SDSU CBA Annual Report

2015
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2015–2016
ANNUAL REPORT
CHARLES W. LAMDEN
SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTANCY

2
The Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy
is fully accredited by the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In 1982,
the school was the first accredited accounting
program in the state of California. In addition, the
school is a member of the Federation of Schools of
Accountancy (FSA).

Table of Contents
5 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
6 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
6 Alumni Instructors
8 San Diego CFO of the Year
9 Young Alumni Profile
10 PCAOB Scholarship Winner
11 Class Notes
12 STUDENTS
12 Student Gender and Diversity
14 CPA Pass Rate and Tuition and Fees
16 MSA Snapshot
16 National Competition Winners
17 Study Abroad
18 2016 Top Students
20 Student Organizations
22 FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
22 SAP Innovative Teaching Award
23 College of Business Excellence in Teaching Award
24 Student Advisers
25 Farewell to Martha Doran
25 New Faculty
26 EVENTS
27 Accounting Orientations
28 Lamden Scholar Event
28 Spring Awards Banquet
30 DONOR HIGHLIGHTS
30 Whittenburg Lab
32 Donation Honor Roll
34 ADVISORY BOARD
3

4

Message
from the Director
It is my pleasure to present the 2015-2016
annual report from the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy at San Diego State
University. During the past academic year,
the school, faculty and our alumni have
continued to experience some amazing
success stories. In this report, we will
showcase some of these stories along with
news about the school that emerged during
the past academic year.
This year one of our alumni earned one
of the top scores on the CPA exam in
the nation. In addition, we are now able
to educate our current students in the
new state-of-the-art Gene Whittenburg
Accountancy Lab, which features interactive
technology made possible by a generous gift
from the Di Valerio family.
On a more personal note, I wanted to share
with you that I will be returning to my faculty
position as the Vern Odmark Professor
this fall to continue my research in the
accounting information systems area and
join a new campus wide interdisciplinary
group in developing a graduate program
in data analytics. It is my pleasure to
introduce Dr. Damon M. Fleming as the new
director of the Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy. Professor Fleming is a secondgeneration
SDSU alumnus (BS 2001 and
MSA 2003) and started his academic career
at SDSU after earning his Ph.D. from Virginia
Tech. Many of you may know him either as a
classmate or instructor.
Dr. Fleming’s teaching areas include
financial reporting, financial statement
analysis, and management accounting. He
has been selected twice as the Most Influential
Faculty Member by the top graduating student
in the Master of Science in Accountancy program
and twice earned the annual College of Business
Administration Outstanding Faculty Contribution
award in recognition of his teaching and
research. Dr. Fleming’s research uses theories
from psychology, behavioral decision research,
and economics to investigate accounting
issues in the areas of auditing, ethics, financial
reporting, and taxation as well as cross-cultural
issues in these areas. He has published over 25
papers in accounting journals such as Accounting
Horizons, Behavioral Research in Accounting,
Journal of the American Taxation Association,
The International Journal of Accounting, Issues
in Accounting Education, Journal of Business
Ethics, Journal of Accountancy, and Strategic
Finance. He is also a CFA® charter holder and
Certified Management Accountant.
I sincerely thank all the donors, firms, alumni and
faculty for making my tenure as the director of
the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy
a truly wonderful and memorable experience.
Again, welcome and best wishes to Dr. Fleming as
he brings his outstanding brand of leadership to
the school.
Sincerely,
C. Janie Chang, Ph.D.
William E. Cole Director
Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy
San Diego State University
5

Alumni Spotlight
ne of the best ways for our
Oalumni to get involved with
the Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy is to teach current
students. Whether it’s just guest
lecturing for one afternoon, joining
our alumni panels at student
orientation, or teaching for a whole
semester, the expertise and realworld
experience our alumni bring
to students is invaluable to their
education.
John Cooper (’85, MSA) and David
Pieters (‘12, MSA) joined the faculty
at the Charles W. Lamden School
of Accountancy in 2002 and 2015,
respectively. They talked about
John Cooper (’85, MSA)
After earning his degree in
education from Illinois State
University, Cooper realized he wanted
to pursue a career in business. “I was
drawn to San Diego State because
of the quality and reputation of the
business program,” he said. “The
outstanding faculty and depth of the
program was invaluable in making my
accounting career a success.”
In 2002, Dr. Gene Whittenburg,
who taught Cooper while he was
a student at SDSU, asked him if he
would be willing to teach a class to
graduate students on the subject of
tax planning. Though Cooper was a
partner in a local accounting firm,
he decided to take up the challenge
and has been an adjunct professor at
SDSU ever since. “Teaching provides
an opportunity to make a difference
in the lives of students. I particularly
enjoy helping them achieve their
educational and professional goals.”
Cooper has taught a variety of
graduate and undergraduate
courses in taxation and accounting
and currently focuses on the
communications course for
accounting majors.
6

