Student Group Wins Third National Award in a Row

For the third consecutive year, the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) named the University of Scranton’s student chapter as one of just five Outstanding Student Chapters in the nation for the 2020-2021 academic year. The IMA’s Award of Excellence is presented to the top student chapters that qualified for Gold Status.

Officers of the University’s IMA student chapter for 2020-2021 were: Grace Gallagher ’21 of Dalton, president; Ngoc Nguyen ’21 New Tripoli, vice president; Zeli-Anne Policarpio ’21 of South Plainfield, New Jersey, secretary; Sarin Baldante ’21 of Sayville, New York, treasurer; and Charles Csaszar of Hopewell Junction, New York, junior officer. Ashley Stampone, CPA, faculty specialist in the Accounting Department, serves as the faculty advisor for the University’s student chapter. Prof. Stampone received the IMA’s Ursel K. Albers IMA Campus Advocate of the Year Award for 2021. The award recognizes an IMA Campus Advocate/Student Chapter Advisor who has made significant contributions to the IMA overall and the IMA student members in particular.

In order to qualify for IMA’s student chapter Award of Excellence, the chapter had to facilitate/sponsor numerous student events and meetings including a new member orientation, a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam information session, ethics and other educational opportunities in addition to participating in the IMA’s national student case competition, its national student manuscript competition and the Student Leadership Conference.

The numerous events hosted by Scranton’s IMA student chapter during the academic year included a new member orientation, a remote internship panel discussion, a CMA exam information session, an accounting industry panel discussion and virtual office tours with BKD and PwC. In addition, the student officers coordinated an Easter Basket Drive within the Kania School of Management to support the Center for Service and Social Justice’s initiative to benefit Friends of the Poor. IMA student members also participated in the IMA’s Student Case Competition, the Clark Johnson Achievement Award Competition and the Student Manuscript Competition. The team consisting of Gallagher, Csaszar, Aidan Cagner of Rockville Centre, NY, and Annalisa Mechanick of Randolph, New Jersey, had their virtual presentation selected as a “Semi-Final 8” for the IMA Case Competition.

Gallagher also was awarded the IMA’s Memorial Education Fund Scholarship for 2020, The scholarship is presented annually to top accounting, finance, and IT students demonstrating exceptional commitment to the IMA and the management accounting profession, extraordinary leadership abilities, and the highest personal integrity.

“I am so honored to have been awarded the IMA’s MEF scholarship,” said Gallager. “Being a part of the IMA student chapter is one of my proudest accomplishments, and it is an honor to be recognized for such involvement. Additionally, winning the Outstanding Student Chapter Award of Excellence, signifying we are one of the top chapters in the nation, not only makes us as a student chapter proud of our hard work, but even more determined to continue this work into the future. I am incredibly honored to be part of this team of student leaders.”

The University’s IMA student chapter formed in 2017.

The IMA’s Endorsement of Higher Education initiative recognizes programs that meet rigorous educational standards, enabling students to pursue and earn the CMA credential. The University’s undergraduate accounting program was endorsed by the IMA in 2017.