The Heider College of Business sponsors the Mark J. Bertus Prize for the best paper in the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Finance. Authors of the top three articles published in the JURF will be invited to the Financial Management Association annual meeting in Atlanta to present their research. A panel of judges will choose the winner of the Mark J. Bertus Prize from these presentations. The winner will receive $1,000. Each runner-up will receive $250.
Mark Bertus was a gifted researcher and teacher who had an unmatched enthusiasm for his students and his research. He joined the faculty at Auburn University in 2002 as he was completing his PhD. Mark had a passion for teaching that was recognized by winning his college’s Department of Finance Teacher of the Year awards in 2007, 2008, and 2009 and Outstanding MBA Teacher in 2005 and 2006. His research is published, among other places, in the Journal of Futures Markets and the Journal of Banking and Finance.
Mark earned his B.B.A. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma in 1995 and his Ph.D. in finance, also from the University of Oklahoma, in 2003. Mark served on the faculty at Auburn University from 2002 to 2010, when he lost his battle with cancer. During his short career at Auburn, he left a lasting impression on his undergraduate and graduate students, as well as his colleagues at Auburn and other universities. To quote Mark’s wife Ronda, “He was a great husband, father, teacher and coach.” The Mark Bertus Prize recognizes the two investments Mark celebrated in his career: students and research.