Smeal Professor Awarded by AICPA
Dr. Mark W. Dirsmith, the Deloite & Touche Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the Smeal College of Business has been named the winner of the 2015 American Insitute of CPA’s Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award. The AMCPA award has been presented annually since 1985. The awarded is given to recognized accounting professors who are nominated as outstanding educators and have achieved national recognition in the accounting profession. Dr. Dirsmith was honored at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association (AAA), in Chicago.
The American Institute of CPAs represents the CPA profession nationally regarding rule-making and standard-setting. The group serves as an advocate before legislative bodies, public interest groups and other professional organizations. The AICPA develops standards for audits of private companies, provides educational guidance materials to its members, develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination and monitors and enforces compliance with the profession’s technical and ethical standards. The AICPA’s founding established accountancy as a profession distinguished by rigorous educational requirements, high professional standards, a strict code of professional ethics, a licensing status and a commitment to serving the public interest.
Dr. Dirsmith first started teaching at Penn State in 1975, where he served as the Deloite & Touche Professor of Accounting and the Price Waterhouse Auditing Professor. He is a certified CPA and has also received numerous academic and accounting awards including the AAA’s ABO Section Notable (Lifetime) Contribution Award in Behavioral Accounting Literature. He has served on various elected university, college and departmental committees, as well as several committees of various academic and professional associations. Dirsmith is also the author or co-author of dozens of professional articles.
Dr. Dirsmith holds a doctorate degree and a master of science degree in accounting and information systems from Northwestern University and a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dirsmith also served in the United States Army and was stationed in Korea.