Lindner Accounting Review

Are you an alumni and/or a supporter of Lindner's accounting department? Sign up to receive the Lindner Accounting Review, the accounting department's annual newsletter that is published every spring semester. Lindner Accounting Review contains updates and news on students, faculty, alumni and more.

Contact the UC Alumni Association to get on the Lindner Accounting Review's mailing list.

Over the past year, the Accounting Department has not only furthered our field leadership through impactful research activities, but also engaged in institution-building pursuits that help raise the visibility of accounting at Lindner. I would like to highlight several exciting developments — with additional examples in this newsletter — that further illustrate our mission.

Lindner College of Business staff and faculty portraits

Nan Zhou, PhD, Professor and Department Head, Norwood and Majorie Geis Chair of Accounting.

Two PhD students presented their research on board room gender diversity at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) annual conference in Washington, D.C. The presentation was well-received by hundreds of academics and investors attending in-person and online.

Four undergraduate students advanced to the national final of the Deloitte FanTAXtic case competition. Accompanied by faculty advisor Jason Bangert, the students traveled to Texas in January to compete at Deloitte University.

Accounting Career Day (fall semester) and Big 4 Night (early February) provided excellent opportunities for our students to connect with our employer partners. My thanks to all who organized these events, particularly Accounting Department Unit Manager Toshia Watkins and accounting student Jack Ernst.

Lastly, we recently held a farewell dinner for professors Robert (Rob) Larson and Margaret Reed, two former heads of the Accounting Department who retired within the past year. On behalf of the department, I sincerely thank Rob and Margaret for their leadership, and am grateful for their service to the Accounting Department, the Lindner College of Business and the accounting profession at large.

As always, we are very grateful for the support from our alumni, friends and corporate partners. Thank you!

Nan Zhou, PhD

Professor and Department Head

Norwood and Majorie Geis Chair of Accounting

students-deloitte-judges

Lindner students (left to right) Jimmy Armbruster, Vincent Piccolantonio, Lauren Vinson and Isaac Renderos with the Deloitte employees (first from left, first from right) who served as the “clients” during students’ presentation at the Deloitte FanTAXtic case competition national final

Undergraduate accounting students Jimmy Armbruster, BBA ’26, Vincent Piccolantonio, BBA ’26, Isaac Renderos, BBA ’25, and Lauren Vinson, BBA ’25, competed at the national final of the Deloitte FanTAXtic case competition, which familiarizes students with experiences and challenges that can arise in the tax industry.

Read about the students' experience
Lingting Jiang and Janean Rundo at the PCAOB conference.

Lingting Jiang (left) and Janean Rundo.

PhD students Lingting Jiang and Janean Rundo, CPA, presented at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) annual conference in Washington, D.C., in October.

Jiang and Rundo’s paper, entitled “The Effect of Board Gender Culture on Audit Partner Selection and Audit Fees Resourcing: Females in Critical Mass,” considers audit partner and board room gender diversity. This presentation was intended to help shape policy around diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the accounting field.

Zhou congratulated Jiang and Rundo on having their research paper presented at the highly selective PCAOB conference. “I am very pleased to see that the policy-driven research by Lingting and Janean has generated an impact inside and outside of academia,” he said.

adam-olson-2017

Associate Professor Adam Olson, PhD.

A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Adam Olson, PhD, has uncovered a connection between local nonsmoking laws and greater corporate innovation after examining more than 50 years of data.

