Mary Pearson is the Dean of the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business at Southern Utah University. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Accounting, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Hotel Resort and Hospitality Management, Management, Marketing, Professional Sales, Masters of Accountancy, Masters of Business Administration, and Master Science Business Analytics degrees.

Over the years, Pearson has received several awards. Most recently, she earned the UACPA Women to Watch Experienced Leader Award, Outstanding Educator for Beta Gamma Sigma, Student Influencer Award, Cedar City Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year Award, and Outstanding Educator Award for Southern Utah University in 2013.

Pearson has taught internationally at two of SUU partner schools in Austria for the last 16 years. Along with her work as a professor at SUU, Pearson is a certified public accountant (CPA) with her own financial firm in Cedar City, Utah. Pearson has served on several city, county, and school district committees and currently serves on the Helen Foster Snow Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for State Bank of Southern Utah.

Pearson earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting and a masters of accounting from Southern Utah University and has earned a Ph.D.​ in business administration from Northcentral University. Pearson's previous experience includes serving as Associate Dean at Southern Utah University, Instructor of Accounting at College of Southern Nevada, and Accountant/Auditor for Carol A. Stone CPAs.

These comments made as part of the podcast reflect the views of the episode participants only and should not be construed as official university statements.