About

Tim Liu is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business. His research seeks to understand how firms raise and allocate capital, with a focus on financial policy, capital structure, credit ratings, and employee compensation. Prior to his PhD studies at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Tim worked in investment banking at Citigroup in New York City. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a BS in Statistics from the Wharton School and a BA in Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences. When not researching or teaching, Tim spends time with friends and family and engages in activities such as climbing, chess, tennis, and biking.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Computer Science
• Business
• Psychology
• Finance
• Law
• Marketing
• Economics
• Demographic economics
• Engineering
• Social psychology

Selected publications

• The Distribution of Nonwage Benefits: Maternity Benefits and Gender Diversity

  UNC Libraries · 2025-05-03

  articleOpen access

  Why do firms offer nonwage compensation instead of the equivalent amount in financial compensation? We argue that firms use nonwage benefits, specifically female-friendly benefits, such as maternity leave, to increase gender diversity by efficiently attracting women. Using Glassdoor data, we show that firms offer higher-quality maternity leave benefits in labor markets in which female talent is relatively scarce. This result also holds more generally when examining all female-friendly nonwage benefits and is not present when looking at gender-neutral benefits. Moreover, using staggered adoption of state laws, we show that voluntary provision of these benefits can increase firm value. Wei Jiang. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online

  PublisherDOI

• Can Nonprofits Save Lives Under Financial Stress? Evidence from the Hospital Industry

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Political Attitudes and Equity Market Reactions to Vaccine Mandate Bans

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2023-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• The Distribution of Nonwage Benefits: Maternity Benefits and Gender Diversity

  Review of Financial Studies · 2022 · 103 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Computer Science
  • Business

  Abstract Why do firms offer nonwage compensation instead of the equivalent amount in financial compensation? We argue that firms use nonwage benefits, specifically female-friendly benefits, such as maternity leave, to increase gender diversity by efficiently attracting women. Using Glassdoor data, we show that firms offer higher-quality maternity leave benefits in labor markets in which female talent is relatively scarce. This result also holds more generally when examining all female-friendly nonwage benefits and is not present when looking at gender-neutral benefits. Moreover, using staggered adoption of state laws, we show that voluntary provision of these benefits can increase firm value. Wei Jiang. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online

  PublisherDOI

• Virtual Reality Augmented Physiotherapy for Chronic Pain in Youth: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial enhanced with single case experimental design (Preprint)

  2022-07-01

  preprintOpen access

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a prominent health concern, resulting in pain-related disability, loss of functioning and high healthcare costs. Physiotherapy rehabilitation is a gold standard treatment for improving functioning in youth with chronic MSK. However, increasing physical activity can feel unattainable for many adolescents due to pain related fear and movement avoidance. Virtual reality (VR) offers an immersive experience that can interrupt the fear-avoidance cycle and improve engagement in physiotherapy. Despite promising initial findings, data are limited and often lack the rigor required to establish VR as an evidence-based treatment for MSK pain. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This trial evaluates pain rehabilitation virtual reality (PRVR) for adolescents with MSK pain. This protocol paper outlines the rationale, design, and implementation of a two-group randomized control trial (RCT) enhanced with Single Case Experimental Design (SCED). The objective of this RCT is to test this advancement in VR technology by providing new treatment solutions targeting nonpharmacological movement facilitation. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> Primary outcomes include physical function and engagement in VR. Secondary outcomes include pain-related fear and treatment adherence. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Significant breakthroughs for treating MSK pain require mechanistically informed innovative approaches. PRVR provides exposure to progressive challenge, real-time feedback, reinforcement for movement and can include activities difficult to achieve in the real world. It has the added benefits of sustaining patient motivation and adherence while enabling clinicians to use objective benchmarks to influence progression. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> These findings will inform the decision of whether to proceed with a hybrid effectiveness-dissemination trial of PRVR, serving as the basis for potential large-scale implementation of PRVR. </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> NCT04636177 </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• The Effect of Changes in Legal Liability on Credit Rating Agencies’ Reliance on Financial Statement Information and Rating Quality

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2022-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Falling through the Glass Ceiling: The Gender Gap in Director Retention after Financial Restatements

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2022 · 2 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Business
  • Finance
  PublisherDOI

• How Does Leasing Affect Leverage

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2020 · 3 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Business
  • Computer Science
  PublisherDOI

• Abnormal Returns and Dispersion in Cybersecurity Exposure

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2020-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Investigating target ballistic characteristics of conventional and alternative shotgun ammunition for the applicability in hunting.

  Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitung · 2018-01-01

  article
  Publisher

Frequent coauthors

• Christos Makridis

  Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence

  5 shared

• Paige Ouimet

  3 shared

• Elena Simintzi

  3 shared

• Jordan Schoenfeld

  Fisher College

  2 shared

• Sara Malik

  2 shared

• Jennifer Stinson

  University of Toronto

  1 shared

• Janet Gao

  1 shared

• Isabel Rocha

  1 shared