Accounting STEM Educator | CPA | Former Federal Senior Executive
Michael Wetklow teaches accounting and data analytics at George Mason University, where he directs the MS in Accounting program and serves as General Faculty liaison to the Board of Visitors Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee. His academic work focuses on preparing the next generation of internal auditors, accountants and assurance professionals to lead with data, technology, and analytical rigor.
Before transitioning to academia, he spent nearly twenty years as a federal senior executive, holding leadership roles across several major U.S. government agencies. He managed one of the largest risk portfolios in the federal government at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), led financial technology initiatives at the National Science Foundation (NSF), established government wide financial policy at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and directed the effort that delivered the Department of Homeland Security’s first ever audit opinion. His career reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening financial management, risk oversight, and data driven decision making across the public sector.
Professor Wetklow is a double Terp, holding a BS in Accounting and an MS in Public Sector Finance from the University of Maryland. He also earned an MS in Data Science from the University of Virginia (UVA), expanding his expertise at the intersection of analytics and financial leadership. Continuing his own academic development, he recently began an Executive Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, deepening his research focus on data enabled governance and public sector financial innovation.
Across his academic, government, and leadership roles, Michael Wetklow is recognized for advancing a modern, analytics driven approach to auditing, accounting and public financial management, helping shape the capabilities and mindset of future professionals in the field.