Ricky “Rick” Cooper

Ricky “Rick” Cooper is associate professor and director of the M.S. in Finance, M.S. in Financial Economics, M.S. in Economics and Data Analytics, and Ph.D. in Finance programs at Stuart School of Business. Throughout his academic career, he has taught all aspects of financial theory, investments, and corporate finance at Wayne State University, Harvard University, and Vanderbilt University.

Cooper began his professional career with State Street Global Advisors in Boston, where he quickly rose from active international portfolio manager, to co-founder of the Enhanced Index Group, to co-founder and associate director of the Advanced Research Center.

He then returned to his hometown of Chicago, where he worked as senior partner and director of analytics for Harris Investment Management. In this role, he modernized the analytic systems, and led the revamping of the models with a commensurate uptick in investment performance. Cooper also spent several years as owner and chief investment officer of his own firm.

Cooper sold his interest in his company and turned his attention to high frequency trading, where he became director of risk management for Xambala, Inc., a proprietary high frequency trading company. It was there that he developed many methodologies that formed the backbone of his early publications upon moving to Illinois Tech.

Cooper’s research has been published in the Journal of Futures Markets, the Financial Analysts Journal, the Journal of Financial Economics, The Journal of Portfolio Management, and many other highly rated journals, both financial and interdisciplinary. He has been a speaker at numerous conferences and has been quoted in both the Wall Street Journal and Crain’s Chicago Business.

Education

Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, Finance
M.B.A., Vanderbilt University, Finance
B.S., University of Chicago, Mathematics (with General Honors)

Research Interests

Portfolio Management and Analysis
Trading and Ethics
Futures Markets and Pricing

Affiliations

M.S. in Finance 
M.S. in Financial Economics 
Ph.D. in Finance 
Ph.D. in Management Science