NHH Professor Wins Prestigious Award

Adjunct Professor at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) William F. Messier was awarded one of the most prestigious awards in the US in the field of Accounting. The Professor himself remains modest.

The 2015 American Accounting Association’s Outstanding Accounting Educator Award was presented on 11 August at the Annual Meeting of the Association in Chicago. The lucky recipient of the award in the field of Accounting was no other than Adjunct Professor William F. Messier.
“You have to be nominated in order to have a chance of winning. This was the first time I was nominated,” says Prof. Messier in a modest tone. He received nominations from colleagues in both Norway and the US. After all nominations are in, there is a committee who makes a final decision.
Wide variety of criteria
The criteria for the Award are based on “contributions to accounting education from scholarly endeavors in teaching and research over a sustained period of time”. Educational innovation, excellence in teaching, publications, and research guidance to graduate students are also important criteria.
“Technology changed everything”
When asked about the evolution of auditing, Prof. Messier emphasizes technology as revolutionizing auditing.
“In the beginning of my academic career, auditing was done by pen and paper. Now, PCs or tablets are widely used.”
He also explains that standard setters have created a detailed set of standards in auditing; standards that have made a huge impact in terms of transparency and how to audit risk.
Complicated with Fair Value
Financial instruments, such as derivatives and other financial contracts, are recognized by Prof. Messier as the most challenging topic in auditing. Auditors in the 21st century will have to think more about how to report and value risk.
“The auditor’s focus has always been to tell a better story now than in the past,” says Messier.
K7 Bulletin would like to congratulate the recipient. For an extensive overview of Professor William F. Messier’s career, please visit http://www.unlv.edu/people/william-messier.