Scranton Ledger - Fall 2021 by The University of Scranton

SCR A N T ON ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs ranked among the best in the Nation! See page 15

Congratulations, Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) Graduates!

n July 10, 2021, the University of Scranton celebrated the graduation of the flagship cohort of its DBA Program. The ceremony took place in the Patrick & Margaret DeNaples Center. Degrees were conferred to 12 graduates who had completed their academic degree requirements during the 2020-2021 academic year. The listing of graduates and their current employment positions is as follows:

• Dr. Marcus Burke: Adjunct Instructor, Texas Women’s University • Dr. Joy Chacko, CMA: CEO and Founder, Chackose Group • Dr. Craig Gallagher: New Vaccines Global Project Manager, Sanofi; Adjunct Professor, University of Scranton • Dr. Daniel J. Gaydon: AVP of Financial Reporting, Geisinger Health System; Adjunct Accounting Professor, University of Scranton and Bloomsburg University • Dr. Anthony L. Fulmore: Assistant Professor of Accounting, Texas A & M University – Central Texas

Back row/Standing: Jeffrey P. Gingerich, Ph.D., Provost; Douglas Boyle, DBA, CMA, CPA, Chair and Professor, Accounting, Director, Doctorate in Business Administration Program; Dr. Patrick O’Brien; Dr. Daniel Gaydon; Dr. JoyChacko; Dr. Craig Gallagher; Joseph G. Marina, S.J., President. Front Row/Seated: Dr. Ronald Parker; Dr. Heather Losi; Dr. Amanda Marcy.

• Dr. Elena V. Isaacson: Assistant Professor, Siena College • Dr. Heather Losi, CPA: Assistant Professor of Accounting, SUNY Oswego • Dr. Amanda S. Marcy, CPA: Assistant Professor of Accounting, University of Scranton • Dr. Patrick O’Brien, CPA, CFE: Assistant Professor of Accounting, SUNY College Old Westbury

• Dr. Ronald D. Parker: Assistant Professor of Accounting, Western Carolina University • Dr. Savas Saymaz, ChFC: Senior Vice President, MassMutual Eastern Pennsylvania Rev. Patrick D. Rogers, S.J. provided the opening prayer for the event. Dr. Douglas Boyle, DBA Program Director and Accounting Department Chair, honored the academic, research and ...continued on page 2

SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

Congratulations, Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) Graduates! ...continued from page 1 publication, and teaching accolades of both the DBA graduates and the DBA program’s faculty. Dr. George W. Krull, CPA, CGMA, DBA Program Global Strategic Advisor, acted as the inaugural keynote speaker for the event. Dr. Krull, who recently received the 2020 Lifetime Service Award from the American Accounting Association, applauded Dr. Douglas Boyle, the University of Scranton administration, and the DBA program along with its faculty and students, in meeting the critical needs of accounting higher education and its overall impact on improving the future of the accounting profession. Dr. Jeffrey P. Gingerich, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, addressed the graduates at the ceremony and conferred the degrees upon the candidates presented by Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University President. Dr. James Boyle, Associate Professor of Accounting, hooded each of the graduates. The graduation ceremony concluded with the Benediction given by Fr. Marina and a video recording of the graduates speaking to their overall experiences in completing the program. As very well spoken by Dr. Krull, “graduates, you have a stewardship and fiduciary responsibility to represent yourselves and the University of Scranton as you help others succeed, which is the greatest reward for servant leaders.” Congratulations to our graduates! If you would like more information on the DBA Program at the University of Scranton, please contact Dr. Douglas Boyle, DBA Program Director, at douglas.boyle@scranton.edu.

STUDENT NEWS DBA Graduate Earns National Award for Dissertation

Dear DBA Graduate, In my many years serving as Dean of Kania School programs, there has been no program that I am prouder of than the DBA. It teaches and promotes all the values that a Jesuit Business School would like to realize in its graduates: excellence, a dedication to service, high ethical values, and a commitment to justice, diversity, and inclusion. Congratulations, doctors, on successfully graduating from this challenging and awesome program. Now go set the world on fire! – Dean Michael O. Mensah, Ph.D.

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) awarded Joy Chacko, DBA ’21, the Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Award for his DBA program dissertation study entitled “The Effects of Internal Audit Management Training Ground and Reporting Relationships on Internal Auditors’ Judgments.” The IIA’s dissertation award is typically given to one doctoral student a year under the oversight of the Committee Joy Chacko, DBA ’21 of Research and Education Boyle, DBA, dissertation committee Advisors. This committee is chair, and Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, comprised of both academicians and Accounting Department chair and DBA practitioners actively involved in the program director, as well as West Chester profession of internal auditing. The University accounting professor Anthony selection process is competitive and Cataldo, Ph.D. includes the following criteria: relevance of the topic to internal auditing; soundness of methodology; coherent organization and clarity of presentation; and quality of data (where applicable). With an international membership of more than 200,000, the IIA is among the largest and most respected professional organizations for accountants. “It is an honor for me to receive this extremely competitive award. I am so excited and inspired. The IIA’s Doctoral Dissertation Award is considered the most prestigious award for a dissertation in the internal audit area,” said Chacko, who also thanked his DBA dissertation committee members for their guidance. Members of Chacko’s dissertation committee included University of Scranton accounting professors James

records of publishing in top academic and professional journals. While in the program, many students have already published and continue to publish. Indeed, I chose the right program that adds value to the 21st-century calls and would recommend this program to others.”

While a DBA student at Scranton, Chacko, a resident of Chandler, Arizona, co-authored a paper published in Internal Auditing entitled “Addressing the Talent Management Challenge in Internal Auditing” and a paper accepted into the American Accounting Association’s (AAA) Mid-Year Conference entitled “The Influence of Unethical ProOrganizations Behavior on Internal Auditors’ Fraud Detection.” “Scranton’s DBA program is wellstructured and uniquely designed to blend academia and industry with the Ignatian element to transform students,” said Chacko. “The experienced faculty are recognized both in academia and in industry for their professional experience and knowledge and have outstanding

Before enrolling in Scranton’s DBA program, Chacko earned four graduate degrees (including an MBA) and has over 16 years of senior management experience in various industries. His practice expertise includes operational improvement and business transformation. His research interests include internal auditing, internal controls and corporate governance. Housed in the Kania School of Management, the University’s DBA program began in the fall semester of 2017. Last year, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) recognized the University’s DBA program for “Innovations and Best Practices in Canada, Latin America and the United States.” The program was developed with a concentration in accounting, to provide experienced practitioners with a practical pathway to an academic career. The program offers participants flexibility, while still providing for the development of the knowledge and skill set necessary to become a “scholarly academic” — one who is qualified to teach at a school of business that possesses or is seeking formal accreditation by AACSB International.

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STUDENT NEWS DBA Students Win National Awards

uring the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 years, eight University of Scranton Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) graduates and current students earned prestigious Institute of Management Accountants’ (IMA) awards for articles co-authored with Scranton accounting faculty.

The IMA awarded Daniel J. Gaydon, DBA ’21, and Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, chair of the Accounting Department and Director of the DBA program, the 2020 Lybrand Silver Medal for their article, “SEC Daniel Gaydon Whistleblower Program Continues to Expand.” Gaydon was also the recipient of the 2019 and 2020 Douglas M. Boyle Outstanding DBA Research award. Additionally, the IMA awarded Marcus Burke, DBA ’21, Dr. Douglas Boyle, and Daniel P. Mahoney, Ph.D., professor of accounting, the 2020 Lybrand Bronze Medal for their article, Marcus Burke “Goodwill Accounting: The Matter of Serial Non-Impairment.” Burke was also the recipient of the 2018 Douglas M. Boyle Outstanding DBA Research award.

