Maia YoungWe are proud to announce that Maia Yang (MPA ‘ 16) has been offered a Postgraduate Technical Assistant (PTA) position with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Beginning in July, Maia will begin gathering firsthand experience in how governmental standards are created and changed to reflect the world around us.

When asked about the type of work she anticipates during her time with the GASB, Maia said, “From what I’ve gathered, I’ll be doing a lot of reading, a lot of researching, and a lot of memo writing. I expressed interest in several projects, but one of my favorites is how the government should recognize its asset retirement obligations. I think this project in particular is exciting because of the potential environmental impact such reporting can have. While no one that I know has ever picked up their government’s financial statements for some light reading, I like the idea of this increased transparency being translated by intermediaries like journalists to better inform citizens of what their governments are doing with their money. I obviously haven’t started this position yet, but I’m hopeful that such increased transparency can assist in circumventing the huge issues that are occurring in places like Flint, Michigan and Detroit.”

The GASB PTA program is a one-year term, during which the individual becomes highly involved with the accounting standards-setting process and comes to have an in-depth understanding of the roles played by preparers, auditors, and users of financial information. This program represents one of the highest honors available for new graduates due to the one-of-a-kind experience it provides for participants.

Congratulations Maia!