Buffalo’s finest: UB accounting students excel at international conferences in 2023

By Alexandra Richter

In April, several members of the executive board of the UB Accounting Association attended the Institute of Internal Auditors Global Student Conference in Orlando, Florida, the first in-person event for the organization since 2019. Open to all accounting and finance majors, UBAA has provided students with opportunities to build upon skills vital to career success for more than 30 years.

UB accounting students Puja Shah, Jayden Crawford, Kevin Espinosa-Lopez, and Jake Harvey joined more than 100 other students and educators for a three-day conference that included the opportunity to learn about careers in internal audit, network with professionals from a variety of industries, attend interactive workshops and connect with students from around the world.

 “The conference provided me with an understanding of whether internal audit would be a good fit for my personality and goals,” says Shah, who was UBAA President at the time. “Prior to the conference, I had little exposure to the reality of what a career in internal audit would look like, particularly when compared to external audit. After experiencing the IIA Global Student Conference, my excitement for my future career has grown immensely. I am grateful to UBAA, the IIA and the Department of Accounting and Law for making it possible for us to attend.“

During the case competition centered around internal controls observed during a stay at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Espinosa-Lopez, UBAA VP of External Affairs, placed third with his team.

In addition, the School of Management’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi continued its legacy of success at the organization’s annual meeting, held Aug. 3-5 in Las Vegas.

Founded in 1919, Beta Alpha Psi is an international honor organization for financial information students and professionals, with more than 300 chapters nationwide. UB’s Zeta Theta chapter was chartered in 1981.

In the Best Practices competition sponsored by Deloitte, the School of Management’s “Reimagine Community Service” team won first place for developing innovative programs to engage and support the community. For their project, the team designed and participated in nine class visits that impacted 130 middle and high school students at Buffalo Collegiate Charter School and Amherst Central High School. Through a variety of activities, students learned key accounting concepts and put their knowledge into practice by creating a business together in class.

Undergraduate accounting students Sunny Chen of Ithaca, Rachel Iavicoli of Garrison, Keqing “Kristina” Jiang of Brooklyn, and ZengZeng Mu of Long Island made up the winning team. In addition, the students benefited from the mentorship of MS Accounting student Katriel Agregado of East Amherst. The team brought back a $1,500 prize for the chapter.

“This is another example of how our students are serving as positive role models in the community,” says Brittany Bartula, CPA, new faculty advisor of Beta Alpha Psi and clinical assistant professor of accounting and law. “We look forward to watching these partnerships continue to grow in the future.”

The School of Management’s chapter was well represented throughout the annual meeting. Evan Li, a business senior from Monroe-Woodbury, was selected to participate in Project Run With It, a unique competition that provides students an opportunity to engage in a real-world consulting project while furthering Beta Alpha Psi’s community service mission. Alongside teammates from other universities, Li developed and presented a solution to a pressing issue facing this year’s nonprofit client, Project S.A.F.E. House.

Edward Holyat, an accounting senior from Lake Ronkonkoma, and Sonia Lee, a business senior from Manhattan, presented on the chapter’s unique social and community service events during the chapter operations portion of the meeting.

In addition, Rose M. Hu, CPA, clinical assistant professor of accounting and law, was named Outstanding Faculty Advisor for her contributions to the professional growth and development of students. Hu recently concluded six years as Zeta Theta’s advisor.

“This is another example of how our students are serving as positive role models in the community,” says Brittany Bartula, CPA, new faculty advisor of Beta Alpha Psi and clinical assistant professor of accounting and law. “We look forward to watching these partnerships continue to grow in the future.”

The School of Management’s chapter was well represented throughout the annual meeting. Evan Li, a business senior from Monroe-Woodbury, was selected to participate in Project Run With It, a unique competition that provides students an opportunity to engage in a real-world consulting project while furthering Beta Alpha Psi’s community service mission. Alongside teammates from other universities, Li developed and presented a solution to a pressing issue facing this year’s nonprofit client, Project S.A.F.E. House.

Edward Holyat, an accounting senior from Lake Ronkonkoma, and Sonia Lee, a business senior from Manhattan, presented on UB chapter’s unique social and community service events during the chapter operations portion of the meeting.

In addition, Rose M. Hu, CPA, clinical assistant professor of accounting and law, was named Outstanding Faculty Advisor for her contributions to the professional growth and development of students. Hu recently concluded six years as Zeta Theta’s advisor.