Gary Meek to retire from OSU after nearly 32 years

Gary Meek, Oscar S. Gellein/Deloitte and Touche professor of accounting at Oklahoma State University, will be retiring from OSU’s Spears School of Business on June 1 after nearly 32 years of service.

During his time at OSU, Meek developed a reputation for being a master teacher and for being one of the top scholars in the area of international accounting. He focused on developing international accounting as a recognized area of interest in OSU’s School of Accounting, and he said teaching international accounting was his favorite part of working at OSU. In the years since Meek has been at the university, OSU has developed a strong reputation for international accounting not only in the United States but all over the world.

“Dr. Meek is a distinguished teacher at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral level,” said Don Herrmann, head of OSU’s School of Accounting and one of Meek’s former doctoral students. “Though accounting classes are considered some of the most difficult courses in the Spears School, Dr. Meek continues to be one of the most highly-rated teachers in the college and many students’ favorite teacher in the accounting department. He learns students by name, is extremely organized, and really cares about his students.”

Meek has received numerous awards for his contributions to accounting over the years. In 2006, Meek received the Kenneth D. and Leitner Greiner Undergraduate Teaching Award, and he received the Outstanding Service Award from the International Accounting Section in 2009.

Meek’s research focused on financial reporting in a multinational context, and he has written textbooks and numerous journal articles on the topic. His research has been widely cited by scholars.

“My time at OSU has been very good,” Meek said. “For me, it’s been a great place to have a career. I had the freedom to teach the courses I wanted to teach, to do the research I wanted to conduct, and to help make a difference in students’ lives. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

Meek earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business administration from Texas Christian University, and he received his doctorate degree in accounting from the University of Washington. Except for a one-year sabbatical at the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 1986, Meek has spent his entire teaching career at OSU. On May 5, 2011, Meek established the Gary K. Meek Scholarship Fund for OSU accounting majors.

“Dr. Meek is a perfect example of a professor who integrates his success in scholarship into the classroom,” Herrmann said. “His love for international accounting is evident to all. He will be missed for his contributions to accounting scholarship, his great teaching ability and, most of all, his encouraging and supportive role as a colleague in the accounting department here at OSU.”