|
Next faculty profile >
< Back to web extras
Hira counsels presidents on personal finance and consumer economics
 By Scott Schrage
Good advice may be hard to find, but many prominent leaders – even presidents – have found reliable counsel from an Iowa State professor who’s given plenty of it.
Tahira Hira, professor of personal finance and consumer economics in human development and family studies, has served as executive assistant to the president at Iowa State since 2001 – and last year, she became an inaugural member of the [U.S.] President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy.
“I am proud of the accomplishments that the council has made during the first year, completing several projects to further the cause of financial literacy among Americans of all ages,” Hira said. “Our ultimate goal is to find every possible way to improve people’s ability to make sound financial decisions.”
Though the nationwide economic recession has some throwing up their hands in frustration, Hira is focused on proving that financial security is attainable through responsible financial behavior by both American households and businesses.
“I’ve always worked towards improving the way people think about money and how they manage their resources, with a long term view of their family’s financial well-being,” Hira said. “I cannot necessarily bring more resources to the table for them, but to me, that is not the issue. The issue is how they manage the resources that they have at their disposal; how well they recognize their resource limitations; and how well they prepare themselves before making decisions.”
While Hira’s current enterprises are certainly impressive, her career has been filled with milestones in teaching, research and service. Chief among them was the founding of Iowa State’s Financial Counseling Clinic, which provides the sort of financial direction that she sees as essential for those expecting to chart prosperous economic futures.
“We need to prepare our children from a very early age to make better financial choices; they start learning early on by adopting values, attitudes, and beliefs of adults around them,” Hira said. “They observe the behavior of their parents and certainly learn from the formal and informal efforts that are made to equip them with appropriate information, knowledge, and skills.”
Whether directing policy, conducting research, or teaching classes, Hira said she feels fortunate for the many opportunities she’s had to impact lives.
“To me, there is nothing better than knowing that my work at some level has had [a] positive influence on improving the financial well-being and enhancing financial security of an average household,” Hira said. “The opportunity to affect people’s lives through my teaching and research and to direct policies and business practices has been very satisfying over the years.”
Learn more about the work of the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy on the U.S. Department of Treasury web site.
Next faculty profile >
< Back to Web Extras
|
