UVA Wise Announces Dana G. Kilgore Endowed Professorship in Accounting
Today, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise) announced a new professorship to support service to students. Funded by Richard B. Gilliam Sr. and the Richard and Leslie Gilliam Foundation, and named in honor of emeritus faculty member Dana G. Kilgore, the goal of the professorship is to underscore the significant teaching and mentorship that faculty provide to students at the College.
“Attracting high-end talent begins with honoring those who have made immense positive impacts on students, now alumni, as Professor Dana Kilgore regularly accomplished,” says Richard Gilliam, who is a 1974 graduate of UVA Wise who has been a steadfast supporter of academic and athletic scholarships as well as the Winston Ely Health & Wellness Center. Gilliam also established the Van W. Daniel III Endowed Professorship in Chemistry. He and the Gilliam family have supported the Gilliam Center for the Arts and made the Betty J. Gilliam Sculpture Garden on campus possible.
Established with a gift of $1.5 million, the Dana G. Kilgore Endowed Professorship in Accounting will help attract and/or retain a scholar in the field of accounting. Income generated from the endowment may be used to support the base salary of the professorship holder and for non-salary support costs related to the scholarship pursuits of the professorship holder.
“Endowed professorships are so important to higher education institutions located in rural areas. They help us provide the resources to recruit and retain faculty who might otherwise choose larger, research universities,” says UVA Wise Chancellor Donna P. Henry. “Like many exceptional faculty at our College, our current faculty with endowed professorships work directly with students in doing research and experiential learning; however, professorship endowment helps make that work possible by adding scholarly research funds, which are vital as the College grows."
The Professorship prioritizes excellent teaching and advising, and it will assist the College with further enhancing its accounting curriculum which is historically strong and also currently highly relevant to employers, who are experiencing shortages of accountants to hire.
The gift’s namesake was a faculty member who was prolific at assisting students, who often came from displaced coal-mining families, in becoming strong accountants. From 1982 through her retirement in 2018, Kilgore was a distinguished faculty member of UVA Wise who educated accounting and business students to exacting standards, producing students who competed in the Goodman Challenge, a high-level competition at that time. She was known for staying abreast of new best practices, technological advancements and standards through a combination of professional organization membership, continuing professional education, industry research and academic engagement, which served her students well.
“Dana was the professor for 90% of my accounting curriculum and played a very integral part in my development. The fact she was a practicing Certified Public Accountant (CPA) while also teaching the class made a huge impact in teaching us the real-world aspects of what to expect when we graduated. She had high expectations for her students and wanted each of her students to be successful with passing the CPA test,” says Brian Blanton, a 1992 graduate of the College, member of the College’s Advisory Board and Partner at ClearPoint Certified Public Accountants. “She was always focused on the success of her students, and I will forever be grateful for her direction and leadership that continues to benefit me today in my career.”
Kilgore served as Chair of the Department of Business and Economics from 1995-1998 and dedicated numerous hours of service to the College faculty and community, serving as Chair of the Faculty Senate and Chair of the Faculty Committee on Evaluation, both elected positions reflecting the trust her colleagues had in her leadership.
“Professor Kilgore knows that a strong liberal arts core helps student become more well-rounded, thoughtful and capable professionals. In particular, she emphasized the importance of strong writing and math skills, as well as exposure to disciplines beyond accounting. She understands that success in accounting requires more than technical knowledge; it also requires communication skills, critical thinking, problem-solving and an understanding of people and organizations,” says Teena Fast, a senior instructor in accounting at UVA Wise and a former student of Kilgore’s. “Dana understands that a liberal arts education helps students develop those abilities and prepares them for both their careers and their lives.”