Haslam College of Business - Luna and Fuller Awarded New Professorships in AIM

LeAnn Luna is now the Jan R. Williams Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business. Robert Fuller, who previously held that title, is the college’s new EY Professor. The appointments took effect Feb. 1, 2022.

“LeAnn and Robert are nationally recognized experts in their fields and are very deserving of these professorships,” said Terry L. Neal, Richard L. Townsend Chaired Professor of Accounting at Haslam and head of the college’s Department of Accounting and Information Management (AIM). “We are very appreciative of their many efforts to promote our programs and our students. Furthermore, we are grateful for the generosity of our alumni who have funded these professorships.”

Luna’s appointment is named for Jan R. Williams, who began his UT teaching career in 1977, went on to serve as head of AIM at Haslam and then spent 13 years as dean of the college before retiring in 2013. He also served as president of the American Accounting Association, which honored him with its Outstanding Accounting Educator award in 2018.

“Jan Williams is an inspiring leader for the University of Tennessee,” said Luna, who has been teaching at Haslam since 2005. “His reputation for excellence and a lifetime of dedication and service to the profession of accounting and the university is a model for us all. I am honored to be named the Jan R. Williams Professor.”

The EY professorship was previously held by Joe Carcello, emeritus professor who served as AIM department head from 2014 until his retirement in 2017. The professorship had remained vacant from that time until Fuller’s appointment. 

“EY is an outstanding example of what we strive to do in the Haslam College of Business — empower students with knowledge and skills to become the leaders they aspire to be, enabling them to solve complex problems and create value for their communities and the world,” said Fuller, who directs the college’s Master of Accountancy program. “I am excited about the additional opportunities for connection and sharing through the EY Professorship, and the impact this can have on our students and scholarship. I am deeply honored and grateful to be recognized.”

Neal said the appointments recognize the duo’s expertise in the field and in the classroom.

“LeAnn and Robert are valuable members of our department who are known for challenging students in a way that really prepares them well for their future careers,” he said. “Their students consistently acknowledge this with very strong teaching evaluations and comments regarding the value of their classes.”

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CONTACT:

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