Meet the Seven Impressive Professors New to the Michigan Ross Faculty

This fall, seven new professors join the Michigan Ross faculty — two in Management and Organizations, two in Technology and Operations, and one each in Strategy, Business Law, and Business Economics and Public Policy.

The seven include a highly influential professor previously on the faculty in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts as well as experienced educators who come to Ross from the faculties at Stanford, Georgetown, Boston College, and Harvard Law School. One of the new faculty members, Lindy Greer, was recognized earlier this summer as a top “40 Under 40” business school professor by Poets&Quants, along with current Michigan Ross Professors Sarah Miller and Eric Schwartz.

New Michigan Ross professors at a glance:

Scott Page, Professor, Management and Organizations

Recent employment: The Leonid Hurwicz Collegiate Professor of Political Science, Complex Systems, and Economics at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Education: PhD in managerial economics and decision sciences, Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, 1993; MA in managerial economics, Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, 1990; MA in mathematics, University of Wisconsin, 1988; AB in mathematics, University of Michigan, 1985.

Research interests: Collective intelligence, diversity, complexity, prediction, modeling, and mechanism design. Page has authored a number of books on subjects like the power of diversity and how to make data work for you. 

Personal: Enjoys travel, dog walking, hiking, sculling and erging (rowing), swimming, exploring cafes and restaurants, crossword puzzles, and watching Scandinavian mysteries with his wife (and popcorn).

Why I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “The opportunity to interact with positively oriented, motivated colleagues, staff, and students looking to put ideas into practice.”

Lindy Greer, Associate Professor, Management and Organizations

Recent employment: Stanford University Graduate School of Business, associate professor of organizational behavior.

Education: PhD in social and organizational psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands, 2008; BS in economics, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, 2004.

Research interests: Leadership, team dynamics, diversity and inclusion, emotions, conflict management, and startups.

Personal: Enjoys horseback riding. From Roswell, New Mexico.

Why I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “Michigan Ross leads the world for the best research faculty on leading teams and organizations. It also has an amazing multidisciplinary, collaborative, and inclusive culture. Thrilled to join the family!”

Christopher Rider, Associate Professor, Strategy

Recent employment: Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, associate professor of entrepreneurship.

Education: PhD in business administration and organizational behavior, University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business, 2008; MBA, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, 2003; BA in economics, Johns Hopkins University, 1998.

Research interests: How classic strategic management phenomena – founding, competition, and survival – shape societal inequality. Current research projects primarily focus on entrepreneurship.

Why I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “The University of Michigan is arguably the world’s best institution for scholars in my field, organizational theory; great colleagues and students in the Ross strategy area; and Michigan basketball. Go Blue!”

Ekaterina (Kate) Astashkina, Assistant Professor, Technology and Operations

Education: PhD in management, INSEAD, France, 2019; MSc in management, INSEAD, 2015; MSc in quantitative economics, Universität Bielefeld, Germany, and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, 2012; BSc in applied mathematics and physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russia, 2010.

Research interests: Sustainable operations management, food waste, water management, and online platforms.

Personal: Enjoys bouldering and nature. Certified ski instructor. Former ballet dancer.

One reason I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “Undoubtedly, the BEST colleagues in the world!”

Lennart Baardman, Assistant Professor, Technology and Operations

Education: PhD in operations research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019; MASt in mathematics, University of Cambridge, UK, 2014; BSc in econometrics and operations research, University of Groningen, Netherlands, 2013.

Research interests: Predictive and prescriptive analytics, learning algorithms, revenue management, pricing, and advertising.

Personal: Dutch citizen; enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, and traveling.

Why I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “It’s the perfect place to excel in research and teaching due to the strength of faculty and students, all within the wonderful town of Ann Arbor.”

Anant Nyshadham, Assistant Professor, Business Economics and Public Policy

Recent employment: Boston College, assistant professor of economics.

Education: PhD in economics, Yale University, 2012; BSc in economics, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, 2006.

Research interests: Personnel, organization, and labor economics in developing countries —specifically, how employer investments in workers can improve worker welfare and productivity but also deliver profit gains. Nyshadham is the co-founder and chief research officer of the Good Business Lab, which conducts rigorous quantitative research along these lines and helps to disseminate findings and bring to market programs and interventions that have been proven successful. 

Personal: Has written, recorded, and produced music for the last 20 years. Plays guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards, and has recently collaborated most with a close friend and co-author also on the Michigan Ross faculty, Ach Adhvaryu. 

Why I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “One of my closest and oldest friends, my most frequent co-author, and co-founder of Good Business Lab, Ach Adhvaryu, has been on the faculty here for some time. Ross has generously invested in bringing us together and supporting our work.”

William Thomas, Assistant Professor, Business Law

Recent employment: Climenko Fellow and lecturer in law, Harvard Law School; associate, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

Education: PhD in philosophy, University of Michigan, 2015; JD, University of Michigan Law School, 2012; BA in philosophy and economics, Columbia University, 2006.

Research interests: Corporate and white-collar crime, organizational law, and moral and political philosophy.

Personal: Enjoys traveling and science fiction; former political journalist/blogger.

Why I’m excited to be at Michigan Ross: “Coming back to A2 feels like coming home!”