Greetings from Alter Hall! Enclosed is Spring 2018, issue #18 of our semi-annual Footnotes from Fox. Once again, we deliver news about department doings. What have the students, faculty, and our alumni been up to?
It was great to see so many of you at our Second Accounting Achievement Awards event at the Bellevue Hotel on May 2. Over 250 people attended. For those who could not make it, our first story informs about the event and the 2018 Award winners.
Our next two stories are about VITA, the IRS-sponsored tax assistance program we run at the Ambler campus. Under the guidance of Professor Steve Balsam and assisted by a few of our faculty and tax professionals who volunteer, our students prepared nearly 500 tax returns, and garnered almost one-half million dollars for their clients. This was the 11th consecutive year the Department has sponsored this program. But even more persistent, our faculty have been achieving and realizing professional successes outside the classroom for decades. We tell you what’s been done of late.
Justin Grothmann, a future Fox Master of Accountancy (MAcc) student, was the first Temple student to graduate under the Fly in 4 program. We’re proud he’s one of ours, and tell you more about him. Speaking of MAcc, this year we’ll graduate the largest ever cohort from our seventh class. Where are they off to?
Blockchain is a word that’s been on the tips of many tongues of late. Professor Cory Ng shares his views on blockchain technology and its implications for the accounting profession.
Finally, 2018 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Department of Accounting, as well as the Fox School of Business. In August, we’ll hold a research conference to celebrate. We also report on the Conference on Financial Economics and Accounting we ran (jointly with the Department of Finance) in November 2017. Over 165 academics from across North America came for two days of research presentations.
As I write this in late spring, the only entrance into Alter Hall is via Liacouras Walk. The 13th Street entrance to Speakman Hall is closed, pending the recladding of Speakman’s exterior, and the Liacouras Walk entrance to Speakman is shut. Construction of a sky bridge connecting the refurbished 1801 Liacouras Walk building to Speakman Hall is in full fury. Click here to learn more. Better yet, make a trip to campus to visit us and see for yourself.
As is ever the case, you get full disclosure when you read Footnotes from Fox.