Debra Hopkins: CPA, CIA. Director and auditing financial accounting and reporting, and accounting and reporting faculty member, NIU CPA Review. Debra received a BBA, major emphasis in accounting, from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh and a MAS from Northern Illinois University. She has directed the highly acclaimed NIU CPA Review since July, 1991 and was the assistant director from August, 1987. Debra has been a key review faculty member since 1988. Debra has public accounting experience with Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young, LLP) and Grant Thornton, LLP. Director Hopkins is a CPA and a certified internal auditor (CIA). She chaired the Illinois CPA Society Audit and Assurance Services senior technical committee, served as an Illinois Representative to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Council, and currently serves on the Illinois CPA Society Board of Directors. She is author of Wiley's Get Motivated, You Can Pass the CPA Exam. She was the 1997 recipient of the Illinois CPA Society's Outstanding Accounting Educator award. Under her guidance, NIU graduates have ranked in the top five passing rates for the auditing section of the CPA exam more times than any other university in the United States. She consults and does specialized accounting and audit training for several of the top 25 CPA firms in the nation. Her hobbies include partying with her children and playing golf. Email Debra.
Don Tidrick: Ph.D., CPA, CIA. Joined the faculty of NIU in the fall of 2000 as an Associate Professor of Accountancy. He was named the recipient of the Deloitte Professorship in 2005. Don received his Ph.D. and B.S.B.A. degrees from The Ohio State University and his M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He is a CPA, a CMA, and a CIA. Don worked as a senior auditor at the firm now known as KPMG before pursuing his Ph.D. and an academic career. He is a member of the American Accounting Association, American Institute of CPAs, Illinois CPA Society, Financial Executives International, IMA (formerly known in full as the Institute of Management Accountants), and the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Don was a member of the faculty of the University of Notre Dame for four-and-a-half years before taking a one-year visit at The University of Texas at Austin, where he remained for 9 years. At UT, Don was the Associate Chair of the Department of Accounting and the Director of the (five-year) Professional Program in Accounting. During his years in Texas, Don was an active member of the Texas Society of CPAs and served as the Technical Editor for the TSCPA's membership magazine, Today's CPA.
His teaching and research interests primarily relate to auditing and assurance services, ethics in accounting, and financial reporting. He has published in a variety of academic and professional journals and has published one book, Leonard M. Savoie: Words from the Past, Thoughts for Today His hobbies include power boating and family activities. Email Don.
Doug Clinton: Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington, CPA. Dr. Clinton joined the faculty at NIU in the fall of 2001 and is currently an associate professor. Prior to coming to NIU, Doug had nine years of collegiate teaching experience. Doug teaches managerial accounting in the undergraduate and graduate programs. He has published articles in several academic and professional journals, including:
Bill Cummings: CPA, CDP, Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, currently Associate Professor of Accountancy at NIU, has participated in NIU CPA Review since 1997. Dr. Bill Cummings is Professor Emeritus at NIU having retired from the full-time Accountancy faculty in 2007. He continues as a part-time visiting professor teaching in the NIU-CPA program and in the NIU MAS and MBA programs. Prior to NIU, Bill taught accounting and IT courses at Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Bill received his B.S. and M.A.S. degrees from Illinois State and his PhD degree from the University of Missouri. He is a registered CPA in Illinois and also holds the Certificate in Data Processing. While at NIU, Bill has taught Accounting Information Systems at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, cost/managerial accounting in the BBA and MBA programs, and information systems for the OMIS department. Bill has published a number of articles on accounting and systems topics in such professional journals as The Journal of Accountancy and Management Accounting Quarterly. He has also been a frequent presenter at regional and national professional meetings and conferences. Bill served for four years as an associate editor and member of the board for the American Journal of Business. From 1999 to 2001, Bill served as president-elect and program chair, president, and past-president of the Midwest Region of the American Accounting Association (AAA). He also served a two year term as treasurer of the Teaching and Curriculum Section of the AAA and three years on the AAA Council representing the Midwest Region. Bill has taught in the NIU-CPA program since 1997 presenting cost/managerial and IT topics. Email Bill.
Jeannie Folk: CPA. Professor of Accounting at College of DuPage. Jeannie received a BBA, major in public accounting, from Loyola University, Chicago, and a MAS from Northern Illinois University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society, American Accounting Association, and Teachers of Accounting in Two-Year Colleges (TACTYC). She serves on the Board of Directors of TACTYC. She is past recipient of the Illinois CPA Society Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. Email Jeannie.
