Richard Crandall always knew he wanted to teach. He just didn’t know which subject. “I started off in the humanities,” said Crandall, who completed an MA in English literature at the University of South Carolina before exploring other options. “I liked math and I just felt like the quantitative side was missing, so I began asking myself what could I do that applies numerical work with the critical thinking I got from the humanities. And accounting was a great fit.” That realization led to a master’s in accounting at Western Carolina University. Now, he’s a fourth-year PhD candidate at Gies College of Business and one of this year’s recipients of the Deloitte Foundation Doctoral Fellowship, which is a pretty good indication that his teaching ambitions are right on track.
The Deloitte Foundation Doctoral Fellowship awards are intended to help strengthen the pipeline of accounting faculty by supporting Ph.D. candidates who plan to pursue academic careers. For 70 years, this program has awarded fellowships to 10 top accounting Ph.D. candidates across the U.S. – helping them cover expenses during their final year of coursework and subsequent year to complete their doctoral dissertation.
Each year, students from over 100 universities are invited to apply, but only 10 are selected to receive the distinction and the $25,000 grant that comes with it.
“Receiving the Deloitte Foundation Doctoral Fellowship is a tremendous honor, and it means a great deal to be recognized alongside so many outstanding future accounting faculty,” said Crandall. “The support it provides will allow me to stay focused on my research and continue developing as a scholar as I work toward completing my PhD and entering the classroom.”
It's an honor that still feels surreal for Crandall, who worked as a senior audit associate at a professional services firm prior to attending Gies Business. “I got my CPA license and was one of the auditors on a Fortune 100 financial services firm, which was a lot of fun,” says Crandall. But now he’s focused on academia and enjoying his time at Gies, where he’s been able to focus on his research interests.
“I do a lot of work in behavioral and cognitive science and using insights from those disciplines to help enhance financial reporting,” says Crandall, who says there’s no other place he’d rather explore those topics.
After nearly four years in the program, Crandall says he has no regrets. “I’ve gotten to work with some really talented, smart and energetic people. And I’ve learned a lot from people presenting their work from other universities. It’s just been phenomenal.”
He also has no regrets about the path he took to get here, adding that his experience in humanities can play an important role in helping future business leaders adjust to a world quickly being reshaped by artificial intelligence and advanced technology.
“We’re entering a time when the human touch could be more important than ever,” says Crandall. “I feel like my background – having these dual paths in humanities and accounting – will be an asset to me as I teach future students that this isn’t just about doing numbers and spreadsheets; this is really about the human side as well.”
About the Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the next generation of business leaders, and their influencers, and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators. Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation.