Alumni Newsletter Fall 2019

Department of Accounting and Information Systems Alumni Newsletter Fall 2019

MADA GRADUATES Omar Rivera Jason Ksanznak Kellee Griffin (Standing left to right)

WHAT’S INSIDE • KPMG MADA Cohort Graduates • Celebrating the Careers of Dr. Salbador and Dr. Seago • Virginia Accounting and Auditing Conference • Student, Alumni, and Faculty Spotlights • And More

James Chisholm Nick Stegmuller

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Department of Accounting and Information Systems (0101) Pamplin College of Business Pamplin Hall, Suite 3007, Virginia Tech | 880 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061 www.acis.pamplin.vt.edu Phone: (540) 231-6591 Fax: (540) 231-2511 Faculty Directory Name Phone

E-Mail (@vt.edu)

Dean

Robert T. Sumichrast

(540) 231-6601 (540) 231-6591

busdean jmaher

Department Head

John J. Maher

and John F. Carroll, Jr. Professor Professors: KPMG Professor

Reza Barkhi France Belanger Sudip Bhattacharjee Sattar A. Mansi Jeffrey A. Pittman Steven D. Sheetz David P. Tegarden Linda G. Wallace Andrew A. Acito Matthew A. Cobabe Robert H. Davidson Matthew J. Erickson Michelle K. Harding Sean M. Hillison Jingjing Huang E. Scott Johnson Michelle R. Lowry Sarah E. Stein Marshall D. Vance Michael C. Wolfe Cintia M. Easterwood Nadia A. Rogers Lynn A. Almond Eric A. Martin Jean M. Lacoste Jason P. Sharp Jacob L. Shortt F. Fulton Galer Randal J. Gatzke Mark P. Noftsinger Robert M. Brown Ling L. Lisic Liang Tan Dana P. Garner Donald R. Compton Colleen M. Green

(540) 231-9640 (540) 231-6720 (703) 538-8422 (540) 231-7216 (540) 232-8440 (540) 231-6096 (540) 231-5971 (540) 231-6099 (540) 231-6328 (540) 231-6359 (540) 231-0764 (540) 231-7352 (540) 231-6542 (540) 231-3181 (540) 232-8432 (540) 231-6577 (540) 231-7745 (540) 231-7155 (540) 231-5881 (540) 231-8753 (540) 231-2527 (540) 231-9170 (540) 231-7920 (540) 231-9464 (540) 231-6564 (540) 231-8163 (540) 231-5504 (540) 231-6103 (540) 231-7436 (540) 231-9642 (540) 231-9241 (540) 231-7654 (540) 231-5869 (540) 231-5869 (540) 231-5869 (540) 231-5869

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R.B. Pamplin Professor & Byrd Senior Faculty Fellow Thomas M. Wells & Kathy Dargo Professor

belanger sudipb smansi jeffreyp

Wells Fargo Professor Visiting Professor PwC Senior Faculty Fellow

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Associate Professors: L. Mahlon Harrell Junior Faculty Fellow

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david.tegarden

John and Angela Emery Junior Faculty Fellow

wallacel

Assistant Professors:

aacito

mattcobabe

William S. Gay Junior Faculty Fellow

rhdx

matthewe harding1 shillis jjhuang escottj michellel sestein liangtan mdvance mcwolfe cmeast dpgarner donaldc62 colleen6

Deloitte Foundation Faculty Fellow

Curling Faculty Fellow

Collegiate Assistant Professors:

Professors of Practice:

Associate Professor of Practice: Assistant Professors of Practice:

narogers lalmond eamarti lacoste jsharp16 jshortt

Instructors:

Adjunct Professors:

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grand59

mnoftsinger

Manager of Alumni Relations:

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Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identify, gen- der expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees, or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

2 | VIRGINIA TECH ACCOUNTING

Greetings Alumni and Friends, The ACIS Department has enjoyed another very good year with many positive events occurring here on campus and beyond. Some of these events are a continuation of endeavors that take place fairly regularly in ACIS each year, while other events are relatively new to our department and students. It is my pleasure to provide you with an overview of some of these activities, and encourage you to read more details throughout this newsletter.

Some of our beneficial events possess both continuing as well as new attributes. Our faculty continue to make a constructive difference in the lives of our students, as well as make contributions to the overall profession. While these accomplishments have endured for years, the newattribute ismany of the faculty are relatively recent additions to ACIS. As described in previous newsletters, many of our long term faculty have retired over the past few years. Most recently, Debra Salbador (25 years) and Gene Seago (48 years) retired this past summer after long successful careers. To replace the void created by the departure of these excellent professors, we have hired new faculty members who show great promise for the future. In the past four years we have hired 15 new faculty (out of a total of 31 full time faculty), along with 3 new high-quality adjunct professors. These faculty are already making many positive contributions for our students and department. For example, later in this newsletter we describe the national recognition and awards professor Sarah Stein has recently received for the high quality research and teaching materials she has produced and published. We also describe some of the work of professor of practice Nadia Rogers and her recent appointment to the Virginia Board of Accountancy. Additionally, we provide brief descriptions of the five new faculty who have joined us in the past year. I remain very optimistic that these faculty will continue to progressively contribute to the missions of ACIS. A new event for our department is the early August graduation of our first cohort of KPMG sponsored Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics (MADA) students. These students are the first to complete the “Accounting Analytics” option of our MACIS program which we developed to provide state of the art accounting analytics education for our students. We enrolled our second cohort of KPMG sponsored students in late August, as well as 20 additional MACIS students who selected the Accounting Analytics option. Accounting analytics has quickly become one of our most popular Master’s options.

