Kawika Pierson

Biography

Kawika Pierson is an Associate Professor of Accounting and Quantitative Methods at Willamette University's Atkinson Graduate School of Management. He graduated from MIT's Sloan School in 2011 with a PhD in Management, focusing on System Dynamics and Accounting. His thesis, entitled "Profit Cycle Dynamics," consists of three essays examining the existence and causes of profit cycles in the airline industry, the insurance industry, and across sectors in the economy. Kawika brings extensive private sector experience as a derivatives trader and consultant. He traded softs (renewable commodities) and options for Louis Dreyfus Commodities both in the domestic market and in China. He has consulted for environmental engineering firms, hedge funds, and nonprofit organizations.

Research Interest

application of differential equation modeling to problems in accounting and other areas of management, public financial management, Accounting, Statistics, and Complex Systems