Draft:Joseph Yagil

Joseph "Yossi" Yagil is an Israeli professor of finance and the Vice President of Western Galilee College since 2019. . Prior to that position he was the President of Carmel Academic Center in Haifa, and Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Haifa where he is currently professor emeritus.

Early life and education
Joseph Yagil began his academic studies at the age of 17, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A year later, he paused his studies to complete a compulsory military service, following which he resumed his academic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem graduating with a BA in economics (1973) and an MBA (1975) Cum Laude. During this time, he worked as an economist in the Research Department of the Bank of Israel. Among his professors were Harry Markowitz and Haim Levy. Following his MBA, Yagil pursued his PhD studies at the University of Toronto in Canada from which he received his doctorate in finance in 1980. His thesis supervisor was Prof. Myron J. Gordon, and his thesis external examiner was Prof. Martin J. Gruber from New York University.

Career
After completing his PhD studies, Yagil returned to Israel and joined the University of Haifa as a professor of finance. During more than 30 years at the university, he held academic and administrative positions, including Head of the School of Management, which he later transformed into the Faculty of Management and became its first dean. In addition, he also served as chair of numerous university committees, and headed the International MBA Program in English. Since 2000, Prof. Yagil has been a member of the committee of the Council for Higher Education in Israel, which approves programs of study throughout the country. He has also served on the committee of the Academy of the Hebrew Language that introduces new terms in the areas of banking and finance into Hebrew. In addition to teaching in Israel, Prof. Yagil has taught in universities in the United States, Canada, and China, including Columbia University (5 years) and New York University (2 years), as well as the City University of New York, Rutgers University, University of Toronto, York University, Tongji University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xiamen University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Prof. Yagil serves as a financial consultant for corporations and organizations, and has been on the board of directors of Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd. . Prof. Yagil served as an associate editor of the International Journal of Finance for 15 years.

Prof. Yagil has helped organize international conferences in areas such as public management, and been invited to them as a keynote speaker.

Publications
Prof. Yagil’s main research areas are capital markets and financial management, publishing more than 80 articles in these areas. His most frequently cited article, “Discount Rates Inferred from Decisions: An Experimental Study,” was referenced in Richard H. Thaler’s book, The Winner’s Curse.

Prof. Yagil’s research primarily focuses on the effects of external factors on the capital markets. His studies about the effect of air pollution on stock market returns received attention in the popular press. He is also interested in the impact of various calendar effects on stock market returns. Other examples of these studies in external factors include the role of investors’ fears and their personal characteristics in their investment decisions. In the wake of increased globalization, Prof. Yagil has explored the impact of a home bias in how people invest their money