Why I Give: Mission Possible

Albert “Ab” Krall ’81 never felt the need to put his alma mater in the rearview mirror. Early in his career, he returned to recruit Smith’s talented students for Arthur Andersen. He’s been an executive in residence at the Smith School since 2016, sharing insights from his successful consulting career in the classroom. He has also been a donor since 1983, when he gave his first $35. “I started early and I started small,” says the former consulting executive, who retired after 27 years from the firm that became Accenture. Then he moved on to six years at Deloitte Consulting. “I was just starting to make my way in the professional world.”

In April—41 years since his initial gift—Krall and his wife, Kristen , invested $750,000 in Smith. “I give because I really believe in Smith’s mission,” he says.

The gift will be used for the construction of an active learning classroom in Van Munching Hall. It’s inspired by what Krall says his students need and his tireless commitment to helping Smith offer the very best business education. Krall teaches the full-time MBA Business Consulting Practicum. It’s a course that pairs MBA and other master’s students with leading companies for months-long consulting projects. “The experiential learning aspect of this class demonstrated a strongly held belief of mine—that learning is greatly enhanced by doing. Our class is all about that experience.”

He and his co-lecturer, Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning Nicole Coomber, rely on a strong team dynamic. His gift will help students work in teams and collaborate more effectively. The 84-seat Terp Active Learning Classroom is designed to foster student engagement and critical thinking. 1407 VMH is packed with flexible technology that fosters multiple ways of teaching, active peer interactions and close instructor-student engagement. “The environment should be a step forward in teaching, allowing more creative instruction and collaboration,” says Krall—“and it can be updated through the years.”

As an instructor, Krall says one of the things he loves most about Smith is that the students who come through the school all bring unique perspectives and backgrounds from their different walks of life. “I believe the students we attract are the kind who are going to make a difference, and I’ve continued to feel good about where Smith is going. I just want to support that excellence in any way I can.”