If you ever took a financial reporting or accounting theory class from Professor of Instruction Tom Carroll, you know he put students through their paces.

“Rigorous courses like Tom’s really helped me prepare for environments like Lehman Brothers, where there is a very high bar for output and delivery,” said Brad Downes (BBA04/MAc05), who is now the associate director of strategic finance at Balyasny Asset Management. “I was able to go toe-to-toe with my Ivy League colleagues and really perform well.”

Sarah Yanik (BBA19/MAc21), now a tax associate at RSM in Des Moines, remembers his tough love in the classroom turning into kindness and empathy in office hours. “He would share insightful stories and anecdotes and truly cared about the desires and success of this students. Those office hour visits truly shaped me and my time at Iowa.”

Carroll began teaching at Tippie in 1989. He won several awards as an instructor, including a Tippie Collegiate Teaching Award in 2015, a dean’s teaching award in 2008, and the Gilbert P. Maynard Excellence in Accounting Instruction Award in 2007 and 2003.

He was also the director of the Master of Accountancy program up until his retirement, was an academic advisor to more than 480 master’s students from 2008 to 2016, and served on the Tippie Judicial Board for more than 20 years.

In addition to his work at the university, Carroll has also served on the board of directors for the non-profit Red Cedar Chamber Music since 2016, is a member of the Student Tuition Organization of Southeast Iowa, and has served in various roles at the Regina Foundation.

This article appeared in the 2022 issue of Iowa Ledger.