Armen Hovakimian is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, The City University of New York, where he has taught undergraduate, MBA, and Ph.D. courses in financial management and corporate finance. Professor Hovakimian’s recent research has focused on determinants of corporate capital structure and credit ratings and on the effects of deposit insurance on commercial banks’ risk taking behavior. Professor Hovakimian received his Ph.D. in Finance from Boston College. Prior to his academic career in Finance, he worked as a Computer Engineer in Armenia.