News from the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy

ASAC Achievements

Adkerson School of Accountancy students accepted a record number of internships – 87 – for the spring and summer of 2026. These posts saw them gaining invaluable experience in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

At ASAC’s 2026 Scholarship Banquet, 130 scholarships were awarded, with a total combined value of nearly $200,000. Seen here at the event are Dr. Clyde Herring, retired faculty member, and Sofia Gore, recipient of the Dora Herring Endowed Scholarship. Thanks to all who invest in our hard-working, accomplished students!

For 2026, the Mississippi Society of CPAs’ Education Foundation has awarded its MSU undergraduate scholarship to Thomas Antici and its MSU graduate scholarship to Olivia Hanby.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board awarded 2026-27 PCAOB Scholarships to ASAC students (from left) Julia Burns, Matthew Coleman and Sandra Thomas. The $15,000 scholarships seek to benefit students who are likely to become auditors and are funded through monetary penalties collected as part of PCAOB enforcement actions.

Research by two ASAC faculty members was selected for presentation at the PCAOB’s 2026 Conference on Auditing and Capital Markets in September in Washington, DC: “Do Reviews Improve Interim Financial Reporting Quality?” by Dr. Nicholas Cicone; and “PCAOB Oversight Disclosures and Audit Firms’ Relationships with Nonpublic Clients” by Dr. Mike Truelson.

A custom cowbell was presented to outgoing ASAC Advisory Council Chair Chip Hoover of Warren Averett, in appreciation for his service. Succeeding Hoover is Clark Price of Deloitte, who had been Vice Chair. The Council’s new Vice Chair is Josh Littlejohn of CBIZ.

Welcome to new faculty member Dr. Matthew Oakes. The new Assistant Professor received his PhD from the University of Mississippi, is a licensed CPA and has professional experience as an Auditor with Deloitte. His research interests include accounting regulation, banking and market microstructure, with a primary objective of informing practice.
Dr. Kyle Smith (left) and Dr. Mike Truelson were named as MSU College of Business Dean’s Research Fellows. The honor recognizes faculty members for publishing in leading research journals identified on the Bulldog Benchmark Journal list.
At the annual ASAC Spring Banquet, Dr. Kyle Smith received the 2026 Adkerson School of Accountancy Faculty Research Award.

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