One regular event I am very pleased to describe is the continuing success of our students in procuring high quality job opportunities. This past year we had one of our most successful years ever with respect to our students seeking employment with over 95% of our undergraduates obtaining a full time position by graduation. The starting salaries of our graduates continues to increase with an average base pay in excess of $60,000 for the past year. Many of these students also receive signing bonuses in addition to their base salary. A second positive ongoing event is our Accounting and Auditing Conference that we jointly deliver with the Virginia Society of CPA’s. Each year we have between 800 and 1,000 CPA’s attend this conference presented at three different locations (Roanoke, Falls Church, and Virginia Beach). Our 2020 Accounting and Auditing Conferences will represent the 50 th year that we offer this conference to practicing CPA’s. These conferences represent very positive outreach efforts that provide many constructive externalities for our students and department. We also continue to hold our awards banquet each spring to recognize and present scholarships to our highly deserving and high performing students. Scholarships are awarded based upon demonstrated achievement in classes and activities, as well as on a combination of achievement and financial need. This academic year (2019-20) we will award over $370,000 in scholarships to over 100 students. We are very grateful to our alumni and friends who have donated to our department allowing us to provide these indispensable scholarships to our students. Thank you for your continued help in making it possible for us to present these scholarships to our students.

This past January the ACIS Department received continuing accreditation for five years from the AACSB, which is the primary global accrediting agency for quality schools of business. Overall, the accreditation process went very smoothly, and our department was recognized for several “best practices” among collegiate schools of business. These include the recognition of our Technology Initiative in which we continue to further integrate technology and analytics into all of our courses. The AACSB team also recognized our efforts to recruit underrepresented populations into our MACIS program from HBCU schools, as well as our participation with KPMG in developing our Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics program. Please take a little time to read more about the activities and successes of our students, alumni, and faculty in this newsletter. I wish to take a moment here to acknowledge what a special place Virginia Tech is to be a part of and work. The energy, enthusiasm, and hope for the future that is evident in our students as they cross the drill field is an inspiration to us all as we move forward. Thank you for all your help and support in educating the current generation of Virginia Tech students. Best wishes for a very happy holiday season for you with families and friends. Go Hokies! John J. Maher

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“Knowledge and skills are essential, but it is equally imperative to develop yourself as a leader, teammate, and friend. This is the most important lesson I learned as a student in the Pamplin College of Business,” said Helena Snow, of Chester, Virginia, who will graduate from Virginia Tech in December with a Masters’ in Accounting and Information Systems. Her academic experience shows that she took that lesson to heart. Snow has served as president of the Dean’s Advisory Board of Students since January 2018. The group provides Dean Robert Sumichrast with student insights in areas like college experience, academic curriculum, and career development. In her role, Snow has set agendas, facilitated meetings, and led a few projects to enhance the college’s relationship with its students. During her tenure, the board compiled a list of suggested changes by major to the curriculum check sheets; invited guest speakers to provide insight on campus operations; and hosted Dean’s Office Hours, initiated as a result of a survey by the board, to provide an outlet for students to meet and share ideas with him. “I was fortunate to have the unparalleled opportunity of helping to enhance the experience of current and future Hokies in the Pamplin College of Business,” Snow said. Snow also served a year as executive chair of Beta Alpha Psi, assisting the organization’s president by setting up and attending meetings and organizing workshops. “Hearing directly from professionals in companies like KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, E&Y, Grant Thornton, Dixon Hughes Goodman, CapitalOne, Keiter, Baker Tilly, and RSMwas invaluable,” said Snow. A recipient of the Jasper R. and Allyn G. Eanes Scholarship and the Joseph Alfred Deans Parrish Memorial Scholarship, Snow chose Pamplin for its highly ranked accounting program and its innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and research programs. She discovered the benefits of being part of the Virginia Tech community. “There is so much to gain from others’ insights and so much joy in being surrounded by people who are in the same Helena Snow Makes the Most of Opportunities for Leadership and Service

Helena Snow

boat as you. Whether they are fellow students or co-workers, it is exhilarating to work in a positive group dynamic to achieve your goals.” From the start, Snow said, Pamplin provided many resources and opportunities to engage with employers. “When I transferred into Pamplin from John Tyler Community College,IimmediatelygotinvolvedwiththePamplinUndergraduate Mentoring Program. The second meeting I attended was about resumés. I had no idea how to prepare for a career fair, but after I volunteered to read a slide out loud in front of about 100 people, the PwC representative invited me for coffee.” Little did she know then that she would go on to win first place in the PwC Challenge Case Competition in 2017 and receive a summer internship offer from the firm. Snow’s work experience includes internships in audit and tax at Keiter and in accounting at Southern States Cooperative. Snow was initially drawn to Virginia Tech by the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). As a member of Beta Alpha Psi, she participated in numerous activities, including Relay4Life, the Big Event, and tutoring college freshmen. She has also helped impoverished inner-city children through programs at her church in Richmond. Three times since 2013, Snow has travelled to Central America to assist with urban ministry. “I believe that I cannot take full credit for my successes. I have been blessed with a great community in Blacksburg and more. Helping those in need is my way of giving back for all that I have been given,” she said. Snow’s goal is to obtain a CPA license and possibly pursue a Ph.D. or a full-time position in the tax practice of a public accounting firm. “Either route will allow me to continue my learning, expand my professional opportunities, and grow as leader toward my long- term goal of heading up a nonprofit organization,” she said.

