Nancy Bagranoff, dean of the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, has been elected to the board of directors for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is currently the only educator to hold this position, she said.
"Accounting education is important, and they [board members] recognize that they want someone with that background on the board," Bagranoff said.
Darrell Walden, chairman of the university's accounting department, said Bagranoff was one of two academics to have served on the AICPA's board. "It's just extraordinary," he said.
"The AICPA is the premier organization for accounting professionals," Walden said. "It is an extremely visible position she will hold." Senior Mick Wallerstedt, president of the university's accounting society, said the organization's members were closely involved with evolving standards and changing regulations within the accounting industry.
Bagranoff needs to stay abreast of all changing accounting policy, she said.
Bagranoff's responsibilities will include attending board meetings, which take place in New York, Bagranoff said. She has been assigned to the organization's audit committee and will also participate in the Pathways Commission to develop a report on the future of accounting education, she said.
The Pathways Commission is a joint project between the AICPA and the American Accounting Association, said Bagranoff, who previously served as president for the AAA.
"I help liaison with the academic accountants and can report on it to the practitioners," Bagranoff said.
Bagranoff has already given a presentation on the Pathways Commission to members in the Virginia branch of the organization, she said.
The opportunity came as a surprise to Bagranoff, she said. Last year, she noticed on her calendar that the chairman of the AICPA was scheduled to call her, and she later found out that she had been nominated, she said.
Walden said Bagranoff's position with the AICPA would bring more prominence and notoriety to the university's business program. "This is an incredibly powerful position," he said.
"This is not only an honor for Nancy," Walden said, "but a large honor as well for the Robins School of Business." Bagranoff will continue to improve the outlook for Richmond's accounting students, Wallerstedt said, by fostering close relationships with the top professionals in the accounting field.
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"It's a big deal," Wallerstedt said. "Having the dean of our business school hold a very high-up position in this great organization will only improve the accounting program."
Contact staff reporter Mara LugoRudner at mara.lugorudner@richmond.edu
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