Saleha Khumawala

Saleha Khumawala teaches and does research in the field of Government and NonProfit Accounting and with an emphasis on Microfinance. She is on the faculty in the Department of Accountancy and Taxation at University of Houston. She teaches and does research in the field of government and nonprofit accounting. She has widely published in prestigious journals such as The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Accounting Horizons, Advances in International Accounting, Journal of Public Budgeting Accountability and Financial Management and others, and has made numerous presentations at national and international conferences. She has successfully led the Study Abroad Programs to India since the summer of 2002 for students, faculty and administrators at the University of Houston. She is an active member of the American Accounting Association and served as the President of the Government and NonProfit Section in 2008. Dr. Khumawala is also an advisor to several nonprofit organizations in Houston and serves on the Board of directors for Pennies for Education and Health.

Dr. Khumawala’s current research and teaching in the field of Microfinance has expanded considerably. She has developed, “A Framework for Microfinance Supported Education Programs.” To date, there have not been specific programs that utilize the microfinance loan specifically to improve the client children’s education. The microfinance courses offered provide a unique opportunity for students to learn about microfinance and wealth creation, as an important development effort in the war against poverty. Besides working on global projects, an important development has been the launching of a microfinance program locally in Houston.

This robust, innovative, experiential learning educational program promotes entrepreneurship in underserved Houston communities by providing access to financial and business education, services and capital investment. As part of the microfinance course, Bauer College students mentor, provide six weeks of no cost financial literacy education (which equals 24 hours in the classroom), and an additional six weeks of entrepreneurship education and management skills training to aspiring entrepreneurs in the Houston area with an emphasis on personal empowerment along with a program for their children’s academic achievement, entrepreneurial development and community involvement.