Oktay Urcan

Oktay Urcan is a Professor of Accountancy and Academic Director of iDegrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has held roles including Josef and Margot Lakonishok Faculty Fellow and Fred & Virginia Roedgers Faculty Fellow in Accountancy. Prior to this, he was an Associate Professor (2014–2022) at the same institution, and previously an Assistant Professor at London Business School (2007–2014). His research focuses on archival financial accounting, including debt market relevance of accounting information, macro accounting, and tax policy effects. He has received multiple recognitions, including the Raymond A. Hoffman Faculty Excellence Award and repeated listings as an excellent teacher by students.

Education: PhD in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas (2007) and BA in Management from Bogazici University (2002). His teaching includes advanced accounting topics like mergers and acquisitions, and he leads doctoral research seminars. Current roles also include overseeing online programs through iDegrees.

Research Interests: Extensive work on macroeconomic impacts of tax policies, corporate tax avoidance, and the interplay between accounting disclosures and market outcomes. Recent studies explore AI's regulatory implications and cross-border tax monitoring effects.

Awards: Highlighted awards include the Lakonishok Fellowship (2022–present), Roedgers Fellowship (2016–present), and consistent student excellence rankings. His work bridges accounting theory with practical regulatory and policy challenges.

Course Leadership: Teaches courses such as ACCY 500 (Accounting Measurement), ACCY 532 (Accounting for M&As), and doctoral research methods. His course content emphasizes applied accounting practices in complex transactions and regulatory environments.