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Millersville University named Dr. Brian Trout, associate professor of accounting and finance, as the 2025–2026 Educator of the Year. The award was announced during the EPPIIC Weekend convocation, where Trout addressed the incoming first-year students. He formally received his award at the 2025 State of the ’Ville Address held on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.
Trout earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Millersville in 2000 before launching his professional career. Trout also went on to earn a master’s degree in accounting from Stetson University and a doctorate in business administration from Wilmington University. He returned to his alma mater in 2017 as a faculty member.
As a professor, his research focuses on accounting pedagogy and the career aspirations of business students. “Research grows out of what I encounter in the classroom, and what I learn from scholarship directly strengthens the learning experiences I design for students,” he explains. One of his distinctive teaching contributions is a continuing case method. Students use the same fictitious business as a common frame of reference throughout the semester, enabling them to connect earlier lessons with new material and build a more comprehensive understanding.
Equally central to Trout’s teaching philosophy is preparing students for professional life. He emphasizes the habits and character traits that define trusted professionals, designing course structure, such as strict deadlines, to mirror professional environments and help students strengthen self-regulation, accountability and time management. Beyond the classroom, he mentors students pursuing professional certifications, organizes panels and coordinates industry visits to, as he says, “help them establish networks and envision career paths.”
“My efforts center on the student. But it’s not just about who they are today. I’m thinking about the future version of that individual: the professional, the leader, the person who will contribute to their family and community. I want accounting students to experience education as a direct link to their professional futures, and I want that connection to begin right here at Millersville.”
Regarding the award, Trout says, “I am honored to be recognized by colleagues I hold in high regard, and I am grateful for the freedom and support the Lombardo College of Business and the University have given me to do this work. As an alumnus, I know firsthand how a Millersville professor can touch a life. I want to empower my students like that.”
