Tommy Pan Fang, assistant professor of strategic management at Rice University, has been named to Poets&Quants’ list of 50 Best Undergraduate Professors. Pan Fang was chosen from among 1,000 nominations, and at age 30, he is one of the youngest professors on the list, which represents 43 schools, including five international institutions.
Pan Fang, who teaches classes at the newly named Virani Undergraduate School of Business and the Jones Graduate School of Business, said he knew he wanted to teach when he observed how research and teaching at the undergraduate level can influence the future of business.
“I saw how business research could reveal new insights that excite students and shape the future of business,” Pan Fang said. “During my doctoral studies, I became passionate about exploring the dynamic relationship between technology and strategy. Teaching lets me share these discoveries with future leaders, inspiring them to think critically and make informed decisions that could drive meaningful changes in industry.”
Pan Fang researches novel organizational forms that promote collaboration and innovation. “For example, I’ve studied hackathons — temporary gatherings that tech companies can strategically use to drive platform adoption and recombination,” he said. “Hackathons stand out because they blend competition with collaboration. Although teams may technically compete, these events foster an open environment where developers exchange insights, build new skills and observe which tools gain traction within the community.”
Collaboration and hands-on experience resonate with Pan Fang as a professor, and he values undergraduate students’ desire to see business theory in action. “My focus is on hands-on learning,” Pan Fang said. “I constantly experiment with different methods to make concepts come to life. I use simulations, business cases and interactive projects in the classroom to help students engage with material in a way that feels real and relevant. By exploring different approaches, I aim to help students understand theories and see how they play out in real business situations, hopefully preparing them to handle the complexities they’ll face in their careers.”
The editorial team at Poets&Quants evaluated each nomination. Every professor was assigned a 1-10 score based on both their research and teaching accolades. Pan Fang is the second Rice Business professor to grace this list from Poets&Quants, joining Minjae Kim, assistant professor of management, who made the list in 2022.