Building the Future of Quantitative Finance

by Ciaran Bellwoar, Wharton Magazine, Spring/Summer 2026: Bruce Jacobs is profiled in the Wharton Magazine cover story, tracing his interest in quantitative finance from his early fascination with stock price fluctuations to his transformational gift to the Wharton School to establish the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) program... The article notes that Jacobs’s research contributions helped shape the emerging field of quantitative investing, and his influence will continue through his efforts to place Wharton at the forefront of educating future quants. Wharton faculty expressed their excitement about the MSQF program, “a pivotal moment made possible by Jacobs’s vision and a devotion to quantitative finance.” The article also highlights several Jacobs Scholars and how quantitative finance at Wharton has prepared them for success. Dean Erika James remarked, “We are immensely grateful to Bruce for his enduring support of quantitative finance research and educational opportunities at Wharton. His intellectual contributions to the field and impact on our students and scholars have been nothing short of game-changing.” Jacobs said, “I feel an obligation to ensure that future generations of Wharton students will have even greater opportunities to make an impact on the field of quantitative finance.”

Jacobs Levy Article Wins in the 27th Annual Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy Awards

March 2, 2026: “How Misunderstanding Factor Models Set Unreasonable Expectations for Smart Beta” by Bruce Jacobs, Ken Levy, and Sangwoo Lee earned Outstanding Article recognition in the 27th Annual Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy Awards. The winning articles were announced in the Multi-Asset Strategies and Asset Allocation 2026 issue of the Journal of Portfolio Management.... The awards were given for the best research articles appearing in the Journal of Portfolio Management in 2025, as chosen by subscribers. The award-winning article offers evidence that the poor performance of some smart beta strategies in recent years is due to shortcomings of standard factor pricing models, from which the strategies draw their well-known factors. Inevitably, these factors include some that may fall out of favor, sometimes for extended periods, as market conditions change. Smart beta strategies are also limited by the standard factor models’ narrow focus on a handful of generic factors and a failure to take into account correlations between factors. Overcoming these obstacles requires further steps toward a fully active, dynamic, multifactor approach, aka “smart alpha.”

Bruce Jacobs Featured in a Video Introducing the MSQF Program at Wharton

The Wharton School, February 16, 2026: In a video from the Wharton School, Bruce Jacobs presents his vision for the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program, Wharton’s first new degree program in more than 50 years... “Quantitative finance is increasingly relevant given the advent of algorithms, big data, and artificial intelligence,” Jacobs says in explaining the motivation behind his generous gift to establish the program. The MSQF program will create a new pathway for aspiring quants to develop critical skills and explore opportunities in the asset management industry. The video also includes remarks by Wharton Dean Erika James; David Musto, faculty director of the MSQF program; and Maryellen Reilly, vice dean of graduate student affairs.