Hello, extended Atkinson family!
A new academic year launches many transitions, in rapid succession. Compass Week welcomed our newest full-time masters students, including growing populations of One-Year MBAs, our first-ever MS Accounting & Finance cohort, and the much-beloved Kaneko bunnies.
August Commencement celebrated our newest MBA for Professionals graduates. Congratulations to our newest alumni!
Atkinson’s rankings winning streak continues! Bloomberg Businessweek again recognized Atkinson as the #1 MBA program in Oregon and #2 in the Northwest. After advancing 5 places to #65 overall last year, this year we held steady at #65. Did you know that alumni survey responses are a necessary input? We are so grateful to all who responded and quite literally (!) make this recognition possible.
Speaking of alumni input making an impact, please join me in congratulating the talented Jane Machin on her promotion to Associate Professor of Marketing, with tenure!
Curious about Atkinson’s newest program offerings? A few highlights:
- Undergraduate Finance minor. Expands Atkinson’s specialty program footprint, complementing the new MS in Accounting and Finance. Features traditional course offerings, plus our innovative intro course, Investing and the Liberal Arts and a Student Investment Fund paralleling the MBA’s longtime O’Neill Student Investment Fund.
- Redesigned MBA for Professionals. Updated to add the flexibility demanded by today’s working professionals, the new format launched this Fall doubles down on Atkinson’s strengths: hands-on, integrated learning that is immediately applicable at work, taught by our exceptional faculty.
Last Spring, we launched the Atkinson Community Roundtable, a forum for business, government, and not-for-profit leaders to come together with students and community members to discuss major challenges and their solutions. April’s inaugural event explored the impact of Oregon’s tax system on organizations across business, nonprofit and public sectors.
The next installment, Artificial Intelligence in Oregon State Government, on October 29th will feature Nik Blosser, the State of Oregon’s first Chief AI Officer. If this isn’t on your radar, it should be! The event is FREE, but space is limited, so please register in advance (details at https://my.willamette.edu/site/acr).
As Atkinson evolves, creating many exciting possibilities, what matters most remains unchanged: providing an exceptional education packed with transformational experiences. In short, we prepare our students for lives of achievement, contribution, and meaning.
I look forward to sharing more with you throughout the year!
Romana Autrey, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CFF, CFE
Dean and Associate Professor of Accounting