Pioneering Haslam Alumna Receives Milestone Honor from Longtime Employer

Tennessee Technological University awarded the status of Professor Emerita to recently retired professor of finance and UT alumna Mary Pashley (M.S., ’78, MBA, ’85, Ph.D., ’86). Pashley was the first female tenure-track faculty member in finance at Tennessee Tech and was the university’s sole female tenure-track finance faculty member for 25 of her 38-year career at Tech.

“I am honored by this recognition from Tennessee Tech,” Pashley says. “I had a lot of great experiences at Tech and had many opportunities to serve students in different ways. I got to work with some of the best and the brightest undergraduate and MBA students, and I still count several of them as friends.”

Trailblazing Track Record

In addition to her accomplishments at Tennessee Tech, Pashley was also the first woman to graduate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business’ Ph.D. in Finance program. She says she rarely focused on her unique situation at either school, particularly at UT, even though no more than 5-10 percent of finance Ph.Ds. at the time were women.

“Frankly, I never thought about it very much,” she says. “I studied with fellow students who happened to be of a different gender, and we were, simply, colleagues working through the program together. I was more aware of my uniqueness as a faculty member at Tech than I had been as a student, but I don’t think it completely defined me as a faculty person, either. I was more interested in just getting the job done.”

A Career of Service

Pashley had many research interests, primarily in corporate finance, and published in multiple well-regarded academic journals with citations coming from researchers at over 80 institutions in 30 countries, according to ResearchGate. Her commitment to the mission of Tennessee Tech and the advancement of its students led her to take a servant-leadership approach in her professional role, serving with numerous organizations over the years. She served as associate director of the Tennessee Tech Honors Program and as faculty advisor to a variety of student clubs and societies at Tech, including the Society for the Advancement of Finance and Economics (SAFE), Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, Alpha Psi Omega, the Associated Scholars Guild and the Financial Management Association/Honor Society in conjunction with the SAFE club. All told, she chaired or served on more than 60 campus committees, including the faculty senate, university art committee, university library committee, college of business curriculum committee, MBA executive committee and many others.

Lori Bruce, provost of Tennessee Technological University, says the institution was proud to name Pashley an emerita professor.

“As the first tenure-track female finance professor at our institution, she demonstrated resilience and leadership,” Bruce says. “We celebrate her as a trailblazer who opened doors for future generations in education.”

Alma Mater Impressions

Pashley recalls her time at Haslam with great fondness, especially the lasting influence of two of her favorite professors, George Philippatos and Ron Shrieves. Her path to UT, however, was marked by a touch of serendipity. After earning a dual bachelor’s degree in mathematics and theater from Vanderbilt University, she found herself weighing her next steps. It was during a campus presentation by UT faculty member Richard Rosenthal — who passionately highlighted the strengths of Haslam’s M.S. program in management science — that her interest was sparked.

“It was all about applying mathematical tools to solve problems and make decisions in as optimal a way as possible,” Pashley recalls. “That’s how I ended up at UT. It was while enrolled in the management science program that I discovered the joys of finance. Finance also focuses on excellent decision making and spoke to my soul. I obtained a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in finance and then made a career for almost 40 years in that field.”

Tracie Woidtke, David E. Sharp-Home Federal Bank of Tennessee Professor in Banking and Finance and head of Haslam’s finance department, noted that Pashley’s recognition comes amid a stark imbalance in academia. A 2019 survey found that only 17 percent of individuals who earn a Ph.D. and secure tenure-track positions in finance are women. Even more striking, just 11.3 percent of tenured finance faculty who advance to the rank of full professor are women.

“While it is always exciting to hear about our alumni’s achievements, given these statistics, Dr. Pashley being named emerita professor is even more laudable,” Woidtke says.

An Unretiring Retirement

Retirement is only a starting point for Pashley’s next chapter. She and her husband plan to revisit Scotland and Switzerland this year and spend time with family in Texas and Philadelphia. Drawing on the artistic side of her dual background in mathematics and theatre, Pashley is also looking forward to returning to longtime artistic interests.

“There was a time when I was in 10 shows in five years, mostly musicals” Pashley says. “I’m hoping to get back into that. In the meantime, I’m singing with twice as many choirs as I was before I retired.” She is also becoming a regular judge for speech and debate competitions.

Pashley is also looking ahead to renewed involvement in community service. Previously a level two counselor with the State Health Insurance Program, she helped individuals navigate the complexities of Medicare decisions. She now plans to pursue re-certification so she can once again assist others in making informed choices about their coverage.

“I’m sure I’ll also circle back around to doing more things that have to do with finance, especially personal finance, because that’s something I can do to help the community. Maybe I’ll even teach a little,” she says.

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CONTACT:

Scott McNutt, business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu

Contact

Scott McNutt

Business Writer/Publicist

rmcnutt4@utk.edu

Haslam College of Business - Pioneering Haslam Alumna Receives Milestone Honor from Longtime Employer