The Kelley School of Business lost a longtime faculty member early Tuesday morning as Professor Richard Rogers passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home.
Rogers joined the Kelley family in 1981 as an assistant professor of accounting and was among the early faculty to help launch Kelley’s Indianapolis campus in 1987 as an associate professor.
Colleagues who worked closely with Rogers over the past 30 years described him as the consummate “professional educator” who had an immense impact on the growth of the highly regarded Kelley Indianapolis accounting programs. He also helped launch the Kelley Direct online MBA program and continually sought to enhance course offerings to students.
“Rich was a great friend, a wonderful colleague and an essential member of the faculty at Kelley Indianapolis,” said Philip Cochran, associate dean for Kelley Indianapolis operations. “His impact, both as an award-winning teacher and innovative faculty member, cannot be overstated, and he will be sorely missed.”
Longtime accounting colleague John Hassell, professor of accounting at Kelley, said Rogers did all the things you want a professional educator to do, including investing in the students, the curriculum and the welfare of faculty as a whole.
“The loss of Rich is profound,” Hassell said. “This is a huge loss to the Kelley School and to the students, the faculty and the culture.”
Hassell also reflected proudly on the enhancements Rogers led to accounting programs at the undergraduate, MBA, and online MBA levels. He truly cared about his job and thought strategically about issues facing accounting and the school, he said.
“He had an impact on MBA students as he tried to help them understand how accounting can be useful in their careers as managers,” Hassell added. “Today, his students probably have a better sense of the value of accountants and their role in solving problems in business.”
Rogers arrived as an assistant professor of accounting at Kelley Bloomington in 1981 after completing his doctorate in philosophy at Penn State University. Ironically, Cochran served as a faculty member there while Rogers was a student.
He joined the Indianapolis operations in 1987, where he remained an integral part of the accounting faculty until his death. He helped mold the graduate and undergraduate accounting programs into the well-respected and influential programs they are today.
He also worked tirelessly since 1999 to promote distance-learning initiatives through Kelley Direct and was widely published for his accounting research in countless publications during his career.
“Rich was a cornerstone of the Kelley Direct program,” said Eric Richards, faculty chair of Kelley Direct Public Programs. “Although his passing leaves a tremendous void in the programs, his imprint on the lives of each of us who were blessed to work with him will be everlasting.”
During his career, Rogers amassed a host of teaching awards, including the IU Trustee Teaching Award, MBA Graduate Teaching Excellence Award, the Schuyler Otteson Undergraduate Teaching Award and several other honors.
He also served IUPUI as a member of the Faculty Council Committee and several other roles, including the IUPUI Sabbatical, Strategic Planning, Technology, Budgetary Affairs and Vice Chancellor Review committees.
Professor Rich Rogers leaves behind his wife, Priscilla “Teggie” Rogers and two children, David and Rebecca.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Professor Rogers’ favorite outdoor camp that he attended throughout his childhood: Keewaydin (10 Keewaydin Rd, Salisbury VT 05769-9786); or, scholarship for adult learners: The College of New Jersey Foundation for the Newton Brewer Collinson Scholarship Fund (PO Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718).
Visitation and funeral arrangements are available here.
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