Theodore E. Christensen, a former Distinguished Teaching Professor at Brigham Young University, has been named director of the J.M. Tull School of Accounting, effective July 1.
Christensen, who will also hold a C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair of Business, replaces interim director Steven P. Baginski, who will return to his role as the Herbert E. Miller Chair in Financial Accounting.
A prolific researcher, Christensen has authored articles in such highly respected journals as The Accounting Review, The Journal of Accounting and Economics, and The Journal of Accounting Research. He is also the author of widely used textbooks in advanced financial accounting and managerial accounting.
“I am immensely proud that the Tull School has found a very capable leader in Professor Christensen,” said Benjamin C. Ayers, dean of the Terry College and former director of the Tull School. “His work ethic and dedication will be an asset to us, and I am confidant that he will help guide the Terry College in our efforts to advance economic development in the state of Georgia and beyond, through our teaching, research, and service.”
The Tull School of Accounting is regularly rated among the top programs in the nation. It was most recently ranked as the 10th best undergraduate program by Public Accounting Review and No. 13 by U.S. News & World Report. Its graduates perform at elite levels on the CPA exam, with the latest class earning an 86.2 percent pass rate among first-time test takers – the fourth highest rate in the nation.
Christensen is the recipient of numerous awards for both teaching and research, including the Marriott School of Management Outstanding Research Award, the Weatherhead School of Management Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Ernst & Young Faculty Award for Outstanding Research and the Mortar Board “Top Prof” Award. He is a CPA and has been active in serving as an officer and on various committees of the American Accounting Association.
Prior to his tenure at BYU, Christensen served on the faculty of Case Western Reserve University, the University of Michigan, the University of Utah and Santa Clara University. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting at San Jose State University, a master’s degree in tax at Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Georgia.