Interview Feature: Insights from Eric Ahn during the Seasonal Period
In the Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) program at Princeton University, senior students undertake a rigorous process to complete their thesis. Shannon Yeow, the Engineering Correspondent, recently interviewed Eric Ahn, a student who is currently working on his thesis titled "Trading Options Around Earnings Uncertainty Risks."
Ahn's interest in the topic stems from his enjoyment of ORF 335: Introduction to Financial Mathematics and a summer internship trading options at Citadel. He wanted to meld the two types of finance: regular fundamentals and quantitative analysis, in his thesis.
Choosing a topic for the senior thesis is a crucial step. Ahn narrowed his focus by taking a class, understanding his skill set, available data, and current research. He advises working ahead on senior theses and treating them like real deadlines, as he was fortunate to have set deadlines from the ORFE class.
Ahn's thesis focuses on trading options, such as calls and puts, around earnings events that occur quarterly. The process involves predicting the uncertainty in options and using it as a tool for trade.
Yeow found the interview with Ahn insightful and hopes it provides more direction or insight for other students considering the ORFE program. She is looking forward to the next article in the Seasonal Series and feels more excited for her independent work and potential senior thesis.
The ORFE senior thesis process includes finding data, selecting models, developing models, evaluating model performance, and discussing findings. Ahn's thesis is a prime example of the innovative research that can be conducted in the program, combining risk analysis with operational optimization.
For students interested in the ORFE program, topics like risk analysis in financial markets or energy grid optimization might be particularly relevant. The ORFEUS project, which uses risk science techniques to improve the reliability of energy grids, could serve as a model for research in this area.
Yeow encourages students to reflect on their interests, consult with advisors, conduct preliminary research, collect data, develop models, validate findings, and present their work clearly and concisely. With these steps in mind, students can embark on a rewarding journey of research and discovery in the ORFE program at Princeton.
- Shannon Yeow's encouraging words provide direction for students considering the ORFE program at Princeton University, suggesting they could focus on topics such as risk analysis in financial markets or energy grid optimization, like Eric Ahn did with his senior thesis titled "Trading Options Around Earnings Uncertainty Risks."
- In addition to Ahn's work, the ORFEUS project, which uses risk science techniques to improve the reliability of energy grids, showcases the kind of undergraduate research and education-and-self-development opportunities available in the ORFE program.
- To follow in Ahn's footsteps and complete a successful senior thesis, students should embark on a process that includes finding data, selecting models, developing models, evaluating model performance, and discussing findings, while also allocating time for independent work and setting deadlines for their junior paper.
