His goal after the Financial Engineering program is a risk management position in an investment bank. A good Chinese food cook, Mark enjoys traveling, reading historical novels and economic reviews.
Manfung Chow holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Queens College of the City University of New York where he also second majored in Economics. Currently, he works at Markit Group Limited as a Credit Data Analyst supporting the credit derivative/syndicated loan pricing group. As Markit is the official administrator of several credit indices, Manfung’s duties range from administering the roll of credit indices to providing aid in the generation of research reports. Prior to Markit, he worked at an actuarial analytics firm as a systems analyst. Joining the Baruch MFE in the Fall, Manfung hopes to be in a position such that he can learn new things, and gain new insights on a perpetual basis. Manfung enjoys going to the gym and playing basketball in his free time. As a SAT math tutor during weekends, he loves watching students progress through hardship and hopes to do the same in his future studies at Baruch.
Mathew Mathew holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Finance and Entrepreneurship concentration from Washington University in St. Louis. He interned at the Chicago Board Options Exchange, where he saw what life was like on a trading floor. This internship sparked his interest in options and derivative pricing. Prior to CBOE, Mathew interned at Smith Barney where he assisted the sales manager and many of the financial consultants on a daily basis. He also volunteered for the Linus Foundation, a relatively new non-profit organization where he helped set up social charity events and then coordinated with local charities about the use of the money. His ideal position after the MFE program is to work as a trader at a hedge fund that specializes in derivatives. Mathew spends much of free time browsing the internet and reading news and sports articles. He enjoys watching and playing most sports, especially basketball since he is a big Chicago Bulls fan. Mathew loves to travel the world whenever possible.
Meng Zhao received both Bachelor and Master degree in Computer Science from Harbin Institute of Technology, China where she was the recipient of An Chong-Gen Scholarship and Guang Hua Scholarship. She also holds a MBA for Science and Technology from Queen’s University, Canada. Meng worked as system analyst at MCR Trading where she directed the development of corporate software and systems. Prior to MCR, she worked as project manager and senior software engineer at UTStarcom where she designed and developed software for the 3rd Generation wireless network WCDMA. Meng also developed Ethernet switch software and security software for Lenovo Network and China Computing Network and Information Security Management Center, respectively. After the Baruch MFE program, she likes to pursue a career in structured finance or risk management Her favorite hobbies include swimming, traveling, and cooking traditional Chinese food.
Naing Lynn graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with minors in Mathematics and Business Administration from the University of Bridgeport where he was a recipient of the University’s most prestigious and highest honor scholarship, Academic Excellence and Leadership Scholarship, which was awarded to a few covering full tuition, room and board. Currently, Naing works as a business analyst at JPMorgan Chase in their Equity Portfolio Trading business. Prior to joining JPMorgan, he worked as a technical analyst for UBS and prior to that at Thomson Corporation covering production support, business continuity planning, and technical infrastructure planning. In his over eight years career within the Investment Banking industry, Naing has covered and developed business knowledge in Fixed Income, Futures and Options, and Equity markets. He plans to pursue a quantitative analyst position in investment banking, working either as a market risk analyst or in fields such as security pricing and portfolio structuring. Naing spent most of his free time reading and traveling to some international destinations whenever possible.
Nataliya Saldina graduated from Ivan Franko National University Of Lviv, Ukraine – Dept of Mathematics and Mechanics. In 2007 she has received the Candidate Of Science in Physics and Mathematics. For the past four years, she has been working as a researcher and Professor assistant at Department of Differential Equations. Nataliya have published 8 reports on International conferences and 10 papers in scientific journals. She plans to work in structured finance after graduation from the Baruch Financial Engineering program. Nataliya loves traveling, playing backgammon, reading.
Peter Jay Salzman holds a PhD in Physics from the University of California at Davis where he also graduated magna cum laude with a Master degree in Physics. A recipient of multiple DOE grants and departmental research assistantships, he spent two years on a tenure track teaching numerical physics at Mercer County Community College and a high school course on Linux and robotics. Peter published several papers and books; most recently The Art of Debugging With GDB, DDD, and Eclipse (No Starch Press, 2008). He also authored Solution manual for Physics, the Nature of Things (West Publishing, 1997) while a undergrad at San Francisco State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and received the Award for Academic Excellence. Peter currently works in the IT Modeling Group for Fitch Ratings where he works closely with the quants and analysts on Residential Mortgage Backed Security (RMBS) products. In joining Baruch MFE program, he would like to learn new ways of applying mathematical methods of physics and engineering to finance. Peter likes to relax to video games, programming, puzzles, and riddles. His long list of favorite things are: sci-fi and fantasy books, collecting mathematical oddities, motorcycling, camping with biker buddies, history, politics, teaching, music, playing guitar, politics, Linux, coffee, and experiencing ethnic foods and cultures.
