William Cottrell
William "Billy" Cottrell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 (age 45–46) Concord, North Carolina, United States |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago (B.A.) University of Wisconsin–Madison (Ph.D.) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics, mathematical physics, quantitative finance |
| Institutions | Jump Trading, University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Stanford University, University of Amsterdam |
William Jensen Cottrell (born 1980) is an American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and financial professional. He works as a quantitative researcher and portfolio manager at Jump Trading and serves as a lecturer in the Financial Mathematics program at the University of Chicago.
As a graduate student in physics at the California Institute of Technology in the early 2000s, Cottrell became involved in a federal case related to Earth Liberation Front–linked arsons of sport utility vehicles in Southern California. In 2005 he was convicted on multiple counts, including arson and conspiracy to commit arson. A letter in Cottrell's defense, signed by Stephen Hawking and other prominent scientists, was distributed to prison authorities and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals at Cottrell's October 18, 2006 hearing. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated his arson convictions and corresponding sentence.
Following his release from federal custody, Cottrell completed a Ph.D. in theoretical and mathematical physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and held research positions at the University of Amsterdam and Stanford University before moving into quantitative finance.