Harvard Business School
Four Harvard Business School (HBS) faculty members have received Class of 2022 Faculty Teaching Award Honors.
Class of 2022 students honored HBS faculty members Mattias Fibiger, Nori Gerardo Lietz, Emily McComb, and David Moss for their excellence and dedication to teaching, and for the positive impact they had both in and out of the classroom.
“The faculty at HBS have such a visible place in the HBS experience as leading the case method discussions, but our class has also experienced the incredible impact they have outside the classroom with coffee chats, dinners, career advice, startup critique, and a whole host of moments we’ll treasure,” Brandon Angelini and April Weathers, 2022 Class Day Committee co-chairs, say in a press release. “On behalf of our entire class, we thank the entire faculty team that has helped create our HBS experience, and congratulate this year’s Faculty Teaching Award recipients.”
AWARD CRITERIA
The Faculty Teaching Award Honors are based on six main criteria for both their Required Curriculum (RC) first year and Elective Curriculum (EC) second year.
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Inspiration: Transfers passion for the subject matter to students
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Knowledge Transfer: Makes difficult course material accessible to all students through clear explanations and demonstrated relevance
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Accessibility: Available to students outside the classroom on a personal and professional basis
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Career Guidance: Helps to identify industry contacts and evaluate potential career options
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Quality of Life: Helps to improve the quality of life on campus
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Feedback: Provides feedback that contributes to professional and personal development
MATTIAS FIBIGER
Mattias Fibiger, an assistant professor of business administration in the Business, Government, and International Economy (BGIE) Unit, was recognized for his outstanding contribution to the BGIE classroom during the class of 2022’s RC year.
“All HBS professors are well-prepared, but Fibiger’s level of preparation elevated the classroom experience from the moment he introduced each case to the section. No case was too big (or too small) for him,” one student says. “His academic training as a historian served as a reservoir of knowledge from which the class would regularly draw. His presentations—both in terms of content and delivery—were world-class. Lastly, Fibiger took the time to get to know each of us by showing up outside of the classroom with his time, energy, and resources. He is truly the best of the best, and we’re fortunate to have spent time learning from him.”
NORI GERARDO LIETZ
Nori Gerardo Lietz, a senior lecturer of business administration in the Finance and Entrepreneurial Management Units, was recognized for her outstanding contribution as a teacher in the Real Estate Private Equity and Starting a Private Investment classes during the class of 2022’s EC year.
“Professor Lietz has been one of the most influential people during my time at HBS. She cares so much about our ability to learn a challenging topic properly—I cried over many cases and assignments but I’m so grateful she pushed and challenged me,” one student says. “I feel honored and fortunate to have taken two of her classes. I can’t thank her enough for what’s she’s taught us and for being so caring and supportive”
EMILY MCCOMB
Emily McComb, a senior lecturer in the Finance Unit, was recognized for her outstanding contribution in the Finance 2 (FIN 2) classroom during the class of 2022’s RC year.
“Professor McComb brought FIN 2 to life in a way that made complicated topics seem like something we could grasp, and dare I say, fun. From the small things like kicking off each class with a song relevant to the case, to the big ones like facilitating our class discussions, she ensured no one was left behind and that we walked away with generalizable insights from each case,” a student says. “It was clear how much she invested in each student and our section—leading optional review sessions and following up with our section leadership. HBS is an institution that prides itself on having the best professors and she is the kind of professor we come to HBS for.”
DAVID MOSS
David Moss, the Paul Whiton Cherington Professor of Business Administration and unit head of the BGIE Unit, was recognized for his outstanding contribution in the Creating the Modern Financial System (CMFS) classroom during the class of 2022’s EC year.
“Professor Moss’s incredible ability to demonstrate the power of history and policy to change the course of nations gave me the courage I needed to choose a career in the public sector,” one student said. “Beyond his outstanding classroom sessions, he made time to help me think through and craft a career path, and introduced me to several professors and professionals who also provided guidance. Above all, his kindness, positive reinforcement, and faith in me gave me the confidence to believe I could thrive in every setting and would always be supported along the way. I took several bold steps this year and he deserves all the credit for teaching me to dream again.”
