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| PAWS & REFLECT Fall 2021, Volume 3
News from Clemson University's School of Accountancy
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In all my years in academia, I have never been part of such a tumultuous 18 months. I am so incredibly proud of the faculty, staff and students in the School of Accountancy. The faculty spent countless hours learning new technologies, taking classes to improve online teaching pedagogy and engaging virtually with students, while continuing to create and disseminate new knowledge. In spite of a disruptive learning environment, students continued to thrive. The four- and six-year graduation rate for sophomores who directly entered the accounting major approximated 91% and 98%, respectively. Fall and spring recruiting events went virtual, with over 1,000 one-to-one meetings between students and employers. Student engagement with Beta Alpha Psi and IMA student chapters continued at a high level. Faculty, staff and students proved to be resilient, flexible, committed, engaged, determined and Tiger Proud!
I look forward to a new beginning this fall. While still in the midst of a pandemic and uncertain environment, we are ready to take lessons learned and begin a new, even better, semester of learning. While always keeping health and safety at the forefront, we are open and ready for in-person classes without social distancing. The new Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business building is state-of-the-art, and it is exciting to see faculty, staff and students in the building.
We greatly appreciate your support of the School of Accountancy, which is important now more than ever. Your support and donations are essential for our continued success and help us meet our mission. If you would like to provide financial support, please designate your contribution to the School of Accountancy Excellence Fund. We also greatly appreciate your support in hiring our graduates, engaging with our students in the classroom and interacting with them at student events. I look forward to such continued interactions. On behalf of everyone in the School of Accountancy, thank you for your support!
GO TIGERS!
Sally K. Widener, Ph.D.
Trevillian Distinguished Professor and
Director of the School of Accountancy
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- Powers' Contribution to the College of Business
- Classroom Dedication
- Student Highlights & Awards
- Student Organizations
- Alumni Spotlight
- Faculty Awards & Research
- MPAcc Program News
- Advisory Board Members
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| $60 Million Transformational Gift Elevates Business at Clemson
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In October of 2020, President Clements announced the University’s largest-ever gift from Wilbur O. “Billy” and Ann Powers, longtime South Carolina philanthropists and friends of the University. Their $60 Million gift positions Clemson’s College of Business to become a nationally recognized program for educating global business leaders. As part of the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, the School of Accountancy expects our students to benefit from additional curriculum programming opportunities. READ MORE >
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| Beloved Professor Honored with Classroom Dedication
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The MA Prater Classroom in the
Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business
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Mary Ann “MA” Prater, taught at Clemson for nearly 30 years and is known as one of the most beloved professors in the School of Accountancy. She inspired, mentored, challenged and encouraged every student who entered her classroom. This year MA was honored by friends and family with the naming of a classroom inside the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. The naming serves as an inspiration for future generations of students and faculty. READ MORE >
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STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS & AWARDS
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| Student Spotlight: Jada McBride
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Originally from McDonough, Georgia, Jada McBride’s journey to Clemson was somewhat unexpected. Her older sister attended the University of Georgia. When it came time to apply to college, McBride assumed she would follow in her sister’s footsteps. However, with a cousin working at Clemson and a little encouragement from her mother, she decided to visit Clemson and fell in love. She said that Clemson reminded her of her hometown and “had the small town feel where everybody is super friendly.”
McBride has certainly made the most of her time at Clemson. During her first year she became active in the Minority Business Student Association and began serving as the VP of Finance during her junior year. For two years, she also served as a student mentor for CONNECTIONS, a first-year program for minority students, and she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. during the past year. McBride clearly has a passion for serving others. This is evident not only in her on campus activities, but also in the other activities she participates in to serve the local community. She has assisted with the Clemson Paw Pantry and volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Project Host and Helping Hands, to name a few.
McBride wasn't sure what she wanted to major in when she entered Clemson. Encouraged by her mother, she considered accounting. After taking ACCT 2010 with Senior Lecturer Annieka Philo, she said she just “fell in love” with accounting. Acknowledging that classes in this field can be difficult, she said the faculty are always very willing to work with students, and meet with them if they need additional help. McBride said she hasn't had a bad experience with any of her accounting professors or anyone outside of accounting.
For students interested in accounting, she would advise them to go in with an open mind and get as much insight as possible from other accounting students or professors. She suggests students shouldn't be scared to reach out to people, ask questions and see if accounting is a "good fit" for them.
