Dean Frank Hodge
Orin & Janet Smith Dean
Frank Hodge is the Orin & Janet Smith Dean at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. He was appointed the 14th dean of the school in July 2019.
Dean Hodge joined the faculty at UW Foster in 2000. Prior to becoming Dean, he served as chair of the Department of Accounting and as the UW Faculty Athletics Representative to the Pac-12 and NCAA. He holds an undergraduate degree from Carroll College and earned his MBA and Ph.D. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
Known as “Coach” to his students, his teaching has been recognized with dozens of awards across the undergraduate, graduate and executive levels, including the PACCAR Award for Excellence in Teaching, the school’s highest teaching honor, which is selected entirely by students.
Dean Hodge’s research focuses on how managers disclose, and individuals use, accounting information to make investment decisions. He has published extensively and served on the editorial boards of the leading accounting journals and has presented his work at the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as more than 40 conferences and universities around the world.
Since becoming dean, Hodge led a community-focused process to enable and amplify the Foster School’s purpose statement, which serves as its North Star:
We Foster Leaders
We Foster Insights
We Foster Progress
…To Better Humanity
On a personal note, Frank is married, has two daughters, and lives in Seattle. Frank grew up in Idaho and Montana and he enjoys the outdoor lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest, spending his free time cycling and endurance trail running.
Academic Associate Deans
Jennifer Koski
Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs
Jennifer L. Koski is the Kirby L. Cramer Endowed Chair in Finance at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. To learn more about Professor Koski’s research and teaching, visit her faculty profile.
As the Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs, Professor Koski’s responsibilities cover a range of issues related to faculty recruiting, professional development, promotion, and tenure. She oversees faculty hiring plans, onboarding, performance reviews, collegial teaching observations, summer research support, endowments, excellence awards, and faculty development funding. The Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs also engages in strategic planning initiatives, leads the AACSB accreditation process, participates as a member of Foster’s Budget Committee, oversees the Doctoral Program, and responds to inquiries related to faculty members.
Christina Fong
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs
Christina T. Fong (she/her) is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and the Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor of Management at the Foster School of Business. She teaches leadership and management to a variety of audiences from undergraduates to executives.
As Associate Dean, Christina ensures that the undergraduate experience is meaningful, equitable, and enriching for undergraduate business major and minor students. This means supporting students, faculty, and staff who help to enforce academic standards, build community, and create spaces for dialogue and connection. To learn more about her research, teaching, and service, please visit her faculty profile.
Dan Turner
Associate Dean of the Masters Programs
Dan Turner (he/him) is the Peter and Noydena Brix Endowed Faculty Fellow in Marketing and Teaching Professor at the University of Washington Foster School of Business.
As Associate Dean of Master’s Programs, Dan works with talented faculty and staff teams to set program portfolio strategy and deliver inclusive excellence in accelerating student learning and growth. He oversees critical functions across all aspects of the student lifecycle in admissions, curriculum, student affairs, program operations, and professional development as well as supporting functions in human resources and budget management.
Staff Leadership
Tahsin Alam
Associate Dean for Advancement
Tahsin I. Alam is the Associate Dean for Advancement at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. He joined Foster from the Rutgers University Foundation where he served as the Vice President for Organizational Development.
As the Associate Dean, Mr. Alam is responsible for building external connections with alumni, corporations and supporters of the Foster School. He oversees fundraising activities, alumni relations programming and manages the Foster Advisory Board. Mr. Alam also oversees all marketing and communications initiatives for the school. In addition to managing the teams for these areas, Mr. Alam serves as a strategic planning partner to the Dean’s senior team. Mr. Alam received his Bachelors Degree from Bates College and a Masters in Organizational Communications from Rutgers University.
Jean Choy
Associate Dean of Executive Education and International Initiatives
A passionate educator in learning and development, Jean Choy is responsible for fostering long-term strategic partnerships to promote new business development and collaborative initiatives with corporations, academic institutions, and government offices that mutually benefit the organizations and the Foster School of Business. Jean also teaches in the Global Executive MBA Program as well as numerous Executive Education programs for corporate clients and government agencies regionally and globally.
Growing up in South Korea and Japan, Jean is trilingual. She travels extensively to meet with community and business leaders to assess their needs and offer various executive and leadership development opportunities that can be integrated into their business strategies.
Michelle Purnell-Hepburn
Associate Dean for Inclusion and Diversity
M. Michelle Purnell-Hepburn is the Associate Dean for Inclusion and Diversity, joining Foster in December 2022. In 2021, the Consulting and Business Development Center and Dean Emeritus William D. Bradford recruited her to create and teach the course, “Impact Business Lending: The Power of Access,” due to her extensive years in the banking and credit union industry. Ms. Purnell-Hepburn is an alum of the Foster School earning her B. A. in Finance and Business Economics and her M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting.
In her role, Ms. Purnell-Hepburn’s responsibilities encompass leading efforts to incorporate an inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging perspective into every decision made at Foster. Working across the entire organization, she applies evidence-based practices, builds relationships, and leverages innovation to develop and execute programs and strategies to amplify the School’s purpose statement. She also engages in strategic planning, program and policy development, outreach, recruitment, and training.
Michelle Griffin
Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration
Michelle Griffin is the Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration. She joined the Foster School in 2016 and has twenty years of experience in higher education. Mrs. Griffin studied economics (BA) and public health management, receiving a master’s degree from the University of Florida. She has led health policy projects at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provided financial oversight to the UW School of Nursing, and the Cardiovascular Health Research Unit.
As Assistant Dean, Mrs. Griffin is responsible for ensuring the efficient operations and overall financial health of the Foster School, overseeing Finance, Facilities, IT, and Institutional Research. These areas also include Foster’s Fiscal Shared Services (Procurement and Compliance teams), CRM team, Desktop Support team, and Systems Engineering team.
Mara Stevens
Senior Director of Human Resources Operations
Mara Stevens is the Senior Director of Human Resources Operations at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and has over 25 years of experience in public higher education administration.
In her role, Mara provides strategic leadership and HR expertise to the school’s executive leadership while managing day-to-day operational HR actions for faculty, staff, and student employees. Mara’s key areas of expertise include employee relations, performance management, compensation analysis, full life-cycle recruitment, and organizational development planning. She is skilled in navigating complex HR challenges and fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces and is dedicated to supporting employee development and well-being.