BGSU Schmidthorst College of Business Finance Department Chair Dr. Sung Bae Appointed as Fred E. Scholl Endowed Chair in Finance and Insurance

Written by Bailey Smith, Communications Intern

Dr. Sung C. Bae, Chair and Professor in the Department of Finance in the Schmidthorst College of Business at Bowling Green State University, has been appointed as the first Fred E. Scholl Endowed Chair in Finance and Insurance.  Dr. Bae, who joined BGSU as an Assistant Professor of Finance in 1987 and holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Florida, has held the department chairmanship from 1996-2003 and 2010 until present.  As an internationally recognized scholar in the areas of international finance and risk management, Dr. Bae has published more than eighty research articles in mainstream finance journals and periodicals, and he is in the top 3% of most published finance authors.  His long history of research has resulted in many awards and recognitions, including fourteen best research paper awards from professional organizations, as well as the college’s Robert A. Patton Scholastic Achievement Award five times.  He has also previously held the Ashel G. Bryan/Huntington Bank Professorship.  Dr. Bae has consulted with a multitude of domestic and international companies and currently serves on editorial board of eight academic journals.  In addition, Dr. Bae has spearheaded the development of many programs at BGSU, including the Insurance & Risk Management, Financial Planning Concentration, CFA Concentration, and MBA Specialization in Finance programs.  

“We are pleased to appoint Dr. Bae the Fred E. Scholl Endowed Chair. He is an exceptional and well-respected scholar and leader,” commented Ray Braun ’80, Dean of the Schmidthorst College of Business.

The Fred E. Scholl Charitable Foundation provided the Schmidthorst College of Business with a gift of $1 million to establish the endowed chair of finance and insurance. The Scholl Foundation, created in 1997 after the passing of Cleveland businessman Fred E. Scholl, is a private, grant-making foundation whose primary mission is to support education and human services initiatives. It has donated substantial resources to qualified charitable organizations, the most significant of which have been college scholarships.

Bernard L. Karr ’69, Chairman of the Fred E. Scholl Charitable Foundation, stated, “Education has been one of the strongest components of the Foundation.  The Trustees of the Foundation believe this investment in quality business education will pay dividends, including enhancing the already outstanding reputation of the Schmidthorst College of Business, for many years to come.”

“I am extremely honored to be appointed as the first Fred E. Scholl Endowed Chair in Finance and Insurance,” shared Dr. Bae. “On behalf of the Department of Finance, I am very grateful to the Scholl Foundation, Spence Seaman and Bernie Karr for supporting our Finance and Insurance & Risk Management programs through this endowed professorship. Both of our programs have experienced significant growth over the past several years, and I am confident that the Fred E. Scholl Endowed Chair professorship will make a tremendous contribution to further the growth and recognition of BGSU’s Finance and Insurance programs. My deep appreciation also goes to Dean Ray Braun and Provost Joe Whitehead for selecting me as the first recipient of this endowed professorship.”