2020 | American Accounting Association

Press Releases for the 2020 AAA Award Recipients

AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize
Accounting Horizons Best Paper Award
Competitive Manuscript Award
Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award
Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award
Innovation in Accounting Education Award
Issues in Accounting Education Best Paper Award
Lifetime Service Award
Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award
Outstanding Accounting Educator Award
Outstanding Service Award
The Accounting Review Outstanding Reviewer Award

Each glass award is a one-of-a-kind, kiln formed, fused glass artwork.
Each piece has been custom designed and hand crafted by Hungarian artist, Csaba Osvath.

Brigitte W. Muehlmann, Wendy M. Tietz, and Connie Belden to receive the 2020 American Accounting Association/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) would like to congratulate Brigitte W. Muehlmann, Wendy M. Tietz, and Connie Belden as recipients of the AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize. Brigitte W. Muehlmann is the recipient of the graduate award, Wendy M. Tietz is the recipient of the undergraduate award, and Connie Belden is the recipient of the two-year college award. The awards will be presented to each recipient in the form of a solid silver medal and a monetary prize of $27,500 at the 2020 Annual Meeting during the Monday, August 10, 2020 Break from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm EDT.

Brigitte W. Muehlmann is a professor and research scholar at Babson College. She is a humanist at heart, an accountant by profession, an enthusiastic entrepreneurial leader, a dynamic systems thinker, and a practical philosopher. She currently teaches Financial and Sustainability Reporting and Analysis and co-teaches Doing Business Globally: Highways and Landmines, where she integrates international aspects of accounting, taxation, and valuation with entrepreneurial leadership. Her projects "Sustainability at Interface, Inc.: Applying the qualitative characteristics of useful financial information to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factor data", "Cultivating the Five Minds for the Future in a Tax Course" and "The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global World of Taxation" have been recognized with the Mark Chain/Federation of Schools of Accountancy Graduate Teaching Innovation Award and with the American Taxation Association/Deloitte Teaching Innovation Award. She is a recipient of the American Accounting Association’s Outstanding Educator Award for achievements in education in the field of strategic and emerging technologies in accounting and the Competitive Manuscript Award in forensic accounting, the Gregory Adamian Award for Teaching Excellence, as well as best teacher and best paper awards. She serves as the Strategic and Emerging Technologies Section representative on the Council of the American Accounting Association, as co-chair of the Technology Committee on the Executive Committee of the International Fiscal Association, USA Branch, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Babson Global, Inc.

Wendy M. Tietz, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Accounting in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University, where she teaches introductory financial accounting and managerial accounting, among other classes. She is a CPA and a CMA. Dr. Tietz teaches in face-to-face, web, and hybrid formats. She has published articles in such journals as Issues in Accounting Education, Accounting Education: An International Journal, IMA Educational Case Journal, Strategic Finance, and Journal of Accounting & Public Policy, and is the co-author of two accounting textbooks.

Connie Belden received her Master’s in Business Administration from Wichita State University and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Kansas State University. She is a Professor of Accounting & Business Administration at Butler Community College in Kansas, where she has taught for 30 years. She developed her first financial accounting class into an online format in 1999 and continues to research best practices for online learning. She is a certified Quality Matters Master Reviewer for online courses. She serves on the Butler Community College Curriculum Team, Faculty Development Team, and Co-chairs the Accessibility Task Force. She has received several teaching awards including the 2015 Butler Community College Master Teacher, and the 2018 Teaching Excellence Award for Region 5 of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

The AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize is the foremost recognition of an individual who consistently demonstrates the attributes of a superior teacher in the discipline of accounting. The Prize serves to recognize, inspire, and motivate members to achieve the status of a superior teacher. For 2020, up to three awards of $27,500 each can be made in the categories of graduate, undergraduate, and two-year accounting degree programs. More information about this award is available at https://aaahq.org/Education/Awards/The-J-Michael-and-Mary-Anne-Cook-Prize. For 2020, the AAA is honored to bestow this award to Brigitte W. Muehlmann, Wendy M. Tietz, and Connie Belden.

