Department of Accounting and Information Systems names new chairperson

Marilyn Johnson, professor of accounting, will become the newest chairperson of the Broad College’s Department of Accounting and Information Systems, effective August 2022. Johnson will take on a three-year term and replace Chris Hogan, Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor of Accounting, who has served as chairperson since 2017.

Marilyn Johnson

“I’m humbled and honored to be asked to steward a department that has an over 50-year history of pioneering teaching and research in the fields of accounting and information systems,” Johnson said. “In my time at MSU, the university has invested generously in my teaching and research. It’s time to give back.”

Johnson has been with the Broad College since 2000, teaching at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. She started her academic career lecturing at Washington State University and then moved on to the University of Michigan for eight years prior to coming to Michigan State.

She earned a doctorate in business administration from the University of Washington, a master’s in business administration from Washington State University and a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on corporate disclosure decisions. She is a past member of the Deloitte & Touche Academic Advisory Board and has served on the editorial board of Contemporary Accounting Research and Investor Relations Quarterly.

As she steps into this role as chairperson, Johnson is looking forward to creating a culture of belonging, particularly for undergraduate students who have faced numerous changes to the academic experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we return to campus, my goal is to foster a sense of belonging, and to do that, in part, by addressing this generation’s commitment to sustainability,” she explained. “I hope to undertake curricular initiatives that expose all Broad students to the concept of sustainability reporting and the important role of accounting professionals in the development of sustainability standards and quality assurance.”

Johnson has a deep commitment to academic and scholarly excellence, which will ensure that the department continues to grow its rankings and strong legacy in both academic and practitioner communities under her leadership.

She is eager to meet with alumni and employers connected to the department, support ongoing efforts to offer a curriculum that develops skills and knowledge needed in a digital economy and extend programmatic initiatives begun by her predecessor. These initiatives include the Transactions Services track in our existing M.S. in Accounting program and the new online M.S. in Accounting and Data Analytics program.

“These types of curricular innovations leverage our history of developing accounting professionals who have the technical knowledge, critical thinking skills and integrity our society needs.”