Bruce Behn, Deloitte LLP Professor in Accounting and associate dean for graduate and executive education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business, has been honored with the American Accounting Association (AAA)’s Lifetime Service Award.

The award, which recognizes an AAA member’s service contributions to accounting education over a sustained period of time, was presented at the AAA Annual Meeting in San Diego. 

Behn said he was honored and humbled to be selected for the award. “I have had the opportunity to work with so many great, passionate committee volunteers, and we all want to make a difference and have a positive influence on our accounting profession,” he said. “There is an old saying, ‘if you want to get there fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.’”

A Long History of Service

Behn joined the college’s Department of Accounting and Information Management (AIM) in 1994, serving in numerous capacities over the years within the department (including department head) and at the college level. He currently serves or has served on numerous accounting-related boards and committees, and is a past president of the AAA, the International Accounting Section (IAS) of the AAA and the Federation of Schools of Accountancy (FSA) and past chair of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s Pre-certification Education Executive Committee. 

His previous honors include the AAA’s Innovation in Accounting Education Award, UT’s Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award, the AICPA’s Special Recognition Award, the FSA/Joseph A. Silvoso Faculty Merit Award, the AAA’s IAS Outstanding International Accounting Educator Award and the Tennessee Society of CPAs Outstanding Educator Award.

Terry L. Neal, Richard L. Townsend Accounting Chair and AIM department head at Haslam, said the award recognizes Behn’s commitment to the profession. “Bruce has had a long history of serving both the accounting profession and accounting academia in a variety of high-profile, significant service roles,” Neal said. “His willingness to do so has provided the Department of Accounting and Information Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a seat at the table when various issues of real importance to the profession have been discussed on the national stage. This award is a fitting recognition of Bruce’s many efforts through the years to ensure a strong accounting profession for future generations.”

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CONTACT:

Stacy Estep, writer/publicist, sestep3@utk.edu