Lauren Cooper, D. Kip Holderness, Jr., Trevor L. Sorensen, and David A. Wood to receive the American Accounting Association 2020 Accounting Horizons Best Paper Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) would like to congratulate Lauren Cooper, D. Kip Holderness, Jr., Trevor L. Sorensen, and David A. Wood as the recipients of the 2020 Accounting Horizons Best Paper Award for their article "Robotic Process Automation in Public Accounting," published in the December 2019 issue. This AAA award will be presented to the authors in the form of unique glass art pieces and a $2,500 prize at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Break from 4:30 pm-5:00 pm EDT.

Lauren Cooper is an assistant professor of accounting in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. Her primary research interests are in the areas of corporate taxation, robotic process automation, and corporate social responsibility. Dr. Cooper's research has been accepted for publication at Accounting Horizons, Business & Society, and Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting. She teaches individual and corporate taxation as well as financial accounting courses in the undergraduate and Master of Accountancy programs at West Virginia University. Dr. Cooper earned a Doctor of Philosophy in business administration from Oklahoma State University. She also earned an M.S. in accounting and B.A. in mathematics from Oklahoma State University.

D. Kip Holderness, Jr., Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CFE is an associate professor of accounting at West Virginia University. He teaches managerial and forensic accounting and works extensively with doctoral students conducting various research projects. His research focuses primarily on the impact of fraud and employee deviance on individuals and organizations as well as improving detection methods. He has published in practitioner and academic journals in the areas of fraud and forensics, auditing, managerial accounting, information systems, and accounting education. In addition, Dr. Holderness has received numerous research grants from the Institute for Fraud Prevention and the Institute of Management Accountants. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Bentley University. He currently resides in Morgantown, West Virginia with his wife Carolyn and their five wonderful daughters.

Trevor L. Sorensen is an assistant professor in the Accounting Department at West Virginia University. Dr. Sorensen earned his Ph.D. at the University of Alabama. He also earned his B.S. and MAcc degrees in accounting at Brigham Young University. Dr. Sorensen's research interests include analyst forecasts, fair value accounting, taxation, and bond markets. He teaches managerial accounting, tax accounting, and accounting research seminars. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family, woodworking, and being outdoors.

David A. Wood is passionate about understanding new technologies and implementing them into the curriculum of Brigham Young University (BYU), where he works as a full professor and as the Andersen Fellow. Dr. Wood received his Ph.D. at Indiana University and his B.S. and MAcc degrees at BYU. At BYU, he teaches accounting data analytics and accounting information systems. Dr. Wood has published nearly 100 articles in a combination of academic and practitioner journals, monographs, books, and education cases. His research has won multiple best paper awards. He is an editor at three journals and on the editorial board for six journals. He is the former chair of the Accounting Information Systems (AIS) section of the AAA. He is married to the former Cindy Lunt, and they have four children, Jessica, Bryan, Derek, and Emily. In addition to technology, Dr. Wood enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, and woodworking.

The Accounting Horizons Best Paper Award is presented to the best paper published each calendar year. The award winner is selected by online voting open to all members of the American Accounting Association. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/Education/Awards/2020-Best-Paper-Awards. For 2020, the American Accounting Association is honored to be able to bestow this award to Lauren Cooper, D. Kip Holderness, Jr., Trevor L. Sorensen, and David A. Wood.

Delphine Samuels to receive the American Accounting Association 2020 Competitive Manuscript Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020- The American Accounting Association (AAA) would like to congratulate Delphine Samuels as recipient of the 2020 Competitive Manuscript Award. Professor Samuels' manuscript is “Government Procurement and Changes in Firm Transparency.” This AAA award will be presented to her in the form of a unique glass art piece at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Break from 3:00 pm-3:30 pm EDT.

