Joshua Vali

Joshua Vali
Ph.D. in Accounting
College of Business
2nd-year
Goa

What inspired you to pursue graduate school?
For a long time, I worked in roles that felt meaningful but did not fully feel like my own. In my previous career, insights were ultimately credited to the firm, which made sense, but I wanted to build something original—work that reflected my own questions and ideas. I wanted to explore what was truly happening inside markets and organizations. Research offered that opportunity, and pursuing a Ph.D. allowed me to follow my curiosity wherever it led.

Why did you choose your current program or area of study?
Accounting research sits at the intersection of the questions I care most about: how firms communicate truth to markets, how employees respond to change, and how financial information shapes real decision-making. UTA’s program offered strong mentorship and the flexibility to pursue interdisciplinary research across accounting, finance, information systems, and organizational behavior. I also value the department’s culture—people genuinely care about one another and about producing meaningful work.

What motivates you on challenging days in graduate school?
Two things primarily motivate me. First, the excitement of discovery—when code finally runs, results emerge, and the data begins to tell a story. Second, my students. Their questions, curiosity, and energy bring me joy. Even on difficult days, stepping into the classroom resets everything for me.

Please provide a brief description of your research or current project.
My primary research examines how corporate AI disclosures affect employee sentiment, using Reddit data from company-specific subreddits matched with S&P 500 firms around the launch of ChatGPT. I use instrumental variable methods to identify causal effects. I also have a second research stream focused on supply chain finance and its spillover effects. What I enjoy most about research is studying emerging phenomena in real time and contributing early, rigorous insights.

What impact do you hope your research or work will have?
I want my research to help firms recognize that how they communicate about AI adoption matters—not just to investors, but to employees who are often most affected by these changes. If clearer and more thoughtful AI disclosures lead to better communication practices, that is a meaningful contribution. In the classroom, my goal is for students to leave more confident in accounting than when they entered.

What has been your favorite part of your graduate experience so far?
Without question, the people. Coming from industry, I did not expect such a strong sense of community. My senior Ph.D. peers inspire me daily, and their commitment to students and colleagues has shaped my understanding of what it means to be an academic. The collaborative culture of the UTA Accounting Department has been a highlight of my experience.

What achievement during grad school are you most proud of?
I am especially proud of teaching two sections of ACCT 3300 as a second-year Ph.D. student, which is uncommon at this stage. I also designed a “Firm Night” resource guide to help students prepare for career fairs and network confidently. Seeing students use these materials successfully has been incredibly rewarding. Additionally, I have begun developing vignette-style exams that have been well received by course coordinators and faculty.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a graduate student?
I have learned that this work is never just about the individual. Unlike industry, where success often feels solitary, academic success depends on collective investment. Research, teaching, and departmental culture thrive because people support one another. Learning to recognize and contribute meaningfully to that ecosystem has been an important lesson for me.

How has your perspective on your field changed since you started your program?
I entered thinking accounting research was primarily about measurement. I now see it as fundamentally about truth—how information is created, communicated, and interpreted under uncertainty. Numbers matter because they carry meaning, and studying how that meaning is shaped and sometimes misunderstood is what drew me deeply into the field.

What career path are you hoping to pursue after graduation?
I initially thought I might return to industry, but academia has grown on me. The freedom to ask questions, contribute to knowledge, and teach has become something I value deeply. I am now committed to pursuing a tenure-track faculty position at a research university, building a research agenda around AI disclosure and capital markets, and continuing to teach accounting at the graduate level.