University of Chicago Booth School of Business teaching awards

Five members of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business have been honored with teaching awards for 2011: Alan Bester, Associate Professor of Econometrics and Statistics; Matthew Bothner, Adjunct Associate Professor of Organizations and Strategy; Ronald Burt, the Hobart W. Williams Professor of Sociology and Strategy; Linda Ginzel, Clinical Professor of Managerial Psychology; and Lubos Pastor, the Charles P. McQuaid Professor of Finance.

Pastor received the McKinsey Award for Excellence in Teaching, established in 1979 by McKinsey and Company. 

Bester received the Emory Williams Award for Teaching Excellence from students in the full-time, evening and weekend MBA programs.

Bothner received two awards for his course in the executive MBA program. Graduating students at the Singapore and London campuses voted separately to give him the Hillel J. Einhorn Excellence in Teaching Award. Students in the executive MBA program on the Chicago campus selected Burt as another Hillel J. Einhorn Award winner.

Ginzel received the Faculty Excellence Award from students in the evening MBA and weekend MBA programs.

“It is a great pleasure to teach students at Booth,” said Pastor, winner of the McKinsey Award. “They are intellectually curious and always ready to be challenged; what else can I ask for?”

Pastor teaches courses in investments and portfolio management. He joined the Chicago Booth faculty in 1999, after receiving a PhD in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  

The Emory Williams Award, given this year to Bester, recognizes accessibility to students, and enthusiasm and innovation in teaching. He teaches courses in business statistics and previously won the award in 2006. Bester also received the Booth Faculty Excellence Award in 2008.

Bothner, winner of the Hillel J. Einhorn Award at the London and Singapore campuses, was honored by EMBA students for his course in strategic leadership, while Burt received the same award for his EMBA course in strategic leadership taught at the Chicago campus.

“It was a real privilege to teach executive MBA students in London and Singapore,” Bothner said. “The depth of their questions and comments in our case discussions was remarkable, and I am especially grateful for their character and hard work in finishing the program on such a strong note.”

Students in the evening MBA and weekend MBA programs selected Ginzel as winner of the Faculty Excellence Award. The award honors those faculty members who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to teaching. Ginzel teaches Strategy and Processes of Negotiations, and the Practice of Leadership in Business.

“At Booth, which is so well known for economics and finance, it is especially gratifying to be acknowledged by our students for teaching the topics of negotiations and leadership,” said Ginzel, a member of the Chicago Booth faculty since 1992.