Accounting and Finance

Department Head: Afshad J. Irani; irania@wlu.edu; 540-458-5808

Academic Division: The Williams School

Accounting at W&L builds on the liberal arts course foundation, increasing analytical and communication skills while providing knowledge and skills for any number of business areas. Majors take a combination of accounting, economics and business administration courses.

About one-third of our graduates are recruited by Big Four accounting firms. Another third join prestigious investment and commercial banking firms. The remaining third follow varied paths, including graduate school.

Students planning to work in public accounting must complete 150 hours of college credit to take the CPA Exam in most states. Students may register in the ELE program, use AP credit, earn summer school credit, elect to overload, or attend graduate school. W&L has agreements with highly rated graduate programs including University of Virginia and Wake Forest University.

There are unique opportunities for students to intern and study in Sydney, Cape Town and London. In summer, students intern at accounting firms, major investment banks and other accounting and financial firms across the country.

Honors: An Honors Program in accounting is offered for qualified students; see department head for details.

Offerings

Accounting, B.S.  

Faculty 

First date is the year in which the faculty member began regular faculty service at the University. Second date is the year of appointment to the present rank.

Aliaa I. Bassiouny, Ph.D.—(2018)-2024
Lawrence Term Professor of Finance
Ph.D., ESADE Business School

Scott J. Boylan, Ph.D.—(1999)-2009
Professor of Accounting
Ph.D., Ohio State University

Bryan Brockbank, Ph.D.—(2024)-2024
Assistant Professor of Accounting
Ph.D. University of Oklahoma

Stephan A. Fafatas, Ph.D.—(2006)-2024
Professor of Accounting
Ph.D., University of Colorado

Megan F. Hess, Ph.D.—(2012)-2025
Class of 1960 Professor of Ethics and Accounting
Ph.D., University of Virginia

Sara Holland, Ph.D.—(2024)-2024
Assistant Professor of Finance
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Scott A. Hoover, Ph.D.—(2000)-2015
A. Stevens Miles Professor of Banking and Finance
Ph.D., Indiana University

Afshad J. Irani, Ph.D.—(2010)-2016
Professor of Accounting
Ph.D., Penn State University

Elizabeth Goad Oliver, Ph.D.—(1991)-2003
Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor of Accounting and Associate Dean of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics
Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Iguehi Rajsky, Ph.D. - (2022)-2022
Assistant Professor of Accounting
Ph.D., Temple University

Colin D. Reid, Ph.D.—(2015)-2025
Professor of Accounting
Ph.D., University of Tennessee

Joseph L. Smith, D.B.A.—(2023)-2023
Assistant Professor of Finance
D.B.A., University of Florida

Lloyd D. Tanlu, D.B.A.—(2018)-2021
Ehrick Kilner Haight, Sr. Term Associate Professor of Accounting
D.B.A., Harvard University

Benedikt Wick, Ph.D.—(2024)-2024
Assistant Professor of Finance
Ph.D. Florida International University