what led them back to SDSU and their
experiences as adjunct lecturers.
To find out how you can become
involved with the academic programs
at the Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy, please call 619-594-5070
or email us at accounting@sdsu.edu.
“
David Pieters (’12, MSA)
Get Involved
South African native, David
Pieters, earned his bachelor’s
degree in his home country
while playing professional
cricket. After coming to the
U.S., he completed his MSA in
accounting at SDSU in order
to increase his business and
accounting opportunities.
After graduation, Pieters stayed in
touch with Dr. Janie Chang, who
suggested he teach managerial
accounting fundamentals (ACCTG
202) to undergraduates. “I wanted
to make a positive impact on the
students and grow as a professional
as well,” he said. “I remember what
my professors added to my career
and now, I wanted to do the same
for today’s SDSU students.” Pieters
accepted the opportunity and
began his career as an adjunct
professor in 2015.
Pieters’ advice to those SDSU
accounting alumni who
are considering becoming
adjunct professors is “go for
it! Remember your days as a
student and give back a little. You
will not regret it.”
7

Accounting
Alumnus
Honored with
CFO of the
Year Award
San Diego Padres senior vice
president/CFO and SDSU
accounting alumnus, Ronda
Sedillo (’94), was named “CFO
of the Year” by the San Diego
Business Journal in March 2016.
Sedillo competed with 54 other
top CFOs in the San Diego area
for the honor.
Sedillo joined the Padres
organization in 2013 and
currently manages a staff of 12.
“Given the field of outstanding
nominees this year, it was
especially humbling to have been
recognized with this wonderful
honor. Taking that first step by
earning an accounting degree at San
Diego State allowed me to pursue a
dream job with the Padres and for
that, I am truly grateful.”
Other SDSU accounting alumni that
were finalists for the award include
Jen Keyes (’00) of the La Jolla
Institute of Allergy and Immunology;
Jeff Gilford (’84, B.A. and ’03, M.B.A.)
of PACIFIC; Matt Ruzicka (’93) of IDW
Publishing; Jim Hensel (’02, B.S.
and ’03, M.S.A.) of PenChecks; Brian
Miliate (’89) of NB Baker Electric Inc.;
and John Teotico (’82) of Motive
Interactive Inc.
8

Young
Alumni
Profile
Daniel Rakad
Former accounting student Daniel
Rakad was not only the top
student in the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy for 2015, but
he was also selected as the most
outstanding undergraduate student
for the College of Business that year.
Shortly after graduation, Rakad
proved why he earned the honor: he
achieved two perfect scores on two
parts of the California CPA test and
nearly perfect results on the other
two parts of the test. He scored
99-out-of-99 for finance accounting
and reporting (FAR) and auditing
(AUD), and earned 98-out-of-99 for
regulation (REG), and 97-out-of-99
for business environment and
concepts portions.
He was also awarded the John
F. Forbes Award by the California
Society of CPAs as the California
CPA candidate receiving the
highest cumulative score on all
four sections of the 2015 Uniform
CPA Exam.
“I believe that my SDSU education
played a crucial role in my success
on the CPA exams,” said Rakad,
who now works in the audit
department for EY. “I would not
have achieved those scores if it
weren’t for the support of the
SDSU accounting faculty.”
Rakad received the Elliah Watts Sells
Award from the American Institute
of CPAs (AICPA) for turning in one of
the 10 best scores on a CPA exam in
the nation.
9

Tina Thi
Earns
$10K PCAOB
Scholarship
Tina Thi was the recipient of
a $10,000 merit scholarship
awarded by the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)
for the 2015 – 2016 academic year.
The PCAOB awards scholarships
to worthy accounting students
at the nation’s top universities.
Each recipient must demonstrate
high ethical standards and is
traditionally awarded to “students
from populations that have been
historically underrepresented in the
accounting profession.”
program that allows a student to
concurrently earn both an undergraduate
and graduate degree in accounting. She
is now working as a tax associate at the
San Diego office of EY.
Thi was a student in the BMACC
program - SDSU’s 4+1 accounting
10

Class Notes
67
Harold (Hal)
Small
Hal was elected to the Honorary Board of
Trustees of the American Academy of Chefs
(AAC) and the American Culinary Federation
(ACF) in 2016.
10
Daniel
Adams
Daniel is two years into his doctoral degree
in educational psychology at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison.
00
Robert is a legal contributor on Politics &
Profits, a new nationally syndicated television
show airing on KSDY in San Diego.
07
Keith opened his own CPA practice in Vallejo,
CA in 2015.
08
Robert
Robinson
Keith
Papish
Dr. Zlatina
Blaber
(nee Gougoumanova)
Zlatina completed her Ph.D. in accounting
at the University of Essex, in the UK in 2015
and now serves as an assistant professor
of accounting at Salem State University in
Massachusetts.
11
Ted was recently promoted to
manager in the advisory group at
Deloitte in San Francisco.
12
Roy is currently in Germany for a
secondment with Deloitte which started
in October 2015. He also married in 2015.
Roy and his wife welcomed their son,
Landon, in January 2016.
14
Ted
Ockels
Roy Allen
York
Brian
Wielenga
Brian currently lives in Irvine, California
and works at the local Grant Thornton
office. He is also engaged to fellow Aztec
Bobbie Styles.
11

