EMBA Faculty: Mark Castelino

Mark Castelino Guru of Finance

Professor Mark Castelino is an Associate Professor of Finance and Director of the Master in Quantitative Finance Program at Rutgers University.

His areas of interest are investments, futures and option markets, and hedging. He has published in some of the leading journals in finance, including the Journal of Portfolio Management, Journal of Financial Research, as well as, in a special millennium issue of the Journal of Futures Markets. The six articles selected were described as being at the forefront of the next stage of development in the field. Professor Castelino has also co-authored “Inside the Financial Futures Markets” with a leading authority on the subject

Professor Castelino designs and develops financial applications software which is used for consulting, as well as, in Rutgers’ domestic and international EMBA programs.

“Finance has become so technical” says Mark, “that when I read a research article it often seems to be written in a foreign language--Greek. This inspired me to use my engineering background, to create applications software as a pedagogical tool.  It is important to me for a non-mathematician to understand the core concepts of finance.” Professor Castelino’s software is highly appreciated with many of his ex-students repeatedly requesting updates.

Professor Castelino’s teaching record is outstanding.  His regular classes are generally over-subscribed. In fact, his Investment Analysis Elective has been consistently selected by the EMBAs ever since it was initially introduced over a decade ago! Mark also teaches the core Finance course (Financial Management) in the Executive MBA Program.  This course forms the “bedrock” for those students who wish to do higher-level finance courses such as Investment Analysis (also taught by Professor Castelino), Advanced Finance (taught by Professor Brick), and International Trade and Finance (taught by Professor Langdana).

Larry Kessler, CEO of Veriphone comments: “I am really grateful to  Mark,  whose astute advice on the options package I received from Hewlett Packard, when they bought out my company, paid for the all the costs of my EMBA program in Singapore,  and then some.”

Professor Castelino is a veteran of our EMBA programs in China.  He is so well thought of there that every time he visits our programs in Beijing or Shanghai, an impromptu mini-reunion of former students takes place in his honor.

Student Testimonial

“When the stock market has one of its convulsions, most of us EMBAs immediately think of our guru, Mark Castelino, and what he taught us.  He is a natural teacher with his effortless style and total mastery of the subject.  After I graduated from Rutgers EMBA, I fired my financial advisor and cancelled my two (expensive) financial newsletters.  All I need now to manage my portfolio are Professor Castelino’s notes, and the REMBA financial calculator that I really learned to use in his classes!”