LSU Team Advances to National Accounting Competition

BATON ROUGE - A team of five E. J. Ourso College of Business accounting students will advance to compete in Deloitte’s national 2022-2023 Audit Innovation Campus Challenge (AICC). Team members are Brooklyn Brown of Frisco, Texas; Grant Cretin of Baton Rouge, La.; Olivia Elam of Metairie, La.; William Liu of Crowley, La. and Mary Caroline Wilcox of Sammamish, Wash.

The LSU team is among 12 teams selected for the national competition. 

In this annual competition, teams are tasked with illustrating how cutting-edge audit technologies could be applied to a real-world business issue. This year’s challenge statement asks students to explore the role of the audit and assurance profession in companies’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. For the preliminary round, teams submitted written submissions for evaluation by a panel of judges consisting of Deloitte audit and assurance professionals.  

“Our team, comprised of students with different experience levels, came together to create an answer to the challenge statement that we all understood and contributed to,” said Elam, a sophomore. “I enjoyed the experience, and we all benefited from working with and learning from Deloitte professionals. This competition also opened my eyes to the many career options for accounting majors. I am proud of our efforts and am grateful for the opportunity.”

The student team was supported throughout their preparation by faculty advisor Sanaz Aghazadeh, associate professor in the Department of Accounting, and Deloitte advisors Patrick Brandau (partner), Hayley Tilton (manager) and David Solsky (manager).

AICC is a national program hosted by the Deloitte Foundation and Deloitte’s Audit Innovation group. The competition helps students test their thinking and research skills and promotes the development of professional skills like networking and communication. The 9th annual national AICC will be held on April 22, 2023, at Deloitte University in Westlake, Texas.

LSU has a history of impressive performances in this competition. After winning the national title in 2016, the team advanced to the finals in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

About the Department of Accounting

The Department of Accounting at LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business strives for excellence in teaching, research, and service to the accounting profession. With a mission of producing graduates at all levels who excel in their pursuits, the department offers undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students for careers in various fields, including industry, auditing, finance, government, and academia. For more information, visit lsu.edu/business/accounting, call 225-578-6202, or email accounting@lsu.edu.

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