Derek R. Lawson, Ph.D., CFP®
Workshop instructor, Derek R. Lawson, is an Assistant Professor of Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University and a partner and financial planner at Priority Financial Partners, based in Durango, CO. His research is practitioner-focused, allowing him to combine his past and present experience as a financial planner with his research interests. Lawson's research focuses on relationship dynamics, physiological stressors, financial therapy, behavioral finance, and consumption decisions, with a primary focus on younger adults and those not near retirement. His work has been published in the Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Financial Services Review, and the Journal of Financial Therapy, and he has co-authored a few book chapters. One of his research pieces, "Integrating behavioral finance, financial psychology, and financial therapy theory and techniques into the financial planning process", was recognized by the Journal of Financial Planning and the Financial Planning Association as the 2018 Montgomery-Warschauer award-winning article. Derek has previously served as the Secretary for FPA NexGen, the Director of NexGen for FPA of Greater Kansas City, the Treasurer of the Financial Therapy Association, and the Marketing Coordinator for NAPFA Genesis. Derek earned his Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University, his M.S. in Family Studies and Human Services with an emphasis in Personal Financial Planning from K-State, and a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Iowa. When not working, Derek enjoys playing ice hockey and being outdoors with his wife, Ashley, their daughter, Raelee, and their two dogs!
Meghaan Lurtz, Ph.D., FBS™
Workshop instructor, Meghaan Lurtz, is a Professor of Practice at Kansas State University where she teaches courses for the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate Program and is a writer and researcher of financial psychology at Kitces.com. Her research interests vary as she studies both practitioners of financial planning as well as financial planning and financial therapy practices and interventions. Her research and expertise have been featured in Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Financial Planning Review, Wall Street Journal, BBC, Million Dollar Roundtable and New York Magazine. She has also contributed chapters to the CFP Board’s textbook, Client Psychology. Meghaan is a past President and current board member for the Financial Therapy Association and Financial Psychology Institute Europe.
Megan McCoy, Ph.D., LMFT, CFT-I™
Workshop instructor, Megan McCoy, is a Professor of Practice at Kansas State University where she teaches courses for the Financial Therapy Certificate Program and is Director for the Personal Financial Planning Masters' Program. Her research interests focus on how to incorporate money beliefs and values into financial literacy education and financial planning services. Her research has been published in journals such as The Journal of Financial Therapy, The Annuals of Business Review, The Journal of Financial Planning, The Journal of Family Economic Issues, and Family Relations. Dr. McCoy serves as Secretary for the board of Financial Therapy. She is Associate Editor of Profiles and Book Reviews for the Journal of Financial Therapy. She has served as a guest editor for the Journal of Contemporary Family Therapy and an invited reviewer for The Journal of Financial Therapy, The Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, and The Forum for Family and Consumer Sciences. Although not practicing at this moment, Dr. McCoy has extensive clinical experience working with individuals, couples, and families. Most notably, she had the chance to work at an integrated clinic practicing financial therapy alongside financial planning graduate students. In addition, she was the first person awarded the designation of certified financial therapist level one.