Charlie Hannigan
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
“Professor Hannigan is absolutely everything you need in a professor. Every morning he came in with high energy and made each individual student feel heard and welcomed. He would personally greet me every single morning and would ask about my studies. Not only did he show he cared about his students, but he also taught in an amazing way. He took a rigorous subject like Statistics and made it fun to learn. I am proud of the amount I learned in that class, and I know it wouldn’t have been possible without Professor Hannigan.” – Andrew Akhverdyan
Charlie Hannigan, 30, is an Assistant Professor in the Data Sciences and Operations department at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
He was awarded the Golden Apple Teaching Award in 2024 by USC’s undergraduate student body for his Applied Business Statistics and Operations Management courses.
His research applies machine learning and structural estimation models to jail and judiciary systems to increase efficiency and reduce injustice. He is also concerned with people’s utility over time, and how that utility influences their choices and system dynamics. Charlie has earned a BS in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas, and his MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2022
Education: Ph.D., MBA, The University of Chicago; BS Mathematics, The University of Texas at Dallas
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Applied Business Statistics, Operations Management
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I fell in love with math when I was studying in undergrad, but all of my extra-curriculars were about policy. When I was getting close to graduating, I used to say that “I wanted to use math to help people” or “analyze policy” but I really didn’t know how to pull that off, until I talked to my good friend, Blair Flicker, who was a Ph.D. student in Operations at the time. He suggested the field might be a perfect fit, and it was! As far as being a teacher, I’ve loved serving that role in people’s lives since I was a camp counselor back in high school.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I’m looking into criminal justice systems, specifically regarding people who are incarcerated during their trial’s adjudication longer than their eventual sentence. This happens to thousands of people each year in the country, amounting to many thousands of excess years spent in jail for those detainees.
Some clever math can potentially help detangle this issue. It turns out, defendants may be incentivized to intentionally delay their case. We use structural estimation methods to measure these incentives, then see if we can change the system such that detainees are no longer incentivized to delay.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … a Park Ranger in Glacier National Park. It’s heaven on earth up there.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I care about my students, and I think they feel that. I teach math—which tends to freak people out—so I work hard to make sure students know that they’re safe, that they’re going to survive their tough math course for the semester, and that they might even have some fun along the way.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Nervous!
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: How varied my students’ interests are. In other disciplines students tend to be much more specialized. But business schools cover a wide range of students, who are interested in all sorts of careers once they graduate. And because of that, they have really different needs in the classroom.
Professor I most admire and why: Victor Worsfold, who passed in 2013. He was a funny old Scot, who took time out of his day, even in poor health, to meet with students. He treated me like an adult with ideas worth listening to even though I was just a young undergrad and was starting to think deeply for the first time.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? I love their drive. My students come to me with business ideas, life plans, interview preps, and product prototypes every week. They are tireless. And that energy is infectious. It’s easy to bring energy into the classroom when they bring so much from their end.
What is most challenging? I think my students’ drive can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, they’re focused: they pick a life goal, like investment banking, or consulting, and throw everything they can into succeeding in that space. On the other hand, that single-minded focus sometimes blinds students to other opportunities they might have gotten excited about if they gave them a chance. I’ve seen so many students, after a summer internship or two, realize that the career they thought was their end-all-be-all wasn’t a great fit. It’s challenging to give advice to students who are so focused like this.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Eager.
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Apathetic.
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … On their side. I try to tell them exactly how they’ll be graded, so we’re working together against the material, instead of against each other.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? Indoors, I play chess, Dungeons and Dragons, and video games. Outdoors, I like long distance backpacking and camping with my lovely wife, Katie, and cute dog, Smiley.
How will you spend your summer? This summer will be a busy one — we’ve got our first kid on the way!
Favorite place(s) to vacation: National Parks for big trips — Mount Rainier, Yellowstone, and Glacier are top picks. Nearby, we like to camp near Lake Arrowhead.
Favorite book(s): I reread “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser every year — you’ll fall in love with him by the end! For fun books, I’m a big fan of “Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss. But be careful. The trilogy is addicting, and only two of the three books have been released.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I love the Miyazaki film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” It’s a movie about growing up, and the kindness of strangers around you. In my life, I’ve been surrounded by kind people, and I like that this movie celebrates that feeling.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I like rock from the 80’s and 90’s and musicals! A few years ago, I was in the top 1% of Bo Burnham’s fans on my Spotify Wrapped — I like music with a great tune and cool meaning behind the lyrics.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … I worry that I’ll scare my students off if I say this, but… open ended mathematical problem solving. I think most mathematicians think about math creatively, but we teach things relatively rigidly: with definite correct answers to very bounded problems. Really, math is most useful when it’s used to understand the world’s open-ended and complex problems. Logical reasoning, building ideas atop other ideas, and proving your case are the tools of math and of business.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … Rewarding their employees for good work with rapid promotion and increased pay. It’s become widely-recognized advice that to increase their pay employees should not be loyal to their companies. They should make frequent, diagonal moves. But, I think that paradigm won’t pay off for employers in the long-term. Search and training costs for new employees are high, and small pay increases demotivate their most loyal employees. Instead, companies should identify and develop talent within, and attempt to secure them for the long-term.
I’m grateful for … My fantastic students. I don’t know everyone who nominated me, but thank you to the ones that told me: Adam, Akshay, Andrew, Andy, Ani, Aryana, Ashley, Athena, Briana, Candace, Case, Chase, Diana, Gabe, Hollis, Irina, Izabayo, Jasmijn, Javier, Jett, Josh, Keller, Koichiro, Lauren, Lucero, Manny, Masha, Mateo, Max, Maximo, Mckenzie, Mustafa, Nicholas, Nicole, Noa, Paige, Peter, Raisa, Razi, Ryan, Sari, Sean, Shaleen, ShooShoo, Sophia, Thomas, Tony, Ty, Will, Yasmin, and Ziran. Y’all make me want to keep teaching for a long, long time.
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