Accounting Department

The Kogod School of Business Accounting Department oversees the instruction of all courses pertaining to accounting, taxation, and business law.

In addition to their course work, accounting students have the opportunity to engage with the professionally experienced faculty in real-world financial research and analysis.

Department Chair


 

Yinqi Zhang Associate Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Yinqi Zhang is an Associate Professor in Accounting at the Kogod School of Business of American University. Her main research interest is in the determinants of audit quality and the impacts of regula

  zhangyq@american.edu

  (202) 885-3305

Department Faculty


Ajay Adhikari Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Adhikari teaches financial and sustainability reporting and conducts research focused on international accounting and ESG reporting practices. He also served as the Kogod Sr. Associate Dean

  aadhika@american.edu

  (202) 885-1993

Sheila Bedford Senior Professorial Lecturer KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Bedford teaches financial accounting, managerial accounting, intermediate accounting, corporate financial reporting at the undergraduate and graduate level. She has extensive industry accoun

  bedford@american.edu

  (202) 885-3910

Caroline Bruckner Senior Professorial Lecturer KSB | Accounting/Tax

Caroline Bruckner is a tax professor on the faculty of the Kogod School of Business (KSB) and is the Managing Director of the Kogod Tax Policy Center. Since joining KSB in 2015, she has released groun

  cbruck@american.edu

  (202) 885-3258

Augustine Duru Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Duru teaches management accounting to undergraduate and graduate students with emphasis on how organizations use accounting information to create value in a dynamic business environment. His

  aduru@american.edu

  (202) 885-1937

Asad Kausar Associate Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Kausar teaches financial accounting to undergraduate students and financial statement analysis and valuation to graduate students emphasizing the important role of accounting in business dec

  akausar@american.edu

Michael Mass Associate Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Michael Mass teaches courses on Business Law and International Investment and Trade in AU’s Kogod School of Business. He earned a B.S. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvan

  mmass@american.edu

  (202) 885-6195

Tharindra Ranasinghe Associate Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Dr. Ranasinghe joined Kogod faculty in 2020. He obtained his doctoral degree from University of Houston and previously worked as a faculty member at University of Maryland, College Park and Singapore

  tranasinghe@american.edu

  (202) 885-6507

James Potepa Assistant Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Prof. Potepa teaches financial accounting at both the undergraduate and graduate level. His research interests include special items, non-GAAP earnings, earnings management, accounting regulations, an

  jpotepa@american.edu

Donald Williamson Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Williamson, the Kogod Eminent Professor of Taxation and the Howard S. Dvorkin Faculty Fellow, teaches a number of subjects related to taxation, is director of the Masters of Science in Taxat

  dwillia@american.edu

  (202) 885-1942

Yijiang Zhao Associate Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Yijiang Zhao is currently associate professor of accounting at the Kogod School of Business, American University. He has taught introductory financial and managerial accounting courses to both undergr

  yzhao@american.edu

  (202) 885-1941

Instructors


Tara Fisher Professorial Lecturer KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Fisher started her career with PwC’s international tax practice in Washington, DC. She was later assigned to PwC's London office and worked abroad in the United Kingdom. After returning from

  tfisher@american.edu

Dave Harr Senior Professorial Lecturer KSB | Accounting/Tax

Dr. Harr has extensive experience working with business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. He has conducted seminars with businesses, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations

  harr@american.edu

  (202) 885-6672

Michael Mass Associate Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Professor Michael Mass teaches courses on Business Law and International Investment and Trade in AU’s Kogod School of Business. He earned a B.S. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvan

  mmass@american.edu

  (202) 885-6195

Paolo Petacchi Professorial Lecturer KSB | Accounting/Tax

Christina Synn Assistant Professor KSB | Accounting/Tax

Christina Synn is an Assistant Professor of Accounting and Taxation at the Kogod School of Business of American University. Her research interests include corporate disclosure, financial reporting qua

  csynn@american.edu