WIXLIB

STRATEGIC FUNDING INITIATIVEThe Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy has a longstanding tradition of producingindustry leaders. Mississippi State University transforms lives through education, research andservice – continually becoming a greater force in preparing new generations of leaders who willhave an infinite impact on the world around them.Capital campaigns are about excellence, about aspirations and about the future. A fundraisingendeavor is a time for alumni, friends, parents, corporations and foundations to join those whohave already stepped forward and placed their confidence in our mission and vision. With yourhelp, the impact can be broader and deeper and be felt sooner.In accordance with our strategic plan, I’m extremely excited to announce a 10 million StrategicInitiative in Accounting as part of Infinite Impact: The Mississippi State University Campaign.Our fundraising efforts revolve around 1. Academic Program Enhancements, 2. Faculty Support and 3. Student Scholarships.To jump start our initiative, an anonymous donor has made a generous gift in memory of lifelong supporter and graduate H. Devon“Von” Graham, Jr. This 1 million memorial gift to the Adkerson School of Accountancy will be used to match and leverage othergifts as it pertains to our fundraising priorities.As an example, a KPMG Endowed Professorship has been recently established to support MSU accounting faculty. One of thebiggest attractors for quality students is high-caliber faculty members. The marketplace for such individuals is competitive, and anedge in recruiting and retaining them is needed. Endowments for chairs and professorships provide additional funds for salariesand research, as well as adding to the prestige of the faculty member and the School. Our University competes nationally andinternationally for faculty expertise, and private endowments improve our ability to attract the best teachers.There are many exciting things happening in the Adkerson School of Accountancy, and with that comes many more opportunitiesto give. Another recent gift comes in the form of a bequest to Mississippi State University and the Adkerson School of Accountancy.A gift from Mr. Robert Hardin of Tupelo, MS, a 1973 accounting major, will support student scholarships and will also establish anendowed professorship. Many outstanding students have the desire and knowledge to enroll in the School of Accountancy. ThroughInfinite Impact: The Mississippi State University Campaign, the school is seeking both annual and endowed scholarships to rewardhigh academic achievers. With these student scholarships, we can put competitive offers together to compete for top performingstudents.There are many different ways to make a meaningful and lasting impact. I encourage each of you who might be interested insupporting our Strategic Initiative in Accounting to contact me or Zack Harrington, Assistant Director of Development, at662-325-1888.Thanks so much for supporting Mississippi State University and the Adkerson School of Accountancy.Sincerely,Rob JenkinsMSU College of Business, Director of DevelopmentBULLDOG LEDGER5

INNOVATIVE CAMP FIRST IN STATEIn July, the Adkerson School of Accountancy presentedits second “Accelerating Students into the AccountingProfession” – ASAP – Summer Camp. The inventiveprogram serves rising high school seniors who areconsidering careers in accounting.“This is a pioneering concept – we’re the first in the stateto do something like this,” states ASAC Director ShawnBusiness plan competition winners were (from left) Cole Mosby, Reily Hollowayand Noah Winstead.6BULLDOG LEDGERMauldin. “It helps draw some of the best and brightestyoung students into our profession by letting themtry it out and by showing them how they can use anaccounting education.”Through a series of fun, creative, hands-on activities,ASAP invites participants to test the waters ofaccountancy. This year’s campers worked in groups onprojects to be presented in the style of television’s “SharkTank” program. The two-day competition began withsome instruction that introduced basic accounting andresearch skills. The groups then worked to imagine theirown businesses and put together plans for them. Theypresented their plans to a panel of faculty members andpractitioners, which offered feedback and selected awinning team. The winners, Reily Holloway, Cole Mosbyand Noah Winstead, received Amazon gift cards.Exposure to the profession and practicing professionalscame in several ways, including a “Why Did I ChooseAccounting?” session. HORNE, LLP, sponsored a tripto its Ridgeland, MS, offices, and KPMG led a seminaron interview techniques. Other professional skills werecovered in a “What Not to Wear – MSU Career CenterEdition” event and an etiquette dinner.

