Assistant Professor of Management Colin Birkhead has been named the recipient of the 2025 Renjen Prize for Faculty Excellence.
Established through a generous gift from Punit (MM’87) and Heather Renjen, the Renjen Prize recognizes the accomplishments of early career faculty members from Willamette College or the Atkinson Graduate School of Management, especially those whose work has been widely disseminated and garnered recognition in the public sphere. In addition to the recognition, recipients of the award are provided financial support for scholarly and creative projects.
Birkhead began teaching at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management in 2022 and has already proved to be a well-respected and admired faculty member by students and colleagues alike. His teaching excellence was recently recognized by his students with the Professor of the Year award from the Willamette Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
“Dr. Birkhead’s many accomplishments in the not-quite-three years since earning his Ph.D. clearly align with the Renjen Prize criteria,” said Romana Autrey, Dean of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. “He exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding early-career faculty member and his research contributions, teaching excellence, and service to the university and broader community make him an ideal candidate for this honor.”
His teaching and mentoring ranges widely across the curriculum — from “Introduction to Management” courses to the first offering of the well-received undergraduate experiential elective course “New Ventures / International Ventures.”
Birkhead’s research lies in the broad area of Organizational and Economic Sociology, including how employee ownership and compensation strategies shape corporate governance and innovation. He also investigates the intersection of financialization and policy entrepreneurship, applying business theories to nonprofit and policy contexts. His articles have appeared in prestigious academic journals and in scholarly handbooks, highlighting his growing influence in the field. He also recently published an op-ed entitled “The solution to automation fears: Employee ownership” in the national news outlet The Hill, demonstrating his commitment to using his expertise to shape public conversations among a broader audience.
About Punit Renjen MM’87
Born and raised in India, Punit Renjen is a 1987 graduate of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Through a career spanning more than 30 years, Renjen held numerous leadership roles within Deloitte. After serving as Deloitte’s Global CEO for 7 years, Renjen retired in 2022. He continues to bring his vision and leadership to Willamette University as a Life Trustee.
