Eric Marinich, a Miami University accounting professor, died on Jan. 3 at 49 years old, according to a press release from Miami.
Marinich, whom many students knew from “Intro To Managerial Accounting” (ACC 222), was called a beloved figure throughout the Farmer School of Business by multiple people in the release.
Isabella Strecker, a junior accounting and sustainability co-major, met Marinich when she took ACC 222. Strecker said she was only taking the class as part of the required curriculum. She entered the class as a marketing student but left as an accounting major.
“He kind of inspired me to change my major because he was so passionate about accounting,” Strecker said. “I realized that it was something that I was good at after taking his class.”
Strecker said that although she did not originally anticipate enjoying the class, Marinich made the lessons easy to understand. His empathy helped connect him with his students, even though his classes tended to be held in crowded lecture halls.
“He would always come in with a contagious smile,” Strecker said.
Stevie Hauer, a senior finance and accounting major, also took ACC 222 with Marinich. He said Marinich wanted all his students to come away from his class having learned something new.
“I think the biggest thing I learned from him is just to be a compassionate person and to care about everyone,” Hauer said.
Two years after Hauer had taken ACC 222, he said Marinich ran into him in Farmer and stopped to ask how he was.
“He remembered my name, remembered where I was going for my job,” Hauer said. “He stopped and really had a conversation with me.”
Marc Rubin, former Dean of Farmer, said he taught Marinich as a student at Miami. During his time as dean, Rubin was the one to offer Marinich a teaching position at Miami in 2013.
“That was the best acceptance I ever got,” Rubin said. “He truly was a guy who wanted to come back to Miami.”
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Marinich began teaching on a tenure track, Rubin said, but switched to spend more time in the classroom with students.
“He wanted to be a teacher,” Rubin said. “He wanted to be in that classroom, and did it super well.”
Notice of Marinich’s death was posted across multiple websites. Dozens of faculty, students and former students posted their memories of Marinich on his memorial page. Many wrote that his class had been their favorite.
“It’s a big loss for the Farmer community,” Hauer said.
A memorial service/celebration of life will be held on campus at a later date, according to the press release.
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