Talking with … Susan Young

Interviews | May 12, 2017 | Gabelli Connect Admin

Each “Talking with…” feature introduces you to a different Gabelli School faculty member, administrator, or staff member. This week, we’re learning more about Susan Young, associate professor of accounting and taxation.

What are you currently excited about in your research?
I’ve begun working on a project that examines the motives for mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry. One particular motive we examine is how hospital quality measures such as mortality and readmission rates influence the choice of a target hospital. The political and regulatory environment for hospitals and the healthcare industry have been changing at a rapid pace, and it seems this is likely to continue. Due to these changes, hospital quality measures such as readmission and mortality rates are becoming increasingly important in terms of revenue reimbursements as well as other measures of a hospital’s success.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in accounting over the past five years?
It has been interesting to observe the challenges involved with the project of converging international reporting standards with U.S. reporting standards. The converged standards are expected to help investors and other stakeholders more easily compare publicly traded companies across countries and stock exchanges. It was hoped that a single set of standards would have been completed some years ago, but differences of opinions across regimes has delayed this goal.

How is the Gabelli School different from other institutions at which you’ve taught?
I would say that Gabelli puts a much higher emphasis on teaching and the faculty/student relationship than my previous universities.

What’s the most interesting part about teaching undergraduate students?
I love how my undergraduates show such a curiosity of the world and such confidence in their place in it. They seem so assured in their belief that they can influence and change the world for the better. That energy and perspective is quite inspiring.

Can you provide some insight into your experience teaching graduate students?
My graduate students come from a wide background of education, experience, and cultures. It can be challenging to design my courses to meet the needs of this wide variety of backgrounds, but this variety is what also adds so much richness to the classroom experience. Every semester I learn so many new things from all of my students—it is really incredible!