4 | VIRGINIA TECH ACCOUNTING

Carissa Malone has been awarded a Doctoral Fellowship by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). “The AICPAMinority Doctoral Student fellowship has been extremely valuable to me, by helping to reduce the financial burdens of pursuing a Ph.D. in accounting and information systems. Additionally, the fellowship provides me with the opportunity to meet other students and faculty who have similar backgrounds and career aspirations as I do.” Carissa Malone is a third-year Ph.D. student in accounting and information systems at Virginia Tech. Her primary research interest is in experimental research with a focus on the judgment and decision making of auditing professionals. Prior to enrolling in the Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech, Carissa earned an MBA in accounting from the University of St. Thomas – Houston and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin. She has accounting work experience across various industries including auditing, non-profit, oil and gas, consulting, and retail. Most recently, she worked in accounting and grants management at Arnold Ventures (formerly, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation). Carissa is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and The PhD Project. Carissa Malone Awarded AICPA Doctoral Fellowship

Carissa Malone

PCAOB Scholarship Recipient Charles “Grant” Watson III received a $10,000 Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) scholarship. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 provides that funds generated from the collection of monetary penalties imposed by the PCAOB must be used to fund a merit scholarship program for students in accredited accounting degree programs. The PCAOB Scholarship Program therefore has been created to identify eligible students for the scholarship program and award funds through the students’ educational institutions. The Board established the PCAOB scholarship program to provide a source of funding to encourage outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to pursue a career in auditing. Charles “Grant” Watson III is a junior double majoring in ACIS & Finance from Roanoke, VA. After his junior year, he will be interning at Dixon Hughes Goodman on the tax team in Richmond, VA. At Virginia Tech, he is involved with the Pamplin Leadership Development Team, the Student Hokie Club Leadership Council, and works for recreational sports as an intramural official. Last summer, Grant had the opportunity to intern at CBIZ which is a regional firm in his hometown in the Human Capital Management department. For fun, Grant loves to attend Virginia Tech football and basketball games as he has been a diehard Hokie fanatic since he was a little kid. Also, he enjoys playing intramural sports and pick-up basketball with his friends.

Grant Watson

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Celebrating the Careers of Dr. Debra Salbador and Dr. Gene Seago The Spring 2019 semester saw the conclusion of a combined 75 years of teaching and Pamplin service with the retirements of Gene Seago and Debra Salbador. Dr. Salbador arrived at Virginia Tech in the fall of 1994 after completing her Ph.D. in Accounting from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. She also received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from the University of New Orleans. While working as an associate professor in ACIS, Dr. Salbador completed a B.A. in French fromVirginia Tech. Dr. Salbador was a renowned expert in the discipline of tax policy and has published and presented innumerable articles and presentations on this topic. Dr. Salbador served as the KPMG professor in residence since the Spring semester of 2010 and has consulted with the Internal Revenue Service as well as serving as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Accounting Education. In the classroom, Dr. Salbador taught 10+ different courses in the subject of taxation and accounting principles. Known for her dedication to student success and interest in the field of accounting, she served as faculty advisor for both Beta Alpha Psi and the National Association of Black Accountants. Dr. Salbador also served on countless Pamplin and University service committees and was awarded numerous faculty excellence and teaching awards. Dr. Seago joined the accounting faculty at Virginia Tech in 1970 after completing a law degree and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. He also received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and M.B.A. from Florida State University. Dr. Seago remains an expert in the field of tax accounting and has published in excess of 175 books and articles on this topic. Additionally, Dr. Seago has served a consulting role to the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Justice as well as to the Internal Revenue Service. In the classroom, Dr. Seago was known for his excellence in teaching and quick wit. He taught innumerable courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level as well as serving as the accounting program’s academic advisor for more than 10 years. Dr. Seago is a member of the American Bar Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, American Accounting Association, American Taxation Association, and the Virginia Bar Association. To cap his long and distinguished career at Virginia Tech, Dr. Seago was recently conferred the title of Curling Professor Emeritus of Accounting and Information Systems by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. The emeritus title may be granted to retired professors who are specifically nominated to the Board of Visitors by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to recognize exemplary service to the university community. Jacob Shortt Wins Teaching Excellence Award

Debra Salbador

Gene Seago

Jacob Shortt has been awarded Pamplin’s 2019 Certificate of Teaching Excellence. Jacob has been with Virginia Tech since the Fall of 2016 and has taught a variety of courses including Intermediate Ac- counting Part I and Part II, Accounting Systems and Controls, and most recently a newly created class, Accounting Ana- lytics. Jacob has worked to increase the focus on the implications of big data and data analytics on the accounting profes- sion through the Accounting Analytics course. He worked with colleagues to develop this course during the Sum- mer of 2018 and has taught the course each semester since. His approach to this course expands each semester as the applicable technology andmethodologies evolve in the profession.

