Faculty Spotlight: Kathy Krawczyk

What inspired you to pursue a career in accounting, tax and academics?

I took an accounting class in high school and really enjoyed it, so I declared accounting as my major. At Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale, the accounting class that really interested me the most was my Introduction to Tax class. SIU was starting a new MAC program, and I was able to enroll in the initial MAC year and take additional tax courses.

Upon graduation, I took a job with the tax department at Arthur Andersen in St. Louis. After four years, I was looking for something new and thought I would enjoy teaching.  SIU’s Edwardsville campus had an accounting faculty opening and I was hired to teach financial accounting and tax classes. I loved the teaching aspect and knew I wanted to keep teaching, so I left SIU-E after two years and moved to Austin, Texas to get my Ph.D. from the University of Texas. I moved to Raleigh and NC State when I graduated from UT and have been teaching here ever since!

Share a memorable teaching moment or experience that significantly impacted one or more students.

My most significant teaching experience that impacted students is the fact that I have taught almost every single MAC student (I have missed only a handful) and have been MAC Director for over half of them! We started the MAC program here 30 years ago and I began teaching a MAC class (Research) from then on.

In 2005, right after I was promoted to Full Professor, Bob Peace, the previous director of the MAC program, retired, and I took on the role of MAC Director. I held that role for 14 years, before turning the program over to Scott Showalter and becoming the accounting department head for four years.

“It is a great time to be an accounting major – there are so many opportunities available, and students can take on so many roles with an accounting degree.”

How do you stay current in your field and bring that knowledge into the classroom?

Scott and I teach research in financial accounting (U.S. and international), tax, and auditing (U.S. and International). These areas are extremely dynamic and there are lots of changes in standards and law, standard-setters and the standard-setting process, and the databases that are available to research. Every year, it feels like we are teaching a new class — we stay current throughout the year by following changes in all of these areas. Luckily, Scott is very involved with standard-setting boards, so we know changes as they occur.

What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing a career in accounting?

It is a great time to be an accounting major – there are so many opportunities available, and students can take on so many roles with an accounting degree. Be willing to embrace change — the fields are so dynamic, and new opportunities come along all the time. Look at the rise of data analytics over the past few years — accountants are well trained candidates and use these tools to create value for companies and clients. 

Outside of teaching and research, what hobbies or activities do you enjoy?

I like to stay active by walking and doing yoga. My cat, Eddie, and I enjoy time spent at the beach. I also love to read in my spare time — historical fiction, mysteries, biographies, anything by Jeffrey Archer, Agatha Christie, and Dan Brown, etc. I don’t cook a lot (although I really don’t mind it), so you can often find me in the evening at my favorite restaurant, Margaux’s, enjoying a glass of wine and a book while someone else cooks for me!