Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., president of Fairfield University, has announced the establishment of the Gerald M. Levin Chair in Finance in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business. Dr. Gregory D. Koutmos of Newtown, Conn., will be the first to hold the newly named chair, which was endowed in spring 2003 as part of the $25 million gift from Charles F. and Helen Dolan, made in 2000.

In making the announcement, Father Kelley expressed his renewed gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Dolan whose landmark gift, in addition to funding faculty chairs, has brought national business leaders to campus, supported research, and helped provide the School with a beautiful facility, equipped with the latest technology. Mr. Dolan, he said, had chosen to name the chair as a meaningful way to express his friendship and admiration for Gerald Levin.

Mr. Levin is a recognized pioneer in the development and deployment of interactive media, rising to the level of chairman of Time Warner Inc. and later to chief executive officer of AOL Time Warner where he worked until his retirement in May 2002.

Dr. Norman Solomon, dean of the Dolan School of Business, noted that the Department of Finance, which Dr. Koutmos chairs, is nationally recognized for the expertise and productivity of its faculty. In a 2002 article, published by the Financial Management Association, Fairfield's finance department was ranked in the top 20 percent of financial departments worldwide.

"Dr. Koutmos is a world-renowned scholar who reflects the distinction associated with being named to this prestigious chair," said Dr. Solomon. Dr. Koutmos' appointment is for a five-year renewable term.

An authority in the field of financial markets volatility, equilibrium asset pricing models, and fixed income securities and risk hedging, Dr. Koutmos has traveled globally to study U.S., European, and emerging markets. Twice a year he travels to Vaasa, Finland, to present a seminar to post-graduate students at the Swedish School of Business and Economics Administration.

His work has been presented at national and international conferences and he has published articles in such journals as the Journal of International Money and Finance, the Financial Review, the Journal of Business Finance and Accounting and the Journal of Economics and Business. Dr. Koutmos is an associate editor for the Financial Review and the Multinational Finance Journal. He is also a founding member of the Multinational Finance Society.

Dr. Koutmos earned a bachelor's of science degree in economics and business from the Graduate School of Business and Economic Studies in his native Greece. He also holds a master's of arts degree in economics from City College of the City University of New York and a doctorate in finance from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. Prior to joining Fairfield in 1993, he was an assistant professor at Catholic University of America.

Mr. Dolan is a trustee of the university and the founder and chairman of Cablevision Systems Corporation. He and his wife, Helen, are the parents of two Fairfield graduates. Mr. and Mrs. Dolan have been loyal supporters of Fairfield University and its mission for over 20 years.

Posted On: 06-11-2003 09:06 AM

Volume: 35 Number: 323