The Business of Writing - Lundquist College of Business - University ...

EStEEMEd ProfESSor,
rESPEctEd acadEMIc
M. Megan Partch, 58, a longtime and revered member of the finance
faculty, died on October 24, 2007, after a years-long battle with cancer.
the condolences and remembrances poured forth from
around the world as colleagues and former students
remembered Partch for changing their lives and contributing
profoundly to the advancement of finance research.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Partch completed her
undergraduate work at Carleton College and came to the
Lundquist College of Business in 1981 after earning M.B.A. and
Ph.D. degrees at the University of Wisconsin. She served as head
of the Department of Finance from 1997 to 2006, was the U. S.
Bank Research Scholar from 1994 to 2006, and had recently
been named John B. Rogers Professor of Banking and Finance.
During her tenure, Partch was largely responsible for advancing
the reputation of the college for finance research excellence. Her
work in corporate financial policy and corporate governance
is among the most cited in the area, and her papers appeared
in top-quality journals, including the Journal of Finance and
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. In 1997,
subscribers to the Journal of
Financial Economics voted
Partch’s article “The Decline
of Takeovers and
Disciplinary Management
Turnover” as the Best Paper
in the Area
of Corporate Finance.
As Jonathan M. Karpoff,
the Norman J. Metcalfe
Professor of Finance at the
University of Washington,
explained, “Megan changed
how we think—about the
reasons firms issue securities,
how firms structure their
ownership rights, and how
markets assist firm governance.”
The flowers outside her office door were a testament to how
profoundly Megan impacted the lives of students and colleagues.
Megan Partch
I n memorI am
Partch was also remembered
as a gracious and dedicated
teacher who took great joy
in helping others succeed.
At the Lundquist College of Business, she pioneered some of
the first experiential education opportunities for students,
and she was instrumental in attracting and mentoring
promising junior finance faculty and Ph.D. students.
“Megan was by far the best teacher I have ever had,”
said Lawrence Abbott, now an associate professor at the
University of Memphis. “I learned how to be both a better
Ph.D. student and a better teacher thanks to her. I am deeply
indebted to her and her wisdom.”
Others echoed that sentiment, commenting that Partch made
finance “come alive” and challenged students to learn on a
higher level.
As Professor Emeritus Rick Mowday so eloquently summed
up, “Megan was a complete academic. She was a gifted
scholar, excellent teacher, and caring colleague who
contributed much to building her department and the
college. She was also a wonderful human being. She will
be greatly missed.”
For more remembrances, please visit http://lcb.uoregon.edu/
news/news.php?issue=100107&story=partch.
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