This past May, we said farewell to Dr. Richard Ott, who retired after 33 years at K-State! Dr. Ott joined K-State as an assistant professor in 1986 after completing his PhD at Texas Tech University, and went on to enjoy a long and distinguished career dedicated to accounting education. During his time at K-State, Dr. Ott impacted thousands of students and alumni as a teacher, friend, and mentor. In addition, Dr. Ott served as department head for a decade, a role in which he helped shape the department for the future, and shepherded the accounting program through several successful AACSB accreditation reviews.
In March, the department held a celebration to honor Dr. Ott and his wife Trish, who have been such an important part of our department for so many years. We were honored to be joined by Dr. Ott’s two daughters, son-in-law, and two grandchildren; friends from the Manhattan community; and friends and colleagues from the campus community. Dr. Brett Wilkinson and Dr. Dan Deines shared stories and memories in honor of Dr. Ott’s many contributions to the accounting program at K-State and his impact on the lives of so many students and colleagues over his extensive career. Although he won’t be teaching at K-State in the future, we know that Dr. Ott remains a dedicated and committed Accounting Wildcat. We wish him and Trish all the very best for their retirement adventures!