Prashant Patel holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Stonybrook University, State University of New York. He is a partner in Astoria Capital Management where he is in charge of customer accounts, compliance and designing high performance software to meet customer trading needs. In his previous roles, Prashant designed automated execution systems for high frequency relative arbitrage strategies targeted at Cross Border Arbitrage, Statistical Arbitrage, Risk Arbitrage, Spread Trading, ETF Basket Arbitrage. He also designed and developed algorithmic trading servers and algos as well as order management system enhancements, regulatory, clearing and commission capture systems. Prior to his role in Astoria Capital Management, Prashant worked as a consultant at Transaction Auditing Group where he designed an automated options arbitrage system reading in raw OPRA feed and SIAC feeds. He also worked as consultant at Reuters where he design ed flexible, easy to use front ends for Currency and Repo Dealing systems. Prashant worked as rapid application programmer at Instinet where he supported traders with excel spreadsheets and visual basic programs directly for the trading desk. A Series 7 Registered Representative, he is looking to join a proprietary trading desk or hedge fund trading statistical models after the Baruch Financial Engineering program. His dream is to setup his own multi-strategy hedge fund trading computation based strategies across multiple markets (both geographically and across asset classes) with a particular emphasis on emerging markets such as India. In his free time, Prashant likes reading science fiction, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Rachit Lahoti graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India with a Bachelor of Technology in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering where he was awarded Institute Merit Scholarship for three consecutive years. After graduation he started his professional career as a Software Engineer at Geometric Software Solutions Limited, leading PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) service provider to the global mechanical design, manufacturing and industrial markets. Rachit later joined Merrill Lynch, Technology Services (India) as an associate consultant in their Global Private Client Division where he worked on the development of Derivative Pricing Application that integrates with QuantLib, an open source library for modeling, trading and risk management, for the valuation of equity derivatives. He was also the member of PCOE (Private Client Order Entry) team, responsible for the development of Order Booking & Order Management system. After completion of the Baruch MFE program, he would like to join a leading financial firm where he can work in the field of Structured Finance. Rachit is a sports enthusiast of cricket, tennis, football, trekking. He also loves music, stock market and keeping himself updated with current affairs.
Roger Trimble received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the famed United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. He spent the next five years as a cavalry officer for a reconnaissance and surveillance squadron in the U.S. Army. After life in the Army, Roger works as a project manager for a semiconductor process equipment manufacturer based out of Long Island, NY. He is interested in working in a portfolio management role for a hedge fund, or similar investment house. In his free time, Roger likes to garden, home brew beer, and wrestle with his toddler.
Satyanandam Gullapudi graduated with honors from JNTU College of Engineering, India where he received a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications Engineering. With over ten years in software development, he currently works at Bloomberg as a Senior Software Engineer developing consolidated market data feed products B-Pipe and B-Pod to provide fastest feed to clients at large hedge funds and investment banks. Prior to joining Bloomberg, he worked for Lucent Technologies and Infosys-Nortel in developing telecommunications software for Voice and Data Networks. He received Runner-up Rookie of the year award from Infosys Technologies and Project of the year award from Nortel Networks. Satyanandam would like to become a quantitative strategist developing and implementing financial models. He loves reading technical and financial material, spending time with family and friends.
Shlomi Ben Shoshan graduated from the Israel Institute of Technology, Technion with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with focus on signal processing and communication. For the past two years, Shlomi has worked at Rafael Advanced defense systems, formerly known as Israel’s armament development authority. There he has worked on development of remotely controlled and autonomic weapon systems that are being used by land forces around the world. Prior to his undergraduate studies, Shlomi has been an infantry officer at Israel Defense Force, commanded 50 soldiers and been involved in active combat operations. After the Financial Engineering program, he likes to work as a quant, and to use the knowledge acquired to develop algorithmic trading methods. A big fan of all sport especially soccer, Shlomi is also a technical scuba diver. He has traveled extensively in Latin America prior to his undergrad study.
Stefan Zota holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania. Stefan placed 1st place, 3rd place and 3rd place in consecutive Student Scientific Contests for his papers titled “Measuring capacity in high speed networks”, “TCP Servers/Offloading TCP/IP”, “Learning and Inference in Bayesian Networks” respectively. He works at Goldman Sachs, designing event management reporting solution. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Stefan worked for IBM eBusiness Laboratory as an application developer in JSP/Java Bean-IBM WebSphere. Upon completion of the Baruch MFE program, Stefan plans to develop structured finance pricing and risk models at a hedge fund or investment bank. Stefan enjoys playing European football, table tennis, volleyball, bridge, and chess.
Taewoo Son graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea where he received several merit-based scholarships. He went to to earn the Graduate Diploma in Banking and Financial Services at BU Global, Boston University. Taewoo interned at Boston Analytics, Boston, MA, where he populated the knowledge database of the various segments of the U.S. financial market. He also joined in the financial analyst training program at Korean Securities Training Institute, Seoul. He plans to work as a quantitative analyst to apply financial theories to sales and trading strategies and hopefully develop a new simulation-based financial derivatives product. Taewoo enjoys listening to music and traveling around the world. In his free time, he likes to watch and play sports, especially baseball and golf.
Vladimir Toshchevikov was a third year Master in Applied Mathematics and Physics student at the Moscow Aviation Institute, Russia when he transferred to Baruch College where he graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration degree, major in Finance and minor in Mathematics. After his internship at Grunwald Capital, a boutique hedge fund, he was offered a full time job as an analyst where he is currently doing research and overseeing performance of several proprietary quantitative trading strategies. He is also intensely involved with business development in a number of financial and technology startups in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Bucharest, Moscow, and Kiev. Upon completion of the Baruch MFE program, he plans to progress further with buy-side institutions, engaging in portfolio management, quantitative research, and algorithmic trading. Vladimir is fond of exploring applied psychology and philosophy. He also enjoys listening to music, reading books, and traveling.
Weidong Huang holds a PhD in Physics from Tulane University, Louisiana where he received full scholarship and worked as a research assistant. He has two papers published in the Journal of Applied Physics. Weidong received his Bachelor of Science in Physics from Tsinghua University, China. Upon graduation, he would like to work in the area of derivatives valuations, algorithmic trading, or risk management. Weidong likes to travel and exercise in the gym in his spare time. He enjoys reading articles in history, natural science and economics.