Students
Number of Degrees Granted by
Gender
110 108 45 42
Bachelor’s Degree
in Accounting
MSA Degree
in Accounting
12

Number of Degrees Granted by
Degree Level and Ethnicity
International 11
Other, Not Stated 12
Filipino 11
Other Hispanic 5
Pacific Islander 1
Caucasian 71
African American 12
Multiple Ethnicities 13
Undergraduate
218
Asian 17
SE Asian 20
Mexican American 45
Filipino 2
Other Hispanic 1
Caucasian 29
International 24
Other, Not Stated 5
African American 1
Multiple Ethnicities 8
graduate
87
Asian 10
Mexican American 4
SE Asian 3
13

SDSU
Students
Tops in
California
State CPA
Exam Pass
Rates 2015
For schools in California
with more than 10 students
taking the CPA exam for
the first time, SDSU ranked
third. SDSU’s pass rate was
only 2.5% lower than the
highest ranked school in
this category while SDSU’s
annual fees and tuition are
less than one-half of the cost.
MSA Student Stats
CPA Pass Rate
68.0% 70.5% 68.8%
64.1%
53.6%
48.0%
Golden Gate
UC Davis
UC Irvine
USC
USD
SDSU
Estimated Annual Tuition and Fees
70,200
33,960
51,648
44,100 44,850
14,446
Golden Gate
14
UC Davis
UC Irvine
USC
USD
SDSU

Avg. Undergrad GPA for MSA Students
3.37
3.30
3.30 3.27 3.30
3.30
3.19
Avg. GMAT for MSA Students
625 624
616
613
611
609
Fall 2016
Fall 2015
Fall 2014
Fall 2013
Fall 2012
Fall 2011
Fall 2010
638
2015-16
SDSU MSA
graduates
accepted
employment
at the
following
Firms
• Anbang Insurance
• BDO
• Caterpillar, Inc.
• Deloitte
• Encore Partners
• EY
• Grant Thornton
• KPMG
• PwC
• RJS Law
• RSM
• United Technologies
Corporation
• U.S. Department of
Commerce
Fall 2016
Fall 2015
Fall 2014
Fall 2013
Fall 2012
Fall 2011
Fall 2010
15

Accounting
Students
Win Their
Way to
National
Competition
The San Diego State chapter of
Beta Alpha Psi won the Deloitte
Best Practices competition at the
organization’s Western Regional
meeting in San Jose, California held
February 12 - 13, 2016. The team
competed in the Alignment of Officer
Activities category, finishing first out
of the seven competitors from the
western U.S.
SDSU’s winning team was comprised of
three accounting students with senior
Hernan Pedraza, junior Anthony De Paz
and graduate student Shu Su. They will
now compete with the top teams from
across the U.S. during the Beta Alpha
Psi National Meeting held from August
4 – 6 in Baltimore.
Beta Alpha Psi is an international
university honors organization for
accounting and finance students with
over 300 chapters throughout the
globe. The SDSU chapter has been
recognized nationally as a “superior”
chapter for over 25 years.
SDSU accounting professor, Dr. Brett
Kawada, serves as the organization’s
faculty advisor.
Left to right: Hernan Pedraza, Shu Su and Anthony De Paz.
Incoming MSA
Student Snapshot
Admitted for 2016
Average Undergraduate GPA
Average GMAT Score
Average Age
Average Number of Years Work Experience
Gender
Student Residency
Expected Tuition/Fees for California resident
SDSU Founded
SDSU alumni
U.S. News and World Report rank for ethnic diversity
Avg. MSA salary for students graduating in 2015-16
46
3.30
638
27.5
3.33
59% female
41% male
21% international
79% domestic
$18,729
1897
Over 300,000
No. 21
$55.6K
16

Study Abroad Program
Accounting Study Abroad Students
Accounting students who have participated
in SDSU’s study abroad program have studied
at partner universities in Europe, Asia, and
Australia, giving them opportunities to learn
about global accounting and international
financial reporting standards.
12
14
27 29
2011-2012
2010-2011
47
2013-2014
2012-2013
2014-2015
“
Studying at the
University of Mannheim,
Germany for a semester
was an experience that
I will never forget. Not
only was the school
prestigious and selection
of English-taught classes
broad, I forged global
friendships and learned
a lot about myself as an
individual.”
– Carolyn Keating, BMACC Student
17

2016 Top
Students
18
As top student in SDSU’s College of Business Administration, Aaron Ovadia addresses
the audience and his fellow graduates during commencement on May 14, 2016.

