Private Support Brings Top Faculty to UNLV

Endowed professorships help UNLV recruit top faculty for UNLV.  The Ken and Tracy Knauss Endowed Chair in Accounting, held by Bill Messier, is just one example of how private support helps UNLV reach its academic goals.

"The university is dedicated to building its research, scholarship, and creative activity," said Dr. Ron Smith, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate College. "In order to achieve this goal, we must continue to hire the best, most qualified researchers, scholars, and artists. Private support for endowed chairs and professorships provide the funding we need to recruit and hire the senior-level faculty who will continue building this important area."

Messier, who joined the faculty at UNLV in the spring of 2008, is one of the top researchers in his field.  He was recently honored by the American Accounting Association with the 2008 Distinguished Service in Auditing award, and has authored numerous publications about auditing research.

Messier realizes that private support makes an impact on a university. “The funding for the endowed chair makes it possible for me to be here,” he says.  “I view this as an opportunity for me to come here and make a contribution to the department of accounting.”

Messier says he hopes to start a research tradition at UNLV.  The department of accounting has many talented teaching faculty, but Messier feels his level of research will be a new addition to the program.

Specializing in auditing, Messier’s research is in auditor judgment.  With a focus on public accounting, he conducts mostly behavioral research to determine why auditors make the judgments they do.  He hopes that his connections to the public accounting profession will also add to the department at UNLV.

Messier taught previously at Georgia State University and the University of Florida, where he saw his programs grow through endowments and private support.  He underscores the impact that donations have on shaping a program and a university.

“Private funding is so important to a university,” says Messier. He says that the support helps faculty attend conferences and helps to build or maintain the quality of the program. 

“Gifts are important whether they are large or small,” says Messier.  “It allows the university to bring in nationally recognized academics and well-recognized faculty.”