SDSU Names Graf Associate Director of Corporate Governance Institute

Contact: Randy Carmical, Director of Communications
(619) 594-0206 Randy.Carmical@sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Tuesday, September 26, 2006 – Paul Graf, J.D., has been named associate director for finance and law at San Diego State University’s Corporate Governance Institute (CGI).  Graf, an assistant professor for finance in the College of Business Administration, will act as the Institute’s liaison and ambassador with the legal and finance academies, helping to encourage and direct corporate governance research and to build a global network of corporate governance scholars.  He also will serve as a resource to the San Diego community on issues related to corporate governance law.

Graf has been adjunct faculty in the MBA for Executives program (EMBA) and undergraduate business law area since 2002. In tandem with CGI Director Lori Ryan, Graf will offer the EMBA program’s first Corporate Governance course in May 2007.  The course will cover both the legal and managerial parameters and implications of corporate governance in the U.S. and abroad.  The pair also will team teach future EMBA courses in “The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business” and Graf will continue to offer incoming EMBA students his negotiations seminar. 

Graf came to SDSU from his post as senior vice president and general counsel for GE Capital Business Asset Funding Corporation.  He had previously served in a similar position for MetLife Capital Corporation, and was a group attorney with Evans Products Company in Illinois, and a partner with Burditt and Calkins in Chicago. Graf is the founder and first director of ELA On-Line. He received his law degree from Northwestern University and his bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University. His research interests include director liability, director evaluation, and the optimal level of detail in board minutes and records. 

Graf will join a growing team of corporate governance researchers in the College of Business Administration which includes:  Associate Professor of Management and CGI Director Lori Ryan, Associate Professor of Management and CGI Research Fellow Chamu Sundaramurthy, Assistant Professor of Finance Fei Xie, Associate Professor of Accountancy Victoria Krivogorsky, and Assistant Professor of Accountancy David DeBoskey.

About the Corporate Governance Institute
The Corporate Governance Institute (CGI), established in 1998, is an education and research center dedicated to the study and application of responsible corporate governance principles.
The mission of the CGI is to enhance the skills of corporate directors, investors, and senior executives through research and curriculum development. CGI seeks to support the College of Business Administration, San Diego State University, and members of the local, national, and international communities in matters related to corporate governance.

About the College of Business Administration - Leadership for the Global Marketplace.
With over 5,500 students, the SDSU College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the U.S. Its programs in international business and graduate entrepreneurship are ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu/business.  

About SDSU
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degree in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s 33,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.