Outstanding
Undergraduate
Outstanding
graduate
Aaron Ovadia
Most Outstanding Graduate in the
College of Business Administration
Victoria Gustafson
Master of Science in Accounting
Aaron Ovadia was named as 2016’s
most outstanding undergraduate
in the Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy. He was additionally
honored by being named the most
outstanding graduate in SDSU’s College
of Business Administration as well.
Ovadia and Paul Sager, whom he
chose as his most influential faculty
member, sat on the podium during
commencement services and Ovadia
addressed the graduates and the
audience during the program.
Since his graduation, he has moved
to San Jose where he is working as an
assurance associate at PwC.
The Charles W. Lamden School
of Accountancy named Victoria
Gustafson as the outstanding 2016
graduate in the Master of Science in
Accounting (MSA) program.
Dr. Damon Fleming, Gustafson’s
most influential faculty member, sat
with her on the podium during the
College of Business Administration’s
commencement ceremony on May 14.
Gustafson, a native of Maykop, Russia,
has chosen to work in the assurance
practice group at EY’s San Diego
location, where she had previously
served as a summer intern.
Aaron Ovadia (right) chose Paul Sager as his most influential faculty member.
Outstanding MSA student for 2016, Victoria Gustafson (right), stands next
to Dr. Damon Fleming, her most influential faculty member.
19

Student Organizations
ALPFA
Faculty Adviser:
Narelle MacKenzie
With 44 professional and
over 160 student chapters,
the Association of Latino
Professionals For America (ALPFA)
was founded in 1972 as a national
business organization to expand
opportunities for Latino leaders
in the global market. It was the
first national Latino professional
association in the U.S. and
currently includes more than 72,000
professional and student members.
ALPFA Students of San Diego
Formed in 1919, Beta Alpha
Psi is an international
university honors organization for
accounting and finance students
with more than 300 chapters
on colleges and universities
throughout the globe.
The Beta Eta chapter at SDSU’s
Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy was formed in 1960
and has continuously achieved
“Superior” status among other Beta
Alpha Psi Chapters.
During this school year, the SDSU
chapter has achieved great success
in the various competitions that
it participates in. We have been
selected as finalists for both the
Ernst & Young Inclusive Leadership
award and the Grant Thornton
Ethics Award. Also, during the
Beta Alpha Psi regional meeting,
our chapter came in first place in
the Alignment of Officer Activities
category of the Best Practices
competitions. This team will be now
competing against the finalists from
the other regions in the Beta Alpha
Psi national meeting, which will be
held in Baltimore, Maryland.
Left to right: Natalie Ma, Ruby Perez, Hyeyeon Kim,
Hannan (Michael) Song, Chingching Meng, Hernan
Pedraza, Shu Su, Menyang (Michael) Qin.
Student
Accounting
Society
20
Faculty Adviser:
Dr. Nathan Oestreich

State targets accounting
and finance majors that are
underrepresented students.
Working together with ALPFA-
San Diego, members are able to
receive the benefits that ALPFA
has to offer both at a national
level and with the SDSU chapter.
KPMG/ALPFA Case Study
Competition
The SDSU chapter of ALPFA
participated in the KPMG/ALPFA
Case Study Competition which
traditionally presents students with
the challenge of resolving real-world
accounting issues in a collegial and
competitive environment. It is held
at the annual ALPFA convention
and chosen members have the
opportunity to work one-on-one
with KPMG advisers. In August 2015,
SDSU ALPFA members Rosy Caito,
Javonshir Azmi, Anthony Quintero
and Louis Calderon participated in
the challenge and competed against
other ALPFA teams in New York City.
Left to right: Romulo Cachuela (Public Relations),
Eric-Ramos Castillo (Treasurer), Irene Balino
(Secretary), Angie S. López (President), Anthony
Carrillo (Vice President), Alan Hermiz (Fundraising
Lead), Matthew Vocal (Marketing).
Beta Alpha
Psi
Faculty Adviser:
Dr. Brett Kawada
Established over 40 years
ago, the Student Accounting
Society (SAS) at San Diego State
University assists students in
learning about the accounting
profession, offers mentoring
and networking support, and
provides them with career
opportunities and guidance.
SAS continues to be very active
with regular weekly meetings
and other professional and
community service events.
In the fall, SAS organized a very
successful Meet the Firms event
in Montezuma Hall of the Conrad
Prebys Aztec Student Union.
Approximately 140 professionals
from 35 employers came to this
annual event and networked with
over 200 students.
In the spring, SAS organized its
second Annual Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy Career
Connection in the Page Pavilion
in the recently remodeled area
in the Student Services East
building. Thirteen firms met with
40 sophomores and juniors to
help prepare them for recruitment
interviews.
Left to right: Fiona Jahn (VP of Reporting),
Jieun Choi (VP of Finance), Bryan Rodriguez
(VP of Activities), Jimmy Nguyen (Executive VP/
President Elect), Ryan Schultz (President), Arna
Ramirez (VP of Membership), Chris Plancarte
(VP of Communication), Bryan Sanson (VP of
Professional Development).
21

