Introduction
My professional and educational experiences in the field of accounting have instilled in me a deep fascination with the propensity of accounting regulation to influence financial business modeling. Working as an auditor I found myself frequently exposed to intriguing phenomenon-real earnings management, investor "irrationality", misaligned incentives, ineffective regulation—which I had no time to really explore. The move to academia was something I had contemplated since my undergraduate education, but until I actually arrived at HBS and started working, I didn't truly understand how amazing this job is. Academia has provided me the freedom to deeply contemplate the issues I find compelling, and the opportunity to collaborate with brilliant and inquisitive colleagues EVERY SINGLE DAY. I literally wake up almost every morning thinking "I can't believe how lucky I am!"
My Research Interests
How do politics and economics shape the nature of accounting regulation in the US? Accounting standards have substantial economic consequences for preparers, users and intermediaries of financial information; individual constituents have different, and possibly conflicting, information needs and desires. In my research I explore the idiosyncratic influence of individual regulators, constituent lobbying and institutional evolution on the determination of US GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles). Understanding the forces that coalesce in determination of these standards is critical to our understanding of the relationship between financial reporting and efficient allocation of resources.
Some of my other research interests include: international accounting standards, globalization, voluntary disclosure and economic/behavioral consequences of accounting regulation.
The Accounting & Management Program
The Accounting and Management program stands out to me as a group deeply invested in its people and their pursuit of big questions. Equipped with a rigorous training in both analytical and empirical modeling and exposed to a broad range of management research, students are enabled to set bold research trajectories. The accounting faculty are devoted mentors—generous with their time, and masterful at motivating students to push beyond their own limits.
The HBS Experience
Everyone knows that HBS is a repository of intellectual wealth, academic rigor, and profound innovation. What you might not know, however, is that HBS is also a community characterized by an immense degree of mutual consideration and support. During my time at HBS I have developed an invaluable network of mentors, colleagues, and friends with whom I look forward to collaborating with for years to come. Beyond courses and research, while at HBS I've enjoyed playing on Harvard's club lacrosse team, and becoming a mother to my son, born during my third year in the program.