Gary F. Peters has been named the senior associate dean for the Sam M. Walton College
of Business. Peters, who holds the S. Robson Walton Endowed Professorship of Accounting,
previously served as the chair of the William Dillard Department of Accounting from
2016 through 2023.
“I can’t think of a better person to help move Walton College forward with our strategic
plans and initiatives,” said Brent Williams, interim dean for the Walton College.
“Gary has done so much to strengthen and shape our accounting department and will
use that same vision and strategy to help advance the College.”
In his new role, Peters will oversee the college's academic departments and operations.
Peters’ research and teaching focuses on factors that influence audit risk, accounting
disclosure, and corporate governance. His research emphasizes the roles of audit committees,
external auditors and internal auditors and has been published in the Journal of Accounting
Research, The Accounting Review and Contemporary Accounting Research, as well as cross-discipline
studies in journals including MISQ and Journal of Business Ethics.
In 2018, he received the Honors College Distinguished Faculty Award and, in 2016,
the Outstanding All-Around Faculty Member Award from the Walton College. In February,
Peters was honored with the Joseph Silvoso Faculty Merit Award by the American Accounting
Association, the largest community of accountants in higher education.
Peters received a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Oregon Lundquest College
of Business, a master’s degree from the University of Missouri Trulaske College of
Business and a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas Tech University. He served as the director
of the Master of Accounting Program from 2006-2016 before becoming the chair of the
department. Peters joined the University of Arkansas as a professor in 2003. Prior
to his tenure at the U of A, he served as an assistant professor at the University
of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
Since 2013, Lori McLemore has served as the marketing and communications officer for
the Sam M. Walton College of Business. In this role, she writes press releases and
features articles to promote the work of students, faculty and staff. 
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