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Poole Business
Summer 2018 NC State Poole College Names New Associate Dean
Frank Buckless Portrait

NC State Poole College Names New Associate Dean

Update to story: Annette L. Ranft, dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair in NC State University’s Poole College of Management, is stepping down at the end of July to become dean of the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University. Frank Buckless, currently associate dean for faculty and academic affairs in the college and KPMG Professor of Accounting, was appointed as interim dean, effective August 1, 2018. NC State Provost Warwick Arden announced the appointment Friday, June 15, 2018.

Following a national search, North Carolina State University Poole College of Management named Frank Buckless, KPMG Professor and Department Head of Accounting its first associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, effective June 1, 2018.

“Dr. Buckless has provided outstanding leadership during his more than 18 years as head of our accounting department,” Ranft said in her announcement. “Under his leadership, the undergraduate and graduate accounting programs experienced significant growth and recognition, and the department received initial accreditation from the AACSB. During that time, the department also generated support for impactful academic research –– engaging with organizations such as the Bank of America Foundation to support the Enterprise Risk Management Initiative, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support product and technology commercialization. He is an accomplished teacher-scholar, a collaborative and thoughtful colleague, and an exceptional individual.”

A member of the NC State accounting faculty since 1989, Buckless received his doctorate in accounting from Michigan State University. He brought valuable corporate experience to Poole College from his tenure as auditor with Arthur Andersen and Company and is often invited to educate and train auditing professionals.

I am incredibly proud to be part of this dynamic research and learning environment advancing rigorous data-driven thinking and creative problem-solving for students and our partners in academia and industry.

Buckless’ research interests include accounting education, audit and sustainability, and he has published in top journals, including The Accounting Review and Issues in Accounting Education, where he served as associate editor. He also has served on the editorial board of Accounting Education: A Journal of Theory, Practice and Research, The Accounting Educators’ Journal and Journal of Accounting Education.

Along with colleagues Dr. Kathy Krawczyk and Scott Showalter, Buckless received the 2016 American Accounting Association’s (AAA) “Innovation in Accounting Education Award” for their use of Second Life virtual reality world to enhance the classroom learning experience. He has published numerous educational books related to audit education.

“I have had the opportunity to learn and develop my leadership skills in higher education at NC State University. A successful leader facilitates the creation of a vision, acquisition of resources, development of faculty and teams to achieve our vision and goals,” he said. “Poole College has made great strides since its creation in 1992, and I am incredibly proud to be part of this dynamic research and learning environment advancing rigorous data-driven thinking and creative problem-solving for students and our partners in academia and industry.”

“Dr. Buckless will play a critical role in shaping this new associate dean position in Poole College and will work hand-in-hand with me to provide strategic leadership and steward a culture of excellence in teaching and scholarship across the college and with our university partners,” said Ranft.

This position reflects the growth and positive momentum of Poole College as it is consistently recognized by national rankings as one of the leading business schools worldwide, including top-25 undergraduate and graduate accounting programs (Public Accounting Report), a top-50 undergraduate business administration program (Bloomberg Businessweek) and a top-20 online MBA program (US News & World Report).

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