Portia W. Benson

Portia W. Benson is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Principia College. She holds a BA in Sociology/Anthropology (with a biology minor) from Principia College and an MBA from West Texas A&M University. She is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and pursuing a PhD in economics. Her teaching focuses on Economics, emphasizing student engagement and adaptive learning strategies. Prior to academia, she worked as Finance Manager and math teacher at the Link School (Colorado), a financial consultant for nine years, and a senior technical training consultant for Lucent Technologies, specializing in telecom billing systems. Her scholarly interests include behavioral economics, tax compliance, ethics in corporate governance, and non-profit management.

Key contributions include securing government grants for fire protection infrastructure, founding two consulting businesses providing financial services, and successfully establishing a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. She is affiliated with the Institute for Management Accountants (IMA), National Financial Educators Council (NFEC), and American Economic Association (AEA).

• Education:
  • B.A. Sociology/Anthropology, Principia College
  • M.B.A., West Texas A&M University
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
  • PhD candidate in Economics
• Professional Experience:
  • Finance Manager & Math Teacher, Link School (CO)
  • Financial Consultant (9 years)
  • Senior Technical Training Consultant, Lucent Technologies (3 years)

Dr. Benson emphasizes practical financial literacy and has been recognized for teaching excellence, earning the 2020 Principia College Teacher of the Year award. Her work bridges academic theory with real-world financial management challenges in both corporate and non-profit sectors.