Kent State University Professor Ran Barniv, Ph.D., was honored with a 2011 Distinguished Scholar Award for his commitment to research and scholarship in accounting.

The Distinguished Scholar Award is one of the most prestigious awards at Kent State. The award recognizes full-time professors who have taught a minimum of five years and are nominated by their colleagues. A committee then selects recipients based on their vitae, references and research accomplishments.

Barniv says that it is very important for students to understand the impact of high-quality faculty research on a global scale. Barniv emphasizes the importance of quality research over quantity.

“Research also provides some understanding for the accounting students,” he says. “A lot of their professors love teaching and researching, and that’s how we’re being judged.”

Barniv’s research on accounting standards and the effects of regulation on capital markets earned him national recognition. He has published more than 50 articles in the nation’s top accounting journals.

“This research was a major achievement because it was published in the number one accounting journal,” he says. “The Accounting Review gets a lot of respect and exposure. It’s got reputation.”

Barniv has taught at Kent State for 22 years. He received his undergraduate degree in economics. He holds an M.B.A. in accounting and finance and a Ph.D. in business from Ohio State University.

Through his research, Barniv found that regulation helped to mitigate problems in the securities markets. Financial analysts drive the securities market, making predictions on the state of the economy.

“The effect of regulation was amazing,” Barniv says. “It looks like the regulation worked, and this is a very contemporary issue in the United States right now. Regulation really works. It achieved its goal.”

For more information on the Distinguished Scholar Award, visit www.kent.edu/research/dsa.cfm.