Harvard Business School Professors Win Wyss Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Supervising Ph.D
BOSTON – Two Harvard Business School (HBS) faculty members, Professor Michael Norton and Associate Professor Alison Wood Brooks, have been recognized with the Wyss Awards for Excellence in Mentoring. For the 15th time, the winners of the Wyss Awards will be selected by doctoral students for their work in the doctoral programs.
In addition, senior faculty member Feng Zhu, MBA 1958 professor of business administration in the Department of Technology and Operations Management, and junior faculty member Alexandra Feldberg, assistant professor of business administration, were selected as runners-up for their outstanding nominations.
Winners and runners-up were selected from a pool of more than 23 faculty nominees. As is tradition, the principal advisors to selection committee chairs and award winners from the last five years have been excluded from consideration.
Professor Michael Norton
Michael I. Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration, a member of Harvard University’s Behavioral Insights Group, and Chair of the Department of Negotiation, Organizations & Markets. His research interests are behavioral economics and well-being.
“I’ve worked with Mike on so many projects that we’ve gone through all stages of the research process. My favorite is brainstorming with him,” one student said of Norton. “I’m very grateful for the time he’s willing to brainstorm with me about my studies and he also pushes me to get creative with methods and ideas, which has helped me on the path I’m currently on has.”
Associate Professor Alison Wood Brooks
Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow I of the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit. Her research examines people’s conversational behavior and the psychology underlying it.
“Working with Alison was an absolute game changer for me. From the moment I started my PhD program, she sorted me into projects with a high chance of publication, ensuring I would be competitive in the crazy academic job market,” commented one student. “She supported my original ideas and also advised me on my solo projects. Alison provided me with the resources and guidance I needed from day one.”
The Wyss Awards are named in honor of Hansjoerg Wyss (MBA 1965), who established the Hansjoerg Wyss Endowment for Doctoral Education in 2004. The Wyss Foundation supports a wide range of efforts to strengthen HBS doctoral programs, including scholarships for doctoral students, increased support for field research, development of new doctoral courses, training in teaching skills, and the renovation of on-campus doctoral facilities.
