The American Institute of CPAs announced on Tuesday that it will be launching a new scholarship program sponsored by the AICPA Foundation aimed at helping CPAs pursuing their PhDs.
The $10,000 William (Bill) Ezzell Scholarship will be awarded to five accounting PhD candidates who "demonstrate significant potential to become mentors for the next generation of CPAs," according to the Institute. The scholarship honors the legacy of Bill Ezzell, former national managing partner for legislative and regulatory relations at Deloitte, who was a staunch advocate for CPAs with PhDs.
“This scholarship is a fitting way to honor the legacy of Bill Ezzell, who strongly believed that the accounting profession benefits from more CPAs with PhDs in the classroom,” stated Yvonne Hinson, academic in residence at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “The scholarship reflects both his vision and the AICPA’s commitment to ensuring the accounting profession has a strong base of accounting faculty to maintain a robust pipeline of talent entering the profession.”
Applicants for the Ezzell Scholarship must:
- Be CPA certified;
- Have at least three years of professional accounting experience, with a portion of that experience being within the last three years;
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
- Have earned an undergraduate or a master's degree in accounting;
- Intend to teach and research at a U.S. AACSB-accredited university upon graduating.
The application period for the scholarship is currently open through March 1, 2019. Winners will be notified by June 2019.
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