Read about Professor Olson's research
  • Beta Alpha Psi donated $25,000 earned from volunteering to aid future students through scholarships or professional development funds. “We wanted to create a legacy that not only fills the pipeline of future accounting students, but also bridges the financial gap to allow more accounting students to reach the 150-credit hour requirement for the CPA exam,” said Beta Alpha Psi President Jack Ernst, BBA ’24.
  • Big 4 Night, featuring representatives from Deloitte, EY, PwC and KPMG, was held February 6 at Lindner Hall. The event encourages student recruitment through co-ops and internships, networking opportunities and student organization engagement. Students discussed work expectations and the field’s culture with company representatives. Beta Alpha Psi and the Accounting Club assisted in supporting Big 4 Night.
  • Janean Rundo, a fifth-year accounting PhD student, recently accepted a tenure-track assistant professor position at Bowling Green State University. Rundo, a two-time Lindner/UC graduate, has served as an adjunct professor at Lindner and appeared on the Dean’s List for Teaching Excellence.
  • Accounting Career Day took place on October 10 at Nippert Stadium’s West Pavilion in partnership with the Ohio Society of CPAs. More than 100 students from a dozen area high schools attended the event, which is designed to pique students’ interest in studying accounting before they enroll in college. Students were welcomed by Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Student Experience Jaime Windeler, PhD, before hearing from current students and Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Ashley McFarland.
  • Meet the Firms and Industry Night, a career fair organized by Lindner Career Services and Beta Alpha Psi, hosted 52 employers and 300 students this past August. Co-ops, internships and full-time positions were available to students.
  • Associate Professor-Educator Maureen Bruns led 15 accounting students in late October to Loveland, Ohio, to visit Bryan Equipment Sales. CEO Rick Bryan IV and other Bryan Equipment executives gave the students a warehouse tour and discussed how modern economic conditions affect a privately held business. Bryan Equipment’s audit partner, Jim Donnellon, talked about how to conduct an audit in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
  • Intermediate Accounting I and Intermediate Accounting II students received visits from Cassady Schiller CPAs & Advisors and Kirsch CPA Group representatives, respectively, to discuss career paths and other topics.
  • Accounting alum David Rodrigo, BBA ’94, MSBA ’06, and his partners at 1819 Wealth Advisors recounted their experience studying business at UC and the importance of co-op. Rodrigo has started a scholarship to benefit Business Fellows studying accounting and finance.
  • In lieu of a final exam for the fall 2023, ACCT 8021 (Management Control Systems) students presented a final project that demonstrated their proficiency in Alteryx and Tableau. The overall remodeling of the course — taught by Associate Professor Natalia Mintchik, PhD, CPA, CISA, CMA — was made possible by a PwC Inspire Grant. Morgan Eberle, BBA ’17, and Brett Staudinger, BBA ’18, provided feedback on student presentations and shared their insights about technology-related career paths in public accounting on behalf of PwC.
  • Zhou, second-year doctoral student Ziqi Ma and fourth-year doctoral student Katherine (Kexin) Yu coauthored a paper on board diversity and audit quality, “The Effect of Board Ethnic Diversity on Internal Control Weaknesses and Financial Misstatements: The Importance of Supportive Environment.” The paper was presented by Ma at the American Accounting Association (AAA) Management Accounting Section’s Midyear Meeting in Orlando on January 5 and by Yu at the AAA Auditing Section Midyear Meeting in New Orleans on January 12. Ma also attended the AAA Financial Accounting and Reporting Section (FARS) Doctoral Consortium in Denver from January 18-20. Ma’s trip was partially funded by a FARS Doctoral Consortium and Travel Scholarship.
  • Over 100 accounting and finance majors interacted with 18 accounting, finance and service firms on Feb. 20 at the Accounting Expo in the Lindner Hall atrium.
  • A big welcome to Jason Bangert, PhD, and Assistant Professor Joe Lopez, PhD, who started at Lindner at the onset of the recent fall semester. Chelsea Anderson, current assistant professor of accounting at the University of Arkansas, will join Lindner in August.
  • Adam Olson was promoted to associate professor of accounting with tenure and won a 2023 Lindner Research Excellence Emerging Scholar Award. Olson’s co-authored research article “Boards’ Reactions to Problems in Accounting for Income Taxes” was published by the Journal of the American Taxation Association. The article was then featured in the ‘Research in Action’ section of Portfolio, an annual magazine published by Lindner for alumni, donors, faculty, staff and other supporters of the college.
  • Professor Linna Shi, PhD, was promoted to professor of accounting. Shi and Zhou were appointed as co-editors of the Asian Review of Accounting.
  • Bruns was nominated for a pair of All-University Faculty Awards administered by the Office of the Provost. Bruns was nominated for the Mrs. A.B. “Dolly” Cohen Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as the George Barbour Award for Good Faculty-Student Relations.
  • The accounting department will welcome Eddie Riedl, John F. Smith Jr. Professor of Accounting and Management at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, on March 8 as part of its Workshop Series. Riedl’s talk will be held from 2:30-3:45 p.m. in Lindner Hall room 4235.
  • As noted above, we wish the best in retirement to Professor of Accounting Robert Larson, PhD. Larson joined the accounting department in 2013 and served as department head from 2013-17. Among numerous distinguished honors and activities in his career, Larson served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Accounting, Auditing & Taxation; published over three dozen articles in a range of U.S. and European academic and practitioner journals; and had his research cited more than 2,100 times in published articles, books and textbooks.
  • Advisor: Toshia Watkins
  • President: Jack Ernst
  • Vice President: Naomi Simmons
  • Treasurer: Sam Blazer
  • Advisor: Toshia Watkins
  • President: Jeena Patel
  • Treasurer: Princess Acheampong
  • Programming Chair: Ying Orr
  • Membership Chair: Stephanie Martin

Thank you to those who donated to the Lindner accounting department discretionary fund in 2023. Your generous support helps keep our faculty and instructors up to date with the latest technology, training and credentials. This adds value to our program and to our students’ experience.

