Deonette Lambert, an assistant professor in the Department of Accountancy, sees her personal mantra expressed in a quotation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that she learned in elementary school:

The heights by great men reached and kept
     Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,
     Were toiling upward in the night.

For Lambert, this expresses the work ethic she had to maintain in order to succeed. “I have always believed that education has the power to transform lives, and this has been my personal experience,” she said. “Growing up in Jamaica, I faced financial hurdles that made pursuing higher education uncertain, but I was determined to succeed.”

Lambert did just that, earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Technology, Jamaica; a master’s degree in accountancy from the University of Akron; and a PhD in accounting from the University of Oklahoma.

Research interests

Lambert is a financial accounting archival researcher who specializes in corporate governance. “I examine governance mechanisms such as legislation, policies, and other factors influencing management’s actions, as well as firms’ disclosure environment and related outcomes,” she said.

She developed this interest in how corporate governance works after experiences where her serving on a board seemed largely ceremonial and where her comments and questions seemed ignored. “I vividly recall instances where I raised concerns about items that reflected fiscal imprudence or that were supported by erroneous budgets,” she said. “Still, these items often received majority support because of preemptive coaching of allies on voting. Some of these decisions resulted in struggles during implementation because of their fiscal impracticality.”

As a result of these types of experiences, Lambert decided to study corporate governance more closely and examine how corporate governance practices can either benefit or harm the organization.

In a paper that was coauthored with Gies Professor David Godsell, Lambert examined the impact of media monitoring on managers’ investment decisions. In particular, they examined how shield laws affected corporate decision-making. They found that a perceived threat of a disclosure of investment information could mitigate the possibility of inefficient corporate actions. Shield laws protect journalists' sources for such media reports. This evidence is consistent with the threat of media monitoring, as a governance mechanism, disciplining managers’ investment choices, contributing to research and active policy debates.

“I enjoy studying governance factors because this allows me to provide insights into the trade-off decisions that management makes between accountability and managerial discretion,” she said. “I am particularly excited about the practical implications of my research findings, which may be of use to managers, regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders.”

Teaching

While not teaching a course this fall, Lambert will teach ACCY 301: Accounting Measurement in the Spring 2026 semester. Prior to joining Gies Business, Lambert had been for several years a senior lecturer at her alma mater, the University of Technology, Jamaica, where she taught a wide variety of courses in accounting.

In describing her teaching philosophy, Lambert cites a quote from famed NFL coach Vince Lombardi: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” As Lambert explains, “This guiding principle has influenced my teaching approach and my commitment to continuous improvement, all aimed at helping my students achieve their full potential. I consider teaching to be my calling, and I am overjoyed by the opportunities it provides to transform lives.”

Excited for the opportunities Gies Business provides

Lambert is no stranger to Gies College of Business, having been a distinguished postdoctoral research associate during the 2024-2025 academic year. And she plans to take advantage of that experience as she starts her teaching career as a faculty member.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Gies College of Business as an assistant professor in accounting,” she said. “As the first Gies Distinguished Postdoctoral Research Associate, I was uniquely positioned to experience what it would be like to serve as an Illini faculty member. What stood out to me the most was the College’s excellent academic culture, strong commitment to innovation and collaboration, and the fact that we are encouraged to be ‘disruptors’, with that never-settling attitude. I feel like I am a part of something great.”