Accounting alumnus S.P. Kothari (PhD86) is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Ph.D. Alumni Award at the Tippie College of Business. He was nominated by his Ph.D. mentor, Professor and Henry B. Tippie Research Chair in Accounting, Dan Collins, for his accomplishments and impact on industry.

Kothari has senior executive experience in government, academia, and industry.

Kothari is the Gordon Y. Billard Professor of Accounting and Finance at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the former chief economist and director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Kothari began his career at the University of Rochester, where he reached tenure before accepting a position at MIT. At MIT, he served as the head of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting and deputy dean of faculty. In industry, he is the former global head of equity research at Barclays Global Investors.

“It is an honor for me to nominate S.P. Kothari,” said Collins. “Despite his heavy administrative responsibilities at both Rochester and MIT, he continued to produce high quality research at an astonishing rate. He is one of the most highly cited scholars in accounting.”

Kothari’s research focuses on strategic and policy issues, securities regulation, auditing, and corporate governance.

His other numerous awards include the Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award from the American Accounting Association in 2014 and the Padma Shri (“Noble One in Blossom”) in 2020, a high civilian honor from his home country of India.

Kothari was honored at a ceremony in Iowa City on April 9, 2022.