PhD Students

Emily Cox is a Ph.D. student in strategy and Organizations in the Department of Management Science & Engineering at Stanford.  Her research interests are in Emerging Markets, Alliance Formation, Complexity Theory, Network Theory, and Economic Sociology.  Emily holds a B.S. in Botany and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Brigham Young University. Prior to pursuing doctoral studies, Emily worked for Agilent Technologies and Gap Inc.

Nathan Furr is a strategy Ph.D. student in the Department of Management Science and Engineering. His interests have focused on new business model innovation, industry change, and firm evolution. In particular, Nathan has co-authored papers on the process by which firms develop successful, innovative business models and also on the determinants of success for firms changing industries. Prior to doctoral studies, Nathan worked as a management consultant for Monitor Group. Among other projects, Nathan helped develop the framework for The Third Opinion, a book that explores the importance of external networks for top executives. Nathan has MA and BA in English as well as an MBA.

Sam Garg is a PhD student in the Management Science & Engineering Department at Stanford University. Before joining Stanford, Sam was a Research Associate at INSEAD where his work was focussed on strategy and innovation management. He has authored ten case studies; his book “Inspire to Innovate: Management and Innovation in Asia” (co-authored with Prof Arnoud De Meyer, INSEAD) was published by Palgrave MacMillan in September 2005. Born in India, Sam has lived in Singapore for about 10 years during which he also founded a technology company. His research interests include new market creation and strategy making.

Elizabeth Gerber is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University. She conducts research on organizational contexts for human-centered innovation including social networks that facilitate innovation, organizational design for innovation services, and the brokering of innovation work practices in industry. Elizabeth is passionate about bringing her interests in human-centered innovation and organizational behavior together in a way that has practical implications in industry and theoretical significance in academia. Prior to joining the department, Elizabeth completed her Masters of Science at Stanford in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Product Design. Before coming to Stanford, Elizabeth worked in the consumer product, software, and education industries. She received her B.A. in Studio Art and Engineering from Dartmouth College.

Eric Giannella is a Ph.D. student in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford. He is interested in the dynamics of research and development networks and the contexts of technological innovation. Before returning to Stanford, Eric worked as a senior analyst at a startup, helping to design search, analysis, and visualization software for large repositories of technical literature, and assisting with business planning. Eric was also a research associate at Duke University, where he investigated the history of contemporary technologies such as DNA microarrays, RFID systems and areas of nanotechnology. Most of Eric's research focused on characterizing the nature of collaborations between different types of organizations, identifying key market and technical enablers and bottlenecks, and illustrating the diffusion of technologies into various settings and applications. Prior to his position at Duke, Eric worked in intellectual property licensing and market research to guide industrial lab activities at a major high technology firm. Eric received his B.A. with Highest Honors from Stanford and won a Firestone Medal for Excellence in Research for his thesis on using patent data.

Ralph Maurer (2002 - )
maurer@stanford.edu

Ralph Maurer is a doctoral candidate in Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University.  His research interests include organizational identity, creative/cultural industries and the material culture of organizations.  Prior to doctoral studies at Stanford, Ralph received a BS in rhetorical history from Northwestern and an MBA from the University of Florida. His work experience includes time with Apple Computer, Deluxe (film industry) and as an IT consultant.  Ralph is currently conducting his dissertation research on the relationship between organizational identity and property in creative industries.

Rory McDonald is a doctoral student in Strategy & Organizations at Stanford. Drawing on academic interests in Strategy, Organization Theory, and Entrepreneurship, he plans to study new venture formation and investment. Rory holds a B.S. and M.S. from the University of South Florida where he graduated first in the College of Engineering as a Tau Beta Pi Fellow. He also completed an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. At Stanford, Rory co-founded a DSP company with a professor of electrical engineering, and that company went on to win Stanford’s $25,000 business plan competition. Prior to doctoral studies, Rory worked as a consultant for Cornerstone Research and the Paul Gillrie Institute and as a real estate developer with Woodside Group. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family.