UNH Today

If you’re a student planning to take a course with Steve Irlbeck, be prepared to participate.   

Irlbeck, an assistant professor of finance, doesn’t let his students get lost in lectures. He structures his classes so students have a chance to work on problems in class while encouraging participation through tools like iClickers, which enable live polling as students respond to questions.  

“It’s easy for them to watch me do the math during a lecture, but I believe it's important for them to tackle the problems themselves, even if they think they understand the material,” Irlbeck says. “Until they sit down with a pen and paper to solve a problem on their own, they might not realize where their understanding is incomplete."

Irlbeck’s ability to simplify complex financial subjects while keeping students engaged is one of the reasons he was honored with the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award for Tenure Track Faculty.     

“I was surprised to receive the award because there are a lot of great instructors here,” Irlbeck says. “I’m grateful that my approach has resonated with students and their feedback has been so positive.”  

Ensuring Student Success  

Irlbeck acknowledges that finance can be challenging for students, especially if they fall behind early. To address this, he prioritizes identifying struggling students early in the semester by incorporating frequent quizzes in class, rather than relying on less frequent exams.  

“It gives students more opportunities to apply the material consistently, rather than cramming for a single exam,” Irlbeck says. “It also allows me to identify and reach out to students who may need extra support and encourages them to seek help.”  

Additionally, Irlbeck is always looking for ways to keep the material fresh, often using real-world examples, books and audiobooks to engage students and make the material more accessible.   

Recently, he used the case of Elizabeth Holmes, a biotechnology entrepreneur who was convicted of fraud in connection to her blood-testing company Theranos, in class discussions about financial fraud and corporate governance.  

Irlbeck attributes these strategies to a teaching workshop he attended as a graduate student at the University of Kentucky, where he got some advice about the importance of repetition in teaching.   

"One of the speakers said, 'You have to tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them,’” Irlbeck explains. “It often takes hearing or seeing something multiple times to fully grasp something. That’s why it’s crucial to present material in different ways — whether by using different methods, alternative perspectives or by tying it to real-world events." 

Irlbeck's ability to engage students, while keeping the curriculum challenging, impressed his colleagues Wenjuan Xie and Stephen Ciccone, who nominated Irlbeck for the teaching award.  

“What sets Steve apart is his innovative approach to teaching. He employs a variety of methods, from competition-style in-class activities to the use of iClickers, and he facilitates on-the-spot discussions and mentors research-oriented projects,” Xie said in her nomination. “He truly ensures every student is engaged and challenged with a fun twist. We joke that he is a game show host trapped in a professor's body.”    

Taking on New Challenges   

Irlbeck is kicking off the 2024-2025 academic year by teaching graduate courses in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program — a new challenge he eagerly anticipates.  

“With MBA students, there's a wide range of backgrounds — some are recent graduates, some are working professionals and some are parents. Being in the classroom with such a diverse group brings a whole new element to teaching and allows me to connect with students in different ways,” Irlbeck says.   

Irlbeck is also involved in organizing the Bretton Woods Accounting and Finance Ski Conference and hopes to continue assisting students with research projects. In recent years, he’s assisted students with research related to the banking crises, executive compensation and pharmaceutical sector regulations.   

Irlbeck says the variety that comes with teaching is what he loves most about his work. 

"Every day is a little bit different,” Irlbeck says. "With research, we choose what we work on. With teaching, you never know what questions will come up or where students' interests will lead."