April 2024
Dear Willamette Community,
As many of you know, earlier this winter Brian Gallini, dean of the College of Law, and Örn Bodvarsson, dean of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management, each let me know of their intent to step down at the end of the academic year. We'll have a chance to celebrate their contributions to Willamette later this spring, but I wanted to share my personal gratitude and let you know of our interim leadership plans for these two schools.
Since Brian joined Willamette in 2020, the College of Law has marked several significant advances, including recruiting the largest and most academically strong incoming class in a decade, securing the second-largest gift in the College's history, and hiring the largest faculty cohort in years. Through his service on Oregon’s Alternatives to Bar Exam Task Force, he appeared several times before the Oregon Supreme Court prior to the court’s historic vote in November 2023 to approve a new pathway to attorney licensure. Brian has also continued to teach throughout his tenure as dean. His new role as dean at Quinnipiac University's law school will give him an opportunity to move nearer to family (and back to a school with a D1 ice hockey team!), and I want to both congratulate him and wish him well.
I'm delighted that Jeff Dobbins, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, has agreed to serve as Interim Dean.
In three years, Örn has overseen significant change as dean at Atkinson. Most notably, he supported the growth of the new undergraduate business program, including the faculty hiring and curricular development needed to allow the successful graduation of our first majors this spring. He strengthened external support through Atkinson Leadership Council, brought new focus on corporate social responsibility, collaborated with the law school on a new healthcare leadership certificate, and led the school through strategic planning and accreditation processes with NASPAA and AACSB. I'm very grateful for his leadership here. Örn plans to move back to Minnesota, rejoining his family in the Twin Cities.
I am glad to announce that Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Accounting Romana Autrey has accepted the role of Interim Dean.
Please join me in the weeks ahead in expressing gratitude to Örn and Brian for their dedication and service to Willamette University, and also congratulating Romana and Jeff on their appointments.
Non nobis solum,
Steve
