Pitt Business: Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business & College of Business Administration

Karen Shastri

Associate Professor of Business Administration

Office: 268 Mervis Hall
Phone: 412-648-1533
E-mail: kshastri@katz.pitt.edu
Download Curriculum Vita (PDF)

Degrees

BS in Business Administration, University of Baltimore
MBA in Finance, University of Pittsburgh
PhD in Accounting, University of Pittsburgh

Courses Recently Taught

Undergraduate and graduate classes in Managerial Accounting and Strategic Cost Management
Undergraduate classes in Accounting Information Systems

Area

Accounting

Profile

Dr. Shastri has been actively involved in research related to internal management accounting practices. One of her current studies is on the budgeting process within firms to assess value and identify best practices. Additionally, she is involved on a study related to the value of segment disclosures as well as a case write-up on real options and capital budgeting.

She has also worked extensively in the area of costs and effectiveness in the criminal justice field. She has examined these aspects with respect to the services training for officers and prosecutors (STOP), electronic fingerprinting and photo imaging, arraignments through video conferencing, and programs that instruct in the area of community oriented policing, an effort to integrate the police into the community, among others.

She has also evaluated the financial condition of firms and health care entities as a result of economic and firm-specific events.

Dr. Shastri serves on the Research Committee for the Financial Executives Research Foundation, Inc. (FERF). She has also been on the Editorial Board for Research in Healthcare Financial Management and an ad hoc reviewer for accounting related journals and conferences.

Her research areas, teaching interests and other professionally related activities are correlated since all of these factors focus on an entity's effectiveness, efficiencies, and costs of activities.

She is a member of several accounting organizations, including the American Accounting Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Institute of Management Accountants.

Recent Publications

"Budgeting: Perspectives from the Real World," with David Stout, Management Accounting Quarterly, IMA, December 2008.

"Environmental Performance and Corporate Behavior," with Karen Denning. Journal of Economic and Social Research, 2001.

"Evaluation of PCCD-Funded Management Information Systems," PCCD Quarterly, Summer 2001.

"The Quasi-Reorganizations: An Accounting Tool for Corporate Restructuring," with Robert Nachtmann - abbreviated version. Journal of Corporate Renewal, April 1999.

Recent Working Papers

"Instructional Case: Blue Ridge Revisited - Integrating ABC and OROS Quick© Software," with Ed Blocher, David Stout, and Monte Swain. Under review at Journal of Accounting Education, 2008.

Financial Management Association, "Early Retirement Plans and Firm Performance: Are Operating Objectives Achieved?" 2001.

Awards and Honors

Shastri has been awarded a grant from the Institute of Management Accountants for Budgeting Systems: Operations, Firm Performance, and Management Rewards

Shastri has also received grants from and prepared reports for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for:

• An Evaluation of the Stop Violence against Women Training Program (STOP) with Holly Wald.
• An Evaluation of Video Arraignments with Holly Wald.
• An Evaluation of Community Oriented Policing Seminars (COPS) with Holly Wald.
• An Evaluation of Criminal Identification Technology with Holly Wald.
• An Evaluation of Management Information Systems with KIT Solutions, Inc.

External Service and Assignments

Member, Research Committee, FERF.

Research in Healthcare Financial Management, Editorial Board.

Treasurer and Member, Board of Directors, National Cyber Forensic and Training Alliance (NCFTA), a Pittsburgh-based organization that investigates cyber crimes.

Member of the Board of Directors, and Chairman, Finance Committee, Renewal Inc., a Pittsburgh-based community corrections firm.

Member, Board of Directors, Renewal Treatment Inc., a Pittsburgh-based drug and alcohol treatment program.

Consulting Activities

Shastri continues to provide her expertise to the AICPA to review CPA exam questions

Personal Interests

Given her interest in helping the community, Dr. Shastri has been awarded the 2007 Volunteer of the Year Award from the Pittsburgh Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

In addition to professional and community service activities, Karen enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and participating in athletic activities.