AICPA Names Four New Accounting Doctoral Scholars

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) has named four new Accounting Doctoral Scholars (ADS), which identifies currently practicing CPAs interested in becoming accounting professors to assure future accountants have necessary and up-to-date skills.

“Firms and businesses alike are seeking CPAs with professional skepticism, critical thinking, technological skills, and the ability to understand how to leverage data to make informed decisions” said Jan Taylor-Morris, CPA, CGMA, Ph.D., academic in residence, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA. “The profession is evolving, and we believe that having recently practicing CPAs join the ranks of academics will help inform practice-relevant research as well as allow these Ph.D., CPA professors the opportunity to share with the next generation of CPAs the increasing role data and technology play in the profession.”

The following individuals will receive a $20,000 stipend to support their doctoral education:

Katie Daugherty, Indiana University
Brian Forsberg, University of Illinois
Lauren Frederick, Cornell University
Andrew Jones, Indiana University

The ADS program, first launched in 2009, recruits practicing CPAs who have expressed interest in and demonstrated potential for becoming college professors to attend an all-expenses-paid seminar. The seminar provides exposure to what it takes to earn a PhD in accounting and to teaching, research and service requirements of a college faculty member. Those who ultimately apply to and are accepted into one of more than 40 affiliated PhD programs receive a $20,000 stipend to support their education.

Previous iterations of the Accounting Doctoral Scholars program focused on audit and tax accounting, but the program has expanded to include management accounting, information systems and financial analytics.

The program is intended to help grow the number of CPAs in the classroom and ensure a steady supply of accounting professors. Educators with recent, relevant workplace experience provide their students with a greater understanding of what a career in the accounting profession entails and the value a CPA license adds.

The program, funded by the AICPA Foundation, is one of many Institute initiatives to help academia and practice align more closely, including putting practitioners on Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation reviews, offering discounts to academics to attend AICPA conferences, and free resources to help academics engage with practitioners on accounting program advisory boards.

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants also developed resources to help collegiate accounting programs enhance their curricula as the profession updates the CPA licensure model and exam as part of the CPA Evolution effort. The Academic Resource Hub offers case studies, assignments, readings and webinars to help accounting educators ensure students are prepared to meet the needs of the marketplace.

The Faculty Hour webcast series provides CPA Evolution status updates and discussions on how to integrate relevant topics, such data analytics and cybersecurity, as well as systems and other emerging technology-related subject matter into accounting curricula.

In June 2021, AICPA and National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, with support of the American Accounting Association, will unveil a model curriculum to guide faculty in addressing the accounting coursework needed by those pursuing licensure under the new CPA Evolution model.

To date, more than 108 CPAs who went through the Accounting Doctoral Scholars program have completed their PhD, and another 45 are currently enrolled in PhD programs. ADS candidates selected for funding, as well as all candidates attending the ADS Orientation Conference and enrolled in an ADS Participating University, are also eligible to apply for the William (Bill) Ezzel Scholarship.

CPAs interested in transitioning into an academic career can learn more about the program at www.adsphd.org. This year, the program will be hosting a free virtual GMAT bootcamp for the first 60 candidates who RSVP. More information on the bootcamp is on the program’s website.