By Dorothy Brady
Florence Atiase, a lecturer in the Department of Accounting, has received the Texas Society of CPAs’ (TSCPA) Outstanding Accounting Educator Award for 2009. The award honors those who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and have distinguished themselves through active service to the accounting profession.
Atiase fits the profile perfectly. Since joining the McCombs faculty in 1993, she has taught a variety of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including introductory financial and managerial accounting, intermediate financial accounting and financial statement analysis.
Urton Anderson, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting, said, “Florence is truly an outstanding member of the accounting profession who has done much to pass on the values of the profession to a new generation of CPAs.”
Her dedication as a teacher is reflected in her students’ comments on her teaching evaluations. “She explains things really well,” one student wrote, “making a very difficult subject accessible to all students.” Other comments characterize her as “a hard but a compassionate and dedicated teacher” and “one of the best professors I have had at UT so far.”
In 2001, Atiase received the President’s Service Award in appreciation for exceptional dedication and service to the TSCPA’s Austin chapter. In 2007 she also received the CPA of the Year – Industry, Government and Education award from the Austin CPA Chapter of the TSCPA.
Atiase has done a lot of work to promote diversity, both within the McCombs community and the accounting profession. She serves as a member of the TSCPA’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee and as faculty advisor to the University chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. Since 1994, she has been the faculty coordinator/instructor and facilitator of the McCombs Accounting Career Awareness Program summer camp for underrepresented high school students interested in a career in accounting. In recent years, 80 to 100 percent of former ACAP participants have enrolled as University of Texas business majors.
Atiase joins former McCombs TSCPA Outstanding Educator Award winners Professors Anna Fowler, Michael Granof, Ray Sommerfeld and Ed Summers.
10 responses so far
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1 Will Leon // Oct 13, 2009 at 10:00 am
I took an accounting class with Ms. Atiase for my Business Foundations Certificate. “A hard but a compassionate and dedicated teacher” is a perfect description of Ms. Atiase. Congratulations on receiving this honor.
2 Del Watson // Oct 13, 2009 at 10:50 am
Congratulations to an outstanding educator!
3 Anna C. Fowler // Oct 13, 2009 at 10:56 am
Great going, Florence! I was delighted to read about your well deserved award. Thanks for your dedication to teaching, your inspiration of students, and your involvement in the accounting profession.
Anna Fowler, retired professor
4 Nubia Tamayo // Oct 13, 2009 at 2:31 pm
A well deserved award for Professor Atiase! Congratulations! Thank you for providing inspiration and dedication to us students.
5 Lauren Anne Cove // Oct 14, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Congratulations, Professor Atiase! This is certainly a well-deserved honor.
6 Chelsea Young // Oct 15, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Congratulations, You truly are very deserving of this award! Congrats and thanks for being a outstanding professor.
7 Aaron Demerson // Oct 16, 2009 at 11:17 am
Big Congrats and well deserved—
Roger Davis with NABA shared this information with those of us on his contact list.
8 Dorothy Brady // Oct 17, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Congratulations to a great educator!
9 R. Hill // Oct 20, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Congratulations. Hope to meet you in person some day!
10 Rev. Dr. Dora Bortey // Oct 26, 2009 at 4:16 am
Congratulations! Florence. I am not suprised at all that such an honor has been given to you. You are all that have been said about you and more. To God be the glory indeed!
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