Faculty/Staff Directory

First Name
Chris

Last Name
Harper

Email
[email protected]

Picture

Title
Assistant Professor

Office
SCB 3024

Phone
(616) 331-7384

Department
School of Accounting

Expertise
• Financial Statement Auditing and Attestation • Family Owned Business • CPA Firm Management

Biography
Chris is a CPA with the heart of a teacher. He earned his bachelor of business administration in accounting from Grand Valley State University, and his master of business administration from Michigan State University. Chris has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate accounting courses at GVSU since 2005. He received the Outstanding Accounting Professor award from GVSUs Beta Alpha Psi chapter for both the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 academic years, and was nominated for the GVSU Alumni Associations Outstanding Educator Award in both 2017 and 2018. A frequent speaker, Chris has taught numerous continuing education courses for several state CPA societies. He frequently conducts interviews with media outlets on a variety of financial, tax, and accounting topics. Chris is an instrument-rated commercial pilot who enjoys traveling in his airplane as well as running, bicycling, camping, and spending time with his wife, Sarah, their daughter, Brooke and their son, Blake.

Education
MBA, Michigan State University. (2002). BBA, Grand Valley State University. (1999)

Teaching Areas
Financial Accounting Managerial Accounting Auditing Accounting for Managers Accounting for Executives

Publications
Harper, C. (2019). Leaping from the Office to Academia. Strategic Finance. Harper, C., Dunn, C. (2018). Building Better Accounting Curricula. Strategic Finance. Harper, C., Sullivan, T. (2014). Year-end Tax Planning with a Crystal Ball. Grand Rapids Business Journal.

Service
Memberships, Licenses, and Certifications: Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Member, Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants Member, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Certified Public Accountant, Michigan (2001 - present) Commercial Airplane Pilot License (2004  present) Service: Wings of Mercy, board member and volunteer pilot (2013 -present) Regularly-scheduled financial expert on WZZM-TV (120 television appearances since 2011) Frequent guest interviewee on WOOD-AM/FM (2016  present) Frequent instructor of continuing education courses for CPAs (2009  present) GVSU University Writing Skills Committee, member (2017  present) GVSU Introductory Accounting Task Force, member (2018  present) GVSU Classroom Observation Task Force, member (2018  present) GVSU Freshman Orientation and First-year Advising, advisor (2017  present) GVSU School of Accounting Data Analytics Committee, member (2017  2018) GVSU Beta Alpha Psi, student organization advisor (2015  2018) MICPA Accounting & Auditing Symposium Task Force, vice-chair (2015  2019) GVSU Sigma Phi Epsilon, student organization advisor (2015  2017) GVSU Community College Engagement Task Force, member (2017  2018) GVSU Inclusive Excellence Teaching Institute, member (2018) GVSU Commencement Platform Marshal (April 2017 and April 2018) GVSU School of Accounting AACSB Assurance-of-learning Task Force, member (2017  2018) GVSU Economics Faculty Search Committee, member (2018).

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