Rodney Mock

Rodney Mock serves as Professor and Area Chair at the Orfalea College of Business, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California. He is a recognized tax scholar with extensive expertise in tax law and policy.

Professor Mock's research focuses on tax practice and procedure, international taxation, estate and gift taxation, partnership taxation, and corporate taxation. His scholarly work has been published in top-tier tax journals including the Florida Tax Review, Virginia Tax Review, The Tax Lawyer, Journal of Taxation, and Tax Notes. His publications have received national recognition through citations in Amicus Curiae briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court, congressional reports, and decisions by the United States Tax Court and District Court.

As an influential commentator, Professor Mock frequently appears on Fox News and has been featured in major media outlets such as Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The Hill, discussing tax policy implications ranging from estate tax constitutionality to corporate tax rates. His 2011 CNN commentary on mortgage deduction policy demonstrates his engagement with current tax debates.

At Cal Poly, he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses including Advanced Taxation of Flow-Through Entities, Taxation of Corporations and Partnerships, Federal Taxation of Trusts, Estates and Transfer Taxation, and Tax Research. He consistently receives exceptional student evaluations and has earned multiple outstanding educator awards.

Prior to academia, Professor Mock practiced as an associate attorney at Merrill-OSullivan, LLP in Oregon, specializing in sophisticated tax, estate, and business transactions. His educational background includes a B.A. Summa Cum Laude from UC Davis, J.D. from University of Oregon School of Law, and LL.M. in taxation from University of Washington School of Law.