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Nov. 1, 2024

In the winter of 1991, a Greyhound bus rumbled into downtown Columbia. Among the passengers was Vairam Arunachalam, a young doctoral student from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who had traveled six hours to interview for a faculty position in the School of Accountancy at the University of Missouri.

Little did Arunachalam know that his stay in this college town would span more than three decades. Not only would he become an esteemed professor of accountancy and a leader in professional accountancy circles, but he would also serve a remarkable 16-year tenure as director of the School of Accountancy at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business.

In September, Arunachalam stepped down as director of the School of Accountancy and became the inaugural associate dean for partnerships and engagement at Trulaske. His is a story of dedication, growth and lasting impact.

"I care deeply about this institution," Arunachalam said. "What is important to remember about institutions is they don't belong to anyone. We are here as stewards. My goal has always been to leave something better for the people who come after me."

The early years

In the beginning, Arunachalam followed the lead of his mentors in the School of Accountancy and Trulaske College of Business: Dean Bruce Walker, Directors Ray Dockweiler and Earl Wilson, as well as Professors Jim Parker, Jim Wall and Tom Dougherty.

By 2008, Arunachalam accepted an offer as director - a post he would hold for the next 16 years. By then, he had been promoted to full professor and earned several campus-wide teaching awards, including Mizzou's William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, the Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award and the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

"I had the core leadership skills and motivation I felt I needed for the job," Arunachalam said. "I told then Dean Walker that I was ready. This time, I had no hesitation about accepting the position. I wanted to make a difference."

A collective effort

Under Arunachalam's guidance, the School of Accountancy has experienced significant increases in enrollment, with about 200 new students joining the highly ranked accountancy program each year, bringing total enrollments to around 550 students. That growth has also come with a higher quality of education and greater student success, resulting in job placement rates near 100%. Graduates have secured positions not only in Missouri and the Midwest but also in major cities like New York, Chicago, Dallas and Denver, to name a few.

"Today, our graduates can go anywhere they want, which means we now have alumni all over the country and that creates all kinds of new opportunities for student internships and jobs in the future," he said. "We have a strong reputation nationally and we continue to build on that. We are a strong, national-level player in the accounting profession."

That reputation has come with other prestigious opportunities such as being selected as one of only nine schools nationwide for the KPMG Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics (MADA) Program. This program provides specialized training and real-world experience plus funding for tuition and other master's degree expenses for selected students, along with guaranteed job placement upon graduation.

Arunachalam is also proud of the tremendous advances in fundraising and alumni support during his tenure as director - growth that has translated into more opportunities for student scholarships, named faculty positions, program support and staff recognition.

But Arunachalam is reluctant to take full credit for the accomplishments during his tenure.

"Everything is a collective effort," he said. "I consider these our achievements. Leaders are here to work harder than anyone else to create opportunities for others. That is one of the most gratifying elements of leadership."

Read more from the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business

MU Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business

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