Top Accounting Ph.D. Candidates Attend 44th Annual Doctoral Consortium Sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation

WILTON, Conn., July 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 90 top Ph.D. candidates and distinguished faculty members convened at the 44^th Annual American Accounting Association (AAA)/Deloitte Foundation/J. Michael Cook Doctoral Consortium to discuss current topics in accounting education, research and publishing.  Held at Deloitte University in Westlake, Texas, attendees also explored navigating the early years of an academic career and how to prepare for the interview and placement process.

"With the shortage of accounting professors, this Consortium has become even more important," said Carol Lindstrom, president of the Deloitte Foundation.  "The conference affords Ph.D. candidates the opportunity to meet with leading accounting professors and to learn about and share research perspectives, and obtain valuable career advice. Each doctoral student plays a vital role in educating our future talent and we are pleased to support their development through this program."

Since 1971, the AAA/Deloitte Foundation/J. Michael Cook Doctoral Consortium has brought together leading accounting doctoral students and distinguished faculty from U.S. and select international universities.  The AAA selects a distinguished committee of accounting faculty to develop the program content and to provide a forum for stimulating the participants to pursue research in significant subject matter areas.  During this year's conference, chaired by Professor Wayne Landsman of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, attendees heard from a diverse group of faculty who presented their perspectives on creating and motivating research and accounting practice issues.  This year's participants also had the opportunity to present a potential research topic and receive feedback from both participating faculty and doctoral students.  The program also covered other areas of interest to doctoral students who are nearing completion of their Ph.D. programs and are planning to pursue academic careers.

"The Doctoral Consortium is one of the AAA's premier events.  It is a career highlight for accounting academics who have the good fortune to participate.  This year's consortium continued our long tradition of bringing together our top doctoral students to enable them to establish relationships with their soon-to-be colleagues across the academy, to hear research perspectives from some of our top academics, and to expose them to practice issues," said Mary Barth, president of the American Accounting Association and a member of the faculty at Stanford University. "In addition, the Deloitte University environment and facilities enabled us to take the consortium to a higher level.  The energy it helped create was palpable.  The students also benefited from insightful perspectives from J. Michael Cook and from the opportunity to present their own research ideas to their peers and the faculty."

The Deloitte Foundation recently renewed its $750,000 commitment to the American Accounting Association to fund two additional years of doctoral consortia.

About the Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization which supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefitting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.  For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation web page at www.deloitte.com/us/df.

About the American Accounting Association
The American Accounting Association is the largest community of accountants in academia. Founded in 1916, the AAA has a rich and reputable history built on leading-edge research and publications. The diversity of the AAA's membership creates a fertile environment for collaboration and innovation. Collectively, the AAA shapes the future of accounting through teaching, research and a powerful network, ensuring their position as thought leaders in accounting. Find more information about the AAA at http://aaahq.org.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

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SOURCE Deloitte Foundation