It would be an understatement to say that professor Jim Barth is accomplished.
Barth has been at Auburn since 1989, serving as the Lowder Eminent Scholar in Finance for 21 years.
"Dr. Barth is a renowned expert in financial institutions and markets," said John Jahera, head of the Department of Finance.
Since 2009, Jahera and Barth have worked together as co-editors of the "Journal of Financial Economic Policy."
Numerous committees, institutions and countries around the world regularly seek Barth out for his expertise and advice.
Barth is spending this semester in Santa Monica, Calif., at the Milken Institute, where his research focuses on domestic and global capital markets.
He will be back on campus at Auburn in the spring of 2011 to teach his "Financial Markets and Institutions" class.
"Jim is respected all around the world and brings tremendous recognition to himself and to Auburn," said Dan Gropper, associate dean of the College of Business.
Barth, who published three books in 2009, has traveled to China, India and Egypt to speak on various financial topics, according to the Milken Institute website.
He has also appeared on television programs such as ABC's "Nightline," CNN and C-SPAN.
From 2002 to 2004, he served as the international team leader for the Asian development bank project on reforming China's banking laws and regulations.
"The world is now very global," Barth said. "These days students are competing with people from China, India and other countries for jobs. It wasn't that way for me, but now that is why so much of what I do is global."
Barth said he is proud to be associated with Auburn University, even though he did not intend to end up here.
"After teaching for several years at George Washington University, I left when I was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to be chief economist of the Office of Thrift Supervision," Barth said.
He also served under President George H.W. Bush.
Barth said he began to miss the world of academia, and Auburn made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
"I came to visit and noticed how friendly everything about Auburn is--the students, my colleagues and the campus," Barth said. "No matter where you are in the world, if you run into Auburn people, you notice how proud they are of the University and how friendly they are."
Gropper said Barth keeps a team of graduate students working at full capacity. He said it is widely known that if you can work for Dr. Barth, you can handle anything.
"He is an extremely hard-working individual, and he expects the same of his students," Gropper said.
Alex Helm, 2005 Auburn graduate with a degree in finance and economics, said he has benefited tremendously because of Barth. Helm and Barth are still friends after Helm's graduation.
"I got an internship at the U.S. Treasury Department largely in part to Dr. Barth's recommendation," Helm said. Only 7 out of 12,000 applicants received a position.
Since graduation, Helm has held positions at several banks and now owns his own company, with multiple investments in insurance companies and ATMs.
"Since I've been out of school, Dr. Barth and I still talk for advice on potential investments," Helm said. "Dr. Barth helped me achieve my dreams."
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