William W. Holder was appointed dean and holder of the Alan Casden Dean’s Chair at the USC Leventhal School of Accounting in July 2011.

An expert on financial reporting and auditing, Holder came to USC from Texas Tech University in 1979. He was named to the Accounting Circle Professorship in Accounting in 1988 and held USC’s Ernst and Young Professorship in Accounting from 1990 until his appointment to the deanship. He directed the university’s Master of Accounting Program from 1983 to 1988 and has directed the USC SEC and Financial Reporting Institute since 1994.

Holder is the author of numerous books and journal articles, and his research has been published in the Journal of Accountancy, The Accounting Review, the Financial Executive and The CPA Journal.

In 2001 and again in 2002, he was selected by Accounting Today as one of the 100 most influential people in the accounting profession.

Among Holder’s awards are two from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: the Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service (2006), the institute’s highest honor, and the Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award (2003). The California Society of Certified Public Accountants has recognized him with its Distinguished Service Award as well as its Robert Emmet Knox Education Achievement Award and Faculty Excellence Award. He also has received several teaching awards from USC.

Holder is a former member of the boards of directors of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Los Angeles Society of CPAs. He was a member of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board from July 2000 to June 2010.

He holds a doctorate in business administration and a master’s degree in accountancy, both from the University of Oklahoma.