Exposure, experience are key to success at Accounting Night

For one night every year, crisp, clean suits, warm smiles and ready hands monopolize the JSAC’s Ballroom. If you happened upon Accounting Night at Augusta University by mistake, you’d be forgiven for thinking it an international business conference. Students and faculty, employers and jobseekers spend the evening trading stories. Business cards change hands. Chances are taken. Futures are made.

In reality, the event, hosted by the Knox School of Accountancy in the James M. Hull College of Business, is a unique career-building exercise—a chance for rising sophomore, junior and senior accounting majors to network with peers and firms in the Augusta area and beyond. Several CPA firms were in attendance, including Cherry Beakart, Elliott Davis Decosimo, Serotta, Maddocks, Evans & Co., CPAs (SME CPAs), Fuller, Frost and Associates, and The Cleveland Group.

Stephen Lamb, CFO for Advancement and Foundations, delivered the evening’s keynote address. Lamb, a graduate of Hull College, interned and later accepted a full-time position with SME CPAs, where he worked for more than 7 years before coming back to the university. During his speech, Lamb credited opportunities like Accounting Night for his career success.

“Without things like Accounting Night, without an internship, I wouldn’t have had a foot in the door with [SME CPAs],” he said.

Following the keynote, a number of Knox Scholarship recipients were recognized for their achievements. The full list of recipients can be found below.

Dr. Michael Dugan, Peter S. Knox III Distinguished Chair in Accounting, was awarded the Abrams J. Serotta Award for his outstanding commitment to educating and improving the career futures of accounting majors. In April, Dugan was awarded the Graduate School’s Distinguished Research Award. Dugan joined the university in 2014, and has more than 50 scholarly publications to his name.

Knox Scholarship Recipients

Ryan Blake
Vannecia Glenn
William Guyton
Cora Gwinn
Amanda Hamilton
Cathleen Herndon
Eleathea Kang
Remy Lucas
Corrie Wendell Phelps
Ali Ritch
Oliver Robson
Rico Weiland
Amanda Weng

Participating Organizations

ADP
Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center
Augusta University/AU Health Office of Internal Audit
Cherry Bekaert LLP
Christ Community Health Services
The Cleveland Group
Club Car – Ingersoll Rand
Columbia County
CSRA Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors
Elliott Davis Decosimo
Fuller, Frost, & Associates
John Deere
Rhoden CPA Firm
SME CPAs