Rob Farris

Rob Farris is a second-year MBA candidate with a background in physics, education, and international development and who is interested in being a catalyst for social change.

In 2005, Rob graduated with dual degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Washington. He was awarded the Presidential Scholarship Award by the Thunderbird School, where he currently maintains a strong focus on academic excellence. His concentration areas include consulting and entrepreneurship.

Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, Rob spent several years working as a volunteer physics teacher in East Africa. During that time, he learned as much if not more than he did during his college tenure, and came away with an appreciation for humanity and community structures. At this same time, Rob realized that although grassroots development efforts can be extremely powerful, they are limited in their impact. It was this thought that drove him to enroll at Thunderbird, where he hopes to acquire a tool set which will enable him to cause positive social transformation on a broader-than-grassroots scale. Upon his graduation, Rob plans on using his new knowledge to show others how they can fulfill their social missions through the mechanisms of business.