  • Brian M. Bell
  • John C. Benson
  • Scott R. Bezjak
  • The Blackbaud Giving Fund
  • Blue & Co., LLC
  • Bonnie A. Brotzge
  • James D. Cashell
  • Daniel E. Clark
  • Ronald W. Evans
  • Darold A. Fletcher
  • FORVIS Foundation
  • Thomas D. Freeman
  • Paul D. Green
  • David R. Harding
  • Todd M. Immell
  • Matthew N. Jessup
  • Ellen J. Krause
  • Matthew S. Laskovics
  • John A. Linton
  • Timothy J. McDermott
  • Brian J. Mischel
  • Mark H. Montgomery
  • Michael H. Morris
  • Adam J. Olson
  • Michael S. Palm
  • Sarah N. Palmer
  • Michael Papadakis
  • Anthony M. Perazzo
  • James K. Purtell
  • Dale D. Rayney
  • Margaret P. Reed
  • Bradley J. Rettig
  • Timothy E. Reuter
  • Molly M. Rogers
  • Charles M. Rohr
  • Daniel R. Slattery
  • James H. Thomas
  • Changjiang Wang
  • Nan Zhou

Please consider donating to the discretionary fund and/or supporting the Beta Alpha Psi Scholarship and Support Fund.

Steven J. Bailey 
Director, Barnes Dennig & Co.

Nicole Bish 
Senior Tax Associate, Medpace

Robert Braun 
Owner, Hometown Property Solutions

Alex Cook 
Manager of Strategic Finance, Cintas

Scott DeVenny 
Audit Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Kenneth J. Jenkins 
Partner, RSM

Roger T. Kramer 
Vice President of Operational Accounting & Finance, Lithko Contracting

Chris Michel 
Vice President of Finance & Accounting, Heritage Hill Captial Partners

Rob Moeddel 
Assistant Bancorp Controller, Fifth Third Bank

Tony Perazzo 
Partner, FORVIS

Sherri Richardson 
Partner/Owner, Richardson & Associates, LLC

Jay Rueger 
Tax Partner, Cassady Schiller

Sean Stewart 
Director, Deloitte

Kelly Trame 
Advisory Manager, Internal Audit & Enterprise Risk, KPMG

Ron Vonderhaar 
Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer at Lexmark

Paul Walker 
Partner, EY

Joe Waller 
Partner, PwC

It is my great honor and privilege to serve as the Accounting Department Head at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business. I am grateful to my colleagues for their trust and support. My predecessor, Professor-Educator of Accounting Margaret Reed, PhD, CPA, CMA, served as department head with distinction from 2017 through last August, and provided steady leadership — especially during the pandemic period. Margaret, who plans to retire this coming August, is a skillful administrator, an inspiring teacher, an excellent mentor and a wonderful colleague. On behalf of the Accounting Department, I would like to congratulate Margaret on her distinguished career at UC and thank her for her impactful contributions to the Lindner Accounting Department.

The accounting profession is rapidly shifting, facing challenges on multiple fronts due to changes in accounting regulations and tax laws, automation of labor-intensive transactional work, and the launching of a new CPA exam in 2024. This disruptive time presents great opportunities for the Lindner Accounting Department.

We continue to focus on the success of our students by turning them into talented accounting professionals sought for their collaborative mindsets, innovative problem-solving capabilities, and analytical and critical-thinking skills. I’d like to highlight a few developments — with additional examples included in this newsletter — that further illustrate our mission.

  • This past December, a report by a combined internal and external review team stated that the “excellent category” best describes both the MS Accounting and MS Tax programs. Many thanks to Associate Professor-Educators Molly Rogers, MBA, CPA (Director of MS Accounting) and Mark Bell, MBA, CPA (Director of MS Tax) for their hard work.

