USI Captures Third Straight Win in the Seventh INCPAS Case Study Competition

Butler, Manchester Take 2nd, 3rd; IUPUI, Purdue Calumet and Valpo Honorable Mention

INDIANAPOLIS – For the third year in a row, University of Southern Indiana was crowned as the winner of the Indiana CPA Society’s sixth annual Case Study Competition. Butler University, placed second; while Manchester College, captured third place. The three remaining finalists – Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis; Purdue University Calumet and Valparaiso University – finished as honorable mention. Valparaiso University was last year’s third place winner.

In this year’s Indiana CPA Society Case Study Competition, student teams assumed the role of a fictitious AICPA Task Force, and prepared written recommendations for the AICPA Board of Directors, state CPA societies and peer review firms for consideration and implementation.

Eleven Indiana colleges and universities participated. The four-student teams had 10 days beginning Oct. 6 to submit written cases. A panel of four judges reviewed entries and selected six teams to travel to Indianapolis for oral presentations on Nov. 3. Other schools participating but not advancing to the finals were Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, University of Indianapolis, Indiana University Bloomington, Saint Mary’s College, and University of Notre Dame. Cash awards were given to members of all finalist teams. The first place team from USI received $1,000 per student. Butler and Manchester team members received $750 and $500 each, respectively. Fourth through sixth place team members each received $100 for honorable mention.

The winning team from USI included Suerte "May" Flores of Newburg, John Hayden of Evansville, Adam Knepp of Evansville, and Amy Oglesby of Evansville. The faculty advisor was Jeanette Maier-Lytle, CPA.

The second place team from Butler University consisted of Sean Brady of Warsaw, Jennifer Edwards of Pedleton, Tasha Hamilton of Fort Wayne, and Maureen Martz of Webster Groves, Mo. Butler’s faculty advisor was Henry Huang.

The third place team from Manchester College included David Brown of Granger, Ashley Davis of North Manchester, Jodi Dell of Rochester, and Tiffany Portz of Warsaw. Faculty advisor for Manchester was Heather Twomey.

Team members of the other remaining finalist teams were as follows: Amber Cash of Fishers, Dan Housinger of Indianapolis, George Maxwell of Greenwood, and Justin Stenberg of Greenwood, and Eric Johnson and John Hassell, CPA (faculty advisors) representing IUPUI; Karen Balog of Chesterton, Robert Biron of Hammond, Maria Garcia of Hammond and Eric Mlynarczyk of Crown Point, and Ed Furticella (faculty advisor) representing Purdue University Calumet; and Jessica Anderson of Carey, Ill., Brianna Hathaway of Cedarburg, Wis., Jessica Haugen of Valparaiso, Joel Troxel of Hanna, and Mary and Rick Christ (faculty advisors) representing Valparaiso University.

The Society’s annual Case Study Competition is designed to give Indiana college students the kind of practical experience they might use as a CPA in today’s business world. All 32 Indiana colleges and universities with accounting programs were invited to take part in the Society’s Case Study Competition. Other goals of the competition are to promote and enhance the image of the CPA profession, and provide a recruiting tool for INCPAS members seeking to hire new graduates.

The INCPAS Case Study judges for the oral presentations included Deanna Craig, Indiana CPA Society, Indianapolis; Gerard Benner, CPA, CFO to Go, LLC, West Lafayette; Jenni McNaughton, CPA, Sherck, Hussy & Johnson, LLC, Indianapolis; and Mike Winslow, CPA, RJ Pile, LLC, Indianapolis.

Several contributors provided funding for the cash awards. The Gold sponsors contributing $1,000 were Deloitte and Crowe Chizek and Company LLC. The silver sponsor contributing $750 was Somerset CPAs. The bronze sponsors contributing $500 were Artistic Awards; BKD, LLP, CAMICO; Kemper CPA Group LLP; Greenwalt Sponsel & Co.; Bob Reynolds, CPA; Sagamore Health Network; and L.M. Henderson & Company. Other contributing sponsors included Bucheri, McCarty and Metz, LLP; JA Stauffer CPA PC; P.C.; RBSK Partners PC; and University of Southern Indiana.

INCPAS is headquartered in Indianapolis and serves as the statewide professional association for CPAs. Nearly 7,000 CPAs in public practice, business, government and education are members of the Society, along with another 1,000 students, CPA candidates, associates and affiliates. INCPAS serves the public interest as well as its members. It functions as an advocate for the profession through education, public awareness, government relations and promotion of high ethical standards. Society programs and services are designed to meet the needs of its diverse membership.

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