Poets & Quants: Why Darden’s Professors Are the Best MBA Teachers on the Planet
Poets & Quants Editor-in-Chief John Byrne spent several days on Grounds earlier this winter. Bryne got a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes preparation that differentiates Darden’s world-renowned faculty — cited as best in their field by The Princeton Review, The Economist and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Byrne attended a faculty case study preparation session with several marketing faculty and then attended their classes to get a better understanding of how the prep work translated into the classroom. The visit resulted in an in-depth feature on Poets & Quants, “Why Darden’s Professors Are the Best MBA Teachers on the Planet.”
Lalin Anik teaches class in early 2019.
The unique learning approach at Darden is not just for MBA students — the faculty practice what they preach when it comes to thoughtful curriculum and collaborative conversations.
The article joins Tom Steenburgh, senior associate dean for faculty development and the full-time MBA, as he coaches four professors — Kim Whitler, Tami Kim, Luca Cian and Lalin Anik — who are preparing to teach a case on the marketing platform HubSpot the next day. He takes a seat in Cian and Anik’s classrooms with the students to see Darden’s spontaneous yet deliberate learning experience in action.
This inside look at one of the world’s best education experiences highlights an unparalleled dedication to teaching.
Byrne writes: “What makes them unique? They not only bring deep knowledge and passion for their subjects to a class; they bring their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. To sit in a class with either Anik or Cian is to witness a human splitting an atom. They unleash energy that is unbounded, roaming every corner of the classroom, up and down the steps of the tiered
Darden Ranked No. 1 Educational Experience in the World Eight Years in a Row.
room, back and forth at the front of the massive blackboard. All the while, they are challenging students, drawing out every last perspective on a business case and reinforcing the learnings that come from the discussion.”
