Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business has named Brandon Lockhart as the acting chair of its Department of Finance.
Since joining Clemson in 2013, Lockhart has held multiple leadership roles within the department. He has also been a Wells Fargo Faculty Scholar since 2016 and earned his full professorship in 2023. His research focuses on corporate finance topics on debt contracting, corporate tax policy, and investment policy has been published in journals such as the Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Contemporary Accounting Research and Review of Accounting Studies.
Over the years, Lockhart received several awards for both teaching and research excellence. Among these include the Powers College of Business Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award (2022), Graduate Teaching Excellence Award (2019) and MBA Professor of the Year (2018). He also received the Department of Finance Research Award in 2017.
“Brandon is a collaborative leader and scholar and a deeply engaged member of our community,” said Wendy York, dean of the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. “He brings a strategic vision to the Department of Finance that will serve our students, faculty and stakeholders well.”
Before joining Clemson, Lockhart earned his Ph.D. in finance from the University of Florida in 2009. He then served as a faculty member at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 2009 to 2013.
As department chair, Lockhart is excited to step into this new role. “Finance at Clemson is in a great spot. We have outstanding students, staff, faculty, and an administration that recognizes our strengths and opportunities. However, we also have alumni and parents who have demonstrated the “All-In” spirit by helping us chart our path forward. I’m excited about the new initiatives we are developing that will elevate the experiences and outcomes for our students, faculty and staff.”
The College also extends its sincere appreciation to Angela Morgan for her dedicated leadership as chair of the Department of Finance over the past 10 years. Under her guidance, the department has become one of the largest at the University, experiencing a 171% increase in student enrollment since 2015.
About the Department of Finance
The Department of Finance at Clemson offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in financial management. Students specialize in one of four emphasis areas: corporate finance, financial services, financial planning, or real estate. Employment opportunities include positions at major banks, brokerage houses, corporate headquarters and real estate development firms.
Students in the department have access to the finance trading room and specialized trading resources and software such as the Bloomberg machine. Opportunities for students are extensive, with highlights including simulated investing through Wall Street South, financial modeling workshops, CFP exam preparation, and scholarships for the Level I Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Exam. Past Creative Inquiry classes have explored topics such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in real estate, the CFA Global Research Challenge and Bloomberg Certification.
