In just the past few years we have recruited 10 new faculty
members in accounting---three full
professors with exceptional long-term records as teacher-scholars , one associate
professor, four assistant professors with new degrees from world-class PhD programs, and two instructors with long
and prominent industry careers . All ten
of these new faculty members bring exceptional academic backgrounds, and all
have worked in industry positions which have enhanced their classroom skills.
See full biographical info on each new faculty member here.
But, let me highlight a couple of them to give you a flavor of the high quality
and student focus of this new group of faculty.
Joining the faculty this fall are two senior faculty members
from quality academic programs in California. Dr Arline Savage comes to UAB
from the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo,
California—where she was the Deloitte Faculty Fellow. She holds a PhD from the
University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa and has taught accounting in South
Africa, Canada, and the US. She is the recipient of major awards in both
teaching and in research. She has also been an active consultant to several
private equity firms. Dr. Savage is an
example of a faculty member who brings
all the key skills and experiences to be both exceptional in the classroom and
as a researcher who fits the model of an outstanding investigator common at
UAB---a scholar respected by international peers. Also coming from California
is Dr Terry Grant. Terry was a visiting Professor this past spring from the
Mihaylo College of Business at Cal State Fullerton (the largest accounting
program in California). He joins us fulltime this fall. Terry earned a PhD at Florida State and a BS
with high honors from the University of Alabama. Dr Grant brings many years
teaching experience as the accounting area coordinator at the US Air Force
Academy. Like Dr Savage, Dr Grant also has a record of excellence in
research—with both awards for best papers and funded support from KPMG (audit,
tax and advisory firm).
Instructor Eddie Nabors joined our faculty in fall 2011 and
has been a true blessing to our students—as he brings several decades of high
level real-world experience to our classrooms. I have stopped counting the
number of times students have stopped me in the hallway to say how much they
appreciate the opportunity to be mentored by Eddie Nabors. Eddie holds a BS and
a Masters in accounting and has served as the CFO of a public company and as
the CEO of a private entrepreneurial company.
But the most impressive thing about Eddie is his very intense commitment
to mentoring our students. His genuine passion for pushing students to achieve
their best is a wonder to see. And the students know it is real and respond by
stepping up their game.
Much has changed in the last few years in the Accounting
area at UAB. But one thing is clear –we have in place top-tier faculty
demonstrating excellence in both teaching and research. However, we will not
rest. Under the direction of Interim Chair Dr Lary Cowart, we will be
recruiting more new respected faculty members in the coming year. In addition to introducing new faculty
members, I am also very pleased to report that Professor Ollie Powers will be taking
a sabbatical from retirement to teach a financial accounting class this
fall.
