A Farmer School accountancy and analytics major has received a prestigious $10,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Senior Kirby Copper was named a PCAOB Scholar, the third Farmer School student to ever receive the scholarship.

“Honestly I was completely surprised that I was granted this scholarship, but I am so grateful! This is a remarkable and unexpected gift,” Copper said. “I like accountancy because it’s the bridge between the hard sciences like math and a personal industry like business. I appreciate that it has subjective aspects, but there are a lot of things that have to be done the objectively correct way.”

Dr. Dale Stoel, who nominated Copper, said “Kirby is very inquisitive and asks great questions.  She is clearly interested in understanding more of the accounting and auditing theory than the rules.”

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 created the PCAOB to oversee the audits of public companies and other issuers in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate and independent audit reports. Part of the act’s mandate requires that monetary penalties imposed in PCAOB disciplinary proceedings be used to fund a merit scholarship program for students in accredited accounting degree programs. The awards have been given annually since 2011.

Those nominated for the award must demonstrate interest and aptitude in accounting and auditing as evidenced by an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher or being in the top 1/3 of their overall class and must demonstrate high ethical standards.

Adrian Awuah received the scholarship in 2019, while Arnav Damodhar was awarded the scholarship in 2018.

“After I graduate from Miami, I plan to sit for the CPA exam and the Certified Fraud Examiner exam. I hope to be able to move out west and pursue a career in forensic accounting, ideally ending up working with the FBI or the enforcement division of the SEC.” Copper said.