Delphine Samuels is an Assistant Professor at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Professor Samuels’ research focuses on financial reporting transparency, with an emphasis on governmental entities. Her work appears in the Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, and was cited in several business media articles. Prior to joining The University of Chicago, Professor Samuels spent three years as an Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. Born in Switzerland, she holds a B.S. in management from the University of Lausanne. She came to the United States to earn her MAcc from the University of Southern California and worked as a senior auditor for Ernst & Young in Los Angeles. She received her Ph.D. in accounting from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Competitive Manuscript Award was created to encourage research among members of the AAA who have earned their Ph.D. within the past five years. The winner is chosen annually in a blind review by the Competitive Manuscript Award Committee. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Competitive-Manuscript-Award-Committee/Award-Criteria. For 2020, the American Accounting Association is very proud to give this award to Delphine Samuels for her exceptional work.

Lori Shefchik Bhaskar, Patrick Hopkins, and Joe H. Schroeder to receive the 2020 Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) would like to congratulate Lori Shefchik Bhaskar, Patrick Hopkins, and Joe H. Schroeder as the recipients of the 2020 Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award for their paper, “An Investigation of Auditors’ Judgments when Companies Release Earnings before Audit Completion,” published in the May 2019 issue of the Journal of Accounting Research. This AAA award, which is sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, will be presented to Professors Bhaskar, Hopkins, and Schroeder in the form of a medal and monetary prize at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Break from 3:00 pm-3:30 pm EDT.

Lori Shefchik Bhaskar is an Assistant Professor at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She earned her Ph.D. in Accounting from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2014 and her B.S. and M.P.A. in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Prior to her academic career, Professor Bhaskar worked in public accounting as an auditor at Deloitte in Milwaukee, WI. She specializes in behavioral auditing research and focuses on topics such as audit quality, audit regulation, internal control audits, and individual auditor attributes. Her research has been published in The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Contemporary Accounting Research, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, and Accounting Horizons. Professor Bhaskar currently serves on the editorial board for Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. She currently teaches undergraduate Auditing & Assurance Services.

Patrick Hopkins is the SungKyunKwan Professor of Business at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. He received his B.S. and MAcc from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. His research has appeared in top accounting journals, including The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting Research, Contemporary Accounting Research, and Accounting Organizations and Society. He is the past winner of the AAA’s Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award, the AAA’s Financial Accounting and Reporting Section Best Research Paper Award, the Indiana University Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, the Kelley School of Business Innovative Teaching Award, and the Kelley School of Business Outstanding Research Award. Professor Hopkins has also won each of the top teaching awards in the Kelley School of Business. Professor Hopkins served on the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council during 2012-2016 and will serve as Editor at The Accounting Review during 2020-2022.

Joe H. Schroeder is the PwC Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor at the Indiana University, Kelley School of Business. His research examines the impact of auditing on financial reporting and disclosure quality, as well as the impact of regulation on the auditor/client dynamic. His work has appeared in Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, and Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. Professor Schroeder is an editor for Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. He teaches auditing and has received many teaching awards. Professor Schroeder earned his Ph.D. in Accounting from Michigan State University in 2013 and his B.S. and M.S. in Accounting from Ball State University in 2003 and 2004, respectively. He is a CPA (Indiana) and prior to academia worked as a senior auditor in the Indianapolis, IN office of EY.

The Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award was founded in 1978 to commemorate John Wildman and to encourage research relevant to the professional practice of accounting to which much of Mr. Wildman's life was devoted. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Deloitte-Wildman-Award-Committee/Award-Criteria. For 2020, the AAA and the Deloitte Foundation are honored to be able to present this award to Lori Shefchik Bhaskar, Patrick Hopkins, and Joe H. Schroeder.

Scott D. Dyreng, Michelle Hanlon, and Edward L. Maydew to receive theAmerican Accounting Association 2020 Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) is pleased to announce that the 2020 Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award will be presented to Scott D. Dyreng, Michelle Hanlon, and Edward L. Maydew for their work entitled, “Long Run Corporate Tax Avoidance,” published in the January 2008 issue of The Accounting Review. This AAA award will be presented to Professors Dyreng, Hanlon, and Maydew in the form of unique glass art pieces and a monetary prize at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Break from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm EDT.

