Message from the ChairLaurel Franzen, Ph.D.
It’s hard to believe another year is coming to a close! I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people who continue to make LMU Accounting a success. Thank you to my accounting colleagues for their tremendous efforts, our students for staying engaged and focused on their studies and career goals, our Accounting Advisory Board members for their guidance, our partner firms for coaching and recruiting our students, and our alumni and donors for their unwavering support. On behalf of the entire LMU Department of Accounting, have a wonderful holiday season and we'll see you again in 2024!
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STUDENT SPotlight
Lynn Mwongela Ignites a Passion for Accounting
Lynn Mwongela ’24, M.S. ’25 discovered her passion for accounting in her first accounting class. Now, with back-to-back internships at PwC, a headstart on her M.S. in Taxation degree, and president of LMU’s Accounting Society, Lynn is well on her way to blazing her own path to success. More | | 
2023 alumnUS of the year
Troy Varenchik '97: The Secret to Success is Helping OthersThere are many highlights in Troy Varenchik's 25+ year career with Deloitte, but the one he's most proud of is bringing full-tuition scholarships to underrepresented students at LMU. Troy is leveraging his position as a partner at Deloitte Tax LLP to help young professionals grow and succeed. More | |
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Annual Banquet Celebrates LMU Accounting Excellence
The LMU Accounting Society honored and recognized the top accounting students, faculty, alumni, and generous donors at its 41st Annual Banquet on April 20 at Westdrift Manhattan Beach. Scholarships totaling $369,500 were awarded to 47 undergraduate and graduate accounting students. More
Save the date for the 2024 Accounting Society Spring Banquet: Thursday, April 18.
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new faculty spotlight
Yini Wang, Ph.D.
Yini Wang joined LMU this fall as a visiting assistant professor of accounting. Her primary research interest is in the area of auditing, with a focus on cross-border audit regulation enforcement and international audit markets. Yini earned a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Miami and worked as an auditor for KPMG Shanghai for two years. Yini recently accepted a tenure-track position and will join the LMU accounting faculty full-time in fall 2024. More | | 
curriculum UPDATE
PwC Grant Supports New Accounting CourseLMU received a $10,000 PwC INQuiries grant to support the development of a new course, "Business Information Technology in Accounting," taught this fall by Professor Candice Reid. The department redesigned the accounting major to reflect increased demand for data analytics, changes in the CPA exam, and to allow students more flexibility to align their coursework with the skills needed to begin a career in public or private accounting, or consulting.
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- Zining Li and Shan Wang were promoted to associate professor with tenure; Robert Kritzler was promoted to senior lecturer.
- Scott Delanty (pictured) retired in May after 14 years on the LMU accounting faculty. We thank Scott for his leadership, dedication, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of our students.
- Laurel Franzen has been selected as the next Paul A. Grosch Professor for a three-year term, taking over from Rosemary Kim.
- For the second year in a row, James Plečnik won Professor of the Year at the Accounting Society Spring Banquet.
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|  | The Paul A. Grosch Lecture Series welcomed Sara Mijares Del Fium '03, vice president and controller for SoCalGas, to discuss her career journey from the bluff to controller at the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility. Sara shared tips, advice, and lessons learned.
| |  | The Dreier Chair in Accounting Ethics Distinguished Speaker Series welcomed Tayiika M. Dennis, CPA, principal at CliftonLarsonAllen, for an engaging talk titled "My Journey and Your Journey: Exploring the Opportunities of the Coolest Profession Around (CPA)."
| |  | The Paul A. Grosch Lecture Series hosted Richard Brookbanks, VP/Financial Controller at Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, for a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney reimagined its business models, leveraged M&A, boosted content streaming, and navigated the impact of new accounting standards.
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Support LMU Accounting
With a curriculum steeped in ethical practice and a tradition of excellence, LMU Accounting is well-positioned to continue delivering life-changing educational experiences for the business leaders of tomorrow. We appreciate your support!
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