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THE LAST WORD / Nancy Bagranoff, CPA, DBA

Nancy Bagranoff, CPA, DBA, is a
professor of accounting at the
University of Richmond’s Robins
School of Business.

Favorite book: I read about two books
a week, so choosing a favorite is really
difficult, but let’s go with Presidential
Courage by Michael Beschloss. I love
this book because it’s about leaders
who made bold decisions that changed
history.
Favorite app: AllTrails. I enjoy hiking,
and this app shows you details about
nearby trails, wherever you happen to
be.
Favorite item to travel with: My smart-
phone. How did we ever live without
one?

‘It’s really about listening to them …’

The opportunity to teach came calling: I was a marketing them on to their students. At the same time, we really have
major and thought I wanted to work in retail. I was offered to teach our students to develop their intellectual curiosity
a role in GE’s Financial Management Training Program and and the ability to continue to learn. They will need to acquire
found I really liked the finance and accounting. I took a leave skills throughout their lives and must know how to do that.
to get a master’s in accounting at Syracuse University. They Sometimes intellectual curiosity is easily quenched. I’ll ask a
asked me to teach a course after I finished my degree, and question in class, and students will look at me like they don’t
I just felt that I found my calling. I really liked connecting know the answer. I point out that they have their phone and
with students, explaining the material, and seeing them get they can look up the answer.
it. I loved that it fed my intellectual curiosity as well. I love
learning, and learning alongside the students while facilitating CPAs can help cultivate today’s students: One thing I love
their own learning is a wonderful experience. about being in an accounting department is that I think we
have a closer relationship with practice than any other dis-
Connecting with the younger generation: For CPAs who cipline. Students need to understand all the professional op-
are trying to teach or mentor young people, it’s really about portunities available to them. We bring practitioners into the
listening to them. Teaching is not a one-way activity. You classroom, they sit on advisory councils, and we invite them
learn from students in different ways than they learn from to work with our career center. CPAs who have an interest in
you. I listen to my students, and I’m always able to find a getting to know today’s students should contact the schools
connection. I can make connections talking about restaurants, around them, including the accounting departments and staff
food, shopping, and travel. Others might do it with sports. It in career services. There are many ways for professionals to get
helps to have these connections and a relationship in place as in front of our students. Faculty, especially new or younger
you move from there into teaching and mentoring them. faculty, may not have the connections to get practitioners into
the classroom, yet both sides want to connect.
Keeping abreast of technology: As the business world PHOTO BY ANDREW SHURTLEFF/AP IMAGES
becomes increasingly tech-focused and complex, faculty must — As told to Lea Hart, a freelance writer based in Virginia.
be able to access those skills themselves so they can prepare To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another
students. Many firms offer training to academics, or cases, article, contact Ken Tysiac, the JofA’s editorial director, at
tools, and software, so academics can acquire skills and pass Kenneth.Tysiac@aicpa-cima.com.

50 | Journal of Accountancy January 2022