Thomas Gilbert, PhD 08, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, has won the 2010 Paccar Award for Excellence in Teaching, the school's highest teaching honor.
Gilbert joined the Foster School in 2008 after earning his PhD from Haas, where he won the outstanding graduate student instructor award three years in a row.
The Foster School’s Paccar award, named for a Seattle-based technology company, is selected by a panel of Foster MBA students.
Gilbert’s Paccar Award-winning performance came in his first year leading the Foster School’s MBA core finance class and its pastiche of students entering with something between zero finance experience and five years in investment banking.
"He kept everyone challenged—both investment bankers and people new to finance," wrote one nominating student.
Gilbert also is renowned for his accessibility and ability to explain the trickiest concepts. (Berkeley MBA students nicknamed him "Is It Clear?" in honor of his comprehensive elucidations.) His research explores the complex vagaries of the financial markets.