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Meet the Dissertation Completion Fellows

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation has selected its 2023-2024 class of Dissertation Completion Fellows. 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.

2023–2024 Fellows

Nikki Chappell is a doctoral candidate in accounting at Florida State University College of Business. 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. Ms. Chappell’s 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.

Arielle Hammond is a doctoral candidate in education leadership at Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. She is a high school principal in Oregon. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Amherst College and her master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University. 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.

Bhumika Muchhala is a doctoral candidate in public engagement at the New School. 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. 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.

Shanquela Williams is a doctoral candidate in public health and health behavior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 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. As a 2021 Albert Schweitzer Fellow, she developed, implemented, and evaluated a financial health program for adolescent girls in foster care. 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.

Brian Wong is a doctoral candidate in policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. 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. 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.

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.

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Ritta McLaughlin
Director, Investor Education Community Outreach
FINRA Investor Education Foundation

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