Oxford University faculty named Douglas D. Anderson Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at USU
The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University named Teppo Felin as the first Douglas D. Anderson chaired professor of strategy and entrepreneurship.
The Anderson chair is one of five endowed professorships established in 2019 by the Jon M. Huntsman Foundation. Felin’s appointment begins July 1.
David Huntsman, president of the Huntsman Foundation, said that attracting a professor of the caliber of Teppo Felin was precisely what his father had in mind when setting aside the funds enabling the establishment of the Huntsman Fund for Faculty Excellence in 2019.
“As this fund grows, we expect to create additional chairs and attract other world-class scholars to the Huntsman School faculty,” Huntsman said.
Felin, a native of Finland, is a world-renowned professor of strategy at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where he currently serves as the academic director of the Oxford Diploma in Strategy and Innovation. He has also served as the academic area head for the strategy, organizational theory, international business and marketing faculty at Saïd Business School.
Felin at mid-career has published some 60 publications in high quality or elite journals. His research has been published in management journals such as Organization Science, Academy of Management Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and Research Policy. He has also published in disciplinary journals such as Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, Perception, Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, Plos One and Erkenntnis. Before entering academia, Felin worked in the venture capital industry in Munich, Germany, and Amman, Jordan.
Felin said, “I am thrilled to be joining the Huntsman School of Business and Utah State University as the Douglas D. Anderson chaired professor of strategy and entrepreneurship. I have had the privilege of teaching the Huntsman Scholars over the years, as they’ve visited Oxford. I was extremely impressed with the students, their quality and global ambitions. I am excited to be teaching and interacting with USU students on a full time basis.”
Felin plans to continue broad-based, interdisciplinary research at USU. He will be the founding director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Study. The purpose of the institute will be to foster world-class interdisciplinary research and teaching.
In particular, the institute will seek to link the field of business with other disciplines, including biology, psychology, computer science, engineering, as well as the humanities. The institute will not only engage in world-class research, but also seeks to enable students to see the power of interdisciplinary thinking in addressing business and societal problems. The Institute for Interdisciplinary Study plans to create deep links with Utah’s entrepreneurial, technology and business communities.
“I am not only impressed by the students, but also extremely impressed with Dean Anderson’s leadership and vision, and the Huntsman family’s deep and ongoing commitment to the business school and USU. I am excited to establish the Institute for Interdisciplinary Study, and the opportunities this will enable for research, teaching and engagement with the broader Utah business community,” Felin said.
A USU graduate, Jackie Sullivan, decided to apply to a master’s program in economic development at Oxford University after getting her bachelors from USU and says that Felin inspired her to go to Oxford.
“I first worked with Felin as a student at USU and then at Oxford,” Sullivan said. “From my first interaction with Felin, which was during a guest lecture he provided to myself and my fellow classmates at USU, it was clear that he was an engaging, thoughtful lecturer… Having lived, worked and taught all over the world, Felin brings an incredibly unique perspective that leverages the best of international practices… I believe Dr. Felin [will] be a huge asset to students looking to further their horizons, dream big and learn best practices from someone with deep international credibility.”
kellie.christensen@aggiemail.usu.edu