the admissions process. They also got afeel for college by sitting in with universitystudents on an accounting lecture andstaying in campus residence halls. ASACstudents served as their counselors.Ryan Colvin, Senior Coordinator for the MSU Career Center, talked to students about dinneretiquette.Participants also got a glimpse into the Mississippi Stateexperience, beginning with a scavenger hunt and a formaltour that helped familiarize them with campus. They werewelcomed by Mauldin and by College of Business DeanSharon Oswald, and they heard about scholarships andThis past year 17 top high school studentsparticipated, up from the 10 of theinaugural camp in 2015. They includedXavier Bodie, Madison Duran, MatthewFerris, Seth Germ, Rachel Hall, KyannaHollin, Reily Holloway, Abigail Mederos,Cole Mosby, Jensen Reed, CameronReeves, Elizabeth Stephenson, Cory Tune,Hunter Whitman, Katlin Williams, NoahWinstead and Jackie Woitesek. MSUaccounting student Keisha Robinson wascamp counselor.“It was an impressive group,” notes Mauldin. “If theyrepresent the future of accounting, the outlook is apromising one!”Campers got a first-hand look at the profession with a visit to HORNE, LLP.BULLDOG LEDGER7

PASSION AND PERSPECTIVEyet positive in a way, because it taught me resilience. And9/11 and having a baby put the loss of a job in a differentperspective. It was hard, but in the scheme of things, notthat important.”Bell accepted a partnership at Ernst & Young (EY) inAtlanta in May 2002. She continued in audit, but mostof her time went into Sarbanes-Oxley consulting. Afterthree years she was asked to lead the newly formedSoutheast Risk Advisory Practice. Not long after that, shewas named Managing Partner of EY Atlanta – the firstfemale managing partner for any major firm in the city.In 2015, she was tapped for her current position, runninga national team that serves utility clients throughout theAmericas.As a freshman at MSU, Susan Bell took a co-opaccounting position with Mississippi Power Company,working for the utility in the summers. Today, the 1984alumna leads Ernst & Young’s Americas Power & UtilitiesSector Financial Accounting Advisory Services.Bell began her career in public accounting aftercompleting her undergraduate degree. She interviewedwith firms in several cities, ultimately taking a positionwith Arthur Andersen in Atlanta. She started out in auditand found she had a passion for it.“I really enjoyed figuring out how businesses operateand how they make money,” she remarks. “I was alwayslearning, and I love to learn, so I decided to stay inaudit.”After twelve years with Andersen, Bell became the firstwoman to make Partner in the firm’s Atlanta office.It was a position she held until 2001, when Andersensurrendered its licenses in the wake of a conviction (lateroverturned) tied to the Enron scandal. Other events thatyear, however, helped bring a balanced outlook to careerdifficulties.“I was starting my career over,” she says. “It was difficult8BULLDOG LEDGERThe Starkville native is among the third generation ofher family to attend Mississippi State. Her grandfatherplayed football for the Bulldogs in the 1920s, and bothparents are alumni. Bell benefited from strong femalerole models: her grandmother was in the first class ofwomen to enroll at State, and her aunt was one of thefirst women to graduate in agricultural economics.“I never had any inkling that there was anything Icouldn’t do as a woman,” she remarks.Bell contributes time and energy toward removingbarriers for others. She serves on the board of theNational Center for Civil and Human Rights and isimmediate past chair of Atlanta’s United Way chapter.She has enriched her community through the boardsof the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the AtlantaHistorical Society and the Woodruff Arts Center.She is also a longtime member and past President ofthe ASAC Advisory Council, provides scholarshipsupport and has been a featured speaker for classes andorganizations.The experience that she has to share shows students thevalue of commitment. Whatever she takes on, be it forcareer, community or family, Susan Bell puts in 100percent – and the results are obvious.

