You could say associate professor of accounting Dane Christensen moves quickly.
He published in The Accounting Review—one of the top three journals for accounting research—at a remarkable pace in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Additionally, Christensen published three articles in Strategic Management Journal and one article in Contemporary Accounting Research, which are also top business journals.
His work is also frequently cited in the media, including the Wall Street Journal (on two occasions), Washington Post, and on National Public Radio. He has also been asked to present research at a number of other universities and conferences.
“This level of research success for a young professor is exceedingly rare and a strong signal of the quality of Dane’s work,” said Angela Davis, senior associate dean and Jack O. Rickli Professor of Business. “Dane joined the Lundquist College in fall 2016. There is no question that he is off to a fabulous start in his research career.”
It is this swift pace, coupled with its exemplary quality, that earned Christensen one of the Lundquist College’s most prestigious honors, the Stewart Distinguished Faculty Award for 2020. Established through a generous gift by alumnus Thomas C. Stewart, the award aims to support an individual whose accomplishments lead to distinction at a world-class level and further the strategic objectives of the Lundquist College of Business and the University of Oregon.
After receiving an undergraduate degree in German from Oregon State University, where he was also studying accounting, Christensen transferred to the Lundquist College, earning both undergraduate and master degrees in accounting while his wife Tara completed her degree in comparative literature. He then obtained his PhD in management from the University of Arizona.
Christensen also brings his experience as an auditor for Deloitte and Touche LLP and for Perkins & Company P.C.
His expertise includes corporate misconduct, corporate social responsibility, and the political economy. He said he enjoys the variety.
“Some of the subjects I look into, like corporate responsibility, span multiple areas of study,” Christensen said. “Here in the Northwest, things like sustainability and social responsibility are a lot more socially accepted than they necessarily are elsewhere. I recognize that it is more of a controversial thing because there is a long stream of literature trying to figure out whether or not putting money into socially responsible practices actually has an upside in terms of profit. The stream of research over the years goes back and forth.”
In a nomination written by Davis and cosigned by Lundquist College professor of accounting Ryan Wilson and associate professor of accounting Kyle Peterson, the authors point to Christensen’s direct positive impact on the School of Accounting, saying he is instrumental to recruiting recent top-notch faculty hires. His research not only bolsters the college’s standing in the field, it also helps to attract stellar students.
“His presence has also been referenced by incoming doctoral students as a reason for their decision to choose our program,” Davis said.
The Stewart award follows additional recent distinctions from the Lundquist College for Christensen. He was honored with the Goulet Outstanding Research Award in 2018 and earned tenure in 2019, all while chasing four children and trying to get in the occasional run or basketball game.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the Stewart family’s support of the Lundquist College of Business and am humbled to receive this award,” Christensen said. “Without their assistance, the Lundquist College of Business wouldn’t be able to fulfill its mission and obligation to society. The University of Oregon, and all who have and will pass through it, shine brighter as a result of their support.”
—AnneMarie Knepper-Sjoblom ’05, Lundquist College Communications