Nancy Jones
Wins National
Award for
Innovative
SAP Teaching
Nancy Jones (middle) was awarded the Majdi Najm
Outstanding Service Award.
Nancy Jones, an instructor
in the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy,
received the 2016 Majdi Jajm
Outstanding Service award
presented by the SAP University
Alliances team in North America
in February 2016. The award is
presented annually to university
educators who teach using SAP
applications in their classrooms,
initiate collaboration with
other SAP University Alliance
campuses, develop curriculum
content, mentor other faculty in
the use of SAP software in their
courses, and demonstrate a
history of leadership.
Jones has not only helped to
successfully develop the content
of courses where SAP software
is taught, but has taken the
initiative to further develop the
Accounting Information System
(AIS) and data analytics content
currently used in classrooms on
a global basis. She teaches her
SAP-enhanced coursework to SDSU
business students in an innovative
lab setting that she helped
design that allows students the
ability to view five independently
operating interactive screens.
This experience gives them the
opportunity to review examples,
assignments, projects, software
applications and other audio/visual
aids simultaneously for the most
outstanding and state-of-the-art
learning experience possible.
“Given the demands for SAP-trained
university graduates for the global
marketplace, it was imperative
for SDSU to provide our students
with the best-in-class educational
experience that makes them some
of the most sought-after university
graduates in the region,” said Dr.
Janie Chang, director of SDSU’s
Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy. “We are fortunate to
have Nancy Jones, one of the top
innovators in SAP applications,
here at the school to offer our
students one of the best SAP
educational experiences available.
Her dedication to our students,
willingness to mentor fellow faculty,
and her innovative teaching has
made her an outstanding choice for
the 2016 Majdi Najm Outstanding
Service award.”
22

Faculty
Highlights
Dr. David DeBoskey,
Excellence in Teaching
Awardee
Dr. David DeBoskey, was
recognized with the College of
Business Administration’s Excellence
in Teaching Award for 2015.
In 2013 and 2014, DeBoskey was
selected by the college’s top
accounting undergraduates as their
most influential faculty member.
He was the faculty adviser to
the students of Beta Alpha Psi,
leading them to be recognized
as one of the top chapters in the
nation. DeBoskey is known for his
commitment to mentoring students
as they transition into their financial
and accounting careers.
23

Student Advisers
From left: Leon Chan, Narelle MacKenzie, Damon Fleming, Janie Chang, Gun-Ho Joh,
Nancy Jones, Steve Gill, and Brett Kawada.
24

Retiring
Dr. Martha Doran
After teaching for 20 years, Dr.
Martha Doran has retired from
SDSU to the California beach city
of Ventura. During her tenure,
she taught accounting ethics,
fraud examination, auditing and
other topics to thousands of
undergraduate, graduate and
Executive MBA students.
after the spring semester, 2016.
“I have embraced this new
chapter in my life – a time when
I hope to re-fire, not retire,” she
said. “I appreciate a quote from
philosopher Søren Kierkegaard
who said ‘Life can only be
understood backwards; but it must
be lived forwards.’”
Dr. Doran started at SDSU as
a lecturer in 1996 and left the
university as an emeritus professor
New Faculty
Assistant professor Dr. Pablo
Machado joins the faculty of
the Charles W. Lamden School
of Accountancy this fall where
he will specialize in auditing and
financial accounting research.
Dr. Machado was a CPA in the
state of Colorado and worked
as an audit associate at PwC
in Denver after earning both
his bachelor’s and master’s
degree in accountancy from
Dr. Pablo Machado
Colorado State University. He comes
to SDSU after earning his Ph.D. in
accounting from the University
of Arizona and he will teach
intermediate accounting (ACCT 331)
to undergraduate students during
the 2016 – 2017 academic year.
Dr. Sydney Shu
Dr. Sydney Shu joins the SDSU
Charles W. Lamden School of
Accountancy this fall as an assistant
professor.
A recent graduate of the University
of Oklahoma’s Price College of
Business, Dr. Shu was honored with
the ConocoPhillips Outstanding
Teaching Award in 2015. She will
teach intermediate accounting
(ACCT 331) during the Fall
Semester of 2016.
25