Ronald D. Parker

Furthermore, the IMA awarded Ronald Douglas Parker, DBA ’21, Dr. Douglas Boyle, and Brian W. Carpenter, Ph.D., professor of accounting, the 2021 Lybrand Silver Medal for their article, “Dark Triad Personality Types and Fraud Behavior.”

Three DBA students also received Certificates of Merit for their publications. Patrick O’Brien, DBA ’21, and Dr. Douglas Boyle received a 2020 Lybrand Certificate of Merit for their 4

article, “Developing Interpersonal Skills for Sustainable Career Success.” Ashley Stampone, ’10, G’11, (DBA candidate ’22), Dr. Douglas Boyle, and Dr. Dana R. Hermanson, Professor of Accounting at Kennesaw State University, received a 2021 Lybrand Certificate of Merit for their article, “An Analysis of the IMA’s Lybrand Patrick O’Brien Awards: 2010 – 2019.” Stampone was also a recipient of the 2019 Douglas M. Boyle Outstanding DBA Research Award. Afia A Oppong (DBA candidate ’22), Dr. Douglas M. Boyle, and Daniel J. Gaydon also received a 2021 Ashley Stampone Lybrand Certificate of Merit for their article, “Managing Reputation and Financial Risks through Internal Whistleblower Programs. Also, for their 2020 article entitled, “The Value of Trust,” Amanda S. Marcy, ’10, G’11, DBA ’21, Dr. Douglas Boyle, Dr. Daniel Mahoney, and James Boyle, DBA, associate professor of accounting, were awarded the inaugural Curtis Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year from the IMA’s Committee on Ethics and Strategic Finance. Marcy was also the recipient of the 2020 Douglas M. Boyle Outstanding Research award.

Afia A Oppong

Gender on Corporate Financial Leader Decisions in an Obedience Pressure Setting.” This grant is awarded to doctoral students working on a research paper on a management accounting topic that Jessica Hildebrand has potential to be presented at a premier academic research conference. Jessica was also the recipient of the 2021 Douglas M. Boyle Outstanding Research award.

Student Team Wins PwC Challenge Two Years in a Row On October 29, 2020, the University of Scranton’s Accounting Department proudly hosted the PwC Challenge, a case competition for first and second year students currently enrolled within the business school. Forty-three students across nine teams put their technical, strategic-thinking, relationship-building, business acumen, and leadership skills to the test by presenting virtually on a case that focused on the various strategic issues faced by many of the firm’s clients and associates. Working with assigned PwC team mentors (who are also alumni of the University of Scranton), the student teams had only two weeks to complete their analysis and develop a professional presentation to present to a panel of PwC judges. This year’s case focused on creating sustainable solutions for a textile company and how these initiatives could be executed.

Amanda Marcy

Lastly, the IMA awarded Jessica Hildebrand (DBA candidate ’22), Assistant Professor of Accounting at King’s College, a Doctoral Scholars Program Grant for her dissertation study entitled, “The Effects of CEO Gender and Corporate Financial Reporting Leader

The Lybrand Competition considers for awards all manuscripts published during the year in the IMA’s Strategic Finance and Management Accounting Quarterly journals, both of which are top-rated accounting practitioner journals. Scranton’s accounting faculty have been awarded more Lybrand Medals in the past decade than any other institution in the nation, including two gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals, as well as seven certificates of merit.

The team “Former Freshman Five” consisting of Andrew Faulkner of Randolph, New Jersey, Marissa Angelo of Dickson City, Pennsylvania, Claudia Pitts of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Matthew Earley of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, and Russel Young of Charleston, South Carolina were once again awarded top-honors as their teamwork, analysis, and presentation stood out to the judges. “All teams showed initiative and intellect by taking on the PwC Challenge,” said Simms, who was thoroughly impressed with the presentations. “One team, the Former Freshman Five, stood

Members of the Former Freshman Five (from left to right): Andrew Faulkner, Russel Young, Matthew Earley, Marissa Angelo, and Claudia Pitts

above the rest in their preparedness, position, and presence. They illustrated their ability to perform in the challenge by delivering one succinct message and embodied PwC’s “One Firm” approach by bringing together teammates from various majors and backgrounds.” Last year, the Former Freshman Five (named “Freshman Five” at the time) won the PwC Challenge with their presentation on the implementation of “smart” technology and the strategic growth initiatives associated with that implementation. In addition to learning about sustainable solutions, student teams also received an invaluable lesson on teamwork. “As a student, the case challenge taught me about collaboration and teamwork on a whole new level because I was working with my fellow classmates who all came from different backgrounds, and had different experiences,” says Pitts, who was a member of the winning team. “It was a great experience to be able to combine our talents and work together to put together our case study.” We congratulate the Former Freshmen Five and all of the students that participated in the PwC Challenge!

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STUDENT NEWS University Accounting Students’ Internship Success Stories!

very academic year University accounting students gain valuable practical experience by participating in accounting internships offered by Big 4 and other accounting firms, as well as private companies. The 2019-2020 academic year was no exception! University Career Relations Manager Cheryl Collarini, Assistant Director of Student Internships Jason Schwass, and Faculty Adviser for Accounting Internships Dr. James Boyle provide students with information about the many exciting accounting internship opportunities available. Accounting students may also earn academic credit for completing their internships by preparing a journal paper describing their internship experience and having their on-site supervisors complete an internship performance evaluation. The University’s accounting department internship application for academic credit may be obtained from Accounting Department Faculty Secretary Laura Talerico or at https:// www.scranton.edu/academics/ksom/accounting/Internships.shtml. Students may participant in summer or winter internships. In addition, the University of Scranton offers selected condensed spring courses that begin after students complete their winter internships. This allows students to benefit from participating in Big 4 and other public accounting firm internships during “the busy season” while maintaining a full-time course schedule. Furthermore, after completing their internships many students receive full-time employment offers beginning after they graduate.

During her internship at BBD, LLP, Rosemary Wolf (second from the left in photo) participated in a Ronald McDonald House Charity event along with some of the associates from BBD. They prepared lunches for the day for families visiting their children.

Success stories from some of our accounting students who completed an internship during the 2019-2020 academic year appears below. Accounting student Sarin Baldante completed a winter audit internship in the Financial Services Group at KPMG in New York City. “Since it was busy season, my day to day tasks Sarin Baldante resembled that of an associate. I loved my team and the work I had to do. Although the hours were long and stressful, the experience is something I will cherish forever. This past summer, I was a virtual audit intern for PKF O’Connor Davies, also located in Manhattan. This was a two week online program where we learned about the firm culture and auditing.” Sarin’s parents are John and Stephanie Baldante from Sayville, New York. Michael Diehl completed a winter internship with PwC in New York City. “My time in this experience allowed me valuable insights into the rapid technological growth in the Michael Diehl accounting industry along with the need for professionals who are proficient with such technologies. I was able to meet and network with professionals throughout the firm including partners and directors. PwC fostered a welcoming environment that allowed me to feel welcome and engaged as I experienced my first busy season. While the work was difficult, it showed me just how critical time management and emotional intelligence are in the workplace. I plan to further develop those skills in my senior year as I prepare to return to PwC

following graduation in the spring.” Michael’s parents are David and Jennifer Diehl from Hopewell Junction, New York. Grace Gallagher competed a winter tax internship at McGrail, Merkle, Quinn & Associates in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “I was able to dive deeper into my future profession in the Grace Gallagher accounting world and learn the critical skills used by an accountant on a daily basis. Getting to connect with professionals and shadow their work showed me the manners in which to hold yourself in an office. I feel my internship experiences teach you those interpersonal and communication skills needed to make a great future leader in the profession.” Grace’s parents are Jeff and Desiree Gallagher from Dalton, Pennsylvania. Livia Kelly completed a summer commercial tax internship with Baker Tilly in Melville, New York. “I gained so much from my internship. I

was able to work on projects with senior management and attend a meeting with the CEO. I believe that the University prepared me immensely to succeed at my internship. I received a full time Livia Kelly offer to work in tax at Baker Tilly’s Manhattan office upon graduation in May of 2021. I would like to thank my parents, professors and faculty at the University of Scranton for preparing me for this opportunity.” Livia’s parents are William and Phyllis Kelly from Rockville Centre, New York. Gracie McClatchy completed a winter internship with KPMG in Philadelphia. “My internship with KPMG was an amazing and valuable opportunity to grow my personal and professional skills. Gracie McClatchy I learned the importance of time management through various tasks while working in an intense busy season environment. The lessons learned have allowed me to SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