Scott D. Dyreng is Associate Professor of Accounting at Duke University. His research interests are in corporate tax avoidance, international taxation, and accounting for income taxes. He has published in The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, and Journal of Financial Economics, among others. He teaches managerial accounting to graduate students and has received the Excellence in Teaching Award in the Duke MMS program three times. Professor Dyreng received his Ph.D. at The University of North Carolina in 2008. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University.

Michelle Hanlon is the Howard W. Johnson Professor, and currently the Area Head for Economics, Finance, and Accounting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. Her research focuses on taxation and the intersection of taxation and financial accounting. Professor Hanlon has published in the top accounting and finance journals, among others. She has served as an editor at the Journal of Accounting and Economics for eleven years. Michelle has taught introductory and intermediate financial accounting and currently teaches Taxes and Business Strategy. She is a co-author on three textbooks. She has testified several times in front of Congressional Committees and worked as an Academic Fellow at the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee for part of 2015.

Edward L. Maydew is the David E. Hoffman Distinguished Professor of Accounting at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is also Director of the UNC Tax Center. His teaching and research interests include taxation and accounting and their roles in economic decisions. Professor Maydew is co-author of the textbook Taxes and Business Strategy. He has published in The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Accounting Studies, Contemporary Accounting Research, Management Science, Journal of Public Economics, National Tax Journal, Journal of the American Taxation Association, and Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory. Prior to joining UNC, Professor Maydew was on the faculty of The University of Chicago. He has been a visiting professor at Cornell University. He earned his Ph.D. from The University of Iowa.

The Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award is presented annually to that work or related works published more than five years but not more than 15 years prior to the year of the award and recognizes accounting research based on uniqueness and magnitude of contribution to accounting education, practice and/or future accounting research, originality and innovative content, clarity and organization of exposition and soundness and appropriateness of methodology. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Distinguished-Contribution-to-Accounting-Literature-Award-Selection-Committee/Award-Criteria. For 2020, the AAA is honored to be able to bestow this award to Scott D. Dyreng, Michelle Hanlon, and Edward L. Maydew.

Dr. Margaret H. Christ, Scott Emett, Jason Guthrie, William R. Titera, and David A. Wood to receive the Ernst & Young Foundation-sponsored 2020 Innovation in Accounting Education Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) is pleased to announce that the 2020 Innovation in Accounting Education Award will be presented to Dr. Margaret H. Christ, Scott Emett, Jason Guthrie, William R. Titera, and David A. Wood for their innovation, “EY ARC Analytics Mindset Curriculum.” This AAA award, which is sponsored by the Ernst & Young Foundation, will be presented to them in the form of unique glass art pieces and monetary prizes at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Monday, August 10, 2020 Break from 3:00 pm-3:30 pm EDT.

Dr. Margaret H. Christ, Ph.D., CIA is an Associate Professor of Accounting, and PwC Faculty Fellow in the Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia. Her research focuses on organizational risk and management control systems, including the use of data analytics and other innovations, which are changing the risk and control landscape. She has earned research awards from the AAA and the Management Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, and the Accounting Behavior and Organizations Sections. Her research is published in a variety of journals including The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Accounting, Organizations and Society, and The Journal of Management Accounting Research. She is an editor for The Accounting Review and serves on several editorial boards. Dr. Christ teaches accounting information systems and data analytics using a case-based curriculum that relies heavily on data analytics techniques. She works with the Ernst and Young Academic Resource Center to develop and disseminate educational materials on the analytics mindset.

