​Dr. Tara Saracina

Dr. Saracina is a tenured, faculty member with a Doctorate in Business Administration with Accounting Specialty, Masters of Business Administration with Concentration in International Business and fifteen years of experience in higher education.

Biography

 In addition to her academic credentials, she has been a Certified Public Accountant for twenty years and has approximately ten years of corporate accounting and finance work experience.

Dr. Saracina has been with Claflin University since January 2002 where she began as an Instructor of Accounting. Over the years, she was promoted to Assistant Professor, granted tenure, appointed and served as Department Chair for five years. During that time, she completed her doctoral studies at NOVA Southeastern University in the Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and earned a Doctoral of Business Administration with Accounting Specialty in the October 2011. In the fall of 2013 Dr. Saracina was promoted to Associate Professor and was appointed Interim Dean of the School of Business. She returned to the classroom full-time in August 2015.

Education

• D.B.A. in Business Administration – Accounting Specialty, April 2012. H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Dissertation topic: “The Use of an Accounting Information System is Related to the Success of Small Businesses: An Emphasis on Small Businesses in South Carolina.”
• M.B.A. in International Business, Georgia State University (AACSB institution), March 1994.
• B.S. in Accounting, Southeastern Louisiana University (AACSB institution), December 1986.
• Certified Public Accountant since 1995; Georgia.

Research Interests

• AIS (Accounting Information Systems) Education: The effectiveness of AIS education in preparing students for the workforce
• The use of AIS by Small Business Owners: The relationship between the use of an AIS in the business and success of the business; the relationship between the use of Smart Technologies by the small business owner and the use of an AIS in the business.

Experience

Dr. Saracina has over fifteen years of experience in higher education and has served in both faculty and administrative roles. In addition to her academic experience, she has been a self-employed CPA for twenty years and has approximately ten years of corporate accounting and finance work experience with companies such as Lanier Worldwide, Inc.; Harris Corporation; and Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.

 

Activities and Honors

• 2014 Exemplary Teaching Award, United Methodist Association.
• Nominated by School of Business for 2012 SC Governor’s Award
• Nominated 2013, 2012 and 2009 James E. Hunter Excellence in Teaching Award; Claflin University
• 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award, South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.
• Professor of the Year 2008/2009, 2007/2008, 2005/2006, School of Business, Claflin University
• Member, American Accounting Association
• Member, South Carolina Association of Accounting Educators
• Member, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Accounting Degree Advisory Committee
• Attendee: AICPA Accounting Profession Diversity Pipeline Symposium; Washington, DC; December 2015.

Recent Presentations

“To the Classroom….and Beyond! How Undergraduate Research Creates a New Knowledge Frontier for Business Students”; co-author with Dr. Harpal S. Grewal. Presentation and published proceedings; Southeastern Council Region 3 Annual meeting, Creating New Knowledge in the Classroom, Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; Myrtle Beach, SC; October 1-3, 2015.

“Teaching Global Accounting Concepts to ‘Local’ Students”; accepted for Teaching and Learning Strategies Poster Session; Co-authors Earl Godfrey, Gardner-Webb University and Michelle M. McGowan, Kings College; Presented at American Accounting Association Southeast Region Annual Meeting, April 2015; Asheville, NC.

“Debits & Credits vs. Financial Statement Users Approach: Does the teaching approach affect Financial Accounting Student’s Success Rates?’; Panel Discussion Creator and Moderator; American Accounting Association Southeast Region Annual Meeting, April 3-5, 2014; St. Petersburg, Florida.

“‘Smart’ Technology Acceptance and Accounting in Small Businesses”, Emerging Research presentation and published proceedings; American Accounting Association Southeast Region Annual Meeting, April 3-5, 2014; St. Petersburg, Florida.

“Validating IT Value through AIS sophistication”; with co-author Matthew W. Guah; presentation and published proceedings’ American Accounting Association Accounting Information Systems, 2014 Midyear Meeting, January 23-25, 2014, Raleigh, NC.