STUDENT NEWS University Accounting Students’ Internship Success Stories! use my skills beyond what I have learned in the classroom. I am grateful for the University of Scranton’s Accounting department for helping me grasp this opportunity, and I am excited to start my full time job with KPMG, this coming October!” Gracie’s parents are Tim and Eileen McClatchy from Havertown, Pennsylvania. Michael Moran completed a summer internship at Private Advisor Group in Morristown, New Jersey. “I was one of nine interns at PAG this summer. While working for the accountMichael Moran ing department, I would deposit checks into QuickBooks and perform bank reconciliations. I learned a lot from this experience and met some great people. I learned important analytical skills during my time at Private Advisor Group, but the most valuable lesson I learned is how to communicate with others in an office setting.” Michael’s parents are Michael and Julie Moran from Chatham, New Jersey. Andrew Sullivan completed a winter internship at PwC in New York City. “Overall, my winter internship with PwC was very positive and rewarding. It Andrew Sullivan allowed me to see how the “realworld” of public accounting works, especially at a Big Four accounting firm during busy season. I will always remember when I received a full-time offer to join PWC in the fall of 2021. Based on my experience I would encourage any student pursuing a degree in accounting at the University of Scranton to highly consider participating in a winter 8

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internship at an accounting firm.” Andrew’s parents are Tom and Leslie Sullivan from Huntington, New York. Rosemary Wolf completed a winter internship in the investment management department at BBD, LLP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “This past winter, I worked as a tax intern in Rosemary Wolf the investment management department at BBD, LLP. I filed tax returns, sent out extensions, and performed provisions for mutual funds. The staff members of BBD helped me understand and perform these provisions like a pro. BBD stands out because of its unique focus on auditing hedge funds and mutual funds. They also show an immense commitment to giving back to the community. I enjoyed my time at BBD and learned a great deal about mutual funds and caring for others.” Rosemary’s parents are Erwin and Margaret Wolf from Little Neck, New York. Shiqi Zhou completed a winter internship with KPMG in New York City. “The internship experience I had was amazing. I learned the importance of teamwork since I was assigned to a team of five Shiqi Zhou and we had to work closely with one another. I also found that school did a great job of preparing me for the real world and that I felt more prepared and confident when I was interning. I really enjoyed interning at KPMG as an audit intern. I got a lot of hands-on accounting experience that one usually just cannot get from school.” Shiqi’s parent is Liujie Zhou from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Outstanding Scranton Student Awarded PCAOB Scholarship The Accounting Program at the University of Scranton is made up of many truly outstanding students. One such student is Marissa Angelo of Dickson City, Pennsylvania. Marissa was the recipient of a $10,000 scholarship funded by the Public Company Accounting Oversights Board (PCAOB) and administered by Scholarship America of Minneapolis. In order to receive this scholarship, a student must meet a number of criteria, including that (s)he be within the top one-third of their class and must demonstrate high ethical standards, which Marissa undoubtedly personifies.

Her advice to underclassmen and incoming firstyear students is three-fold: 1) to not be scared to step outside of your comfort zone, 2) to ask for help when needed, and 3) to seize any opportunity that comes your way. She says, “Stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new can lead to so many wonderful experiences and friendships. Never be afraid to ask for help, there is an entire community waiting to help you in any way they can. Finally, make the most of any opportunity that comes your way, because these next few years will fly by!”

Marissa is a third-year accounting student who is a member of both the Business Honors Program and the Business Leadership Honors Program. She is a member of the Omega Beta Sigma honor society, and she participates in a number of campus organizations such as the Kania Student Advisory Board, the Institute of Management Accountants Student Chapter, the Business Club, Kania Women in Business, and the Society of Accounting Students – all while maintaining an impressive 4.00 G.P.A. She is looking forward to her Assurance Internship next summer (Summer 2022) with EY in their Philadelphia Office.

Marissa attended Mid Valley High School where she was honored as class valedictorian. She is the daughter of Peter and Lisa Angelo and the sister of Alicia Angelo. She also extends her gratitude to her parents for their encouragement and support.

When asked about her favorite aspects of the University of Scranton, Marissa was very quick to comment about the University’s welcoming community that makes her feel at home and her professors. “The faculty and professors clearly care about each and every one of their students, as it shows in everything that they do,” says Angelo. She is especially grateful to the Accounting Department for the award nomination.

Marissa Angelo

The PCAOB funds merit scholarships through monetary penalties obtained from violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. These one-time awards can be used to help fund tuition, books, and other eligible education expenses. We congratulate Marissa for this honor!

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IMA CORNER IMA Student Chapter Receives Top Honor for Third Year

Grace Gallagher

Ngoc Nguyen

Zeli-Anne Policarpio

Sarin Baldante

he University’s Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Student Chapter had a very successful 2020-2021 academic year! For the third year in a row, the University of Scranton’s IMA Student Chapter was the recipient of the IMA’s Award of Excellence, and was recognized by the IMA as one of just five Outstanding Student Chapters in the nation for the 2020-2021 academic year. The IMA’s Award of Excellence is presented to the top student chapters that qualified for Gold Status, and in order to qualify for this achievement, the student chapter had to facilitate/sponsor numerous student events focused on the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam, ethics, and other educational opportunities in addition to participating in the IMA’s national student case competition, its national student manuscript competition, and the Student Leadership Conference. Officers of the University’s IMA student chapter for 2020-2021 were: Grace Gallagher of Dalton, PA, president; Ngoc Nguyen of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, vice president; Zeli-Anne Policarpio of South Plainfield, NJ, secretary; Sarin Baldante of Sayville, NY, treasurer; and Charles Csaszar of Hopewell Junction, NY, junior officer. The student officers worked diligently throughout the year by arranging many virtual educational and networking events for the accounting and finance students on campus. The year’s events included a(n):

• New member orientation and presentation by Cheryl Collarini, Career Relations Manager in the University’s Center for Career Development Charles Csaszar

• Remote Internship Panel moderated by Jason Schwass, Career Services

• CMA Exam information session with Shirley Claude, Senior Director at Surgent • Public Accounting and the CMA presented by Ashley Gibson, CPA, CMA, CSCA, Deloitte • Accounting Industry Panel • Virtual Office Tours with BKD and PwC • Virtual Ethics Movie Night featuring “All the Queen’s Horses” • IMA Scholarship and Competition presentation by Prof. Ashley Stampone • RPA Information Session presented by Loreal Jiles, Director of Research, IMA (joint meeting with the PA Northeast IMA Professional Chapter) In addition to the above, the student officers coordinated an Easter Basket Drive within the Kania School of Management to support the Center for Service and Social Justice’s initiative to benefit Friends of the Poor. Over 40 Easter baskets for collected for the event! If the year wasn’t busy enough, the IMA student members

Being an officer in the IMA Student Chapter has provided me many opportunities to learn more about leadership and connect with other IMA officers worldwide. From that, I can share my leadership experience and promote the importance of the CMA certification with our IMA members.”

