Ray Whittington, the director of the School of Accountancy at San Diego State University, has been named director of DePaul University's School of Accountancy. He will assume the post in July.

Whittington, 48, has been director of School of Accountancy at San Diego State"s College of Business Administration, the eighth largest business school, since 1993. Before his promotion to director, he served on the faculty for 20 years and was honored with Outstanding Professor Awards three times.

"Ray has a well-established research record and significant experience," said Dean Ronald J. Patten of DePaul's College of Commerce. "His background represents a rare blend of practical experience and substantial academic credentials."

Whittington has authored four textbooks on accounting and written numerous articles for magazines and journals, including the CPA Journal, The Journal of Accountancy, The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting Education, Management Accounting, The Journal of Taxation and The Financial Executive. Whittington served as director of auditing research for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants from 1989 to 1991 while on leave from San Diego State University.

He has also worked as a senior partner for KPMG Peat Marwick.

Whittington received his undergraduate business degree from Sam Houston State University. He earned his masters degree in accountancy from Texas Tech University and his Ph.D. from the University of Houston, where he later taught accounting for three years. He holds professional designations of certified public accountant, certified management accountant and certified internal auditor.

Whittington said he looks forward to coming to Chicago. "DePaul has a good faculty and accounting program," he said. "It has close ties to the CPA profession and the industry."

The School of Accountancy enrolls more than 900 undergraduates and 700 graduate students. The school offers six graduate degree programs and three undergraduate tracks. The School is part of DePaul's College of Commerce and the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, the fifth largest graduate business program in the nation.

Bowman's Accounting Report lists DePaul's School of Accountancy as one of the top 10 sources in the country for partners in Big Six accounting firms. The school is a full and charter member of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy and has earned the highest level of accounting accreditation by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.