D'Amore-McKim School of Business Accounting Professor Arnold Wright has retired after 15 years of teaching at Northeastern University. Wright's time was spent in two phases, ultimately returning after teaching at another institution when he saw the trajectory of the school and the caliber of research the dean and faculty were committed to advancing.
“I was excited about what the faculty here wanted to do, their objectives and goals,” said Wright. “We're still growing and growing.”
Wright is regarded as one of the foremost auditing behavioral scholars and was the Joseph M. Golemme Research Chair in Accounting at D'Amore-McKim. In the most recent Brigham Young University rankings of accounting programs, he was listed as the top accounting researcher overall, having published the most journal articles over the last six years.
His noteworthy career focused on judgment and decision-making in regard to the auditing sector.
Wright's publications have appeared in a number of prominent journals including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, and Contemporary Accounting Research. He is the former editor of Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, the premier auditing research journal, and Accounting Horizons, a journal that provides findings to both academia and the business sector.
Wright's contributions aren't limited to theory, having also brought profound impact on auditing practice and public policy. Wright has influenced how academic research translates into actual accounting practice as regulators often seek input from his findings.
“We pride ourselves on doing very rigorous research that is practice motivated and practice relevant,” said Professor and Accounting Academic Group Coordinator Ganesh Krishnamoorthy, Wright's long-time friend and research partner of more than 20 years.
Wright believes one of the most intriguing opportunities he had during his second stint at D'Amore-McKim was the chance to serve as a mentor and further the research mission of the school, which led to insights that influence real business challenges.
“I always knew that Northeastern University was quite entrepreneurial; there is a lot of energy, planning and thinking,” said Wright. “This is where it is all happening.”
Wright exemplifies putting theory to practice, inspiring those he's worked with and those who continue in his footsteps. “His ultimate legacy is that for many of us now, he serves as almost a beacon in the way we want to live our academic lives,” said Krishnamoorthy.