John J. (Jack) Maher has been appointed head of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems in the Pamplin College of Business.

Maher, who is the John F. Carroll Jr. Professor, has been a faculty member at Virginia Tech since 1985. He specializes in teaching and research on capital markets and accounting information, and information systems in accounting.

Director of the department’s Ph.D. program for 15 years, Maher received the college’s 2009 Outstanding Faculty in Doctoral Education Award. In addition, he has received three other college awards for teaching excellence.

His recent research has examined the capital market implications of firms meeting or beating revenue and cash flow forecasts, the effects of real earnings management on credit markets, and the influence of earnings management on IPO pricing. His research has applied decision modeling to accounting and auditing, particularly in debt markets.

Maher earned his Ph.D. in accounting from Pennsylvania State University and his B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of Scranton.

He has worked as a public accountant in New Zealand and as an internal auditor and management accountant in Pennsylvania.

Maher, whose appointment is effective July 1, succeeds Reza Barkhi, who is stepping down to focus on teaching and research after serving as department head for five years.

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