Dr. Sokobin was named Director of the agency's Office of Risk Assessment (ORA) in 2008, and is responsible for helping SEC Divisions and Offices develop new ways to anticipate emerging issues and address potential problems in the securities markets. He joined the SEC in 1998 and has served as Deputy Chief Economist since 2002. As Deputy Chief Economist, Dr. Sokobin has helped bolster efforts in all areas of the SEC's Office of Economic Analysis, including market structure, market intermediaries, corporate governance and disclosure, mutual funds, technical assistance to foreign regulators, examinations, and enforcement.

Dr. Sokobin previously served as Senior Research Fellow from 1998 to 2000 and as Financial Economist from 2000 to 2002. Prior to joining the SEC staff, Dr. Sokobin was an Assistant Professor of Finance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and he previously worked at the Center for Research in Security Prices at the University of Chicago. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Ohio State University in 1984, and his MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1988 and 1993 respectively.

Dr. Sokobin has twice earned an SEC Chairman's Award for Excellence, in 2000 and 2004.