Jacob Shortt facilitates presentations in his Accounting Analytics class.

6 | VIRGINIA TECH ACCOUNTING

Nadia Rogers Appointed to Virginia Board of Accountancy Board of Accountancy’s peer review oversight committee, conducting peer reviews of firms, and speaking on the topic at conferences. Per Rogers, “My experience is very unique and I think it will continue to be helpful. I have Big Four, smaller firm and educational experience, and I can relate to each of those career paths.”

Nadia A. Rogers, associate professor of practice in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems (ACIS) of the Pamplin College of Business, has been appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam to serve on the Virginia Board of Accountancy, which regulates certified public accountants in Virginia and provides consumer protection through examination and licensing of CPA individuals and firms, enforcement of its statutes and regulations, peer review oversight, and continuing professional education. Rogers is the educator member of the seven-member board and, as a result, has been involved in decisions regarding CPA candidate education requirements. Also on her agenda of education related topics, she intends to engage in discussions regarding the additional 30 hours of the 150 hour requirement, specifically the composition of those hours so as to maximize the benefit to the prospective CPA and the accounting industry as a whole. Before joining Virginia Tech in 2015, Rogers worked in public accounting, most recently as a partner with Creedle, Jones & Alga, P.C. and previously as a senior manager within KPMG’s audit practice in Richmond, Virginia. Her professional contributions include chairing the Virginia

Rogers is a Virginia Tech alumna, having earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in accounting. As an ACIS faculty member, she teaches a variety of courses including Forensic & Investigative Accounting, Intermediate Accounting and Principles of AccountingatVirginiaTech,whichisranked in the nation’s top 25 for its undergraduate and master’s programs in accounting. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is director of the master of accounting and information systems program and advisor of the accounting analytics, audit and financial services options. Rogers also works closely with KPMG, as Virginia Tech is one of nine high quality universities in the country participating in the firm’s master of accounting with data and analytics program. Rogers is honored and excited to represent Virginia Tech and to continue serving the accounting profession through her role on the Virginia Board of Accountancy.

Nadia Rogers

Sarah Stein Making Headlines Sarah Stein, and co-authors Lauren M. Cunningham of the University of Tennessee, Chan Li of the University of Kansas, and Nicole S. Wright of James Madison University are making headlines with their recent research regarding Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Regulation 3211. This study, entitled “What’s in a Name? Initial Evidence of U.S. Audit Partner Identification Using Difference-in-Differences Analyses,” is in the September/October issue of The Accounting Review , a peer-reviewed journal published six times yearly by the American Accounting Association.

Sarah is also the co-author on an award winning paper for developing a new learning resource on analytics. Stein’s paper, “Using Visualization Software in the Audit of Revenue Transactions to Identify Anomalies,” was published in November 2018 and has been selected to receive the 2019 Issues in Accounting Education Best Paper Award. “We used realistic simulated data and workpaper documentation so that students can practice and enhance their analytical skills in a format comparable to real-world audit experiences,” Stein said. Dr. Sarah Stein is an assistant professor and the Deloitte Foundation Faculty Fellow in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems. She joined the Pamplin College of Business in the fall of 2013 after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Missouri.

Sarah Stein discusses audit case with student group.

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Brian Benson, a Manager in Assurance at EY and Negar Jamshidimehr, a Manager in Tax Services at EY speak to the attendees about their experiences.

New members being initiated into Beta Alpha Psi.

