Kathleen Rudkin

Kathy Rudkin (born 16 April, 1962 in Wollongong, Australia) is a lecturer and researcher at the Wollongong University school of accounting and finance.

She is a leading researcher in the fields of Accounting and Education.

Regarded as a major contribution to the field of social justice in education, a study of accountancy students has quantified the impact of a lack of financial means on the outcomes for those students in tertiary education.

She argues for a rethink of the societal view of education as a private good, and proposes that education has a public benefit in the public interest.

Early years
Graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor degree and worked in the private sector as a marketing coordinator, management accountant in the refractory industry and as a financial accountant for a large computer firm. Spent time working as an accountant in a firm of investment advisers specializing in superannuation funds and returned to academia to complete a Master of Commerce (Accountancy) graduating from Wollongong University in 1995.

Areas of expertise
Critical Theory, Financial Accountability, Education Theory and Accounting.

Current history
In 2000, with other colleagues from Wollongong University, Kathy won the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning. . She is an Associate Editor of the Australasian Accounting Business & Finance Journal.

An original research paper in 2006 quantified the idea that the societal view of education as more than a private good, and proposes that education has a public benefit in the public interest.

A study in 2007 offers possible explanations for the inability of the accounting profession in Australia to attract and retain able students, and subsequently retain accounting graduates domestically.

In 2008, a possible solution was presented to address the drought of senior accounting academics in the form of mentoring.

Currently completing an Honours Masters thesis on accounting in schools, a major project to develop multimedia instruction for accountancy subjects is being undertaken in collaboration with Janet Moore.

Publications history

 * 1) H. Irvine, L. Moerman, K. Rudkin, “Mentoring in Academe: An Australian Response to the Drought of Senior Accounting Academics”, Faculty of Commerce - Papers 2008
 * 2) K. Rudkin, “POEMS - Telling of a Seer”, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, ISSN 10452354, Volume vol.9 no.5, Page 544-544
 * 3) M. Kaidonis, L. Moerman, K. Rudkin, “Paradigm, paradox, paralysis: An epistemic process”
 * 4) K. Rudkin, H. Deo, “Ethnographic Methodology and Its Implications for Banking Studies”
 * 5) K. Cooper, K. McCombie, K. Rudkin, “Fractured Tales for Teaching Accounting: A Journey Through Three Worlds”
 * 6) K. Rudkin, A. De Zoysa, “A Social Account of Accounting Student Experience and its Implications for Social Justice”, Faculty of Commerce - Papers 2006
 * 7) A. Manawaduge, A. De Zoysa, K. Rudkin, “PERFORMANCE IMPLICATION OF OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE AND OWNERSHIP CONCENTRATION: EVIDENCE FROM SRI LANKAN FIRMS”, School of Accounting and Finance, University of Wollongong, Australia
 * 8) K. Cooper, K. Rudkin, L. Kumar, “Money Laundering and Accounting: Historical Foundations”, 20th Accounting, Business & Financial History Annual Conference, 11-12 September 2008 Cardiff, U.K.
 * 9) K. Rudkin, A. De Zoysa, “Australian Employment Patterns And Course Participation Preferences Of Accounting Students”, International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol.3 No.1. March 2007, Pp. 23 - 36
 * 10) K. Rudkin, H. Deo, “Transparency & Accountability: An Argument against a Socio- Economic Funding Model for Australian Schools”, The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, VOLUME 8 * NUMBER 1 * March 2006, ISSN 1540 - 1200
 * 11) Kathy Rudkin, 2004, “The Australian Socio-economic Score Schools Funding Model: The Rise of Simulacra”, APIRA 2004 Conference Programme and Abstracts Book, Singapore Management University, Singapore, pp.1-18.
 * 12) Kathy Rudkin, “Australian School Funding and Accountability: History Imploding into the Present”, paper for the Accounting History Conference, University of Minho, Portugal, 7–9 September 2005