MinerAlert
MinerAlert
Hello! Warm greetings from the beautiful campus of UTEP. Welcome to The Bottom Line, a newsletter published by the Department of Accounting and Information Systems every semester.
I would like to take this time to introduce myself as the new Department Chair. It is an honor to lead this department into its next stages of growth and productivity. In this newsletter, I am pleased to share with you some of the academic and professional milestones this Department has accomplished in the past semester.
Through our strong alumni network and deep community partnerships, the Department has seen a variety of professional development opportunities and events provided to our students. Through initiatives such as the PwC Case Competition and Project VITA, our students are gaining real-world experience while connecting with industry leaders.
Our faculty continue to produce relevant research in top academic journals. Since January 2021, our faculty have published or received acceptances for approximately 24 articles in top accounting, information systems and broader business journals. I thank our faculty for continually pushing the boundaries of new knowledge and insights.
We have spent the last few months revitalizing the curriculum for both our IS and accounting programs. On the Accounting side, we have begun incorporating numerous professional licenses (such as CIA, CMA, and CFE) and certifications (such as Excel, Tableau, and Alteryx) into our curriculum. These opportunities are made possible through partnerships with corporate and non-profit organizations.
I hope this newsletter provides a useful picture of the work our faculty, staff, students, and advisory board have done this year. I welcome your feedback and suggestions as we strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of all stakeholders in our binational community.
GO MINERS!
Kevin E. Dow, Ph.D.
Chair, Accounting and Information Systems
Since 2014, UTEP’s College of Business Administration has partnered with GECU to provide bilingual tax preparation services at no cost to low- to moderate-income households earning less than $55,000 per year through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program. This spring, Daniela Escamilla and 16 other undergraduate and graduate accounting students provided free basic tax help to qualified individuals. Student volunteers receive special training and certification on the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) in order to process tax returns.
With decades of experience in industry and academia, Kevin Dow, Ph.D., comes to the UTEP College of Business Administration with a wealth of knowledge. Dow joined the college this semester as the new chair of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems. Dow received his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina and is a leading scholar in the field of Applied Accounting Analytics. Before coming to UTEP, Dow held faculty positions and taught industry executives on four continents.
Meet the Firms is an annual event hosted by the AIS Department, which links undergraduate and graduate accounting students with local, regional and national firms for internship and employment opportunities. “Networking remains one of the single most effective ways to secure an internship or job,” said Sarah Robertson, Assistant Professor of Practice in the Accounting and Information Systems Department at UTEP.
A change in program status for UTEP’s Department of Accounting and Information Systems (AIS) has led to a new grant and further expanded funding opportunities for students and academic programs at the College of Business Administration.
“The Institute of Internal Auditors endorsement of UTEP as a Comprehensive Level University allows our Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) Program to compete internationally for new student opportunities,” said Courtney Rios, IAEP coordinator and lecturer in the AIS Department.