  • Furthermore, a pair of our associate professors won a $10,000 award that will help integrate accounting analytics into our curriculum. In other faculty news, with several professors departing due to retirement and other reasons over the past three years, we have prioritized hiring strong faculty to fill these voids. I am pleased to announce that Jason Bangert (University of Tennessee, PwC alumnus) and Joe Lopez (University of Arkansas, Key Bank alumnus) will join as assistant professors of accounting in August.

  • The Lindner Accounting Department also has a pair of exciting events coming up! In the interest of maintaining existing and creating new partnerships, on February 21, the Accounting Club and Beta Alpha Psi will host the Accounting Expo, which provides a platform for our students to connect with major Cincinnati-area CPA firms. Additionally, in conjunction with the Ohio Society of CPAs, the Accounting Department plans to welcome around 200 local high school students to campus for Accounting Career Day on May 2. This event will educate students on why accounting can be a promising and fulfilling career.

As always, we are very grateful for the support from our alumni, friends and corporate partners. Thank you!

Nan Zhou, PhD

Professor and Department Head, Norwood and Majorie Geis Chair of Accounting

maria-action-1-cropped

Maria Santilli prepares to hit a backhand shot during a match. Photo by UC Athletics.

Now in her fifth academic year at Lindner, UC women’s tennis player Maria Santilli is on the verge of earning her third degree from Lindner, all while balancing the duties required of a high-achieving collegiate student-athlete.

Santilli pursuing third Lindner accounting degree
  • As first mentioned above, Associate Professors Natalia Mintchik, PhD, CPA, CISA, and Linna Shi, CFA, won the $10,000 INQuires Award from the PwC Foundation, which will aid in the incorporation of accounting analytics into the curriculum. The Accounting Department gratefully acknowledges the advice and support from Joe Waller and Julie Peters, both at PwC.
  • The New York Times and Forbes.com featured assistant professor Adam Olson, PhD, CPA and his two co-authors' paper, “Returns to Seeking Political Influence: Early Evidence from the COVID-19 Stimulus,” which studied lobbying, trade group and political action committee spending at more than 2,750 companies. Olson also delivered a presentation, “The Cost Structure of For-profit versus Non-profit hospitals,” at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health last summer.
  • Professor Whitney Westrich, JD, has been appointed Director of International Business and Academic Director of the International Programs Office for a one-year term. Westrich’s duties include supporting academic needs of international partnerships and helping set international program strategies and goals.
  • Associate Professor-Educator Aaron Pennington, JD, was appointed by Provost Valerio Ferme to a two-year term as a member of the Athletics Advisory Council. This NCAA-mandated council advises UC President Neville Pinto, PhD, and Director of Athletics John Cunningham on all matters relating to the intersection of athletics and academics.
  • In August 2022, Professor John Changjiang Wang, PhD, was elected as the Treasurer of the International Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association for the academic year 2022-2023. 
  • In December, Professor Nan Zhou, PhD, was appointed as an Editor for China Accounting and Finance Review, as well as an Associate Editor for Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation. Both appointments are for a three-year term from January 2023 to December 2025.
  • Fourth-year doctoral students Lingting Jiang and Janean Rundo presented their joint paper titled “The Effect of Board Gender Culture on Audit Partner Selection and Audit Fee Resourcing: Females in Critical Mass” at the 2023 American Accounting Association Auditing Midyear meeting. This paper examines whether board of directors’ gender culture affects audit partner selection and audit partner resourcing in the United States.
  • Third-year doctoral students Jaeik Min and Katherine Yu were admitted to the 2023 American Accounting Association Financial Accounting and Reporting Section (FARS) Doctoral Consortium. Min and Yu won a FARS Doctoral Consortium Travel Scholarship of $500 to attend the consortium and FARS Midyear Meeting. Yu also won a research grant of $3,000 from Lindner to support her joint research with Professor John Changjiang Wang.

Natalia Mintchik, PhD, CPA, CISA, CMA, associate professor of accounting, has published a joint paper with Erik Boyle and Rick Warne, former Lindner accounting professors, that will appear in Advances in Accounting in 2023.

The abstract of “When It Pays to be a Friend: Investigating Non-professional Investors’ Judgments Toward CSR Companies Following an Accounting Restatement” in part states that “prior literature suggests that engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) creates an insurance effect that shields companies from the negative consequences of corporate missteps.” 

Furthermore, Mintchik, Boyle and Warne “experimentally examine whether this protection extends to an accounting restatement and whether investors’ attributions of the underlying reasons for this restatement affect their judgments” through mediating effects of warmth and competence.

