About

Dr. Dena D. Breece earned her Ph.D. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting and finance from Trident University International (2017). She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Campbell University (2002). Dr. Breece earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Methodist College, now Methodist University (2000). She holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license (2003) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation with the AICPA, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

She joined UNCP as an adjunct in the School of Business MBA program (2018) and as an assistant accounting professor (2020). Prior to UNCP, her academic experience includes fourteen years of university teaching experience; and department chair, associate dean, and acting dean service while at Methodist University. Her teaching expertise focuses on auditing, fraud examination, and forensic accounting, in addition to accounting foundation courses. She enjoys the inclusion of experiential learning and service-learning activities within her courses to provide students with exposure to real-life learning scenarios.

Dr. Breece has over twenty years of industry experience in accounting. She has served as Assistant State Auditor with the NC Office of the State Auditor; Finance Manager for the City of Fayetteville, NC; and in other accounting supervisory leadership positions. Her research interest concentrates on accounting-related concepts such as managerial accounting, information technology, fraud examination, and pedagogy. She has published articles in the Southeast Case Research Journal and various conference proceedings.

Dr. Breece has a longstanding passion for service. She is a professional member of the AICPA, the North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and the Institute of Managerial Accountants (IMA). She has served with the NCACPA in a variety of roles such as Accounting Education Committee member 2013-2022, 2019-2022 chair, and co-chair/member of the newly formed Education Resource Group 2022-2023. Dr. Breece served on the NCACPA Student, Outreach, Advancement, and Recruitment Inaugural Committee, the Downtown Alliance Organization – Fayetteville, NC as a Board of Director and treasurer; and with the Hay Street United Methodist Church as a finance committee member for several years, one year as finance chair, and one year as audit committee chair. Finally, Dr. Breece continues to serve on several UNCP committees.

Dr. Breece was:

· The recipient of the Southeast Case Research Association 2022 Best Case Award. Cohen, S. C., Breece, D. D., & Thomas, W. S. (2021). The outsource dilemma: Do dollars and cents always make sense? Conference Proceeding for the Southeast Case Research Association, page 20.

· Nominated for the Adolph L. Dial Award for Community Service (2022).

· The recipient of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Certificate of Online Teaching Excellence (2020).

· The recipient of the North Carolina Association of CPAs 2016-2017 Outstanding Educator Award for North Carolina.

While Dr. Breece is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, George. She and George are from the Fayetteville area and reside in their hometown. They enjoy coastal fishing, watching all sports – major football fan, traveling, and have an appreciation of art, music, and theatre.