Stanford researcher comes to the USU College of Business
A leading researcher from Stanford University has been named the first endowed chair of Utah State’s College of Business.
Jeffrey Doyle, whose work has been noted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine, has been chosen to be the George S. Eccles Chair in Capital Markets Research.
“Dr. Doyle is a leading-edge researcher who will not only continue his work here but contribute to other research under way at the College of Business,” said Doug Anderson, dean of the College of Business.
Doyle is working to further develop the university’s business research and programs. He is also conducting research related to the stock market, government regulations, investment companies, investors and how they affect one another.
“My main goal is to do research that answers real problems out there in the business world,” Doyle said. “It is related to accounting and capital markets, the stock market, and how investors interpret or try to understand accounting information in its most basic form.”
Doyle said one new government regulation he is studying is Sarbanes-Oxley, or SOX. He said this was passed by the United States Congress after the corporate scandals that occurred a few years ago. Doyle is studying how this changes companies and those who invest in them.
He is also researching how people interpret and act upon information published by investment companies.
“I am researching how investors use accounting information to predict the future. I look at accounting information to see how well it predicts the future and then help develop trading strategies,” Doyle said.
Doyle did his undergraduate studies at Utah State and said he was happy to return to the university and Cache Valley.
“I ended up right back where I started,” Doyle said. “I think Utah State has a nice combination of quality faculty that cares about the students and also the location. It’s a great place to live. Cache Valley is a great setting for a university.”
Because he is an endowed chair, Doyle’s research is being funded by a gift given to the College of Business by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.
Richard Jensen, Department Head of the School of Accountancy, said this is a prestigious honor for both Doyle and Utah State. He said the college was searching for someone with national exposure and had leading publications in the business field.
After graduating in economics from Utah State, Doyle also attended the University of Virginia where he received a master’s degree in accounting. He then graduated from the University of Michigan with a Ph.D. in business administration.
He has taught at the University of Utah and Stanford University.
With Doyle’s appointment, Jensen said the prestige and research stature of the College of Business will increase greatly.
“We are very fortunate,” Jensen said. “We are pleased to get him here and grateful to the Eccles for making this possible. We also appreciate Jeff’s loyalty to USU.”
Anderson also credited the Eccles Foundation with assisting Utah State in recruiting someone of Doyle’s caliber. He said he was appreciative of the Eccles Foundation and their continual support to the University.
“The Eccles Foundation has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to making effective investments in education the students we serve,” Anderson said.
ariek@cc.usu.edu