Presbyterian College alumnus and professor of accounting encourages students to make a positive impact on the community
The world of business has always been of interest to assistant professor of accounting Scott Barker ’93, even as a teenager.
As a Laurens native, Barker attended Presbyterian College after finishing high school, where he majored in business and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1993.
“I think I’ve always had an interest in business,” he said. “And when I got here, Dr. Jerry Slice and Dr. Suzie Smith were my professors, and they helped spur that interest along, too.”
The road back to PC
After graduating from PC, Barker worked for Guardian Industries for five years before working for the South Carolina Department of Revenue, where he spent 16 years.
Soon after beginning work at the SCDOR, Barker began teaching nighttime business courses at Piedmont Technical College as an adjunct professor, a position he held until retirement.
Barker made the transition to full-time teaching in 2023 after retiring from both the state and his position at Piedmont Tech, having come across an open position within Presbyterian College’s business administration program.
“It was a chance for me to come back to Presbyterian,” he said. “I enjoyed my years when I was here, and it was a way for me to reconnect to the college.”
Since then, Barker has spent 3 years at PC as a professor of accounting, though he has taught a variety of classes within the program.
As an alumnus, the opportunity to come back and serve his alma mater has been incredibly fulfilling for Barker, along with the chance to work side by side with his former professors who inspired him so much when he was a student.
“I still look at Dr. Slice and Dr. Smith as my professors,” he said. “I still view them that way, even though I’m working with them in the department.”
It was a chance for me to come back to Presbyterian. I enjoyed my years when I was here, and it was a way for me to reconnect to the college.”
Scott Barker ’93, Assistant Professor of Accounting
A future of growth and community
What excites Barker the most about the coming years at the college is the opportunity for growth, both within the department and in campus interactions with the surrounding community.
“I had a student, Emma Erwin, who worked on a project last semester studying the economic impact of PC on the community, and it was really good to not only see a student do that work, but to see how PC as a whole impacts not just the surrounding community, but the county as a whole,” he said.
In addition to looking forward to more opportunities to work with dedicated students, Barker hopes to continue to strengthen the impact of the college on the nearby community.