Mintchik, Boyle and Warne collected their data, wrote the first draft and presented the paper at multiple conferences, including at the European Accounting Association Annual Congress in Milan, Italy and at the American Accounting Association’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., when Boyle and Warne worked at Lindner.

Meet the Firms and Industry Night, the annual career fair hosted by Lindner Career Services and Beta Alpha Psi, hosted 54 employers and over 230 students in September.

Co-ops, internships and full-time positions were available at Meet the Firms, which welcomed four more employers in 2022 than 2019, the last pre-pandemic year for the event. Fittingly, employers were pleased to be on campus and sent positive feedback back to event organizers. Flynn & Company, Procter & Gamble and Wealthquest were among the companies to send in congratulations on a well-run event.

Mia Shaffer, BBA ’24, is a tax intern in the Cincinnati office of Brixey & Meyer. The accounting and finance major has served as a marketing intern for Bonefish Systems (Amherst, OH) and as an assurance and tax intern for Meaden & Moore (Cleveland). This upcoming summer, the Medina, Ohio native will be an FSO tax intern with Ernest & Young.

Before the Cincinnatus Scholar and Holmes Scholarship for Accounting recipient began her latest internship with Brixey & Meyer, Shaffer answered questions about Lindner, the accounting program and more.

Mia Shaffer wears a gray jacket over a white shirt.

Mia Shaffer, BBA ’24.

How did you end up at UC and Lindner?

The co-op program is what initially attracted me to UC, but the Lindner Business Honors program convinced me to study here. I have been able to meet and collaborate with great students from the program. The program has also provided me many amazing opportunities, such as travel to San Francisco.

What was your reasoning for selecting accounting and finance as your majors? 

I chose accounting and finance because I have always enjoyed math and wanted to find a career path where I could use math in a qualitative way. Accounting and finance are numbers-heavy, but the most important part is knowing what those numbers mean.

What do you enjoy about studying accounting at Lindner? 

They focus on both sides of accounting, not just the numbers, so I feel like I am getting a great overall understanding of the material. The classes are preparing me for a career in accounting, not just for an upcoming test. This is also helpful because I plan to obtain my CPA license after graduation.

What have you learned about yourself through your previous internship experiences? How do you think those experiences will prepare you for Brixey & Meyer? 

Setting goals for myself is the biggest takeaway because it is a practice that helps me push myself with both work and school. As a task-oriented person, setting challenging, yet achievable, goals keeps me accountable.

Why did you settle on Brixey & Meyer to co-op with during tax season?

Brixey & Meyer will allow me test out various components of tax-related work. Because it is a smaller firm, I will be able to look at a large variety of work that bigger companies might not give to interns.

Beta Alpha Psi 2022-23 Student Officers

  • President: Jack Ernst
  • Vice President: Amber Stull
  • Treasurer: Jayasri Adari
  • Reporter: Amber Stull

Accounting Club 2022-23 Student Officers

  • President: Brady Leugers
  • Treasurer: Cole Flesch
  • External Vice President: Annie Robb
  • Internal Vice President: Grace Lyness

Steven J. Bailey 
Director, Barnes Dennig & Co.

Nicole Bish 
Senior Tax Associate, MedPace

Robert Braun 
Senior Financial Analyst, 84.51

Alex Cook 
Senior Accountant, Cintas Corporation

Scott DeVenny 
Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Kenneth J. Jenkins 
Partner, RSM

Roger T. Kramer 
Chief Financial Officer, Pioneer Cladding & Glazing Systems, LLC

Chris Michel 
Director of Accounting & Finance, Terrex Development & Construction

Rob Moeddel 
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Ocer, Fifth Third Bank

Tony Perazzo 
Partner, BKD, LLP

Sherri Richardson 
Partner/Owner, Richardson & Associates, LLC

Jay Rueger 
Tax Partner, Cassady Schiller

Sean Stewart 
Managing Director, Deloitte

Kelly Trame 
Advisory Internal Audit Associate, KPMG

Ron Vonderhaar 
Vice President, Global Corporate Tax at Lexmark

Paul Walker 
Partner, Ernst & Young

Joe Waller 
Partner, PwC

Thanks to those who donated to the Lindner Accounting Department Discretionary Fund in 2022. Your generous support helps keep our faculty and instructors up to date with the latest technology, training and credentials. This adds value to our program and to our students' experience.

