Santhosh Abraham
Associate Professor of Accounting
Santhosh Abraham, associate professor of accounting and 2022 Union faculty of the year, traveled all over the globe before finally arriving at Union University.
Originally born in Nigeria, Abraham and his family moved to India then Thailand, where he received his undergraduate degree from Assumption University. When offered a scholarship opportunity, Abraham went on to receive his master鈥檚 degree and doctorate from the University of Exeter in England. He subsequently moved to Scotland, Dubai and New York for various higher academic institutions.
Before he came to Union in 2018, Abraham had always been interested in the idea of combining his work with faith. Wanting a change of pace from upstate New York 鈥 and a warmer area 鈥擜braham says he trusted God to place him at the right school and blindly put his finger on a map. It landed directly on the state of Tennessee.
Then, searching for professor positions throughout the state, Abraham found Union鈥檚 emphasis on a faith-based curriculum along with the business school鈥檚 high-level accreditation 鈥 something that distinguished the university from others around the country. He was further encouraged when Union required him to write a statement of faith, which he said was a sign that Union truly cared about him as an individual.
Now in his fourth year, Abraham said that Union鈥檚 core values remain his favorite aspect of the school.
鈥淢y worldview is that in order to be excellence-driven, people-focused and future-directed, you have to be Christ-centered,鈥 Abraham said. 鈥淭o me, that is the distinguishing feature of Union.鈥
Abraham primarily teaches accounting courses within the McAfee School of Business. Although a primarily secular field of work, Abraham works to integrate faith into his curriculum to show students how they can combine their faith with their 海角乱伦社区.
鈥淚n no way do we compromise the rigor and quality of our education,鈥 Abraham said. 鈥淏ut at the same time, we are also given the opportunity to integrate faith in the class.鈥
Regarding his role at Union, Abraham aims to create an environment where students are encouraged to practice their faith and to think critically. Since the business world is constantly changing, he hopes that his students will 鈥渓earn how to learn鈥 as a result of his classes.
Most of all, Abraham wants his students to understand that they have limitations; however, God knows the path they need to follow.
鈥淭here are tools in business that you can use,鈥 Abraham said. 鈥淏ut, above all, you need to trust in the Lord to lead you in the right direction.鈥