AACSB Names New Chief Accreditation Officer

Missouri State University College of Business Dean Stephanie Bryant Assumes Position January 2018

TAMPA, Florida, Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie M. Bryant, Ph.D. as Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation Officer beginning January 2, 2018. Bryant is currently dean of the College of Business at Missouri State University, where she has served for six years. She will succeed Robert D. Reid who retires in December 2017 after more than 30 years of championing business education, of which the last five he has served as AACSB's executive vice president and chief accreditation officer.

"Stephanie has a distinguished career in education—both as a professor and a researcher—having received teaching awards and been recognized as a top accounting scholar," said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB. "As a business school dean, AACSB board member, and dedicated AACSB volunteer for many years, she is well qualified to advance AACSB's strategic vision as we continue to grow accreditation globally, support the needs of business schools and business, and expand our portfolio of quality improvement products and services."

As a member of the AACSB executive leadership team, Bryant will provide vision, leadership, and oversight of AACSB's accreditation-related services, including the coordination of nearly 550 volunteers from business schools and business who play an essential role in helping schools achieve their mission through accreditation. As an established thought leader, Bryant will act as spokesperson and advocate for the advancement of quality business and accounting education and engage business stakeholders to help business schools prepare future leaders with the right skills and mindset to lead in a changing, diverse, and global world.

"I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and prestigious organization as AACSB. I look forward to working closely with all our constituents across the world to promote innovation and thought leadership that meaningfully advances business education," said Bryant.

Under Bryant's leadership as Dean of the College of Business at Missouri State University, the AACSB-accredited school has risen to become the 34^th largest college of business in the United States. During her tenure, enrollment grew by 890 students to 5,500 students, making it one of the largest colleges of business at any public university in the central Midwest. Previously she was director of the University of South Florida's School of Accountancy, overseeing a program of nearly 1,000 undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. accounting students. With over two decades of experience as a professor and in college administration, she is a highly-respected researcher and scholar. Her area of academic specialty is information technology security and control, and she has co-authored two textbooks and more than 30 academic articles. She is actively involved in civic and community activities including Beta Alpha Psi, an honor organization for financial information students and professionals, and the American Accounting Association. Bryant received her Ph.D. and B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University and is a Louisiana CPA (inactive). A proven leader, innovator, and global thinker, Bryant is the 2016-17 chair of the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Committee (AAC), is a member of the 2016-18 AACSB Board of Directors, and has served on the AACSB Committee on Accreditation Policy (CAP) and the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Task Force.

"I have had the privilege of working closely with Stephanie over the years as she has been an active AACSB volunteer," says Reid. "Her involvement on our accreditation peer review teams and various accreditation task forces and committees further underscore her commitment to accreditation excellence and positions her and AACSB for success as she endeavors to help shape the future and the impact of business education worldwide."

Prior to assuming her new role at AACSB, Bryant will be speaking on accounting accreditation at the upcoming Annual Accreditation Conference, September 24-26, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

AACSB provides internationally-recognized, specialized accreditation for business and accounting programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level. The AACSB Accreditation Standards challenge post-secondary educators to pursue excellence and continuous improvement throughout their business programs and require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. Only the best business schools from around the world have earned AACSB Accreditation, which is recognized as the highest standard of quality in business education.

For more detailed information about AACSB Accreditation, please visit www.aacsb.edu/accreditation.

About AACSB International As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,600 member organizations and 796 accredited business schools worldwide. With its global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, USA; Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu.

Resources:   
About AACSB International  
AACSB-Accredited Institutions  
About Accreditation