The FINRA Investor Education Foundation Dissertation Completion Fellowship is designed to expand the pipeline of researchers pursuing dissertation research centrally concerning financial services and capital markets.
2024–2025 Fellows
Meredith Welch is a doctoral candidate in public policy at Cornell University, Brooks School of Public Policy. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Spanish from the University of Michigan. She is an applied micro-economist studying issues in labor economics, the economics of education, and consumer finance. The title of her dissertation is ”Financial Consequences of Student Loan, Delinquency, Default and Servicer Quality.” Her research focuses on three main threads: the effect of student loan debt on individuals’ labor market outcomes, financial health, and overall well-being; the interaction of higher education policy with social safety net programs; and understanding the causes and consequences of race and gender disparities in the labor market.
Courtney Wright is a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology and Human Development and a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College. Her research, she employs critical-constructivist and Black feminist methodologies to understand how race, gender, and intersectional oppression influence Black women’s financial lives and mental health. The title of her dissertation is ”Pathways to Black Women’s Financial Wellness.” Her research examines how individual, sociocultural, and structural factors influence Black women’s financial socialization process and outcomes that affect their overall financial capability.
2023–2024 Fellows
Nikki Chappell earned a Ph.D. in accounting from Florida State University College of Business. Her research focuses on the effects of financial accounting standards and regulations on institutions’ financial and regulatory reporting and operations. The title of her dissertation is, “Effect of Regulatory and Statutory Relief on CECL Adopting Banks’ Lending.” This study examines how accounting regulation can affect diverse socioeconomic and ethnic groups. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Wake Forest University. She has over 20 years’ experience in accounting, primarily with financial services companies and auditing firms. She is a CPA in North Carolina.
Arielle Hammond earned a Ph.D. in education leadership from Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. The title of her dissertation is, “Exploring Racial and Antiblack Ideologies within the National Standards for Personal Finance Education through Critical Discourse Analysis.” This research examines Afrocentrism, the centering of African perspective and interest, as a viable learning theory to address the unmet needs of African American communities. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Amherst College and her master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University.
Bhumika Muchhala earned a Ph.D. in public engagement from the New School. The title of her dissertation is, “International Financial Subordination: A Taxonomy of Structural, Epistemic, and Colonial-Historical Power.” This research examines the organization of the forces and drivers that govern and reproduce international financial subordination over time. She is a policy researcher, analyst, and advocate with 20 years of experience in global economic governance, international political economy, and sustainable development. Her focus has been on the perspectives and priorities of developing countries in international organizations as well as that of marginalized communities in developing countries. Ms. Muchhala holds a master’s degree in development economics from the London School of Economics, as well as a bachelor of arts degree in comparative literature and a bachelor of science degree in political science from Carnegie Mellon University.
Shanquela Williams earned her Ph.D. in public health and health behavior from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The title of her dissertation is, “The Influence of Economic Disadvantage on Health and Well-being of Youth Transitioning to Adulthood.” Her study explores how the well-being of young adults from economically disadvantaged households’ affects their transition and integration into society. As a 2021 Albert Schweitzer Fellow, she developed, implemented, and evaluated a financial health program for adolescent girls in foster care. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Houston.
Brian Wong earned a Ph.D. in policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. The title of his dissertation is, “The Role of Alternative Investments in Portfolios, Their Potential Use in Defined Contribution Plans, and Existing Implementation for Individual Savings Plans.” This research examines improving returns for employees’ retirement plans by increasing the choices of retirement options. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in business administration at Xavier University.
2022-2023 Fellows
Juan E. Gallardo earned a Ph.D. in personal financial planning from Kansas State University. Mr. Gallardo is a first-generation college student and an advocate for education among underrepresented populations. The title of his dissertation is, “Understanding Student Loans’ Contribution to Worry Regarding Finances.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in business administration and management from West Texas A&M University.
Pilar Prather earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and organizational development from the University of Louisville. Ms. Prather’s research focuses on financial literacy among African American college students with respect to student loan use. The title of her dissertation is, “The Phenomenon of Black Students’ Perceptions of Student Loan Debt and How Financial Knowledge Influences Decisions.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Murray State University and a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.