ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT ISSUE 38 (DECEMBER 2025)

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A Message from the Chair

Greetings from the Santa Clara University Accounting Department!

I am pleased to share that the 2024-25 U.S. News Report ranked our accounting program No. 56 out of over 500 accounting programs nationwide. 

Faculty News

Suzanne Luttman's Retirement

Dr. Suzanne Luttman retired at the end of the school year 2024-25 after her amazing 39 years of service at Santa Clara University.

New Faculty

We welcome our new faculty member, Colin Koutney, Assistant Professor of Accounting in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University.

Accounting Professor of the Year

Congratulations to Professor Matthew Cedergren for receiving the 2025 Accounting Professor of the Year Award on May 14, 2025 at the Accounting Awards Banquet. The award is voted annually by graduating seniors in the SCU Accounting Association. Professor Cedergren has worked for the Accounting Department at Santa Clara since 2020 and has evidently made a significant impact on our seniors' time at SCU as an accounting professor.

Faculty Research Workshops

The Accounting Department continues to host research workshops as part of our commitment to support faculty research. We invite nationally and internationally recognized scholars to present their research projects at Santa Clara University.

Accounting Faculty (left to right in the photo): Danny Wallace, Steve Carter, Christine Lebar, Guido van Drunen, Haoning Richter, Chris Paisley, Matthew Cedergren, Don Rath, Kevin Li, Haidan Li, Joe Maglione, Yongtae Kim, Susie Huang (staff), Jim Sepe, Stacey Ritter, Michael Calegari, Suzanne Luttman, Siqi Li, and Vincent Zhang

Accounting News

Accounting Leadership Series

The Accounting Leadership Series 2024-2025 program featured guest speakers Mike Rasic (SCU '88), Stephanie Shingai (SCU ’01), Juho Parkkinen (SCU '09), Sandy Mendoza (SCU '02), and Steve Almassy (SCU '77). The events offered business students an opportunity to hear from alum industry executives and their career experiences and leadership perspectives.

Student Seminar Series

The Accounting Department offers a seminar series for students who are interested in developing a broader understanding of accounting-related business issues. These seminars introduce students to current issues in accounting that may not be included in the regular curriculum.

Podcast "Monday Morning Audit"

Chair Siqi Li hosts the new podcast called Monday Morning Audit, where football meets accounting. Siqi teams up with Steve Carter, a former SCU football player, 49ers practice referee, partner at a public accounting firm, and now SCU accounting professor, to explore what the game can teach us about judgment, ethics, teamwork, and leadership.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music.

SCU Accounting Association

The SCUAA successfully hosted many events during the academic year, including in person career fairs with accounting firms.

Meet the Firms

We extend our thanks and appreciation to the firms that attended our 44th annual Meet the Firms on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 from 1:00-4:00pm in Locatelli Center.

Corporate Accounting Career Panel Discussion

On November 12, over 85 business students attended the ninth annual Corporate Accounting Career Panel Discussion held on campus in Benson Center’s Williman room. 

Accounting Information Night

On January 15, 2025, the SCU Accounting Department hosted its 25th Annual Accounting/A&IS Information Night at Locatelli Center, bringing together over 150 enthusiastic business students and 40 accomplished business professionals. 

Winter Accounting/A&IS Career Fair

The Accounting Department and the SCU Accounting Association (SCUAA) co-hosted the annual Winter Accounting/A&IS Career Fair (WACF) on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 1:00-4:00 pm in the Locatelli Center for Student Involvement. 

Meet the Alumni

On February 12, 2025, the SCU Accounting Association and Alumni Board held a Meet the Alumni social event in the Lucas 126 Forbes conference room for the Accounting and A&IS majors.

Alumni Hut Night Social

On May 21, 2025, the SCU Accounting Association and the Alumni Board hosted a social event for Accounting and A&IS students at The Hut.

Anthony Menendez's Second SCU Visit

On May 29, 2025 the SCU Accounting Department and Accounting Association were lucky enough to welcome the guest speaker, Anthony Menendez, for the second time. Mr. Menendez is known as “The Man Who Blew the Whistle on Halliburton.”

Student Spotlight

Accounting Awards Banquet

The Accounting Department hosted the Annual Accounting Awards Banquet in Locatelli Center on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. 

CalCPA Outstanding Accounting Senior Award

Nicholas Saba, Accounting class of 2025, received the 2024-2025 California Society of Certified Public Accounts (CalCPA) Outstanding Accounting Senior Award.

PCAOB Scholarship

Congratulations to Fiona Holdaway, Accounting class ’26, and Morris Su, Accounting class ’26, who have been awarded the PCAOB Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Business School News

Leavey PLUS Vision

The Leavey School of Business strategic priorities, Leavey PLUS (Partnership, Leadership, Unity, and Sustainability), creates collaborative opportunities for students, faculty, and organizations to address 21st-century business challenges, conduct impactful research, and navigate technological advances and key societal issues, such as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), sustainability, and the future of work.

Accounting Boards

Advisory Board News

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the SCU Accounting Advisory Board convened in October 2024, January 2025 and in May 2025, a spring joint meeting with the Alumni Board. 

Alumni Board News

The SCU Accounting Alumni Board convened in December 2023, March 2024, and in May 2024 (a joint meeting with the Advisory Board). The Alumni Board is a diverse group of accounting professionals who provide career mentorship, development, and networking opportunities to current students.

Accounting Alumnus of the Year

Kevin Reagan, BSC '83, received the Alumnus of the Year Award at the May 14, 2025 Accounting Scholarship and Awards banquet in the Locatelli Center.

Rising Alumni Impact Award

Ryan Chew, BSC '15, and Alan Nguyen, BSC '13, received the Rising Alumni Impact Award at the May 14, 2025 Accounting Scholarship and Awards banquet in the Locatelli Center.

Accounting Alumni LinkedIn Group

The Accounting Department has an SCU Accounting Alumni LinkedIn Group to share Accounting Department news and events. The group connects members of Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business Accounting and A&IS alumni, as well as SCU faculty and Accounting Advisory Board members. We invite you to join the SCU Accounting Alumni Group by following this link and selecting the "Request to Join" button. 

Grateful for our Donors

The Accounting Department would like to thank all of our generous donors who help make the wonderful things the Department offers possible.

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Accounting Department

Leavey School of Business

Santa Clara University

500 El Camino Real

Santa Clara, CA 95053

(408) 554-4578

accounting@scu.edu