Cynthia Yin explores climate finance and asset pricing
Cynthia Yin | Assistant Professor | Dyson School
Meet Cynthia Yin, one of our newest faculty members to join the Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business. She holds a Ph.D. in Finance from The Ohio State University, an M.S. in Financial Engineering from New York University, and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Nankai University.
Yin brings her research expertise focusing on asset pricing, particularly how it relates to corporate policies, climate finance and ESG to the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics.
What is a business accomplishment that is important to you, your work, or the world at large?
“In my job market paper, I show that real-world production frictions significantly constrain the effectiveness of sustainable investment strategies in driving firms toward more environmentally or socially responsible behavior,” Yin says. “This insight is important because it shifts the focus from purely financial incentives to the operational realities firms face when adapting to climate goals. My work underscores the critical role of technological innovation in overcoming these frictions, highlighting that meaningful progress on climate change requires both financial pressure and real advancements in production capabilities.”
What is a current issue in business or business education that you are interested in, and why is it important to you and your work?
“One pressing issue in business today is climate change and its far-reaching economic implications,” Yin says. “I am deeply interested in how financial markets interact with the challenges of climate change, particularly in shaping corporate behavior and influencing asset prices. My research uses both theoretical and empirical approaches to examine how firms and investors adapt to climate-related risks and opportunities. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for designing more effective sustainability strategies and informing policy and investment decisions in a transitioning global economy.”