Scott Emett is an assistant professor with the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. His research focuses on judgement and decision-making in external and internal financial reporting. Much of his research uses experiments and applies theories from both psychology and economics to understand how cognitive and motivational forces lead decision makers to deviate from the behavior predicted by classical economic theories. Professor Emett previously taught courses in financial accounting and managerial accounting at Cornell University and Brigham Young University. His research has been published in The Accounting Review, Accounting, Organizations, and Society, Contemporary Accounting Research, Accounting and Business Research, Strategic Finance, and Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, among others.

Jason Guthrie is a Managing Director within EY’s Americas Professional Practice – Auditing group based in Cleveland, OH. He is originally from San Jose, California - home of EY’s Global Technology Center - where he spent several years auditing global technology companies. Guthrie leverages his experience addressing complex accounting and auditing matters in his current role where he focuses on the audit analytic standards, methodology, learning and enablement activities in the Americas. He represents EY in several industry working groups dedicated to the advancement of analytics within the audit profession. Guthrie is an active alumnus of BYU, from which he holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in information systems management. He is a Certified Public Accountant in California and Ohio. He is a proud father of four children and enjoys science fiction, genealogy, travelling with his family and volunteering in his church and community.

William R. Titera, CPA retired after 35 years with Ernst & Young. He spent the last third of his career leading EY’s audit technology initiative in the Americas. He has chaired the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Assurance Services Executive Committee and the AICPA’s Health Care Committee. He also served as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Not-for-Profit Committee. Titera earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Washington, where he graduated summa cum laude. He is a certified public accountant and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, the Ohio State Society of CPAs, the Utah Association of CPAs, and the Washington State Society of CPAs. He and his wife, Dorothy, have five children and nineteen grandchildren. Titera serves as a local leader in his Church and has been involved in other community activities.

The annual Innovation in Accounting Education Award is intended to encourage innovation and improvement in accounting education. It recognizes significant programmatic changes or a significant activity, concept, or set of educational materials. Submissions are judged by their innovation, demonstrated educational benefits, and adaptability by other academic institutions or to other situations. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Innovation-in-Accounting-Education-Award-Committee/Award-Criteria. For 2020, the American Accounting Association and the Ernst & Young Foundation are very pleased to give this award to Dr. Margaret H. Christ, Scott Emett, Jason Guthrie, William R. Titera, and David A. Wood. These materials are freely available to higher education faculty from non-profit institutions through a private portal. To obtain an account, faculty can contact Catherine.banks@ey.com.

Mahendra R. Gujarathi to receive the American Accounting Association 2020 Issues in Accounting Education Best Paper Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) is pleased to congratulate Mahendra R. Gujarathi as the recipient of the 2020 Issues in Accounting Education Best Paper Award for his paper “Diamond Foods, Inc.: A Comprehensive Case in Financial Analysis and Valuation," that was published in the February 2019 issue. This AAA award will be presented to the author in the form of a unique glass art piece and a $2,500 prize at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Break from 4:30 pm-5:00 pm EDT.

Mahendra R. Gujarathi is the Rae D. Anderson Professor of Accountancy and coordinator of the financial reporting curriculum at Bentley University. Over the academic career spanning four decades, he has developed several new courses, introduced many educational innovations, and received numerous awards for teaching and research excellence. Dr. Gujarathi has received several external recognitions for his pedagogical contributions including AICPA’s Teaching Innovation Awards and EFMD’s prizes in the Case Writing Competition. He has published over fifty articles in academic, professional, and educational journals, and has served on the editorial boards of several reputed journals. In the 2019 Brigham Young University (BYU) global survey of accounting research, Dr. Gujarathi was ranked #1 in the case publications category. He has served on the Council and several committees of the AAA, including the 2016-17 president of the International Accounting Section. Dr. Gujarathi has been the recipient of several AAA recognitions including the 2018 Outstanding Accounting Educator Award.

The Issues in Accounting Education Best Paper Award is presented to the best paper published each calendar year. The award winner is selected by online voting open to all members of the American Accounting Association. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/Education/Awards/2020-Best-Paper-Awards. For 2020, the American Accounting Association is honored to be able to bestow this award Mahendra R. Gujarathi.

