Lalith Samarakoon is a professor of finance and the Chair of the Department of Finance of the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Previously, he served as a professor of finance at the Bauer College of Business of the University of Houston, Alabama A&M University, and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka, where he was the Head of the Department of Accountancy and Financial Management.

Samarakoon’s primary area of research is international finance and economics, with a particular focus on emerging markets. Recipient of research grants and awards, Samarakoon has published numerous scholarly articles on asset pricing, market efficiency, the macroeconomy and stock prices, corporate finance, and financial crises including the eurozone debt crisis and the U.S. subprime crisis. His current work focuses on monetary policy and asset bubbles, international transmission of economic and financial crises, and global economic and financial policies. Samarakoon is the editor of the Journal of Emerging Financial Markets and Policy. He is a Global Business Research Fellow.

Samarakoon teaches Global Finance Issues and Policy, Global Economics, Emerging Financial Markets, International Finance, and Financial Management, and serves as the Director of China and Vietnam study-abroad programs. He has also authored four books on securities markets and received the Melcher Award for Teaching Excellence from the University of Houston.

As an International Financial Economist, Samarakoon has consulted with the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development, the Asian Development Bank, and the Japanese International Development Agency for nearly three decades in financial sector development. He has extensive business experience in financial services, particularly in investment banking, fund management, and securities industries. Most recently, he served as the Secretary-General and the Chief Economist of the National Economic Council of Sri Lanka in charge of economic, finance sector, development, and policy matters.

Samarakoon received his Ph.D. in Finance with a concentration on International Finance and Economics from the University of Houston, MBA with Finance specialization from the University of New Hampshire, and B.Sc. in Business Administration with First Class Honors from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. He is also a Fellow Chartered Accountant and a Certified Financial Analyst.

Contact: lpsamarakoon@stthomas.edu