Post by Chara Makri, PhD

Happy New Year everyone 🎉! As we begin the year, I have been reflecting on what stayed with me from teaching the first course I designed from scratch last month, and what I am carrying forward. The course was inspired by a service operations class I took in Cambridge more than a decade ago, which stayed with me for its energy and hands-on approach. Veronica Martínez, Florian Urmetzer, and Mohamed Zaki deserve full credit for that foundation. At the time, Professor Andy Neely was part of the environment that exposed me to service and operations research. It was a privilege to welcome him as a guest speaker in this course. His talk clearly resonated with, and inspired the students. Andy, thank you so much for joining us. But most importantly, thank you to the students. The course was not delivered to them, but built with them. Their curiosity, energy, and willingness to experiment shaped every session. I have shared a few reflections below on teaching, service excellence, and why excellence so often comes down to small choices that help people feel seen, respected, and capable, especially in the moments when they doubt themselves most. #EverydayOperations  #ServiceExcellence  #OperationsManagement  #ServiceOperations  #TeachingAndLearning  #AcademicLife  #MBSC