faculty
Stats Stud Erich Studer-Ellis wins the 2012 PACCAR Award for Excellence in Teaching the models to situations they will certainly encounter after graduation. If the strategic decisions of business— and life—are increasingly driven by data analysis, Studer-Ellis is determined to send his students into this world expertly equipped. A big impression
His students call him “E-Stud,” a remarkably cool nickname, really, for a teacher of business statistics. But it’s a testament of deep affection and appreciation for the man who unlocks the secrets of a subject as esoteric as it is essential for students at the Foster School. Those students have selected Erich Studer-Ellis, a senior lecturer of quantitative methods, as the winner of the 2012 PACCAR Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Foster School’s highest teaching honor was established in 1998 by PACCAR Inc, the Fortune 200 global technology company based in Bellevue, WA. Studer-Ellis teaches the core statistics course to full-time and evening MBA students, as well as undergrads. His students laud his ability to simplify this highly technical subject. More significantly, perhaps, they describe him as a tireless and energetic advocate for statistical literacy in a world increasingly awash in “Big Data.” He seasons topics with examples that students can get their heads around—from the calculation of real estate values to the assessment of probability in a Megamillions lottery to the intrusion of evidence-based decisions in big-time sports (the Moneyball effect). And, once they’ve got it, he applies
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They seem to appreciate the effort. In nominating Studer-Ellis for the PACCAR Award, MBA students sang his praise repeatedly in lyrics such as passion, clarity and care. “Erich has taken what many see as a dull and dry subject and brought it new life and real world meaning,” wrote one student. “His passion for the subject material is evident and his commitment to delivering it in a way that is both accessible and exciting is really what makes him a great teacher.” Another noted that Studer-Ellis showed “real commitment to his teaching, has an amazing command of his subject matter and, most importantly, has the uniquely ‘E-Stud’ ability to make his subject come alive with his exciting, dynamic and challenging teaching.” “Makes statistics fun,” declared another. “Enough said.” Distinguished career
Studer-Ellis earned BS and MBA degrees in business economics and public policy at Indiana University, and a PhD in sociology at Duke University. He joined the Foster School in 2009 after nine years on faculty at the University of Maryland. There he served as teaching professor of management science and statistics from 2000-06 before being named Distinguished Ralph J. Tyser Teaching Fellow from 2006-09. Among his many teaching honors, Studer-Ellis received Maryland’s Allen J. Krowe Award for General Teaching Excellence in 2003 and 2007, and was recognized as a “Top Terp” in 2005. He
received Teaching Excellence Recognition from the Smith School of Business in 2002, 03, 05, and 09. And in 2006, BusinessWeek named him one of 23 “Favorite Professors” selected from across the nation. Crowning achievement
But the PACCAR Award eclipses them all. Studer-Ellis says he’s humbled by such an honor, and claims that he gets as much as he gives to Foster MBA students. “After teaching undergraduates for many years, coming to the Foster School was a great opportunity to work with MBA students as well,” he says. “They’ve challenged me to develop more and better ways to present the information than I could ever have imagined. And it’s an incredible honor to be recognized by them with the PACCAR Award.” PACCAR and its founding Pigott family are longtime supporters of the Foster School. In addition to the PACCAR Award and three endowed faculty positions, support from the Pigott family and company was instrumental in building PACCAR Hall. n
Previous PACCAR Award Winners Karma Hadjimichalakis (1998) Stephan Sefcik (1999) Elizabeth Stearns (2000) Jennifer Koski (2001) Ali Tarhouni (2002) Robert Higgins (2003) Jane Kennedy (2004) Daniel Turner (2005) Mark Forehand (2006) Mark Hillier (2007) Jennifer Koski (2008) Shailendra Jain (2009) Thomas Gilbert (2010) Lance Young (2011)