Hersh Shefrin (born in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian economist best known for his pioneering work in behavioral finance.
Shefrin received his B.S. from University of Manitoba in 1970. At the University of Waterloo in 1971 he received his M.S. in mathematics. He then obtained a Ph.D. in economics from the London School of Economics in 1974, after which he became assistant professor at the University of Rochester. In 1979 he was appointed professor at the Santa Clara University, first in the department of economics and then in 1990 to the department of finance.
Shefrin holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Oulu, Finland.
Shefrin's research articles have been published in many economics and finance journals, in particular: the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Review of Financial Studies, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Financial Management, the Financial Analysts Journal, and the Journal of Portfolio Management. Shefrin has written a number of influential books on behavioral finance and its applications to corporate finance and corporate culture.
Shefrin and his wife, Arna, were married in 1970.