Faculty Profile: Nathan Mecham, Ph.D., CMA

Nathan Mecham knew pretty early on that he wanted to be an educator. His dad was a middle school history teacher, and so the idea of helping to shape the minds of the next generation of students appealed to him at a young age.

Nathan is currently an assistant professor of accounting at Christopher Newport University’s Luter School of Business in Newport News, Va. It’s a position he’s held since August 2023, when he joined the faculty immediately after earning his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Pittsburgh.

Nathan began his Ph.D. studies in 2018, having graduated from Brigham Young University with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees that same year. He was on the Ph.D. prep track at BYU, which he said, “helps students to see what it takes to be a professor.” For Nathan, his first class in accounting sealed the deal for him. “I especially enjoyed managerial accounting—solving problems, findings ways to lower costs or increase revenues for a company.”

That interest in managerial accounting was nurtured by Nathan’s managerial accounting professor, Dr. Steven Smith, a long-time IMA member who also served as the BYU IMA student chapter faculty advisor. After Nathan indicated that he didn’t foresee auditing in his future career plans, Smith mentioned the CMA^® (Certified Management Accountant) and then nominated Nathan for a CMA scholarship. That allowed Nathan to take and study for the exam for free.

“It was a great fit for me,” Nathan recalls. He registered for the CMA exam in 2016 and took Part 1 as an undergraduate. “Because most of the material was already fresh in my mind, I was pretty well prepared.” Nathan says he probably spent about 10 hours studying for Part 1, supplementing his learning with study materials. He spent most of his time practicing the essay questions, he recalls.

Part 2 came later, just before his Ph.D. studies, and Nathan admits it didn’t come as naturally. “I definitely found it more challenging. I had to get back to my textbooks and also supplemented that using study materials again.” The hard work paid off: Nathan earned his CMA in September 2023.

Nathan is using his own experience taking the CMA to inspire his students. As soon as he arrived on campus, he noticed a poster about the CMA and began mentioning the certification to students he thought might consider it.

“Our school is not a pipeline to the Big Four, and management accounting is a great career path to pursue. Many students at our school stay in the region, and having a CMA can provide them with so many opportunities for local companies in the area.”

Nathan is also actively working on trying to create a managerial accounting track at the school and is working with the other members of the faculty to make that happen. He also is excited to tell his students about the new FMAA™ (Financial and Managerial Accounting Associate) certification from IMA, which can also set them up for success. “It’s pretty impressive to come out of college with a certification. That alone can help set you apart.”

Nathan continues to use his IMA membership to take advantage of the benefits offered, like free or low-cost continuing education. “I’m constantly taking the free courses and using materials on topics like data visualization or RPA to both help me stay relevant and to share that knowledge with my students. I’m so very grateful to be an IMA member.”