– Ngoc Nguyen, 2020-2021 IMA Student Chapter Vice-President

also participated in the IMA’s Student Case Competition, the Clark Johnson Achievement Award Competition, and the Student Manuscript Competition. The team consisting of Grace Gallagher, Charles Csaszar, Aidan Cagner of Rockville Centre, NY, and Annalisa Mechanick of Randolph, NJ, had their virtual presentation selected as a “Semi-Final 8” for this year’s IMA Case Competition, a first for the Student Chapter.

to continue this hard work into the future. I am incredibly honored to be part of this team of student leaders,” says Gallagher. In conjunction with Beta Alpha Psi and the Society of Accounting Students, the IMA Student Chapter finalized the year with the Annual Accounting Celebration. During the virtual event, the IMA student chapter honored the nine students receiving a CMA Exam Scholarship, and announced the student officers for the upcoming year: E mma Boyle, President Z eli-Anne Policarpio, Vice-President C harles Csaszar, Secretary A nnalisa Mechanick, Treasurer/Social Media Coordinator M arissa Angelo, Junior Officer

A idan Cagner, Junior Officer Furthermore, in 2020, Grace Gallagher was the recipient of the IMA’s Memorial Education We congratulate the IMA Student Chapter on Fund Scholarship awarded to top accounting, all of their accomplishments and are looking finance, and IT students demonstrating excepforward to the 2021-2020 academic year! tional commitment to the IMA and the management accounting profession, extraordinary leadership abilities, and the highest personal integrity. “I am so honored to have been awarded the IMA’s MEF scholarship. Being a part of the IMA student chapter is one of my proudest accomplishments, and it is an honor to be recognized for such involvement. Additionally, winning the Award of Excellence, signifying we are one of the top chapters in the nation, not only makes us as a student chapter proud of our IMA Easter Basket Drive (left to right) Annalisa Mechanick, Charlie Csaszar, hard work, but even more determined Zeli-Anne Policarpio. SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

BAP CORNER BAP Membership News

espite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nu Kappa chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) and the Society of Accounting Students (SAS) had busy and successful 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years. The club officers worked diligently to keep the membership involved in many events, both in-person and remote, including chapter meetings, volunteer opportunities, fundraising activities, and networking and recruiting events. The club officers during this period included:

2019-2020 Alexandra Turner, President Christian Brady, Vice President Michael Giordano, Treasurer Hannah Graff, Secretary Alexandra Turner

Christian Brady

Michael Giordano

Hannah Graff

2020-2021 Grace Gallagher, President Emma Boyle, Vice President Jai-Jacob Hoover, Treasurer Zeli-Anne Policarpio, Secretary Club highlights from the 2019-2020 academic year included: • Professional Activities: ◆ Center for Career Development session on recruiting and the Career Expo ◆ Becker Professional Education sessions on CPA Exam preparation ◆ Informational session on PICPA student membership benefits, PICPA and AICPA scholarship opportunities, and PICPA student events ◆ Panel discussions focusing on student internship experiences and different professional accounting career options ◆ Career possibilities with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation

ock CPA and CMA exams held M through Surgent ◆ Virtual ethics workshop by Surgent ◆ Accounting is a Hoot! Kahoot Trivia Game Show hosted by Dr. Marcy (Congratulations to the show’s winner: Jenna Cyr!) ◆

• Community Service Activities: ◆ Scranton Street Sweep ◆ Safe Trick of Treat ◆ Virtual community service events: United Methodist Homes “Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti,” PennMedicineTogether “Spread the Love,” Cardz for Kidz!, and Neighborly “Write your Neighbor” • Fundraising Events: ◆ University of Scranton Sweatshirt Sale ◆ University of Scranton Mug Sale ◆ Fat Tuesday Bake Sale

Grace Gallagher

Ihyisha Simms

informative career advice. Additionally, Dr. Marcy inducted 23 new BAP members and honored all of the graduating seniors and outgoing officers. Dr. Doug Boyle presented three DBA students with Douglas M. Boyle DBA Outstanding Research Awards: Joy Chacko, Daniel J. Gaydon, and Amanda S. Marcy. Dr. Marcy also installed the 2020-2021 student officers. On August 6, 2020, Dr. Marcy, and officers, Grace Gallagher, Emma Boyle, and Jai-Jacob Hoover attended the 2020 BAP Annual Virtual Meeting, “Honor the Past and Embrace the Future.”

Emma Boyle

Jai-Jacob Hoover

Due to the officers’ ingenuity in providing virtual community service opportunities to the membership amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the BAP executive office applauded and featured the Nu Kappa chapter in its monthly news bulletin during the Spring Zeli-Anne Policarpio 2020 semester. Additionally, the 20192020 BAP officers prepared and submitted an Annual Meeting Chapter Operations presentation focusing on fundraising activities. Great job Alex, Christian, Michael, and Hannah on your hard work! On May 27, 2020, the Accounting Department held its Virtual Accounting Celebration, sponsored by Baker Tilly. The event featured Alumna Ihyisha Simms ’08, PwC Tax Director, as keynote speaker, who provided the students with

Kristyn Howell

Club highlights from the 2020-2021 academic year included: • Professional Activities: ◆ Center for Career Development sessions on recruiting, the Career Expo, and resume building ◆ Virtual Internship Panel and Virtual Accounting Professional Panel ◆ Becker Professional Education sessions on CPA Exam preparation ◆ Informational session on PICPA student membership benefits, PICPA and AICPA scholarship opportunities, and PICPA student events ◆ AICPA presentation on attestation and assurance services

Becker CPA Exam Presentation

PwC and Wiss informational sessions and virtual office tours ◆ Essential skills session with Surgent ◆

• Community Service Activities: ◆ Heritage Trail Cleanup ◆ 100 Book Donation to Support Literacy benefitting the United Way of Susquehanna County’s Little Free Library Program ◆ Accounting student mentorship program • Fundraising Events: ◆ University of Scranton Mug Sale Additionally, the 2020-2021 officers prepared and submitted a Regional Meeting Chapter Operations presentation focusing on community service activities. Furthermore, the officers

The officers will continue to work together and charge forward to provide members with educational, useful, and engaging initiatives to offer a little sense of normalcy, fun, and happiness in this time of uncertainty.”

– Grace Gallagher, BAP and SAS President (2020-2021)

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BAP CORNER

Undergraduate and Master of Accountancy Program Top Ranking and News

BAP Membership News assisted the accounting department in a multitude of prospective student outreach activities over the course of the academic year. Great job Grace, Emma, Jai, and Zeli on your hard work! On May 6, 2021, the Accounting Department held its Virtual Accounting Celebration, sponsored by Baker Tilly. The event featured Alumna Kristyn Howell ’08, G’13, Baker Tilly Partner, as the keynote speaker, who provided the students with tips for career success. Dr. Marcy presented graduating BAP senior, Jeffrey Colucci, Jr., with the inaugural Sophie V. West Service Award named in honor of the late Sophie West ’17 who passed away in 2020. Additionally, Dr. Marcy inducted 27 new BAP members and honored the graduating seniors and outgoing officers. Dr. Doug Boyle presented three DBA students with Douglas M. Boyle DBA Outstanding Research Awards: Jessica Hildebrand, Greg Kogan, and Lisa Hayon. Dr. Marcy also installed the 20212022 student officers: Emma Boyle, President Jared Septer, Vice President

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Jake Gallagher, Treasurer Aidan Cagner, Secretary Mary Kate Yatsonsky, Social Engagement Director On August 5-6, 2021, Dr. Marcy and the officers attended the 2021 BAP Annual Virtual Meeting, “Invest in Your Future.” Additionally, Dr. Marcy and the officers have been working to develop hybrid, virtual, and in-person professional, community service, and fundraising events for the 2021-2022 academic year. Anyone interested in volunteering or sponsoring BAP and SAS events, please contact Dr. Amanda Marcy at amanda.marcy@scranton.edu.

