Art Cassill, accounting professor at Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, received the award for Outstanding Educator of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Through a nomination process, the committee of member’s in the NCACPA chooses a person who has made an impact in advising and teaching, among other contributions to the field of accounting.
“It is a bit overwhelming in a good way,” Cassill said in regards to receiving the award
On his way to Convocation, he received a call telling him he had won the award. He said at first he thought someone was joking with him and was honored when he realized it was true.
Last week, the students in his advanced accounting class greeted him with music, pizza, cards and a round of applause.
“I have had those students in previous classes so it meant a lot to have them express such excitement,” he said. “It was a very special moment.”
Cassill has been teaching at Elon for 10 years.
“I became a teacher because it was the best match involving skill, personality and being able to make a difference,” he said
His favorite class to teach is the Income Tax and Advanced Tax elective, he said, because it allows him to help students understand a very difficult, but important concept that will be useful for their futures.
He said he is appreciative and honored to have received the award and thanks everyone who was involved in the decision process.
“Pretend it’s you and how you would respond,” he said. “Now magnify that by a 100 and that’s how it feels. I’m very grateful to be at such great place with great faculty and students. You can’t achieve this on your own.”