Beta Alpha Psi Spring 2019 Initiation Ceremony

The Gamma Lambda chapter of Beta Alpha Psi at Virginia Tech was formed in 1967 and is one of the top organizations on campus. Each semester, Beta Alpha Psi has an initiation ceremony for its newest members which includes a dinner for all involved faculty and student members. The Spring 2019 initiation ceremony for the 20 newest members of Beta Alpha Psi took place on Monday, April 29 th at The Inn at Virginia Tech and was sponsored by EY. The Spring initiation ceremony is an outreach event that allows an opportunity for the Beta Alpha Psi members to network with professionals and with one another over dinner, recognize new members, appoint officers for the coming year, and recognize upcoming graduates with the giving of Beta Alpha Psi Cords. The 2-hour event, which had about 75 attendees, was kicked off with opening remarks from the Beta Alpha Psi President, Shipra Pandey, who is a double-major in both Finance and Accounting. After delivering a thoughtful welcome, Shipra introduced the evening’s sponsors. Brian Benson, a Manager in Assurance at EY and Negar Jamshidimehr, a Manager in Tax Services at EY spoke to the attendees about their experiences and provided words of encouragement and advice about college, the profession and life. They were both happy to welcome the newest members of Beta Alpha Psi. Following the welcome and speakers, the attendees were served an excellent dinner. This was followed by the formal initiation of the new members. The officers of Beta Alpha Psi spoke to the key areas of importance to the organization with emphasis on education and service. Each new member was initiated through the Beta Alpha Psi pledge and were recognized for their accomplishments. After the new members were initiated, it was time to name the officers for the coming 2019/2020 academic year. Matthew Dasher, a current Junior majoring in BIT was named as the new president with Jingyi Zhang (BIT), Anthony Morales (ACIS), Joshua Gifford (ACIS), Elisha Ahn (ACIS) and Hammad Khan (BIT) announced as officers as well. Following the naming of the officers, graduating Seniors were then presented with Beta Alpha Psi Cords for graduation. Shipra Pandey then ended the meeting with inspirational and motivational closing remarks. The new members will be very involved with the current members throughout the year with weekly meetings and 12 hours of required com- munity service each academic year. Each Monday the organization hosts either a workshop or a company presenta- tion. So far this semester, the group has hosted an intern/professional panel, a Big 4 Partner panel, and presentations from EY, Deloitte, The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Baker Tilly, Cherry Bekaert, and KPMG. Each semester, the Beta Alpha Psi members, devote a few hours of their time for tutoring services to help students in the Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting courses (ACIS 2115 and ACIS 2116) and Quantitative Methods courses (BIT 2405 and BIT 2406). The tutoring services are also another great way the members can interact with the VT community and promote the organization. The ACIS BAP officers also helped promote Accounting as a major at the Fall 2019 Majors Fair. Additional community service events and professional networking opportunities are slated for the Spring semester.

8 | VIRGINIA TECH ACCOUNTING

2nd Annual Accounting Research Conference a Success On June 21-22, the department hosted its second annual accounting research conference at the Skelton Conference Center. Academics from around the country joined Pamplin faculty and Ph.D. students in discussing leading research in accounting. In all we had 40 attendees who contributed to the exchange of knowledge during the conference. The conference concluded with a beautiful hike to Cascade Falls.

Invited presenters were Roy Schmardebeck from the University of Tennessee; Michelle Nessa from Michigan State University; Jaime Schmidt from the University of Texas at Austin; Emily Griffith from the University of Wisconsin; Fei Du from the University of Illinois; and Brady Williams from the University of Texas at Austin. Virginia Tech faculty discussed papers after the speakers’ presentations and led active question and answer sessions. The research presented was diverse, reflecting the broad range of important questions accountants investigate today and included analysis of: The auditor’s role in the disclosure of restatements; non- audit services and the reliability of earnings announcements; competition in the audit market; division of labor between auditors and valuation specialists; the role of gender in the decision-making speed differential; and international compliance with U.S. tax law. The charity poker tournament was a new idea for after-dinner entertainment. It was an opportunity to interact with colleagues from across universities in a fun setting for charity. We started off with three tables of players. There were shouts of collusion when the final table consisted of all Virginia Tech faculty and Ph.D. students. While the three Virginia Tech Ph.D. students claimed to have never played, two of the Ph.D. students made it to the final table! The final two players going heads up were second year tax professors. I think this definitely speaks to their conservative strategy. Matt Erickson was runner-up and his charity was The Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry. Michelle Harding was the final professor standing. She played for EqualMed, a charity started by the daughter of one of her accounting co-authors that provides medical supplies to underserved communities in the South Pacific. Overall, it was a really enjoyable event. It was exciting to observe different strategies from the hyper aggressive to the uber conservative. It was a fun and rewarding evening of colleagues having a friendly competition for charity. This year’s conference again included the popular hike to Cascade Falls. The department hopes to continue hosting the conference annually going forward.

Some of the attendees of the 2nd Annual Accounting Research Conference

Attendees of the 2nd Annual Accounting Research Conference enjoy a hike to Cascade Falls at the conclusion of the conference.

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Welcome New ACIS Faculty

AndrewAcito

Andrew Acito has been appointed assistant professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. Acito is one of five new full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members at Pamplin this fall. Their addition reflects the college’s commitment to hiring faculty to further strengthen its teaching, research, and business outreach, particularly in areas concerning business analytics, innovation and entrepreneurship, and sustainable global prosperity. Acito received a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree in finance and business process management from Indiana University. Acito’s research publications have examined such topics as the materiality of accounting errors and the effects of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board inspections on auditor-client relationships. At Michigan State University, he taught an undergraduate course on auditing, a graduate course on financial reporting decisions, and an international student orientation course in the master’s program in accounting. His honors and awards include outstanding teacher awards in the master’s and undergraduate accounting programs at Michigan State, the Ballard and Seashore Fellowship at the University of Iowa, and the AmericanAccounting Association/Deloitte Doctoral ConsortiumFellowship. Before embarking on his graduate studies, Acito worked at 3M Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, as a financial analyst and as an internal auditor. Colleen Green Professor Green joined the Pamplin College of Business in the fall of 2019. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado Law School, a Masters’ Degree in Tax Accounting from the University of Alabama, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Virginia Tech. Previously, Professor Green served in a joint appointment as an assistant professor at George Mason University School of Business, where she taught courses in financial accounting, taxation, and fraud, and the Antonin Scalia Law School, where she taught courses in federal taxation and partnership taxation. Professor Green is a member of the D.C. Bar and a CPA licensed in Georgia, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Before joining academia, Professor Green worked in public accounting for nearly two decades providing tax preparation and planning services to clients. She spent the majority of her career at PwC’s Washington National Tax Services practice, advising clients and PwC practice offices on a variety of federal taxation issues in the manufacturing, utilities, entertainment, and technology industries. As a director in PwC’s Federal Tax Services group, Professor Green researched and drafted technical memoranda and opinion letters, analyzed contracts, and defended tax positions in controversies with the IRS. During her career at PwC, Professor Green taught numerous classes at firmwide CPE conferences, developed a tax research training curriculum for the entire U.S. tax practice, and wrote thought leadership articles and other position papers. Professor Green has three children and enjoys gardening, hiking, and reading historical fiction in her spare time.

