Formerly Director of Taxes of a New York Stock Exchange-listed high tech multinational (which was then one of the world’s largest software concerns), Professor Karayan is a tax attorney with a "Big 8" CPA firm background who retired from professional practice to teach full time. While teaching, he remained active outside of academia as an expert witness on accounting issues in complex business litigation, and as a consultant to entrepreneurs.

An example of public service is his membership on the Advisory Board to the Executive Director of the California Franchise Tax Board (the “IRS” of the State of California). An example of consulting is his service on the Board of Directors of Delta Scientific Corporation. [Delta is the world's foremost manufacturer of anti-terrorist vehicle barricades, and was featured in Tom Peters' "Thriving on Chaos" Series on PBS, Peter Drucker's "Innovation on the West Coast" video series, and articles in newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal, along with features on television news programs, such as the NBC Evening News. Click Delta Crash Test; see www.deltascientific.com]

Professor Karayan's books include Strategic Business Tax Planning, Wealth Forvever: The Analytics of Stock Markets , and State and Local Taxation: Planning and Principles, He has published artciles in journals ranging from The Tax Advisor to the Marquette Sports Law Review as well as spoken before professional groups such as World Trade Institute, California Continuing Education of the Bar, California Society of CPA’s, and the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He also was President of the American Accounting Association’s 34th Annual Western Regional Conference on Electronic Commerce.