I am very excited to continue to work hard and engage with the other officers and members to enhance the chapter’s mission, which will allow us to take The University of Scranton’s chapter to the next level!”

– Emma Boyle, BAP and SAS Vice President (2020-2021); BAP and SAS President (2021-2022)

The accounting bachelor’s degree continues to rack up national rankings. U.S. News & World Report named the program among the best in the country for the sixth consecutive year in its 2021 “Best Colleges” guidebook. Discover Accounting, an online resource for careers in accounting, has ranked our accounting bachelor’s degree program 9th in the nation. The program was ranked 12th in the nation by University I-IQ, an independent education organization. Our programs provide students with the faculty support and flexibility to complete a combined Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and a Master of Accounting (combined B.S./MAcc) in four or five academic years or a B.S. in Accounting a Masters of Business Administration (combined B.S./ MBA) in five academic years. These programs meet the 150-credit-hour educational requirement to become a Certified Public Accountant. Additionally, students may choose to add one or more minors in areas of most demand in the market such as Forensic Accounting and/or Business Analytics. The University of Scranton online master’s in accountancy program (MAcc) continued its top national rankings by several ranking bureaus, including the following: • No. 1 national ranking by Best Colleges for 2018-2020, • Top 15 online master’s in accountancy with the Best CPA Exam

First-Time Pass Rates (2018) by www.accoutingedu.org, and • Best Christian Master’s in Accounting Program in the

Country (2021) by www.intelligent.com. Dr. James Boyle, Associate Professor of Accounting and MAcc Program Director, attributes the MAcc program success to “our market-focused curriculum, significant practice experience and research of our faculty, and the consistent contribution of our successful alumni from public accounting (Big Four, national, and regional firms) and major private companies.” The University of Scranton Accounting Department Professional Alumni Council (ADPAC) is comprised of successful Big 4 and other accounting professionals who meet regularly to advise faculty on current market educational demands and provide internship and employment opportunities for our students.

The University of Scranton MAcc program offers students many distinctive advantages as indicated below. • MAcc Online Program Best Colleges No. 1 National Ranking

(2018-2020) • 30 credits to complete MAcc degree (10 courses – foundational

and elective) • Choice of general MAcc or 2 concentrations (i.e., forensics

and analytics) • No GMAT requirement • Earn 150 hours for the CPA exam • Big 4 and alumni mentoring and accounting

internship opportunities • Ability for 2 undergraduate courses (6 credits) to

count toward MAcc degree • Substantial discounts (almost 50%) on Wiley

CPAexcel review course • Elective courses include CPA review topics (e.g.,

Advanced Taxation and Advanced Auditing) Dr. James Boyle

• Easy change from on-campus MAcc to online

MAcc to complete degree Dr. James Boyle noted, “MAcc courses are specifically designed to develop successful accounting and financial professionals.” For example, in addition to mastering technical accounting content, all MAcc students must complete the Accounting Communications course that focuses on developing effective written and oral presentations within specific situations in which financial professionals may find themselves, such as presenting to a board audit committee or preparing for a public company earnings call. The University of Scranton also awards one MAcc program graduate assistantship (GA). Past MAcc program student GA’s included Nicholas Varriano, Andrew Bamundo, and Alexandra Turner. The MAcc program GA for 2020-2021 is Shiqi Zhou. All four MAcc program GA’s interned with a Big 4 accounting firm. Shiqi interned with KPMG in the winter of 2020. MAcc student GA’s provide research assistance to MAcc faculty and perform other special projects.

Career Development Presentation

SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

ALUMNI NEWS Recently-Retired Accounting Alumnae Continue to Shine Brightly

fter graduating from the University of Administration to Accounting. Later, in his Scranton, Linda McGowan ’80 began her senior year (during which he served as Student career with Cooper’s. Larry Lynch ’81 went to Government president and thus found it work with what was then Price Waterhouse & necessary to bypass the accounting internship Co. one of the “Big Eight” accounting firms experience, he interviewed with various firms of that era. Both Linda and Larry and chose Price Waterhouse. made a career with the firm, even Regarding highpoints of her career, long after, through a merger, it Linda notes that, prior to retirbecame known as Pricewaterhouseing, she authored a PwC auditor’s Coopers, or PwC. Both Linda and guide for broker/dealers since it Larry recently retired from PwC. was in this realm that she spent It is entirely fitting that, after their most of her career. This authormany years of professional success ship is something of which she is and being of immeasurable help and aptly proud and notes that it will support to the Accounting Departbe her “legacy.” Also, shortly after ment and its many students, we take Linda McGowan, CPA ’80 the terror attacks of September 11, time to honor them and extend our 2001, Linda worked with a client in equally-immeasurable gratitude. helping them recreate their books In a recent Zoom interview with and records, which she notes was an Dr. Daniel Mahoney, Professor “interesting and challenging” expeof Accounting, Linda and Larry rience. To this point, Larry added, offered comments regarding their “When it came to broker/dealers, longstanding connections with the Linda was the expert at PwC. If University of Scranton. you had a question about broker/ dealers, Linda was the person to Linda’s work with the firm forgo to, not only for me but for all mally began with a winter internmy colleagues.” Larry Lynch, CPA ’81 ship during her senior year. She notes that one of the most beneficial Regarding his own career highaspects of her University of Scranton experience lights, Larry notes that he spent eight years in was the way in which she was taught to “think PwC’s Paris office and, during four of those through problems.” years, was involved in a Holocaust investigation which covered a dozen European countries and Larry credits Professor John McGee, a member had to do with investigating unpaid life insurof the accounting faculty in whose introducance proceeds that were due to beneficiaries tory accounting class Larry was enrolled during of Holocaust victims. He worked jointly with his freshman year, encouraged and inspired an international commission that headed up Larry to change his major from Business an investigation for a large European insurer. 16

The work largely involved archival research to identify life insurance proceeds that were never paid out. On the subject of awards that they received over the awards, Linda notes that most of her awards have been from the University of Scranton. At this point, Dr. Mahoney recalled that, just several years ago, he had the distinct honor of presenting Linda with the prestigious “Frank O’Hara Award” at a large gathering on campus. Regarding University of Scranton students, Linda notes that, with PwC, our students have a reputation for being “very hard workers, smart people, and not afraid to tackle tough things.” She went on to say, “When Paul Lameo ’94 and I began working on a list of Scranton alumni, we began to realize that there are a lot more PwC partners from Scranton than we knew about. We found them in many locations – China, San Francisco, all over the place.” Currently, Linda has been volunteering her time and energies, five days a week, at a food pantry. Having retired just three weeks prior to this interview, Larry plans to take time with his wife and the rest of his family and reach out to friends before deciding upon specific post-retirement plans. Linda’s first grandchild is due in January and so, on behalf of the Accounting Department and the entire University, Dr. Mahoney offered his hearty congratulations. Larry offered a parting commentary on the current state of the accounting programs at Scranton. “I continue to be blown away by the success of our accounting department. You all seem to work together so well. I’m proud of my association with the accounting department at Scranton and I know that when a student graduates with an accounting degree from Scranton, they’re well prepared for the professional world,

not just from technical perspective, but from the people side of it. They’re well-rounded. The Accounting Department is proud of its decades-long association with Linda McGowan and Larry Lynch and wishes both of them the very best of everything in retirement.

