TCU
TCU Professor David Weltman
David Weltman didn’t set out to become a campus celebrity, but at TCU’s Neeley School of Business, that’s more or less what happened. The professor of supply chain practice has long been the kind of instructor whose classes fill before most students can click “register.” The kind whose assignments feel like a rehearsal for the real world rather than an academic exercise. Now he has the national stamp to match his campus reputation — Poets&Quants for Undergrads has named him one of the 50 Best Undergraduate Business Professors of 2025.
The recognition, announced Dec. 1, lands him among an elite group of educators whose classrooms shape the next generation of business leaders. For students at Neeley, it merely confirms what they’ve known for years. Weltman’s lectures and labs — whether in supply chain analytics, business statistics or data science — come with the expectation that undergraduates can handle the kind of complexity usually reserved for boardrooms and analytics floors. That confidence is intentional. Weltman brings years of experience from corporate analytics and operations into his teaching, including stints at IBM, and his students say the effect is immediate: they leave his courses not just prepared but competitive.
The caliber of his mentorship is perhaps most evident in national competitions, where his teams routinely dominate. Weltman regularly advises and leads TCU student teams in business analytics case competitions, where they often place in the top three and have twice won first place nationally. Judges consistently praise his teams for analytical depth, clarity of insights, and professionalism.
“In 2024, Dr. Weltman received special recognition as the Neeley Fellows most outstanding professor in their three-year honors program," notes his nomination. "His students not only thank him but credit their successful career placements to his instruction of leading-edge techniques.”
His impact ripples beyond coaching and the classroom. Weltman is a scholar with a solid track record in behavioral analytics and decision-making research, having published 15 peer-reviewed papers cited more than 500 times. He’s also supervised numerous Honors students on their theses and has taught across nearly every Neeley program, from Executive MBA to the prestigious Neeley Fellows undergraduate honors track, according to his nomination.
Weltman’s teaching style is as memorable as his resume. Students describe his classes as challenging, hands-on, and occasionally humorous — he calls it “adrenaline with a touch of showmanship.” His grading is firm but fair, and he thrives on the analytical puzzles that make business decisions both nerdy and magical. Outside the classroom, he’s a cyclist, avid tennis player, world traveler, and self-professed fan of early Simon & Garfunkel, Talking Heads, and the enduring comedy of “This Is Spinal Tap.”
The Poets&Quants selection process underscores the honor's prestige. This year’s cycle drew more than 1,200 nominations from students, alumni, colleagues, and administrators, narrowed to roughly 200 candidates before the editorial team evaluated each professor’s research influence and teaching excellence. Teaching carried the most weight, with particular attention to mentorship, innovative instruction, and student support — areas where Weltman clearly excels.
Now 63, Weltman continues to bring energy, insight, and a hint of humor to the classroom, preparing students for careers that extend far beyond Fort Worth. He’s as much a coach as a professor, guiding undergraduates to succeed in competitions, internships, and early career decisions. And while his accolades now include national recognition, his approach remains the same: challenge students, make learning practical, and above all, make it fun.
