Farewell to Dean Nutter

Sarah E. Nutter, Dean, School of Management. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

Sarah E. Nutter, Dean, School of Management. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

BY KATYA BEISEL, STAFF WRITER

After 20 years at Mason, Dean of Business School Sarah Nutter will switch out her Mason green and gold for the University of Oregon’s green and yellow as the dean of the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business in January.

“I love Mason and its mission; our entrepreneurial culture and our commitment to diversity, inclusion and accessibility. And, I love the people of Mason, the students, faculty and staff. It has been a privilege to be part of this fast growth, young university, so making the decision to leave was not an easy one,” Nutter said.

Nutter joined Mason’s faculty in 1995 and was promoted to acting dean of Mason’s business school in 2013 before being permanently hired to the position. She served as director of the Executive MBA program, accounting area chair and Presidential Fellow before becoming dean.

According to Nutter’s faculty directory biography, she has taught undergraduate and graduate-level accounting and taxation courses. Her research has been published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics, The Accounting Review, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Advances in Taxation and Statistics of Income Bulletin.

Before joining the Mason faculty, Nutter worked as an economist for the Internal Revenue Service for five years, where she wrote about and researched federal tax policy issues.

Reflecting on her time at Mason, Nutter said, “Because Mason is a young, fast-growth organization, I have been able to do so many different things during my time here. I have had opportunities that in a more established organization would have been unlikely. At Mason, you learn to be strategic, flexible, nimble and adept at adapting to a changing environment.”

She will take over for Bruce Blonigen Jan. 17, 2017. Blonigen has served as the Charles H. Lundquist College’s interim dean since Dean Cornelis “Kees” de Kluyver left the position in September of 2015.

In a statement from University of Oregon Senior Director of Public Affairs Communications Tobin Klinger, Nutter said, “The Lundquist College of Business is incredibly well-respected across the country. It will be an honor to serve as dean at this pivotal time in the university’s history. I’m eager to work together to shape the future of the college, building upon the work of the incredible faculty and leadership for which it is known.”

In a statement to the UO faculty on Oct. 7, the University of Oregon’s Provost and Senior Vice President Scott Coltrane said the university is gaining a talented dean.

Coltrane said Nutter has “significant experience in academic leadership and strategic planning, built on an inclusive approach that has permeated every aspect of her work.”

President of the University of Oregon Michael Schill agreed.

“What most impressed me about Sarah was her incredible commitment to collaboration and inclusion,” Schill said. “While many in academia have this commitment, few embody it the way she does. Sarah Nutter will be an outstanding addition to our university.”