2007 Hillel J. Einhorn Excellence in Teaching Award

Three Graduate School of Business professors, Federico Bandi, Kevin Rock and Lars Stole—who teach GSB Executive M.B.A. students at the business school’s international campuses—have received the 2007 Hillel J. Einhorn Excellence in Teaching Award.

In 1987, the graduating Executive M.B.A. Program class established the award to honor Einhorn, a professor of behavioral science at the GSB. Einhorn, who had taught a Behavioral Science course to Executive M.B.A. students, died from Hodgkins disease.

The award was created to recognize those qualities that make a teacher outstanding: selecting interesting and important material; making the class sessions interesting and engaging; and managing the class in an effective and fair manner. The award is determined by a vote of the Executive M.B.A. Program graduating class.

Bandi, Associate Professor of Econometrics and Statistics, received the award for teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program, Europe. Rock, Clinical Professor of Finance, was honored for teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program, North America. Stole, the Eli B. and Harriet B. Williams Professor of Economics, was chosen for his teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program, Asia.

In the Executive M.F.A. program, Bandi teaches Business Statistics—the theoretical statistical foundations behind effective data analysis. Students learn how to use available information to make more informed business decisions.

“I teach topics that are often perceived as being dry and somewhat intimidating,” said Bandi. “My main efforts are devoted to de-mystifying the subject matter. I try to simplify concepts and build intuitions without ‘cutting corners.’ In the process, I strongly encourage interaction in the classroom.”

For Rock, receiving the Einhorn Award is especially meaningful. “Hillel was a former professor of mine, whom I respected and admired very much,” he said.

Rock teaches Cases in Financial Management, which focuses on investment banking. Additionally, he teaches Advanced Topics in Corporate Finance, which covers research and development financing structures, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, the valuation and management of financial institutions, real estate contracts and derivatives, and initial public offerings of auctions.

“The students have a broad array of business experiences that enlighten and enliven the case discussions,” added Rock.

Stole, who teaches Microeconomics, describes his course as applying time-tested ideas from microeconomics to guide decisions and predictions in a changing business environment.

“The award is a confirmation that the ideas of Chicago Price Theory and the way in which we teach microeconomics at the University of Chicago is valuable,” said Stole.

He added, “I particularly enjoy the exchanges I have with my students, and bringing current economic theory to real-world situations the students present. Their feedback on the real-world application of these ideas is also useful for my own research on economics.”

Bandi earned a Laurea summa cum laude in Economics in 1994 and an M.A. in Economics in 1995 from Bocconi University, Milan. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University in 1999.

Rock earned a B.A. from Harvard University in 1974, and an M.B.A. in 1980, an M.A. in 1981, and a Ph.D. in 1982 from Chicago.

Stole earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1985, an M.S. from the London School of Economics in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1991.