Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Nan Qin, professor of financecob-professor-nan-qin

As the year ends, we get a chance to recognize outstanding faculty in our semi-annual Faculty Spotlight for Ethics. We were honored to have the opportunity to sit down with Professor Nan Qin and get to know him a little better.


Qin began his education at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China where he earned his undergraduate degree in computer science. Shortly after graduating he made the decision to travel to the United States from China to continue his education. After completing his Master of Science degree in financial engineering, Qin continued to earn his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech. Once he completed his doctorate, he began his first assistant professorship at Christopher Newport University and he has just recently joined Northern Illinois University prior to the 2017 fall semester. Qin teaches courses on risk management and investments.


While talking with Qin, he seemed excited to join the College of Business and so far his experience has been great. He even states “My favorite aspect about NIU is the wonderful faculty” who have welcomed him with open arms.


Because Qin is still relatively new to the university, he is eager to participate on the Faculty for Ethics committee and was also honored to be representing the Finance Department. Throughout the discussion, Qin shared how he deals with ethical dilemmas. He said that when he is faced with a decision that lies in the grey area of being unethical or ethical, he considers what the ramifications are of each decision he has to make and how those decisions impact the people he values. He strongly advised that students use this technique when they are faced with their own dilemmas. The technique that he uses closely resembles the one listed as the “Mom Test” listed on the BELIEF Decision Making Guide.


With new faculty like Qin joining the College of Business, we continue to promote ethical decision making among students and staff at NIU. He is proud to be a part of the College of Business and hopes he can continue to be a resource for students to pursue their desired career. Qin is prepared to help build upon the BELIEF program’s success within NIU College of Business.