AICPA Foundation Grants 25 Minority Doctoral Fellowships

NEW YORK (September 9, 2021) – The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Foundation granted fellowships to 25 minority doctoral students as part of its effort to increase diversity among educators in accounting programs.

The funding comes from the AICPA Fellowship for Minority Doctoral Students program, which serves to bolster racial and ethnic diversity and inclusiveness among accounting educators at colleges and universities. It provides $12,000 to each student, renewable for up to an additional four years, assuming students continue to meet eligibility requirements.

“The AICPA believes that increasing the number of diverse CPAs in the classroom is an important component to building a more equitable and inclusive accounting profession,” said Mike Decker, VP - CPA Examination & Pipeline at AICPA & CIMA. “We look forward to seeing these scholars progress through their doctoral programs and ultimately help educate future generations of CPAs.”

The 2021-22 Minority Doctoral Fellowship recipients, as well as the doctoral programs they are attending, are:

• Mary Adebukola Adenle, The University of Texas at Austin

• Christiana Antwi-Obimpeh, University of Texas - San Antonio

• Jose Nicolas Arguello, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

• David Gabriel Caceres, Florida International University

• Moniquca Chappell, Florida State University

• Asabe Adama Mairama Danpollo, Cornell University

• Jewel Onyx Evans, University of Chicago

• LaToya Flint, University of Mississippi

• Roberto Gonzales, University of Texas at Arlington

• Paige G. Harrell, Emory University

• Brittani Shantel Jackson, Indiana University

• Devon P. Jefferson, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Monica Kabutey, University of North Texas

• Carissa Malone, Virginia Tech University

• Tendai Masaya, Yale University

• Timothy Edward Messenger, University of Oregon

• Iguehi Rajsky, Temple University

• Jeremy Richardson, Texas Tech University

• Vernan Orlando Rivera, University of Connecticut

• Edgar Rodriguez-Vazquez, University of Washington

• Jessica Thornton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Andrea Tillet, Florida State University

• Raul Villamil-Otero, University of South Florida

• Lawrence D'Andrea Williams, Florida Atlantic University

• Isaac Lord Yamoah, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  

“The AICPA Foundation is happy to support these individuals as they become educators. They exemplify the success-driven diverse and inclusive atmosphere within the profession and will have the opportunity to give back to the profession by inspiring the next generation of CPAs,” said Ernie Almonte, CPA, CGMA, AICPA Foundation president.

All Minority Doctoral Fellows must be ethnic minorities and U.S. citizens or permanent residents, who have earned a master’s degree or worked at least three years full-time in the accounting profession. The 2022-23 application will be available on March 1st, 2022. A full list of requirements and information about other scholarship awards offered to accounting students are available at ThisWaytoCPA.

The Minority Doctoral Fellowship is one of several AICPA initiatives aimed at cultivating a diverse and inclusive accounting profession. In addition to helping to diversify faculty, we also focus on increasing, developing and supporting ethnically diverse students in the profession through our Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop(ASLW). The AICPA launched ASLW in 1994 and it offers ethnic minority junior and senior college students three days of leadership, career exploration, and CPA preparation. Also, the AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students, part of the AICPA Legacy Scholars program, provides funding to outstanding minority students studying accounting.

The Minority Doctoral Fellowships are funded by the AICPA Foundation.

Media Contact:
James Schiavone
212-596-6119
James.Schiavone@aicpa-cima.com