2026 Best 40-Under-40 Business Professors: Jirs Meuris, Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Jirs Meuris
Wisconsin School of Business
University of Wisconsin-Madison

“From the moment Dr. Jirs Meuris interviewed me as a prospective PhD student for the Wisconsin School of Business, I knew he would be the perfect PhD advisor. He had a rare combination of intellectual depth, warmth, and genuine care that immediately stood out. We also shared a similar degree background, which led us to talk for over an hour. From that conversation alone, I could tell how deeply he cared about my success, regardless of which program I ultimately chose, and it offered an early glimpse into the kind of thoughtful and caring mentor he is. Now, as his advisee, I can say with complete confidence that he has exceeded even those first impressions. He is one of the hardest-working people I know, and his impact as a professor extends across every level of the business school, from undergraduates to MBA students to PhD students.

“In my view, what sets him apart most is the combination of rigor and humanity he brings to academia. He is brilliant, generous, generous with his time, and deeply committed to the people he teaches and mentors. He does not simply transmit knowledge; he changes the trajectory of his students by helping them see what they are capable of and giving them the tools and confidence to get there.” – Alexis Avery

Jirs Meuris, 35, is the V. Duane Rath Professor and an Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources at the Wisconsin School of Business. He currently serves as the faculty director for Leadership Skills within the school. He holds a courtesy appointment in the UW-Madison Department of Sociology and is an affiliate of the Institute for Diversity Science, Institute for Research on Poverty, and Center for Law, Society, and Justice.

His research, focusing on the role of the workplace in societal problems, has been published in leading academic journals such as the Academy of Management Annals, American Sociological Review, Organization Science, and Journal of Management. This work has received various awards including the Best Paper on Environmental and Social Practices (AOM OMT division), Best Conference Paper (AOM HR Division), and Responsible Research in Management Award (RRBM).

He has been actively engaged in translating academic research for a broader audience with his research and thoughts published in outlets such as the Atlantic, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. He has been interviewed on TV (Channel 3000, NBC News) and radio (Marketplace, WPR) and appeared as a keynote speaker at events for various companies and associations.

Jirs currently teaches Leading Change in Organizations across the different MBA programs in the Wisconsin School of Business, a course focused on equipping students with the tools to lead under uncertainty.

BACKGROUND 

At current institution since what year? 2018 

Education: PhD in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management, University of Pittsburgh 

List of MBA/graduate business courses you currently teach: Leading Change in Organizations (FT MBA, Professional MBA, Exec MBA) 

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR 

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I had no intention of pursuing a PhD until a profound research experience during my master’s program. I had worked with an adjunct professor in the program who was a researcher at the Army Research Institute focused on reducing suicide among soldiers returning from deployment. That experience made me think “I want to do more of this”. I was interested in solving problems in society by thinking critically about how we structure workplaces and manage people within them. It motivated me to pursue a PhD and enter this profession.   

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I’m currently interested in understanding why most people don’t feel valued and respected at work and the implications of this for organizations and society. One major implication we’ve found is that people who don’t feel valued and respected at work are more cynical and less trusting of others, including their friends and neighbors. As a result, they are more likely to obtain firearms and view immigrants as more threatening. On the other side of the equation, I’ve developed a framework for understanding how managers can make the people on their team feel valued and respected at work, which has become an important part of my teaching. 

If I weren’t a business school professor… I likely would have become a police officer. My undergraduate degree was in criminology. I felt that’s the direction I was headed before shifting into this career path.  

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I’d like to say authenticity. I try to be genuine in the classroom, which I think gives students the ability to be themselves and share their viewpoints as well.  

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: You always have to be more prepared than everyone else. I remember sitting in class thinking how great it was for the professor who did not have to do these assignments. Sitting on the other side…how wrong I was!  

Professor I most admire and why: I’m inspired by the professors who excel at taking what we know and translating that into real practical insights such as Amy Edmondson, Adam Grant, Modupe Akinola, Dolly Chugh to name just a few. 

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? I enjoy having meaningful debates with students, whether we are discussing a case or a decision they made during a simulation. I also enjoy exposing students to different topics or settings than they might be accustomed to in the other parts of their MBA. Change is everywhere and we can learn something from every setting and population. I wear “being different” as a badge of honor. 

What is most challenging? I’m always looking to make the course better and more useful, which comes with a lot of experimentation. And sometimes, some cases or simulations do not achieve the goal that I thought it would. It’s challenging to try something new and accept that it might not go to plan. But hopefully it ends up creating something that students find worthwhile.  

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… Hopefully, fair.  

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM 

What are your hobbies? I try to keep active and have some personal fitness goal or record to strive towards. 

How will you spend your summer? I’m looking forward to watching the soccer (or football for the rest of the world) World Cup this summer. My next active goal is to train for a marathon so I’m hoping to return to my golden days of running.  

Favorite place(s) to vacation: We love to go to New York City – it’s been our most frequent place to visit and there’s always something exciting to do there. 

Favorite book(s): Most of my reading is work-related. I’m more often drawn to podcasts or YouTube shows outside of work to accommodate my limited vision.  

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I recently re-watched the three seasons of the Newsroom, which was such a great show. I enjoy all different kind of shows from Band of Brothers to Yellowstone. Same thing for movies. I can appreciate the full range from the mindless action movie to deep-thinking drama.  

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I listen to absolutely everything. It just depends on what’s happening.  

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS 

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… A greater focus on engaging externally with the challenges facing the world. There are so many challenges that society struggles with that connect directly to what is happening in businesses and organizations. I think business schools should put more emphasis on external engagement, whether that’s students, people in industry, or the media, to identify the problems to work on and translate what we know into actionable insights and solutions for people and organizations.  

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at…Managing change and uncertainty. In the current environment, so much is changing at an extremely quick pace. This can be a source of energy or anxiety, and the way many organizations and managers approach change tends to make people feel anxious rather than energized.  

I’m grateful for… the people who’ve helped me along the way. My wife, Armine, has been incredible as I’ve tried to carve my way through this career. I also have made some great friends in the profession that have been sources of support and laughter.  

 

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2026 ROSTER OF THE WORLD’S BEST 40-UNDER-40 GRADUATE BUSINESS PROFESSORS 

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