University of Chicago Master of Science in Financial Mathematics

Today's spotlight is on Ximeng Deng, who is excelling this summer as a Model Analyst Intern at OCC. She is immersed in a project focused on model calibration, alongside various tasks related to the company's models and data. Through this experience, Ximeng has gained a profound understanding of the methodologies behind the company's models and has significantly enhanced her knowledge of derivatives and risk management. Additionally, her data processing and coding skills have reached new heights. Ximeng attributes her growth to the exceptional talent and experience of her colleagues, from whom she learns daily. The team atmosphere is fantastic, characterized by friendliness and open communication. Her manager’s excellent guidance has been pivotal for her professional development. Feeling incredibly honored and happy to be part of this organization, Ximeng is inspired to perform at her best and contribute to the team’s success. This positive and collaborative environment makes her internship a truly rewarding experience. #professionaldevelopment #riskmanagement #derivatives #internship

Kicking off the week with a spotlight on Shutong Ding, who is interning at Zephyr Capital this summer as a Quantitative Researcher. She has been developing low-correlation tick-level factors based on market microstructure, including liquidity and order book imbalance, to enhance trading strategies and market efficiency. Additionally, Shutong has conducted ablation studies on fundamental neural networks to explore model expressivity and has implemented and tested over 10 state-of-the-art deep learning models for multivariate time series forecasting. Shutong appreciates the startup environment at Zephyr Capital for its flexibility in exploring interests, the value placed on everyone's opinions, the energetic atmosphere, and the supportive mentorship that encourages and guides new ideas. #deeplearning #startup #quantitativeresearch

We close out the week with a spotlight on Clair CUI, who is interning at BNP Paribas as a Summer Quantitative and Finance Associate. During her first rotation on the repo trading desk, Claire developed a keen eye for economic data and critical news, essential for informed trading decisions. This role allowed her to grasp the dynamics between traders, sales, and quants, providing a comprehensive view from both market and business perspectives. She tackled a desk project focused on data collection and analysis of treasury auction data, along with a general project involving trade pitches based on macroeconomic events. In her second rotation with the quant research credit team, Claire analyzed the implied survival probability between CDS, bonds, and loans of the same issuers. This project deepened her understanding of pricing models for risky fixed income products, further honing her analytical and quantitative skills. What Claire values most about working at BNP Paribas is the company's encouragement to engage with various desks and individuals across different roles. Everyone she has interacted with has been incredibly supportive, patiently answering all her questions. This open and collaborative environment has given her a holistic view of the business and revealed how different teams work together to achieve common goals. It has also allowed Claire to explore her true interests, ultimately leading to the opportunity to work with the quant research credit team for her second rotation, where she could further develop her skills and passion. So excited for you, Claire! #dataanalytics #quantitativeresearch #internship

Our mid-week student highlight is on Alex Popat, who is interning at Cboe Global Markets as a Derivatives Strategy Intern. Alex is dedicated to developing and researching the viability of innovative derivative products for listing on the exchange. His work includes analyzing the market microstructure of products designed to trade volatility, with a special focus on liquidity. What Alex enjoys most about his role is the positive company culture and the invaluable personal mentorship from associates in his group. Through their guidance, he is gaining deep insights into the extensive suite of derivative products, their utility, and their nuances in the world of finance. Keep up the great work, Alex! #derivatives #internship #exchange

Starting the week by highlighting William Bellinger, who is interning at DV Trading LLC as a Quantitative Risk Intern. Will has been diving into fixed income and energy markets, researching market phenomena, testing hypotheses in code, and assisting the risk team with backend projects. What he values most about this internship is the hands-on experience, having been engaged in unique projects from day one. The FinMath courses, which integrate financial concepts with programming, have prepared him exceptionally well for his daily tasks. He also appreciates DV Trading's team-oriented culture and entrepreneurial spirit, where everyone he meets is friendly and always willing to help. #quantitativerisk #quantitativefinance

Wrapping up the week with a student spotlight on Yuxuan Bai, currently interning at Monroe Capital LLC as a Summer Intern in Quantitative Analytics. Throughout his internship, Ryan has been busy constructing a portfolio index using key financial metrics, achieving significant correlation with public indices. He also implemented advanced machine learning models to identify crucial factors in predicting return and risk profiles. Additionally, Ryan developed statistical tools to enhance portfolio performance measurement and comparative analysis with public market indices. This experience has provided him with a deeper understanding of the private credit and private equity business from a quantitative perspective. Ryan loves working at Monroe because the people are genuinely nice, friendly, and always willing to help him understand the business. He appreciates the firm’s well-structured environment, rich history, and leadership in the private credit industry. Great to hear, Ryan! #machinelearning #privatecredit #internship

Today's mid-week spotlight shines on Jingwen Ru, who is currently interning as a Quantitative Trading Associate at Chicago Trading Company. She's working on an exciting project on the underlying market making desk and participating in CTC classes. Jingwen has particularly enjoyed the rotation and desk shadowing experiences outside her "home team," which have given her valuable insights into the workflows of different desks. She's also benefiting from excellent training sessions on options market making and the quant curriculum. Additionally, Jingwen is having a great time at the cool and fun networking events. We're thrilled for you, Jingwen! #marketmaking #options #internship

Starting the week with our student spotlight on Kausthub K., currently interning at CME Group as a Quantitative Researcher (Futures & Options). Kausthub is delving into the intricacies of margin calculation for portfolios with complex trading strategies and exploring how mathematical models are calibrated and utilized in the industry. He's been captivated by the real-world mechanics of derivatives trading and the detailed processes behind futures and options transactions. His project focuses on designing a framework for root cause analysis when the margin model outputs unexpected values. Kausthub is thriving in the collaborative and friendly environment of his team, with his manager and colleagues always open to discussions and clarifications. He's grateful for the opportunity to learn from and interact with various teams at CME Group. So happy that you are enjoying your experience, Kausthub!

Our spotlight today is on Joshua Weekes, who is interning at Neuberger Berman as a Quantitative Research Intern. As a member of the Fixed Income Quantitative Investments team, Josh is delving into security selection and portfolio optimization models. In his role, he is utilizing machine learning algorithms and testing new data inputs to enhance these models, as well as developing dashboards that enable portfolio managers to effectively visualize portfolio exposure and returns. Josh deeply appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with various teams within Fixed Income, providing him with exposure to a wide range of investment instruments. Moreover, he values the encouragement from his team to explore his own ideas beyond his assigned projects. Sounds like a great learning experience, Josh! #fixedincome #internship #machinelearning

We greatly value our continued partnership with Bodhi Research Group! It consistently proves to be a great experience for our students.