The Favorite Business Professors Of The Class Of 2024

“My favorite professor has to be Thomas Godwin, my instructor for Tax Accounting. Taxes are known for being boring and complicated, which is usually a recipe for disaster for a course. Professor Godwin was passionate, and he made me look forward to class every week. His lectures were full of information, but were easy to follow. At the same time, he was extremely fair and understanding in the way he structured the homework and the exams. I could tell that he cared about each of his students, and every time I went to office hours, he would gladly explain each topic in as many ways as it took for me to understand.”
Maria Falk, Purdue University (Daniels)

I am blessed to have taken many incredible and experienced professors during my time at the University of Richmond. While a difficult decision, I must choose the professor that first set me on the path I am on. Dr. Ashley Austin has deep passions for accounting and teaching, both passions she has instilled in me over the last three years. She recognized my knack for accounting after I had written it off as a major and illustrated the doors that would open if I were to pursue accounting. Her infectious energy was convincing enough that I changed majors and am in the position I am so grateful to be in today. She is dedicated to her students’ successes inside and outside of the classroom while always keeping it fun and positive by playing music before lectures, passing out candy with her two young children during finals, and organizing events for accounting students. I am lucky to have been able to take three of her classes and appreciate all that she has done to help me reach my academic and professional goals.”
Foster Lyman, University of Richmond (Robins)

“My favorite professor is Professor Kenneth Freeman. As a member of the Road to Wall Street Program, we are required to take an Overview of Finance for Wall Street class taught by him. Throughout the class, we were not only taught basic finance concepts, but he would also teach us soft skills that were extremely important in the workforce. We would have industry leaders come in to talk to us about their experiences and would be tested to see if we were paying attention and to assess our attention to detail. This helped me become a better listener, which translated into my personal and professional life. Professor Freeman has also been an amazing support system for me as I always come to him before making any important career choice.”
Chidinma Chigozie-Nwosu, Rutgers Business School

“My favorite business professor is Matt Gore. While not even an Aggie himself, Matt decided to come to TAMU to teach about venture capital after reaching great success in the industry. Matt’s goal is to open all areas of venture capital to Aggies and to help us think bigger than the conventional business career route. Because of him, Aggie Venture Fund was the most fun, real-world, and educational course I’ve taken at Texas A&M. His class certainly opened my eyes to a lot of career paths I’ve never considered. Matt stays connected to his students and I know he’s always in my corner.”
Isaiah Thomas, Texas A&M (Mays)

“Last semester, I was fortunate to have Tarun Patel as a professor of International Finance. Professor Patel could seamlessly command the classroom and held his students to high standards. His class was incredibly engaging, as he would incorporate many real-world examples into his lectures. Professor Patel made complex concepts digestible and memorable. Near the end of the class, Professor Patel taught us that there is one “currency” that is inherently more valuable than any other, one that we exchange, measure, standardize, store, and save: time. I admired his ability to not only educate students on the material, but also his commitment to instilling valuable and applicable skills.”
Lydia Garrett, Southern Methodist University (Cox)

“Without a doubt, Dr. Chad Proell, my Fundamentals of Accounting professor, has dramatically impacted both my academic and personal aspirations, and instilled in me a love for learning. Dr. Proell’s classroom was characterized by three things: classic rock blasting over the speakers as we entered class each day, the building blocks of what Dr. Proell called “a new language,” and an underlying sense of dread as we anticipated the inevitable cold call that Dr. Proell would famously bestow.

What set Dr. Proell apart, however, was his deep desire to see his students understand the why behind the accounting system, rather than to memorize debits and credits. I spent many hours sweating over his exams, and some nights were filled with tears as I struggled to balance my books. However, Dr. Proell took my hardest class of college and made it my favorite. His energy, passion, and creativity captivated our class, despite the historically dull and challenging subject matter. I have gotten to know Dr. Proell outside of the classroom as well, over many cups of coffee and our favorite slices of pie in Fort Worth. He is equally as invested in his students’ well-being as he is our academic success.

Every class, Dr. Proell encouraged us to “know what you know” and be willing to recognize the gaps in your own learning. He fostered an environment of collaboration and grit, pushing my class to study together, to learn from each other, and to use what we did know to help those around us. Because of his impact, I have learned to know what I know in every area of my life and express my vulnerabilities as opportunities to grow and learn from others. I am grateful for the impact Dr. Proell has left not only on myself, but my peers as well, throughout the course of our time at TCU.”
Lauren Grace Perry, Texas Christian University (Neeley)

“Professor Myke Yest is the reason I am a finance major. He meets every student where they are at and sparks the curiosity and problem-solving skills we all need to succeed. I remember my first course with him, Introduction to Financial Management, when my classmates perpetually bombarded him with our questions about the time value of money, the operations of the stock market, and many more topics. I could tell that Professor Yest (or ‘Profe’ as we like to call him) was excited by our willingness to engage with the topic. Beyond that class, his leadership, dedication to improvement, and personal character have been important examples for me throughout my time at Tulane.”
Raleigh Kreis, Tulane University (Freeman)

