UNI accounting professor passes away

UNI professor of accounting emeritus LaVerne Andreessen died Thursday. Andreessen, a UNI graduate, had been a member of the faculty since 1980. He retired in 2006 but continued to teach the Certified Public Accountant exam review.

In an e-mail sent to faculty on Friday, Dean of the College of Business Administration Farzad Moussavi said “It would be impossible to know LaVerne and not miss him. His strong personality. His sense of humor.  His passion for his students and profession. His stories.... He seemed to have a good one for every former student.  And every former student has a story to tell about him.  The stories all reflect the distinctive brand of tough love that only LaVerne could exercise.”

Andreessen won the Outstanding Teaching Award (2003) and the Halverson Professorship (2004). For more information about Andreessen’s professional accomplishments see http://www.cba.uni.edu/dbweb/pages/about/faculty-staff-results.cfm?facultyid=25.

Comments from Professor Andreessen’s students and co-workers:

“It was his ability to calm down his students, and build their confidence for the exam that made him a special professor to me. Even on the darkest most depressing studying days he could lift any one of his students up with a quick joke followed by his unforgetable laughter that spread to everyone around him.

“A line he always would say to me after I asked a question was, ‘Keep studying and working hard, remember THE NERDS WILL ALWAYS WIN.’  It is obvious to everyone that he loved accounting and teaching based on the fact that he kept on teaching, even after retirement.”
–Benjamin Umthun

“I only knew him in class, but you could tell he was someone who really cared about the students. His teaching style was very effective, and he really grew on me. I appreciate that he gave his all to teaching us.”
–Isaiah Britton

“He’s joy and positive words always cheered me up. He is a lighthouse in a dark night.”
–Ning Ma

“Laverne was a master teacher.  He cared so much about his students, their learning and their success.   Laverne was a wonderful colleague always greeting you with a kind word, a funny story or a warm smile to make your day. 

“He was one of the founding fathers of the UNI accounting program and is truly responsible for its excellent reputation and success. He will surely be missed by students and faculty.”
-Christine C. Bauman, associate professor and director, master of accounting program

Visitation was held Sunday at Corson Funeral Home in Waverly.

Funeral was Monday at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Waverly.

Memorials may be sent to Redeemer Lutheran Church or Cedar Valley Friends of the Family.

2 comments

Tom Miner

Fri Apr 17 2009 17:32

I first met Professor Andreessen in the fall of 1984 as a Principles I student. Back then he taught pretty much everything from Principles to Review. He was without a doubt the toughest teacher I ever had, but he was fair. Several years later I returned to UNI to finish my degree, and my first class was a retake of Intermediate II that I felt I needed as a refresher and to get back in the swing of studying. I sat down in the front row and when he reached my name on the role he looked up and said, "Miner? What are you doing here?" I replied that years earlier he had told me that I had too much personality to be an accountant, and that I had returned to prove him wrong.... We were great friends from that point forward.

I can honestly say that I am a better accountant and a better person for having known Professor Andreessen. I still won't wear a baseball cap indoors. I still share the story of him telling the class about an oxymoron he had seen in the parking lot for the CPA exam in the form of a custom license plate that read "ISU CPA". I am proud to be one of the great many students to have benefited from his passion for teaching and love of life. He was truly larger than life...

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Andreessen family, and the UNI faculty and students who mourn his loss...

Josh Rozendaal

Fri Apr 17 2009 16:03

He was a great teacher! The phrase about "tough love" hit home with me. He definitely wasn't a professor to give out easy A's, but if you worked at it, you could earn it. It was easy to tell that he cared about his students, which is why he was often frustrated when people wouldn't put forth the effort.

Probably my best memory was at the very end of the class. After having completed and turning in my final exam, he personally thanked me for coming to class everyday. It was an honor receiving such recognition from him.

Also, he taught me not to ever misspell the word 'receiving'.

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