Terry Shevlin

Terry James Shevlin is an esteemed accounting scholar, educator, and leader. After earning his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1986, he served on the University of Washington faculty for over 25 years before joining the University of California, Irvine in 2012, where he remained until his retirement as a UCI Distinguished Professor in 2023. Shevlin’s career has been defined by excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and service.

Shevlin is one of the most prolific accounting researchers of his generation. He has published 86 manuscripts and three discussions, with 47 of these appearing in top-tier accounting journals such as Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, and Review of Accounting Studies. His induction into the Australian Accounting Hall of Fame in 2024 recognized him as the most prolific accounting researcher of the past 37 years. His work has shaped corporate tax research, particularly through highly cited publications such as Are family firms more tax aggressive than non-family firms?, which has amassed over 3,300 citations, and Empirical tax research in accounting, which continues to serve as the foundation for doctoral students learning to conduct empirical tax research.

In addition to his groundbreaking research, Shevlin has been a dedicated mentor, shaping the careers of future accounting scholars. He has chaired 28 doctoral dissertations and served on 32 other Ph.D. committees. His mentees have secured and retained positions at top academic institutions worldwide. His academic descendants have collectively published nearly 400 papers, received over 68,000 citations, and taught accounting to more than 100,000 students globally. His commitment to mentorship has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the American Taxation Association’s Ray M. Sommerfeld Outstanding Tax Educator Award and the American Accounting Association’s Outstanding Accounting Educator Award.

Shevlin’s influence extends beyond research and teaching through his significant service to the profession. He has served as President of the American Accounting Association (2019–2020) and Vice President of Research and Publications (2015–2018). His editorial leadership includes serving as Senior Editor of The Accounting Review, Co-Editor of Accounting Horizons, and Editor of the Journal of the American Taxation Association, as well as membership on numerous editorial boards. His leadership has fostered global collaboration in accounting academia. He has given keynote speeches in Norway, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, China, and Australia, and been a visiting professor at institutions such as Columbia University, Stanford University, Xiamen University, and Singapore Management University.

Shevlin’s exceptional contributions to accounting research, teaching, mentorship, and professional service have left a lasting impact on the field. His work has redefined corporate tax research, inspired generations of accounting scholars, and contributed significantly to accounting literature.

Terry James Shevlin is the 123rd inductee to The Accounting Hall of Fame.