Boyce Watkins

Boyce D. Watkins (born June 20, 1971) is an American author, political analyst, social influencer and ex-academic.

In addition to publishing scholarly articles on finance and investing, Watkins is an advocate for education, economic empowerment, and social justice, and has made regular appearances in various national media outlets, including CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, Fox News, BET, NPR, Essence, USA Today, Today, ESPN, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and CBS Sports.

He was also a frequent guest on The Wendy Williams Experience radio program, and remains a frequent contributor to the Grio.

Watkins was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to a teen mother.

His father left shortly after his birth and only spoke to his son three times.

Watkins' mother, Robin Couch, married when Boyce was 3 years old to Larry Watkins, a young Vietnam veteran from Louisville.

The family struggled for years but worked hard for economic advancement.

Watkins' mother encouraged her children to be the best they could be at anything they did.

Larry, who would become Watkins' adopted father, was a tough, stern head of the household who joined the local police force at the age of 30.

Watkins struggled in school, earning very poor grades all throughout.

His teachers placed him in special education and told him he was not smart enough to go to college.

"When I look back on those years as a black boy in a racist state like Kentucky, I get angry", says Watkins.

"I almost lost the future that God had in store for me."

In high school, Watkins was captain of his track team.

He also had a job working for Taco Bell, along with other fast food restaurants.

Watkins' teenage years were tough.

His father was a good provider, but very tough, leading him to feel abandoned and unloved.

His uncle, eight years his senior, was regularly sent to prison, which only added to his feelings of abandonment.

"Those were tough years for me", says Watkins.

"I honestly think my mind has blocked them out."

Watkins received a small scholarship to the University of Kentucky, from a group called "Black Achievers", based in Louisville, which was just enough to pay his tuition.

During his senior year in high school, Watkins met his first girlfriend.

Six months after high school graduation, she gave birth to their first and only child.

He was a freshman in college at the time, and the child was born during winter break.

The pressure of fatherhood further motivated Watkins to work hard in school.

It was during his first semester at the University of Kentucky that he earned straight As for the first time in his life.

Watkins went on to win several honors in college, including Freshman of the Year, Sophomore of the Year, and numerous scholarships including The Wall Street Journal Outstanding Graduating Senior in Finance.

In 1993, Watkins completed a Bachelor of Science in economics and Bachelors of Arts in finance and business management (a triple major).

After graduation, Watkins continued at the University of Kentucky, where he completed a Master of Science in mathematics in 1998.

It was during his time as a graduate student at the University of Kentucky that Watkins became more involved with political activism.

The racist language used in his campus newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel, led Watkins to begin writing columns himself.

In his work, he challenged the racially divisive foundations of his campus.

Watkins also battled with the university president at the time, Charles T. Wethington Jr., referring to him as "Chuck" and claiming that he was racially insensitive and unqualified to be a campus president.

Eventually, he went on to pursue his Ph.D. at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

At Ohio State University, Watkins enrolled in the business administration doctoral program, concentrating in finance.

He finished his Ph.D. in 2002.

The title of Watkins' dissertation was Investor Sentiment, Trading Patterns and Return Predictability, while working under René M. Stulz, David Hirshleifer, and G. Andrew Karolyi.

His first academic position was on the finance faculty at Syracuse University.

In addition to his academic work at Syracuse, Watkins was a visiting scholar with the Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland School Of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University.

He was also a visiting fellow at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and the Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim, Germany.