10 | VIRGINIA TECH ACCOUNTING

Donald Compton Professor Compton has a 33-year career in Public Accounting including 20 years as a Partner working in all aspects of taxation including compliance, planning and research, and the auditing and accounting for income taxes on financial statements. Professor Compton has extensive international tax experiences including living and working in Russia, China, and Switzerland for a combined 9 years. Professor Compton is a licensed CPA for North Carolina. Professor Compton teaches Tax Impact on Decisions for Accounting undergraduates, Individual Taxation for Finance majors pursuing the Certified Financial Planning route, and graduate-level tax classes including Multi-jurisdictional Tax Concepts.

Liang Tan Dr. Liang Tan joined the Pamplin College of Business in the Fall of 2019. He received his Ph.D. in accounting information and management from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Dr. Tan’s research interests span financial accounting, tax and auditing. Recent topics he has examined include, for example, debt covenant violations, institutional investors, tax avoidance, and audit quality. His research has been published in top-tier accounting journals such as the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research and Review of Accounting Studies. Dr. Tan was formerly an assistant professor of accountancy at George Washington University, where he taught managerial accounting. Before embarking on his graduate studies, Dr. Tan was a certified public accountant in China and worked as a senior auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Beijing. Marshall Vance Marshall Vance joined the accounting and information systems faculty this Spring. Marshall’s research examines the design and effects of executive and broad-based compensation plans. His recent papers address the role of proxy advisory firms in the design of executive compensation, how managers weigh on-the-job performance vs. initial assessments of ability in making promotion decisions, and how employees respond to equity compensation plans, among other topics. Dr. Vance’s research has been published in elite accounting and management journals, including Journal of Accounting Research and Journal of International Business Studies. Marshall’s research has been recognized with multiple awards through the American Accounting Association, including twice receiving the Best Paper award at the Management Section Midyear Meeting. He has been awarded several competitive grants and fellowships to support his research, and Dr. Vance is a senior fellow of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University. Dr. Vance has taught both managerial and financial accounting courses. Prior to joining Virginia Tech Marshall taught at the University of Michigan, the University of Southern California, and the Wharton School.

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Michelle Attreed receives the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Women in Public Finance

Michelle L. Attreed, class of 1989, received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Women in Public Finance. The mission of Virginia Women in Public Finance is to advance women’s leadership opportunities and potential by fostering relationships and networking, and providing educational and learning activities and forums. Ms. Attreed currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the County of Prince William, Virginia. Michelle has more than 20 years of diverse finance, accounting, risk management, procurement, debt issuance, investment management, tax administration, property assessment, human resource and information technology experience. She sits on the boards of the County’s Self-insurance Group, Police & Fire Supplemental Retirement Plan and the Length of Service Award Program as well as chairing the Finance Board and Internal Control Council. Ms. Attreed is an active participant on various committees including Investment Oversight, Revenue, Health & Wellness, HR Steering and Information Technology Steering, wherein over the last several years she was responsible for directing the implementation of three new systems (Oracle financials; tax assessment, billing and collections; and the real property assessment database. She is additionally an Advisory Member of the Agricultural and Forrestal Districts Committee and staff liaison for the Board Audit and Joint Audit Committees of the County Government and Schools. Ms. Attreed maintains affiliations with the AICPA,

GFOA, VSCPA and VGFOA as well as both the Virginia Commissioners of the Revenue and Treasurers Associations. Michelle received both a County Executive and a VGFOA Award for Innovations in Government Finance for the development of the County’s Internal Control and Ethics Accountability Program. Ms. Attreed received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Virginia Tech and graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University where she was the 2011 sole recipient of the John D.R. Cole Award for Outstanding MPA Student. Additionally, she has earned her CPA and CGMA designation.

George Botic named Director at PCAOB ACIS alumni, George Botic has been named the director of the Division of Registration and Inspections, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) largest division. In April, Mr. Botic was kind enough to visit Virginia Tech and discuss the accounting profession with current students.

director in 2009, where he led the PCAOB’s inspection program for domestic and non- U.S. registered accounting firms that are not affiliated with one of the large global networks. He also oversaw inspection reporting for these firms and was the division’s representative on all international regulatory matters. From 2014 to January 2018, he served as special adviser to the chairman, advising on all matters that came before the board. He was also involved with international inspection efforts and the development of regulatory policy for the PCAOB. Before joining the PCAOB, Mr. Botic was a senior manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Washington office. During 13 years at PwC, he conducted audits of numerous public and private companies in a variety of industries and assisted companies in going public. Mr. Botic is a graduate of Shepherd University and received a Master of Accountancy from Virginia Tech.

