Dee Ann Ellingson Associate Professor of Accountancy Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Dee Ann (Hetland) Ellingson joined the faculty in the fall of 1993, but her association with UND began long before that. She came to UND in the Master of Accountancy program after completing her bachelor’s degree in math and business at Minot State University. One day, Louie Kulas called her into his office and offered her a graduate teaching assistantship. “It changed my life,” said Dee Ann. “That’s when I discovered a love of teaching, and it became my dream to someday return to UND as a faculty member.” After completing her master’s and passing the CPA exam, Ellingson gained professional experience working in audit at Deloitte and then internal audit at the Pillsbury Company, both in Minneapolis. She returned to North Dakota and taught at Minnesota State-Moorhead for four years until marrying and moving to their farm near Dahlen, N.D. She then worked as accounting manager for the hospital in Park River, N.D., and part-time instructor at UND. “It was then we realized it was time to pursue my dream,” she said. With the help of faculty members Hans Johnson and Mary Loyland, she enrolled in the accounting Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech. As she was completing her Ph.D., the UND Accounting Department was recruiting for a faculty position. “Sometimes dreams really do come true,” she said. Ellingson credits the UND accounting faculty with much more than a great education. “The faculty prepared me for the accounting profession and mentored me throughout my career. I am especially indebted to Louie Kulas, Lyle Steinmeier, Art Hiltner, Rodney Medalen, Don Bostrom, Hans Johnson, Mary Loyland, and Harold Wilde for all they’ve done for me,” said Ellingson. Ellingson has aspired to continue the legacy of her mentors. “I am privileged to work with such talented students,
dedicated faculty, and supportive recruiters and alumni,” she said. She has taught cost accounting, accounting principles I and II, and the managerial accounting course for the MBA. She has received the Milton Larson Teaching Excellence Award, the Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Accounting Instructor Award, and most recently, the Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year Award in 2014 for her teaching excellence. Ellingson’s research interests include executive compensation and corporate governance, marketing accounting services, accounting education, and financial reporting. Her research has been presented at numerous regional, national, and international conferences, and she has published in academic and practitioner journals, including most recently, The CPA Journal. She has received the Distinguished Paper Award at the MBAA International Conference (twice) and the UND College of Business & Public Administration Meritorious Research Award. Ellingson is also active in service to the accounting profession and the university. She maintains her CPA license and serves as a trustee for the North Dakota CPA Society Foundation and on the NDSCPA Members in Industry Committee. She is on the Executive Board and the Advisory Council of MBAA International, the umbrella organization that hosts an annual academic conference in Chicago for 11 business disciplines. She is past president of the North American Accounting Society. At UND, she serves on numerous department, college, and university committees. Ellingson lives on the family farm near Dahlen with her husband, Terry, and their children, John and Marit.
University of North Dakota
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