The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that Jessica Wachter, the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Professor in Quantitative Finance at the Wharton School, has been appointed chief economist and director of the division of economic and risk analysis (DERA).

“For centuries, capital markets have evolved by adapting to technological innovation and the emergence of new data sources,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “It is essential that we apply rigorous economic analysis to ensure that our policymaking, enforcement decisions, and examinations are informed by the data we have available to us. Jessica Wachter is an exceptional economist who has completed wide-ranging research on issues critical to the SEC’s mission. The Commission and the capital markets will benefit from her extensive experience and stellar track record in the field of financial economics.”

“I am honored to be joining the SEC and the dedicated experts within DERA,” said Dr. Wachter. “Sound economic and statistical analysis is critical to the SEC’s mission, and I greatly look forward to working with the team to inform decision-making at the agency.”

Jessica Wachter is one of the leading academic researchers in financial markets. She is a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research. Before coming to Wharton in 2003, she taught at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Her research focuses on behavioral finance, capital markets, and financial crises. She has served on the boards of the American Finance Association and the Western Finance Association and as associate editor of the academic publications Review of Financial Studies and Journal of Economic Theory.