John C. Lopez

John C. Lopez is a Senior Professor of Practice in the Department of Finance at the C. T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. He transitioned to academia after a successful career in Corporate America and is now a key figure in personal financial planning education, having created and managed the CFP(R) Board Registered Personal Financial Planning Track.

His educational background includes a BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University, an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston, and a CFP Certificate Program from Rice University.

John C. Lopez specializes in personal financial planning domains, including investments, retirement planning, estate planning, insurance, taxation, and financial management. His teaching focuses on practical applications in finance, preparing students for real-world challenges and professional certification.

His recent work and teaching trajectory show a strong emphasis on personal financial literacy and professional financial planning education, particularly through structured, certification-aligned curricula.

• 2015 Bauer College of Business' Wayne and Kathryn E. Payne Award for Excellence in Teaching
• 2022 Bauer College of Business' Wayne and Kathryn E. Payne Award for Excellence in Teaching
• 2016-2017 University of Houston Teaching Excellence Clinical Award

John Lopez advises on curriculum development in financial planning and has been instrumental in establishing a formally recognized educational track for CFP certification. There is no mention of research grants, but his contributions to teaching excellence have been formally recognized at both college and university levels.

He leads the Personal Financial Planning Track at the Bauer College, which functions as a structured academic program preparing students for the CFP(R) exam, though no formal lab or research team is mentioned.