University of South Dakota

The Distinguished Faculty Award recognizes outstanding teaching, research and significant scholarly contributions to their disciplines. The award, initiated in 2012, is supported by a five-year financial commitment from Black Hills Corporation (BHC).  

Thomas Davies Distinguished Professor of Accounting (Teaching) Davies, LL.M., joined the faculty at USD in 1987 and is associate dean of the Beacom School of Business. He primarily teaches undergraduate and graduate tax courses at USD while his research interests include tax complexity and ethics. A Certified Public Accountant, Davies received his LL.M. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. More>

Srini Ragothaman Distinguished Professor of Accounting (Research) Ragothaman received his M.S. in Business Administration from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in Business from the University of Kansas.  A Chartered Accountant, Ragothaman joined the USD faculty in 1991. His teaching experience includes graduate and undergraduate courses in auditing and accounting. More>

BHC, a diversified energy company headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., worked with the USD Foundation to establish and fund the Distinguished Faculty Development Fund, which will enhance faculty salaries in the accounting program.  According to Mike Keller, dean of the Beacom School of Business, Davies and Ragothaman are senior faculty with many years of favorable student evaluations and solid reputations among their peers as excellent researchers. "Having the respect of both students and peers is a 'grand slam' in higher education," Keller added. BHC actively recruits interns and graduates from the Beacom School of Business for accounting and finance-related positions and has several USD alumni working at the company.