
MERLE W. HOPKINS
PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL ACCOUNTING
LEVENTHAL SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES, CA 90089-0441
ACC B4a (213) 740-4857
Professional Objectives

To pursue my goals of university service and teaching excellence.

I seek to make an impact on the graduate and undergraduate accounting
programs in a variety of ways. Elearning [distance learning] was a significant
part of my teaching activity in 2004-2011.
Research and Consulting Interests and Publication

My dissertation was titled “An Investigation of Cash Flow Data to Provide
an Alternative Specification of the Systematic Risk Measure: An
Empirical Study.” The principal objective of this research was to provide
support for the hypothesized importance of expected cash flows to firms.

I have an interest in retaining ties to the public accounting
profession. I expect to continue to be involved in the Becker CPA
Review Program.

I have undertaken a few limited consulting engagements and I expect to
pursue these opportunities as time permits.

“Small Firm Securities Registration in the S-18 ERA: Perceptions of
Professionals,” The Corporation Law Review, February 1985 (with Jerry
L. Arnold).

Previous consulting engagements involved developing the financial and
managerial accounting training module for the Loan Officer Training
Program for Security Pacific National Bank (1984-1985). In 1985 the
bank eliminated its Loan Office Training Program in a move to become a
“money center” bank rather than continue efforts in “retail” banking. [In
addition, I had developed a similar accounting training module for
Union Bank in Los Angeles (1983-1986). I ended my role at Union
Bank when I started at Price Waterhouse in 1986.]
Merle W. Hopkins
Page 2

In 1999 and later years, I was invited to participate in several programs through the
Center for Executive Education at the Marshall School of Business. There were
programs of varying lengths customized for the needs of the client partners. One
major engagement involved recording 20 hours of financial accounting lectures for
television broadcast in Japan [the ‘BBT’ program]. My course in this program is
titled ‘Corporate Financial Reporting’. Additionally, I co-developed an accounting
course with USC Professor Robert Trezevant for Amgen. I taught seven of the 20
four-hour classes and my co-developer taught five classes. Academic specialists
taught the remainder of the 20 classes. All of these classes were held in the early
months of 2000.

I am currently involved with several major on-going programs through the Center for
Executive Education within Marshall School of Business: Northrup Grumman
program, Management Development Program, Master of Medical Management
Program [MMM see below] and the Food Industry Executive Program [FIEP].

I was the Faculty Advisor for the ‘BBT’ program in which the university was
partnered with a Japanese firm to deliver courses to mid-career businessmen and
women in the Tokyo area. I also taught the principles of financial accounting course
that was part of this program. This university ended this program due to continuing
conflicts with the Japanese partner.

I was involved in the development of the curriculum for the MMM program at
Marshall School of Business. I am the Faculty Director of this program [March
2012-present]. I continue to teach the financial and managerial accounting
components.

I developed a ‘distance learning’ course [ACCT 509] that was offered on-line for the
first time in late 2003. This course has had graduate students from many fields
across this university. This course has been offered each semester since spring
2006. I have recorded updated versions of this course each two years most recently
in spring 2012.

In 2004, the first offerings of the eLearning version of my Core Concepts of
Accounting course were offered to students in the Marshall School of Business at
USC. This online course was offered for the first time in spring 2004. In fall 2005
this delivery was changed to permit students to see lectures that had been ‘captured’
digitally for this purpose. In fall 2009 this course was ‘recaptured’ and those
recordings were the substance of the online sections of BUAD 250a.

I continue to teach each summer in the ‘intensive’ accounting program that is part of
the Master of Accounting degree for students without an undergraduate background
in accounting. My involvement was expanded in summer 2008 to include both
halves of intermediate financial accounting.
Merle W. Hopkins
Page 3

I was heavily involved in the roll-out of BUAD 280 having taught eight of these
sections through fall 2012.

In fall 2014 I taught two sections of BUAD 285a [the current version of principles of
accounting].
Educational Experience
Michigan State University, Department of Accounting, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

My doctoral degree in Accounting included minors in Educational
Statistics, Economics, and Finance.

The dissertation was completed in early 1982.
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo 49007

Completed a Master of Science in Accountancy in 1975.

