She joined the Department of Finance and Real Estate in 1991. She was the Academic Director of the Master of Finance program and previously served as the Department Chair.  Over the years, she has taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate finance courses, including financial planning, investments, corporate finance, insurance, risk management, and entrepreneurial finance.  She holds a Ph.D. in Insurance and Risk Management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Bajtelsmit is the author of three personal finance textbooks Personal Finance: Skills for Life (2006), Personal Finance: Managing Your Money and Building Wealth (2008), and Personal Finance with WileyPlus Learning Space (2017) and has published numerous articles and book chapters on topics related retirement, insurance, investing, and personal financial planning. Her current research-in-progress includes projects related to individual risk management and insurance decision-making, longevity risk management, and retirement wealth drawdown. Previous professional accomplishments include service as the President of the American Risk and Insurance Association (2010), President of the Risk Theory Society (2010), and President of the Academy of Financial Services (2004) as well as other board positions in those organizations. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and Junior Achievement of Northern Colorado and participates actively in several Society of Actuaries research groups.