CPAEF 2025 Educators’ and Academics’ Symposium: Speaker Biographies
Day 1 – May 29
Tony Bell, MBA, CPA, CA
Associate Teaching Professor, Thompson Rivers University
Biography
Tony Bell is an Associate Teaching Professor in Accounting at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. His YouTube channel of accounting tutorial videos has received over 19,000,000 views and has over 200,000 subscribers.
Presentation
“How to Make Accounting videos that Your Students will WANT to Watch”
During the pandemic many of us were thrust into the position of creating videos to support our students. A common refrain from educators was, "I spent a lot of time and effort to make these videos, but my students just aren't watching them."
Attendees to this session will learn how to make better, more engaging accounting videos, and how to motivate students to actually watch them. Participants will discover how a well-made video today can be a long-term investment, saving time and enhancing efficiency for years to come.
Melissa Appleton, CPA
Accounting Instructor, Capilano University
Biography
Melissa Appleton, M.Ed. (Adult Education), CPA, is an Accounting Instructor at Capilano University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. With over a decade of experience in public practice, Melissa brings a practical lens to her teaching in audit, financial reporting, and data analytics. Her professional background includes senior leadership in national learning at Deloitte Canada, where she contributed to the design and facilitation of firmwide professional development programs. In the classroom, Melissa is passionate about student engagement, experiential learning, and academic integrity. She is particularly focused on the evolving role of technology in education and is actively exploring how generative AI can support critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and deeper learning in accounting. Her recent projects involve integrating tools like Power BI and CoPilot into curriculum design to enhance data literacy and storytelling with data. Melissa also serves as a Capstone Panelist and Marker with CPA Canada and collaborates closely with teaching and learning centres to foster inclusive, innovative learning environments.
Abstract
“CTRL+C to CTRL+Create: Reimagining Learning with Gen AI”
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are already deeply embedded in how students write papers, plan assignments, and communicate. As educators, we’re increasingly faced with a critical question: do we resist these tools, or do we rethink how we teach with them in mind? In this session, I reflect on my own journey, from considering handwritten exams to accepting that the "un-ChatGPT-able" assignment may no longer exist. Instead of retreating from AI, what if we guided students in its ethical, creative, and critical use? Together, we’ll explore practical, pedagogically sound ways to integrate generative AI into teaching and assessment, shifting the focus from mere transmission of knowledge to deeper learning, creation, and reflection.
C. Robert Andrews, DBA, MBA, FCPA, FCMA, CAFM
Dr. Robert Andrews is the AFOA Alberta’s Executive Director and Program Director of Indigenous Business, and Assistant Professor within the Faculty of Business at Athabasca University, and an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of Calgary, Haskayne School of Business. He is a member of the Kainiwa Nation (Blood Tribe) of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Robert has developed and delivered management programs to Indigenous organizations across Canada and has authored numerous teaching case studies. He designed a culturally relevant management program for First Nations’ senior management. Robert co-developed the curriculum for Harvard Business School’s executive certificate - Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities for Indigenous Leaders. He has facilitated and offered training to many diverse groups, including First Nations’ Chief and Council and Federal and Provincial Departments, as well as professional associations and organizations.
He innovated management undergraduate instruction to Indigenous people to address systemic barriers in post-secondary education with Athabasca University. He also co-developed their Indigenous major within the Bachelor of Commerce program as part of the No Limits initiative with the CPA Education Foundation and AFOA Alberta. He served on the organizing committee of the Canadian Association of Accounting Academics (CAAA) and CPA Canada to support approaches for Canadian universities and colleges to indigenize their curricula and support reconciliation. He is currently on the Board of Directors of CAAA. He has taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels at Athabasca University and the University of Calgary. Robert received the Distinguished Service Award from CPA Alberta and the Impact Award from the CPA Alberta Education Foundation for his work with Indigenous management education.
Robert is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants Association (FCPA, FCMA), holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Calgary, an MBA with Distinction from Cornell University, Graduate Certificates in Evaluation and Social Impact Strategy from the University of Victoria and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Calgary. His research interests focus on understanding the role and efficacy of managerial training within Indigenous administrations, the socio-spiritual and economic impacts on community members, innovation within First Nations, and the barriers Indigenous learners face in pursuing business education in post-secondary institutions. Robert is a Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM).
Jennifer Reed, CPA, CA
Director of Education, CPA Canada
Biography
Jennifer Reed, CPA, CA, is the Director of Education at CPA Canada, where she leads the development of national accounting education programs, including Preparatory courses and the Professional Education Program (PEP). With a strong background in accounting, post-secondary instruction, and curriculum design, she brings a unique blend of expertise to her role.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Victoria, earned her CA designation in 2006, and completed a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Simon Fraser University in 2020. Her academic and professional background fuels her passion for creating innovative and accessible learning experiences.
Among her major accomplishments at CPA Canada are the redevelopment of the Preparatory course suite and the creation of the award winning CPA Canada learning library—comprising 8 eBooks, 250 e-lessons, and over 8,000 adaptive multiple-choice questions. She also established the National Marking Centre, which evaluates more than 55,000 Capstone 2 papers annually.
Jennifer is currently leading the development of an AI tutor to enhance personalized learning for CPA candidates and has championed inclusive education through the Indigenous Learners in Accounting (ILA) initiative, an innovative accounting education initiative for Indigenous students in partnership with CPAWSB and AFOA Alberta.
