Brian Rountree is a tenured Associate Professor of Accounting at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University. He earned his PhD in accounting from the University of North Carolina in 2003. He also holds a bachelors degree (summa cum laude) in accounting from Babson College and was valedictorian of his graduating class. Brian joined the Rice faculty in 2003. He has taught accounting courses across all MBA programs at the Jones School and has been the recipient of multiple teaching awards. His research focuses on the influence of external forces on the financial reporting choices and characteristics of firms. Brian's research has been published in top academic journals including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting & Economics, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Business, Finance, and Accounting, and the Journal of Financial & Quantitative Analysis. He serves as an editor at the Journal of Business, Finance, and Accounting and is on the Editorial Advisory and Review Board of The Accounting Review. Brian is an active member of the American Accounting Association, speaking regularly at the annual and mid-year meetings, as well as helping to coordinate the research sessions. He has also presented his research at over 30 international institutions across 7 different countries. In addition to his academic work, Brian has served on the board of local corporations and actively consults with various organizations about accounting related issues. Prior to joining academia he was a public accountant at Price Waterhouse in Boston, MA.