Uday Chandra

Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Purdue University

“We help stusents manage their challenges, and they end up in productive careers.”

Accounting Professor Uday Chandra came to UAlbany almost 4 years ago, choosing our School of Business for its excellent mix of research and teaching. His path to accounting was less likely - Chandra started his career as an engineer. After earning an engineering degree in India, he worked in the automotive industry for company that built scooters. It was there that he became involved in corporate planning and found his love for accounting, subsequently earning an MBA from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate from Purdue.

UAlbany students have impressed Chandra. He finds it a challenge and an honor to work with the many nontraditional students: single parents, working professionals and students from a variety of cultures, who do not have the advantages of students from private schools. He said, “We help them manage their challenges, and they end up in productive careers.” “My greatest accomplishment is playing a role in making people successful.”

He finds that motivated students who go beyond preparing for tests are better prepared for the ever-changing rules of accounting. Last year, one of these students, class valedictorian Rostina Bayer named Dr. Chandra as the professor must instrumental in her success.

Teaching is only half of the university mix that enticed Chandra to Albany. Research is essential to him. His most recent focus is the combination of accounting and technology. One recent project examines how firms can effectively communicate their financial information to capital markets. He is currently working with Associate Professor of Information Technology Management Sanjay Goel and Associate Professor of Management Paul Miesing on file sharing research, particularly the music piracy problems of peer-to-peer networks. His new project on the trading behavior of mutual funds is being developed with Professor Hany Shawky.

Other recent papers include “The Association Between LIFO Reserve and Equity Risk: An Empirical Assessment” and “Enron-Era Disclosure of Off-Balance-Sheet Entities.”

Dr. Chandra teaches Financial Accounting Theory I and II to juniors.

This spring, Dr. Chandra was nominated for a university teaching award. He was born in Lucknow India, and currently lives in Albany with his wife Niti. His daughter Neha recently earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School.