Tax Professor in Profile: James M. DeSimpelare
Kenneth Acuna
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: Inside Ross
When not driving around his tractor on his farm or pumping iron (lifting weights), Professor James Mark DeSimpelare (Prof D) is educating the minds of MBAs, as well as BBAs, MACCs, and even Law students in the glorious and exciting worlds of tax and financial accounting. While taxes may not be everyone's favorite subject, Prof D somehow generates the interest for the subject among his students. He is a great motivator and expects nothing but excellence from his students. His courses are definitely not the B School 'curve blow off' classes, but the ones that students enroll in to gain a better understanding of a difficult subject. His contributions to the Ross community have not gone unnoticed as he has won numerous teaching awards, including three Master of Accounting Teaching Excellence Awards, a BBA Teaching Excellence Award, and many other accolades.
Prof D grew up in the "thumb" area of Michigan, spending his early days in his family farm. His path to Ann Arbor might have seemed a little unlikely when he attended Michigan State University for his undergraduate studies. DeSimpelare's goal was to complete a pre-med degree and then go to med school. However, during the summer after his junior year he got an internship with Deloitte despite the fact that he had no real interest in the firm. He said "I had taken a few accounting courses where the internship seemed reasonable." Somehow, accounting drew DeSimpelare away from the "big med school degree bucks" and towards the slightly less compensated world of accounting. When asked about his decision, he said "it was not about the money, it was all about the med school challenge." Upon graduating, he began working for Ernst & Young in Lansing but after many years, Prof D felt that he "did not like being under the thumb of the client, or not being in charge of own destiny."
Prof D was constantly on the lookout for new challenges and while attending business school at Indiana, he found his calling. During his studies, he began working as an accounting GSI for up to forty hours a week. His talent for teaching was recognized and he was rewarded with an offer of a position as faculty member. After teaching for a year at Indiana-enough time to discover that he loved teaching, DeSimplare explored his options at other institutions. With offers from Michigan State, and Michigan, Prof D made a decision he has never regretted. About his decision to join the "Maize and Blue," Prof D said "I did not know much about Ann Arbor. I grew up on a farm and Ann Arbor is a very liberal place. I did not know what to expect. But I thank God every day I made the choice."
Prof D grew up in the "thumb" area of Michigan, spending his early days in his family farm. His path to Ann Arbor might have seemed a little unlikely when he attended Michigan State University for his undergraduate studies. DeSimpelare's goal was to complete a pre-med degree and then go to med school. However, during the summer after his junior year he got an internship with Deloitte despite the fact that he had no real interest in the firm. He said "I had taken a few accounting courses where the internship seemed reasonable." Somehow, accounting drew DeSimpelare away from the "big med school degree bucks" and towards the slightly less compensated world of accounting. When asked about his decision, he said "it was not about the money, it was all about the med school challenge." Upon graduating, he began working for Ernst & Young in Lansing but after many years, Prof D felt that he "did not like being under the thumb of the client, or not being in charge of own destiny."
Prof D was constantly on the lookout for new challenges and while attending business school at Indiana, he found his calling. During his studies, he began working as an accounting GSI for up to forty hours a week. His talent for teaching was recognized and he was rewarded with an offer of a position as faculty member. After teaching for a year at Indiana-enough time to discover that he loved teaching, DeSimplare explored his options at other institutions. With offers from Michigan State, and Michigan, Prof D made a decision he has never regretted. About his decision to join the "Maize and Blue," Prof D said "I did not know much about Ann Arbor. I grew up on a farm and Ann Arbor is a very liberal place. I did not know what to expect. But I thank God every day I made the choice."
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