Mitchell Franklin Named Collins Endowed Chair in Accounting

On Jan. 1, 2025, Associate Professor Mitchell Franklin will begin serving as the John “Jack” Collins ’60 Endowed Chair in Accounting. He will replace Joan Myers, who has served as the inaugural Collins Endowed Chair since 2021.

“I’m honored to be named the Collins Endowed Chair and I look forward to using it to advance Le Moyne’s scholarly reputation,” said Franklin, who has been at the College since 2015. In addition to recently being published on taxation and tax education, Franklin is also focusing on work that relates to DEI and its evolving role in the accounting profession, with the first paper on the topic accepted in July. “I hope to be expanding that pipeline with my co-authors and sharing this work at future presentations on a national level.” He is the past president of the American Accounting Association Northeast Region, has served on the editorial board of Issues in Accounting Education and is an associate editor for Accounting Educators Journal.

“I’d like to congratulate Mitchell for this well-deserved honor,” said Jim Joseph ’83 Ed.D. ’23, dean of the Madden College of Business and Economics and vice president for advancement and innovation. “He is an outstanding member of our faculty who is committed to our students, and also works tirelessly as a scholar in pursuit of new knowledge. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Joan for her excellent work and long-time service to Le Moyne.”

The John “Jack” Collins ’60 Endowed Chair in Accounting was established in 2020 to honor one of Le Moyne’s most generous benefactors. Collins served on Le Moyne’s Board of Trustees for 15 years as a member of several committees, including finance, board development and enrollment management. He was a retired partner at KPMG Peat Marwick, enjoying a stellar career, working in Rochester, New York City, Paris, France and Stamford, Conn. during nearly 40 years with the global accounting firm. He passed away in 2017 following a lengthy illness.

Myers, an associate professor of accounting, has been at the College since 1989, and also served as associate dean of the Madden School from 2016 to 2020. She will retire following the spring 2025 semester.

Announcements related to other endowed positions are forthcoming, including the two Carroll College of Arts and Sciences professorships that were established this spring as part of the Carroll College endowment gift.