Influential 2009: Mikhail Esipov

When Peter Blair Henry takes his post as the new dean of the Stern School of Business in January, he will have faced questions from university administrators, top finance and accounting professors and Stern senior Mikhail Esipov.

In his four years at NYU, Esipov has served as the co-president of the Economics Honors Society, led the Cohort Program — a Stern community building series — for new freshmen, acted as a Senator at Large on the University Senate and sat on the Stern dean search committee, all while pursuing majors in finance and mathematics.

If that sounds like a handful, it is. Esipov, who goes by Misha, is a celebrity of sorts at Stern. Stand on Gould Plaza and look for the guy surrounded by a crowd — you'll see him. Head to the third-floor study lounge in Tisch Hall at two in the morning and look for the person talking about credit swaps and derivatives — you'll see him.

His commanding presence and way with words helped him stand out in the group that ultimately picked Henry, especially because he was the only undergraduate on the committee.

"It was absolutely a fascinating experience, working together as an equal with some of the most influential, powerful people on campus and having my opinions treated as equal," Esipov said. "And picking the next dean who will drive the future of these 2,500 students and all the MBAs and the overall image of Stern — wow."

But Esipov still worries about the future of Stern. He fears that, even with all the work the school is doing — between the Concourse Project and its investment in the Cohort Program — it won't be able to win over apathetic students.

"To me, it seems like it's one of the most pressing problems that NYU faces and one of the hardest, and it's so hard to come up with a solution to building community," he said. "It's not a tangible substance; you can't throw more money at it and guarantee you'll build community."

Esipov joined the NYU community early. As a freshman, he pledged the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity hoping to explore his Jewish roots.

"If you ask anyone from the Soviet Union, it's the same," he said. "My mom's passport says 'nationality: Jew' on it. And that was pretty much the extent of my exposure to Judaism growing up. I wasn't Bar Mitzvah'd. I only went to Hebrew school for a few months. Part of joining AEPi to me meant figuring out what that meant."

He met some of his best friends through his involvement in the fraternity and has recruited close to half of all current, active brothers.

David Sokolow, Esipov's roommate and one of his closest brothers, has spent the last three years by his side. The two studied abroad together in Singapore last year.

Sokolow recalled: "He used to say to me every night I would stay in sophomore year — and it's the corniest quote — but he would always say, 'David, you know what? You should really start seizing the day; carpe diem.' And he'd literally just look at me and say that and walk out."

Esipov lives by these maxims. He sold his car at home so he could pay for his travels while studying in Asia. He made it to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia and Australia — all in one semester.

In his travels, he explored one of his passions: food. Experimental doesn't quite scratch the surface when describing his eating habits. He's tried everything from balut — look that one up — to a shot of snake fluid.

"It was absolutely eye opening," he said. "Experiencing that, along with the cuisine that each country comes with, has been, if not the most interesting six months of my life, well top, without a doubt."

After he graduates in May, Esipov will head to Goldman Sachs to work in the investment banking division. Though perhaps less adventurous than flying all over the world, it's what fascinates him.

"A lot of people come up to me and tell me they admire Misha a lot," Sokolow said. "It's kind of awkward because, I don't know, I think it's weird to admire someone your own age. But I know multiple people who aspire to be like Misha."

Eric Platt is deputy managing editor.