EducationMBA, 1987, finance, University of Minnesota
BS, 1980, finance, University of Minnesota
Expertise
Teaching faculty member not active in research
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Teaching Philosophy
The teaching of finance at the undergraduate and MBA level should focus on providing a framework students can use to understand the financial evaluation of disparate business problems involving activity (ultimately cash flows) and uncertainty over time.
As such, the pedagogy should put students in the position of learning how to apply a set of ideas and models to problems in a consistent framework so they can understand the motivations and ideas, not just the techniques.
I believe the majority of learning takes place outside class as students struggle with difficult material and determine how the principles and models should be applied in each instance.
Therefore, the pedagogy should repeat the following cycle:
(1) Introduce the concept (idea, theory, or model);
(2) Demonstrate the concept using a straightforward example that students can follow so they can understand why the concept is important and how it can be applied;
(3) Give the students assignments (sometimes as group work, sometimes individual) that ask them to apply the concepts to a problem more difficult than was introduced in class;
(4) After they have struggled to apply the concept, review the concept in class, highlighting insights they would not have appreciated without the effort spent on their part with the assignment;
(5) Introduce new or related concepts and repeat the process, focusing on how the ideas are related.
The learning objective should be developing the ability to place business problems in a consistent framework for financial evaluation, leading to measures of value added.
Courses
- Spring, 2010
- FINA 4121 Financial Markets and Interest Rates Sec. 001
- FINA 4121 Financial Markets and Interest Rates Sec. 002
- FINA 4121 Financial Markets and Interest Rates Sec. 003
Current Administrative Appointments
- Director of Undergraduate Finance Programs
- Undergraduate Faculty Advisory Committee
- Undergraduate Coordinator, Finance Department
- Faculty Advisor to InFO (Investment and Finance Organization), the Carlson School's undergraduate finance club
Community Relationships
- Chairman of the Board, Alliance Housing Inc., a nonprofit affordable housing developer and manager
