Drechsler, Itamar
Business and EconomicsFinance
My research interests are in the realm of applied mathematics and economics, particularly utilizing models and equations to understand and predict the consequences of human behavior and other real-world phenomena. I am currently conducting research under the tutelage of Dr. O. W. Ibhagui on applying the monetary model of exchange rate determination in South America, expanding from a century-long analysis previously done in Europe post the Industrial Revolution. By looking at the long-term relationships of various economic factors, like money velocity and interest rate fixation, it lays out crucial insights into the economic stability of their currencies, which matters in measuring the effectiveness of existing measures and the benefits of international trade. Beyond research, I really enjoy watching basketball and football, especially looking into team and individual analytics. I also work with We Care Act, a youth-led non profit focusing on providing technology and education to underserved student communities, as we expand our operations beyond New York City to other states. On campus, I am currently on the Quantitative Finance Committee for WUFC and the Academic Journal Committee for the Wharton Undergraduate Statistics Journal.
I have a strong interest in sustainability tourism and investment banking. My passion for these fields has driven my academic and professional pursuits, shaping a unique and diverse background. I had the privilege of working as an intern at the Ministry of Climate Change in Pakistan, gaining valuable insights into environmental policies. Currently, I am interning at Jubilee Insurance in Islamabad, where I am learning about the financial sector. At Penn, I work as a Programming Assistant at Asian American Studies Program. Outside of research, I am actively involved in the Penn Pakistan Society as the events chair, organizing cultural events to foster community among students. Last semester, I was part of Penn Sustainability Consulting, collaborating with peers to provide sustainability solutions for local environmental issues.
My research concentrations and interests span financial markets, macroeconomic theory, artificial intelligence, and statistical finance. Currently, I am engaged in a research study under the mentorship of Dr. Catherine Schrand at the Wharton School, focusing on the impacts of significant cobalt supply chain events and their effects on global markets and cobalt futures prices. This project uses advanced data analysis through the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) platform to predict stock price reactions across major cobalt suppliers and assess cross-sectional impacts in the Electric Vehicle (EV) market. Outside the UScholars program, I am an NCAA D1 Varsity Swimming and Diving Team student-athlete, dedicating close to 30 hours weekly to training and competition. Additionally, starting in the fall of 2024, I will participate in community service through the Financial Literacy Community Project (FLCP). Supported by the Wharton Management Department, this initiative enables me to teach financial literacy in West Philadelphia schools.
Evan presenting sophomore year research at the Vagelos 4th Annual Frontiers of Energy Research Convention.
Various research projects in corporate strategy, private equity, M&A, and investor activism.
The Rodney White Center for Financial research is seeking highly qualified undergraduates to interested in working as research assistants for finance PhD students.
I am seeking research assistants to help develop the next generation of tools for marketing analytics, including methods for learning consumer preferences from unstructured image, text, and video data, new solutions for modeling customer lifetime value, and advanced machine learning tools for optimizing marketing. This is a technical position that requires prior coding experience.
Cities, towns, counties, school districts, water districts, and other local public entities in the US are responsible for most infrastructure investment today. In order to finance much of this investment, they borrow over $400 billion per year in public capital markets by issuing municipal bonds. This project seeks to understand newly emerging phenomenon and issues in public finance markets in the US and abroad.
I'm happy to work with undergraduates broadly interested in public debt and investment in public infrastructure, especially if we can create data products that are useful across more than one project.
How did the international monetary system evolve in the 1970s after the dollar went off gold?