A profound influence

For Judy Gordon, excellent teaching and excellent research require a willingness to learn continually and to always seek new ways of analyzing and presenting information. In her nearly half-century of teaching and research at the Boston College Carroll School of Management, that’s exactly what she’s done.

Gordon has gone from assistant professor to professor, to chair of the Management and Organization Department, to associate dean of teaching and learning in the Carroll School.

She’s mentored many students and taught thousands across the doctoral, masters, and undergraduate levels. And she’s made significant contributions in research, focusing on the career development of professional women and the interface between work and family—a research area people weren’t really talking about at the beginning of her BC career.

Reflecting on her time at the Heights as she prepares to retire at the end of the semester, Gordon considered the question: Has she done it all? And is that even possible?

“Well,” she answered, with a smile, “I’ve done career. I’ve done family. I’ve done leadership. I’ve done research. I’ve done teaching. I’ve done a lot of different things, which is ultimately what drives me. I like variety and challenge and to learn.”

Gordon’s reach extends beyond the classroom to the connections and relationships she’s built with faculty and staff members, said Carroll School John and Linda Powers Family Dean Andy Boynton.

“Judy’s impact on the Carroll School has been nothing short of profound. She has been a superb teacher, terrific department chair, an innovative and effective leader as associate dean, and always a great colleague. Her impact on the entire Carroll School community has been indelible and enduring.”

Growing up, Gordon wasn’t expected to have a career. But she did, traveling from Pittsburgh to Boston to attend Brandeis University. Then she earned a master’s of education degree from Boston University—where she discovered her interest in management and organization—and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.

Along the way, Gordon met her husband, and the couple was very interested in staying in Boston. By then, it was the late 1970s, the BC School of Management was looking for a faculty member for its Organization Studies Department (now Management and Organization), and Gordon was among the first research faculty members hired in the school.

Gordon described it as feeling like a great fit, both then and now.

“BC has always allowed me to grow in ways that I didn’t know I wanted or needed to. It’s always been a strong community, and for me, that turns out to be very important.”

That openness and flexibility helped Gordon discern her research interests in work, women, and families.

“Every year, I met with my dean [John J. Neuhauser, who served as dean from 1977-1999] to talk about my upcoming research plans. One year he said to me, ‘When you find something that really resonates with you, that’s where your research takes off,’” Gordon explained.

“I started thinking about it, and I was interested in talking to women like myself: women who had careers and families and who were trying to juggle everything. Family was, and is, so important to me. To succeed in life is as important to me as achieving in my career.  

“My general approach,” said Gordon, “is to do what needs to be done, and do it well.”

It’s a tactic Gordon carries over into her teaching, too. She makes it a point to know her students—their names, who they are, what school they’re in. Perhaps her favorite class to teach is Leadership because, she says, at the end of the day, everyone wants to be a leader—and Gordon knows how to teach each student to succeed as a leader in their own way.

“BC undergraduates are terrific,” she said. “What a privilege it’s been to be here and touch so many people.”

Looking back on 48 years at BC and ahead towards her new chapter, Gordon said she has no regrets. She measures her impact through students who remember at least a few things she taught, through graduates who have put those lessons to practice in their careers, and through faculty who found the support to become stronger academics and to do their work well.

Thinking quietly for a moment, Gordon added, “I hope I’ve helped people see that being human is part of succeeding. That caring about colleagues and students and people and families are important values to have.”

Now, she’s looking forward to traveling more often, volunteering, and taking courses in art and music—or as she put it, “I’m looking forward to continuing to learn.”