Tennessee Tech accounting professor honored for 40 years of university service
Tennessee Tech University accounting professor Robert “Dan” Fesler was honored for 40 years of service to the university at a recent pinning ceremony.
Fesler joined Tech as an assistant professor in fall 1986 after earning his doctoral degree from Mississippi State University. A native of Middle Tennessee, he has spent his entire academic career at Tech.
Throughout his career at Tech, Fesler has served as chair of the Accounting Department from 2007-13 and has taught financial and managerial accounting and taxation. He has also earned several professional credentials, including Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Global Management Accountant. In addition, he has served as president of the Tennessee Society of Accounting Educators and as a longtime faculty adviser to Beta Alpha Psi.
“The impact of Dr. Fesler’s 40-year career on Tennessee Tech University is impossible to overstate. He has spent his life and career in Middle Tennessee serving the university and community with distinction,” said Sean Alley, interim dean of the College of Business.
For Fesler, the longevity of his career is defined by the relationships he has built on campus.
“The most rewarding part of my Tech experience has been the outstanding friends, colleagues, and administrators I have had while here,” Fesler said. “The experience here at this university has been wonderful, beyond anything I ever imagined when I started here in the Fall of 1986. Tech is a great place to be a faculty member, and Cookeville cannot be beat as a community to raise a family.”
Colleagues note that Fesler’s influence extends far beyond his administrative service.
“Dr. Fesler has taught and mentored thousands of students and has a reputation for encouraging them to push themselves beyond what they think they can do,” Alley added. “His strength and stability set the foundation for the current successes of the accounting program, as well as the College of Business.”
Tennessee Tech University’s College of Business is the third-largest academic college at Tech. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is nationally ranked to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of “Best Business Programs.” Learn more at www.tntech.edu/business.