Mary Agboola serves as an Associate Professor of Finance in Howard Payne University’s School of Business. With 12 years of teaching experience and more than a year at HPU, Agboola brings a strong background in economics, finance, quantitative analysis, and applied research to the classroom. Her teaching reflects a commitment to academic excellence, faith integration, and helping students develop the skills they need to make informed decisions in both their personal and professional lives.
Agboola teaches a wide range of courses, including Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Money and Banking, Financial Statement Analysis, Statistics for Social Sciences, International Economics, Statistics for Business I and II, and Mathematics for Business I and II. Her favorite course to teach is Macroeconomics because it allows students to examine broad economic forces and better understand how national and global systems affect individuals, businesses, and communities.
One of the aspects Agboola values most about teaching at HPU is the opportunity to combine academic instruction with her Christian faith. She appreciates being able to equip students with essential knowledge while also encouraging them to think about how their values and beliefs can influence the way they approach leadership, financial decisions, and service to others.
Agboola also values the sense of community she has found among colleagues and students at Howard Payne. She enjoys mentoring students and appreciates being part of an institution that emphasizes both academic achievement and the holistic development of each individual. For her, education is not limited to transferring information. It is also about helping students grow in confidence, judgment, responsibility, and purpose.
Her passion for finance and economics comes from the way these disciplines provide analytical tools for understanding how the world works. Agboola seeks to help students develop financial literacy and quantitative skills that can support sound decision-making throughout their lives. She wants students to be prepared not only for careers in business and finance but also to become thoughtful leaders who can navigate an increasingly interconnected global marketplace.
Agboola holds a Ph.D. in Economics, a Master of Science in Economics, and a Bachelor of Technology in Agricultural Economics and Extension. Her academic background provides a broad foundation for teaching economic theory, financial analysis, statistics, and applied decision-making.
She is also an active scholar with publications examining economic growth, environmental sustainability, energy use, agriculture, fiscal policy, and development. Her research has addressed topics involving Spain, Portugal, Nigeria, and developing economies, contributing to discussions about sustainable growth and the relationship between economic activity and environmental outcomes.
Outside of the classroom, Agboola enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling, and learning about different cultures. She is involved with Southside Baptist Church in Brownwood and considers lifelong learning an important personal value.
Agboola’s office is located in Newman 215. Through her teaching, mentorship, research, faith, and commitment to lifelong learning, she seeks to help students connect complex economic ideas with practical financial decisions and prepare for responsible leadership in their careers and communities.
