J.T. Eagan
Daniels School of Business
Purdue University
“J.T. faced a challenge with his tax accounting class. How can you bring a fairly boring subject to life, teach necessary skills to future accountants, and also improve their soft communication skills?
His solution: Utilize pop culture. Students are handed a pile of tax information, often meeting critical information, from the fictional Griswold family. The students then must construct an email to the family, asking questions that will allow them to complete tax forms correctly. J.T. meets individually with each students (more than 100 per semester) for 20 minutes to orally present their work. Finally, students respond to an AI-generated message from Clark Griswold with a voicemail of their own, honing their oral communication skills in the process.
The results have been phenomenal. The accounting department head sent out a survey to graduating seniors this year with the following question: Which specific courses, professors, or experiences were most impactful in your academic development? The winner, in a landslide, was the tax accounting course taught by J.T. The class received the Innovation Hub Award for Generative Uses of AI at Purdue University.” – School nomination
J.T. Eagan, 39, has nearly 20 years of professional tax experience. He began his tax career in Big 4 with KPMG serving large clients specializing in state and local tax. His experience includes the development and implementation of tax technology solutions, individual and business compliance, controversy and planning, mergers and acquisitions due diligence, and tax education development for trainings and seminars. During his time with KPMG, Eagan was promoted through Senior Manager, received numerous Encore! Awards for project performance and was nominated by his peers as the class leader during the rigorous New Manager Training Seminar.
In 2017, Eagan left Big 4 to take a full-time appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor of Accounting at Purdue University Northwest (PNW). In 2019 he received the PNW COB Teaching Innovation Award for the Griswold Family Tax Case. In August 2020, Eagan, along with his co-authors Christine Cheng and Amy Yurko, received the ATA Teaching Innovation Award for their case ChicagoLand Popcorn® – Examining Online Retailer Nexus Following Wayfair Using Data Visualization and Robotics Process Automation. In December 2022, Eagan received the NAEA Excellence in Education Award which recognizes contributions to tax education. In May 2023, the graduating class of students voted him as both the PNW COB Quantitative Business Studies Faculty of the Year and the PNW COB Graduate Programs Faculty of the Year.
In Fall 2023, Eagan joined Purdue University as a Lecturer in Accounting. Within the first year at the main campus, he was voted by all graduating seniors as the Purdue University Daniels School of Business Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher for 2023-2024 as well as the Purdue University Daniels School of Business Career Champion for 2023-2024.
For Fall 2024, Eagan moved into his current role as Clinical Assistant Professor of Accounting. He was again voted by all graduating seniors as the Purdue University Daniels School of Business Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher for 2024-2025 as well as the Purdue University Daniels School of Business Career Champion for 2024-2025. Eagan was also recognized at the University level with the Innovative Use of A.I. in Instruction Award as well as being the 2024-2025 recipient of the Purdue DSB TED Award: UG Teaching Innovation.
Eagan serves as a contributor to McGraw-Hill Education’s taxation textbooks, is the Gleim Publications Instruct Professor and Contributor to its Enrolled Agent and CPA review courses, is a frequent speaker on tax matters at various professional and academic seminars, and is published in the American Taxation Association Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting. He is also the lead editor of the J.K. Lasser’s Your Income Tax annual book. He has served in numerous board positions for various organizations and currently serves as Vice President of the Indiana Society of Enrolled Agents.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2023
Education: BS Accounting & Finance, Purdue Calumet; MBA, Purdue Northwest; Graduate Certificate in Accounting, Purdue Global; Doctor of Technology (ABD), Purdue (expected 2026)
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Intro Financial Accounting, Tax Accounting
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … During my last couple of years at KPMG I was working with the Tax Business School. It was in this role that I started to think about life after public accounting. Ironically, at the time, I was serving on the Purdue Northwest Dean’s Advisory Board. Jane Mutchler was extremely encouraging for me to consider the transition and then in the early stages of my higher ed career; I am so grateful for her guidance. This push was reinforced by my great friend and mentor, Ed Furticella.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? For my dissertation, I am exploring the technology acumen of tax professionals. In order to obtain or renew a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), tax professionals must attest their practice is compliant with the requirements of a Data Security Plan. I am hopeful the research results will help shape the future of continuing education requirements.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … probably still be in consulting.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I’m hopeful it is my energy and personality. It’s always encouraging to see in my evaluations that students appreciate the efforts and bad dad jokes.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Exhilarating!
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: As much as you think you remember what it was like to be in those classroom seats, it is entirely different today. Try to be a bit more understanding of today’s challenges and stresses such as a competitive job market, social media and hybrid/remote working conditions.
Professor I most admire and why: I don’t think I can pick just one…top three in no particular order: Troy Lewis at BYU. Watching him at a conference is treat and he’s been a great mentor for me personally. Pat Obi at Purdue Northwest. I was privileged to learn from him in both my undergrad and MBA; love his teaching style. Linda Naimi at Purdue. Her patience and kindness to me during my DTECH studies has been more than I could ever ask for. She is a great reminder that a true teacher encourages students.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? They are smart…really smart. Particularly teaching tax, it really is a lot of fun to plant seeds of thought for students to apply the concepts to their own lives and start building tax-advantaged generational wealth.
What is most challenging? For the Griswold Family Tax Project, where we use the movie character Clark Griswold to help teach accounting and communication skills, I meet one-on-one with each student for 20 minutes. It ends up being a marathon 80-hour week with back-to-back meetings all day. The week is exhausting but unbelievably rewarding. I think it is an experience that provides students with maximum value.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Engaged
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Lazy
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … Tough but fair
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I’d really like to get back to home brewing. It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to do it, unfortunately.
How will you spend your summer? Catching up on a mountain of deferred home projects and family vacation.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Disney World!
Favorite book(s): Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two by Jim Koch
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I really enjoy Landman. The acting is great and the story is a nice escape.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? Country music. I’m a huge Zac Brown Band fan. I love their covers. Their concerts are one big jam session and are so fun.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … Experiential/project-based learning. We need to shift from the traditional exam to presentations so students can polish their soft skills.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … Encouraging entrepreneurship and out-of-the-box thinking.
I’m grateful for … The Purdue University system for taking a chance on me. I don’t exactly fit the mold of a clinical faculty member.
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