Karen Sedatole

Karen Sedatole became the Interim John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School in May 2020. A three-time recipient of the American Accounting Association’s Notable Contributions to Management Accounting Research Award and a winner of the 2020 Management Accounting Research David Solomons Prize, she brings a synthesis of business acumen and academic expertise to the role. This informs Karen’s leadership and serves as a foundation for her commitment to the future of business education within the broader context of societal needs.

Karen’s pioneering research into the field of performance measurement and reward systems, the role of forecasting and budgetary systems within organizations, and control in interorganizational collaborations have added enormous value across academic and business spheres. In her research, she places emphasis on the role of trust, positive motivation, and systems thinking in the workplace. In tackling these issues, she has partnered across industries – health care, tech, automotive, and more – generating business-relevant research and earning her the Impact on Management Accounting Practice Award twice. Karen’s research has merited grants from the PwC Charitable Foundation, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and the Institute of Management Accountants. She has also demonstrated her commitment to Goizueta’s core value of principled leadership, serving as Faculty Director for Emory Executive Education’s Executive Women’s Leadership Forum.

Prior to joining the Emory faculty in 2017, Karen was the Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor of Accounting at Michigan State University. She has also held academic appointments at the University of Texas at Austin and the Stephen F. Austin State University.

She has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences. Her effective forecasting and performance measurement articles have been published in a number of leading journals, including The Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, and the Harvard Business Review. Karen previously served as senior editor of the Journal of Management Accounting Research.

Karen holds a PhD in business administration from the University of Michigan, a masters of business administration from the University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor of science in engineering from Baylor University.

Companies

• Associate Editor Management Science (2022)
• Board Member Women's Entrepreneurial Opportunity Project, Inc. (2021)
• Asa Griggs Candler Professor Emory University - Goizueta Business School (2021)
• Interim John H. Harland Dean Emory University - Goizueta Business School (2020)
• Goizueta Advisory Board Term Professor Emory University - Goizueta Business School (2018 — 2020)
• Professor Emory University - Goizueta Business School (2017 — 2018)
• Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor Michigan State University (2016 — 2017)
• Professor Michigan State University (2013 — 2016)
• Visiting Associate Professor Wake Forest University (2012 — 2013)

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business (1996 — 2000)
• MBA Texas McCombs School of Business (1987 — 1989)
• BSE Baylor University (1983 — 1987)