Huilan Zhang

Dr. Huilan Zhang is an assistant professor of accounting at Penn State Altoona, where she has been teaching since 2019, following three years at Shippensburg University. She holds a Ph.D. in Manufacturing and Technology Management with a specialization in Lean Accounting from the University of Toledo. Dr. Zhang earned a Master’s degree in Taxation from Philadelphia University and completed both her bachelor's and master’s degrees in Accounting from the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China.

Dr. Zhang's teaching interests include financial accounting, managerial accounting, and federal income taxation. She has taught various courses, such as Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making, Managerial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Principles of Taxation I, Federal Taxation I, and Federal Taxation II.

Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on corporate governance, earnings management, executive compensation, managerial ability, performance measurement, and tax avoidance. Her work has been published in reputable journals, including Meditari Accountant Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Journal of Financial Market, International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, and Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change.

Teaching

• ACCTG 211: Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making
• ACCTG 310: Federal Taxation I
• ACCTG 340: Cost Accounting
• ACCTG 404: Managerial Accounting: Economic Perspective
• ACCTG 405: Principles of Taxation I 
• ACCTG 410: Federal Taxation II
• ACCTG 494H: Research Project

Honors and Awards

• Advisory Board Award for Faculty Research and Creative Activity, 2021

• Robin Pruitt Service Award, 2019

• Best Paper Award, GNP Section, American Accounting Association Annual Meeting, 2018

• Grove Summer Fellowship Research Award, 2017

• IMA Accounting Honor Society, 2016

• Enterprise Institute Excellence in Lean Accounting Student Award, 2014