Liesel Mitchell honored with 2026 Rives award

The Office of the Provost named Liesel Mitchell, an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Accounting, the winner of the 2026 Stan and Sandy Rives Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award.

Mitchell has been a dedicated member of the faculty since Fall 2009, and has taught a variety of accounting courses. She says her primary passion is introductory financial accounting, a foundational course required for all business majors. In this role, she is highly devoted to helping students develop the confidence, skills, and financial literacy needed to succeed in their academic programs and professional lives.

Mitchell is deeply committed to high-quality undergraduate education and to supporting students during the critical transition into college-level learning. She views the introductory accounting course as an opportunity not only to develop technical competence, but also to help students build confidence, persistence, and effective learning strategies. Her teaching emphasizes clarity, structure, and active engagement, with the goal of making complex material accessible while maintaining high academic standards. Her teaching philosophy centers on meeting students where they are and helping them build transferable problem-solving and analytical skills.

Central to her teaching philosophy is a focus on each student as an individual with unique educational needs, backgrounds, and potential. She intentionally designs her courses to provide multiple pathways for learning and frequent opportunities for feedback, allowing students to identify and address misunderstandings early. By fostering an inclusive and supportive classroom environment, she encourages students to take intellectual risks and to see themselves as capable learners, regardless of prior experience with accounting.

Beyond the classroom, Mitchell serves as co-advisor for Beta Alpha Psi, a national accounting honor society, where she mentors students pursuing careers in accounting and related fields. She has also been actively involved with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for the past 13 years, training student volunteers and volunteering herself to provide free tax preparation services to members of the community. This work allows students to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting while developing a strong sense of professional and civic responsibility.

Prior to joining the faculty, she worked as a CPA and as a management accountant, bringing practical professional experience into her teaching. She also completed doctoral coursework at the University of Illinois. Her combination of professional expertise, long-standing dedication to undergraduate teaching excellence, and commitment to student success exemplifies the values recognized by the Stan and Sandy Rives Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award.