Sara Ryoo: A Passionate and Empathetic Educator at Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business

Sara Ryoo, a dedicated and accomplished educator, is a Lecturer in Management at the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, City University of New York. Since joining the faculty in 2021, she has made a significant impact on her students and the academic community. Her passion for teaching, coupled with her real-world experience and insightful research, makes her a standout professor.

Background and Expertise

Sara Ryoo is an expert in the theoretical development of knowledge management and organizational learning in the banking and pharmaceutical industries. Her contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards such as the SRF Dissertation Research Grant in 2016 and the South Korean Maekyung Young Scholar Award in 2021.

Inspiration and Academic Journey

Ryoo's path to becoming a business school professor was influenced by her father, a professor, who instilled in her a love for intellectual curiosity and academic integrity. Another pivotal encounter was with Professor Joseph Mahoney at the University of Illinois. Initially struggling to find her niche in economic research, Ryoo discovered her passion for business through Professor Mahoney's Strategy Ph.D. seminar. She was captivated by the diverse perspectives and dynamic research contexts presented in the course, which ultimately led her to pursue a career in business academia. Ryoo credits Professor Mahoney for bringing her into the field and continues to collaborate with him to this day, expressing deep gratitude for his influence on her career.

Current Research and Insights

Ryoo's current research centers on the refinement and upgrades of a firm’s resources and capabilities. One of her studies investigates network resource slack, which refers to resources created within a firm’s alliance network that are not fully utilized within the agreed-upon duration of a focal alliance. She explores how different types of network resource slack affect the perceived value of an alliance. Ryoo also spends time considering interpersonal relationships and how their properties can be applied to inter-firm relationships.

Teaching Philosophy and Approach

Ryoo's teaching philosophy revolves around caring for her students’ learning and understanding what it’s like to be a college student. She strives to create an interactive and empathetic learning environment where students feel supported and engaged. Ryoo constantly seeks methods that make it easy for her students to understand complex concepts. Before stepping into the classroom, she considers the challenges she faced as a student and how her professors helped or could have helped her overcome them. She uses familiar examples from daily life to simplify complex theories and concepts. She also co-creates classroom rules and expectations to foster a culture where students learn to be responsible for their own learning.

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Student Perspectives

Students consistently praise Sara Ryoo for her engaging lectures, clear grading criteria, and genuine care for their success. They describe her as an excellent professor with insightful lectures and a wealth of knowledge. Students also appreciate that she drops the lowest quiz grade. Her ability to make complex topics understandable, coupled with her willingness to answer questions, creates a supportive learning environment. Students also appreciate her real-world experience, noting her previous work at McKinsey & Co.

Work-Life Balance and Personal Interests

Ryoo acknowledges the challenges of balancing multiple roles as a researcher, teacher, colleague, friend, daughter, wife, and mother. She emphasizes the importance of physical fitness and strength to manage these demands. If she weren’t a business school professor, Ryoo would be an interior designer, as she has always been fascinated by how spaces and atmosphere can affect people's moods and energy. Her hobbies include cooking, inspired by the movie "Julie & Julia," which celebrates passion, food, and life. She enjoys K-pop and classical piano music and vacations in Vail and Maui in winter, and Paris and Jeju Island in summer.

Inspiration and Role Models

Ryoo admires Professor Gautam Ahuja, her academic advisor. She respects him as an outstanding scholar and an inspiring mentor, but also as a person. She describes him as confident but modest, charismatic but empathetic, smart but funny, kind, and respectful.

Reflections on Teaching

Ryoo finds the energy of her business students both enjoyable and challenging. While she loves her students, she admits that their enthusiasm can be exhausting.

Personal Gratitude

Ryoo is grateful for her family, including her parents, husband, baby, and two dogs, stating that her life would not be the same without them.

Retirement Plans

Ryoo's retirement plan involves attending Le Cordon Bleu to learn French culinary and pastry arts and opening a small bakery back at home.

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