STUDENT-ORIENTED IN MERIDIANMississippi State’s Meridian branch has long been asource of excellence in accounting instruction. This fall,the Division of Business there has taken a step further inthe opportunities it offers to students.Previously, students in Meridian have earned a Bachelorof Business Administration degree with a concentrationin accounting. Beginning this semester, a Bachelor ofAccountancy degree will be offered.“Now we’re seamless with Starkville,” notes Dr. KevinEnnis, Associate Professor of Accounting.(from left) Dr. Joseph Faello, Dr. Kevin Ennis and Dr. Seungjae ShinEnnis, who has taught at Meridian since 1995, handlesthe Tax, Audit and Cost Accounting courses. AssistantProfessor Dr. Joseph Faello came on board last year andteaches Financial Accounting and Accounting SystemsI. Dr. Seungjae Shin, a Professor of Information Systemsand Supply Chain Management who joined the faculty in2003, leads Accounting Systems II.which allows either a part-time or full-time course load.”Student Kristi Matthews comments, “Having professorswho care about the students – not just their passing atest, but knowing the material and being able to apply itto real situations – makes all the difference in the world.”MSU-Meridian has 539 students enrolled in threeacademic divisions: Business, Arts & Sciences andEducation. The Division of Business is housed at MSUMeridian’s Riley campus, in the city’s business district.The number of accounting students averages around40, and most come from the four nearby communitycolleges. The program also enrolls military personnelfrom Naval Air Station Meridian.Matthews works in Ellisville, MS, as the AccountingManager for Parish Transport Logistics and LambTransportation. Her studies have served as an example forthe Matthews’ autistic son.“Most tend to be nontraditional, place-bound students,”observes Ennis. “We’re designed for people who have fulltime jobs or families.”After graduating magna cum laude in December,Matthews has continued her education through themaster’s degree program at Mississippi College. It iscommon for students to move on to graduate school orlaw school, though many go right to work. The programencourages them to pursue professional certification.The students who are employed see very directly howwhat they learn in the classroom translates to theprofessional environment. Class discussions are usuallypeppered with examples and questions that come straightfrom their jobs.“We’re very oriented to the needs of our students,” saysEnnis. “Classes are small, and they’re taught by facultywho have practical experience. Scheduling accommodatesthose who have jobs – by leaving work an hour early oneday a week, they can be enrolled in two college courses,“He has seen how hard I work and how much I study andput into my schooling, and it shows him that you have tobe committed to what you do,” she remarks.Like Matthews, Meridian students typically understandin a practical way what their education will mean to theircareers and their families. It drives them to excel.“We get very bright students,” states Ennis. “They aremotivated to do well because they want to improvetheir lives.”BULLDOG LEDGER9

A FINE FACULTY AND STAFFDr. Billy BrewsterMembers of the Adkerson School of Accountancy faculty are (from left, front row) Dr. Mark Lehman,Dr. John Rigsby, Dr. Shawn Mauldin, (2nd row) Dr. Nathan Berglund, Dr. Noel Addy, Dr. ClydeHerring, (3rd row) Dr. Ryan Seay, (4th row) Dr. Billy Brewster, Dr. Brad Lang, Dr. Alan Stancill,(5th row) Steve Sanders, Angela Pannell, Dr. Frances McNair and (6th row) Dr. Brad Trinkle.The Adkerson School of Accountancy’s faculty and staffare among the finest there are. Faculty members bringrecognition to Mississippi State nationally and regionallythrough publication of their research and resultant highrankings, as well as through their leadership and servicewith a range of organizations. They are also known forthe way they prepare skilled future accountants, not onlyin the classroom but also in the support and advice theyshare with students.Joining our highly reputed team at the beginning of thefall semester were three faculty members and a new keystaff member. They have already proven to be strongcontributors!10BULLDOG LEDGERDr. Billy Brewster comes to ASAC as aVisiting Assistant Professor. Previously,he was an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Texas at Arlington, wherehe served on the faculty for six years.Brewster began his career as a practitionerwith Grant Thornton LLP in Dallas in1997, after earning bachelor’s and master’sdegrees at UT Arlington. He soon movedto Ernst & Young LLP in Fort Worth,where he was an Audit Manager forseveral years. His academic career beganin 2002, when he became a doctoralstudent and graduate research assistantat the University of Illinois. In 2008,his PhD was conferred, and he served atIllinois for a year as a Visiting AssistantProfessor. Brewster has published in TheAccounting Review and Auditing: A Journalof Practice & Theory. He has served as anad hoc reviewer for The Accounting Review,Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory,the International Journal of Auditing andAccounting, Organizations and Society.Dr. Clyde HerringDr. Clyde Herring returns to theAdkerson School of Accountancy as an Associate ClinicalProfessor. A member of the MSU faculty from 1987to 2010, he has rejoined us after six years in variousroles at Carson-Newman University, including Deanof the Business School, Professor of Accounting andMBA Director. During the fall semester he has beenteaching Advanced Accounting, Survey of Accountingand MBA Accounting and in the spring will addAccounting Principles I & II. Previously recognized asthe Mississippi Society of CPAs’ Outstanding Educator,Herring’s research interests are student-oriented, focusingon accounting education. Currently he serves on theMSCPA’s Long Range Planning Committee. Herringis an MSU accounting alumnus, having earned hisBPA here in 1980, followed by his MPA in 1981. The

