Matthew Anderson, associate professor of accounting and information systems, has been appointed as the Broad College’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, effective August 2021.
Matthew Anderson
“I am gratified that the dean and the college have entrusted me with the opportunity to make a difference in this arena. I use the term arena advisedly because much of what has transpired in the diversity and inclusion space has involved struggle and continuing effort,” Anderson said.
“Here, we have an opportunity to positively influence change in the DEI efforts of the Broad College. The audience is expanded and the potential for impact is enhanced.”
Anderson has been with the Broad College for 33 years, teaching at the doctoral, master’s and undergraduate levels and advocating for DEI in various roles throughout that time. He has served in this role previously — from 2010 to 2014 — and has been a senior adviser to the dean and a faculty excellence advocate since 2014, helping to increase recruitment and hiring of underrepresented minorities and women on the college’s faculty.
Notably, in 1993, Anderson was the first person of color to serve as the director of the Broad doctoral accounting program and the first to do so at a research university nationally. As director, he helped Michigan State lead the country in recruiting women and people of color for doctoral accounting education.
In addition, Anderson is a past president of the Black Faculty, Staff & Administrators at MSU and a proud two-time alumnus, earning his MBA and Ph.D. in accounting from the Broad College.
Beyond the banks of the Red Cedar, Anderson has been recognized and admired for his work nationally through significant honors and awards. Most recently, in 2020 he was inducted into the Ph.D. Project Hall of Fame, and in May he was appointed the new interim director for DEI for the American Accounting Association.
In his return to this role at Broad, Anderson will work with fellow associate deans, academic unit heads and program directors to ensure we support a diverse body of students, faculty and staff, instill equity in college policies and procedures, and encourage an inclusive and supportive climate and culture.
“My role is enhanced simply by the fact that I am now part of the administrative dean team,” Anderson said. “I still have my former role, which focused on faculty recruiting, orientation and mentoring efforts. I will be more involved with faculty curricular and related issues.”
Anderson is looking forward to reviewing the current state of DEI at Broad and helping to frame and focus our efforts.
“My first priority is to establish a framework for assessing the culture of the college from a DEI perspective. We can then move forward in a more informed way,” he said.
Anderson’s enduring commitments to DEI and higher education make him eminently qualified for this role. Under his leadership, the college will forge a strong path forward and deliver on our commitment to cultivate a diverse, inclusive and equitable culture for all Broad Spartans.