We are truly grateful for the unwavering commitment Linda and Larry have shown to our students and profession. Their careers inspire all of us and clearly demonstrate our Jesuit Mission in action. We look forward to their continued engagement as we evolve to respond to the ever-changing demands of the profession.” – Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, CPA, CMA Chair & Professor, Accounting Department Director, Doctorate in Business Administration Program Director, Nonprofit Leadership Program

SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

ALUMNI NEWS Scranton Welcomes New Accounting Department Professional Alumni Council Members

The University of Scranton provides a well-rounded education that will prepare you for any challenges life will bring!”

he University of Scranton Accounting Department Professional Alumni Council (ADPAC) is composed of more than 50 renowned alumni. They meet several times a year to help our accounting students with internship and career goals. During the 20202021 academic year, the accounting department named four new member to its ADPAC.

Brian Cooney, CPA, CGFM ’09, G’12, Business Administrator/Board Secretary, Oxford Area School District Hometown: Scranton, PA

Maryann Lewis Cooney ’98, Finance Manager, Borton-Lawson Engineering

Current Location: Arlington, VA

Hometown: Scranton, PA

Hobbies: Military history and sports.

Current Location: Scranton, PA Hobbies: Playing the guitar and the piano; arts and crafts. Maryann Lewis Cooney

Hobbies: Cycling, skiing, and volunteering.

Most Missed About Scranton: Having the opportunity every day to learn and grow.

Advice for Incoming Accounting Majors: Take advantage of the knowledge and expertise your faculty have to offer. They are both experts in the profession, and dedicated educators.

T o Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected.”

– Brian Cooney

I’m not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

John Genello

Fun Fact: I was in two high school musicals.

Fun Fact: My number one priority is my family.

Most Missed About Scranton: I miss the atmosphere in Brennan Hall. Each time I entered through its doors, I could feel the energy and a sense of opportunity.

John Genello, CPA ’89, Chief Internal Auditor, SoFi Hometown: Dunmore, PA

Current Location: Media, PA

Brian Cooney Fun Fact: I seek out chicken wings to try anywhere I travel in an effort to find offerings that live up to Scranton’s.

What would you change about your professional life?: I would have become more involved in professional networks earlier.

– John Genello

– Stephen Covey

Most Missed About Scranton: Hanging out at the student center with my friends (and Oscars of course). Advice for Incoming Accounting Majors: You have chosen a great major that will open up a wide variety of opportunities for you in the years to come. What would you change about your professional life?: Not much; maybe I would have worked for a few more companies rather than staying at just one of them for so long.

Advice for Incoming Accounting Majors: It is important for you to develop a relationship with your professors so they get to know you, can discuss with you concepts from class in more depth, and can advise you on your path to attaining your goals.

Peter Janson ’06, G’07, Director, Guidehouse

What would you change about your professional life?: Nothing

Hobbies: Following the New York Yankees, vacationing and relaxing anywhere with a beach and water.

Fun Fact: I am a new dad to a beautiful baby girl and I am trying to find as much time to play with her as possible. Most Missed About Scranton: I miss the feel for the campus, being consumed in thought and learning, and enjoying the down time between classes. I had so much flexibility back then! Advice for Incoming Accounting Majors: Accounting is truly the language of business and it sets up multiple options for you. It is a great domain to study and there are many viable companies that value the Scranton Accounting background. I encourage incoming students to really start researching their future employers and connect the studies to matters those companies deal with daily. Grow your network at these companies early and keep in touch throughout you college career.

To whom much is given, much is expected – always enjoyed seeing that one walking into Kania.”

– Peter Janson

What would you change about your professional life?: Develop more relationships – wish I had more relationships starting with my high school, college, and even job experiences. It really does matter!

Hometown: Long Island, NY Current Location: Washington, D.C.

Any University of Scranton Accounting alumni interested in or desiring more information about the ADPAC council, please contact Dr. Douglas Boyle at douglas.boyle@scranton.edu. Peter Janson

SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

FACULTY NEWS Accounting Faculty Article Wins National Ethics Award

n article written by four University of Scranton accounting professors was awarded the inaugural Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year from the Institute of Management Accountants’ Committee on Ethics and Strategic Finance. The article, titled “The Value of Trust,” was written by Amanda S. Marcy, DBA, assistant professor of accounting; Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, professor of accounting and chair of the University’s Accounting Department; James F. Boyle, DBA, associate professor of accounting; and Daniel P. Mahoney, Ph.D., professor of accounting. The award highlights an article that focuses on the importance of ethics in business as a whole and finance and accounting in particular. The new annual award is named in memory of Curtis C. Verschoor, a longtime member of the IMA Committee on Ethics, editor of the Strategic Finance Ethics column for 20 years, and a significant contributor to the development and revisions of the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice. Verschoor was a passionate, renowned thought leader on ethics in accounting, having earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Trust Across America-Trust Around the World for his leadership in and advocacy for trustworthy business practices. Dr. Marcy was named assistant professor of accounting at Scranton in 2018 and previously served as a faculty specialist in the department. She worked as an accountant for Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP. She is a Certified Amanda S. Marcy, Public Accountant and member of the DBA, CPA American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Pennsylvania Institute of 20

Certified Public Accountants, the American Accounting Association, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. In addition to Strategic Finance, she has research published in The CPA Journal, The Pennsylvania CPA Journal, and CPA Now. Dr. Marcy earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting, MBA specialized in accounting, and DBA in accounting, all from the University of Scranton. Dr. Douglas Boyle serves as director of the University’s internationally recognized DBA program and the founder and director of the University’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. In addition, he, along with Dr. James Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, CPA, CMA Boyle and Dr. Mahoney, led the University’s effort to establish a Business High School Scholars Program. Articles written by these three professors have also won four Institute of Management Accountants’ “outstanding article of the year” medals, including two gold medals. A Certified Public Accountant as well as a Certified Management Accountant, Dr. Douglas Boyle has more than 25 years of industry executive experience. An award-winning teacher, he was profiled in 2019 as one of just six “Professors to Know in Business Programs Based in the Northeast” selected by Bschools. org, an online resource for entrepreneurs. Dr. Douglas Boyle’s research has been published in numerous academic and practitioner journals, such as The Journal of Accounting and Public Policy (JAPP), Accounting Horizons, Issues in Accounting Education, Current Issues in Auditing, The Journal of Accounting Education, The Accounting Educators’ Journal,

Accounting Department Chair Honored for Scholarship and Service Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, professor and chair of the Accounting

of junior colleagues. The

Department, was recently presented with awards honoring his

Office of the Provost and

accomplishments in both scholarship and service.

the Provost Advisory Group select the recipient for this

Dr. Douglas Boyle received the 2019-2020 Kania School of

award annually from a pool

Management Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

of candidates nominated

This award was in recognition of his achievements in research

Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, CPA, CMA

by academic deans and

and scholarship. The primary criteria for the award were the

department chairs.

quantity, quality, and impact of research published in refereed journals, as well as other scholarly activities, including conference

To summarize Dr. Boyle’s accolades in the areas of scholarship,

proceedings, conference presentations, panelist discussions, etc.

leadership, and service, one nominator had this to note, “He takes

Additionally, consideration was given to the extent to which the

his role as a mentor to heart. I am a witness to his untiring efforts to

nominee’s scholarship activities align with the mission of both

mentor his junior colleagues, to support constructive efforts of his

KSOM and the University.

peers in KSOM with his counsel and expertise, and to volunteer to

Dr. Boyle was also the recipient of the University Service and

take on responsibilities whenever needed. His constant availability

Leadership Award for 2021. This Provost Faculty Enhancement

to mentor all the students in the DBA program, to join them in their

award recognizes the efforts of faculty who strive for excellence

scholarly publication efforts, to support them in their dissertation

in service to the University, the profession, and the community,

supervision, and guide them in their professional aspirations makes

and who demonstrate academic leadership by effective mentoring

him a true academic leader and mentor in the Ignatian mold.”

