10-13-2025
The launch of the Daniels School’s restructured Accounting Department marks an exciting new chapter in our commitment to business and leadership excellence at Purdue. As the newly appointed department head, I am energized by how our department is positioned at the forefront of accounting education and research and how we empower our students and faculty to thrive in a changing world.
Central to my vision for the department is a dual emphasis on research and teaching. Our reputation as an R1 university is built on outstanding scholarly output, and I am dedicated to supporting faculty in producing impactful, creative research published in the best business journals. As a senior scholar myself, and as an editor for Contemporary Accounting Research, a top accounting journal, I bring a nuanced perspective on how to produce high-quality research. My role extends beyond administration; I seek to be a mentor and guide, helping faculty to identify their most promising research avenues and navigate the journal publishing process.
Yet research alone is not enough. We are equally invested in supporting our talented educators as they strive for teaching excellence. Many of our faculty hold impressive teaching awards and work untiringly to ensure students who enter our classrooms feel challenged, supported and heard. Great teachers spark lasting connections, and I am proud of the culture we have built — one grounded in dedication and commitment to our students.
Purdue’s significant first-generation population is a source of pride for me. They represent untapped potential for Purdue and the State of Indiana. My journey as a first-generation college student shapes my passion for expanding opportunity for all students. Growing up, I did not have a roadmap for the future that higher education could offer; my parents never finished high school, and my own ambitions unfolded with incremental, sometimes uncertain steps. I know what it is to lack advice, guidance and clarity about potential academic and career paths.
For example, when I started high school, I doubted I would be accepted into a college or even be able to pay for it. Who knew that one day I would graduate as valedictorian of my undergraduate business program, earn an MBA and PhD, and be professor at such a prestigious university as Purdue? The more our students see possibilities through my story and those of their first-gen peers, the more likely they are to dream bigger and leverage that ambition to fuel their achievements.
Being a first-gen student also impacted my outlook on life and how I try to treat people. I strive to foster humility, respect and trust in my interactions with everyone. I try to be fair and see the situation from other people’s perspective. Although I can be tough, compassion is my default.
In today’s dynamic business environment, a Master of Accounting degree has become a strategic differentiator. Most of our master’s students are Purdue undergraduates returning for a fifth year, taking advanced coursework that complements their prior studies. Our master’s degree leads them to both short-term career success, often in public or corporate accounting, and long-term career success, such as taking on a senior executive position or even launching a new company.
Student engagement goes far beyond the classroom. Through department events and networking, we foster strong affiliation among our students and between students and faculty. Students graduate not just with superb technical skills, but with a sense of belonging and pride in what Purdue accounting represents.
What sets us apart is our unique and gifted faculty in combination with the amazing benefits of being part of the Daniels School of Business and Purdue University. Purdue accounting draws its largest population from Indiana. We have an in-depth understanding of regional needs, such as the rise of alternative paths to the CPA. At the same time, we prepare graduates to excel wherever their ambitions take them.
Our greatest challenge — and opportunity — is the continual rise of new technologies, with artificial intelligence being the latest example. As technology reshapes the accounting profession, our focus is on preparing students for both the known and the unknown. We are launching a new course that introduces AI in the context of accounting, and encouraging faculty to thoughtfully integrate AI tools in their teaching and research. The pace of change is rapid and uncertain, but our department is committed to staying agile and equipping our students to navigate whatever comes next.
It is an extraordinary moment to be the Accounting Department head at the Daniels School of Business. Together, we are building a department defined by research excellence, outstanding education and a caring, inclusive community. I look forward to leading our talented faculty and serving our motivated students as we embrace the future — ready to drive progress in business and the world of accounting.
Gus De Franco, the Emanuel T. Weiler Professor and Department head of Accounting, is an accomplished scholar, teacher and leader. His research has been published in top accounting and finance journals, and he is serving his second term as editor of Contemporary Accounting Research. A first-generation college student, De Franco earned his MBA at Harvard and PhD at Wharton. He previously held faculty positions at Tulane University and the University of Toronto. He brings experience as a visiting professor at MIT and Wharton, as well as industry roles as a product manager at Kraft and an equity research analyst at CIBC.
