Dr. Mark Smith

Instructor

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Biography

Mark Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Finance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the same institution. Smith has extensive experience in finance, entrepreneurship, and educational training, having taught various courses including Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurship Acquisition. His previous roles include serving as a Limited Partner at Serra Ventures and an Executive Director of the Universal Parallel Computing Research Center. Smith is recognized for his excellent teaching ratings in multiple finance courses, reflecting his commitment to educational excellence and student development. His research interests focus on entrepreneurship, financial markets, and small business acquisition, contributing significantly to the academic community with his innovative approaches to teaching and engagement with real-world financial practices.

Research Interests

Experience

Senior Lecturer

— Present

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • Champaign, IL

Teaching finance courses and engaging in academic research.

Limited Partner

— Present

Serra Ventures • Champaign, IL

Investing in and advising startup ventures.

Private Equity Investor

— Present

Independent • Champaign, IL

Managing private equity investments.

Lecturer

— Present

University of Illinois • Champaign, IL

Instructing students in global education and training.

Lecturer

— Present

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • Champaign, IL

Teaching finance related courses.

Consultant

— Present

Build Equinox • Champaign, IL

Consulting in business development.

Administrative Director

— Present

Illinois Intel Parallelism Center, College of Engineering • Champaign, IL

Overseeing operations and project management.

Executive Director

— Present

Universal Parallel Computing Research Center, College of Engineering • Champaign, IL

Leading research initiatives in parallel computing.

Managing Director

— Present

Gelato Federation, College of Engineering • Champaign, IL

Managing research and development projects.

Director of Product Marketing Sales

— Present

SourceGear Corporation • Champaign, IL

Overseeing product marketing strategies.

Director of Operations

— Present

Geomagic, Inc. • Champaign, IL

Managing operations and organizational development.

Courses

Doing Business Abroad (BUS 199) Social Entrepreneurship Abroad (BUS 199) Financial Markets (FIN 300) Entrepreneurship Thru Acquisition (FIN 380) Introduction to Finance (FIN 500) Professional Development (FIN 581)

Requirements for University of Illinois

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:17
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:21
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:103
GRE General
Prerequisites
Mathematical background Linear Algebra Calculus
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE is optional for admission to all graduate programs in Statistics. Full status admission requires higher language scores than limited status.