Information for

Alumni Engagement and Advancement
Career Center
Current Student Resources
Defense Programs
Inclusion and Belonging
Executive Education
Experiential Programs
Global Programs
Industry Partners
Programs for Veterans
Recruiting at Whitman
Student Technology Center

When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.

Apply Visit Contact

Homepage
About
Whitman Publications
2024-25 Orange Accounting News

2024- 25 Orange Accounting News

From the Department Chair

Dear Alumni and Friends,

As I begin my second year as chair of the Department of Accounting, I am proud to share some of the remarkable progress our community has made this past year. From welcoming new faculty and updating our curriculum to celebrating student achievements and growing enrollment, the department is thriving.

KPMG’s Davis and Meltzer Pass Along Strong Pipeline With Whitman Accounting Students

Howard Meltzer and Steve Davis

After years of recruiting students from the Whitman School of Management to work at KPMG, two familiar faces often seen on campus—Steven Davis ’87 and Howard Meltzer—are retiring from the accounting firm and passing the torch to other members of the recruitment team to keep the Whitman/KPMG pipeline of opportunity going strong.

Accounting Students Take First Place in Inaugural Real Estate Competition

Further proving that accounting is the foundation of all business, team Due Diligence took first place in the Whitman School’s inaugural Real Estate Competition held in March. Four of five members of the winning team were accounting majors who applied their knowledge to a real-world scenario to take the win.

Due Diligence consisted of Adam Best ’25 (accounting/finance), Carly Conway ’25 (accounting), Christian Ellis ’26 (accounting/business analytics), Nick Gee ’25 (finance/real estate) and Michael Pellizzari ’25 (accounting/finance). The competition required students to come up with a redevelopment plan for a large vacant building and an extensive amount of undeveloped land in nearby Fayetteville, New York. Competing teams were required to include a rationale and the basis for their proposed redevelopment plans, including initial financial calculations, market data, legal permissibility and more.

Student Spotlights

Former Hockey Player Takes the Win from Whitman’s Accounting Department

Michael Pellizzari ’25 went from working out on a sheet of ice to working on an Excel spread sheet when he enrolled at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management after playing three years of junior ice hockey.

Accounting Grad Considers Balancing the Books a Highlight of Whitman Education

Jake La Vigna ’25 walked away with a degree in both accounting and finance but also took with him the satisfaction of knowing that he helped introduce business skills to middle schoolers and high school students through Balancing the Books.

A Drive for Success: Accounting Student Pursues a Master’s Degree and CPA Certification While Encouraging Others

Gabrielle Stringer ’25 is a motivated and dedicated student in both her academic and extracurricular pursuits. Currently obtaining a master’s degree in professional accounting while also studying for a CPA license, she is persistent in her desire to achieve success. With an unwavering commitment to her education, Stringer is well on her way to achieving an impactful career.

A Childhood Aptitude for Math Brings Ph.D. Candidate Around the World to Pursue Teaching Career in Accounting

Growing up in China, Jiahu (Jenny) Han ’26 Ph.D. watched her mother run her own small exporting business. She saw first-hand how her mother’s knowledge of business helped her succeed, and that really stuck with her. Today Han, too, is working toward her own success by completing a Ph.D. in accounting and business administration with the goal of becoming a college professor.

NABA Officers 2024-25

Aria Green ’26, president

Thomas Castro Chalarca ’26, vice president

Abdoulaye Diop ’26, SCREP reporter

Nnaeto Nwafor ’28, secretary

King Love ’27, treasurer

Vismary Pena ’28, co-treasurer

Wendy Vasquez ’28, social media chair

Makayla Amatuegwu ’27, co-social media chair

Phoenix McBride ’28, website manager

Ka'nya Nelson ’28, recruitment chair

Adama Sylla ’28, recruitment chair

Edlawit Molshe ’27, events director

Breaiuna Williams ’27, co-events director

TJ Biti ’28, recruitment committee intern

Ticia Cudjoe m’28, treasury committee intern

Beta Alpha Psi Officers 2024-25

Adriana DiCosimo ’25, ’26 M.S., president

Reed Rasmussen ’26, vice president

Jake McMahon ’26, treasurer

Adam Youngs ’26, secretary

Katherine Day ’26, community service

Justin Gillan ’26, membership chair

Eda Imer ’27, events chair

Emmalyn Lacz ’27, fundraising chair

Beta Alpha Psi Awards 2024-25

See List of Awardees

Alumni and Friends

Whitman Alumnus Matt Kay ’12 Takes Over as Lead Recruiting Partner for KPMG

Starting in October, a familiar face will lead KPMG’s recruiting efforts at Syracuse University. Matt Kay ’12, a partner at KPMG who has been a member of the recruiting team for more than a decade, will take over for Steven Davis ’87, tax principal, who is retiring in October, and Howard Meltzer, partner, who retired in April.

READ ACCOUNTING CLASS NOTES

SEE LIST OF 2025 GRADUATES

Focus On Faculty

Professor Anywhere Sikochi Applies Enthusiasm for Accounting to Students, Research and Global Business Initiatives

Anyone who thinks accounting lacks excitement hasn’t experienced the enthusiasm of the Whitman School’s new associate professor, Anywhere Sikochi. “I’ve always loved accounting,” he says. “I can do research that impacts business, the government and entire countries, and I can use that information to drive decisions for people to put into place and also find information that helps create businesses and institutions around the world. I can also teach and apply concepts in the classroom that make students say, ‘Wow! I didn’t realize accounting was this exciting.”

Accounting Research News 2024-25

SEE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS

Joseph L. Lubin School Accounting Faculty

SEE LIST OF FACULTY

In Memoriam

Badr Ismail passed away on Feb. 7, 2025. He was 86 years old.

Ismail graduated from Cairo University with a B.S. as valedictorian in 1962. He traveled to Indiana University and received his MBA in 1966. He completed his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1974. Ismail’s teaching career started at Butler University followed by a position at SUNY Albany as a professor of accounting until 1979. He then joined the faculty at the School of Management (Whitman) as a professor of accounting. He was known for his dedication and kindness to students, and a valued mentor and advisor, always available to students who needed guidance. He retired as a professor emeritus in 2015.

His legacy in teaching made an indelible mark on countless students throughout his career after he retired.

721 University Avenue,
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
(315) 443-3751

Give Back to Whitman
Academic Areas
Newsroom
Directory
MyWhitman

Syracuse University Home