Barb Fox:
CPA, B.S. Accountancy, Illinois State University (1979), M.A.S., Northern Illinois University (1992).
Barb joined the NIU faculty in 2000 and her primary responsibility is teaching in the UBUS Business Core Applications Seminar. She also serves as an instructor for the Department of Accountancy and she began teaching in the NIU CPA Review in 2005. In the past, she has also taught international taxation in the MAS and MST programs; and financial accounting principles in the NIU MBA program.
Prior to joining NIU, she worked for DEKALB Genetics Corporation and Monsanto Company where she held staff and management positions in both Corporate Tax and Financial Reporting. DEKALB Genetics Corporation (now part of Monsanto), is a worldwide leader in agricultural genetics and seed biotechnology. She is a member of the AICPA, and the Illinois CPA Society. She can be reached at bfox@niu.edu.
Brad
McDonald: B.A., University of Illinois, Economics, J.D., University of Illinois,
Law. He is currently an instructor in the OMI&S Department at NIU, has participated
in NIU CPA Review since 1997. His hobbies include brewing beer, running, and
playing golf. Email Brad.
Natalie Churyk: joined the NIU faculty in 2001 as an Assistant Professor of Accountancy. Natalie received her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina and her M.B.A. and B.S. from California State University, Long Beach. She has been a CPA since 1995.
Prior to coming to NIU, Natalie had four years of collegiate teaching experience as a doctoral student for which she was awarded The Darla Moore School of Business Teaching Award for graduate assistants and the University-wide Educational Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award for Graduate Assistants. Professor Churyk has also won a graduate student research award from Decision Sciences Institute.
Natalie is a member of the American Accounting Association, American Institute of CPAs, and Illinois CPA Society. She teaches financial accounting and her current research interests include mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting, and more specifically, goodwill, an area in which she has been published. Email Natalie.
Curt Norton: is the Deloitte Professor of Accountancy at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. He earned his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 1976, his M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota, and his B.S. from Jamestown College, North Dakota. His list of publications include articles in The Accounting Review, Accounting Horizons, The Journal of Accounting Education, Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Corporate Accounting, Journal of the American Taxation Association, CPA Journal and many others. He also has been co-author of two textbooks for introductory financial accounting. In 1988-89, Dr. Norton received the University Excellence in Teaching Award, the highest university-wide teaching recognition at NIU. For many years, he has taught in NIU's CPA Review Program and is also a consultant and has conducted seminars and training programs for public accounting firms, governmental agencies, banks, utilities, and other entities. Curt is a member of the American Accounting Association and the Financial Executives Institute. He is married and has two children. His hobbies include sports of all kinds, especially golf. Email Curt.
Rebecca
Shortridge: Ph.D., Michigan State University. She joined
the NIU faculty in 2005 after serving on the faculty at Ball State University
and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. At NIU, Rebecca teaches
financial reporting in the undergraduate program and will teach financial statement
analysis and business valuation in the masters program starting in the fall
of 2007. Rebecca received a Student Choice Award from the Student Association
in 2007.
Rebecca's primary research interest is studying the impact of non-financial
disclosures on capital markets. She has published articles in both academic
and professional journals including: Journal of Business Finance and Accounting,
Accounting Horizons, Research in Accounting Regulation, and The CPA Journal.
Rebecca received the doctoral student research award while a Ph.D. student at
Michigan State University and the Miller College of Business Research Award
while a faculty member at Ball State University. Dr. Shortridge may be reached at shortridge@niu.edu.
David Wade: B.S. from Grinnell College, M.A. from Duquesne University, and J.D. from the University of Iowa. An Associate Professor at NIU, Professor Wade has participated in the NIU CPA Review since 1992. He was nominated for the Management Department and College of Business Undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Award for 2002. His hobbies include golf and reading. Email David.
John C. Kovach: C.P.A. Professor of Accounting since 1991 at College of DuPage. John received his A.B.D. MAS, and M.S. Ed. In Educational Psychology at NIU. He received his B.S. and M.B.A. at Southern Illinois University. He received the Outstanding Faculty Award in Business and Technology Division at the College of DuPage in 2004. John is included in Who's Who in education, 8th Edition. John currently teaches Accounting Procedures, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting and Federal Taxation I.
John has 16 years of audit, tax and accounting experience in public and private accounting including positions at Deloitte & Touche, Tribune Company and Unisource Corporation. Publications, presentations and books: Toward Inclusion Across Disciplines: Understanding Motivation of Exceptional Students; and International Review of Research in Mental Retardation – Volume 28. Email John