Leming Lin, Associate Professor of Finance
PhD, University of Florida
What are your interactions with the PhD Program? Ie. Teaching a specific course, Doctoral and Research Committee, etc.
I currently serve as the finance area representative on the Doctoral and Research Committee. Over the years, I have taught multiple doctoral courses, including a Finance Fundamentals course, a Banking Seminar, and currently I am leading the Doctoral Research Seminar, where students share and refine research ideas.
What is your favorite part of mentoring doctoral students?
I enjoy discussing research with doctoral students. They are at a stage where curiosity and drive come together, and each brings unique interests and perspectives to the table. It’s always exciting to hear about their ideas and watch those ideas evolve through discussion and feedback.
One of the most rewarding parts of mentoring is seeing students grow into independent researchers—learning to ask meaningful questions, develop rigorous methods, and contribute new insights to the field.
What qualities do you find in the most successful PhD students?
All of our PhD students are highly capable and intelligent, but what distinguishes the most successful ones is their work ethic and perseverance. Research is rarely a straight path—progress often comes after many setbacks—and those who stay motivated and keep pushing forward tend to thrive.
The best students are also curious, creative, and entrepreneurial in the way they approach ideas. They are willing to explore new questions, take risks, and build their own research agendas. Of course, a bit of luck and timing never hurts, but genuine interest in research is what sustains long-term success and fulfillment in an academic career.
What advice would you give prospective PhD students?
Pursuing a PhD is both challenging and deeply rewarding. It’s a long journey that requires patience, persistence, and a genuine curiosity about how the world works. Before you start, it’s important to make sure this is the career path you truly want. Doing research can be demanding, but discovering something new and contributing to knowledge is an incredible experience.
If you’ve made that decision, focus on building a strong foundation early on. Take advanced courses in economics and finance to strengthen your theoretical and quantitative skills, and seek out opportunities to gain hands-on research experience, whether through research assistantships, pre-doctoral positions, or independent projects. These experiences not only help you prepare for doctoral study but also give you a clearer sense of what excites you most about research.
What are your research interests?
My research lies at the intersection of corporate finance, banking, household finance, and housing. I am particularly interested in using micro-level data to shed light on macro-finance questions—how individual and firm behaviors collectively shape broader economic outcomes.
For instance, in my recent work, I use household- and city-level data to show that the historic transfer payments during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the housing market boom and inflation observed during this period.
I am also interested in the flow of capital across financial sectors and the impact of such flows on the real economy. In two of my papers, I study how the flow of funds between the stock market and the banking system can affect the credit supply to bank-dependent borrowers.
PhD Program at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business: The application period for Fall 2026 has begun, and the application is open. The deadline to submit Fall 2026 applications will be January 15, 2026.