The Deloitte Foundation and the American Accounting Association presented a variety of awards recognizing excellence in the areas of accounting education and research at the AAA Annual Meeting, held Aug. 10-14, 2019, in San Francisco.
"Our participation and support of teaching and academic research excellence at this year's AAA Annual Meeting reflects the importance of developing future leaders and those charged with teaching those students," stated Janet Foutty, U.S. board chair at Deloitte. "As advanced technologies continue to transform our profession, it is imperative for educators to have the applicable tools that can inform and inspire the next generation while preparing them to lead in an evolving business landscape."
Professors William McCarthy (Michigan State University), Margarita Maria Lenk (Colorado State University) and Jill Mitchell (Northern Virginia Community College) each received the 2019 AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize. Named for former Deloitte chairman and CEO and former Deloitte Foundation chairman J. Michael Cook and his wife, the award recognizes three individuals (representing graduate, undergraduate and two-year degree programs) who have demonstrated excellence in accounting education. Each prize includes a $25,000 cash award, a silver medallion and an award certificate.
Professors Emily Griffith (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Jacqueline Hammersley (University of Georgia), and Kathryn Kadous (Emory University) received the 2019 AAA/Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal in recognition for their research paper, "Audits of Complex Estimates as Verification of Management Numbers: How Institutional Pressures Shape Practice," published in the fall 2015 issue of Contemporary Accounting Research. Founded in 1978, the Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award honors the legacy of John Wildman and encourages research relevant to the professional practice of accounting. Award recipients receive a medal and a $5,000 cash award to help support more research on the practice of accounting.
Professors Christine Cheng (University of Mississippi), Amy Yurko (Duquesne University) and Pradeep Sapkota (University of North Texas) received the ATA Teaching Innovation Award for their submission, "A Case Study of Effective Tax Rates Using Data Analytics." The ATA Teaching Innovation Award encourages tax professors to develop new teaching methods to boost students' critical thinking skills and overall learning experience. Recipients are awarded $5,000 and a plaque.