“Peter Molloy (UGBA 195P – Entrepreneurship: How to Successfully Start a New Business). Professor Molloy was one of my first classes after getting accepted to Haas in my junior year. To date, he has been my favorite business professor because, as an experienced entrepreneur, he made sure his curriculum brought every student through the explicit and tangible steps it takes to found, build, and successfully run a business. At the end of the course, he organized a pitch competition as our final exam. Here, we got the opportunity to present start-up company ideas to real-life investors. We took concepts we brainstormed at the very beginning of the course and applied our knowledge to them throughout the entire course to craft a business plan dedicated to making our dreams come true. Other professors have taught me much about the world (both theoretical and practical) – yet Professor Molloy holds a special place in my educational career for the way he intrinsically shaped my intuition and passion for pure entrepreneurship.”
Jacob Williams, UC Berkeley (Haas)

“Professor Michael Paranal has been my favorite business professor. I had the luck of taking BUAD 280 Introduction to Financial Accounting with him. Professor Paranal carefully explained each topic so that we could understand the language of business, yet also challenged us with advanced coursework and connected each lecture to recent real-world business news to ensure our future success in the workforce. More importantly, Professor Paranal was active in supporting our careers outside of the classroom. He created a new mentorship program, Guiding Exceptional Minds to Success (GEMS), and invited his students to apply. In this program, I got the opportunity to learn about businesses by visiting the offices of companies such as SpaceX, while I was also paired with a mentor who has shared invaluable life and professional advice. Professor Paranal was pivotal in laying a foundation for later business success and for allowing me to connect with mentors that guided my path.”
Alfonso Aguilar Vazquez, USC (Marshall)

“Dr. Stephen Liedtka teaches Financial Accounting and other accounting courses, but students leave his classroom with much more than accounting knowledge. I first had Dr. Liedtka during my freshman year, and he was a major factor in solidifying my interest in business. He bridged the six-foot divide during COVID better than anyone I know by bringing in almost unbelievable real-life experiences and endless energy to notoriously dry accounting principles. No professor’s sections fill up quicker than Dr. Liedtka’s, and he truly dedicates his life to his students.

I vividly remember frequently seeing Dr. Liedtka leaving Bartley, our business building, much past sunset after endless “Accounting Fans” attended his office hours for accounting questions, mentorship, updates on the basketball team, and anything in-between. He is known around Villanova for taking students out to the fancy restaurant on campus to catch up, and everyone wants to be friends with Dr. Liedtka. I am so grateful to have been in two of Dr. Liedtka’s courses, but I am even more grateful that so many other Villanova students in the past and in the future can do the same. Dr. Liedtka is certainly the epitome of what makes Villanova special.”
Elizabeth Vaughn, Villanova University

“My favorite business professor is Professor Peter Brockway. In addition to being incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in the Private Equity industry, he is a great man and role model. What sets him apart is his genuine investment in students’ success. Something that stood out to me in his class versus others was his willingness to open up his contacts to us by bringing them in as guest speakers so that we could learn from field experts. Something else that sets Professor Brockway apart from other professors is his unique ability to get the classroom involved. He uses the Socratic method. In each class, we were challenged to think critically and contribute to the class discussion. By doing this, we not only learned from Professor Brockway and his esteemed guest speakers, but also from our peers. Another by-product of this student engagement was our class becoming more of a cohort and our relationships developing outside of the classroom. The relationships I made with my classmates in Professor Brockway’s class are those that I will take with me into my professional career.”
Pirmin Christian Brechbühl, Wake Forest University

“It has been a privilege to learn from many intelligent, accomplished and passionate faculty members at Olin, but Professor Kabir Dutta had an especially significant impact on my WashU experience. When I signed up for his Advanced Financial Management course, I remember not being too thrilled about the 4:00 to 5:20 p.m. class time because I prefer morning classes. After the first few weeks of the semester, it was the class I most looked forward to attending. The first thing that stood out to me about Professor Dutta was the effort he put into getting to know each and every one of his students. He consistently took time before or after class to ask about our hometowns, families, extracurriculars, and career interests. Beyond establishing a connection with his students, Professor Dutta is a fantastic teacher and mentor. He simplified abstract course concepts by explaining them through his own anecdotes from working in the finance industry. He cultivated a comfortable classroom environment in which my classmates and I were excited to participate and not afraid to get questions wrong. Professor Dutta is exactly the type of professor who drew me to Olin in the first place. I would definitely recommend his class!”
Jeanette Smith, Washington University (Olin)

“Professor Corrine Low. Professor Low embodies pedagogical excellence, seamlessly blending profound knowledge with a nurturing approach. Professor Low’s commitment to fostering a communal learning experience is unparalleled. I remember the first moments of Professor Low’s Economics of Diversity class, which included a well-orchestrated effort to establish class norms and delineate intellectual and personal aspirations. It was evident then that Professor Low’s teaching transcended mere instruction. Her ability to cultivate an environment where every voice is valued, and every mind engaged is truly remarkable. Such traits are admirable and indispensable in a business school setting, where cultivating diverse perspectives and fostering inclusive dialogue are paramount to developing future leaders capable of navigating complex global challenges with empathy and acumen.”
Xavier Shankle, Wharton School

“Moses Altsech. There are the reasons why you come to a university (the campus, the student life, the city) and there are the reasons you stay. Moses Altsech is the reason you stay. Moses Altsech is one-of-a-kind. Moses is a leader, an innovator, and an inspiration to his students. Moses’ students leave his classes with a heightened sense of purpose, a new mentor, and the motivation and energy to go out into the business world and be the best leaders. Professors like Moses are hard to come by. There aren’t many professors who can keep students so engaged and eager to learn, let alone at 8 A.M. Classes taught by Moses are the ones that get you excited about your future career and that you tell all of your friends about once class is out.”
Emily Slaven, University of Wisconsin

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