G. D'Anne Weise
Dr. G. D’Anne Weise is Professor Emeritus of Finance at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she dedicated over three decades to teaching, research, and mentoring students. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Business from Colorado State University and an MBA. She earned another Master’s degree, emphasis in Economics, and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of New Orleans, and began her academic career with appointments at Loyola University and the University of Missouri. Over her 33-year tenure at the University of Missouri, Dr. Weise contributed extensively to finance research, cultivating a reputation for rigor and clarity in financial derivative instruments. Following her retirement in 2020, Dr. Weise transitioned her focus to criminal justice reform, driven by personal experience with the legal system involving her son. Her work centers on the human and systemic costs of criminalizing addiction, particularly in cases affected by mandatory minimum sentencing and prosecutorial overreach. She is the author of "The Criminalization of Addiction: The Case of US vs Gary Scott Hancock", a book that blends personal narrative with research to advocate for evidence-based, compassionate, and restorative approaches to substance use and the justice system. Based in Pensacola, Florida, Dr. Weise continues to engage in advocacy through organizations such as The First Network and the Prison Policy Initiative. Alongside her professional and reform efforts, she pursues her passions for oil painting and reading, while emphasizing independence, persistence, and empathy in both her personal and professional life. Her story highlights a lifelong commitment to justice, education, and empowerment, seeking to inspire reform that impacts everyday lives.
• Ph.D. in Financial Economics
• University of New Orleans - Ph.D.
• University of New Orleans-MS Quantitative Methods
• Colorado State University-MBA
• Colorado State University-BS Finance
• The First Network
• Prison Policy Initiative
What do you attribute your success to?
My success is rooted in a strong desire for independence. Early in life, I realized how powerful financial control can be in shaping people’s choices, and I became determined that my own life would never be constrained by dependence on anyone else. That realization became a powerful driving force for me in my twenties.
It pushed me to pursue a Ph.D. and an academic career so I would always have the security to support myself and the freedom to pursue the work that mattered to me. Academia offered exactly that balance—intellectual independence, the opportunity to conduct meaningful research, and the stability to build a life on my own terms.
The determination to create my own path and maintain independence has been one of the central forces behind my professional life.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My mother told me to never be dependent on another person because it limits freedom of choice.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My first piece of advice is to understand clearly what a Ph.D. actually is. A Ph.D. is fundamentally a research degree, not a teaching degree. Many people assume that becoming a professor is primarily about teaching, but the training and expectations of a Ph.D. program are centered on producing original research and becoming a specialist in a particular field.
Because of that, anyone considering a Ph.D. should make sure they are genuinely interested in research—asking questions, analyzing problems, and contributing new knowledge to their discipline. If someone’s primary passion is teaching, they may find greater fulfillment pursuing a degree in education, where the focus is on pedagogy and learning.
In my own case, all of my doctoral training was in finance. I never took a course in the College of Education. Like most professors, I was trained to be a specialist and researcher in my field, and teaching was something that came alongside that role rather than being the central focus of the degree.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In discussing the challenges in my field today, I’m really referring to my second career. My first career was as a finance professor, but after my son was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for a crime I believe he could not have committed, my life and professional focus changed dramatically. In 2020, I retired from the University of Missouri, moved to Pensacola, Florida, and began working on issues related to criminal justice reform. I also wrote a book, The Criminalization of Addiction: The Case of U.S. v. Gary Scott Hancock, which examines the broader policy and legal issues surrounding addiction and prosecution.
One of the biggest challenges in reforming the criminal justice system is the widespread misunderstanding of addiction. Many policies still treat substance use primarily as a criminal matter rather than a public health issue. That misunderstanding shapes laws, sentencing practices, and public attitudes in ways that often make the problem worse rather than better.
Meaningful reform will require a shift in how society understands addiction—from a moral or criminal failing to a complex health condition that deserves evidence-based treatment and policy. Without that shift in understanding, lasting change in the justice system will be difficult to achieve.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values I hold most important in both my work and personal life are independence, self-reliance, persistence, and a steadfast dedication to justice. These principles guide how I approach challenges, make decisions, and strive to make a meaningful impact.
