Shahram Amini, PhD
Biography at a Glance
Shahram Amini, PhD, is an associate professor of finance at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. His research interests include corporate hierarchy, corporate investment efficiency, behavioral finance, ESG and CSR, climate finance, AI, corporate governance, capital structure, payout policies, mergers and acquisitions, IPO markets, corporate misconduct, and machine learning. His research papers have been published in various finance journals, including Management Science, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (JFQA), and the Journal of Corporate Finance (JCF).
Shahram has taught Financial Modeling, Investments, Data Bootcamp, Financial Concepts and Skills, and International Finance, for which he has received Teaching Excellence awards. See the links above for his current CV, SSRN, and Google Scholar pages.
Industry Impact
Shahram’s research helps corporate executives distinguish value-creating investments from inefficient spending, assess when stronger governance can improve investment decisions during recessions, and evaluate the benefits and financing costs of expanding into new product markets. It provides boards of directors with evidence to guide director selection, balance outside board commitments against industry expertise, and reduce missed investment opportunities. His findings also help firms assess how regional institutional capital availability affects their prospects of going public and provide bond investors and lenders with additional information for evaluating credit risk and pricing corporate debt.
Education
- PhD in Finance, Virginia Tech
- PhD in Economics, Virginia Tech
- BSc in Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology
Academic Positions Held
Associate Professor of Finance, University of Denver
Awards and Honors
- Course Release and Summer Research Grant (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
- Pamplin College of Business Teaching Excellence Award
- The Meir I. Schneller Teaching Excellence Award
- Pamplin College of Business Doctoral Summer Grant
- American Finance Association Travel Grant
Hobbies/Interests
- Traveling
- Skiing
- Cultural Events
- Outdoor Activities
- Music Festivals
- Playing and Watching Sports
- Cooking