2024 Best Undergraduate Professors: Kelly Ann Ulto, Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business

Kelly Ann Ulto
Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business

“More than being a teacher and a club facilitator, she is a friend and advisor to all. She has given so much of her time towards hearing me and other students just talk, she gives advice when asked and listens when needed. She is a professor who is genuinely passionate about her students, her field, and making everyone around her better. We need more professors like her in academia and more people like her on this planet.” – Colleen Farrell

Kelly Ann Ulto, 58, is Associate Clinical Professor of Accounting and Taxation at Fordham University, Gabelli School of Business. She is also Program Director of the MSA and MST programs.

She has been the recipient of several teaching awards including Fordham University’s Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and Dean’s Award for Teaching Innovation. Most recently, she won the 2024 Dean’s Award for Faculty Service, the Magis Award and the Award for Faculty Excellence in the MS program.

She has recently co-authored two case studies on the topic of ESG titled “ESG Externalities and True Value” and “ESG Impacts and Sustainable Development Goals.”  She is currently faculty adviser for the undergraduate chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. 

Prior to joining the Gabelli School of Business, she was a senior audit manager in the financial service sector in insurance practice at KPMG LLP.  In 2005,  Ulto returned to KPMG as an external instructor for the National Audit New Hire Training Program and also served as master instructor from 2018 to 2020. She has worked as an external instructor for FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). 

She is a member of the New York State Society of Public Accountants, the AICPA and the American Accounting Association (AAA). She is part of the AICPA’s Academic Champion Program and the CPA Exam Item Development team. She has served on the NASBA/AICPA International Qualifications Appraisal Board and the 2023 AAA Annual Meeting Committee and is currently on the FAR/BAR subcommittee for the CPA Exam. 

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2004

Education:  

  • BS in Public Accounting from Fordham University
  • MBA from Iona University. 
  • CPA License (State of New York)

List of Undergraduate courses you teach: 

  • Assurance and Audit
  • Advanced Assurance and Audit
  • AIS Consulting Class
  • Ethics in Financial Reporting and Accounting
  • Data Analytics: Sustainable Reporting

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when…I realized how much I loved working with students after I taught a class as an adjunct right after I left public accounting.  I love being able to share my experiences and excitement for the profession with students and contribute to their academic and professional growth. 

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? As a clinical professor, I am more involved with case writing than academic research. I am currently working on an ethics case in the area of sustainable reporting. The ethical foundation in financial reporting is a topic that is covered in all of my classes so I am always looking for cases to engage my students in the topic. The cases are based on real companies so it is always interesting to learn about the issues that companies face and how they deal with these issues. 

If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … working in the field of accounting helping small businesses manage their money. I really enjoy the cash management, budgeting and strategic planning side of accounting. 

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I think it is my passion for the profession. I am a huge advocate of pursuing the CPA license and I would do anything to support students in the process of meeting their educational requirements and taking the CPA exam. 

One word that describes my first time teaching: Exciting

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: That preparing our future leaders goes beyond teaching the technical knowledge to students, but also includes helping them to develop their sense of responsibility, integrity, self-awareness and empathy. 

Professor I most admire and why: Not just one professor but all of my undergraduate accounting professors that sparked my interest and passion for business and specifically accounting.  I remember all of them.  

TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? I definitely enjoy the intellectual challenges but I love the rewards that come with teaching and the opportunities that I have to make an impact on a student’s life.  

What is most challenging? The most challenging aspect of teaching is meeting the needs of all students while still keeping all of the students engaged and motivated.  Students vary in their level of interest and enthusiasm for the area of accounting and especially auditing, so finding ways to make the material relevant and compelling for everyone is a constant challenge. 

In one word, describe your favorite type of student:  Motivated

In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Disengaged

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as …Fair

LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? I like to cook, watch crime thrillers and spend time at the beach

How will you spend your summer? Spending time at the beach with family and friends. 

Favorite place(s) to vacation: Anywhere that is tropical

Favorite book(s): I like all different types of books but especially mystery and crime fiction.   One of my all-time favorites is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I like to watch a series more than a movie. I watch a lot of Netflix series.  Right now, I am watching The Diplomat. 

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I like all kinds of music and I listen mostly while I am driving.  I like anything that I can sing along to on long car rides. 

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … Business schools of the future should incorporate a variety of skills that would prepare students for a rapidly changing and evolving world.  I think future business leaders need a broad understanding across many disciplines like economics, civics, psychology, ethics and technology. Most business programs can benefit from integrating these fields into their curriculum to encourage innovative thinking and problem solving in our students. 

In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at …establishing and maintaining a supportive ethical work environment.  I believe that a culture of ethics and integrity creates the essential framework for long term success for both the business and the employee.  

I’m grateful for … all the support and encouragement that I have received from family and friends that has enabled me to work in an area that I love.  

DON’T MISS THE ENTIRE ROSTER OF 2024’S 50 BEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSORS.