LEXINGTON, Ky. — Russell Jame, the Ashland Oil Professor of Finance at the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics, has been recognized as a 2026-27 University Research Professor for his groundbreaking work on how information shapes financial markets.

The distinction, announced by the UK Board of Trustees, recognizes Jame's research exploring how investment insights are created, shared and used across traditional Wall Street analysis and new technology-driven sources. His scholarly work has appeared in leading academic journals including the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies and Journal of Financial Economics, while also garnering coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and Harvard Business Review.

Jame told UKNow that the recognition reflects collaborative research and the contributions of his colleagues and co-authors. "Research is inherently collaborative, so this recognition reflects the contributions of my co-authors and colleagues as much as my own work," he said.

Since 2018, Jame has served as director of graduate studies for finance and quantitative methods, contributing to more than a dozen doctoral committees. His recent research has examined how social media-driven investing, including retail trading phenomena like the GameStop surge, influences both investor behavior and corporate decisions on investment and financing.

The one-year award of $10,000 will support conference presentations and investment in new data sources crucial for finance research. Jame said the funding will enable him to pursue novel research questions more quickly and bring projects to completion with greater efficiency.

Established by the Board of Trustees in 1976, the University Research Professors program recognizes excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK, with college leadership nominating faculty who excel at established criteria. Each year's cohort demonstrates excellence in work addressing scientific, social, cultural and economic challenges in Kentucky and beyond.

Jame's focus on behavioral finance and retail investor decision-making has grown from his long-standing interest in how individuals process financial information. He emphasized that his research contributes to Kentucky by enhancing the university's reputation while training doctoral students who will become researchers and educators extending the program's impact statewide.