Michael Sacks Named Outstanding New Teacher at Clarkson University

May 12, 2023

Clarkson University Assistant Professor of Economics & Financial Studies Michael Sacks has received the Outstanding New Teacher Award for 2023.

Headshot, Michael Sacks
Michael Sacks

Established by the University Committee on Improvement in Teaching in 1991, the award recognizes an outstanding teacher within his or her first four years at the university. Criteria for selection include excellence in the classroom, capacity to motivate and challenge students and creativity in teaching methods and curriculum development.

In his nomination letter, Bebonchu Atems, Professor of Economics & Financial Studies and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Research in the David D. Reh School of Business said, “...he has quickly become an outstanding educator and leader, holding students to high expectations while providing them individualized consideration and helping them meet their academic goals.”

Sandra Zuhlsdorf, Director of Student Support Services for the Reh School of Business said in her nomination letter that, “Michael is one of our top faculty educators in the Reh School and he is beloved by his students. I frequently hear from his students that he is a tough but fair professor as he challenges them to be better thinkers and to expand their skills.”

Sacks, who joined the University in 2020, says his research falls under the umbrellas of game theory, social dynamics, the economics of culture and religion, and industrial organization. He is particularly interested in studying the social dynamics and corresponding political economy of collective action problems such as the provision of public and club goods. He also has related interests in studying networks and network goods where both the number and diversity of users affects the constituents' valuations.

Sacks holds an M.A. in mathematical behavioral sciences from the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Irvine and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Irvine.

As a private, national research university, Clarkson is a leader in technological education and sustainable economic development through teaching, scholarship, research and innovation. We ignite personal connections across academic fields and industries to create the entrepreneurial mindset, knowledge and intellectual curiosity needed to innovate world-relevant solutions and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. With its main campus located in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region, Beacon, N.Y., and New York City, Clarkson educates 4,000+ students across 95 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, the arts, education, sciences and health professions. Our alumni earn salaries that are among the top 2% in the nation and realize accelerated career growth. One in five already leads as a CEO, senior executive or owner of a company. To learn more about Clarkson University, go to www.clarkson.edu.
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