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Cathy Xuying Cao, PhD, CFA — Faculty ; Professor, Department of Finance ; Department of Finance , Albers School of Business & Economics .

Professor, Department of Finance

Cathy Cao, Ph.D., CFA, is Professor of Finance and MSF Director at Seattle University, specializing in corporate finance, investments, financial derivatives, and FinTech.

Biography

Dr. Cathy Xuying Cao is a Professor of Finance. A CFA charterholder with extensive experience in academia and the investment industry, she combines scholarly excellence, academic leadership, and a strong commitment to experiential learning. Her research spans corporate finance, investments, and financial risk, with publications in leading journals including the Journal of Corporate Finance, Financial Review, and International Review of Financial Analysis. Cathy's teaching expertise includes Business Finance, Investments, Financial Derivatives, and Financial Technology (FinTech). Previously Chair of the Finance Department and holder of the Dr. Khalil Dibee Endowed Chair in Finance, Dr. Cao has served as faculty advisor to the Seattle University Redhawk Fund since 2012, mentoring students in real-world investment management. She's also served on the Investment Advisory Committee of the Seattle City Employees' Retirement System since 2016. Through her research, teaching, and leadership, she bridges academic excellence with industry practice while preparing the next generation of finance professionals.

Courses Taught

  • Investment, Options and Derivatives

Publications

Dr. Cao has also shown an interest in timely and topical scholarship, which leads to higher impact on the discipline and practice. Examples include her writings on tax policy, Corporate Social Responsibility investment, and most recently on Fintech. She published several articles in a number of influential journals such as the Journal of Corporate Finance and Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting. Dr. Cao’s work has also been featured in academic blogs, including Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets and The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Machine Lawyering Blog.