Prof. Cairney joined Georgia Southern University in 2003 and retired in 2022.
— Biography from the 2022 Fall Commencement program —
Dr. Cairney earned his Bachelor of Arts (1976) from University of Richmond and his Master of Business Administration (1980) from Dalhousie University. He completed his PhD in Accounting (1995) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to his academic career, he earned the professional designation of Chartered Accountant (Canada) and his background in public and private accounting allowed him to emphasize the "real world" to students eager to hear how practice meets concepts, a teaching philosophy that remained with him throughout his career. Dr. Cairney joined Georgia Southern University in 2003 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 2008. During his career at Georgia Southern, Dr. Cairney designed and taught ten different courses in the MBA, MAcc, and BBA programs. He provided research guidance to McNair Scholars, one resulting in a presentation to the Legislative Wild Game Supper. His research interests included voluntary corporate disclosures and the market for audit services. He is especially proud of his work on client industry influences on auditor services, publishing several articles in the area. He has peer reviewed publications in quality journals including Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, The Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance, and Journal of Cost Analysis and Management. He presented his research at local, regional, and national conferences. As faculty advisor to the Golden Key Honor Society and to the Accounting Association, he worked to ensure successful student and community engagement through such speakers as the Tuskegee Airmen, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the President of the IMA, and numerous other business community speakers. He served as President of the Florida Council of the IMA, was on the Board of Directors of the Savannah Chapter of the IMA, and served as President of the Georgia Association of Accounting Educators. He served on the editorial review board for the journal Review of Accounting and Finance and reviewed papers for regional and national conferences. He served on University, Parker College, and School of Accountancy committees and led assessment as program leader for the BBA program in the School of Accountancy. For these many contributions to the university, the college, and the department, and to his students and his profession, Dr. Timothy Cairney is deserving of the title of Associate Professor of Accounting Emeritus.*