50 Best Undergraduate Business Professors of 2023

DIVERSITY IN EXPERTISE, DISCIPLINES, AND BACKGROUNDS

2023’s list of stellar professors come from a wide range of expertise, disciplines, and backgrounds.

Our youngest winners – Timothy Kundro of UNC Kenan-Flagler and Jedson Pinto of the University of Texas at Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management – are just 29 years old.

“Professor Kundro has found what seems like the impossible balance between being a respected professor that encourages students to think deeply, and being a relatable mentor that is willing and eager to offer advice on topics that may have nothing to do with class content,” a student writes of Kundro, who teaches business ethics and organizational behavior.

Pinto, who teaches managerial accounting, would like to see every business student create or develop new products or services during their programs. “Business students need as much exposure to an entrepreneurship mindset as possible. Trying and failing is a big part of the business world … You internalize concepts much better when you apply them,” he says.

Zhiwei Zhu, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management at the Mitchell Daniels, Jr. School of Business at Purdue University

At the other end of the experience spectrum is Zhiwei Zhu, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management at the Mitchell Daniels, Jr. School of Business at Purdue University. Zhu, 63, built a 15-year career in analytics and data science and is academic director of undergraduate Business Analytics and Information Management program.

He studies the role data science does and should play in the future of Artificial Intelligence. “My industry-oriented perspective equips me with unique insights and has enabled me to collaborate with highly respected scholars to explore the intricacies of data science’s scope and future,” he says.

A WIDE RANGE OF RESEARCH TOPICS

This year’s honorees teach the fundamentals of business – finance, accounting, marketing and strategy – as well topics on the cutting edge of business education. Their research interests are as varied as their backgrounds.

Jingjing Li, for example, studies the transformative potential of Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT in education and the workplace. These tools offer personalized and accessible learning opportunities, enabling learners to advance at their own pace.

“However, a significant challenge in this field is the inherent biases in GenAI,” says Li, the Andersen Alumni Associate Professor of Commerce at the McIntire School of Commerce. “Our study investigates the cyclical nature of these biases: biases in training data and user prompts to GenAI influence the AI models and, in turn, are reinforced by the GenAI’s responses.”

Matt Johnson of Hult International Business School earned his PhD in cognitive psychology from Princeton University. He’s using principles of neuroscience to study and improve experiential marketing. “As a business professor, one of my favorite tasks is helping students draw connections between traditional business concepts (e.g. marketing), and seemingly distinct fields (e.g. psychology, anthropology, philosophy),” he says.

Rowena Crabbe,assistant professor of marketing at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin

And Rowena Crabbe, assistant professor of marketing at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, knew she wanted to be a business school professor when she realized it would allow her the autonomy to do meaningful real-world research on social issues such as racial justice, gender equity, and LGBTQ+ rights. She also studies Black entrepreneurs’ unique challenges and marketing strategies.

“Amazing and interactive teaching that dives into the intersection of business, social justice, and equality. This was one of my favorite courses at UT Austin,” says student Tessa Garcia. “Professor Crabbe was always extremely encouraging and open to discussion. Hers was the only class where I felt we didn’t have enough time during class because I always wanted to discuss and probe further into the topic at hand.”

IMAGINING THE BUSINESS SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE

In the profiles of each of the 50 honorees, we asked professors to imagine the business school of the future.

Unnati Narang, Assistant Professor of Marketing at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Gies College of Business, imagines a business school that encourages students to think with nuance; that engages students more closely with concerns around society, politics, and the environment; and prepares students to be resilient, empathetic, and aware leaders.

Chou-Yu (Joey) Tsai, meanwhile, would like to see business schools put more emphasis on on analytical thinking and adaptability. “We need leaders with strong analytical skills to enhance their agility and adaptability. This can help people overcome the disruptions and impacts that technology can bring to our organizations and social systems,” says Tsai, the Osterhout Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Binghamton University School of Management.

For Kelly Eskew, the business school of the future should have a much stronger focus on sustainability and climate, embedding the UN SDGs in the curriculum. She is a Clinical Professor of Business Law & Ethics and Director of Education for the Kelley Institute of Environmental & Social Sustainability at Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

“Students are eager to be part of the solutions to the existential problems that we are handing to them, and we need to be teaching them the skills necessary to do that work across all disciplines and the whole of our curriculum,” she says.

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