Lynne Vincent and Craig Nicols
The Whitman School of Management announced the appointment of two new department chairs, effective July 1. Professor Lynne Vincent has been named chair of the Management Department, and Professor Craig Nicols has been named chair of the Lubin School of Accounting at Whitman.
“I am honored to continue the progress the Management Department has made over the past years,” says Vincent of her new role as department chair. “The workplace is changing incredibly rapidly. How technology shapes our work, how and where employees work, how organizations engage with the environment and community, and how employees identify and engage with their work is shifting and will continue to do so. The Management Department is dedicated to examining these issues and preparing our students to manage these challenges and opportunities.”
Vincent joined the Whitman faculty in 2015. She earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and labor relations and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Cornell University. Vincent’s research examines the moral and social implications of creativity. In contrast to the status quo view of creativity as being inherently positive, she investigates the potential dark side and unexpected consequences of creativity. Her research reveals that creativity, and the perception of it, influences decisions to engage in dishonest behaviors, how people handle negative experiences and even how people judge others. Her research has appeared in the Academy of Management Journal; Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes; Journal of Experimental Social Psychology; and Journal of Experimental Psychology: General and Psychological Science.
“I’m looking forward to continuing the great work Professor Joe Comprix has done with the accounting team, and I look forward to supporting our faculty to help them reach their goals in research and teaching,” says Nichols of his new role as department chair of the Lubin School of Accounting. “In addition, I am eager to guide students in exploring the diverse career options within the accounting field that will be available to them after completing their Whitman education.”
Nichols, who joined the Whitman faculty in 2011, has worked as a tax accountant at Arthur Andersen, LLP. He holds a Ph.D. in accounting from Indiana University and taught MBA students at Cornell University before joining the Whitman School. He currently teaches financial accounting and financial statement analysis to undergraduate and graduate students at Whitman. Nichols has published in the Journal of Accounting Research; Journal of Accounting and Economics; Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis; Contemporary Accounting Research; Review of Accounting Studies; Accounting Horizons; Financial Analyst Journal, among others.
“I very much appreciate Lynne and Craig’s eagerness to take on these important leadership roles at the Whitman School. They are award-winning professors who care deeply about student success and I’m excited about the new ideas and approaches they will bring to their respective departments. The confidence that their colleagues have shown in them bodes well for their success in these leadership positions. I would like to thank Joe Comprix and Ravi Dharwadkar for their work as department chair over the past few years,” says Alexander McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School of Management.
