| Students appreciate teachers that can show them | | | | they will be doing when they graduate in the real |
| how the material they teach can be applied to the | | | | world." He also incorporates simulated real world-like |
| real world. | | | | activities in his fraud and forensic classes. |
| Dr. Richard Riley, an accounting professor at West | | | | Riley became motivated to teach after realizing that |
| Virginia University's College of Business and | | | | students often graduate with plenty of knowledge, |
| Economics, goes beyond relating his material to the | | | | but little experience in putting that knowledge to |
| real world for his students. | | | | work in the classroom. |
| He puts them in it. | | | | "I always focus on students getting hands-on |
| Graduate students that enroll in Riley's Accounting | | | | experiences in my classes," Riley said. "The more I |
| and Business Consultation course run a complex | | | | can get students' assignments to emulate what they'll |
| simulated business, compete with their classmates, | | | | be doing in the real world, the better off they will be |
| sell a portion of the company to venture capital | | | | for themselves and their employer." |
| investors and prepare and deliver a performance | | | | Because of his blackboard-to-boardroom approach to |
| report to those same VC investors. | | | | teaching, Riley was awarded Outstanding Faculty |
| "There is a certain element of pride involved in that | | | | Member by Beta Alpha Psi in 2000 and in the fall of |
| program," Riley said. "The fact students are in | | | | 2005, he will be awarded Outstanding Teacher of the |
| competition with their classmates and have to deal | | | | Year by the College of B&E. |
| with real world people give them extra incentive to | | | | "Students are going through many life experiences as |
| embrace the activity." | | | | undergrads or grad students," Riley said. "With so |
| "My background is well suited towards students | | | | many things going on besides my class, I need to |
| maximizing their potential once they graduate," Riley | | | | make sure they are prepared when they go to the |
| said. He entered the academic world in 1998 after | | | | real world. Students will understand everything I have |
| nine years of professional experience as a CPA and | | | | taught them once they get out there, but providing |
| CFO. "I try to make a very strong connection | | | | for that connection is my most important job. |
| between what I am doing in the classroom and what | | | | |