When Kangkang Zhang was growing up in China, her father was a television screenwriter and taught scriptwriting at a local college. She attended many of his classes, and remembers his knack for making learning enjoyable and effortless, earning praise from former students long after graduation.
Zhang’s mother specialized in economic development and helped entrepreneurs and small companies grow.
Their combined influences strengthened her desire to help spread knowledge and cultivate future generations through teaching and research, said Zhang, a Ph.D. candidate in accounting.
The Deloitte Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 Fellowship to Zhang. The honor is presented annually to just 10 top accounting doctoral students across the country who plan to pursue academic careers upon graduation. Doctoral students from more than 100 universities are invited to apply for the fellowship, which is awarded by a committee of top accounting educators.
Professor George Plesko, head of the Accounting department, said the Deloitte Foundation recognition is a testament to Zhang’s accomplishments. “We are thrilled that Zhang has received this fellowship,’’ he said.
‘Every Discovery Feels Like a Triumph’
Zhang’s dissertation examines the impact of the Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) oversight on public-sector pension plans. She was intrigued, she said, to discover a common perception that governmental entities are not subject to thorough scrutiny. Her other interests include the unintended consequences of regulatory screening, and the interplay between regulatory review and companies’ voluntary disclosure.
“In the early stages of my doctoral studies, I immersed myself in the vast literature exploring the influence of regulatory bodies,” she explained. “The literature largely indicates that SEC oversight tends to enhance corporate governance and financial reporting, thereby benefiting shareholders. However, this prompted my co-authors and I to ponder the possibility of any unintended effects and to consider if the SEC’s influence extends beyond merely public companies.”
Their findings, she added, contradicted some common beliefs, especially relevant to corporate risk-taking and financial results.
She has two projects under revision by prestigious business journals.
“I’m driven to make my research interesting to practitioners and financial market players, not only relevant to researchers,” Zhang explained. “The process of learning and discovering new and important aspects on my own is incredibly fulfilling. Every discovery feels like a triumph, navigating through a complex maze. This continuous learning process highlights how much there still is to uncover and drives my ongoing quest to explore the unknowns in my field.”
Accounting professor Alina Lerman, Zhang’s Ph.D. mentor, believes Zhang is destined to continue making her mark in research and academia, and is well-deserving of the Deloitte Foundation Fellowship.
“Kangkang is creative and intellectually curious, seeing potential research questions all around her,” Lerman said. “She is tremendously motivated and hard-working and hasn’t met a new skill that she can’t master. She is also very positive and has been a great resource to the other Ph.D. students and to UConn’s Accounting department.”
Research, Diligence and Creativity
Zhang’s career journey started in East Asia, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and in law at Sun Yat-sen University in China. From there, she traversed the globe to pursue her master’s degree in accounting from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Prior to starting her doctorate in Storrs, she worked at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s New York branch.
She said she was honored by the Deloitte Foundation recognition and very flattered. Zhang will be actively continuing her academic career journey and searching for a job at a research-focused institution after completing her doctoral program, and intends to use her knowledge in securities regulation and financial reporting to support her teaching.
Accounting professor Nina Xu said Zhang’s work ethic and veracity make her a stand-out researcher and will help her become an even stronger educator. And when they co-authored an SEC research project with professor David Weber, Zhang’s tenacity and dedication were noteworthy.
“I have known Kangkang since she joined our Ph.D. program in 2020,” Xu said. “She constantly demonstrates her strong research skills, diligence, and creativity, and is an excellent example for new students entering the program.”
Ira Morrison is a freelance writer specializing in higher education and healthcare communication.
