College of Business

Education

• Ph.D. Finance, Florida International University
• MSc Finance, Florida International University
  • Specialization: International Banking 
• MA International Business, University of Florida
  • Specialization: Emerging Markets Finance 
• BA Business Administration, University of Florida
  • Minors: French, African Studies 

Courses Taught

Explore all the ways to study Finance at EMU!

• FIN 350 - Principles of Finance
• FIN 354 - Investments
• FIN 451 - Introduction to Financial Risk Management
• FIN 457 - International Finance
• FIN 470 - Principles of Retirement Planning 
• FIN 479 - Special Topics (Quantitative Methods in Finance)
• FIN 501 - Quantitative Methods in Finance
• FIN 502 - Corporate Finance 
• FIN 540 - International Finance
• FIN 625 - Securities Analysis
• FIN 570/671 - Risk Management with Derivatives 

• FIN 499 - Independent Study 
• FIN 694 - Independent Study 
• FIN 699 - Independent Study 

Research Interests & Projects

Co-Founder of EMU's Financial Wellness and Equity Center (FWEC) 

The Financial Wellness and Equity Center (FWEC) advocates for and encourages all individuals to gain equal access to financial services and professional opportunities that can help them generate greater financial wellness and equity. FWEC studies the causes of wealth and socioeconomic disparities and aims to bridge the wealth gap that currently exists for women, underrepresented minorities, and vulnerable populations among students, faculty, staff, and local communities. 

Read more about FWEC.

Selected Publications

Rodriguez, J., Saunoris, J. The Influence of Macro-Financial Conditions on Consumer Spending Through Sentiment. Under Review. 

Jones, M., Rodriguez, J., & Stype, A. (2024). Gender and Racial Gaps in Student Shadow Debt. Journal of Student Financial Aid. Forthcoming. 

Rodriguez, J., Dandapani, K., & Lawrence, E. R. (2023). Does Board Gender Diversity Affect Firms' Risk?Studies in Economics and Finance 41(2), 389-409.

Rodriguez, J. & Lawrence, E.R. (2019). Institutional Investment Patterns in Gender Diverse Firms. Journal of Behavioral Finance 20(4) 437-450. 

Dandapani, K., Lawrence, E.R., & Rodriguez J. (2018). Determinants of Transactional Internet Banking. Journal of Financial Services Research 54(2), 243-267.

Professional Affiliations

• Ph.D. Project, Financial Management Association, Eastern Finance Association, Southern Finance Association, Midwest Finance Association

Additional Information

In the Media: 

1. (2025, January). Tariffs will probably hurt your wallet. How much remains a mystery. Fortune. https://fortune.com/article/trump-tariff-impact-on-your-wallet/

2. (2025, February). What product prices could tariffs affect? The Week. https://theweek.com/personal-finance/tariffs-product-prices-affected