McBride has excelled academically earning a number of awards during her time at Clemson. She was selected as a Thomas F. Chapman Scholar during her freshman year and received the J.C. Hubbard Award during her junior year. She was also selected by a group of faculty from the School of Accountancy as a nominee for the PCAOB Scholars Program and found out in June that she had been selected for the award, a $10,000 scholarship for the 2021-2022 academic year.
With all of the activities that McBride has been involved in, she likely has a number of unforgettable moments. However, she notes that getting her Clemson ring was the most memorable. “That was a big moment for me, I was very excited to get that” she said. McBride is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Clemson’s MPAcc program. After her final graduation in December 2022, she hopes to begin a full time position with Ernst and Young in one of their many offices. Congratulations to Jada McBride on all of her accomplishments!
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| Accounting Scholarship Recipients
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Each year, the Scholarships and Awards committee of the School of Accountancy selects 15 students to receive awards. Students are selected based on evidence of academic performance, leadership, service and character. The awards are conferred during the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business Honors and Awards Ceremony. The awards range from $232.50 to $1,000 per student. The School of Accountancy is thankful to all of our generous donors who make these annual awards possible.
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|  | Micah P. Aebischer
Brian Moody '86 Award
| |  | Casey N. Bigham
Price Waterhouse Coopers Achievement Award
| |  | Becca Boyd
Deloitte Achievement Award
| |  | Carlee B. Chacknes
KPMG Outstanding Graduate Student Achievement Award
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|  | Jennifer L. Contonio
James A. Turner Award - Finance
| |  | Anna V. Davidson
James A. Turner Award - Accounting
| |  | Jacob C. Edwards
Dixon Hughes Goodman Achievement Award
| |  | Victoria Grabovskiy
KPMG Achievement Award
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|  | Anna K. Heintz
Federation of Schools of Accountancy Award
| |  | Jada K McBride
J.C. Hubbard Award &
PCAOB Scholarship
| |  | Katherin B. McKinney
Grant Thornton Achievement Award
| |  | Gabrielle C. Nuzzi
Ernst & Young Achievement Award
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|  | Charlotte G. Ruhlin
Brian Moody '86 Award
| |  | Hayley B. Walker
Elliott Davis Achievement Award
| |  | Hannah M. Zerwas
Faculty Award for Outstanding Student Intern
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| Congratulations to our South Carolina Association of CPAs Scholarship Award Winners
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Despite the challenges of this past year, Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) members, and its advisors Professor Phebe Davis-Culler and Senior Lecturer Annieka Philo, were busy hosting professional meetings, engaging in professional development, attending the BAP Mid-year meeting and providing service to the community. The organization persevered and successfully engaged its members in various events and activities throughout the year. They also welcomed 47 candidates who became members during the academic year. Congratulations to BAP’s new members! READ MORE >
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IMA Student Chapter
This past year, under the direction of Professor Robin Radtke, Clemson's IMA student chapter held virtual meetings and hosted a variety of speakers to discuss topics that help members prepare for future careers in corporate accounting. Speakers included Joe More from ScanSource, Lisa Goodlett from MUSC Health, Sheliah Williams from Georgia Pacific, Darbie Sale and Julia Springer from Bank of America and Mitch McCarter from Robert Half Finance & Accounting. Thank you to all of the speakers who made these meetings possible!
| |  | Templeton Ethics Case Competition
Clemson accounting students John Burkett and Connor Douglass were selected to participate in the Templeton Ethics Case Competition. They were tasked with presenting their recommendations as to whether Darden Restaurants should mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their employees. Congratulations on a job well done!
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Earl Stone
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|  | Earl Stone
Oklahoma Managing Partner at Deloitte
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Earl Stone earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Clemson University in 2001. Based in Oklahoma City, Stone is a CPA and has worked at Deloitte for the past 20 years. He is the Oklahoma Managing Partner, leading the comprehensive Deloitte practice of Audit, Tax,nAdvisory and Consulting services. Stone also serves as the Oklahoma Audit Leader, responsible for marketplace initiatives, operational matters, client service delivery assignments and talent-related matters for the Oklahoma audit practice of Deloitte. He also serves as Deloitte’s Audit & Assurance (A&A) Chief Talent Officer. In that role, Stone leads the day-to-day aspects of the A&A talent strategies that impact its professionals’ everyday Deloitte experience, from performance management, resource management and deployment, to talent acquisition, retention and compensation strategies.