The Journal of Accountancy, Strategic Finance, Fraud Magazine, Internal Auditor, Management Accounting Quarterly, The CPA Journal, Internal Auditing, The Journal of Applied Business Research, and The Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, an MBA from Columbia University, and a doctorate from Kennesaw State University. Dr. James Boyle has taught part-time at the University since 2009 and full-time since 2012, and served as an internal auditor for the University for more than a decade. He has published articles in multiple academic journals, including James F. Boyle, DBA The CPA Journal, Strategic Finance, The Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting and Internal Auditing. He holds a bachelor’s and

MBA from The University of Scranton and a DBA from Kennesaw State University. An award-winning teacher and scholar, Dr. Mahoney’s research has been published in numerous professional journals, such as The CPA Journal, Internal Auditor, Management Accounting Quarterly, Journal of Business and Daniel P. Economics Research, and Accounting and Mahoney, Ph.D., Financial Management. A Certified Public CPA, CFE Accountant, he was named Kania School of Management’s Professor of the Year five times and has won numerous other awards for teaching, including the PICPA Educator of the Year Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from The University of Scranton as well as a doctorate in accounting from Syracuse University.

SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

FACULTY NEWS Accounting Faculty Research Ranked Nationally and Internationally

he University of Scranton Accounting Department has been ranked top in the nation and internationally for its research and scholarship productivity.

Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, CPA, CMA

James F. Boyle, DBA, CPA

The 2020 Brigham Young University (BYU) Accounting Rankings have placed the University of Scranton Accounting Department and its faculty among the best in the world. The BYU report ranks accounting programs and faculty throughout the world based on success in publishing in top-tier accounting journals. This annual report includes ranks for specific categories of research and for specific time periods. The recently released BYU update ranks the Scranton Accounting Department as the fourth most prolific department in the world for accounting education research (excluding cases) over the most recent six-year period. The department also ranked internationally for all methods, audit and experimental accounting research. With respect to authorships of individual accounting faculty in the area of accounting education, three Scranton Accounting faculty members ranked internationally: • Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, CPA, CMA, professor, chair of the Accounting Department, and director of the DBA program, ranked No. 7. He also ranked for all methods, auditing, and experimental research. • James F. Boyle, DBA, assistant professor and director of the MAcc program, ranked No. 22 (tied).

Brian W. Carpenter, Ph.D., CMA

• Brian W. Carpenter, Ph.D., professor, ranked No. 22 (tied). He was also ranked for all methods.

Additionally, two prestigious academic journals, a 2019 edition of The Accounting Educators’ Journal and a 2020 edition of Issues in Accounting Education, have ranked Scranton’s Accounting Department in the top six in the nation for its scholarship in the areas of teaching/learning and applied practice. The article in The Accounting Educators’ Journal titled, “Accounting Programs Ranked by Accounting-Education Publications: Controlling for Journal Quality, Authors’ Doctoral Time and the Number of Ph.D./DBA Faculty,” ranked accounting programs based on their faculty members’ publications in top accounting education journals. This article ranked Scranton’s Accounting Program No. 6 in the nation for article counts over 25 years — standardized by each journal’s quality rating, the time since each author received their Ph.D. or DBA, and the number of accounting-education authors on faculty. The article in Issues in Accounting Education titled, “The Intersection of Academia and Practice: Publishing in Leading U.S. Accounting Organizations’ Journals,” ranked accounting programs and faculty based on the number of publications in the leading five accounting practitioner journals. This article ranked Scranton No. 1 in the nation. The article, authored by faculty at Kennesaw State University and The University of Scranton, noted “two institutions (The University of Scranton, 25 articles; DePaul University, 20 articles) lead the group by a substantial margin.” With respect to authorships of individual accounting faculty across the nation, four Scranton faculty members were recognized: Dr. Douglas Boyle (No. 1 with 19 articles), Dr.

Carpenter (No. 2 with 13 articles), Dr. James Boyle (seven articles), and Dr. Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D., professor of accounting (11 articles). The article further identified Dr. Douglas Boyle and Dr. Carpenter as among only three Daniel P. Mahoney, authors in the nation for having a Ph.D., CPA, CFE wide breath of publishing with articles in four of the five journals and among only seven authors in the nation for being ranked nationally for traditional all methods academic

research, accounting education research, and practice research. “We are very proud of the scholarly accomplishments of our Accounting department faculty and especially glad to see their commitment to publishing with students. This student-centered approach to scholarship is integral to our Jesuit mission and tradition,” said Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Accounting Department Professor Named KSOM Teacher of the Year and PICPA Young Leader For the second year in a row, Ashley L. Stampone ’10, G’11, faculty specialist in the Accounting Department at The University of Scranton, was selected by the University’s Business Club as the Kania School of Management Professor of the Year. The announcement was made during a Zoom session of the club on May 19.

2019-2020, and 2020-

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) named Prof. Stampone a recipient of a 2021 Young Leader Award. The PICPA annually recognizes members under the age of 40 that demonstrate commitment to the accounting profession through active participate in the PICPA and the community. She will be featured in the fall 2021 issue of the Pennsylvania CPA Journal.

and online at the

Prof. Stampone joined the faculty at Scranton in 2016. In 2021, she received the Ursel K. Albers IMA Campus Advocate of Year Award, and in 2019 she received the Faculty Leadership Award from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) for demonstrating significant leadership activities as the faculty advisor for the University’s IMA Student Chapter. The IMA selected Scranton’s student chapter as one of just five Outstanding Student Chapters in the nation for the 2018-2019,

2021 academic years. Prof. Stampone teaches a variety of accounting courses both on campus

Ashley L. Stampone ’10, G’11, CPA

undergraduate and graduate level including financial accounting, managerial accounting, accounting communications, international accounting, and financial statement fraud. She is also an instructor in the University’s Business Leadership Program. A current resident of Allentown, professor Stampone received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from The University of Scranton. She is currently pursuing a DBA at the University, and she published articles in both academic and practitioner journals such as Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, Management Accounting Quarterly, Pennsylvania’s CPA Journal, and Internal Auditing. Previously, Prof. Stampone worked as an internal auditor for QVC, Inc., and she has experience in both public and private accounting.

SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

FACULTY NEWS Cutting-Edge Accounting Analytics

e are continuously engaging closely with industry leaders to understand and revise our curriculum to exceed the expectations of recruiters in the area of technology. We have revised our accounting curriculum to ensure our students become highly skilled in cutting-edge analytics. All accounting students are now required to take four technology courses (BUS 140–Business Information & Oral Proficiency, OIM 251–Excel for Business Applications, ACC 474–Accounting Information Systems, and ACC 490–Data Analytics and Visualization for Accountants) to ensure they are fully prepared to meet the changing industry demands and become stand-outs by demonstrating advanced analytics skills. For example, Faculty Specialist, Richard O’Hara, CFA, CMA, who joined us with over 20+ years of financial and healthcare industry experience in data analytics, led the design and instruction of one of our new technology courses (ACC 490 Data Analytics and Visualization for Accountants). Several Accounting professors worked collaboratively with Richard to provide content, case studies, and suggestions. As a result, the course integrates several functional

areas in accounting analytics including financial, managerial, forensic, and tax accounting. Key topics covered in the course includes: 1. T he systematic process of transforming raw data into actionable information. 2. I ndustry leading software (e.g., Alteryx, Rapidminer, IDEA, Tableua, SAP) and programming tools (R, Python and SQL). 3. R eal Case Studies that apply the theory and tools to specific accounting related problems. At Scranton, we have very close relationships with the leading public-accounting firms, which have been very generous in sharing materials that enable to develop relevant content for our students. One of the primary goals of this class is to help students develop an “Analytics Mindset”; Ernst & Yong defines an analytics as the ability to: • Ask

the right questions.

