Distinguished Service Citation
Daniel Ames
Class of 1991
Awarded 2016

Daniel Ames has studied the art and science of “reading minds” and brought valuable insight to businesspeople, teachers, museum curators, and others. A social psychologist, Daniel is an expert on how people form impressions and how that impacts effective leadership and negotiation. A double major in creative writing and economics and management at Beloit College, he is fondly remembered as a person who was interested and excited about a wide range of subjects.

After Beloit, Daniel attended the University of California-Berkeley, where he was awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship and completed a doctoral degree.

He is currently the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Professor of Business Management at Columbia Business School at Columbia University in New York. His research focuses on the impact of social judgement-how the impressions individuals form can affect negotiations in business and management. He examines the consequences of these judgements on interpersonal dynamics, thus gaining insight into how people “read minds” and make decisions. Colleagues say his approach to his work resembles the process of creating a basket: He skillfully weaves his teaching back and forth between the classroom and the world outside it.

Daniel has already been recognized with several teaching awards, including the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence and the Berkeley-Columbia EMBA Award for Excellence, among others. He publishes regularly in academic journals and presents lectures on his findings.

A constant supporter of Beloit College, he has contributed financially and personally by attending college events, such as Econ Day, a networking event for alumni and students hosted annually by Beloit’s economics department.

For his commitment to teaching and learning and practicing the liberal arts, the Alumni Association is thrilled to add Daniel Ames to the list of accomplished individuals who have received the Alumni Association’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Citation.