Larita Killian
Faculty Research Fellow
Larita Killian, CPA, is a faculty research fellow for the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University and a professor of accounting at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus. She is also a visiting professor at Universidad Privada Boliviana (Bolivia). She is a certified public accountant (CPA) in Indiana and a certified government financial manager (CGFM).
Killian is a "pracademic"—her research is informed by previous experience as a financial specialist with the federal government and director of grants for Otterbein University. She has published numerous articles and given multiple presentations related to government financial reporting and accountability, with emphasis on special districts. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Accounting in the Public Interest, Journal of Government Financial Management, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management (in press), and others. She authored The Governmental Environment, an official study manual used by more than 3,000 candidates for the certified government financial manager designation from the Association of Government Accountants.
Killian earned a doctorate in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford University. Her numerous awards include the Bea Sanders-AICPA Innovation Award from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and American Accounting Association, and the National Educator Award from the Association of Government Accountants. During her tenure with the federal government, she won numerous awards including the Secretary of Defense Best Practices Award, and she was a Secretary of the Navy Fellow in education.