Samanatha Seto PhD, CPA, CA
Assistant Professor, Accounting at Simon Fraser University
Biography
Dr. Samantha Seto is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University. She is a CPA, CA and obtained her PhD from the Foster School of Business, University of Washington. Her research explores the influence of accounting information on individuals’ judgments and decision making. She examines how the changing disclosure landscape (e.g., new technology and social media) affects the behavior and judgments of investors, managers, and auditors. Prior to her academic career, she worked in financial reporting and budget management at the University of Toronto, as well as in audit and transactions advisory at Ernst & Young LLP.
Presentation
“Misinformation in the Markets: The Impact of Rumors, Fake News, and Firm Practices on Investor Judgments”
Abstract
In my research, I explore how misinformation spreads through social media and impacts investor decision-making. I examine how companies' responses to rumors influence market reactions, highlighting the psychological mechanisms behind investor behavior. Specifically, I explore how firms' communication strategies—whether addressing rumors directly or remaining silent—can shape perceptions, sometimes unintentionally amplifying uncertainty. I also delve into the persistence of misinformation and how investors continue to rely on false information even after learning it is untrue. I introduce the concept of a deliberative mindset, a cognitive approach that helps investors assess information more objectively, reducing their reliance on fake news while preserving their ability to trust accurate information. My findings provide insights into the role of corporate transparency and investor psychology in navigating today's rapidly evolving information landscape.
Tara Clowes, FCPA, CA, MBA, DBA (ABD)
Assistant Professor, University Canada West
Biography
Tara Clowes is an Assistant Professor at University Canada West, where she has been teaching since 2022. She recently earned her Doctor of Business Administration from Athabasca University, with research focused on developing tax competency in accountants. Tara teaches in the areas of accounting, taxation, financial and investment management, and personal financial planning, primarily at the master's and postgraduate levels.
A Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants, Tara brings over 20 years of experience in accounting and financial management. She has held senior leadership positions in both the public and private sectors, overseeing complex financial operations and leading large teams. Her extensive technical expertise and strategic leadership reflect a deep commitment to excellence in financial stewardship and professional education.
Presentation
“Competency in Goods and Services Tax for Canadian Professionally Designated Accountants”
- This study examines whether Canadian accountants meet stakeholder expectations in GST competencies.
- A quantitative analysis of survey data, supplemented by qualitative insights, found no overall expectation-performance gap but identified gaps in specific GST skills influenced by work experience.
- It explores how accountants close these gaps through continuing education and suggests ways industry and educators can enhance GST training.
Erin Egeland, MBA, CPA, CGA, CFI
Associate Dean at North Island College
Biography
Erin Egeland has been an accounting educator in higher education for over 20 years teaching across several institutions including Camosun College, VIU, and UBC. She was the Director of VIU’s Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation and First Year Experience programs, and Chair of the Accounting Department. Recently, she assumed the temporary role of Associate Dean at North Island College to tap into her administrative aspirations.
She worked closely with then CGA-BC as a higher education advisory group member, and continues to contract with CPAWSB, and is a provincial CFE reviewer with CPA Canada.
Erin actively volunteers. She is a BCSPCA Board Director representing Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, and Qathet, incoming Chair of the Board for Literacy Central Vancouver Island, President of Reel Causes, and Board Secretary for the Association of Certified Forensic Investigators of Canada and the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA). She also sits on the Finance and Audit and Facilities Committees for the BCSPCA and Literacy Central Vancouver Island.
In her spare time, Erin loves to be outside in her garden or enjoying a good local hike, kayak, or bike ride, as well as cooking up a great vegetarian dish, and travelling.
Presentation Abstract
“Same Deck of Cards, Different Shuffle: Conceptualizing Financial Literacy in the B.C. K-12 Curricula, 1988-2018”
Conceptualizations of financial literacy and financial literacy education are ubiquitous and have received considerable attention in the literature and mainstream media. Attempts to define these concepts reveal the absence of one singular moment or event with the universal authority to validate one as be(com)ing financially literate. Establishing meaning(s) about literacy and financial literacy is contextual yet are often falsely presented as value neutral. As a parent and professional accountant in higher education, I was curious to know how the British Columbia Ministry of Education conceptualized financial literacy in its K-12 education policies through curriculum during two education reform initiatives spanning 1988 to 2018.
Using Carol Bacchi’s (2016) ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ methodology opened space(s) to critically analyze British Columbia’s Ministry of Education education policy discourses and meaning-making practices within policy making by ‘problematizing’ the ‘financial literacy problem’.
In my presentation, I will share the findings of my literature review, walk through the application of the methodology, and discuss my findings that demonstrate the significance of language as a socio-cultural tool that informed and shaped the K-12 financial literacy curriculum.
Day 2 – May 30
Lara Gregurić, FCPA, FCA
Executive Vice President, Learning – CPA Western School of Business
Chair, CPA Certification Steering Committee
Biography
Lara Gregurić, FCPA, FCA has worked for the accounting profession for 17 years in various education leadership positions. In her most recent role as the Executive Vice President, Learning at the CPA Western School of Business, she is responsible for enabling student competency development, overseeing educational contractor relations, and creating valued partnerships with key external parties, including post-secondary institutions and employers.
Lara is also Chair of the New CPA Certification Program Steering Committee, the team responsible for creating a modernized certification program.
Prior to joining the School, Lara held senior roles in the pharmaceutical, financial services, and advisory services sectors.
Shawn Ireland
Program Director and Chair of the Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology programs at Adler University in Vancouver
Biography
Dr Shawn Ireland is a founding partner and managing director of HRCgroup, Inc. He works extensively with Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments and international aid agencies. His expertise includes fostering critical thinking, strategic change, virtual teamwork, and managing human behaviour. He’s an adjunct Faculty member in the Doctor of Psychology Clinical Psychology graduate program at Adler University in Vancouver.
Presentation
“Ethics & Professionalism in a Politicized Work Environment”