William F. (Bill) Ezzell, Jr., George W. Krull, Jr., and Beatrice Sanders to receive the American Accounting Association 2020 Lifetime Service Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) is very proud to congratulate George W. Krull, Jr., and Beatrice Sanders as recipients of the 2020 Lifetime Service Award. Our third awardee, William F. (Bill) Ezzell, Jr., is being recognized posthumously. This AAA award will be presented in the form of unique glass art pieces at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Monday, August 10, 2020 Break from 4:30 pm-5:00 pm EDT.

William F. (Bill) Ezzell, Jr. was a frequent speaker and panelist at corporate governance forums and accounting conferences discussing current and emerging issues of interest to audit committees, corporate management, auditors, and other issues of interest to the profession. Throughout his career, he was a fierce advocate for the CPA profession, especially for students on the pathway to becoming a CPA and the educators who teach them. He began his career as a CPA for Haskins & Sells in Greensboro, North Carolina and later relocated to Arlington in 1986 where he went on to lead the legislative and regulatory activities for Deloitte LLP until he retired in 2012. He worked closely with the accounting profession and Congress on enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. From 1998 through 2004, Ezzell was a member of the board of directors of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and served as its chairman from 2002-2003. As chairman he focused on restoring credibility to the accounting profession and emphasizing the profession’s core values of objectivity, integrity, and independence. He served on the board of trustees of the AICPA Foundation and was its president from 2006-2009. Under his leadership the AICPA Foundation developed a program to support an incremental increase in the number candidates seeking PhDs in accounting and tax. In 2009 he received the AICPA’s Gold Medal for Distinguished Service to the Profession. Ezzell also served as a Commissioner and co-chair of The Pathways Commission, a joint undertaking of the AAA and the AICPA, which assessed challenges and opportunities for the future of accounting education. During his retirement he continued to support the academic community. Ezzell died on April 28, 2018, in Arlington, Virginia.

George W. Krull, Jr. served as a Partner in the Executive Office of Grant Thornton LLP. After retirement, he remained active with the academic and professional accounting communities. He was an Executive-in-Residence and Professor at Bradley University, where he received Emeritus status in 2011. More recently, he served as interim Chair at the University of North Texas, Saint Louis University, and Oklahoma State University. Krull served the AAA, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), and the Pathways Commission. In 2014, he was one of one hundred distinguished graduates of the Spears School at Oklahoma State University recognized during its Centennial Anniversary celebration, and in 2015 was inducted into the Spears School Hall of Fame. In 2016, he received the AAA’s Outstanding Service Award, and in 2017, Krull received the AICPA’s Gold Medal Award of Distinction. George received his undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees from The Ohio State University, Oklahoma State University, and Michigan State University, respectively.

Beatrice (Bea) Sanders joined KPMG LLP in 2007 as National Director of Faculty Relations, where she served as the firm’s liaison with the academic community until her recent retirement. In this role, she was responsible for strategic initiatives and programs to enhance the firm’s relationship with the academic community and leverage resources for faculty and students. Prior to joining KPMG, she was Vice President of Academic and Career Development for the AICPA and was responsible for creating and managing programs to enhance the quality of accounting education and attract talented students to the accounting profession. She oversaw the AICPA’s workforce diversity initiatives, was secretary of the AICPA Foundation and AICPA’s technical advisor on the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB.) She was also liaison for the national operations of Beta Alpha Psi and the Federation of Schools of Accountancy and served on the boards of director of both organizations. Sanders also served on several committees of the AAA and the AACSB.

The Lifetime Service Award recognizes service contributions to accounting education over a sustained period of time through service to the AAA, service with the education efforts in the profession through involvement with the AICPA, IMA, and other accounting professional organizations, and service with the education efforts of public accounting firms, corporations, and not-for-profit organizations. More information about this award is available at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Lifetime-Service-Award-Committee/Award-Criteria. For 2020, the American Accounting Association is extremely pleased to honor William F. Ezzell, Jr., George W. Krull, Jr., and Beatrice Sanders for their dedicated service to the education and practice of accounting.

