Principles of Finance

Dr. Scott Besley is associate professor in the Department of Finance at the University of South Florida. He earned his DBA and MBA degrees from Florida State University. A well-respected author and instructor, Dr. Besley has published numerous research articles in various academic journals and has co-authored two of the leading textbooks in corporate finance that are used at universities around the world. His research interests include areas of corporate finance, working capital management, governance and investment anomalies. A frequently requested presenter at professional conferences, Dr. Besley is actively involved in numerous finance and professional organizations. When he is not teaching or pursuing research interests, he is heavily involved in supporting his local community. For the last 20 years of his career, Dr. Eugene F. Brigham was a graduate research professor emeritus at the University of Florida, where he taught since 1971. He received his MBA and Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley and his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina. Prior to joining the University of Florida, Dr. Brigham held teaching positions at the University of Connecticut, the University of Wisconsin and the University of California-Los Angeles. A former president of the Financial Management Association, he wrote many journal articles on the cost of capital, capital structure and other aspects of financial management. He authored or co-authored 10 textbooks on managerial finance and managerial economics that are used at more than 1,000 universities in the United States and have been translated into 11 languages worldwide. In addition to his academic writing, Dr. Brigham taught, consulted and completed research. He served as a consultant to many corporations and government agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the U.S. Office of Telecommunications Policy and the RAND Corp. He also testified as an expert witness in numerous electric, gas and telephone rate cases at both federal and state levels. Prior to his death in 2024 as this text was being finalized, Dr. Brigham spent his spare time on the golf course, enjoying time with his family and dogs and tackling outdoor adventure activities such as biking through Alaska.