Meghana Ayyagari is Professor of International Business, Finance, and International Affairs at the George Washington University School of Business and Elliott School of International Affairs. Her recent research studies the role of intangible capital in the rise of star firms and the financing constraints faced by firms in developing economies. Her broader research interests include international corporate governance structures and property rights protection across countries, the theory of the firm, and entrepreneurship. Professor Ayyagari's academic research has been published in several journals including the Review of Financial Studies, Review of Finance, Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. She has served as a consultant for the Development Research Group at the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID, and the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector (IRIS). Professor Ayyagari is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Banking and Finance. She holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Maryland, College Park and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Bangalore University, India.