For most people, embarking upon home ownership means more than a sudden need for a lawn mower: It means a mortgage contract—and serious constraints on the ability to react to financial shockwaves such as unemployment or stock market downturns. Stefano Corradin is intrigued by “how the presence of a mortgage contract and the associated probability of default can affect and constrain a household’s consumption and portfolio choices,” and says, “the combination of house and mortgage can impose a sort of rigidity that makes risk extremely costly for many households.” He developed a familiarity with risk while developing value-at-risk calculations for insurance giant RAS-Allianz. Here, he also discovered the love of challenging theoretical problems that put him on the path to pursuing a Ph.D.

Corradin chose the Haas program in Finance and Real Estate because it draws together quantitative methods and advanced economics. “The Haas faculty are reputed for advanced research that fuses innovative thinking with rigorous quantitative analysis,” he says.

Corradin has also had the opportunity to take courses in other disciplines. This, he says, has polished his skills in writing and reading economic papers. Seminar classes where students read and critique each others’ research have also been helpful. “We push each other to write precisely and clearly,” he says.

Choosing Haas also meant choosing the Bay Area, a place where Corradin sees “great job opportunities in finance” and where his wife, Cristina, found a good position as a financial advisor. The couple also appreciates the “diverse, multicultural, and open-minded environment” of the area, along with the range of activities. Says Corradin, “I can go running in the hills in the morning, study in the afternoon, and enjoy a concert on campus in the evening. It’s wonderful.”