Since May of 2018, Mr. Botic has served as acting director of the division, with responsibility for carrying out the PCAOB’s mission of investor protection through its statutory requirements to register and inspect domestic and foreign accounting firms that audit public companies or broker-dealers. “George is a skilled and respected leader who has earned the Board’s trust and confidence to develop and implement our inspections program of the future,” said PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke. Prior to his role as acting director, Mr. Botic served as director of International Affairs,

overseeing the PCAOB’s negotiations and relationships with foreign audit regulators and governments. He joined the Division of Registration and Inspections in 2003, rising to deputy

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ACIS Junior Selected for KPMG Global Advantage Program

Maria Keener was selected to participate in KPMG’s Global Advantage Program in Budapest, Hungary. Global Advantage is an elite international leadership development program which includes 120 student leaders from top universities across the United States and around the world. Students are selected for Global Advantage based on their exceptional academic performance and for being recognized as leaders on campus and in their communities. This year’s Global Advantage Program in Hungary consisted of classroom sessions in the mornings and activities around the city in the afternoons. Classroom sessions focused on building leadership skills; specifically personality flexing and cultural flexing. Some of the activities included a monster roller e-scooter tour around the city, wine tasting, client visit, strudel making, boat tour, and a visit to the St. Stephen’s basilica. The program also allowed time to socialize with program members to see the city independently. Maria said, “My favorite part was meeting the other students that were there. It was great to be able to network with future interns from all over the world. The whole trip was really beneficial to me because it was culturally eye opening, I learned new leadership skills, and I got to meet lots of great people.” Maria is from Northern Virginia and a rising junior at Virginia Tech double-majoring in ACIS and BIT. Maria is involved in Collegiate Women in Business (CWIB) and the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team. For this upcoming year she will be the Vice President of Finance for CWIB and the Vice President for Women’s Club Lacrosse.

Inaugural KPMG Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics Cohort Graduates with Master’s Degree in Accounting and Information Systems Virginia Tech’s Accounting and Information Systems (ACIS) Department joined forces with one of the Big 4 public accounting firms, KPMG LLP, to develop its KPMGMaster of Accounting with Data and Analytics (MADA) Program, and our inaugural cohort of KPMG MADA students graduated at the end of Summer 2019. Per KPMG, “this award-winning program offers an innovative experience for accounting professionals in the data age. The demanding coursework goes beyond traditional accounting principles to include technologies and methodologies used in today’s highly complex, data-centric accounting environments, ensuring that accounting students are equally comfortable in their data and analytics skills, as they are in their traditional accounting skills.” Per Nadia Rogers, Associate Professor of Practice in the ACIS Department and Director of the Master of Accounting and Information Systems (MACIS) Program, “It is an honor to have been selected by KPMG as one of nine high quality universities in the country to participate in its MADA Program. This Program directly aligns with our department’s longstanding mission of providing a world- class education that combines accounting and information systems knowledge, and we have been very pleased with the associated benefits of our participation.” The benefits experienced by faculty and students are as follows: • Intensive, continuous faculty training provided by KPMG on data analytic concepts and techniques as well as using KPMG proprietary tools • KPMG sponsorship entails (1) KPMG paying tuition, fees, books and a stipend to help cover room and board, (2) an internship with KPMG during the entire Spring semester, and (3) upon graduation, sponsored students are hired by KPMG as Experienced Associates with a three-year, full-time employment contract (opportunity for an accelerated career path) • All Virginia Tech Master of Accounting and Information Systems (MACIS) students, regardless of KPMG sponsorship and regardless of the option chosen within our MACIS Program, have exposure to KPMG’s proprietary tools, data sets and case studies The inaugural cohort of KPMG’s program participants graduating from Virginia Tech is comprised of James Chisholm, Kellee Griffin, Jason Ksanznak, Omar Rivera and Nick Stegmuller. We are extremely proud of all that these students have accomplished while at Virginia Tech. Each of them has positively impacted the classroom dynamic with his/her diverse background and strong desire to learn and participate in classroom discussions. We look forward to learning of the many successes of their careers within KPMG and the accounting profession.

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Meet the Inaugural Cohort of KPMG’s MADA Program Graduating from Virginia Tech

