Lu Zheng

Lu Zheng is a Professor of Finance at the Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, where she joined in September 2006. She previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business from 1999 to 2006, earning tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2006. She holds a PhD in Finance from Yale University and a Bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College.

Education:

• PhD in Finance, Yale University
• Bachelor’s Degree, Agnes Scott College

Her research focuses on empirical investments, particularly mutual funds, hedge funds, institutional trading, investor behavior, and behavioral finance. She explores how investor psychology, fund structures, and market dynamics influence asset prices and performance. Her work integrates rigorous empirical methods with real-world financial phenomena, often uncovering behavioral anomalies and structural inefficiencies.

Her recent publications span topics such as hedge fund inception effects, media influence on fund trading, strategy distinctiveness, and lunar phase effects on stock returns. The body of her research demonstrates a consistent focus on understanding the behavior of institutional and retail investors, the performance drivers of active management, and the impact of structural and psychological factors on financial markets.

Scientific Awards and Recognitions:

• Nominated for the Smith Breeden Award (2005 and 2006) for best paper in The Journal of Finance
• Member of Phi Beta Kappa National Society

Lu Zheng has advised numerous researchers and co-authored with prominent scholars in finance. She has received extensive media coverage in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, NPR, and The Economist. Her work has been influential in both academic and policy circles, with implications for investor protection, fund regulation, and portfolio management. She is affiliated with the Todd and Lisa Halbrook Center for Investment and Wealth Management at UCI.