Copeland, Mary Kay
Professor of Accounting
Phone
(561) 803-2469Office
The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of BusinessDr. Copeland, a CPA, joined Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2017 as a professor of accounting with the goal of combining her passion for teaching and ministry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from the University of Buffalo, a master of arts degree in theology from Northeastern Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Regent University. She has previously taught accounting, enterprise systems, finance and entrepreneurship for ten years at several AACSB-accredited schools, including the University of Buffalo, Bowling Green State University and St. John Fisher College. Prior to completing her Ph.D., Dr. Copeland had a career in public accounting and consulting. This included 11 years of consulting, where she founded and managed a regional consulting firm; five years as an auditor and consultant with professional auditing company KPMG, and four years as a CFO at PSINet. She has also spent much of her life involved in Christian ministry in her church, Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Dr. Copeland has published a number of books, textbooks and journal articles on topics in managerial accounting, accounting information systems, and ethical and values-based leadership. One paper, The Importance of Ethical Leadership in the Accounting Profession, won both a Best Research/Best Paper award at the National American Accounting Association Conference in 2013 and the Outstanding Author Contribution in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence by Emerald Publishing. In 2016 she served as the conference chair for the American Accounting Association’s northeast region, and in 2017 she served as the NE region’s president. Dr. Copeland is an active member on the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance National Board.