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I love the ability to influence business decision-makers through calculation of numbers and analyzing those numbers. Simply put, accounting, specifically management accounting, is fun.

Robert Rankin, DBA, CMA
MBA for Veterans Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Accounting, Army Veteran

  • Faculty
Accounting and Finance
Contact Robert
Office
McDowell Administration 225
Related Department
Accounting and Finance
Curriculum Vitae

As a former first-generation university student, Robert Rankin had no mentor to guide him in his post-academic career. Fortunately, he found his way, gaining nearly 20 years of management accounting experience in several Fortune 500 companies. Today, he wants to be that mentor for A&M-Commerce students. He brings his passion and hard-earned experiences into the classroom. When he’s not working with students, his research focuses on impacting current and future managerial accountants through academia and pedagogy (teaching cases).

A Conversation with Dr. Rankin

What draws you to your discipline?

“I love the ability to influence business decision-makers through calculation of numbers and analyzing those numbers. Simply put, accounting, specifically management accounting, is fun.”

Tell us about a project you are working on or have completed.

“My current research is on the impact of experiential learning on accounting career choice. In the past two years, I toured 29 local manufacturing facilities (plants) with students from my cost accounting classes, so they could gain first-hand knowledge about real-world accounting. In this research, I measure the impact of the tour on students' commitment to the accounting profession, and their pursuit of a career in management or public accounting, and their intentions to seek a professional certification (certified management accountant or certified public accountant).”

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

“A&M-Commerce has big-school resources and a small-school feel. There are so many opportunities to get involved if you are willing to embrace the university community. You will make friends for life.”

Educational Background

Academic Positions

  • Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2013-present
  • Instructor, Paris Junior College, 2009-2013
  • Adjunct Instructor, Northeast Texas Community College, 2006-2008

Awards and Honors

  • First Place, American Accounting Association/Institute of Management Accountants Educational Teaching Case Competition for Troubled Waters: An Outsourced Ethical Dilemma, 2019
  • Second Place, American Accounting Association/Institute of Management Accountants Educational Teaching Case Competition Teaching Case Competition for Higher Degrees of an Ethical Dilemma, 2017
  • Third Place, American Accounting Association/Institute of Management Accountants Educational Teaching Case Competition Teaching Case Competition for The Chicken or Egg: Hatching a New and Innovative Introduction, 2016
  • Outstanding Teacher, National Society of Leadership and Success, 2016

Research Interests

  • Management Accounting
  • Accounting Ethics
  • Experiential Learning in Accounting

Professional Organizations

  • American Accounting Association
  • Institute of Management Accountants

Selected Publications

  • Driskill, T. & Rankin, R. (2020). Cross-cultural Comparison of Ethical Reasoning of Students in China and the United States, Accounting Education-International Journal.
  • Rankin, R. Mintu-Wimsatt, A., & Henderson, C. (2020). Ryder Rides: The Synergy between Accounting and Marketing. Journal of International Business Education.
  • Rankin, R. (2020).The Predictive Impact of Contextual Factors on Activity-based Costing Adoption. Journal of Accounting and Finance, 20(1), 66-81.

Featured Courses

ACCT 412 Cost Accounting
ACCT 326 Accounting Information Systems

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