Stone has served large energy clients for the majority of his 20-year career, including natural gas transmission and storage companies, natural gas gathering and processing companies, crude oil transmission pipelines, exploration and production and liquified natural gas operations. His expertise also includes public and private debt offerings, M&A, spin-offs and internal control reviews.
In addition to his many leadership roles within Deloitte, Stone generously gives of his time. In his community, he is on the Junior Achievement Board of Directors and the Board of Advisors for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. He is also a member of the AICPA and the Oklahoma Society of CPAs.
Though he lives far from the hills of Clemson, Stone also continues to eagerly engage with his Clemson family, serving on the Clemson University School of Accountancy’s Advisory Board. Through this board, Stone helps to inform curriculum and strategic decisions that will ensure that tomorrow’s Clemson graduates are prepared to begin successful careers in the accounting profession. In short, the School of Accountancy is extremely proud of Earl Stone and his many accomplishments since his time at Clemson. We wish him continued success in all of his endeavors. Go TIGERS!
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FACULTY AWARDS & RESEARCH
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Powers Distinguished Fellow
Wilbur O. and Ann Powers’ transformational gift created seven new competitive faculty fellowships (four “distinguished” and three “emerging”) that are awarded college-wide to recognize outstanding research, teaching and service. The School of Accountancy is proud to announce that our own Professor Derek Dalton has been named a “Powers Distinguished Fellow” for a three-year term beginning in 2021. Professor Dalton is ranked #1 in his field of research, is an award-winning teacher (named “Best Instructor” within the MBA program) and is a leader within the SoA and the college.
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Endowed Hash Professorship
Thanks to Thomas F. Hash’s (’69) generous financial gift, the School of Accountancy is now able to recognize and reward the outstanding work of our accounting faculty members. The Thomas F. Hash ’69 Professorship is awarded for a three-year term to one tenured faculty member whose teaching record reflects enthusiasm and a passion for teaching. The Hash Professor must also have distinctive achievement in research and service, with demonstrated evidence of leadership to the School of Accountancy. Congratulations to Professor Nancy Harp for being selected as the first recipient of this well-earned honor!
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Charles D. and Katrina M. Way Faculty Fellowship
Congratulations to Professor Brian M. Goodson, who has been named the Charles D. and Katrina M. Way Faculty Fellow for 2021 – 2022! Mr. and Mrs. Way’s generous gift will financially support Professor Goodson’s research project examining how investors respond to new disclosures required by the PCAOB’s revised auditor reporting standard.
Professor Goodson explores the PCAOB’s highly contentious requirement for auditors to disclose the audit firm’s tenure within the auditing report. Experimental results suggest that investors assess audit quality differently in the presence of these disclosures, through underlying psychological processes reflecting the interconnectedness individuals perceive between others. The study not only documents the negative unintended consequences of new disclosures required by PCAOB standards, but it also helps inform how investors’ judgments regarding auditor independence are formed. Professor Goodson’s research will be published in academic journals and insights from the study will be shared with students. Specifically, this research will help students appreciate that ongoing regulatory and standard-setting issues they are learning about in their accounting courses can lead to unintended consequences.
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Kathryn Kisska-Schulze, JD, LL.M.
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| Holmes-Cardozo Distinguished Submitted Conference Paper
Professor Kathryn Kisska-Schulze’s article (with Kimberly A. Houser, University of North Texas), "Leveling the Playing Field in Venture Capital", won the 2021 Holmes-Cardozo Distinguished Submitted Paper award offered by the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB). The Holmes-Cardozo Award was established to recognize significant, unpublished original legal research and is the premier paper award granted at the annual ALSB conference. Their article explores the critical obstacles enabling gender and racial disparity in Venture Capital (VC), and advances a multi-pronged approach to closing the gender and racial gap in VC funding through (1) data-driven investing, (2) extending anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws to VC, and (3) implementing federal and state tax incentives to further increase VC diversification efforts.
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Best Management Paper at the 2020 American Accounting Association Annual Conference
Professor Dan Way (with his co-authors Jason Brown, Ph.D., Patrick Martin, Ph.D., and Geoff Sprinkle, Ph.D.) won the award for the best management paper at the 2020 American Accounting Association annual conference for their manuscript titled "The Effects of Return on Investment and Residual Income Performance Measures and Risk Preferences on Risk-Taking in Capital Investment Decisions."
