Welcome to Dean Damon Fleming

Damon Fleming, dean and professor of accounting of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis, has been named as the new dean of the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly. Fleming will begin in this role on Aug. 2, 2021.

“I look forward to welcoming Dr. Fleming to our campus and working with him to support the students, faculty and staff of the Orfalea College of Business,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Cal Poly’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “He brings a wealth of experience in both higher education and industry and a strong commitment to the success of the college and the university as a whole.”

Prior to his current role, Fleming spent nearly 13 years on the faculty of the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University where he was professor of accounting, Ernst & Young Faculty Fellow, and William E. Cole Director of the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy.

“I am honored to be the next dean of the Orfalea College of Business, which is well positioned to lead the future of business education with its focus on student success through career-ready experiential learning,” said Fleming. “The powerful combination of exceptional students, highly collaborative faculty and staff, and engaged business community offers the opportunity to ingrain the application of theory to practice and advance the California and global economies.

I am honored to be the next dean of the Orfalea College of Business, which is well positioned to lead the future of business education with its focus on student success through career-ready experiential learning.”

“I look forward to working with all Cal Poly and Orfalea College of Business stakeholders to fully realize the Learn by Doing mission in what will be an exciting new era.”

Fleming’s teaching areas include financial reporting, financial statement analysis, accounting research, management accounting, and accounting judgment and decision making. Fleming was selected as the Most Influential Faculty Member four times by the annual Outstanding Student graduating from the SDSU Master of Science in Accountancy program and earned two Fowler College of Business Outstanding Faculty Contribution awards from his colleagues for teaching innovation and effectiveness.

Fleming’s research uses theories from psychology and behavioral decision research to investigate accounting issues (including cross-cultural contexts) in the areas of auditing, ethics, financial reporting, and taxation. Fleming has 29 publications in accounting journals including: “Accounting Horizons,”” Behavioral Research in Accounting,” “Journal of the American Taxation Association,” “The International Journal of Accounting,” “Issues in Accounting Education,” “Journal of Business Ethics,” “Journal of Accountancy,” and “Strategic Finance.”

Fleming earned his doctorate in business (accounting) from Virginia Tech and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from San Diego State University. Prior to entering academia, Fleming worked in venture capital focusing on due diligence and valuation. Fleming is a CFA charterholder and certified management accountant.