UVA Darden Professor Named to ‘Best 40 Under 40’ List

University of Virginia Darden School of Business Professor Anthony Palomba has been named to a list of top global business school professors.

Citing his passion for teaching, research, deep commitment to students and inspiring presence in the classroom, Poets & Quants on 21 May named Palomba to its list of the Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors.

The publication says its annual list seeks to “identify and celebrate the most talented young professors currently teaching in MBA programs around the world.” Poets & Quants received more than 1,700 nominations, and evaluated each nominee on teaching and research/business impact.

Palomba, who teaches in the Communication area, joined Darden in 2020 from St. John’s University in New York City. A media scholar specializing in machine learning, causal inference, and applied econometrics, his research examines the intersection of entertainment, analytics and business strategy, particularly how audiences engage with media content and how technology reshapes competition within the media, advertising and gaming industries. He is currently working on a dataset with 25,000 TV scripts to understand dialogue drivers that predict viewership in millions for the next episode; how TV genres have evolved over time; and understanding how “emotion momentum” from TV series can impact stock price and other financial key performance indicators of parent media firms.

Palomba’s MBA and M.S. in Business Analytics courses have included “Media and Entertainment Business,” “Storytelling with Data” and “Leadership Communication,” and he teaches in the Executive Education & Lifelong Learning program “AI Essentials for Government Leaders.”

In 2024, Palomba received the Outstanding Faculty Award, an honor voted on by Darden students and given to a single professor each academic year.

The publication quotes Darden graduate Tom Hastain (MBA ‘16, MSBA ‘25) extolling Palomba as a “rare gem,” in the classroom.

“His energy is contagious — his presence immediately commands attention, and his voice carries the excitement of someone truly passionate about teaching,” Hastain said. “From the moment he steps into the room, every student feels valued, heard, and supported.”

Palomba’s academic papers and scholarly work have been published in academic journals including Journal of Contemporary Marketing Science, International Journal of Media Management and Journal of Media Business Studies, among others, and his insights are frequently featured in pieces in a variety of top media outlets. In 2026, he will begin a part-time M.S. in Economics at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business, with a focus on econometrics, machine learning and financial modeling.

The publication included a Q&A with Palomba, in which he describes life as a business school professor, his personal and professional interests, and what he tries to bring to the classroom.

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? They push me to stay curious and to enter the classroom with as few preconceptions as possible. Business students are hungry to go deep, as they challenge each other, and they challenge me. When the case method is executed in harmony, it creates a powerful intellectual sounding board. The resonance from that dialogue doesn’t just echo – it envelops the entire room, elevating everyone involved.

What is most challenging? Creating high-impact classroom experiences is a constant, evolving challenge. In storytelling with data, each session includes a white paper critique, a mini case, and group breakouts where students build and present five-slide decks under time pressure, mirroring real-world consulting. I review 100 slides twice a week for seven weeks, returning feedback within a day to help students rapidly sharpen their skills in Think-Cell and Tableau.

In media and entertainment businesses, we start by asking why we need art, then explore who owns it through 10-K filings and data dashboards. Students use machine learning tools like random forest and logistic regression to respond to scenarios in six original cases. I’m now integrating causal inference to deepen analysis of TV scripts, box office trends, and game sales. While I’m proud of the progress in both courses, I’m always looking to push classroom innovation further.

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Read the full profile and Q&A, watch a profile video of Palomba, and learn more about Palomba’s research on Darden Ideas to Action.