West Palm Beach, Fla. (April 8, 2024) — Dr. Ariel Viale, Professor of Finance at the Marshall E. Rinker School of Business at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Vietnam for the 2024-2025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Dr. Viale is the first faculty member at PBA to receive a Fulbright award representing the university. He is one of 400 awardees under the U.S. Scholar Program for 2024-2025. Dr. Viale, who will conduct his research, has been an integral part of the faculty at PBA for the past decade, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from his previous academic roles.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Fulbright Scholar Program Award,” said Dr. Viale. “This recognition is a reflection of the nurturing academic environment and the collaborative spirit of excellence at PBA. I am grateful to be part of a community that values and fosters such opportunities for growth and exchange.”
Dr. Viale’s project is centered on the field assessment, collection, and construction of a comprehensive database of patents granted and cited in East Asia, aims to bridge a gap in the climate finance and technological innovation literatures. By combining this patent database with stock market data, the project seeks to quantify the effects of climate policy risk and Knightian uncertainty on the private economic value of technological progress or innovation as perceived by investors in East Asia. He will also teach a Ph.D. or master’s level class in Asset Pricing at his host institution.
“Dr. Viale’s remarkable achievement as the first Palm Beach Atlantic University faculty member to be honored with a Fulbright Award while serving our institution is a testament to the caliber of excellence we foster here at PBA,” said President Dr. Debra A. Schwinn. “His academic and cultural exchange as part of this program will further enrich our university’s commitment to global impact. Following our prestigious AACSB accreditation last year, this accolade underscores PBA’s momentum in advancing in academic distinction and influence. We are exceedingly proud of Dr. Viale’s contributions and are confident that his work will continue to elevate our university.”
PBA, based in Florida, is a private Christian University serving more than 3,800 students annually and offers over 100 programs and pathways, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. PBA students are supported by a team of 355 part-time and full-time faculty, of which 82 percent hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Furthermore, PBA students have been recognized for their academic excellence with thirteen Fulbright awards, receiving these prestigious selections between 2018 and 2023.
Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Fulbright Scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.
Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors.
Over 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants—recent college graduates, graduate students and early career professionals—participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year.
Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.
In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org.
About Palm Beach Atlantic University
Palm Beach Atlantic University, founded in 1968, is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and professional degrees. The university has a 19-acre campus in West Palm Beach and an Orlando campus, and the 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise system. The university is dedicated to the integration of biblical principles to prepare students for learning, leadership, and service. Learn more at www.pba.edu.
