16.05.2025UZH Awards Prof. Laura T. Starks Honorary Doctorate

For her exceptional contributions to sustainable finance and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) research

At its 192nd Dies academicus celebration, the University of Zurich awarded eight honorary doctorates to distinguished individuals from various disciplines.

Among them, Prof. Laura T. Starks, an academic economist from the University of Texas, was recognized by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics for her exceptional contributions to sustainable finance and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) research.

Laura Starks is the George Kozmetsky Centennial Distinguished University Chair and a professor of finance in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Her current research focuses on investor expectations, retirement investment, institutional investors, and shareholder engagement, as well as sustainable finance issues including climate finance.

Public Lecture by Prof. Starks

The day before receiving the honorary doctorate, Prof. Starks delivered a public lecture at the University of Zurich titled "Public Sentiment Decomposition and Shareholder Actions". The full paper is available for download here (PDF, 1 MB).

Academic Collaboration with Prof. Starks

Our department is proud to have a growing academic relationship with Prof. Starks, grounded in shared research interests in sustainable finance. During a visit in fall 2024, for example, she delivered the keynote address at our first Initiative in Sustainble Finance (ISF) annual conference, focusing on ESG, institutional investors and proxy voting) and engaged in in-depth discussions with our researchers. We look forward to further strengthening this collaboration in the years to come.