Meet the Professor: Mario Negrete Assistant Professor of Economics Mario Negrete joined the W&L Economics Department in fall of 2021.

By Taylor Meeker
September 21, 2021

I pay the same attention to a groundhog, a toddler, or an emeritus professor. Knowledge comes in many shapes. Knowledge is out there and is free if you are humble enough to accept that you do not know everything or that others might know some things better than you.

Mario Negrete

Mario Nregrete, who joined W&L’s Economic Department this fall, received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) and a doctorate degree in economics from The Ohio State University. Negrete represented his state in the Mexican Mathematical Olympiad and received an Honor Mention.

Negrete’s dissertation studies the empirical limitations of the Efficient Market Hypothesis. He analyses the momentum anomaly in equities and currencies, and he works to develop covering strategies for these portfolios.

Keep reading as Negrete answers questions about his passion for teaching and offers advice on pursuing dreams.

1. What first attracted you to Washington and Lee University?

I like the collegiality of the faculty and their emphasis on high-quality teaching. The Economics Department also wants professors to be great researchers. They provide a nurturing environment for personal development that ultimately translates into great teachers.

2. What will you teach?

I will teach Introduction to Economics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, and Statistics for Macroeconomists.

3. Where do your research interests lie? What inspired you to research these subjects?

My research interests lie at the intersection of the Efficient Market Hypothesis and behavioral finance. My early findings suggest that markets price in assets efficiently in the long run but that there is ample evidence of mispricing in the short run. I work on developing testable hypotheses that measure how and when asset prices transition from the short run into the long run. I want to know what the boundary between rational and irrational behavior is, and how financial markets aggregate these conflicting behaviors.

4. Aside from teaching, what’s something that you’re passionate about? What do you do for fun?

I enjoy playing soccer, basketball, swimming and running. I like playing board games, especially The Settlers of Catan. I want to participate in a fantasy football league.

5. What is your favorite movie or book? Why?

My favorite book is “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoyevsky. He portrays the complexity and volatility of human emotions. He depicts the struggles between the moral principles that are in our minds and the actions that we take. It is a great dive into the human psyche.

6. As a student, what was the best piece of advice you were given?

Write your goals for the next year, five years, and then ten years. Print them and post them somewhere you can see them daily. Read them at least once a month. Life will tend to push you away from your dreams, so do not lose sight of the reason why you are here. You will have many failures in every stage of your life, but do not get discouraged. Take time to heal your spirit, your mind, and your body after every defeat, and then get up again and pursue your dreams!

7. Share a fun fact about yourself.

I enjoy listening and I am always learning. I pay the same attention to a groundhog, a toddler, or an emeritus professor. Knowledge comes in many shapes. Knowledge is out there and is free if you are humble enough to accept that you do not know everything or that others might know some things better than you.

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