Kawika Pierson, CMA

I teach introductory classes in accounting across our programs. I also teach electives that focus on topics such as systems thinking and financial statement analysis. My goal is ultimately to make sure students understand the fundamental concepts that underlie accounting in a managerial setting, and I strive to create opportunities to challenge those students who want to push further in order to better understand the systems that drive interesting behaviors across disciplines. I attended MIT's Sloan School, earning a PhD in Management, focusing on System Dynamics and Accounting. My scholarly work is similarly interdisciplinary, but one stream of research is focused on the development and use of data about municipal and state finances. I came to Willamette because of our strong emphasis on a balance between teaching and research. I devote far more time to planning my classes than most research intensive universities would approve of, and I benefit greatly from that effort. At the same time, I also deeply value the the collection of world class scholars assembled on our faculty.