26
Events

At the beginning of each fall
semester, Master of Science
in Accountancy (MSA) students
are offered an orientation
as they begin their graduate
education. Undergraduate
students are offered a similar
orientation near the start of
both fall and spring semesters.
Accounting
Orientations
“The purpose of these
orientations is to introduce the
curriculum to students new to
SDSU’s accounting programs, to
help students build a successful
class strategy and to discuss the
legacy of Charles W. Lamden,”
said Dr. Janie Chang, director
of the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy. “We
also have alumni panels at
each orientation to offer new
students a better perspective on
accounting careers.”
While not required, orientation
for undergraduates is highly
recommended. Accounting
331 serves as the “gatekeeper”
for the undergraduate
accounting majors. The
intermediate accounting
course is a prerequisite for
all other accounting courses.
Because 331 is considered
to be extremely difficult for
many students, the orientation
provides suggestions to
students on how to be
successful in their first upperdivision
accounting course.
The orientation also includes
activities to help new students
anticipate what to expect as
they progress through the
undergraduate accounting
program.
“We want to inform new
students about the academic
requirements needed to be a
successful accounting major
and to help them graduate on
time,” said accounting lecturer Paul
Sager, who led the undergraduate
orientation for the last few years.
“We inform students that their
career search begins when they
embark on their upper division
courses. Firms come to SDSU to
interview and hire interns during the
students’ junior year.”
“MSA orientation does not generally
address the scholarly discipline
that our undergraduate orientation
does – our graduates students have
largely proven themselves capable
by gaining admission into the
program,” said associate professor
Steve Gill, an instructor and student
adviser in the tax specialization of
the MSA program. “The focus of the
MSA orientation tends to gravitate
toward career development, CPA
exam issues, and the importance
of meeting with their graduate
advisers.”
27

Lamden Scholar Event
On August 21, 2015 the
Charles W. Lamden School
of Accountancy hosted the
inaugural Lamden Scholar
Recruiting Event.
Previously, the best
undergraduate accounting
students were honored
through the “Director’s Top 20”
recognition, but it was decided
to not only honor the founder
of the school and the College of
Business, but to offer those students
a glimpse into the job market.
“A few years ago, we decided that
Charles Lamden epitomized the
best in the field of accounting
academia and how it made sense
to honor him by attaching his name
to the event that recognizes our
best undergraduate accounting
students,” said Dr. Janie Chang,
director of the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy.
In addition to the name change,
the faculty of the department
converted the event into a showcase
for students that are excelling in
the classroom. “We invite the top
10 percent of students from the
first accounting course taken in the
major with the caveat that their
grade be no lower than a B+,” stated
Spring
Awards
Banquet
28
Left to right: Anthony De Paz, Hernan
Pedraza, Shu Su, Dr. C. Janie Chang,
Yilin Lui, Xida Fu, Yue (Yuki) Song.

Steve Gill, associate professor
of accounting. “These students
are invited to a recruiting event
before the subsequent fall
semester begins - the event
could be described as ‘speed
recruiting’.”
as many Lamden Scholars as time
permits. “It’s a great chance to get
our best students in front of the
business recruiters and, hopefully,
it gives the student a leg up in
obtaining a valuable accounting
internship,” said Gill.
Representatives from firms
and companies from all over
California are invited to meet
for a five-minute interview with
On April 29, The Charles W.
Lamden School and the
SDSU chapter of Beta Alpha
Psi hosted the annual Spring
Awards Banquet in Montezuma
Hall of the Conrad Prebys
Aztec Student Union on the
San Diego State University
campus. The banquet serves
as a closing event for the
academic year where students,
alumni, friends, and faculty
celebrate the achievements of
the accounting students that
have earned distinguished
recognition and scholarships.
In addition, the student
accounting organizations recognize
the efforts of officers and members
that have provided the energy and
efforts to keep those student groups
operating as “best of class” in the
nation.
This year, 25 students received over
$40,000 in scholarships supported
by our donors through endowments
and annual giving. Dr. Janie
Chang, director of the Charles W.
Lamden School of Accountancy,
described the event as: “A chance
to provide much needed financial
support to our best students, both
undergraduate and graduate. We
appreciate the gifts that our alumni
and San Diego businesses provide
to make the funds available.”
29

State-of-the-Art
Accountancy Lab
Dedicated to Dr.
Gene Whittenburg
The Gene Whittenburg
Accountancy Lab, featuring
state-of-the-art academic technology,
made its debut on Friday, January 15,
2016. It was made possible through
a generous donation from Scott and
Shara Di Valerio (’92, accounting)
whose gift to the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy provided the
resources necessary to design the
technology and retrofit the room.
The Di Valerio’s requested that the
lab be named in honor of the late
Dr. Whittenburg who served as a
professor to Shara Di Valerio and was
an inspiration and mentor to both
Scott and Shara in their accounting
careers.
can display five different examples
of spreadsheets on each of the five
screens, providing students with a
comprehensive and best-in-class
learning experience.
“To have access to the kind of
interactive and collaborative
capabilities that are in this lab will
do a great deal to help our students
begin developing the skills they
will need to be successful in the
workplace,” said Devona Newport,
Dr. Whittenburg’s wife. “This lab will
help demonstrate to our students
the real world complexities they will
be facing upon graduation.”
The lab, housed in room 113
of the Education and Business
Administration building, offers
instructors the option of sharing
lesson plans, examples, screen shots,
websites and other audio/visual
aids by way of five independently
operating screens placed throughout
the lab and controlled by a tablet
computer. For example, instructors
30

Donor
Highlights
Left to right: Dr. C. Janie Chang, Scott Di Valerio, Devona Newport, Shara Di Valerio and Dr. Dennis Cradit.
31

