Accountancy News 

As seven new faculty members joined the BYU Marriott School of Business, dean Brigitte Madrian shares, “We are grateful that these extremely capable individuals have joined our faculty. They are deeply committed to our guiding principle of being centered on students and to our mission of developing leaders of faith, intellect, and character who will transform the world.”

For Nicole Donahoo, the path to becoming an assistant professor began with a breakup—an ordeal that spurred Donahoo to turn to the Lord for guidance. Since then, she's learned that following the promptings of the Lord brings her joy, even when God's plans are different from what she had in mind.

When Sarah-Jane Tate started the accounting junior core, she had no idea she'd have to navigate a concussion, a new job, and a broken engagement to make it through the school year.

To help accounting students bridge the gap between theory and practice before they hit the workforce, David Wood has worked with student employees at BYU to build the EYARC Experience platform. The educational platform is funded by the EY Foundation, which sponsors the creation and distribution of educational materials to accounting programs worldwide.

Since the pandemic, Zoom classes—often filled with muted participants and blank screens—have been a new part of the classroom experience. But for students at the BYU Marriott School of Business who are part of the Silver Fund class, a Zoom discussion featuring 65 BYU–Pathway Worldwide students in 18 different countries provided inspiration and connection.

Brigitte Madrian, dean of the BYU Marriott School of Business, has announced the next School of Accountancy director: Melissa Larson, the E. Dee and Patricia Hubbard Professor, will be taking over for Doug Prawitt on July 1, 2025.

Brigitte Madrian, dean of the BYU Marriott of Business has announced the appointment of Michael Drake as a new associate dean for the college. Drake will be replacing current associate dean Bonnie Anderson on July 1, 2025.

Growing up, Ryan Sommerfeldt wanted to be a high school math teacher. Now, he is teaching accounting with the aim of helping students progress both spiritually and intellectually.

In its April 2025 awards ceremony, the BYU Marriott School of Business recognized selected faculty, staff, and administrators for exemplifying the college’s vision, mission, values, and guiding principle in both classroom and administrative work.

For 12 years, accounting alum Michael Parker worked contentedly in public accounting. Then he got a taste of company finances and realized he wanted to be a part of a growing, new company. “I was more of a caretaker, and I wanted to be a builder,” he says.

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.