Sharon Lassar, PhD, CPA (Florida)
Biography at a Glance
Sharon Lassar, PhD, CPA (Florida), is the John J. Gilbert Endowed Professor and director, School of Accountancy at the Daniels College of Business.
Sharon is a distinguished academic leader, business advisor and tax expert. She is a financial expert recognized for her ability to distill complex transactions into their essential elements. Sharon is an international speaker to executive audiences, frequent contributor to media and commentator who is a trained spokesperson for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). Sharon has over 20 years of experience leading organizations through strategic initiatives that anticipate disruptions, build diverse workforces, and transform business practices for fiscal effectiveness and regulatory compliance.
Sharon is a member of the Governing Council of the AICPA, a 689,000 member organization and a member of the American Accounting Association Council. She is past chair of the Colorado Society of CPAs (COCPA) and served as president, chair, or member of many similar entities. Sharon chaired the AICPA’s Academic Executive Committee from November 2015 to March 2018, where she steered policy regarding the licensing of CPAs and initiated the CPA Evolution. As the AICPA’s representative on a task force, Sharon reformed accreditation standards to engage business leaders in the evaluation of academic programs beginning in 2020. Throughout her career, Sharon has successfully transformed entrenched cultures to drive strategic initiatives. She applies academic research to business problems for improved results.
Earlier in her career, Sharon was vice president of the Florida Institute of CPAs, where she implemented key organizational changes, including establishing standing programs on financial literacy and women’s leadership development. She also served as minority issues chair of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, which advised the Internal Revenue Service on strategies to serve millions of taxpayers with limited English proficiency. Sharon draws on her professional values of integrity, deep learning, inspired inquiry and high accountability.
Education
- PhD, University of Southern California
- Master’s, Taxation, Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts
- Bachelor’s, Accounting, West Virginia University
Academic Positions Held
- Florida International University, Director of the School of Accounting
- Florida Atlantic University, Assistant and Associate Professor
- University of Arizona, Assistant Professor
Awards and Honors
- 2019 Leadership, Service and Innovation Award | Accounting Programs Leadership Group
- 2018 Leader of Note, Colorado Society of CPAs Woman to Watch Award
- 2012 Outstanding Administrator | University of Denver Center for Multicultural Excellence
- 2010 President’s Award | Florida Institute of CPAs
- 2009 AAA Diversity Section Award for Service Excellence as AICPA Committee Member
- 2005 Educator of the Year | American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants
- 2005 American Taxation Association/Deloitte Teaching Innovation Award
Hobbies/Interests
- gardening
- sewing
- cooking