Sources: HBS, HBS, HBS, HBS, HBS
GMAC, the official administrator of the GMAT exam, has partnered with Kaplan to create a new course series on business fundamentals. The new “micro” courses will cover topics such as statistics, accounting, and finance and aim to give prospective and admitted B-school students a strong foundation in quantitative knowledge for graduate management education.
“We are pleased to work with leading business schools to provide GMAC Business Fundamentals Powered by Kaplan, which is designed to refresh candidate knowledge on core quantitative subjects essential to an MBA or business master’s program. The ability to focus on topics that meet their needs provides applicants with a dynamic learning experience and gives them greater confidence in their ability to do well from the start,” Joy Jones, chief product officer and general manager of assessments at GMAC, says in a press release.
DESIGNED BY FACULTY OF LEADING B-SCHOOLS
The new Business Fundamentals series will be developed by faculty of leading B-schools, including George Mason University’s School of Business, Georgetown University’s McDonough School, Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
“GMAC Business Fundamentals does an excellent job of providing a comprehensive introduction to finance using a variety of learning tools including spreadsheet applications and problems,” Greg Filbeck, director of Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend and one of the professors who reviewed the product, says. “The course does an excellent job with theory-to-practice applications.”
Designed to give students a strong foundation in quantitative skills, the Business Fundamentals series is particularly helpful for those students who may not have an undergraduate business background.
“As one of the world’s most diversified educational services company, with many decades of experience preparing aspiring MBAs for the GMAT and business school admissions process, we are thrilled to team up with GMAC in delivering these courses with top-notch learning science behind the core statistics, accounting, and finance concepts, advised by our industry experts,” Brian Carlidge, vice president of Kaplan, says. “We are impressed by GMAC’s long-standing track record in the business education space and look forward to working with them to expand educational access and instructional innovation.”
Foster MBAs hoisting the Challenge For Charity Golden Briefcase
The average starting salary for MBA grads of top B-schools is $140,294.
That salary is certainly enticing, and many may be sold on the prospects of an MBA education from the salary alone. But, experts say, B-school isn’t for everyone—especially if you aren’t willing to put in the work.
“An MBA degree is not a password into a secret society,” James Reeves, a practice director of environmental, social and governance consulting with Patina – A Korn Ferry Company, tells US News. “Success doesn’t just find you because of your degree. You will still work just as hard as you did before the degree and I might even say you have to work harder because you’re working on more complex, higher-stakes assignments.”
WHO SHOULD GET AN MBA?
At a high level, an MBA is designed for students who aspire to be business leaders.
“An MBA degree is designed to teach everything needed to run your own business,” Michael Provitera, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Barry University in Florida who has an MBA and a DBA, tells US News. “However, the program caters to managers that want to become leaders and students aspiring to climb the corporate ladder.”
Experts say the degree can be particularly helpful for those looking to improve on certain skills needed to advance in their career.
“Business school provides a safe space to experiment and hone those skills in a variety of situations,” Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, says. “For applicants with strong technical expertise but who are light on general management skills or anyone looking to bridge the gap between the liberal arts and business, an MBA will catapult you to the next level and expand business acumen.”
THE REAL VALUE OF AN MBA
Aside from the foundational business skills B-schools teach, the real value of an MBA degree lies in the B-school network. For many students, pursuing an MBA is all about building connections—with peers, faculty, and alumni.
“The MBA degree’s real value comes from membership in a lifelong learning community and access to the alumni network,” Nirav Mehta, senior associate director for MBA admissions at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, tells US News. “The overall network serves (as) an active source of personal and professional support. The connections that one makes through the MBA program can be life-changing, and these relationships help to facilitate career transitions long after graduation.”
Sources: US News, Stacy Blackman Consulting, P&Q
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