The Sara Hart Kimball Dean's Chair in the College of Business
In 1988, Mr. and Mrs. William R. Kimball of Belvedere, California, made a gift to endow the Sara Hart Kimball Chair in the College of Business. Mr. Kimball, who passed away in 2005, was the owner of Kimball and Company in San Francisco, with dealings in real estate and diversified operations. Mrs. Kimball, for whom the chair is named, passed away in 1997.
Following in the footsteps of her mother, an Oregon State alumna, Sara Hart Kimball received her B.A. from OSU's School of Business and Technology in 1958. A dedicated volunteer throughout her life, she served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Education Fund, the OSU College of Business Council, and the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as the Board of Directors of the Marin Ballet Association, the Branson School, and the Chaplaincy at San Francisco General Hospital.
At the time she and Bill Kimball made the initial gift for the Dean's Chair, Sara said, "We feel there is no better investment in the future than education. We support education not only financially, but also as volunteers. Bill and I feel so strongly about the importance of education that we, and mainly I, want to say a huge 'thank you' to Oregon State. We hope this gift will be viewed as a leadership gift, and that many others will experience the enjoyment it gives Bill and me to be able to do this."
The Kimballs have made generous gifts to support several other programs at OSU as well.
Ilene K. Kleinsorge
Dr. Ilene K. Kleinsorge is the Sara Hart Kimball Dean of the College of Business. She has been a College of Business faculty member for more than 25 years, and served as interim dean after the retirement of her predecessor, Donald Parker.
As dean, Dr. Kleinsorge serves as academic leader and CEO of the college. She is responsible for strategic planning, management, and organizational development, overseeing a $6 million budget.
"With our strategic plan in motion, we're at the beginning of an exciting time at the college," Dr. Kleinsorge said. "In the coming months and years, you'll see the college more visible externally. From our business and technology Extension program starting in rural communities to the Austin Entrepreneurship Program, we're planning to be a cradle-to-grave resource for business education."
The winner of several OSU teaching awards, Dr. Kleinsorge has chaired the college's Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Management, and has served on the college's executive committee. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants, and the American Accounting Association. Dr. Kleinsorge serves as a reviewer for four professional business journals.
Most of Dr. Kleinsorge's teaching and research has focused on cost and managerial accounting systems, with an emphasis on multinational companies. Currently, she is researching how multinational corporations are addressing the need to assure ethical behavior in business decision-making.
Dr. Kleinsorge graduated with honors in 1977 from Emporia State University in Kansas, and received a doctorate in business from the University of Kansas in 1988. Before joining the OSU faculty, she worked as an accountant and financial analyst in Kansas.