The paper reports the results of an experiment that was conducted to test the effects of managers’ risk preferences and the use of different accounting performance measures (ROI and residual income) on risk-taking in capital investments. They find that evaluating capital project outcomes and managers’ performance using ROI, due to the ways it may make projects appear less risky and more likely to satisfy minimum aspirations of positive performance measure outcomes, leads managers to pursue riskier capital investments than when performance is evaluated using residual income. They also find that this effect interacts with managers’ innate preferences for risk, in that differences in risk-taking as a function of the performance measure used are concentrated primarily in relatively more risk-averse managers. Given the long-standing debate in managerial accounting regarding the relative merits of using ROI and residual income performance measures, they believe their study highlights one important behavioral implication of firms’ choice of these performance measures.
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| School of Accountancy Research Rankings
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According to the 2020 Brigham Young University accounting research rankings, the School of Accountancy ranks 53rd in overall research productivity worldwide and ranks 2nd among public, non-Ph.D. granting institutions. The overall rankings cover multiple research methods and accounting topics and measures each institution’s research output in the top 12 peer-reviewed accounting journals. Our faculty’s research ranks in the top 50 for Auditing, Accounting Information Systems and Tax topics and ranks in the top 25 for Managerial Accounting topics. The School of Accountancy ranks #1 for “Other” research topics, which includes some of the most relevant issues/challenges facing the accounting profession today. The “Other” topic includes research devoted to gender issues, diversity and inclusion topics, work-life balance, turnover and other issues impacting the work environment of the accounting profession.
Professor Derek Dalton is ranked as the top researcher worldwide in the “Other” category, and he has published several papers in top 12 accounting journals that address gender issues, work-life balance, turnover, ethics and mentoring in the accounting profession. Professor Dalton’s most recent project explores how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting partner aspirations, particularly among female accountants. His data suggests that female CPAs’ aspirations to reach the top (in both public accounting and industry) drastically declined during the pandemic. However, his data shows that those with greater levels of supervisor support and stronger mentoring relationships were better able to weather the pandemic with their partner aspirations intact. Results imply that firms need to invest in supervisor training, mentoring and other forms of support to retain and promote female accountants to the top levels within firms.
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Sally Widener, Ph.D. Robin Radtke, Ph.D.
Counterproductive work behaviors and work climate: The role of an ethically focused management control system and peers’ self-focused behavior.
Authors: Lucia Bellora-Bienengräber, Ph.D., Robin Radtke, Ph.D, and Sally Widener, Ph.D.
Accounting, Organizations and Society
This study of department managers finds that when the management control system is more ethically focused, managers engage in less counterproductive work behavior such as missing work appointments, complaining about insignificant things at work and misuse of firm resources. Additionally, when managers engage in less counterproductive work behavior, the work climate of the department is less self-focused. However, the self-focused behavior of peer managers may negatively impact the effectiveness of an ethically focused management control system.
| |  | Amy Donnelly, Ph.D. Jeremy Vinson, Ph.D.
The impact of trait skepticism and ego depletion on auditor judgment.
Authors: Amy Donnelly, Ph.D., Steve Kaplan, Ph.D., and Jeremy Vinson, Ph.D.
Behavioral Research in Accounting
This study investigates how an auditor's ego depletion, the ability to exert self-control or willpower, affects auditor skepticism. The study finds that when there is greater depletion after performing a cognitively demanding task, subsequent audit judgements are safer and more skeptical due to auditors compensating for their decreased ability to critically evaluate information. The authors identify that a potential downside of this increased skepticism is a sub-optimal allocation of audit resources and over-auditing.
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Faculty Publications
Avishek, B., B. Mammadov, T. Maya, and V. Hamid. 2021. "Corporate culture and financial reporting quality." Accounting Horizons, forthcoming.
Bagley, P., D. Dalton, C. Eller, and N. Harp. "Preparing students for the future of work: Lessons
learned from telecommuting in public accounting." Journal of Accounting Education,
forthcoming.
Bellora-Bienengräber, L., R. Radtke, and S. Widener. 2021. "Counterproductive work behaviors and work climate: The role of an ethically focused management control system and peers’ self-focused behavior." Accounting, Organizations and Society, forthcoming
Black, J., M. Cussatt, and Z. Chen. 2021. "Does fair value accounting improve financial statement comparability?" Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, forthcoming.
Brown, J. L., G. B. Sprinkle, and D. Way. 2021. "The effects of multi-level group identification on intergroup helping behavior." Journal of Management Accounting Research, forthcoming.
Cussatt, M., M. Harris, and F. Xiao. 2021. "The variety of diversity considerations in the director-nomination process: Evidence from the Dow 30." Accounting and the Public Interest, forthcoming.
