Two Visiting Academic Scholars Appointed in Office of Economic Analysis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2002-132

Washington, D.C., September 3, 2002 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Economic Analysis today announced the appointment of John Bizjak and Srinivasan Sankaraguruswamy as visiting academic scholars for a one-year term. Currently, Bizjak is a faculty member at Portland State University and Sankaraguruswamy is on the faculty at Georgetown University.

Bizjak, 44, joined OEA in August 2002 as a visiting academic scholar for a one-year term while on leave from Portland State University where he holds the Cameron Professorship in Finance. He received his doctorate in finance from the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in 1992. His primary areas of interest are corporate finance and corporate governance. He is also active in examining issues in law and economics. Bizjak has published articles in The American Economic Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, among others. His work has also been cited in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Business Week.

Sankaraguruswamy, 38, joined OEA in August 2002 as a visiting academic scholar for a one-year term. He is currently on leave from Georgetown University where he is an assistant professor of accounting. Sankaraguruswamy earned his Ph.D. in accounting from Purdue University in August 1996. His primary areas of interest are auditor independence, auditor change, and applying market microstructure to accounting issues. His research has been presented at national conferences and published in Auditing: A Journal of Theory and Practice.

At the Commission, the two academic scholars will provide the analytical and technical support necessary to help the Commission understand and evaluate the economic effects of its regulatory policy relating to accounting and auditing. As part of their duties, they will conduct independent research and analysis in areas concerning auditor independence, accounting standard setting process and their effect on the microstructure of equity markets.