Professor Mark Hillier Wins $25,000 PACCAR Award

Associate Professor Mark Hillier was selected by a panel of MBA students to receive the 2007 PACCAR Award for Excellence in Teaching. The announcement was made during MBA commencement ceremonies on June 9.

This marks the 10th year the Business School has honored a faculty member with this, its highest teaching award, which includes a $25,000 stipend from PACCAR Inc., the Seattle-based global technology leader in the capital goods and financial services markets.

Hillier earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University and joined the UW Business School faculty in 1993. His research focuses on building mathematical models to improve operations. In the MBA classes he teaches, Hillier says he "enjoys introducing students to the concepts of modeling and how it can be applied to make better decisions in all areas of business, including finance, marketing and operations." He also tries to make his classes fun. For example, he introduces the concept of linear programming through a hands-on production problem with Lego building blocks.

"The PACCAR Award is the largest teaching award of its kind in the United States," said Dean James Jiambalvo. "We're extremely grateful for PACCAR's commitment to reward teaching excellence over the past 10 years. The award speaks to one of the core values of our Business School—that we recruit and retain faculty who are not just outstanding scholars, but who have the ability to connect with students as superb teachers and inspiring mentors."

The first PACCAR Award was given in 1998 to Karma Hadjimichalakis, a senior lecturer in finance and business economics. While the past decade has seen dramatic changes in the Business School, Hadjimichalakis and the first nine PACCAR award winners all remain full-time members of the faculty, sharing their remarkable teaching gifts with a whole new generation of aspiring business leaders.

Return to July 2007 MBA Alumni News