October 2024
Hello, extended Atkinson family,
Introductions are in order! My name is Romana Autrey, and I’m Atkinson’s new Interim Dean. Prior to this, as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, I directed the undergraduate business program and oversaw our NASPAA accreditation.
I joined Atkinson in 2016 as an Associate Professor of Accounting, and I’ve had the pleasure of teaching in every Atkinson program. Before Willamette, I served on the faculties of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Harvard Business School. Before academia, I enjoyed a forensic accounting career as a senior manager at KPMG in Silicon Valley.
Atkinson turns 50 this year! To celebrate, we are inviting the extended AGSM community to participate in the festivities. We hope you can join us and get some fun 50th-anniversary swag.
Highlights include:
- Our traditional Dean’s Football Outing (November 9). Come cheer on Bearcat athletes in their last home game of the season! Alums can access a free digital All-Sports Pass for the complete 2024-25 Season at no charge.
- The first-ever Dean’s Women’s Basketball Outing (February 1). Same great idea; new sport and venue.
- This year’s Brownwater events (May 2-4) will feature a Barbecue for the broader AGSM community to close out the 50th year with a big celebration!
2024-25 Bloomberg Businessweek’s Best Business School Rankings. I’m proud to share the newest rankings.
- Overall: Atkinson has moved up four places from last year and is now ranked #70 among US full-time MBA programs! Only two schools are ranked in the Northwest—University of Washington at #24 and us, repeating as #1 in Oregon and #2 in the Northwest.
- Entrepreneurship: At #13 (up from #43 last year), we are nationally recognized for providing top-tier training and opportunities. Recruiters acknowledge that our graduates consistently exhibit outstanding entrepreneurial drive and skills. For comparison, the University of Washington is ranked #36 in this category.
- Learning: We ranked #24 (up from #54 last year) in this category. Businessweek calls this the core of an MBA’s mission, and they look for depth, quality, and real-world relevance in teaching. Our commitment to fostering strategic thinking, innovation, and mentorship is clearly reflected in this ranking, which also surpasses the University of Washington’s #46 ranking.
- What Our Students and Alumni Are Saying: Some representative quotes from this year’s survey:
- “The experiential courses are fantastic and offer real consequences that help to build a résumé.”
- “The opportunities for collaboration and teamwork in classes. It’s great being able to work with diverse teams in different scenarios.”
- “Experiential learning and real-life courses such as PACE, entrepreneurship, and grant administration.”
- “Being a part of the angel investing course, where students can invest up to $100,000 equity in startups.”
Lives of achievement, contribution, and meaning. The many accomplishments of our alums, current students, faculty, and staff—and our milestone birthday!—are a worthy cause to celebrate. Speaking of celebrations, watch for details soon for the Dean’s Football Outing. I hope you can join us!
Best regards,
Romana Autrey, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CFF, CFE
Interim Dean and Associate Professor of Accounting
