“Dr. Byington has impressive credentials and innovative ideas for future initiatives,” said Suzanne Ozment, USC Aiken vice chancellor for academic affairs. “In teaching, in applied research, and in administration, he brings the talent and experience to make the strong programs of the School of Business Administration even stronger.”

Byington has been recognized for his student activities at three Universities. He received the New Faculty Excellence Award from Texas Tech University, the College of Business Administration Teacher of the Year at Louisiana Tech University, and the Ori James Faculty Recognition Award at Georgia Southern University. He also has held two endowed chairs: the KPMG Peat Marwick Fellow and the Harold J. Solimski Chair of Accounting.

Byington focuses on technology, interpersonal, and communications skills in the classroom. His classroom activities include team projects designed to allow students to work in an interactive environment. Students work at solutions to business problems and defend their solutions. Additionally, they complete a detailed case analysis that requires them to effectively communicate their analysis of the operations of a business.

His students often comment on his use of additional handout material for difficult topics and the incorporation of new material, as accounting standards change, into the course. He believes that students should complete the undergraduate program with a knowledge of current business topics.

Byington has held the positions of interim dean and associate dean. Additionally, he was the founding director of the School of Accountancy at Georgia Southern University. With more than 10 years of administrative experience at two universities, he has helped foster student achievement, faculty development, and community involvement.

His publications include more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, newsletter items, and proceedings. At the 1996 national meeting of the American Accounting Association, he and a co-author received the Notable Contributions to the Information Systems/Management Advisory Services Literature Award. In 1995, he received the Southwest Federation of Administrative Disciplines Distinguished Paper Award in the accounting area.

Byington is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Accounting Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Alpha Psi, Georgia Association of Accounting Educators, and the Southern Business Administration Association. He was president of the Southeast Chapter of the American Accounting Association.

He is active with the accounting profession, presenting numerous professional programs at the national, regional, and local levels. He has presented programs in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, New York, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, Florida, Arkansas, and Washington, D.C. As a CPA, he is a member of the Georgia and Mississippi Society of CPAs and the local Southeast Chapter of the Georgia Society of CPAs where he has held several officer positions. He was recognized as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Outstanding Instructor for AICPA Courses sponsored by the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

He is involved with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the national accrediting agency in business, as a pre-candidacy advisor, a peer review team advisor, and as vice chair. He is married to the former Ami Saladino and the couple has five children.

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