Welcome ! 

I am a PhD Candidate in Finance at ESSEC Business School and CY Cergy Paris University. I am also affiliated to the Institute for Public Policy, where I worked as a Research Economist from 2021 to 2025. 

I am on the 2026-2027 academic job market.

My research interests lie in corporate finance, public economics and the energy transition. My thesis explores how firms make low-carbon investment decisions and how public policy shapes those decisions. 

I visited Columbia Business School as a Fulbright Scholar during the 2026 Spring term under the sponsorship of Simon Oh.

You can find my CV here and contact me at rachel.paya(at)essec.edu.