  • BKD CPAs & Advisors Foundation
  • Blue & Co., LLC
  • Brian M. Bell
  • Scott R. Bezjak
  • Earl R. Bowers
  • Bonnie A. Brotzge
  • Joseph A. Burnett
  • James D. Cashell
  • Daniel E. Clark
  • Rocky Coppola
  • Scott DeVenny
  • Deloitte Foundation
  • Ernst & Young Foundation
  • Thomas D. Freeman
  • Joan M. Gallina
  • Paul D. Green
  • Denis P. Hogya
  • Richard L. Langmeier
  • Trisha R. Kassner
  • Scott J. Malof
  • Brian J. Mischel
  • Mark H. Montgomery
  • Michael S. Palm
  • Anthony M. Perazzo
  • Pershing
  • Margaret P. Reed
  • Charles M. Rohr
  • Daniel R. Slattery
  • James H. Thomas
  • Sandra M. Ulm
  • John Changjiang Wang 

Dear Students, Alumni and Friends of the Lindner Accounting Department,

In the spring edition of the Lindner Accounting Review, we honor the achievements of our faculty and students, while also recognizing one of the newer members of our Accounting Advisory Board. Additionally, we present the superb adjustments to a graduate-level course made by Natalia Mintchik, PhD, CPA, CISA, associate professor of accounting, to better prepare students for modern accounting, as well as a profile of a student who recalled her “decision day” choice to make accounting her major. 

Campus returning closer to a pre-pandemic way of life bodes well for the summer, when ample accounting students return from their “busy season” internships. We are hopeful that the situation will remain calm, especially for the fall semester, as we plan to hold our annual Meet the Firms and Industry Night in September.

The support we receive from the donors to the Lindner Accounting Department Discretionary Fund is critically important to our mission. With those funds, we ensure our faculty remain current on training, certifications and research by funding travel and research presentations. We were able to host six outside speakers this year and hope to increase that number in the coming academic year, as work travel returns to normal. Outside contributions also allow the department to provide support for our doctoral students — there will be six in the fall! We are proud to train the next generation of accounting professors.

Finally, it is time for me to step down as Department Head. After five years and a pandemic, I am eager to return to my department faculty role and to spend more time with students in the classroom. I am thrilled to announce that Nan Zhou, PhD, professor and the Norwood and Marjorie Geis Chair of Accounting and Director of the Accounting PhD program, will succeed me. Nan will be an astute and thoughtful leader who will ensure the continued success of the department.

Best,

Margaret Reed, PhD, CPA, CMA

Accounting Department Head and Professor-Educator of Accounting

For Accounting Advisory Board member Chris Michel, MSA, CPA, the potential return on investment in a fulfilling career first attracted him to accounting during his first year at UC.

“I really wanted to apply myself because I was the first generation in my family to get a four-year degree or better,” said Michel, BBA ’10, MS ’11. 

Then came a tipping point that validated his choice. 

“I started in the pre-law program, and I had to take an accounting course,” recalled Michel. “After one of my finals, I asked my professor, Ginger Clark, if she thought I could do this as a profession. She said, ‘You have the accounting gene, as we like to call it.’”

Additional validation came a few years into Michel’s tenure at Clark Schaefer Hackett, when Margaret Reed asked him to join the department advisory board.

“It’s a huge honor, your alma mater asking you to advise on where they should steer the curriculum,” he said.

That honor soon repeated itself in Michel’s career track. About a year into his role as Tax Reporting & Strategy Manager at PwC, his former client, Terrex & Development Construction, offered him a role as director of accounting and finance. 

“It’s kind of the highest compliment you can get as a professional, when one of your clients says, ‘We want you to join our team.’”

Michel is thrilled to stay involved as an alumnus and help ensure that Lindner’s accounting program best prepares students for the industry.

Michel lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Mary (UC Nursing alum), and their one-year-old daughter, Victoria.

“Our daughter was born at UC West Chester, so we are all proud Bearcats!” 

  • Forty students and 19 companies recently attended the third annual Public Accounting Expo in Room 1220/1225 at the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
  • First-year student Nicole Patricio-Agosto, BBA ’25, recently shared some of the “firsts” she’s experienced from making the decision to attend the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business one year ago to now preparing for her first co-op this summer.
  • The latest round of revisions to Management Control Systems (ACCT 8021), a graduate-level accounting course, exposes students to data analytics and robotic process automation tools in the context of management accounting.

