Assistant Teaching Professor Matthew Cobabe (pronounced “Koh-bayb”) teaches ACC 222, Introduction to Managerial Accounting. He earned his PhD in Accounting from the University of Oklahoma in 2015, after which he spent 10 years teaching managerial accounting at Virginia Tech.
Miami had always been on Cobabe’s radar. He first learned about Miami during a “rookie camp” soon after he graduated from his PhD studies. There, he met several Miami accountancy professors. He was especially impressed by Miami’s focus on undergraduate education while still expecting high-quality research. “I think it’s a great balance and a successful academic model to help train the next generation of students to become business leaders,” he said.
He sees the introductory accounting classes as a great opportunity. “I really like teaching the introductory courses, because I get to share my passion and love for accountancy with students who maybe don’t really want to hear about it at first.” All Farmer School of Business students are required to take his course (he teaches more than 400). Cobabe likened presenting accountancy to how you’d prepare broccoli—”It’s good for you, and it tastes great with bacon and cheese! It’s really important to understand accounting, how this information affects the marketplace, to be successful in the business world.”
Engaging with such a large number of students can be an interesting challenge, Cobabe said, but he’s devoted to ensuring that students feel supported and not just a number. He makes sure that students work in small groups that he can make connections with as they work through class material.
Cobabe’s research interests include financial reporting, audit research, and what he calls “fun data”—connecting the dots between two topics that are seemingly unrelated at first, like city traffic and its relationship with IRS cases
In his spare time, Cobabe enjoys woodworking and cooking (he’s especially mastered the BBQ). He lives in Oxford with his wife and two children—you’ll also see him walking with His Fluffiness, the Duke of Fluffington (aka Duke).