2017 Best forty Under forty Professors: Elisa Long, UCLA (Anderson)
2017 Best forty Under forty Professors: Elisa Long, UCLA (Anderson)
Assistant Professor of Decisions, Operations and Technology Management
UCLA, Anderson School of Management
Elisa Long says that what MBA candidates learn from television game demonstrate strategy can be applied in careers ranging from credit card fraud detection to airline flight scheduling. Coincidentally, as a contestant on The Price Is Right, this top professor and two thousand sixteen Training Award winner came off the stage after winning a pair of fresh cars.
Her primary research integrates epidemiological modeling, economic analysis and decision making under uncertainty, with the aim of assessing the value of health interventions to help policymakers allocate limited resources most effectively. She has constructed mathematical models to simulate HIV epidemics in Russia, India, South Africa, Ghana and the United States, identifying which combination of investments maximizes “bang for the buck.” Among her newest interests is improving patient health literacy.
Long’s very first paper on breast cancer, published in JAMA Oncology, examined the controversial question of genetic testing for breast cancer among all women, not just those with known family history. Given that only one in four hundred women carry a BRCA mutation, universal testing, at a price of $Four,000, poses challenges in terms of feasibility. For this fresh area of research, Long-also a breast cancer survivor-received the two thousand fifteen UCLA Faculty Career Development Award.
At current institution since: 2013
Education: PhD, Management Science & Engineering, Stanford (2008)
List of courses you presently train: Data & Decisions
What are you presently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I am working on developing a model to optimize surgical timing to prevent cancer in women with high-risk genetic mutations. Our purpose is to provide an effortless to understand implement that can help physicians and patients make informed, personalized decisions in cancer care.
Professor you most admire: My PhD advisor, Margaret Brandeau, is an incredible scholar, mentor, role model, and friend. I hugely credit her with encouraging me to pursue a career in academia.
“I knew I dreamed to be a B-school professor when… I took my very first b-school class in grad school and spotted how interactive the classes are.”
“If I weren’t a B-school professor… I would run for political office. Or become a Jeopardy clue writer.”
One word that describes my very first time instructing an MBA class: Exhilarating
Most memorable moment in the classroom, or in general, as a professor: There are so many to choose from, but some favorites include having dozens of students and faculty over to my house to contest in a Rock Band tournament; walking in the MBA style demonstrate; and using character deaths on Game of Thrones to train about discrete probability distributions (including a potential negative value from last season). Also, I reminisce training a class the day after my now-husband and fellow professor, Keith Chen, proposed. Several of our MBA students had wagers that it would happen soon because he discussed diamond pricing in his econ class.
What professional achievement are you most proud of? In 2015, I published a Washington Post op-ed about my practice battling breast cancer and the parallels with preparing to go on the game demonstrate The Price is Right… and then winning two cars! I wrote the article to share my perspective—as both a patient and researcher—to help other women and families afflicted by the disease. It also inspired me to conduct more research on decision-making in medicine.
What do you love most about being a business school professor? I love hearing from students after they graduate about how they used some concept from class in their professional or private lives.
What do you love least about being a business school professor? Assigning final grades is undoubtedly the least pleasant part of my job.
What is your beloved business-themed movie and what is the largest lesson that MBA students could build up from it? Risky Business, because you can never predict where life will take you.
Joy fact about yourself: I have synesthesia, which means I see specific numbers as colors (Four = orange, five = crimson, six = blue, and so on).
Bucket list item #1: I have traveled to six out of the seven continents, and just need to get to Antarctica.
Beloved book: 1984, Anna Karenina, The Emperor of All Maladies, and (lately) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Barbarian Days by William Finnegan
Beloved movie: I’ve observed the movie Clue a million times and can quote every line. My classic movie skill is sadly very limited. I observed Casablanca for the very first time last year and I eventually understand all the references!
Beloved type of music: Anything except country. Does NPR count?
Dearest television demonstrate: The Wire, The Good British Baking Showcase
Beloved vacation spot: Toss-up inbetween the Galapagos and Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
What are your hobbies? Hiking, swimming, traveling, exploring all the amazing restaurants in Los Angeles
Twitter treat: I’m still a Twitter Luddite
“If I had my way, the business school of the future would have… unlimited free food and good coffee.”