Donation Honor Roll
$100,000
• Henry, James and Pamela
$25,000 - $50,000
• Anonymous Donor
• Brownell, Stephen and
Stephanie
• Stiefel, Catherine M. and
Behar, J. Keith
• Devona D. Newport and G.E.
Whittenburg
• Duran, Lee M.
• Ernst & Young Foundation
$10,000 - $24,999
• Crecelius, Paul Kurtz
• Frankel, Kathleen M.
• Nolet, Chris and Marilyn
• Reed, Monte and Paula
• Sager, Paul and Venezia,
Natalie
• Vanguard Charitable
Endowment
$5,000 - $9,999
• Ayco Charitable Foundation
• Darcy, Thomas and Jan
• Faulkner, John M.
• Fisher, Mark and Jean
• Hernandez-Smith, Jodi Lynn
• Quiggle, Judson
$1,000 - $4,999
• Altus-Buller, Martha, CPA
• Bailey, Nancy A.
• Boggeln, Cheri L.
• Bruning, Robert K.
• Campidonica, Anthony C.
• Century Business Services,
Inc.
• Clift, John
• Considine & Considine
• Coumides, Michael
• Crawford, Debra P.
• Crawford, Kirk V.
• Davis, David R.
• Gonzales, Victor J.
• Grove, Theodore B.
• Handa, Bruce K.
• Heiskala, Debra G. C.
• Holl, Tim and Erin
• Isaacs, Dale
• Kleeburg, Daniel and Sherri
• KPMG Foundation
• Lavine, Lofgren, Morris,
Engelberg, LLP
• MacKenzie, Narelle
• McElroy, Oliver R.
• Mitrovich, Timothy D.
• Moss Adams, LLP
• Nastasi, Angeline R.
• Network for Good
• O’Connell, Tim
• Price Philanthropies Foundation
• PwC
• Regnier, Douglas A.
• Roos, Mrs. Laura J., CPA
• Schwab Fund for Charitable
Giving
• Sempra Energy
• Steger, Joe
• Suggs, Linda W., CPA
• Tax Executives Institute
• Toole, Howard and Leslie
• Verbeck, Michael and Natalie
• Weir, James E.
• Whitehead, Richard and Sarah
• Winchester, Craig P.
$250 - $999
• Bleau & Associates
• Brown, Virgina N.
• Bruning, Marla
• Collura, Janice M.
• Crecelius, Genevieve J.
• Crowley, Gregory Robert
• Crowley, William F.
• Barbara A. Chapman-Daitch and
Mark Daitch
• Damko, Kevin M.
• DeSanti, Vittorio J.
• Deschamps, Lionel
• Doran, Martha S.
• Finnell, Katherine E.
• Foster, Robert I.
• Gee, Steven J.
• Grudnitski, Gary M.
• Holt, Larry and Carol
• Institute of Internal Auditors, Inc
• Martz, Kathleen A.
• McComic Consolidated, Inc.
• Mitrovich, Lisa M.
• Mutter, Herbert and Carol
• O’Connell, Jennifer L.
• Oestreich, Nathan A.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
• Rotwein, Richard M.
• Ryder, Jane Lansing
• Sawyers, Amber S.
• Schechter, Steven H.
• Smith, Sharilee N.
• The Gap Foundation
• The Peterson Family Charitable
Fund
• Wu, Maggie
$249 and Below
• Aanerud, Ryan Alexander
• Aliyev, Rashad
• Backman, David
• Ballew, Melodie
• Barken, Lee R.
• Barken, Stephanie A.
• Belch, George E.
• Black, Baron L.
• Burke, Alexander S.
• Carpenter, Philip J.
32