University of Alabama awarded him aPhD in 1988. In his time outside McCoolHall, he enjoys family time, travel andsports.Dr. Bradley LangDr. Bradley Lang is a new AssistantProfessor in the Adkerson School ofAccountancy. Prior to joining the facultyat Mississippi State, he was working on hisPhD at the University of Central Florida.Lang’s research focuses on the effects ofinformation technology on judgment anddecision-making, generally in the areaof managerial accounting. His researchhas already been published in BehavioralResearch in Accounting and the Journalof Information Systems. Brad’s teachinginterests include managerial accountingand accounting information systems.This past semester he taught Principlesof Managerial Accounting and graduateNew and returning faculty members (from left) Dr. Brad Lang, Dr. Billy Brewster andlevel Managerial Accounting. Last yearDr. Clyde Herringhe won the Graduate Student Excellencewelcomed his second child – first girl – into the worldin Teaching Award for the College of Business at thethis past fall.University of Central Florida. He is a CPA in Florida, aveteran of the U.S. Navy and a proud family man whoLorraine HughesLorraine Hughes has joined ASAC as AcademicCoordinator. She retired from MSU’s Department ofMathematics and Statistics in 2015, having served 15years as a mathematics teacher and an undergraduateadvisor. She is a 1978 graduate of New York MaritimeCollege and holds a 2000 master’s degree in mathematicsfrom MSU. Prior to MSU, she sailed with Exxon Marine,worked for Lykes Brothers Steamship Company andtaught high school mathematics and science. Now,as Academic Coordinator, she advises undergraduateaccounting students and works with graduate students aswell. She promotes the School and the University at highschool and junior college recruiting events, and she is thefaculty sponsor for the Accounting & Financial Women’sAlliance. Lorraine and husband Ben are the proudparents of four daughters, one of whom – Maureen – isan ASAC alumnus.Lorraine HughesBULLDOG LEDGER11

AMBASSADORS AND ADVISORSIn promoting the Adkerson School ofAccountancy and achieving the bestpossible experience for students, oneof the richest resources is our studentsthemselves.This is the reason that a select group isnamed to the Accounting Ambassadors/Director’s Student Advisory Council eachyear.These ambassadors assist prospectivestudents with the enrollment process,lead campus tours and assist with studentorientation. They take part in variousoutreach and recruiting activities suchas college and career fairs. They alsorepresent the school as hosts for alumni,supporters, teachers and employers whovisit campus.This year’s Ambassadors, as shown above, are (seated, from left) Katie Horn, Katy King, Allie Pilgrim,Amanda Paris, (standing, from left) Lane Tidwell, Anna Curtis, Ali Buechner and Katie Carroll.Not pictured: Morgan Buchanan and Anna Henderson.“I enjoy educating prospective students on whataccounting is,” remarks ambassador Amanda Paris,a junior from Vicksburg. “And I love promoting theAdkerson School of Accountancy!”“They’re a smart, energetic group,” comments Mauldin.“I get valuable insight from them into the studentexperience and the student perspective, and that helpsinform the direction of the School.”Now, a significant new role has been added for the firsttime: counseling ASAC Director Shawn Mauldin, whomeets with the group periodically through the year.The Ambassadors are selected through a writtenapplication and interview process. To qualify, they mustbe full time junior or senior accounting students withGPAs of 3.25 overall and 3.0 in accounting courses.They must have excellent communication skills andenthusiastic personalities, and they must be able tocommit time and energy, even on some nights andweekends. Also taken into consideration are campusinvolvement and desire to convey pride in accountingand Mississippi State.“When we look at educating future accountants, weconsult with alumni and other practitioners about what’sneeded in the marketplace. We have a faculty that staysabreast of the latest developments and incor

Source: CCH Public Accounting Report UNDERGRADUATE RANKINGS (Schools With 15 Or Fewer Full-Time Faculty) 1. University of Wisconsin 2. University of Virginia 3. Mississippi State University 4. Utah State University 5. University of Oklahoma Source: CCH Public Accounting Report MASTER'S RANKINGS (Schools With 15 Or Fewer Full-Time Faculty) 1.