Four Harvard Business School Faculty Members Receive Class of 2025 Faculty Teaching Award Honors
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BOSTON—Students from the Harvard Business School (HBS) graduating class of 2025 honored four faculty members with Faculty Teaching Awards. Rawi Abdelal, Edward (Ted) Berk, Meg Rithmire, and Andy Wu were recognized for their excellence and dedication to teaching, and for the positive impact they had both in and out of the classroom. Students were asked to identify professors who have enhanced their learning experience and to reflect on which best demonstrated the following six criteria in both their Required Curriculum (RC) first year and Elective Curriculum (EC) second year:
“As we prepare to graduate and carry out HBS’s inspiring vision of becoming ‘leaders who make a difference in the world,’ every member of the Class of 2025 carries with them the imprint of a faculty member who transformed their HBS journey,” said Jordan Thomas and Sarah Zia, 2025 Class Day Committee co-chairs. “Sometimes it was a breakthrough moment in the classroom—a framework or idea that reshaped how we see the world. Other times, it was the generous mentorship, the doors opened, or the encouragement offered at just the right time. This year’s Faculty Teaching Award recipients exemplify what it means to teach with purpose, passion, and humanity. We are honored to recognize their extraordinary impact on the Class of 2025.”  Professor Rawi Abdelal
Rawi Abdelal (RC), the Herbert F. Johnson Professor of International Management and the Emma Bloomberg Co-chair, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, is also a part of the Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE) Unit. This is the third Faculty Teaching Award for Abdelal, whose “ability to command the attention and interest of students in the classroom is exceptional,” said one student. “He made BGIE a favorite class to look forward to, by creating intense and deep philosophical discussion on the cases. He also shared his valuable insights and reflections to wrap up each class, bringing an element of transparency and human vulnerability to his mastery in economics.” Abdelal’s compassion and caring for his students were mentioned on several nominations. “Rawi changed my life,” one student declared. “His commitment to teaching and the effort he put in created a class environment that allowed us to ponder the biggest questions. His personal care for students gave me the confidence to take risks and push myself to my limits.” “Professor Abdelal does not just teach BGIE—he has a way of influencing the way you think about the world. His dedication to making us better world citizens is what makes his teaching special,” another student explained. “Some educators teach you skills or facts—Rawi changed the way I think about the world,” read one nomination. “Beyond macroeconomics and policy, Rawi connected our classroom learnings to humanity, literature, and music. In increasingly complex times, I'm grateful for the lenses he gave us to understand the world and keep asking good questions.  Senior Lecturer Edward Berk
Edward (Ted) Berk (RC), a senior lecturer in the finance unit, is being named a Faculty Teaching Award recipient for the fifth time, and his preparation and passion, among other traits, drew rave reviews from students. “His classes felt inclusive for everyone from the former PE associate to the person who had never touched a P&L before,” a student said. “He made class fun and informative and we are all better off from being in his classroom.” “He pushes students to think beyond obvious case facts and consider the ‘why’ behind business decisions,” an additional student noted. “He makes the extra effort to create additional slides and recaps that are genuinely helpful and demonstrates clear passion for the topic and care for his students.” “His teaching reframed finance not just as a technical discipline, but as a powerful tool to drive positive change,” a student explained. “He exemplifies what it means to teach with both rigor and heart.” One student went so far as to say, “Lecturer Berk is the best teacher that I have had in my entire academic career. He is brilliant, meticulously prepared, incites and manages classroom discussion better than anyone else. He can communicate complex concepts in very clear, concise and digestible verbiage.”  Professor Meg Rithmire
Meg Rithmire (EC), the James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration in the Business, Government and the International Economy Unit, a three-time faculty teaching award recipient, was recognized by students as having the ability to get the most out of her students and to explain challenging issues. “Professor Rithmire is just phenomenal. Every class was like a ping pong tournament, where my mind was getting bent between contradicting points that she was able to evoke from the class,” one student noted. “Her class gave me a structurally different way of thinking, which has made me a better business practitioner, but also a better citizen and consumer of the news.” “She is so good at unpacking complex topics, engaging the whole class on nuanced issues, and giving us a better understanding of the world we live in,” another added. “Professor Rithmire holds an incredibly high bar for class participation and gives the class the pushes and tools needed to reach it—truly an exceptional experience,” a student remarked. “She is also incredibly generous with sharing her latest research and work to improve our understanding of the world as future business leaders.” “In a school year with so much volatility and uncertainty, Professor Rithmire gave it to us completely straight. She’s fearless, one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and challenges her students to think deeper about their positions,” summarized another student.  Associate Professor Andy Wu
Andy Wu (EC), the Arjun and Minoo Melwani Family Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit, a first-time faculty teaching award recipient, was honored for his energy and enthusiasm, as well as the way he made the classroom experience joyous. “Professor Wu is the perfect combination of professionalism, sharpness, and knowledge, with engagement and high energy. His teaching has been insightful, enriching, clear, and valuable. He puts his heart and soul into it, always updating the content to keep it relevant to the latest trends. Thank you, Andy!” a student exclaimed. “This was the class I learned the most from EC year. Professor Wu came to class with fantastic energy every day, making it feel like a fun, collaborative, and innovative community within HBS,” a student echoed. “He was incredibly well-planned with an excellent mix of cases, and very helpful and relevant takeaways.” “Andy brings humor, joy, and a contagious enthusiasm to his class. Through creative role-playing and dynamic discussions, he pushes students to step out of their comfort zones and engage deeply with the future of technology and strategic decision-making,” another student wrote in their nomination. “His ability to make complex topics both fun and intellectually challenging leaves a lasting impact well beyond the classroom. Andy’s teaching is a masterclass in how to inspire, entertain, and elevate all at once‚ making him richly deserving of a Faculty Teaching Award.” “Andy Wu is the most engaging, energetic, and unapologetically opinionated professor I've had at HBS. We don't always get to hear the opinions of our world-class professors because more time is allocated to hearing from our fellow students. Professor Wu honors the case method, but he always makes sure to share his research and his very well-informed opinions for each class,” said a student. |
Mark Cautela
mcautela+hbs.edu
617-495-5143
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