Peter Rossi honored by the Graduate School of Business

A committee of Graduate School of Business deans, students and staff members has selected Peter Rossi, the Joseph T. Lewis Professor of Marketing and Statistics in the Graduate School of Business, as the recipient of the 2000 Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize for Exceptional Service.

Awarded once every two years, the Kelly Prize recognizes exceptional faculty service outside the standard areas of teaching and research. The award is named after Arthur Kelly, (M.B.A., ’64) a University Trustee and a former GSB Council member.

“Peter was chosen for his leadership, guidance and hard work in building the GSB’s marketing group,” said Robert Hamada, the Edward Eagle Brown Distinguished Service Professor and Dean of the GSB. He also was recognized for his efforts in faculty recruitment, executive education, course scheduling and fund raising, as well as his many years of service on the Faculty Policy Committee.

“There are many faculty here who have contributed a lot to the school, many highly qualified candidates for this award,” said Rossi.

But his achievements speak for themselves. After taking the helm of recruiting for the marketing group in 1996, the group changed its hiring strategy, concentrating on the strengths of the school, including its research focus and strong reputation in the basic disciplines of behavioral science, economics and statistics.

“We’ve taken the best-athlete approach to recruiting,” said Rossi. “We locate the best people and then figure out how to fit them in.”

As a result, the marketing group has succeeded in hiring quality junior and senior faculty. “I really feel we have the best group in marketing today,” said Rossi.

In addition, he has been an ardent supporter of nondegree executive education with an eye toward creating greater exposure for the GSB in the corporate community. The GSB offered marketing as its first nondegree course in the program.

Rossi also has been active in fund raising and played an important role in the establishment of the James M. Kilts Center for Marketing, which was founded this year with a gift from James Kilts (M.B.A. ’74), president and CEO of Nabisco Inc. and the Nabisco Foundation. The center supports research and curriculum development in marketing.

Rossi joined the GSB as a Visiting Assistant Professor in 1985, accepting a permanent position in 1986. He became an Associate Professor in 1990 and Professor in 1994. In 1997, he was named the Joseph T. Lewis Professor of Marketing in the GSB.

He received his B.A. in mathematics and history from Oberlin College in 1976. Both his M.B.A. in management science and his Ph.D. in econometrics were received from the GSB in 1980 and 1984, respectively.