Scott Rick
Ross School of Business
University of Michigan
“Professor Rick is absolutely fantastic at creating an engaging environment for his business students. A behavioral scientist by trade, Professor Rick would engage us in discussions that helped us understand the theory behind marketing with practical and psychological examples we see every day in the world. While his published articles are certainly interesting, his commitment to teaching us through real world examples and practice accompanied by chapters from his excellent book, excerpts from podcasts and video appearances, and interesting group work ensured that he meets his students where they are at and gives them the tools to succeed.
“I began as a pre-med student and took his class as part of my business minor, and it completely changed my trajectory. I now work in consulting with a focus on marketing transformation, and am proud to have been nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30 for my work in marketing, a passion that was only discovered in Professor Rick’s class. His influence on his students cannot be overstated, by far the best professor I had at Ross, and a huge reason I am where I am today!” – Maya Shankar
Scott Rick, 45, is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He holds a PhD in Behavioral Decision Research from Carnegie Mellon, where he was a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow.
His research focuses on money, relationships, and happiness. In 2024, his work on tightwads and spendthrifts was named one of the top 100 Big Ideas in the 100-year history of Michigan Ross.
He has published research in premier journals spanning marketing, psychology, economics, and neuroscience. He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
At Michigan Ross, he has won awards for both research and teaching, and he was a winner of the 2024 AMA-EBSCO-RRBM Annual Award for Responsible Research in Marketing. Rick’s research has been covered extensively in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and NPR.
His 2024 book, Tightwads and Spendthrifts: Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships, was published by St. Martin’s Press and has been translated into multiple languages.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2009
Education: BA in Economics, University of Houston; PhD in Behavioral Decision Research, Carnegie Mellon University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Marketing Management
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I’ve always been fascinated with spending, saving, and shopping decisions. I began doing research on these areas in graduate school. I was in an interdisciplinary PhD program (mostly covering economics and psychology), but I soon realized the most interesting and relevant research was coming out of the marketing field. I knew I had to make the switch!
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? When talking with people about my book, I often got questions about the wisdom of prenuptial agreements. I found it difficult to offer definitive guidance, as there has been shockingly little research into the experiences of couples who have a prenup. At the same time, I’ve learned that a lot of people have very strong opinions about the types of couples who get prenups, and how prenups influence relationships. Given this mix of strong feelings and scarce data, I knew I had to investigate the relationship dynamics of creating and living with a prenup. I’ll have much more to say on this soon, once we’re ready to share the paper, but the basic conclusion that’s emerging is that prenups can actually help strong couples become even stronger.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … possibly a journalist or detective – other professions that involve collecting data, solving mysteries, and telling a story.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? Someone recently asked Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto about the team’s chances in the 2025 playoffs. His memorable response was that “Losing is not an option.” (A couple of weeks later, he was named World Series MVP.) I think Yamamoto’s mindset has some applicability to how I approach content development for my classes. Going into the classroom with lackluster material is simply not an option. The material must be as relevant, rigorous, timely, and interesting as possible. When I’m confident the content’s strong, it’s easy to walk into class feeling energized — and that enthusiasm can be contagious.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Suboptimal!
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: There are so many different types of teaching styles that can work well! Definitely be open to advice and guidance from multiple perspectives, but don’t feel like you need to mimic anyone else’s style.
Professor I most admire and why: That would have to be my PhD advisor, the incomparable George Loewenstein. He’s a brilliant observer of human nature, and he has the most creative mind in behavioral science.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Generally speaking, they are a smart, energetic, fun, and optimistic group. What’s not to like?
What is most challenging? Navigating grade-related anxieties is always a big challenge. The anxieties are totally understandable, but they sometimes get in the way of diving deeper into the material.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Curious
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Noncooperative (can really derail a group project!)
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … Careful and fair
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I am a bit of a collector of all things pop culture. Come by my office to see my Leslie Nielsen autographed headshot!
How will you spend your summer? I don’t have it all mapped out just yet, but I hope and assume it will involve lots of baseball (our kids’ games and some MLB games).
Favorite place(s) to vacation: For me, it’s hard to beat New York City!
Favorite book(s): I love a juicy memoir. A recent favorite is Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D’ by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina. The audio version is a real treat.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? Severance! It’s probably the closest we’ll get to a fourth season of Twin Peaks.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? We recently got a new Subaru, which came with a free trial of Sirius. I must say I’ve really been enjoying TikTok Radio. Enough to subscribe? We’ll see!
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … More statistical literacy. Students need to understand when they’re being misled by data analyses (and when they’re misleading themselves).
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … I’ll borrow a line from Kate Trumbull, Global CMO of Domino’s, who recently spoke to our Marketing Management students: “Get speeding tickets, not parking tickets.” The basic idea is that informed risk-taking generally beats cautious inertia.
I’m grateful for … The thousands of wonderful Ross students I’ve gotten a chance to know over the years, including everyone who sent in a nomination for this recognition. Thank you, and Go Blue!
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