Professor Brown-Liburd received her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003 and a B.B.A in Accounting from Bernard M. Baruch College-City University of New York in 1981. Her research focuses on issues and factors that influence auditors’ judgment and decision making related to financial reporting. Her dissertation, entitled “Auditor-Client Negotiation: An Examination of the Influence of Psychological and Environmental Factors” examines how audit partners and managers interact with clients to resolve complex financial reporting issues not clearly defined by Generally Accepted Accounting Standards. She has published in “Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory” and “Accounting Horizons”. Her teaching experience includes Auditing, Accounting Information Systems and Financial Accounting.
Helen is a CPA with over sixteen years of experience in such diverse areas as auditing, financial and operating reporting, and analysis and project management. Immediately prior to entering her doctoral program she worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) as a Manager on several company-wide teams established to evaluate and redesign major company-wide processes to achieve a measurable reduction in the cost structures. At BMS she also served as an Internal Audit Manager where her duties included supervising and monitoring the performance of worldwide audits. Prior to BMS Helen worked for Pepsi Cola Company as Manager of Special Projects where she researched, developed and implemented accounting policies and procedures to provide uniformity and consistency among the reporting groups and performed financial reporting for the acquisitions of third party-owned Pepsi Cola bottling companies. She began her career in public accounting as a staff auditor for Main Hurdman (now KPMG) and later moved to Arthur Young (now Ernst and Young) where she was promoted to Audit Manager.