Accounting Professors Robert Davis, PhD, George Kermis, PhD, and Joseph O’Donnell, PhD, introduced me to the well-known academic rigors of the courses offered by the department. What I appreciated most during my undergraduate career was the passion they all possessed for the practice of accounting. Dr. Davis taught me the fundamentals of accounting and auditing. These tenets have been invaluable throughout my career thus far. I credit him for the confidence I have in identifying and evaluating the controls necessary to mitigate accounting risks within an organization. Dr. Kermis showed me how invaluable accounting is to an organization. He instilled in me a strong appreciation for how a series of transactions ultimately tell the story of a business through the financial statements. His enthusiasm is infectious and I credit him with making me think more critically about the interconnectedness of a business system. Dr. O’Donnell taught me about the interdependency between accounting and information systems. He provided the tools necessary for me to understand the structure of an organization and the degree to which information systems can pose risks or create efficiencies within processes. His ability to seamlessly navigate between these two areas provided me with the missing piece to my academic course plan and was the reason why I chose to add accounting information systems as a major. Equally admirable is the willingness and desire of these professors to assist students in the development of their careers. This assistance extends far beyond the classroom. They’re of the mindset that this type of relationship is a lifetime guarantee. They have all assisted me during my career and continue to serve as trusted advisors. I am quite fortunate to have such a strong support network.
These professors of the Wehle School of Business embody the Jesuit philosophy, magis. They are the reason why I continue to offer my time to Canisius in hopes that I may be a resource to current and future students.
Jennifer A. (Moore) Kartychak ’03
George Kermis
My first experience with the Wehle School was with the late associate dean, Dr. James Valone. I met with him to discuss my course schedule for my first semester. In that meeting, I presented my plan to complete my course load over eight semesters in order to graduate as a member of the All-College Honors Program, with a major in accounting and a minor in computer science. Although he was initially hesitant as to whether I could successfully complete this plan, he agreed to support my goals. As I progressed through my college career, Dr. Valone continued to support my academic aspirations, including when I decided to add a second major, accounting information systems. His interest and encouragement resulted in a deeper appreciation for the successful partnership that was my collegiate experience.
Robert Davis
O’Donnell
I knew that Canisius College had a reputable accounting curriculum but never envisioned the extent to which my career would be shaped by the academic regimen, as well as the faculty in the Wehle School of Business.
Manager, Corporate Accounting Moog Inc.
Pictured (l-r-): Accounting Professor Joseph O’Donnell, PhD and Jennifer A. (Moore) Kartychak ’03 with Accounting Professor George Kermis, PhD C ANISIUS COLLEGE MAGA ZINE • SPRING 2014 |
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