Accounting Students Earn Second and Third Place at Case Study Competition Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Accounting student teams from Associate Professor Margaret Gilfillan's auditing class finished second and third at the Pittsburgh Institute of Internal Auditors/Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Case Study Competition Nov. 5 at the Pittsburgh office of Maher Duessel.

A total of 18 cases were submitted to the competition by student groups from Point Park University, Duquesne University, Robert Morris University and the University of Pittsburgh.

"This is the third year in a row that our accounting students have earned top places in this important audit case study competition," remarked Gilfillan. "Their performance speaks to the professionalism and strength of our accounting students and the program."

Point Park's second place team, The Dollar Draft Knights, was made up of accounting students Lauren Berner, Marcy King, Jonathan Robbins, Perry Ninness and Abby Wohlfarth.

The Dollar Draft Knights were given a case on a heavy manufacturing company with internal audit problems and asked to prepare flowcharts, discuss current controls, identify top risks and concerns, and design new controls based on those risks and concerns.

"My current auditing class as well as my forensic accounting and introductory and intermediate accounting courses definitely helped," said Marcy King, a senior accounting major and intern for Schneider Downs.

Coming in third place was the Point Park team, The Examiners, which included Cassandra Criswell, Julia Grubbs, Dan Lienemann, Courtney Mager and Tiffany Wink.

The Examiners' case involved uncovering the control gaps of a company to create new controls that would better serve the company and protect it from fraud.

"Our auditing class really helped us look at how a company should operate and determine where fraud or misstatements can occur," said Grubbs, a senior accounting and dance double major who secured an accounting internship with Urish Popeck & Co. next semester.

Lienemann, a senior accounting transfer student and material handler for General Electric Power Conversion, felt prepared for the competition based on what he learned in the auditing class coupled with his nine years of manufacturing work experience.

"Point Park has accepted a lot of credits from my associate's degree and provided some quality classes that compliment my work experience," said Lienemann.

For Perry Ninness, a senior accounting major and intern for UBS Financial Services, Point Park has made a significant impact on his life.

"Point Park has completely changed my outlook on life and my future career. I came here as a transfer student without much prior knowledge in the financial field. Through my time here, I have been able to make professional relationships with both industry professionals and my professors," explained Ninness. "I will fly the Point Park flag for as long as I live."

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