Davis-Culler, P., D. Dickins, J. Reid, and J. Higgs. 2021. "Auditing while black: Revealing microaggressions faced by black professionals in public accounting." Current Issues in Auditing, forthcoming.
Davis-Culler, P., D. Dickens, J. Higgs, and J. Reid. 2021. "In their words: Illuminating the black experience in internal auditing." The Internal Auditor, April.
Donnelly, A., F. Kennedy, and S. Widener. 2020. "Management controls and intrinsic motivation: Insights from a lean organizational setting." Journal of Management Accounting Research, forthcoming.
Donnelly, A., S. Kaplan, and J. Vinson. 2021. "The impact of trait skepticism and ego depletion on auditor judgment." Behavioral Research in Accounting, forthcoming.
Garrett, J., R. Hoitash, and D. Prawitt. 2021. "Perceptions of tone at the top from the inside: Insights into audit pricing." Auditing: Journal of Practice & Theory, forthcoming.
Harvin, O., M. Killey, P. Davis-Culler, and D. Solar. 2021. "Utilizing methods of proving income in fraud examinations." Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting 13(1).
Hossain, M., B. Mammadov, and H. Vakilzadeh. 2021. "Wisdom of the crowd and stock price crash risk: Evidence from social media." Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, forthcoming.
Huang, L., M. Cussatt, and B. Wong-on-Wing. 2021. "Comprehensive income presentation and value relevance". Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, forthcoming.
Kisska-Schulze, K. and A. Epstein. 2021. "Changing the face of college sports one tax return at a time." Oklahoma Law Review 73 (3).
Mock, R. and K. Kisska-Schulze. 2021 "Saving the nonessential with radical tax policy." University of Cincinnati Law Review, forthcoming.
Vinson, J., J. Robertson, and M. Curtis. 2020. "How auditors’ approach to client inquiry may affect skeptical judgment: A mixed-method examination of client inquiry and note taking." European Accounting Review, forthcoming.
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|  | Suzy Pearse
MPAcc Program Director
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| Clemson's MPAcc Program Climbs the Ranks
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Under the leadership of Suzy Pearse, the SoA’s Master of Professional Accountancy (“MPAcc”) program continues to thrive and gain national recognition for excellence. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) recently announced that Clemson’s MPAcc program ranks 13th nationally in student proficiency at passing the four-part CPA Exam within 18 months. The NASBA ranking comes on the heels of Clemson’s MPAcc program being named among the 50 best in the country in 2020. In that ranking, TFE Times, a leading online news media and academia company, listed the program as 46th best nationally.
“A differentiator of our MPAcc program is that the CPA Exam review is integrated into our curriculum. We are one of the few schools in the country that build a review of all four parts of the CPA Exam into our program.” ~ Suzy Pearse, Senior Lecturer and MPAcc Progam Coordinator
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| MPAcc to Offer Fellowships to Underrepresented Students
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The School of Accountancy is very excited to announce new fellowship opportunities for underrepresented students in its MPAcc program. Fellowships are monetary awards that require no service or work from the student. Fellowship recipients are also granted the in-state rate for tuition and fees. The School of Accountancy is providing the initial funding to kickstart the fellowship program. For more information on donating to this fellowship fund contact Kathy Glenn and for more information on applying for one of the fellowships contact Suzy Pearse.
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Clemson’s Accounting Advisory Board plays an essential role in the School of Accountancy, helping us better prepare our accounting majors for the profession they will enter upon graduation. Our members provide practical insights on a range of issues, including how to best incorporate curriculum changes that will ensure students acquire the skills needed in a constantly evolving global business environment. We are grateful to our continuing and new members. Thank you so much for all you do to support our students and the School of Accountancy!
Continuing Board Members New Board Members
Mike Boliek (Elliott Davis) Roselle Bonnoitt (DHG)
Jessica Donan (EY) Aubrey Harrell (KPMG)
Lori Hudson (National Gypsum) Earl Stone (Deloitte)
Jon Ridgway (KPMG)
Brandon Robinson (CGL)
Jeff Schwartz (Deloitte)
Gray Suggs (SuggsJohnson)
Jimmy ten Pas (DHG)
TJ Way (Wells Fargo Advisors)
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Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business School of Accountancy
Clemson, South Carolina 29634 | (864) 656-3265 | clemson.edu/business/accounting
Accountancy | Aerospace Studies | Economics | Financial Management
Graphic Communications | Management | Marketing | Military Leadership | Master of Business Administration
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