Happy retirement on speech bubbles

Farewell to Our Retirees

We’re happy to celebrate the faculty and staff in our Michigan Ross community who are retiring after many years of service and impactful work. Congratulations to the following individuals:

  • Catherine Shakespeare, Thomas C. Jones Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, professor of accounting (departing May 1, 2026)
  • Raffi Indjejikian,  Carlton H. Griffin-Deloitte & Touche Collegiate Professor of Accounting (departing May 31, 2026)
  • Lynda Oswald, Louis and Myrtle Moskowitz Research Professor of Business and Law (departing May 31, 2026)
  • Barbara Kirby-Bloch, faculty coordinator, Faculty Support (departing June 1, 2026)

Catherine Shakespeare

After 25 years of shared laughs, a fair amount of grading, and more caffeine than is probably medically recommended, I am officially “graduating” to my next chapter! 

While I have truly loved every minute of my time at the University of Michigan, I’m trading the Ross classrooms for the boardroom as I head to Connecticut to join the Financial Accounting Standards Board — where I’ll be helping set the very standards I’ve spent years studying and explaining. It has been a particular privilege to serve as the MAcc director and the associate dean for undergraduate programs; working so closely with our amazing students in those roles has been the highlight of my career. Our students have been a constant source of energy, keeping me on my toes for a quarter-century. 

I’m not the only one entering a new era, though; my chickens are also officially retiring to live a life of luxury as full-time, free-range socialites. If you ever find yourself in the CT area, please look me up — I’d love to catch up and hear how life on campus is treating you. It has been an absolute honor to work with such an amazing group of people, and I leave with a heart full of memories and deep gratitude for our time together.

raffi indjejikian portrait

Raffi Indjejikian

I am retiring after 41 years in academia — four as a PhD student at Wharton, seven at the University of Chicago, and 30 at the University of Michigan. It has been a rich and rewarding journey. 

As I reflect on my career, I am reminded of a line from a famous Frank Sinatra song, “Regrets, I’ve had a few / But then again too few to mention.” What I don’t regret and what I will miss the most is the intellectual repartee with friends, coauthors, colleagues, and students. Now, I am looking forward to spending more time with my grandchildren and reducing the “must-do” items on my bucket list. And if time permits (or if I get bored), I hope to continue doing a little bit of research, just for fun.

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