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Greetings Accounting Alumni, As we plan for the 2025-2026 academic year, we are diligently working to revamp our programs to meet the new requirements in the profession. As you are aware, we are going through changing times in the accounting field and as a result, the landscape of accounting education is shifting. In Fall 2023, the Texas State Board of Accountancy changed the rules to sit for the CPA exam from 150 hours to permitting students with a bachelor’s degree and required accounting and business courses to sit for the exam. Licensing continues to have a 150-hour requirement; however, there is a bill currently making its way through the Texas Senate and House to create an alternate pathway to licensing. This would require a bachelor’s degree, and two years of professional work experience, or the current 150 hours plus one year of professional work experience. We have been proactive to these changes and about 15 months ago formed a task force with leading professionals from public accounting and industry to brainstorm the skill sets and knowledge expected of the future accounting student entering the profession. Our curriculum committee considered their viewpoints and recommendations in redesigning our BBA in Accounting program. They are also redesigning the graduate degree in accounting to provide a value proposition that goes beyond the CPA exam. These changes will help ensure our programs remain cutting-edge and provide the next generation of accountants with the tools they need to succeed in the profession. Gerald Lobo, Ph.D. |
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Distinguished alumnus Steve Goodman (MSACCY ’85) has built a decades-long career at the intersection of finance and accounting. After starting at Arthur Young (now EY), he launched a dual path in hotel real estate and financial advisory before founding Goodman Financial, a fee-only fiduciary firm now managing over $865 million in assets. Though he hasn’t practiced public accounting in over 30 years, Goodman remains deeply connected to the profession and education, having served in leadership roles with TXCPA, AICPA, and now the Bauer College Board. He co-founded the Goodman and Viator Scholarship Program, providing 40 annual scholarships — half to accounting students. Goodman says: “It has often been said that accounting is the language of business, and as such, a Bauer accounting degree prepares one for success in all areas of business.” |
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Young alumnus Aimee Bhakthavachalam (BBA ‘14, MSACCY ‘15), a proud alumna of Bauer College’s five-year Professional Program in Accountancy (PPA), represents the dynamic career possibilities available to today’s accounting graduates. While at Bauer, she earned offers from all Big Four firms and chose to begin her career at KPMG, where she spent four years before joining Protiviti in 2021. In 2024, Bhakthavachalam returned to Bauer as an adjunct professor teaching Principles of Financial Accounting. She now leads data analytics teams within internal audit, combining her CPA and accounting background with newly acquired skills in management information systems. Her work supports audit and accounting teams in extracting insights from complex data. Bhakthavachalam encourages students to take full advantage of their college experience, noting that deeper engagement beyond the classroom helps build the foundation for a meaningful, multi-dimensional career in accounting. |
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Researcher
Yuping Zhao is an Associate Professor of Accounting. She joined Bauer in 2010 after receiving her Ph.D. from George Washington University. Zhao is currently an Associate Editor of Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory and of Corporate Governance: An International Review. She is primarily interested in auditing research, particularly in the area of audit quality, and her research has been published in leading accounting journals. Zhao has taught auditing courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. |
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Instructor
Kiran Parthasarathy is an Instructional Associate Professor. She joined Bauer as a faculty member in Fall 2011 after receiving her Ph.D. from Bauer College. During her time at Bauer, Parthasarathy has taught over 10,000 students. She serves as the Faculty Director for the Principles Accounting Courses, where she coordinates a team of instructors in course design, technology adoption and troubleshooting, bringing forth innovative techniques to improve student learning outcomes. In recognition of her efforts, she has received four teaching awards and six TIP grants from the University of Houston’s Office of the Provost. Prior to entering academia, Parthasarathy worked in credit risk and was a manager of financial derivatives at a multinational bank. |
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Fall 2024 Outstanding BBA Accounting Student
Nhi Le (BBA ‘24) chose the University of Houston for its strong reputation in business education, generous transfer scholarships, and abundant networking opportunities with top accounting firms. As a student at Bauer College, she took full advantage of its location in the heart of Houston to build professional connections and gain insight into the accounting industry. Le’s audit internships enabled her to explore a range of industries, while supportive teams and thorough training helped her feel confident and prepared. She will begin her full-time role with Deloitte’s Audit practice in Fall 2025. |
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Fall 2024 Outstanding MSACCY Student
Rosalie Semaska (BBA ’23, MSACCY ’24) always had a passion for accounting, financials and anything to do with money. Over the years this included figuring out the budgets for a multitude of Vietnamese church community and annual festivals, reconciliation of expenses and profits, creating plans for friends and family to pay off their debt or save up to buy their dream home. These opportunities helped Semaska discover her passion for helping people. During Semaska’s academic career at UH, she was able to experience teaching and student interactions through in-person and online classes. Semaska’s instructors helped cultivate her passion for accounting and for that she is truly grateful. Each of them expressed their desire to see students succeed, and she experienced that firsthand. Semaska looks forward to sharing her knowledge with incoming and current students so they can enjoy their time at UH like she did. |
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Have you received a special designation, award or promotion? Please share the good news with us at acctconnect@bauer.uh.edu for a chance to be featured in a future issue of our e-newsletter! |
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