Stevens Professor Earns International Accounting Honor

Stevens School of Business professor Elaine Henry has been named the 2023 recipient of the Ian Hague Award for Outstanding Service to the International Accounting Section (IAS) of the American Accounting Association.  

"Elaine embodies the best of the International Section,” said IAS President Gia Chevis. “She has worked diligently for the betterment of our community, and it has been my honor and great pleasure to work with her for several years. She is a great mentor and friend, full of a calm, inspiring passion. I am so pleased she is being recognized for her many contributions to the section and look forward to her continued leadership in the years to come." 

 A member of the Stevens faculty since 2015, Elaine has served in multiple roles in the IAS, including Treasurer, Vice President and President (2019-20). She has chaired numerous committees and was recently elected to the Advisory Board of the International Accounting Section. Within the larger American Accounting Association, Elaine has most recently served on the Publications Process Task Force. 

“It’s such a privilege to be able to serve organizations that I have benefitted so much from during my career,” she said. “I take a lot of personal satisfaction in giving back and helping continue to provide the wonderful opportunities to others that this organization has provided to me. The international section of the AAA is made up of good-hearted people working collaboratively to help younger scholars develop their research capabilities and promote the sharing of ideas throughout the accounting industry.” 

An expert in international financial reporting, Elaine spent 15 years of her professional career working in Asia and Europe, including Hong Kong, Athens and London.  

In addition to her service to the International Accounting Section, she has been an active member of the Stevens community, serving on university search committees, numerous School of Business committees and the Strategic Plan 2022 Steering Committee. She was recently elected a Faculty Trustee on the Stevens Board of Trustees.  

“Elaine is a wonderful colleague and a fantastic mentor for our students,” said Gregory Prastacos, dean of the Stevens School of Business. “She is always willing to be of service to others across the campus and has been a vital part of advancing our accounting and analytics curriculum to make sure we are preparing the next generation. Her knowledge and expertise in global accounting practices and standards is just a tremendous resource for our students to draw from.” 

The award is named in honor of Ian Hague, a global accountant from Canada focused on international standards who passed away in 2010.  

“I’m grateful to so many people, including Gia,” Elaine said. “She has dedicated many years to the organization and has done so much in so many areas. I’m also grateful to my mentor from my time as a Ph.D. student at Rutgers, Elizabeth Gordon (now a professor at Temple), who fostered my enthusiasm for research and international accounting. And of course, I’m so appreciative of the support from the wonderful Stevens community and the leadership of Gregory Prastacos.” 

Elaine’s international experience has impacted her work in the classroom where she teaches financial reporting, not just from a technical standpoint but also being able to share a more holistic point of view. 

“My background is helpful whenever we want to understand the financials of a non-US company,” she explained. “But the more important thing is trying to develop a mindset that welcomes and accepts different cultures, both around the world and in the United States.”