“That the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:17
Research interests:
- Faith and learning integration in accounting & business education;
- Education for characters through undergraduate business;
- Integrative thinking through business & finance partnership;
- Numbers & leadership in graduate business through ISA (Integrated Strategic Audit);
- Accounting’s role in management as the liberal arts (Apply Peter Drucker’s insights to transform ACC education);
- Accounting’s role in business partnership & strategic alliances;
- Accounting’s control function in the organization & society;
- Accountant as the business historian & analyst: from hindsight, insight to oversight;
- Accounting & Technology (system/data for trust relationship);
- Accounting & business ethics in international business (US-China);
- Special topics in management:
- Non-profit;
- From large company to SME (small/medium enterprise);
- Accounting for non-financial managers;
- Professional service firms (PSF);
- ACC’s role in higher ed administration: from margin to mission
- Future of work & learning of today;
- Pedagogy & Andragogy;
- Ed tech & teaching effectiveness;
- Assess the “assessment
Background:
Dr. Michael Chen joined Roberts Wesleyan University in July 2018 and is the Professor of Accounting & Business Analytics. He holds a Ph.D. in Accounting as well as several professional certifications (US CIA/CISA, China CPA).
Dr. Chen has more than 15 years of professional experience in both the US and China and has served numerous multinational corporations in various assurance and advisory engagements. He brings a unique combination of skills and knowledge to Roberts and offers a global context to the business department. Dr. Chen is a seasoned professional in the “Big 4” with an academic mindset. He has worked on projects for a variety of clients and markets, providing client services and internal research. Dr. Chen was the innovation champion in both Deloitte China and EY US. He is a great asset to Roberts, providing industry insight and educational wisdom for the next generation of business & accounting professionals. Dr. Chen is a strong advocate of faith and learning integration in Christian higher education. He has worked as an independent advisor and has been invited to speak in both the US and China regarding the future of work and its impact on business education and learning. He also has over 10 years of part-time teaching experience, working in universities as well as providing internal training to numerous professional organizations. Dr. Chen relentlessly promotes the maxim that “In Christ all things hold together” (Col 1:17), and for that sake, he works collaboratively with all faculty, staff, and students at Roberts to recover the connection between faith, liberal arts, business education and professional accountancy. With that high calling, he aims to teach, shape, and establish students in servant leadership and applied research.
Dr. Chen and his wife Yangyang have two children, Gracie and Daniel. He enjoys memorizing Bible verses with his daughter in the morning and reading Bible stories with his son at night. He is a swimmer, golfer, active reader, and column writer. He and his wife love the vineyards in the Finger Lakes area, while his kids immerse themselves in camping during the summer. He serves in his local church in Rochester, NY.
Service
- Board member of BSA Seneca Waterway Council (Boy Scout America)
- Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair in Hope Initiatives CDC
- Board trustee of FAE (Foundation of Accounting Education) in NYSSCPA (NY State Society of CPA) (2019-2020)
- Lead faculty of the SAP lab in Roberts (SAP Learning Hub in the University Alliance)
- Program/campus liaison of the NYSSCPA COAP (Career Opportunity of Accounting Profession)
- Service member in NYSSCPA in:
- Technology Assurance Committee;
- FAE – Curriculum Committee;
- Mentor program
Past Speaking Engagements
- Invited speaker in Information System Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Western NY annual conference on May. 7, 2019
- Invited by the Rochester chapter president to give a one hour speech (CPE qualifying). The topic was “The Cyber Security and its Impact to the Professional Services”.
- Invited panelist and corporate trainer by AICPA/CIMA in Jun/Jul. 2019 in China
- Invited by Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA/CIMA) to join the closed door meeting on Jun. 14, 2019 in Guangzhou China as one of the thought leaders in the global market AND the panelist on Jun. 15 with other financial influencers from China market, including the CFO from Coca-Cola, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, innovation partner in PwC, assurance & advisory partners from Deloitte and KPMG etc. The topic for the panel discussion is the digital impact to the competency framework for next generation professional accountants.
- Invited speaker in the Rochester local chapter of Institute of Internal Auditor (IIA) on May. 14, 2021. The topic is “Data Risks and System Controls --- what auditors should know”. The audiences include managers and staff in big4 and regional CPA firms, VP/CFO/directors/senior managers from internal audit, compliance, IT, risk management, finance functions in various organizations such as Kodak, Xerox, Paychex, Constellation Brands, Excellus, Nationwide, City of Rochester, UR, RIT, MCC, Five Star Bank, Wegmans, Cornell University, ESL, Town of Webster etc.