Feng-Shun “Leo” Bin named the PNC Distinguished Professor at UIS

Business Administration Professor Feng-Shun “Leo” Bin has been named the PNC Distinguished Professor in Banking & Finance at the University of Illinois Springfield. The endowed professorship will provide Bin significant financial support to conduct research and other scholarly activities.

“Dr. Bin brings both skill and enthusiasm to his teaching in financial management and analysis at UIS, and his research is robust, some of it first in his field,” said James Ermatinger, interim dean of the UIS College of Business and Management. “We are pleased to have him represent the academic excellence available in the College of Business and Management at UIS.”

As part of the professorship, Bin plans to further outreach activities to build close connections with local bankers and financial practitioners; gather more information helpful for the development of the UIS finance curriculum, student enrollment and employment; and obtain additional data helpful for influential research in banking and finance.

“Investment requires a return, and support demands professionalism,” said Bin. “In response to this honor, therefore, I will work hard to repay my supporting colleagues and my banking and finance community.”

Bin came from China to the United States in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Zhongshan University. In 2000, having earned a master’s degree in economics at the University of Mississippi, he completed a Ph.D. from the same university in finance with two minors, in accounting theories and quantitative methods. He joined the UIS Business Administration Department in 2001 and teaches classes on corporate financial management, investment analysis, financial institution management, and capital budgeting. He became a full professor in 2016.

Bin’s published scholarship focuses on financial analysis and international investment, especially related to risks. Some of his research is first in its field, such as investment group decision efficiency and risk-return effectiveness as simulated in the StockTrak portfolio management program and the risk-return association for U.S. gaming industry stocks.

Thanks in large part to Bin, who earned his professional Chartered Risk Analyst (CRA) certificate in 2015, the UIS College of Business and Management now has an undergraduate concentration in finance and a graduate certificate in applied finance. While at UIS, Bin has also been actively involved in serving the business community locally by building ties to China. In November 2002, he invited executive officials from China’s Agricultural Bank to Springfield. He has also arranged for Chinese bankers to meet with UIS College of Business and Management faculty and the local banking community regarding U.S. banking practices and Chinese banking reforms.

PNC Bank and the PNC Foundation have long histories of strengthening and enriching the lives of communities in which they live and work. They provide resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership. The Foundation makes it a priority to partner with local nonprofit organizations to enhance educational opportunities and promote economic growth. Their continued support of a Distinguished Professor in Banking and Finance at UIS exemplifies this commitment.