Among the Top 50 Professors

Exemplary teaching and high-impact research propel McCombs’ Insiya Hussain onto Poets & Quants’ annual list

For outstanding performance as a teacher and researcher, McCombs School of Business Assistant Professor of Management Insiya Hussain was named among Poets & Quants’ Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professors. The publication posted its eighth annual list Dec. 1 after evaluating more than 1,000 nominations.

Hussain, who joined Texas McCombs in 2019, is renowned for her research on employee voice, published in leading academic journals, and featured in practitioner outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Bloomberg. Her teaching evaluations are consistently among the school’s best, according to Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Ethan Burris.

“Insiya truly checks all of the boxes of a world-class faculty member,” Burris said. “She’s an exceptional scholar, teacher, and colleague whose work on employee voice, advocacy, and negotiation is shaping both academic thinking and real-world practice.”

In 2024, Hussain garnered the McCombs BBA Faculty Honor Roll award and the Texas Orange Jackets Tenet Award in Leadership. On a five-point scale, her students rated her 4.88 in Spring 2024 and 4.68 in Spring 2025; students were among those who nominated her for this prestigious award.

“In the classroom, she pairs rigor with warmth, creating an inclusive, engaging environment that students routinely describe as the ‘gold standard’ for learning,” Burris said.

Her current research explores what happens to work teams when one member poses a novel idea. Previous research shows how men and women speaking up together lends legitimacy to gender equality complaints, and it reveals that job seekers are less likely to ask for higher salaries from businesses that tout altruistic goals.

The editorial team at Poets & Quants individually evaluated each nomination, weighting research at 30% and teaching at 70%. To assess research impact, the team reviewed the volume of Google Scholar citations, the level of major media attention received, notable research and writing awards, and overall influence on industry. Teaching evaluations were based on the strength and number of nominations submitted, along with teaching awards and each professor’s demonstrated impact on their school and department.

This year’s winners come from 45 different schools, including six international schools.

Texas McCombs Dean Lillian Mills said Hussain’s inclusion among the top professors in the world fits. “Insiya approaches her duties, both in and out of the classroom, with contagious passion, conviction, and authenticity,” Mills said. “She’s doing just the kind of human-centered, future-focused work that McCombs is known for, and we’re incredibly proud.”

Story by Judie Kinonen