IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) serves an important role in developing research that advances the management accounting profession, empowers academics, and upskills practitioners. IMA’s Research and Thought Leadership department, helmed by Loreal Jiles, vice president, recently welcomed new senior staff members who are helping to explore additional avenues of focus.

Kelly Richmond Pope, Ph.D., CPA, joined the department as the new director of research, corporate governance, and ethics. Kelly is a tenured professor at DePaul University, where she has taught for the past nine years, and is an accomplished (and award-winning) researcher, teacher, and filmmaker. Kelly has led a TED Talk, “How Whistleblowers Shape History,” and she has earned recognition for her documentary “All the Queen’s Horses,” which explores the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history. She holds a Ph.D. in accounting and an M. Acc., both from Virginia Tech, as well as a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina A&T State University. In her new role, Kelly will conduct leading-edge research, primarily in the areas of ethics, fraud, internal controls, compliance, and corporate governance. 

Susie Duong, CMA, CPA, CIA, EA, joined the department as a new director of research. Susie serves as managing editor of the IMA Educational Case Journal (IECJ^®) and as the staff liaison for the IMA Research Foundation, where she will oversee the academic research grant application process. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and served as an accounting professor at the University of Michigan and the National University of Singapore. Prior to joining IMA, Susie was manager of curriculum development for Becker Professional Education, where she oversaw the development of the CMA Exam Review product line. In addition to leading IMA’s region-specific research initiatives to expand the global footprint of the department’s thought leadership, Susie will develop research in the areas of strategic management accounting and analysis as well as revenue, cost, and profitability management.

Other thought leaders delivering transformational value on the Research and Thought Leadership team are:

Marsha Huber, Ph.D., CPA, director of research, who is focused on the areas of innovation, talent development, accounting education, and organizational culture. Previously, Marsha was an accounting professor at Youngstown State University and Otterbein University.

Marsha is currently leading research on small business resilience and is kicking off thought leadership projects on talent retention and innovative approaches to skill development across the global accounting profession.

Shari Littan, CPA, JD, director of corporate reporting research and policy, who joined IMA three years ago. Shari’s leadership of IMA’s sustainable business agenda enables IMA to advocate on behalf of the profession and prepare members for increasing demands at the intersection of management accounting and sustainability. Prior to joining IMA, Shari was a full-time editor and author for GAAP Reporter on Thomson Reuters Checkpoint and adjunct faculty member at New York University’s School of Continuing Professional Studies. She holds a JD from Boston University School of Law, a BS in accounting from Binghamton University, and a Postgraduate Certificate from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

“I am honored to lead such a capable, accomplished, and multi-faceted team,” said Jiles. “We look forward to expanding our attention towards existing and emerging issues that impact the profession, as indicated by some of our recent reports focusing on digital technology, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Research Opportunities for Academics

Jiles invites IMA academic members to participate in the many opportunities that are available through the IMA Research and Thought Leadership department, as well as publishing opportunities, including:

• Submitting articles for consideration in Strategic Finance and Management Accounting Quarterly.
• Submitting a teaching case for consideration in the IMA Educational Case Journal.
• Participating in various competition, award, and grant programs, such as the Carl Menconi Ethics Case Writing Competition, the IMA Incubator Grant Program, the Academic Research Grant Program, and more.

Visit the IMA website to learn more about IMA’s recent Research & Publications and Academic Research Funding opportunities.