Gary McGill, a Red Raider alumnus, was recently awarded the Ray M. Sommerfeld Outstanding Tax Educator Award by the American Taxation Association (ATA).
The prestigious award, which is the highest honor given by ATA, recognizes outstanding
faculty for their contributions to the taxation profession, including their work in
curriculum development, research, student enRegagement, service to their respective
academic institution, and participation in activities that advance the taxation field.
The award is named after Professor Ray M. Sommerfeld, the first recipient of the award,
who earned a reputation as a pioneer of tax education and provided a lifetime of service
to students, colleagues, and the profession of taxation.
"I am honored," McGill said. "Many of the prior recipients of this award were valuable
mentors and role models to me. To be recognized in this group is humbling."
McGill, who currently serves as the Associate Dean and Director of the Fisher School
of Accounting at the University of Florida Warrington College of Business, received
his Ph.D. in accounting from Texas Tech in 1988. He has been with the Fisher School
of Accounting for 32 years where he has taught various graduate and undergraduate
tax and accounting courses. An expert in numerous areas of taxations, McGill has published
countless journal articles, book chapters, and research reports related to taxation.
He strongly believes that his education at Texas Tech helped develop him as an educator.
"The Texas Tech Ph.D. program changed my world view. I arrived with very firm (but
narrow) plans for my future. My professors and fellow students opened my eyes to much
greater possibilities," said McGill. "Texas Tech gave me the tools, foundational knowledge,
and most importantly, the confidence to succeed in a rigorous academic setting."
In 2015 McGill was also honored by the Rawls College of Business for his continued
dedication to Texas Tech, receiving the first Distinguished Alumni Faculty Award.
He continues to keep close ties with the Texas Tech community.
"I continue to interact with Texas Tech current faculty and graduates. They are valuable
colleagues and I think we all know that we share a special connection because of Texas
Tech."
To celebrate McGill's award, Ernst and Young, one of the "Big Four" accounting firms,
donated $2,500 in Gary's honor to the "Ernst and Young/Ray Sommerfeld Graduate Tax
Scholarship in Honor of Jane O. Burns Endowment" at the Rawls College of Business.
The Scholarship helps deserving Rawls students studying in the area of accounting
fund their education.
You can learn more about McGill's award from ATA here.