Learn more about professor Haya Ajjan, who is passionate about sharing her love for data and business analytics with her students.
A professor of management information systems and associate dean in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Haya Ajjan is passionate about sharing her love for data and business analytics with her students. Her innovative approach to teaching earned the Sheldon and Christine Gordon Professor in Entrepreneurship the title of “Best Undergraduate Business Professor” by business news outlet Poets & Quants in 2020.
By Kelly Smith Marion ’14
When I walked into the classroom for the first time as a college student in the fall of 2010, I didn’t realize I was going to meet the professor that would change my life forever. Dr. Haya Ajjan, a renowned scholar in business analytics and information technology, continually coalesces her passion for her scholarly interests with her mission to inspire the next generation of organizational leaders and entrepreneurs.
From day one, Dr. Ajjan saw potential in me that I never saw in myself. She encouraged me to pursue leadership positions and service opportunities and to expand my scholarly interests while at Elon. But what truly sets Dr. Ajjan apart from every other professor is her keen attentiveness and passion for her students.
She is a true educator of the whole student. She has a knack for always explaining complicated system processes and data- bases with ease, keeping students up to date with the latest trends and ethics of data analytics, helping international students organize awareness and advocacy events when they face hardships at home, and connecting her students with local and nationally recognized business executives. Dr. Ajjan authentically embodies Elon’s mission to “nurture a rich intellectual community characterized by active student engagement with a faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment.”
On a more personal note, she was and continues to be there for me throughout each season of my life. She was my guiding voice and advocate as I applied for graduate school and professional positions at elite institutions, as well as a listening ear whenever I needed personal advice. She is a role model to me as I navigate a new world of being a practitioner-scholar-mom, balancing the unique demands, expectations and delightful surprises that come with each role. Not to mention her boundless energy and enthusiasm is practically contagious! I was lucky enough to know and learn from Dr. Ajjan all four years of my Elon experience, a privilege I will never take for granted. These years learning and growing together set the foundation for us to build a mentorship and friendship to last a lifetime.
I will never be able to thank Dr. Ajjan for all she has done to encourage me and support me for the 12-plus years I have known her. She has taught me what it means to be a life-long learner, to advocate for my community, to never settle for mediocrity and to think and act to make the world a better place. She is an absolute gem and if I can be a fraction of the scholar, leader, teacher, mentor, mom and friend Dr. Ajjan is, then I will be so lucky.
Kelly Smith Marion ’14 is the associate director of development for the University of Mississippi School of Education. A past president of Elon’s Young Alumni Council, Kelly earned her master’s degree in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Mississippi.