Jack Ernst, BBA, BS ’24, already has plenty on his educational plate. A triple major at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business (accounting, finance, information systems), Ernst spent spring semester as a tax intern at Barnes Dennig, a Certified Public Accounting and consulting firm with clients in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

Ernst’s responsibilities included preparing business and individual tax returns, all the while learning the value of communication and knowing “when to ask for help.”

“The best part of working at Barnes is that everyone has my best intentions at heart and will always be willing to lend a hand to help me learn and grow,” Ernst said. “Busy season is a stressful time for everyone in public accounting.”

Ernst, the current membership chair of the UC Accounting Club, will be president of Beta Alpha Psi for the 2022-23 school year. He is scheduled to be a tax intern this summer with BKD, KPMG (in Oklahoma City) next January and with Deloitte in summer 2023.

The Cincinnati native noted that he has been treated like a professional, not a student, with Barnes Dennig. 

“The best part of internships within public accounting is that at most firms you are treated as a first-year associate, so you get a taste of what post-graduation life feels like,” Ernst said.

Adjunct Professor Elliott E. Lieb, CFE, has been bringing his real-world experience to UC accounting students since 2014.

He teaches two elective courses for undergraduate and MS Accounting students: Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting. In his professional life, Lieb is a consultant and expert in financial fraud investigations, money laundering and white-collar crime cases and criminal tax defense.  Lieb invests himself deeply in his teaching and career counseling of students, bringing career guidance in new fields to UC students.

We thank him for his dedication and commitment to UC students and we value him as a respected member of the Lindner teaching team in the Department of Accounting and Business Law.

  • Outstanding Undergraduate Student: Maria Santilli
  • Outstanding Student in Co-op: Julia Gavin
  • Outstanding Master’s Student: Cody Held
  • Adah Pylkas Scholarship: Nana Agyemang
  • Blue & Co. Scholarship: Jenna Lovely and Erick Sibri
  • Norbert G. Backhus Scholarship Fund: Ahamad Odeh

Beta Alpha Psi 2022-23 Student Officers

  • President: Jack Ernst
  • Vice President: Santiago Garcia

UC Accounting Club 2022-23 Student Officers

  • President: Brady Leugers
  • Treasurer: Cole Flesch
  • Programming Chair/External VP: Annie Robb
  • Internal VP: Grace Lyness

Steven J. Bailey 
Director, Barnes Dennig & Co.

Nicole Bish 
Senior Tax Associate, MedPace

Robert Braun 
Senior Financial Analyst, 84.51

Alex Cook 
Senior Accountant, Cintas Corporation

Scott DeVenny 
Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Kenneth J. Jenkins 
Partner, RSM

Roger T. Kramer 
Chief Financial Officer, Pioneer Cladding & Glazing Systems, LLC

Chris Michel 
Director of Accounting & Finance, Terrex Development and Construction

Rob Moeddel 
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Fifth Third Bank

Tony Perazzo 
Partner, BKD, LLP

Sherri Richardson 
Partner/Owner, Richardson & Associates, LLC

Jay Rueger 
Tax Partner, Cassady Schiller

Sean Stewart 
Managing Director, Deloitte

Kelly Trame 
Advisory Internal Audit Associate, KPMG

Ron Vonderhaar 
Vice President, Global Corporate Tax at Lexmark

Paul Walker 
Partner, Ernst & Young

Joe Waller 
Partner, PwC

Thanks to those who donated to the Lindner Accounting Department Discretionary Fund during the 2021-22 fiscal year. Your generous support helps us keep our faculty and instructors up to date with the latest technology, training and credentials. This adds value to our program and our students’ experience.

Dear Students, Alumni and Friends of the Lindner Accounting Department,

I greet you with great optimism for the coming year, given our return to campus this summer and the resumption of in-person classes. In this edition of the relaunched Accounting Newsletter, we honor the achievements of our faculty and students, while also recognizing the officers of our student groups: the Accounting Club and Beta Alpha Psi. Additionally, we’ve profiled two outstanding students who reflect the promise and possibilities of the accounting department.

When the pandemic began over a year and a half ago, we rose to the challenge, providing learning in an online setting while we eagerly awaited a return to campus. We got the word in July that we could return to Lindner and that in-person classes would be offered at normal room capacity. Later, a mask policy for instructors and students was instituted to keep everyone safe. Although not ideal, classes with everyone masked is closer to normal for both parties. Earlier this fall, the Accounting Department marked the return of in-person events with Meet the Firms and Industry Night. Students and potential employers showed up in droves, as you can read in the article below.

