Finance
Josh Fairbanks is an Associate Professor of the Practice in Finance. He serves as the Faculty Director of the MS Finance (MSF) program at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. He brings over 20 years of experience in higher education, with a focus on graduate finance instruction, applied learning, and student career outcomes.
At Owen, Dr. Fairbanks teaches courses in Econometrics I, Risk Management, and Undergraduate Finance. His teaching philosophy centers on integrating real-world applications with core financial theory and methodology, equipping students with both technical expertise and practical insights.
Before joining Owen, Dr. Fairbanks served as Faculty Director of the MS Finance program at Texas Tech University, where he led the program through significant growth and helped place graduates at prominent firms, including Jefferies, Goldman Sachs, SeaWorld, Lockheed Martin, and regional banks. He has also held faculty roles at the University of Tennessee and Ohio University.
His research explores topics in Human Capital, Business School Research Productivity, Financial Regulation, and Real Estate. His most cited publication, “School Choice Programs: The Impacts on Housing Values,” appeared in the Journal of Real Estate Literature. Recent work includes “Are We Playing the Same Research Game in Business?” (Journal of Financial Research, 2025) and “On the Use of the Daily Fama-French Risk-Free Rate” (Journal of Investment Management, 2021).
Outside of academia, he enjoys playing golf, attending kickboxing and martial arts classes, sporting clays, and spending time with his wife and four children.
LEAP Silver Badge: Technology-Enhanced Education, 2024 (UTK)
Nominated for the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, 2022 (TTU)
Assessment Innovation Grant Award, 2021 (MS Program, TTU)
Nominated for the Nancy J. Bell Graduate Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award, 2019 and 2022 (TTU)
Outstanding Student Organization Advisor of the Year, 2018 (TTU)
Texas Tech Alumni Association New Faculty Award, 2016 (TTU)
Jentz Fellowship – Graduate School of Banking Colorado, 2016
RCOB Outstanding MBA Professor, Spring 2015 (TTU)
Finance Department Teacher of the Year, 2012 – 2013 (OU)
Doctoral Student Consortium, FMA 2011
Nominated for the Helen DeVitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, 2011
B.S., Economics, University of Washington (Seattle), 2001
M.S., Economics, Texas A&M University, 2004
Ph.D., Finance, Texas Tech University, 2012
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