Accountancy News 

In March the BYU Marriott School of Business administration recognized a graduating student from each undergraduate program with the Bateman Award for their exemplary dedication to the BYU Marriott values, commitment to academic excellence, and profound drive to serve others.

When the School of Accountancy was made aware of a potential gap in teaching methods, they designed two new courses—hoping that the hands-on learning opportunities would help students bridge the gap between knowledge and application.

BYU Marriott accounting students Canyon Esplin, Chris Gibbons, Hyrum Draper, Lincoln Gardner, and Marlee Lotaki won first place and $10,000 at Deloitte's 2025 FanTAXtic national case study competition.

When Masahiro Hokazono told his mother he planned to go to college in the United States, he couldn’t speak English at all. So, while taking his first year of classes at a university in Japan, he spent hours studying English. Now he has a full-time position at a Big Four firm in Chicago.

When Jeffrey Pickerd graduated from BYU Marriott, he knew he wanted to return as a faculty member someday. Now a new associate professor in the SOA, Pickerd has seen the Lord’s hand guiding his journey back to BYU Marriott as he continued forward in faith.

Fortune 500 railway companies don’t often need to remove acres of rare palm trees from their properties, but when Union Pacific was faced with this issue, they turned the problem over to five pre-business students at the BYU Marriott School of Business.

At the start of the fall semester, Brigitte Madrian, dean of the BYU Marriott School of Business, welcomed 11 new faculty members to the college. “At BYU Marriott, our faculty are dedicated teachers, exceptional scholars, and transformative role models. We are thrilled to welcome these new professors and know that their insights and experience will greatly enhance the educational experience of our students.”

MAcc student Brenna Doyle is always looking for ways to learn and improve. “I never want to feel stagnant in my career,” Doyle says. “I want to be in places where I can grow, both as a professional and as a person.” Today, Doyle knows that working collaboratively fosters the growth she is striving for—but she didn’t always see it that way.

Each year at University Conference, Brigham Young University recognizes a number of employees for their service and influence. This year faculty and staff members at the BYU Marriott School of Business—Julie Averett, Spencer Hilton, Jenn Larson, and Scott Webb—received awards at the conference for their contributions to BYU.

Last year’s CPA exam results were recently published—and BYU Marriott's SOA graduates Elise Chase and Parker Jackson were on the list of award winners, continuing the SOA’s 16-year streak of alums who earned the award.

Associate professor of accounting Ron Worsham believes that persistent improvements can push the boundaries of what one originally thinks is possible. Worsham has seen the fruits of dedicated labor manifest over and over again in his 30 years at BYU Marriott—both in himself and in his students.

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte Madrian announced the addition of two new members to the Deans Office: Blair Morgan as administrative dean and Jeff Wilks as an associate dean, effective May 20 and July 1 respectively.

In April 2024, students from the School of Accountancy worked together in pit crews to beat the clock and change the tires of retired NASCAR cars with their wits, high-power impact drills, and a wheeled pit stop jack. Off the track, these students at the BYU Marriott School of Business were preparing to cross the finish line of their junior year, and iMpact Utah helped the students kick into gear for finals week with a NASCAR team-building training.

BYU Marriott professor teams with ASU, University of Duisburg-Essen, and industry coauthors to create GenAI Governance Framework.

For Mary & Ellis professor Mark Zimbelman, teaching at the BYU Marriott School of Business is about helping students find spiritual and intellectual truth. As he retires from the School of Accountancy, he reflects on how his faith has helped him make a lasting impact through both his research and his interactions with students.

An assistant professor of organizational behavior and human resources in the BYU Marriott School of Business, McKenzie Rees had a strong prompting to do a peer-mentoring project for her section of HRM 540: Organizational Effectiveness. “For me, the essence of this class is helping students understand how they can make others feel valued in their work,” Rees says.

In 1991 Deloitte & Touche Professor of Accounting Monte Swain began teaching at the BYU Marriott School of Business. He was just 29 years old—the same age as half of his students. Now, after 33 years of enriching and inspiring the next generation of business students, Swain is teaching his final semester in the School of Accountancy.

Flexibility is the key to success for Lulu Gilbert, a new Student Leadership Advisory Council (SLAC) copresident at the BYU Marriott School of Business. Her busy schedule requires an alternative take on a balanced schedule that helps her prioritize the most important parts of her life.

With two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees, Tricia Seguine is no stranger to learning. From her beginning at the School of Accountancy in the BYU Marriott School of Business, she’s learned that she can use her unique educational blend from multiple degrees to make a positive impact.

Eight professors joined the faculty at the BYU Marriott School of Business in 2023. “We are excited to welcome these new faculty members,” says Brigitte Madrian, dean of BYU Marriott. “In line with our mission to develop leaders of faith, intellect, and character, these new faculty bring insight and experience that will contribute to the educational experience BYU Marriott offers its students.”