This post doesn’t really apply to the majority of my readers, but after several conversations with fellow class mates, I figured I’d post up a list of recommended professors to point them to for summer/fall session planning. So, here’s my list of great professors in my program thus far:

Prof. Richard Bowen (ACCT 6202): I had Prof. Bowen for Managerial Accounting, and I thought he did an excellent job with organization, time management, and applicability. He explained the concepts with clarity, and his examples and test questions seemed like reasonable situations for managers to face. He didn’t try to “trick” us, but gave us challenging problems to illustrate the material. He also has first-hand insight into the Sarbanes-Oxley ramifications and the whistle-blower laws, which he’ll share with the class if you ask him. And, for an accountant, he’s actually a pretty humorous fellow, so the 4 hour class doesn’t seem so ridiculously long and boring.

Prof. Abhijit Biswas (MKT 6310): I took Consumer Behavior with Prof. Biswas during my first semester as an MBA student, and his class made me excited to be a grad student! He presents thought-provoking case studies and interesting statistics, and he makes everyone question their own behavior as a consumer. He reaches across a number of marketing fundamentals to show how each is relevant to consumer behavior, and he opens engaging class discussions. Every student that takes one of his classes recommends him and chooses to take him again. He teaches classes on all areas of marketing, and makes himself available to students for career advice, marketing ideas, and generally lending his wisdom to his students. He’s passionate about his subject, and his passion is contagious when he teaches. Most students find his exams to be pretty difficult, because he  requires you to remember a lot of details from the material.

Dr. John Wiorkowski (OPRE 6301): Dr. Wiorkowski is a great statistics professor! He made stats applicable to a variety of functional business areas, and used applicable scenarios. I liked that he understood that we needed a managerial base for stats, not a theory or PhD approach. Sometimes stats professors get so caught up in their own expertise, they forget that we don’t know (and for most of us, don’t care) what they’re talking about! Dr. Wiorkowski makes the material approachable and relevant, and he explains each concept in a logical, understandable manner. He also has some hilarious quotes, and keeps class pretty entertaining for a stats professor. His bow tie is his signature, so if you can’t remember his name, just look for the guy with bow tie!

Dr. Tracey Rockett (OB 6331): I took this Power and Politics class online, and I wish I’d had it in person. It’s a discussion-oriented class, so facilitation is much easier face to face. However, the information is sound, and Dr. Rockett presents some thought-provoking scenarios. The lectures, readings, and discussion boards were well-organized, and I enjoyed the articles and book requirements for this class.

Dr. Laurie Ziegler (OB 6332): Dr. Z is a passionate professor with a lot of interesting perspectives to offer. Her Negotiation and Dispute Resolution class focuses heavily on role playing and discussion, so I would recommend taking it in person. Her class forces you to take a look at your own biases and strategies when negotiating, and she keeps class lively with her own stories and discussion questions.

Prof. Scott Sanderson (FIN 6301): Prof. Sanderson is an excellent finance professor. He’s an adjunct, currently working in the real world, so he brings practical knowledge and scenarios into his examples. He does an excellent job explaining the historical and cultural significance of many of the concepts, so you understand why things are done, not just how. He uses several different types of examples to demonstrate the use of equations and logic, and he clearly explains a lot of complex ideas. His exams are straight-forward, and he keeps you until the end of class. He makes himself available to answer questions, and he genuinely wants his students to succeed.

Though some of the subject matter is not my favorite, I appreciate professors that use examples and test questions that we might actually face in a managerial situation. If you have the opportunity to take a class with any of the above professors, you won’t be disappointed!