Educating the Next Generation in Finance: Jun Duanmu ’10 MSF

Without having ever stepped foot on United States soil, Jun Duanmu ’10 MSF knew he would end up in the country for graduate school. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Zhejiang University in his native China, he was intent on moving to Arizona and pursuing a master’s degree in finance from the Eller College of Management.

“In my opinion, the U.S. has the best higher education system, so I thought coming here for a master’s degree in finance would be ideal,” says Duanmu. “I wanted to get exposed to the most cutting-edge finance knowledge and business education, so it was a no-brainer to go to the University of Arizona.”

What he didn’t expect was that he would not only improve his English and increase his business and finance acumen tremendously through the program, but also solidify his career path.

“I still remember I had a difficult time understanding the lectures in the first week or two,” says Duanmu, whose first language is Mandarin, of being an international student. “But I made a lot of friends, talked to local people, and threw myself into situations where I had to speak English.”

Duanmu, who is presently an assistant professor in the department of economics and finance at Louisiana Tech University, also threw himself into his studies and says he discovered his keen interest in finance research and teaching through the Eller program. The discovery nudged him toward pursuing yet another advanced degree.

In fact, he credits the finance knowledge and skills he gained at Eller for helping him “survive” his doctoral program at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and giving him a strong foundation for becoming a professor in the field. He cited one class in particular as giving him an edge.

“There was one class in my master’s program called, ‘Empirical Research Methods in Finance,’ where I learned a lot of coding skills and how to use a statistical analysis software called SAS,” Duanmu recalls. “It’s used by many finance researchers, and I was very grateful for the experience of learning it before I started my doctoral program.”

But it was, perhaps, the relationships he built with Eller College faculty that made the biggest impact on Duanmu.

“All the faculty in my master’s program were super friendly and knowledgeable,” he says. “They were always willing to talk in person and give valuable advice. They showed me how a good professor — a good teacher — can make a positive difference to students, and this encouraged me to be someone like them and try my best to positively impact my students, as well.”

Duanmu, who is also credentialed as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), is currently finishing out the academic year at Louisiana Tech before joining the faculty at Seattle University in fall 2020 — a decision he made to continue doing the work he loves while also being closer to family.

“I really enjoy researching and teaching — I take pride in everything I am doing and believe it is worthwhile and meaningful,” says Duanmu, who is paying forward the finance education his Eller College professors gave to him.

“In my opinion, the easiest way to success is through education,” he continues. “I want to make a contribution to civilization and educate the next generation — that is my biggest motivation.”