Three Stanford GSB Faculty Honored by Their Students

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Economics Lecturer Keith Hennessey. | Photo courtesy of Saul Bromberger

Three Stanford GSB faculty members — a former senior White House economic adviser, a new assistant professor of accounting, and an expert in organizational behavior — are being honored by their students for their extraordinary dedication and skill at teaching.

Keith Hennessey

Keith Hennessey, B.A.S. ’90, an economics lecturer who served as senior White House economic adviser to President George W. Bush, as well as economic policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, was awarded the 2014 MBA Distinguished Teaching Award. Hennessey received “an astonishing 49 nominations,” said selection committee member Brian Rose, who will receive his MBA on June 14. That amounts to about one-third of his students nominating him for the award “despite the fact that he is notorious for cold-calling, despite the fact that he assigns a heavy workload, and despite the fact that his worldview differs from many of his students’.”

Hennessey, who joined the Stanford GSB faculty in 2009, teaches courses focusing on U.S. fiscal policy, the U.S. financial crisis of 2008, and the European debt crisis of 2011-13. His blog at KeithHennessey.com was named one of the 25 best economics blogs by the Wall Street Journal. Student nominators cited the time and effort that Hennessey puts into his courses, as well as his ability to teach both sides of controversial issues. “He expects the best from his students, raising the quality of discourse in the classroom and pushing us to challenge our assumptions and think critically about the issues facing our country,” said one student. “No conversation in the classroom ever feels canned,” said another. “He strives to be original at all times.”

Ed deHaan

Ed deHaan, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington just last year, before he joined the Stanford faculty as an assistant professor of accounting, was singled out by managers and executives enrolled in the 2014 MSx/Sloan master’s program. DeHaan’s introductory financial accounting course focuses on the nature, scope, and limitations of accounting information while paying special attention to financial reporting and corporate disclosure strategies. In their nominations, MSx students praised deHaan’s after-hours help sessions, as well as his ability to teach students with a wide range of interests. “He did a great job at making dry subject matter into a fulfilling learning experience,” said Felipe Ortiz, one of 83 students to graduate from the master’s program this year. “Professor deHaan brought his industry experience to the classroom and kept us updated on recent news involving accounting principles,” said another student. “We recognized his expertise in the matter.”

Kristin Laurin

Kristin Laurin, who has been an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford since 2012, received the 2014 Distinguished Faculty Service Award for her work with doctoral students. Laurin’s yearlong course, Design and Process of Experimental Research, covers everything from idea and hypothesis generation to study design, analysis, and publication. (Her own research looks at how people’s religious beliefs and other ideologies affect their pursuit of long-term goals, and vice versa.)

Students said they were particularly impressed by Laurin’s efforts to improve student writing through her own workshop on the subject. “She never turns down my requests for feedback on research projects,” one nominator said. Doctoral student Tamar Kreps added her own praise: “Kristin’s generous and constructive advice not only has strengthened our work but also has served as a model for us in our interactions with each other,” she said. “Her contagious enthusiasm and desire for all of us to succeed have set a tone of collaboration and exchange that has extended outside of her classroom. Our future colleagues will have a lot to thank her for.”

By Theresa Johnston