A financial planning faculty member who shaped doctoral candidates, mentored colleagues, and demonstrated that the measure of academic success is the lives you change, not the accolades you collect.
David Cordell came to Texas Tech with the credentials of a seasoned academic—a Ph.D. in financial management from the University of Texas at Austin, decades of experience teaching at universities and professional institutions, and a publication record that demonstrated both rigor and relevance. But what he brought to the School of Personal Financial Planning between 2003 and 2008 was something that no résumé could fully capture: a genuine investment in the next generation of financial planners and scholars.
During his five years at Texas Tech, Cordell directed the student-managed portfolio, mentored doctoral candidates, guided master's papers, and taught courses that challenged students to think critically about financial planning and its real-world applications. He didn't simply occupy faculty office hours. He opened his home to students and colleagues, creating spaces where the work of the profession could be discussed over conversations that mattered.
"David was a scholar with a resume built for a financial planning program," said Bill Gustafson, emeritus faculty member in the School of Financial Planning. "His doctoral students thanked him profusely for his encouragement and help. I enjoyed his company and conversation. I'll miss him."
Cordell's career arc reflected a commitment to both academic rigor and practical application. He earned his chartered financial analyst credential in 1984 and his CFP® designation in 1987, understanding that teaching financial planning meant understanding the real work of planning. After Texas Tech, he moved to the University of Texas at Dallas as director of finance programs and clinical professor, where he continued to shape how the next generation of financial professionals learned their craft.
His scholarship addressed topics that mattered to practitioners and academics alike. He published research on financial risk tolerance, life insurance planning, retirement strategy, health care savings accounts. He served on the CFP Board of Examiners and the pass score committee, helping shape the profession's standards. He taught graduate students at The American College, advised on dissertation committees at multiple universities, and mentored faculty members who went on to lead programs and advance the field.
For those who worked directly with him, the impact was personal and lasting. Jared Pickens, now director of personal financial planning at Texas Tech, studied under Cordell as an undergraduate and later worked alongside him at UT Dallas.
"I had the pleasure of having Dr. Cordell as a professor during my undergraduate studies in PFP. He always pushed us to be better versions of ourselves. He opened his home to students and colleagues for university events. We worked together on the faculty at UT Dallas in my first full-time role in academia. He was instrumental in my transition to academia and is the sole reason I obtained a doctoral degree. My life is better today because of Dr. Cordell, and the world has lost a true treasure of a human being."
Cordell invested in people. He believed in rigor. He understood that financial planning was about more than mechanics; it was about helping people make better decisions in complex circumstances.
The School of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech mourns the loss of a scholar and friend who understood that the greatest measure of academic success isn't what you publish or what degrees you earn. It's the people you help become better versions of themselves.