涩里番

It鈥檚 not enough to be a good person in the world of business 鈥� God calls you to be more, says Dr. Kathy Dunning, dean of the School of Business at the 涩里番.

鈥淭hat is why our students and faculty use their business skills to help low-income citizens prepare tax returns, organize a community clothes closet, and help non-profits through our student-led 鈥� Dunning says. 鈥淥ur School of Business faculty mentor and prepare students to be good citizens, making ethical business decisions through the lens of a Christian worldview.鈥�

We asked the dean about teaching at UM and where you鈥檒l find her when she鈥檚 not in the classroom.

Q: A strength of the UM School of Business is the combination of practical experience and academic learning. How has that played out in your career?

A: It鈥檚 obvious I love the 涩里番 since I am beginning my 28^th year at UM this fall. After earning my Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, I worked for two international, publicly-traded corporations. I worked in tax compliance and planning for both prior to moving into academics. I am a Certified Managerial Accountant, Certified in Financial Management, Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis and have earned my doctorate with a specialization in Accounting. You could definitely say I am a life-long learner!

Q: How does the School of Business prepare students for the business world?

A: The 涩里番 School of Business offers a perfect combination of theory and practice. We work with students to become grounded in foundational business knowledge while also ensuring they leave UM as good communicators, capable critical-thinkers and problem-solvers, ready to pursue their career calling.

Q: We say UM is a place where students can 鈥�Know and Be Known.鈥� What does that mean to you?

A: To me, that phrase can be a student stopping by my office to talk about career goals; a student letting me know they鈥檝e passed that first or final section of the CPA exam; or keeping up with a student even 25 years after graduation. Connections are made and maintained here at UM.

Q: What are some of your interests outside of teaching?

A: I really enjoy hiking in the mountains, golf, kayaking and paddle boarding, primarily because all of these activities typically take place in some pretty spectacular spots. I feel closest to God in nature and stand in awe of His creations. And I do love to read on the rainy days!

Kathy Dean

Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the 涩里番 unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.