Reiter's passions and lived experiences inspired her pursuits in Personal Financial Planning
Miranda Reiter, Ph.D., CFP®, joins the Department of Personal Financial Planning as an assistant professor.
Much of Reiter's academic experiences have been inspired by her passions and lived
experiences, beginning with her undergraduate studies from Mississippi State University
where she earned a double major: A Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor of Business
Administration.
"When I was in undergrad, all I ever dreamed of was living in France and working there,"
Reiter said. "However, when I graduated, the U.S. had gone to war in Iraq which created
tension in our country's relationship with France. I decided on the next best option
as a first post-college which was working in management at a regional bank."
While working at the bank, one of Reiter's mentors and her experience through her
career inspired her to pursue personal financial planning. These pursuits led her
to obtain both a Master of Public Administration and Affairs as a National Urban Fellow
in New York City at the City University of New York, Baruch College, and a Ph.D. in
Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.
"One of my mentors was a Certified Financial Planner and he had an incredible way
of building relationships with clients and educating them on their finances," Reiter
said. "It was this initial experience in banking that set me on a path to exploring
and pursuing financial planning. I should say that I eventually made it to France
and had the opportunity to live and work there and I am so glad I did!"
Before joining the College of Human Sciences, Reiter said she was familiar with the
Department of Financial Planning and its well-respected reputation throughout the
financial planning community. When she saw an opportunity to apply for a position
within the department, she did so without hesitation and is thrilled to be part of
its faculty.
Stepping into this new role has also given Reiter a list of opportunities and experiences
to look forward to, especially where her students and colleagues are concerned.
"I look forward to engaging with students and learning about their career objectives
and helping them achieve their goals," Reiter said. "There are certain experiences
that I can share from working in corporate America, in the financial planning industry,
and abroad that I think would be helpful. I also look forward to engaging with faculty
and collaborating on future research projects, learning more about the culture and
spirit of the College, and serving as a faculty member in an impactful and positive
way."
Reiter's main research interests concern race, gender, and diversity in financial
planning. This is influenced by her desire to learn more about the mechanisms that
contribute to the lack of diversity among financial planning professionals. Additionally,
her research interests concern consumer financial behavior, especially when considering
race and gender.
As a faculty member, one thing Reiter wants her students to know is that she's an advocate for them, explaining that having been a student all her life, she can empathize with the student experience.