Dr. Elizabeth Almer, Ph.D., is the Retzlaff Director of Accounting in the School of Business at Portland State University, where she has served on the faculty since 2001. A former auditor for PriceWaterhouse in San Jose and faculty member at the University of Miami, Dr. Almer is widely recognized for her leadership in accounting education, research, and professional engagement.
As the daughter of immigrants, Dr. Almer has a deep, personal understanding of how education is a transformative force for upward socioeconomic mobility. She is passionate about teaching and views the accounting degree as one of the most direct and reliable paths to career security and financial stability. For the students she serves—many of whom come from non-traditional or underrepresented backgrounds—she sees accounting as an unparalleled return on investment. The importance of giving back was instilled early in her life by her family, and this value continues to guide her commitment to philanthropy and service in higher education.
Dr. Almer is deeply connected to both the academic and professional accounting communities. She has served on the boards of the Oregon Society of CPAs and its Educational Foundation, as well as the AICPA’s Work-Life and Women’s Initiative Executive Committee. Her research and service have earned her numerous awards, including multiple Best Paper Awards from the American Accounting Association and the PSU School of Business Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Her scholarly work, which focuses on the evolving relationship between public accounting firms and their professionals, has been published in leading journals such as Behavioral Research in Accounting, Journal of Business Ethics, The CPA Journal, and The Journal of Accountancy. She has held editorial roles for multiple academic journals and served as Senior Editor of Issues in Accounting Education through 2021.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Almer has demonstrated exceptional philanthropic leadership. She has played a key role in identifying student success challenges and securing significant funding to address them—most notably, raising $150,000 to integrate personalized learning software into the accounting curriculum to support underrepresented and non-traditional students. Her ongoing work with donors, alumni, and industry partners has led to the creation of new scholarship endowments and long-term investment in the accounting program.
Through her research, teaching, philanthropic efforts, and lifelong advocacy for students, Dr. Almer continues to shape a more inclusive and impactful future for the accounting profession.