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Let's Talk Business: Accounting is the Foundation of Great Business

You may recall a high school bookkeeping course and think accounting is just about transaction analysis and creating financial statements, like the balance sheet or income statement. You may even recall the dreaded words “debit” and “credit.”

Foundational skills are critical to be successful in most any career. Before an engineer can build a bridge or skyscraper, they need to know calculus. Before a doctor can cure patients, they need to know human anatomy, biology and chemistry.

Accounting Student Receives Top Honors

Alyssa Quinlan, a student in the Master of Accounting program at the Chambers College, was recently named West Virginia’s top accounting student by a state professional society.

A native of St. Albans, WV, Quinlan graduated Summa Cum Lauda from WVU in May 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Following her graduation, she returned to the Chambers College to pursue a Master of Accounting degree with a focus on Business Data Analytics and Assurance as well as Forensic and Fraud Examination. She intends to earn certifications as both a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner).

Meet Nathan Baker

Figuring out what you want to do in life and then actually going for it takes courage. It requires stepping out of your comfort zone, taking risks, and believing in yourself. Nathan Baker, a graduate from Fairmont, West Virginia, embodies this spirit of determination and fearlessness as he graduated with a dual-degree in accounting and finance.

From an early age, Baker knew he wanted to work in the business field. He felt a strong connection to West Virginia, his home, but also had a desire to explore the world around him. Through his travels, he realized the impact of being a WVU alumnus and the opportunities it could bring. This realization sparked his ambition to re-enroll at West Virginia University and pursue his dream.

Meet Emma Fridley

Emma Fridley, a freshman accounting major from Grafton, West Virginia, is a first-generation college student here at the Chambers College.

With a desire to go to college, she worked hard in high school to make sure her college tuition was covered completely by scholarships. 

Celebrating First-Generation Students, Faculty and Staff

If you’ve spent some time on a college campus or in a lecture hall, you may have heard someone use the term “first-gen.” If it doesn’t apply to you, then you carry on to your next class or activity. Or, your eyes may have widened knowing that the term very well describes you. At the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, we’re bridging the gap.

According to the Center for First-Generation Student Success, one-third of all college students in the United States are first-generation students.

Meet Megan Skinner

Megan Skinner obtained her B.S. in Business Administration with a major in accounting from West Virginia University in May 2020 and went on to pursue her masters, graduating with a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) degree with an emphasis in taxation in 2021.

Skinner decided to enroll in the MAcc program because she felt it was the best next step, especially for additional credit hours needed to complete her CPA license.

September 2020 Department Digest and Awards

The Chambers College team is doing big things, and we want to know about them! Share through this form to see them in a future edition of Let’s Talk Business and/or our other communications vehicles. Want to recognize your colleagues for their accomplishments? Click here .

The Accounting department was informed by AACSB in May 2020 that the department has achieved accounting accreditation for five additional years.

The forensic accounting group conducted its first ever virtual residencies. Pitch-to-Prosecutor, Crime Scene Investigation - Financial, Interviewing for Deception and Moot Court were all conducted using virtual platforms. Moot court included 20 participating lawyers from Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC.

MAcc Coordinator Gary LeDonne, along with Accounting 200, 201, 202 TAPS Nancy Lynch and Cindy Dalton put together a teaching assistant program this summer to support large online sections of these courses. The participating MAcc students will help ensure that entry-level undergraduate students have high levels of support, quick feedback to questions and a more personalized experience.

Professors John Treu and Ji Woo Ryou had articles accepted in the Accounting Review this summer. Ji Woo Ryou also had an article accepted in the Journal of Corporate Finance.

The Board of Governors voted to accept the recommendations of the Graduate Councils for MS Forensic and Fraud Examination to continue with its current level of activity.

The American Accounting Association (AAA) recognized 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.

Professor Christian Schaupp’s international efforts in the Honors Program continue to receive recognition. His proposal for the Virtual Exchange Faculty Grant has been accepted for his project utilizing global consulting projects with Münster University of Applied Sciences, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, and Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana.