Fellowships provide $12,000 per year for up to five years.
NEW YORK (October 9 2019) – The American Institute of CPAs Foundation granted fellowships to 25 minority doctoral students as part of its effort to increase the number of minority educators in accounting programs.
The funding comes from the Minority Doctoral Fellowship program, which serves to bolster the number of minority CPAs serving as educators at colleges and universities. It provides $12,000 to each student, renewable for up to an additional four years, assuming students continue to meet eligibility requirements.
“The AICPA is committed to building diversity throughout the accounting profession,” said Steve Matzke, director, faculty & university initiatives at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “We believe that diversifying accounting faculty and putting more CPAs in the class room is a win-win for students and the profession.”
The 2019-20 Minority Doctoral Fellowship recipients, as well as the doctoral programs they are attending, are:
- Christiana Antwi-Obimpeh, University of Texas – San Antonio
- Candice Boucree, Louisiana State University
- Ryan C. Ballestero, University of Texas-Austin
- Hilda Carrillo, University of South Florida
- LaToya Flint, University of Mississippi
- Danielle Gant, Texas Tech University
- Paige G. Harrell, Emory University
- Claudia C. Hernandez, Florida International University
- Andria Hill, University of Central Florida
- Brittani Shantel Jackson, Indiana University
- Carissa Malone, Virginia Tech University
- Tendai Masaya, Yale University
- Ann Mungai, Florida Atlantic University
- Clay Partridge, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Christian S. Paparcuri, Arizona State University
- Devon Privette Jefferson, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Iguehi Rajsky, Temple University
- Jeremy Richardson, Texas Tech University
- Vernan O. Rivera, University of Connecticut
- Edgar Rodriguez Vazquez, University of Washington
- Christina M. Ruiz, Arizona State University
- Nuria Seijas, University of Arizona
- Syrena Shirley, Pennsylvania State University
- Andrea Tillet, Florida State University
- Kimberly Walker, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“The AICPA Foundation is proud to be helping these CPAs along their path toward becoming accounting educators,” said Ernie Almonte, CPA, CGMA, AICPA Foundation president. “These individuals will give back to the profession by inspiring the next generation of CPAs.”
All Minority Doctoral Fellows must be ethnic minorities and U.S. citizens or permanent residents, who have earned a master’s degree or worked at least three years full-time in the accounting profession. The 2020-21 application will be available on March 1st, 2020. A full list of requirements and information about other scholarship awards offered to accounting students are available at ThisWaytoCPA.
The Minority Doctoral Fellowship is one of several AICPA initiatives aimed at cultivating a diverse and inclusive accounting profession. The Accounting Inclusion Maturity Model is a tool to help organizations assess and measure their diversity and inclusion efforts. The Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop is an annual, all-expenses-paid event for racial and ethnic minority students to strengthen their professional and networking skills, while helping them to prepare for a career in accounting. And the AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students, part of the AICPA Legacy Scholars program, provides funding to outstanding minority students studying accounting.
The Minority Doctoral Fellowships are funded by the AICPA Foundation.
About the American Institute of CPAs
The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is the world’s largest member association representing the CPA profession, with more than 429,000 members in the United States and worldwide, and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education and consulting. The AICPA sets ethical standards for its members and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, nonprofit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination, offers specialized credentials, builds the pipeline of future talent and drives professional competency development to advance the vitality, relevance and quality of the profession.
About the AICPA Foundation
The AICPA Foundation was established in 1922 to advance accounting as a learned profession and promote its future. To encourage a wide range of talented and diverse students to pursue their CPA, the Foundation is committed to three main areas: accounting education and outreach, scholarships and fellowships, and diversity and inclusion. Within these areas of focus, the Foundation funds over $1.3 million in programming each year, provided in part by donations from individuals, state societies, accounting firms and others.
About the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) is the most influential body of professional accountants, combining the strengths of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to power opportunity, trust and prosperity for people, businesses and economies worldwide. It represents 657,000 members and students across 179 countries and territories in public and management accounting and advocates for the public interest and business sustainability on current and emerging issues. With broad reach, rigor and resources, the Association advances the reputation, employability and quality of CPAs, CGMAs and accounting and finance professionals globally.