Mary E. Barth, Wayne R. Landsman, and Daniel J. Taylor to receive the AICPA-sponsored 2020 Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) would like to congratulate Mary E. Barth, Wayne R. Landsman, and Daniel J. Taylor as the recipients of the 2020 Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award for their work entitled, “The JOBS Act and Information Uncertainty in IPO Firms,” that was published in the November 2017 issue of The Accounting Review. This AAA award, which is sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), will be presented in the form of unique glass art pieces, plaques, and a $2,500 prize at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Break from 1:30 pm-2:00 pm EDT.

Mary E. Barth is the Joan E. Horngren Professor of Accounting, Emerita, at Stanford University, Graduate School of Business (GSB). Previously, she was on the Harvard Business School faculty and an Arthur Andersen & Co audit partner. Professor Barth is a prolific researcher who focuses on financial accounting and reporting issues. Her research has received several prestigious awards. She was Senior Editor of The Accounting Review. She has received the three GSB teaching awards, GSB’s Davis Award for lifetime faculty member service, and AAA’s Lifetime Service and Outstanding Accounting Educator Awards. Professor Barth is a Financial Accounting Foundation Trustee and an Accounting Hall of Fame member. She was an International Accounting Standards Board member, AAA President, and International Monetary Fund External Audit Committee chair. She holds an A.B. (Cornell University), an MBA (Boston University), a Ph.D. (Stanford University), and three honorary doctorates (Lancaster University, London Business School, and University of Pretoria).

Wayne R. Landsman is the KPMG Distinguished Professor of Accounting at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as the Associate Dean of the School’s Ph.D. Programs (2001-2016), and as accounting area chairman (1991-1998). He has published over seventy articles in academic and professional journals, including The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, Review of Accounting Studies, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Journal of Finance. Several of his scholarly papers have received recognition from the AAA, including the Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award (2012), the Deloitte Foundation Wildman Medal Award (1985 and 2016), and the AAA Financial Accounting and Reporting Section (FARS) Best Paper Award (2000, 2008, and 2014). Professor Landsman also received the 2014 AAA Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. He serves on editorial boards of numerous journals and was an editor of The Accounting Review 2017-2020.

Daniel J. Taylor is a tenured professor at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an award-winning researcher and teacher with extensive expertise on issues related to financial disclosures, insider trading, and corporate governance. A world-renown scholar, Professor Taylor has written more than 20 articles on these topics published in the leading academic journals in accounting, finance, and management; won numerous academic and industry awards; and serves on the editorial boards of several top academic journals. Professor Taylor’s research targets practitioners and regulators and aims to have direct relevance to current issues facing boards and shareholders. His research is frequently cited in business media, in trade publications, and in rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). His research has been presented at multiple regulatory and enforcement agencies including the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and the Southern District of New York; and has informed investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Treasury, and Department of Justice.

The Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Award is given annually to that work published within five years of the year of the award which has withstood a rigorous process of screening and scrutiny based on certain criteria, such as uniqueness and potential magnitude of contribution to accounting education, practice and/or future accounting research, breadth of potential interest, originality and innovative content, clarity and organization of exposition and soundness and appropriateness of methodology. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Notable-Contributions-to-Accounting-Literature-Award-Selection-Committee/Award-Criteria For 2020, the American Accounting Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants are very pleased to give this award to Mary E. Barth, Wayne R. Landsman, and Daniel J. Taylor.

Nancy B. Nichols to receive the PricewaterhouseCoopers Foundation-sponsored 2020 Outstanding Accounting Educator Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) is very pleased to congratulate Nancy B. Nichols as the recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. This AAA award, which is sponsored by the PricewaterhouseCoopers Foundation, consists of a unique glass art piece, citation, and a $5,000 prize. There is also an additional $5,000 donation given to the AAA on behalf of the recipient which will be used according to Professor Nichols' wishes. This award will be presented at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Break from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm EDT.

