When it comes to preparing students for careers in accounting, teaching the fundamental skills is just the start. As a teacher and adviser, associate professor Arundhati Rao, Ph.D., makes it a point to help students develop professional etiquette, navigate career paths and build soft skills needed for success.
In recognition of her outstanding commitment to mentoring aspiring accountants throughout her career, Rao received the 2018 KPMG Mentoring Award from the American Accounting Association in August.
The award is given by the organization’s gender issues and work-life balance section to individuals (both professors and practitioners) for demonstrating significant mentoring measured by the levels of achievement of the men and women they’ve mentored.
In her time at TU, Rao has taken students under her wing, coaching them on the nuances of networking and developing professionalism.
“She’s a great mentor because she is encouraging, caring, passionate, empathetic and knowledgeable,” said junior accounting major Minyi Chen. “I’ve learned how to be a constant learner and ambitious leader from her within the past two years.”
Rao also has striven to connect students to mentors working in accounting. During her time as a first year experience adviser, Rao connected each of her pre-accounting major advisees to mentors, most of whom were TU alumni.
Many of her current and former students credit Rao’s guidance as a significant factor in their personal and professional growth.
“I don’t know how to express in words how amazing Dr. Rao is as a person,” said An Tran ’15, a senior auditor at BDO. “She’s my first mentor at TU and my role model. She has always challenged me to strive to be the best in my career as well as other aspects of my life.”