Cohen to Receive State and Local CPA Awards

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ann Burstein Cohen, associate professor of accounting in the University at Buffalo School of Management, will receive the Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education Award from the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) on May 19 at the NYSSCPA’s 114th Annual Election Meeting and Dinner in New York City.

In addition, Cohen will receive the Distinguished Service award from the Buffalo Chapter of the NYSSCPA during the chapter’s Education Night awards dinner on April 26 for her professional accomplishments and contributions to both the chapter and the profession.

The Emanuel Saxe award highlights outstanding service and professional development in education and is designed to recognize accounting educators for distinguished service and excellence in teaching and for contributing to and promotion of the accounting profession.

Cohen joins UB School of Management colleagues Ronald J. Huefner, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor emeritus, and Alex Ampadu, associate professor in the Department of Accounting and Law, as recipients of this prestigious award. Cohen and Ampadu are two of only five recipients of the Emanuel Saxe award during the past decade. Huefner was honored with the award in 1994.

Cohen has taught at the UB School of Management for 24 years and serves as director of its graduate accounting program. She received the UB Undergraduate Management Association Teacher of the Year award in 1991 and 1989 and its Outstanding Contribution to Teaching award in 1996.

“Ann’s dedication to the accounting profession and her successful endeavors to educate and motive future leaders of our profession sets her apart from other professionals,” said Ampadu, in nominating Cohen for the award. “I have not come across anyone like Ann, who has devoted a lifetime to the various activities of our profession, especially at the state and local levels.”

A member of the NYSSCPA since 1982, Cohen has served as president, president-elect, secretary and member of the executive board of the NYSSCPA Buffalo chapter, which honored her with its Distinguished Service award in 1997.

She is currently a member of the NYSSCPA’s quality enhancement policy and scholarship committees. She previously has served as a member of the NYSSCPA board of directors, past president of the Foundation of Accounting Education board of trustees, chair of the Buffalo chapter’s professional development committee and member of the cooperation with Bar Association and tax committees.

Cohen founded and continues to chair the Buffalo Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession Program (COAP), jointly sponsored by the NYSSCPA and the UB School of Management. COAP educates minority high school students on the many facets of the accounting profession and builds skills to help them succeed in college and the business world.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and was awarded its Elijah Watt Sells Certificate of Distinction for CPA exam performance.

Cohen received an MBA with Distinction in professional accounting from the UB School of Management and a bachelor’s degree with honors in psychology from Binghamton University. She was the recipient of the NYSSCPA Gold Charles Waldo Haskins Memorial Award for top state performance on the November 1982 CPA exam.

Representing more than 28,000 CPAs, the NYSSCPA is the oldest state accounting organization in the nation. Incorporated in 1897, the Society is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to establish and maintain high standards of integrity, honor, and character among certified public accountants. Its members are CPAs working in public firms, industry, government and education in a state that serves as the home of Wall Street and major financial institutions.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.