Speakers

Karen Osterheld is a consultant to the American Accounting Association (AAA), working on strategic initiatives. Prior to serving in this role, Karen was the Senior Director of the Center for Advancing Accounting Education at the AAA. In this role, she was responsible for the identification, development and dissemination of best practices and innovations in accounting education across the academy.

Karen Osterheld is a consultant to the American Accounting Association (AAA), working on strategic initiatives. Prior to serving in this role, Karen was the Senior Director of the Center for Advancing Accounting Education at the AAA. In this role, she was responsible for the identification, development and dissemination of best practices and innovations in accounting education across the academy.

In 2003, Karen received the Joseph M. Cronin Award for Excellence in Academic Advising at Bentley. In 2008, she was nominated Faculty Member of the Year by the student body. She has also won two Bentley University Innovation in Teaching Awards and the Bentley University Service-Learning Award.

Karen has chaired the AAA Conference on Teaching and Learning in Accounting and served as the President of the Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Section of the AAA.

Karen started her professional career at Arthur Young in Boston and has eleven years of business experience, primarily as a manager in the financial services industry. She earned her B.S. Degree in Mathematics from the State University of New York at Albany and her M.B.A. Degree from the University of Wisconsin. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Massachusetts.

Cathy J. Scott, Ph.D. is the Inaugural Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) and an Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD). An award-winning educator, author, and consultant with more than 30 years of professional and academic experience, Dr. Scott teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in accounting and business analytics.

Her Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research focuses on emerging technologies (including AI), student-centered and active learning strategies, online teaching effectiveness, data analytics, and strengthening the accounting education pipeline. She has authored multiple college textbooks and co-founded TeachingAndLearningToolbox.com, a website connecting technology with pedagogy.

Dr. Scott has delivered more than 150 presentations at national, regional, and state conferences. Her contributions to innovation in teaching have earned numerous distinctions, including the AAA/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize, the EY/AAA Innovation in Accounting Education Award, the Bea Sanders/AICPA Teaching Innovation Award, TXCPA Accounting Educator of the Year, AAA TYC Educator of the Year, the Navarro College Teaching Excellence Award, and UNTD Outstanding Graduate School Faculty Award.

Dr. Scott continues to advance excellence in teaching and learning by helping educators integrate innovation, technology, and student-centered practices into the classroom.

Dr. Jay C. Thibodeau is a former auditor and a CPA. He received his BS degree from the University of Connecticut in 1987 and his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1996. Dr. Thibodeau has conducted executive education programs for numerous leading firms including Fidelity Investments, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Stryker, and Bluecoat Technologies.

He is a coauthor of two books, Auditing and Assurance Services (in its 9th edition) and Auditing and Accounting Cases: Investigating Issues of Fraud and Professional Ethics (in its 4th edition). In addition, he has written over 70 articles and book chapters for academics and practitioners and has published in journals such as Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Journal of Information Systems, Accounting Horizons, and Issues in Accounting Education.

Dr. Thibodeau is a member of the Board of Directors at the American Accounting Association. Previously he served as president of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association for the 2014/2015 academic year. He has also received national recognition for his work ten times. First, for his thesis, winning the 1996 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award presented by the ABO section of the AAA. Five other times, for curriculum innovation, winning the 2001 Joint AICPA/AAA Collaboration Award, the 2003 Innovation in Assurance Education Award, the 2016 Forensic Accounting Teaching Innovation Award, the 2019 Innovation in Assurance Education Award and the 2023 Innovation in Assurance Education Award. Once, for outstanding service, receiving a Special Service Award from the Auditing Section for his work in helping to create the Center for Audit Quality’s Access to Auditors program. And finally, three other times for research excellence, winning the 2020 Glen McLaughlin Prize for Research in Accounting and Ethics given by the University of Oklahoma, 2023 Best Paper Award for Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory and the 2024 Best Paper Award for the Journal of Information Systems.