James H. McCann
Gabelli School of Business
Fordham University
“Professor McCann is the only teacher that I have kept up with from my time as an undergraduate student at Fordham. And that’s because he cares, and he spends a ton of time outside of the classroom cultivating relationships with students and going the extra mile to ensure we have the best chance of success in our life and careers. He’s the one I hear from over email when one of his students is looking to learn more about my job at a multi-family office. He’s the one I reach out to if I need help myself. He’s the one to take the time and grab dinner to talk about my career or what’s going on with my life.
When I heard that he was the recipient of last year’s Cura Personalis award, I was not surprised at all. Cara Personalis is Latin for “care for the whole person”, and it is essential to any Jesuit institution. Professor McCann did not just care about us because we got a good grade or participated during a lecture; he cared about us because he saw potential in us and wanted to ensure we were given the support we needed to reach our potential. Not a lot of professors do that, because it’s hard and takes a lot of time. But he did.” – Sean Sullivan
James H. McCann is a Senior Lecturer of Finance and Business Economics at the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University. He has taught since 1999, with a specific focus on undergraduate instruction since 2010.
He earned an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BA in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh.
McCann has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, working at State Street Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs, focusing on performance measurement and risk analytics for institutional pensions and not-for-profit organizations. He brings that valuable financial industry experience into classroom lectures, making classroom conversations stimulating and engaging.
He has won numerous awards, including the 2015 Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence and the International Awareness Award. Graduating seniors voted to confer Professor McCann the Cura Personalis award in 2018 and 2024. Cura Personalis is a principle of Jesuit education that emphasizes “care of the whole person”. This distinctive award, voted on by students, makes it even more special.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 1999
Education: MPA, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; BA in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Finance, Business Economics
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… I never anticipated a career in teaching. At JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, I educated incoming professionals on pension funding concepts and asset allocation strategies. As a former Trustee of the Pennsylvania Public School Employee Retirement System, I became knowledgeable in pension law and regulation, as well as in asset allocation strategies. I found myself educating clients on investment performance, risk analysis and the importance of asset allocation strategies. That opportunity sparked an interest in and eventually led to a love of teaching. I had my first teaching opportunity in pension management and investment strategy, instructing a graduate-level finance class at the Gabelli School.
What are you currently researching, and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? As a teaching faculty member, I do not have the responsibility to conduct research. However, I have worked with numerous students on their senior thesis projects, providing the framework and foundation for the Consulting Cup Challenge, a semester-long assignment. Those projects provided insight into a myriad of complex topics, such as Capital Structure Implications of Options Implied Volatility, Examining Connections Between Regional Economic Factors and Mortgage-Facilitated Homeownership Investment, and The Sustainability of Pension Funds in an Aging World.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be… a golf course landscape designer.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I strive to encourage collaboration between students and professors by being open, caring, approachable, and supportive. I connect with students and assist in their academic and career pursuits. Gabelli students make up a diverse body with varied degree goals and experiences. I try to engage all students, not just those pursuing careers in finance. For sophomore/junior-level classes, I include market-essential skills, data analytics, and strategic decision-making, and I use case studies to develop strategic finance decision-making skills further.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Rewarding
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: Finance is a dynamic, constantly evolving field, so I persistently research relevant information and events critical to my classroom success, in an effort to customize and reinvent my instructional design while respecting the manifest diversity of a business school classroom.
Professor I most admire and why: I follow and admire Dr. Aswath Damodaran, from the Stern School of Business, New York University. His books and videos on valuation, corporate finance, and investment management offer insights from a practitioner perspective. He makes complex theories easy to understand and uses comprehensive data that I use for valuation in my Investments and Security Analysis class.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? I enjoy teaching students who become passionately engaged in business cases, work in teams to arrive at a collective solution, and articulate their deliberation process to reach a particular decision. Having a student say thank you for a great lecture is fulfilling. I enjoy facilitating enthusiastic interaction on topics when students openly admit they had no interest before the class. I am proud and gratified when a student shares that lessons learned in my class helped them articulate financial concepts during an internship interview. I derive great satisfaction knowing students have taken their experiences from my classes to secure positions at banking or investment firms post-graduation.
What is most challenging? Teaching requires constant fine-tuning and a deep understanding of a student’s current knowledge base and future knowledge goals. It can be not easy to quickly assess how much students know when they enter your class. I need to balance covering basic financial concepts while introducing advanced material to a widely diverse student body, keeping students not majoring in finance engaged, and covering the required material for finance majors in an engaging, interactive way, so all can benefit from my class.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: resilient
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: apathetic
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… .fair and understanding with grades.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? Gardening, cycling, exercise
How will you spend your summer? Exploring national parks, spending time at the beach, or experiencing diverse cultures through international travel
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Favorite book(s): I have always enjoyed economic world history and lessons learned by applying mankind’s experiences. One of my favorite readings is Ray Dalio’s, A New World Order. I am currently reading Phil Graham’s book The Triumph of Economic Freedom: Debunking the Seven Great Myths of American Capitalism.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show, and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? A recent favorite movie is A Complete Unknown. In the film, Bob Dylan experiments with electric guitar and rock instruments—a controversial direction for the folk scene at the time —risking defection from his fan base. The contemptuous reaction from his lifelong fans did not deter Dylan from experimentation with the new electric guitar. Dylan was willing to risk his life’s work and change, becoming adaptable to advance and progress the music industry, similar to teaching and the impact and adaptation of AI to meet our students’ growth.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I enjoy a variety of music genres, including soft rock and folk rock, from artists like. Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Their music takes me back to a slower, more relaxing time.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… Continuously, build a curriculum to compete in this rapidly changing job market. Emphasizing practical application is critical in developing future leaders. It is essential to emphasize student differences and work to identify each student’s unique and natural aptitudes, developing and nurturing them to help them grow and prepare for the job market and life.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… Evaluate students as Cura Personalis potential employees based on the whole person: capabilities and ability to perform the duties of the job.
I’m grateful for… my family, friends, and colleagues. Their support and sacrifice are critical components of my success—cooperation, feedback, respect, and acceptance from students. I consider myself a crucial element in the growth and development of future business leaders, and I am externally grateful for that responsibility.
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