Iowa State University

Dr. Tahira K. Hira is Executive Assistant to the President at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. She serves as special and confidential advisor to Iowa State President Gregory Geoffroy, as well as representing the president’s office to the university at large. In addition, Dr. Hira helps oversee external affairs offices such as the Alumni Association, the Athletic Department, University Relations, and University Marketing, including the planning and scheduling of special events. A professor of Personal Finance and Consumer Economics, she was Associate Vice Provost for ISU Extension before assuming her current position in 2001.

Dr. Hira received her PhD from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 1976 and joined Iowa State University in 1980. She is internationally known for her research in consumer bankruptcy, consumer credit, the social and psychological aspects of borrowing among middle- and high-income Americans, the impact of gambling on family financial well-being, and credit use among college students, including student loans. She created Iowa State’s Financial Counseling Clinic, which conducts research and provides hands-on experience in research and counseling to both graduate and undergraduate students. She is founding president of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE).

Dr. Hira has been cited in many national and international papers, as well as on television and radio shows. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2004 University of Missouri Distinguished Alumni Award and Iowa State Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence in 1996. She has served on several national committees and boards, including the Institute of the Certified Financial Planners (ICFP), the Board of Standards and Practices for the Certified Financial Planners (CFP board), and the National Foundation for Consumer Credit (NFCC). Dr. Hira currently serves as president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS).


"Knowledge is not simply just another commodity. It is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion." - Daniel J. Boorstin