Michael Penn

Michael Penn is a Senior Lecturer of Accountancy and Deloitte Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), holding this position since 2018. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at Florida State University (2012–2018) and conducted graduate research at Penn State University (2007–2012). His professional background includes roles as an auditor with the Department of Defense (2005–2006) and banking with Bank of America (2003–2005).

• Education: PhD in Business Administration (Accounting) from Penn State University (2012), M.Acc. and B.S.B.A. (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Arizona (2007 and 2005).

His research focuses on taxation, financial reporting, and data analytics applications in accounting. Recent publications explore partnership taxation and firms’ use of accounting discretion to influence credit ratings. He is highly recognized for teaching excellence, earning multiple awards from UIUC students.

• Awards: Deloitte Scholar (2024–present), consistently ranked as an outstanding teacher since 2018.

Current courses include Principles of Taxation, Advanced Financial Reporting, and Data Analytics Applications in Accounting. His work bridges theoretical accounting concepts with practical industry challenges, emphasizing data-driven decision-making.