Michael Melvin

Michael Melvin is Executive Director of the Master of Quantitative Finance program and Executive Director of the Kroner Center for Financial Research at the Rady School of Management, University of California San Diego. A leading scholar in international finance and market microstructure, he previously held professorial appointments at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, UCLA, Arizona State University and Northwestern University, and served as Managing Director and Senior Research Advisor at BlackRock.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
• Fulbright Scholar in Germany

Research Focus: Melvin’s research centers on the behavior of global currency markets, exchange-rate modeling, and the microstructure of foreign-exchange trading. His work investigates how macroeconomic forces, investor behavior, and market structure interact to shape currency returns, providing insights for portfolio managers, central banks, and institutional investors.

Across his recent publications, Melvin explores themes ranging from China’s exchange-rate policy and carry-trade unwinds to the impact of trade size on FX strategy alpha. Collectively, these studies advance understanding of currency risk, market efficiency, and the practical challenges faced by global investors.

Honors & Awards:

• Fulbright Scholar (Germany)
• Outstanding Teacher Award, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

Industry & Policy Engagement: Beyond academia, Melvin has been a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Board, the International Monetary Fund, the Bank for International Settlements, and universities in Germany, bringing rigorous research to policy and industry forums.