Professional Decision Modeling: Practitioner as Professor

Abstract

I teach a short elective course on decision science to 40 percent of the second-year class in Dartmouth’s MBA program. Students use MS/OR to clarify the value of an industrial asset in a spin-off negotiation. Students design, build, and refine spreadsheet models incrementally. I introduce techniques to support each week’s case challenges. The decision context evolves with new information and unexpected demands. My teaching success depends on quick, detailed feedback and effectively guiding students with varying proficiency. My hybrid role as practitioner-professor developed over several years. I encourage practitioners and full-time faculty to collaborate on similar courses or segments of longer courses.