Denise Stefano

Professor Denise M. Stefano, CPA CGMA MBA is an Associate Professor in the Accounting Department of the Mercy College, and also serves as the Chairperson of the Accounting Program. As a full-time faculty member, Professor Stefano teaches a wide variety of accounting courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is a New York State licensed Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Professor Stefano has significant expertise in CPA Examination preparation having served as a lead instructor and Advisory Board Member to a major CPA Examination Review provider, and Senior Digital Editor of Accounting Examination products (including CPA, CMA, and CIA examinations) for a major global educational publisher. She has also provided consultative services in the development of CPA Examination materials and has authored, and had, five of her own CPA Examination preparatory books published.

Prior to joining Mercy College, Professor Stefano had an extensive career in both public and private accounting practice serving as Senior Auditor and Business Advisor for one Big Accounting firm, and a Senior Consultant and Director of Business Development for a spin-off company of another Big Accounting firm’s consulting practice. She has also served as Corporate Controller and Chief Financial Officer for both publicly-traded and privately-held companies, and spent roughly 10 years as Director of Product/Content Development for a nationally-recognized provider of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) training products and services for CPAs. There she developed, designed, and provided technical review of accounting, auditing, finance, ethics, taxation, management, IT, and human resource/legal course content and oversaw course production of one of the company’s major catalogs and product lines.

Professor Stefano has served as a member of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) Board of Directors, is a former Vice President of the NYSSCPA, and former President of the NYSSCPA Westchester County Chapter. She is also a member and officer of the NYSSCPA Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE) Board of Trustees, and serves on the FAE’s Curriculum Committee. Professor serves and/or has served on a host of NYSSCPA chapter and state-wide committees and task forces, and has chaired the Accounting and Auditing Principles, CPA and Accounting Careers, and High School Scholarship committees.

In May of 2017, the NYSSCPA presented Professor Stefano with the “Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA Educator Award,” and in March of 2019, selected Professor Stefano to be among several influential women in the accounting profession featured on its social media platforms for Women’s History Month.

In addition to her membership and significant service to the NYSSCPA, Professor Stefano is also a member of several other accounting and finance-related organizations including, but not limited to, the AICPA and Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). She is also a former member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Board of Governors.

Professor Stefano also remains active in a variety of volunteer activities, including (but not limited to) her service on the Scholarship Committee of a not-for-profit performing arts school, and audit committee member to a major global, not-for-profit organization dedicated to eradicating the spread of malaria throughout the African continent, and whose major donors include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Professor Stefano has also served as a Board Member and Treasurer to a Westchester County-based, not-for-profit organization offering after school support and activities to elementary school children, and has provided volunteer services assisting students with development of reading fluency and literacy skills in the kindergarten class at a local children’s hospital, and K-3 classes at a Westchester County-based elementary school.

Education

• MBA, Finance and Financial Management, Iona College
• BBA, Public Accounting, Iona College

Teaching Focus

• Financial and Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Cost Accounting, Government and Not-For-Profit Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Auditing, Global Financial Statement Analysis, Advanced Accounting Theory, Advanced Cost Management