James’ interest in data and analytics dates back to his studies at University of Richmond. While interning with KPMG, he learned of its MADA Program and was fascinated by the advanced technology, new processes and new audit possibilities that the program supported. “[It] was the perfect way to integrate my two interests of D&A and accounting at a company that was encouraging the use of new tools and advanced technology in auditing,” stated James. With respect to James’ experience on campus at Virginia Tech, he indicated that both the students and faculty have been extremely welcoming and helpful. “The class sizes have been small, and the professors are always willing to spend time outside of class to answer questions or address concerns,” per James. In addition to the connectivity and culture of our ACIS Department, when asked about his preparedness for the Spring internship with KPMG based on the courses taken in the Fall semester, James indicated that “the courses and professors at Virginia Tech absolutely prepared me for the audit and D&A related tasks I was given during my internship. The courses provided the base and theory behind why certain tools were used, going beyond just giving instructions.” James further indicated that he “felt very confident walking into [the] internship as a MADA intern and look[s] forward to assisting future engagement teams make the audit more efficient.” Per James, “the industry seems ripe for disruption by D&A technology” and he is “excited to have the skillset to help implement that tech to assist future audit teams.” During Kellee’s undergraduate studies, she had several internships with KPMG that exposed her to various opportunities to expand her accounting skill set and learn more about the diversity within the accounting profession. She was very excited to learn of KPMG’s MADA Program, which ultimately led her to Virginia Tech. Per Kellee, “After attending a smaller school for my undergraduate education, it was nice to come to VT and experience Hokie nation.” Kellee has found our MACIS Program to be challenging, while providing her with a breadth of knowledge that will help her succeed in a variety of sectors within the accounting profession. As previously indicated, KPMG MADA students attending Virginia Tech take courses on campus in the Fall, are with KPMG for a Spring internship and return to campus for the Summer to complete the Master’s degree. During her Spring internship with KPMG, she worked on clients wherein it was extremely helpful that she had prior exposure to IDEA and Excel. “Forensic & Investigative Accounting was the most valuable class during the Fall semester because it introduced me to the IDEA software and required the use of Excel and some of its many functions” stated Kellee. Of the courses taken following her Spring internship with KPMG, she has found Auditing Theory to be especially beneficial for her immediate career at KPMG. Kellee was able to build relationships with KPMG engagement teams and clients during her Spring internship and is excited to be completing her Master’s degree in ACIS at Virginia Tech and starting her career full-time at KPMG.

James Chisholm from Franklin, MA

Kellee Griffin from Carmel, IN

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Jason’s interest in using technology to understand data was piqued during his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech. Per Jason, “My professors gave me opportunities to work with different software tools and consider how they could be used in practice.” He further developed an “interest in applying these tools to auditing and saw the MADA Program as a great step toward a career focused on innovation.” In a Forbes article entitled KPMG’s Lynne Doughtie On The Role Of Innovation And Collaboration In The Age Of Convergence , Lynne Doughtie, CEO and Chairman of KPMG LLP, was quoted as having said that “Innovation can’t just happen within the walls of your own organization.” This is a sentiment that resonates with Jason as he combines the MACIS coursework with hands-on auditing experience gained during his internship with KPMG. During the Fall semester, Jason was exposed to IDEA in the Forensic & Investigative Accounting course. This exposure gave him the knowledge and confidence to share ideas related to the usage of this tool and really add value to KPMG and its clients during his internship. Jason’s favorite part about Virginia Tech is being a member of the Virginia Tech community. He indicated that he has developed great relationships with his peers, professors, and alumni and specifically spoke to the collaborative nature of our MACIS Program as being a contributing factor. Jason looks forward to beginning employment with KPMG as an Experienced Associate, and is excited for the on-the-job learning that comes with public accounting. Omar was drawn to Virginia Tech as he had heard from close friends and mentors that Virginia Tech’s MACIS professors were extremely knowledgeable and that the MACIS coursework would best prepare him for a career as an auditor. He also became aware of KPMG’s MADA Program and, knowing that data and analytics is the future of business and auditing, recognized that “[t]he opportunity to learn about D&A and hopefully become a D&A champion at KPMG” was one that he could not forego. Omar has had positive experiences on campus and during his KPMG internship. He indicated that “[t]he MACIS Professors made every effort to make themselves available to students, whether it was for providing help on coursework or providing guidance on future careers.” He further indicated that he was able to make lifelong friends, especially with the other KPMGMADA students at Virginia Tech. With respect to his internship experience, Omar indicated that “[it] was amazing! I was able to experience working on a large public client and a medium-sized private client, which exposed me to numerous dimensions of an audit.” Omar looks forward to further applying the skills he gained from the MACIS Program to the audits he will be a part of as a full-time KPMG employee. Nick earned bachelor’s degrees in ACIS and Finance from Virginia Tech and, given his career aspirations and love for the University, believed that the MACIS Program was a natural progression. He had also previously interned with KPMG in Norfolk, VA and, upon learning of its MADA Program and all the benefits it offered, decided to combine the two (VTMACIS and KPMGMADA Programs) with the goal of learning more about emerging technologies and how they can be applied to accounting and assurance. When asked about his experience at Virginia Tech, he indicated that he “treasure[s] the relationships built with classmates and professors alike. Professors care about students’ education and always make time for one-on-one help as needed.” With respect to preparedness for his Spring internship with KPMG, he stated that “the statistics, tax, and investigative accounting courses helped immensely throughout the course of the internship. [Additionally,] the critical thinking and conceptual skills gained during the Fall semester helped bolster my confidence as a professional and gave me the tools needed to learn on the job.” Nick had the opportunity to work with clients in a wide array of industries during his internship, and he is excited to get back to his hometown and be with his family again and learn as much as he can about his clients.

Jason Ksanznak from Dumfries , VA

Omar Rivera from Falls Church, VA

Nick Stegmuller from Virginia Beach, VA

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