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Dr. Andres Ramirez, Associate Professor of Finance at Bryant University, brings a global perspective to the classroom. With teaching experience across various nations such as Chile, France, Spain, and China, and a research focus on multinational corporate finance, disaster economics, and nonprofit financial management, he is deeply committed to making finance education more relevant and accessible.

When Dr. Ramirez took over the Financial Modeling course at Bryant University, he inherited a curriculum built around advanced textbooks designed for professionals—not students. These materials assumed a level of industry experience that his students simply didn’t have. He recognized that before students could master financial modeling, they needed a stronger foundation in financial concepts and real-world context.

To close this gap, Dr. Ramirez created his own textbook and redesigned the course. He modeled weekly assignments after the kinds of projects a finance intern might encounter—practical, varied, and grounded in real-world scenarios. This gave students the opportunity to apply concepts in a way that felt relevant and achievable.

He also expanded the course content to include topics like commodities and foreign exchange—areas often overlooked in traditional modeling courses but essential for understanding stock price behavior. By tying assignments to current events and well-known companies, he sparked greater student interest and engagement.

 

A major breakthrough came when Dr. Ramirez discovered ExPrep, a platform that automates spreadsheet grading and provides instant, customized feedback. This allowed students to see their mistakes immediately and retry assignments without waiting for manual grading. Dr. Ramirez embraced unlimited resubmissions, believing that repetition is key to mastery.

This shift not only improved student motivation but also deepened their connection to the material. Students began to take ownership of their learning, practicing more and building confidence in their Excel skills—an essential tool in finance.

 

Dr. Ramirez’s course structure reflects his belief in learning by doing. Students begin with templated assignments that simulate employer guidelines, gradually building up to the final exam: constructing a financial model from scratch. While ExPrep handles the bulk of the grading throughout the semester, Dr. Ramirez personally evaluates the final projects to assess students’ thought processes and overall understanding.

By combining industry relevance, hands-on learning, and smart technology, Dr. Ramirez has created a course that not only teaches financial modeling but prepares students to thrive in the finance world. His approach is a compelling example of how thoughtful course design and the right tools can transform student engagement and outcomes.