Hillel J. Einhorn Excellence in Teaching Award in the Graduate School of Business

Professors Raymond Ball, Sanjay Dhar and Kevin Rock have each received the 2008 Hillel J. Einhorn Excellence in Teaching Award for their courses in the Executive M.B.A. Program at the Graduate School of Business.

A vote of graduating students on campuses in London, Singapore and Chicago determined the award.

Ball, who is the Sidney Davidson Professor of Accounting in the GSB, received the award for teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program, Europe. Dhar, the James H. Lorie Professor of Marketing in the GSB, was chosen for his teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program, Asia. Rock, Clinical Professor of Finance in the GSB, was honored for teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program, North America.

The Hillel J. Einhorn award recognizes those qualities that make a teacher outstanding: selecting interesting and important material, making the class sessions interesting and engaging, and managing the class effectively and fairly.

In the Executive M.B.A. Program, Ball teaches Financial Accounting, an introduction to financial statements and the financial reporting process from a user’s perspective. Students learn how a firm’s economic transactions are reported in the financial statements and related disclosures.

“This class was a joy to teach,” Ball said. “The classroom buzzed with questions every day, the students worked hard and there was never a dull moment. It always is immensely rewarding to see how much the students learn and grow in this program, and for me, the Hillel Einhorn Award is just icing on the cake.”

Dhar, who teaches Marketing Management, said teaching in the Executive M.B.A. Program is exciting because it blends academic rigor with real-world events. “Concepts and frameworks are tested almost instantaneously with the experiences of seasoned practitioners from around the globe,” he said.

Rock, who also won this award in 2007, teaches Cases in Financial Analysis, which focuses on investment banking. He also teaches Corporation Finance, which covers research and development funding, mergers and acquisitions, the valuation of financial institutions, real estate and initial public offerings of auctions.

“Hillel Einhorn was a teacher of mine; in fact, he taught the last course I took for credit at the University of Chicago—so this award has a special significance for me,” Rock said. “Hillel was a formative teacher, and I can only hope I do his example justice.”

Ball received a Ph.D. in economics and an M.B.A. from Chicago, and a B.Com in accounting with a University Medal from the University of New South Wales. He also received a Doctor Honoris Causa from Helsinki School of Economics, Katholieke University Leuven and the University of Queensland.

Dhar received a Ph.D. in management and a C. Phil. in management from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also received an M.B.A. and a B.Tech with honors from the Indian Institute of Management.

Rock has a Ph.D., M.A. and M.B.A. from Chicago, and a B.A. from Harvard University.

In 1987, the graduating students of the Executive M.B.A. Program established the award to honor Einhorn, who taught a Behavioral Science course in the program. A pioneer in behavioral decision research, Einhorn died in 1987 from Hodgkin’s disease.