Completed a B.A. in 1968 with a major in History and a minor in
Political Science.
Teaching Experience
University of Southern California
-
Professor of Clinical
Accounting (1995 to present)
Assistant Professor (1981 to 1984)
and Assistant Dean (1984-1986)
Mega Sections and eLearning versions
Pepperdine University
-
Associate Professor (1989 to 1994)
Principles of Financial and
Managerial Accounting
Managerial Finance
(Graduate and undergraduate
levels)
Michigan State University
-
Graduate Assistant (1977-1980)
Intermediate Cost Accounting
Intermediate Financial Accounting
Principles of Finance
Merle W. Hopkins
Page 4
Western Michigan University
-
Graduate Assistant (1975)
Part-time Instructor (1976)
Principles of Accounting
University Service Activities

Appointed in August 2002 to serve on the national Board of Directors of Beta Alpha Psi.
My duties included serving as the Regional Director for the Western and Northwestern
Regions. My term as Regional Director ended in August 2005. [Formerly, I served as
the Faculty Advisor for USC’s Iota Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (1996-2002).]
●
I served as the Chair for the 2008 Annual Meeting for Beta Alpha Psi. The bulk of the
approximate 600 hours were spent in the first seven months of 2008. The 2008 annual
meeting was held in Anaheim in August and attracted more than 1,200 attendees from
across the United States.
●
Member of The Accounting Circle Board of Directors [serving as a Faculty Liaison to
this group].
●
In 2013 I served on 3 committees related to securing clinical faculty positions for three
individuals: Robert Riley, Tom Ryan and Lori Smith. Much of this activity was in
preparing the files for securing their respective positions at Leventhal School of
Accounting.
●
In 2013 I began developing the ‘Leventhal Project’ for our future use in this school. The
name of this project is not final. The project will allow interested parties to search
through a database for names of individuals and firms for pictures and documents. These
pictures and documents are being identified in the University Archives and in the
Development files of Jeannie Bowman.
Professional Employment History

Price Waterhouse
400 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2889

Regional Director of Recruiting and
Director of Los Angeles Office
Recruiting (1986-1989)

Spring Arbor Lumber Company
7700 Spring Arbor Road
Spring Arbor, MI 49823

Interim controller (1976)

Bristol, Leisenring CPAs
(Now Plante and Moran CPAs)
16 North Clay Street
Coldwater, MI 49016

Staff Accountant (1975-1976)
Merle W. Hopkins
Page 5
Professional Organizations

Beta Alpha Psi
Awards and Honors

American Accounting Association Doctoral Consortium Fellow (1978)

Michigan State University Excellence-in-Teaching Citation (1979). This award goes
annually to six graduate assistants throughout the university. The recipients are selected
on the basis of student evaluations and other recommendations.

Recipient of the Faculty Award from the University of Southern California’s Iota
Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (1982 and 1986)

Recipient of the Excellence-in-Teaching Award from Michigan State University’s
Alpha Omicron Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (1979)

Recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award of the Sigma Nu Fraternity at the
University of Southern California (1982)

Elected to Honorary Membership in:
Blue Key Leadership Fraternity (USC-1983)
Mortar Board (USC-1984)
Order of Omega Leadership Fraternity (USC-1984)

Inducted into Skull and Dagger-USC’s oldest honorary fraternity (1986)

Recipient of the Faculty Award by The USC Student Senate (1986)

Recipient of the Golden Apple Award presented by the students within The Marshall
School of Business (USC – 1985, 2007 and 2011)

Recipient of the Professor of the Year Award presented by Gamma Sigma Alpha, the
USC Honor Society for members of the Greek System demonstrating high scholastic
Achievement (1999, 2000 & 2001). Recipient of the Professor of the Year award by
Sigma Chi fraternity at USC in 2000.
●
Marshall Students selected me as the Most Popular Business Faculty member in the
Marshall School of Business in a Business Week poll conducted during the 2005-2006
school year.
●
Received Honorable Mention by the USC Parents’ Association in October 2006. This
recognition resulted from parents’ nominations of university faculty members and the
final selections were by the leaders of the Parents’ Council at USC.