• Extract, • Apply

transform, and load relevant data.

appropriate data analytic techniques.

• Interpret

and share the results with stakeholders

To helps students understand the entire data analytics process, we frame our lectures to follow the industry Cross-industry standard process for data mining (aka CRISP-DM) is an open standard process model that describes common approaches used by data mining. While the goals of this class is not to develop data miners per se, rather it’s helpful for students to appreciate the systematic and repeatable process in data analysis To provide students with access to realistic accounting datasets, the University of Scranton is a member of the “Hub of Analytics Education” whose mission to provide Open Educational Resources (OER) to faculty around the worldwide. The OER materials include large transactional datasets with supporting information (e.g., process flowcharts and manuals) and exercises with suggested solutions. We also provide teaching notes for auditing (ACL or IDEA based activities) and management accounting exercises (Tableau based activities). Another objective of this course is to apply techniques students learned in other courses (e.g., statistics) to solve accounting problems. Some of the techniques that are discussed include: • Statistical

methods to detection anomalies & outliers.

Source: https://www.datascience-pm.com/crisp-dm-2/

During the Spring 2021 semester, the students were allowed to pick a dataset and analyze it with the theory and tools we learned; interesting findings: • Very

few golfers consistently hit long drives and put with few strokes (those that do both make the most money).

• Pitchers

in baseball consistently have the highest BMI.

• NASCAR

pit crews are very important to the driver’s success.

• Benford’s

Analysis to search for potential fraud.

• Sequence

checking to ensure business processes are in line with stated procedures.

• Cluster

analysis to identify highrisk customers.

• Regression

analysis to assess a company’s allowance for loan losses.

The Irwin E. Alperin Financial Center, (Students/Faculty left to right) Thomas Csehovics, Austin Glidewell, Hanna Guarnuccio, Faculty member Rich O’Hara, CFA, CMA and Aiden Messett 24

The Irwin E. Alperin Financial Center, (Students/Faculty left to right) Faculty Member Rich O’Hara, CFA, CMA, Austin Glidewell, Hanna Guarnuccio, Thomas Csehovics, and Aiden Messett.

• Sentiment

analysis on a company’s annual report filed with the SEC. SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

FACULTY NEWS

FACULTY, ALUMNI & ADMINISTRATION

Accounting Department Names Honorary Award Recipients

DBA Program Advisor Awarded Lifetime Service Award George W. Krull, Jr., Ph.D., CPA, CGMA, global strategic advisor for The University of Scranton’s doctor of business administration (DBA) program, was presented a 2020 Lifetime Service Award from the American Accounting Association (AAA). The Lifetime Service Award recognizes service contributions to accounting education made over a sustained period of time through service to the AAA, service with the education efforts in the profession through involvement with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and other accounting professional organizations, and service with the education efforts of public accounting firms, corporations, and notfor-profit organizations. “I am honored to receive the AAA’s Lifetime Service Award for 2020 along with Beatrice Sanders and the late William F. (Bill) Ezzell, Jr., who have both contributed so much to advance education in the field of accounting. To be honored alongside such distinguished colleagues is truly a humbling experience,” said Dr. Krull. Dr. Krull served as a Partner in the Executive Office of Grant Thornton LLP and was the firm’s chief learning officer. Since retiring, he has remained active with the academic and professional accounting communities. He has served as an executive-in-residence and professor of accounting at Bradley University where he was awarded emeritus status in 2011. He has served as interim chair at the University of North Texas, Saint

Louis University, and Oklahoma State University. He joined The University of Scranton as a global strategic advisor for the DBA program in 2017. “On behalf of the University and the Kania School of Management, we congratulate Dr. Krull on receiving one of the highest honors awarded in the accounting field and we are privileged to have him participating in our DBA Program, mentoring our doctoral students and collaborating with our faculty on scholarship,” said Sam Beldona, Ph.D., dean of the Kania School of Management. “We are most honored and proud to have George providing strategic insights to our program. His global perspective, knowledge, integrity and professionalism are invaluable. He is one of the most respected and trusted leaders in the accounting profession and academia. I view him as a true mentor and friend and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition,” said Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, chair of the Accounting Department, director of the DBA Program and founder and director of the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program at Scranton. During his distinguished career, Dr. Krull has served with the AAA, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the AICPA and the Pathways Commission. He was a member of AACSB International’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Accreditation Quality, has served four terms on the AACSB’s Accounting Accreditation Committee and continues doing business and accounting

NEWS

accreditation peer reviews. In 2014, Dr. George W. Krull, Jr., Krull was Ph.D., CPA, CGMA recognized as one of 100 distinguished graduates of the Spears School at Oklahoma State during its centennial anniversary celebration, and in 2015 he was inducted into the Spears School Hall of Fame. In 2016, he received the AAA’s Outstanding Service Award and, in 2017, Dr. Krull received the AICPA’s Gold Medal Award of Distinction. Dr. Krull received his undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University, Oklahoma State University, and Michigan State University, respectively, and he is an honorary alumnus from Northern Illinois University. Scranton’s DBA program received international recognition when the prestigious accrediting body, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), recognized the program in 2019 among the “Innovations and Best Practices in Canada, Latin America and the United States.” Scranton’s DBA was recognized for providing a non-traditional research DBA in accounting that “promotes diversity and practice relevance by providing a flexible path for experienced practitioners to gain the knowledge and credentials required to succeed in tenure-track positions at AACSBaccredited institutions.” For information about Scranton’s DBA program, visit scranton.edu/dbaprogram.

Each year at its Accounting Celebration, the Accounting Department presents Honorary Awards to distinguished individuals who are actively involved with the advancement of The University of Scranton Accounting Department and its students. The recipients for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years were as follows: Dr. Brian W. Carpenter Research Award

Dr. Michael O. Mensah Service Award

2020 Linda McGowan, CPA ’80, Retired Partner, PwC

2020 Tracy Bannon ’84, Grants Specialist, Saint Joseph’s Center

2021 Linda McGowan, CPA ’80, Retired Partner, PwC

Joseph Walsh ’96, Partner, PwC 2021 Daniel Farrell ’95, Partner, PwC

Dr. Daniel P. Mahoney Mentoring Award 2020 Harry Zike, CPA, CMA ’76, Self-employed, Chief Financial Officer/Board Member 2021 Ihyisha Simms, EA ’08, Tax Director, PwC John P. McLean Leadership Award

Linda McGowan, CPA ’80

Harry Zike, CPA, CMA ’76

Ihyisha Simms, EA ’08

Edward Steinmetz, MBA, CPA ’84, G’91

George W. Krull, Jr., Ph.D., CPA, CGMA

Tracy Bannon ’84

Joseph Walsh ’96

Daniel Farrell ’95

2020 Edward Steinmetz, MBA, CPA ’84, G’91, Senior VP for Finance and Administration, University of Scranton 2021 George W. Krull, Jr., Ph.D., CPA, CGMA, DBA Program Global Strategic Advisor, University of Scranton

The University of Scranton prepares you for the world, not just a career.” –Linda McGowan, CPA ’80

Acquiring knowledge is good; applying that knowledge is better; passing that knowledge on is best!” – Harry Zike, CPA, CMA ’76 SCRANTON LEDGER | ISSUE #6. VOL #6. FALL 2021

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