….Okay so that is not a real question on the accounting exam, but if you do not know the answer to the question above then you have either never taken TEM402 or you have not been paying attention in class.
Standing at about 5’ 5”, medium built, with honey blonde hair and dressed in a conservative colored business suit is Professor Heidi Tribunella. As she moves to the next slide in her lecture, she peers over her round framed glasses to her laptop. A pensive look slowly gives way to a sheepish grin. She glances back up at the class, and you know immediately what is coming next — a colorful story that perfectly illustrates the topic at hand. Whether a riveting experience from her time as an accounting consultant or an excerpt from adventures on her beloved Chaparral, the examples are always on point. It is a story you will always remember, and the concept it clarified- you will never forget.
It was a bit difficult to transition my engineering mind-set to one equipped for the world of business and finance. That being said, I had my reservations on how challenging the accounting section would be. As I sat in the first class and listened to all that we had to cover in 6-7 weeks I thought to myself “…stuff just got real.” However as the weeks progressed, my fears were allayed. Financial statements, liabilities, assets, cash-basis versus accrual-basis accounting, profitability ratios, and journal entries did not seem so complicated after all; and that is a big feat for an engineer. Professor Tribunella’s lively and engaging delivery style coupled with clear, concise, and easily assimilated class material allowed for an easy grasp of the principles of accounting. She is very approachable and helps students understand in no time. Needless to say, I did very well in the accounting half of the course, and it was made possible because I had a great professor.
So I raise a glass of ALE (Assets= Liabilities + Equity…okay that was probably corny) to toast a legendary TEAM professor: Heidi Tribunella. – Levon Whyte ’13 (MS) “Scribendo cogito- I think by writing” 