The support we receive from the donors to the Linder Accounting Department Discretionary Fund is critically important to our mission. With those funds, we ensure our faculty are up to date on training, certifications and research by funding travel and research presentations. Outside contributions also allow the department to provide support for our doctoral students, one of whom is profiled below. 

Finally, we’ve decided to have a naming contest for the newsletter! Submit your idea and the winner will be revealed in our next newsletter in the Spring.

As I begin my fifth year as department head, it has been my pleasure to serve our department and the college. I look forward to leading our group to continued success.

Margaret Reed, PhD, CPA, CMA

Accounting Department Head and Professor-Educator of Accounting

Janean Rundo, a third-year doctoral student, has received an Excellence in Reviewing Award from the International Accounting Section (IAS) of the American Accounting Association for her role in reviewing the paper submissions to IAS’s Annual Meeting Program for 2021. Rundo was one of nine recipients of this award, and one of three doctoral students. 

A CPA with over a decade of work experience at employers such as Deloitte, Nielsen and KeyBanc Capital Markets, Rundo’s doctoral research interests include audit networks, corporate governance, and voluntary disclosures. Rundo received her MBA from Lindner after earning her bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Miami University. In her spare time, Rundo enjoys the company of her husband and two-year-old daughter, gardening and exploring Cincinnati parks.

Ahamad Odeh, BBA ’23, was drawn to the University of Cincinnati by his two older sisters (alumni with degrees in nursing and biology), and more specifically, to the field of accounting because of the Carl H. Lindner College of Business’ sterling reputation.

“It is an excellent field that has something special for everyone,” Odeh said. “You can choose many pathways like private, public, government, tax, audit, and forensic accounting.”

A Norwood native, Odeh is currently on co-op at VEGA Americas and has an internship with Kirsch CPA Group for the upcoming tax season.

When asked about his favorite part about accounting, Oden said, “It is the engine the keeps all businesses running.”

Odeh’s pastimes include taking walks on the Wasson Way Trail, kayaking at East Fork Lake State Park and helping his older brother run the family’s auto care business.

  • Lindner Research Excellence Award: Nan Zhou, professor, Norwood and Marjorie Geis Chair of Accounting, and director of the accounting PhD program
  • Outstanding Organization Lindner Student Association Advisor: Toshia Watkins, manager, unit operations, departments of accounting and economics
  • Outstanding Adjunct Teaching in Accounting Award: Javan Kline, adjunct professor
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Student: Brenna Aurand
  • Blue & Co. Scholarship: Jenna Lovely and Erick Sibri
  • Adah Pylkas Scholarship: Nana Agyemang
  • Certified Management Accountants exam scholarship recipients: Alexander Barden, Boeun Han, John McLellan, Daniela Murcia, Abigail Neyer, Andi Okereke, Haley Ray, Brennan Schrand, Nicole Stepp and Eric Van Skaik

Beta Alpha Psi

  • President: Amanda Weis
  • Vice president/treasurer: Jayasri Adari
  • Reporting: Josie Keresman

Accounting Club

  • President: Kate Draginoff 
  • Treasurer: Sophia Staub 
  • VP of Programming: Haley Hartung 
  • VP of Membership: Jack Ernst

Thanks to those who donated to the Lindner Accounting Department Discretionary Fund during the 2020-21 fiscal year. Your generous support helps us keep our faculty and instructors up to date with the latest technology, training and credentials. This adds value to our program and our students’ experience. 

  • BKD CPAs & Advisors
  • Brian M. Bell
  • Blue & Co., LLC
  • John C. Benson
  • Scott R. Bezjak
  • Joseph M. Brotzge
  • Joseph A. Burnett
  • Bert Cannon
  • James D. Cashell
  • Daniel E. Clark
  • James E. Creeden
  • Ronald W. Evans
  • Deloitte Foundation
  • Ernst & Young
  • Kimberly Girling
  • Paul D. Green
  • Jeffrey H. Grimm
  • Keith A. Hall
  • Matthew N. Jessup
  • Eric M. Krulcik
  • Michael Kinkelaar
  • Natalia Mintchik
  • Brian J. Mischel
  • Mark H. Montgomery
  • Adam J. Olson
  • Sarah N. Palmer
  • Anthony M. Perazzo
  • Margaret P. Reed
  • Molly M. Rogers
  • Charles M. Rohr
  • Jan Rose
  • Linna Shi
  • Georgena P. Thomas
  • John P. Walker
  • Changjiang Wang
  • Michael D. Young