April 30, 2026 | Claire Hall

UConn Establishes Endowed Accounting Professorship with KPMG

Professorship strengthens faculty leadership and academic excellence in accounting

Five people pose with an oversized check at the GBLC in Hartford, CT.

KPMG's gift of $750,000 will fund a professorship in accounting at UConn. Celebrating the donation are, from left, are Susan Jackson, managing partner of KPMG's Hartford office; Mark Caplan, a retired partner at KPMG who is now an adjunct professor at UConn; professor George Plesko, head of the Accounting Department and the first recipient of the professorship; Kristen Ortuso ’07, ’08 MSA, KPMG Partner; and Rich Caporaso, retired KPMG partner. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

The School of Business has announced the creation of a new endowed accounting professorship, supported through a collaboration with KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm, to help attract and retain high-performing educators in UConn’s Accounting Department.

“Our accounting faculty are among the most influential teachers and scholars in the profession, and their work shapes how the next generation of accountants and financial leaders are trained,’’ said Interim Business Dean Greg Reilly. “The working collaboration between UConn and KPMG has a long and deep history.”

Alumna Kristen Ortuso '07, '08 MSA addresses an audience from a podium
Kristen Ortuso ’07, ’08 MSA, a partner at KPMG, addressed the audience about the long-standing partnership between KPMG and UConn. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

“Support from firms like KPMG allows us to recognize exceptional faculty with the distinction of a professorship. Investments like this help ensure that UConn continues to attract and retain outstanding faculty and provide our students with an education that reflects the highest standards of the accounting field,’’ Reilly said. “We are grateful for KPMG’s support.’’

UConn leadership and executives from KPMG gathered at the School of Business’ Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford to mark the announcement Wednesday evening.

“The UConn School of Business has built a national reputation for academic rigor and real-world relevance,” said Susan Jackson, Hartford Managing Partner, KPMG. “This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening faculty leadership and supporting the educators whose teaching, research, and mentorship help shape the future of the accounting profession.”

The KPMG Professorship is an honor that will be bestowed on some of the most highly regarded accounting faculty and is intended to strengthen UConn’s ability to attract and retain leading educators in the field.

Accounting professor George Plesko making remarks at a podium.
Professor George Plesko, head of the Accounting Department, shares a few remarks at Wednesday’s ceremony in which KPMG endowed a professorship in accounting at UConn. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Professor George Plesko, head of the Accounting Department, will be the first recipient of the KPMG Professorship. Plesko’s expertise focuses on corporate tax policy, business taxation, and the relationship between financial and tax reporting. He joined UConn 21 years ago after teaching at MIT and serving in the U.S. Treasury. His work has been published in top accounting and economic journals, and he has testified before Congress and served as an advisor to the IRS and Congressional Budget Office.

An award-winning educator, Plesko has received the American Accounting Association’s Wildman Medal (2005), one of the profession’s highest honors, as well as the 2022 Ray M. Sommerfeld Outstanding Tax Educator Award and the 2025 UConn Distinguished Faculty Research Award.

The creation of a professorship requires a minimum endowment of $750,000, a threshold that was exceeded through KPMG’s contribution. This marks KPMG’s first endowed professorship at UConn.

The Accounting Department currently serves 455 accounting majors, up nearly 40% from 2024. This growth, supported by the new endowed professorship, underscores a shared commitment to education as a vital catalyst for strengthening Connecticut’s workforce and regional economy.

“Establishing the KPMG Endowed Professorship reflects our belief that great accounting programs begin with great faculty,” said Mark Caplan, retired partner at KPMG, now an adjunct professor at UConn. “By investing in UConn’s educators, we are supporting the research, teaching, and mentorship that prepare students to lead with integrity in an increasingly complex business environment.”