• Cook, Sandra A.
• Cook, Thomas J.
• Crowley, Joanne M.
• Curtis, Timothy L.
• Dahl, Joseph M.
• Damko, Christine
• Deschamps, Michael P.
• Dowdy, Erica Ann
• Dressler, Cathy
• Dressler, Robert
• Duffy, David L.
• Finch, Suzanne L.
• Foster, Kalen Christopher
• Fusco, Marion C.
• Gabriel, Charlene M.
• Garrett, Angel R.
• Geary, Jon M.
• Geist-Martin, Patricia J.
• Gillenson, Adriene
• Gismondi, Thomas H.
• Gougoumanova, Zlatinka
• Gresoro-Hayes, Lori
• Gutierrez, Juan Carlos
• Hamel, Jane E.
• Henderson II, Robert
• Holfield, Ronald
• Howard, Matthew D.
• Hua, Dana T.
• Hughes, Austin Douglas
• Hunt, David E.
• Hunt, Pamela D.
• Huntley, Jeanette
• Hur, Kyung Moo
• Jaques, Kathryn M.
• Jewish Community
Foundation
• Jones, David L.
• Juarez, Adrian D.
• Juarez, Athena Lisa
• Kaminsky, Jason Brian
• Kawachi, Davette M.
• Kim, Hong Kee
• Kolkhorst, Fred W.
• Kugel, Wynter C.
• Lake, Edward M.
• Lawrence, Robert W.
• Leitner, Cristanne M.
• Leitner, Stuart
• Lerma, Jennifer Nicole
• Lewis, Ryan Allen
• Lindroth, Roger S.
• Luo, Yi
• Ma, Natalie Ashley
• Marlin, Nancy A.
• Martz, David J.
• McNeill, Julie
• Meza, Joshua Elessar
• Miller, Glynice A.
• Morse, Kevin L.
• Muraoka, Yoshiyuki
• Network For Good
• Oestreich, Debra Sue
• Ogram, Jay R.
• O’Neal, Galen Wade
• Peckham-Stewart, Maria
• Peterson, Kim
• Peterson, Randall B.
• Pinel, Francine L.
• Plon, Fredric H. (deceased)
• Plon, Harold L.
• Prochot, Cynthia Ann
• Rashidi, Ahmad S.
• Reafs, Joy M.
• Redman, Lisa J.
• Rege, David A.
• Rege, Karen A.
• Robinson, Hildreth L.
• Rotwein, Marilyn
• Rowling & Associates Fund
• Rowling, Sheryl L.
• Ryan, Dorothy M. Kennedy
• Schaus, Todd Alan , CPA
• Schemidt, Gerald
• Schwend, Joanna W.
• Schwend, Ted C.
• Sevilla, Rocio
• Shaffer, Eugene A.
• Shiff, Mary T.
• Silke, Claire Brigid
• Singer Jr., Robert Luis
• Skaug, Phyllis
• Smith, Mary T.
• Snead, Dale Arthur
• Stickney, Gaylord L.
• Stickney, Nylene E.
• Strain, Thomas K.
• Strindberg, Bruce
• Strindberg, Mary A.
• Sullivan, Timothy M.
• Swarthout, Sid W.
• Tavolazzi, Jill A.
• Taylor, Timothy M.
• Temple, Mary E.
• Thompson, Crystal D.
• Van Zant, Sandra A.
• Van Zant, Thomas L.
• Varano Jr., Marshall J.
• Vazquez, Kristine E.
• Waxman, Madeline
• White Jr., Harry C.
• Williams, Patricia
• Williams, Theodore D.
• Wright, Shannon L.
• Xie, Pingfan
• Yun, John
• Zepeda, Ismael B.
Would you like to make a gift to the Charles W.
Lamden School of Accountancy?
Go to campaign.sdsu.edu, select Other
Designation and write in School of Accountancy.
Prefer to mail a check?
Please make checks payable to The Campanile
Foundation and include the Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy on the memo line and
mail to:
San Diego State University
Attention: The Campanile Foundation
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego CA 92182-1968
33

Charles W Lamden
School of Accountancy
Advisory Board
Bryan Bear
Director of Finance
Taylor Guitars
‘90 Accounting, ‘02 EMBA
Stephen Brownell
Partner
Lindsay & Brownell LLP
‘85 MSA
Mark Clemens
Partner
KPMG LLP
‘89 Accounting
Thomas Darcy
Executive Vice President & CFO
Tocagen Inc.
‘73 Accounting
Lee Duran
Partner
BDO USA LLP
‘82 Accounting
Scott Farber
Partner
Grant Thorton International Ltd.
‘81 Accounting
Mark Fisher
Chief Financial Officer
Roman Catholic Diocese of
San Diego
‘82 Accounting, ‘92 MBA
Kenneth Gerstel
Partner
Deloitte Tax LLP
‘95 Accounting, ‘97 MSA
James Givens
Partner
Ernst & Young
‘90 Accounting
Victor Gonzalez
Partner
Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP
‘89 Accounting
Michael Howard
Partner
Ernst & Young
‘96 Accounting
Jim Levinson
Partner
PwC
‘84 Accounting
Leslie Levinson
Chief Financial Officer
The Campanile Foundation
San Diego State University
‘90 Accounting
Trevor Mihalik
Senior Vice President, Controller
and Chief Accounting Officer
Sempra Energy
James Nakagawa
Chief Financial Officer
Excel Trust
‘88 Accounting
Christopher Roberts
Partner
West Rhode & Roberts
‘92 Accounting
Laura Roos
Partner
Moss Adams LLP
‘91 Accounting
Rick Rosas
Partner
PwC
‘87 Accounting
Michael Schneider
Vice President, Operations Support
and Chief Environmental Officer
San Diego Gas & Electric
Catherine Stiefel
Retired
‘92 Accounting
Judy Thompson
President
Thompson Search
‘93 Psychology
34

Credits
George Belch Interim Dean
College of Business Administration
C. Janie Chang William E. Cole Director
Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy
Steve Ham
Chief Marketing Officer
Suzanne Finch Editor
Jiong Li
Graphic Designer
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Charles W. Lamden
School of Accountancy
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5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8221
Office: SSE 2411
Phone: 619.594.5070
Email: accounting@sdsu.edu
sdsu.edu/accounting
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