Nancy B. Nichols is the Journal of Accounting Education Professor and MSA Program Director at James Madison University (JMU). She has 23 years of experience teaching tax at the undergraduate and graduate level. Professor Nichols' research interests include tax law and segment reporting. Her articles are published in journals including The Journal of the American Taxation Association, Journal of Legal Tax Research, Accounting Horizons, Issues in Accounting Education, and Tax Notes. She co-authors a textbook, Contemporary Tax Practice. She is incoming chair of the AAA Council and Past President of the American Taxation Association and Beta Alpha Psi. She is currently site coordinator for JMU's Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program. Professor Nichols graduated from the University of South Florida and started work at Deloitte, becoming a partner in 1989. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Texas in 1997 and began her academic career at James Madison University.

The Outstanding Accounting Educator Award is presented to educators whose sustained and substantive contributions have been at universities other than large doctoral granting institutions and whose career contributions include educational innovation, excellence in teaching, publications, research guidance to graduate students and significant involvement in professional and academic societies and activities. More information about this award is available online at https://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2019-2020-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Award-Committees/Outstanding-Accounting-Educator-Award-Committee/Award-Criteria. For 2020, the American Accounting Association and the PricewaterhouseCoopers Foundation are very pleased to give this award to Nancy B. Nichols.

Bruce K. Behn to receive the 2020 Outstanding Service Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL – July 24, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) is very proud to congratulate Bruce K. Behn as the recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Service Award. This AAA award, which may be awarded at any time by the Board of Directors, will be presented to Professor Behn in the form of a unique glass art piece at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Break from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm.

Bruce K. Behn, Ph.D., CPA is the Associate Dean for Graduate and Executive Education and Deloitte LLP Professor at The University of Tennessee (UTK) Haslam College of Business. He joined the faculty in 1994 after completing his doctorate at Arizona State University. Dr. Behn has an MBA from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Behn is currently on the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants Board (AICPA), chair of the Accounting Hall of Fame Committee, Vice-Chair of the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Policy Committee and is a Council Member for the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants. He recently was on the International Accounting Education Standards Board and chaired the Pathways Commission (AAA/AICPA). He is a past President of the AAA, of the International Accounting Section of the AAA, and the Federation of Schools of Accountancy (FSA) and past chair of the AICPA's Pre-certification Education Executive Committee.

The Outstanding Service Award recognizes outstanding services to the Association other than educational and research contributions. The prestigious award is intended only for rare events or milestones achieved. More information about this award is available at http://aaahq.org/Education/Awards/Outstanding-Service-Award. For 2020, the American Accounting Association is extremely pleased to be able to present this award to Bruce K. Behn in honor of his dedicated service to the education and practice of accounting.

The Accounting Review Outstanding Reviewer Award

Lakewood Ranch, FL - July 30, 2020 - The American Accounting Association (AAA) would like to congratulate 23 editorial board members of The Accounting Review and 21 Ad Hoc Reviewers as recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Reviewer Award for The Accounting Review. This TAR award will be presented to the reviewers in the form of a unique wood and glass plaque at the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting during the Monday, August 10, 2020 Break from 1:30 pm-2:00 pm EDT. The awards presentation will begin five minutes after the start of the break.

The Outstanding Reviewer Award recognizes truly outstanding reviewers who provided many high quality and timely reviews to The Accounting Review during Mary E. Barth’s term as Senior Editor from 2017 to 2020. Award recipients were selected by a committee of TAR Editors, Brad A. Badertscher, as chair, Jacqueline S. Hammersley, and Sonja O. Rego, with Mary Barth’s oversight. The committee considered three key TAR reviewer performance metrics—number of completed reviews, average editor-rating of the quality of the reviews, and review timeliness—as well as nominations from editors. The recipients are a select group of individuals, who represent the top 3.4% of TAR reviewers. You can view the list of award recipients HERE.