Undergraduate/MBA Teaching

I currently teach the introductory Managerial Microeconomics at the McCombs School of Business; this class is required for all entering MBA students. The goal of this course is to help managers use game theory and other tools from microeconomics to think strategically about business decisions. Topics include decision theory, risk aversion, competitive markets, price discrimination, market entry, and adverse selection.

The course is case-based: For each session, students are expected to familiarize themselves with both the concept to be understood as well as a real-world business dilemma. Thus, students are required to not only grasp the underlying principles but also to apply those principles to formulate successful strategies. I have been placed on the Faculty Honor Roll a number of times for my “outstanding performance and exceptional commitment to teaching.”

A syllabus for this course may be found here. A sample slide deck may be found here, the associated in-class exercises may be found here and here, and the accompanying case may be found here.

In the past, I have taught courses on managing the political, social, and legal environment that firms operate in. In particular, these courses have provided guidance on media relations, interacting with non-governmental organizations and other interest groups, and understanding political processes in the United States and elsewhere. These courses have also discussed legal strategy, including antitrust compliance and the legal environment for international trade. The key idea of these courses is to use the same strategic principles—e.g., game theory—that students use to navigate more traditional business challenges to formulate successful strategies in the regulatory and legal environments that firms inhabit. Topics included merger analysis by antitrust authorities, strategic use of intellectual property protection, and defenses to hostile takeover attempts.

PhD Teaching

I am currently developing a class on market design for the Department of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. This course focuses on the theory and practice of designing matching markets, auctions, and other institutions for exchange. The goal of the course is to not only provide a solid grounding in the field of market design but also to encourage students to make their own contributions in this field.

I have also taught a Ph.D. course on the foundations of political economy, covering social choice theory, the theory of elections, and standard models of lobbying.

PhD Advising

I have played a substantial role in mentoring four students while completing their Ph.D.:

  1. Scott Duke Kominers, now an Associate Professor at Harvard Business School;

  2. Katrina Kosec, now a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute;

  3. Clayton Featherstone, now an Assistant Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania;

  4. Luke P. Rodgers, now an Assistant Professor at Florida State University.