Brent D. Williams, interim dean for the Sam M. Walton College of Business, announced Jonathan Shipman, Shaila Miranda and Alexey Malakhov as new department chairs for the college.

"Shaila, Alexey and Jonathan are excellent choices to lead the Information Systems, Finance and Accounting departments, respectively," Williams said. "I look forward to working with them in their new roles."

Jonathan Shipman, associate professor, program director for the Master of Accountancy program and holder of the Garrison/Wilson Endowed Chair in Accounting, will now serve as the chair of the William Dillard Department of Accounting. Shipman has worked for the Walton College for nearly nine years. His primary research focuses on auditing. He holds a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Tennessee. Shipman's predecessor was Gary Peters, who now serves as the senior associate dean for Walton College.

Shaila Miranda, formerly the W.P. Wood Professor at the University of Oklahoma, serves as the chair of the Department of Information Systems at Walton College. She taught at the University of Oklahoma for some 20 years. Her primary research focus is on public discourse, digital activism and innovation. Miranda earned her Ph.D. in management information systems/computer science from the University of Georgia. Miranda follows Distinguished Professor Rajiv Sabherwal, who was the department chair for 12 years and is refocusing on teaching.

Alexey Malakhov, the Edward W. Reed Associate Professor of Finance, is the interim Finance Department chair. Malakhov has worked at Walton College since 2006. His most recent research centers on hedge and mutual funds. He earned a Ph.D. in managerial economics and strategy from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Malakhov's predecessor was Professor Pu Liu, who served as department chair for more than 15 years and is stepping back into the classroom.