DBA Student/Professor Articles Win National Awards

Two articles co-authored by University of Scranton Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) candidates and professors of accounting were awarded prestigious Institute of Management Accountants’ Lybrand Silver and Bronze medals for 2020. Scranton’s accounting faculty have been awarded more Lybrand Medals in the past decade than any other institution in the nation, previously winning four Lybrand medals, including two gold medals.

The 2020 Lybrand Silver Medal was awarded for the article “SEC Whistleblower Program Continues to Expand,” co-authored by DBA candidate Daniel J. Gaydon and Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., chair of the Accounting Department at Scranton.

The 2020 Lybrand Bronze Medal was awarded for the article “Goodwill Accounting: The Matter of Serial Non-Impairment,” co-authored by DBA candidate Marcus Burke, Dr. Boyle, and Daniel P. Mahoney, Ph.D., professor of accounting at Scranton.

The Lybrand Competition considers for awards all manuscripts published during the year in the Institute of Management Accountants’ (IMA)Strategic Finance and Management Accounting Quarterly journals, both of which are rated among the top five refereed practitioner journals.

“As a longtime reader of Strategic Finance and Management Accounting Quarterly, I’m so honored to receive this recognition,” said Gaydon. “I’m grateful to work with Dr. Boyle on this article as well as a number of other articles over the last few years. The DBA program at The University of Scranton allows me the opportunity to work with top-notch faculty and global scholars through my dissertation committee.”

“Dr. Boyle and Dr. Mahoney provided a wealth of knowledge, which helped me to develop meaningful research ideas and greatly assisted in guiding me through the academic publishing process. That knowledge and willingness to collaborate is well reflected in the Lybrand award, and I look forward to future research endeavors,” said Burke.

Scranton’s DBA program received international recognition when the prestigious accrediting body, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), recognized the program in 2019 among the “Innovations and Best Practices in Canada, Latin America and the United States.” Scranton’s DBA was recognized for providing a non-traditional research DBA in accounting that “promotes diversity and practice relevance by providing a flexible path for experienced practitioners to gain the knowledge and credentials required to succeed in tenure-track positions at AACSB-accredited institutions.”

Dr. Boyle serves as director of Scranton’s DBA Program and as the founder and director of the University’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program.

Gaydon, Plains, is a member of the University’s first cohort of DBA students. During his time at Scranton, he also published with Dr. Boyle “Managing Reputational and Financial Risks Through Internal Whistleblower Programs,” Management Accounting Quarterly (Spring 2020); “Occupational Fraud Trends and Implications,” Internal Auditing (May/June 2020); “SEC Enforcement: Doing More With Less,” Internal Auditing (January/February 2020); and “Penalizing Corruption,” Internal Auditor (December 2018). Gaydon is expected to graduate from the program in the fall of 2020.

Burke of Poughkeepsie, New York, is also a member of the University’s first cohort of DBA students. He is expected to graduate from the program in the fall of 2020.

A Certified Public Accountant as well as a Certified Management Accountant, Dr. Boyle has more than 25 years of industry executive experience. An award-winning teacher, Dr. Boyle was profiled in 2020 and 2019 as one of just six “Professors to Know in Business Programs Based in the Northeast” selected by Bschools.org, an online resource for entrepreneurs. He was awarded the Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award from the Faculty Senate at Scranton in 2019 and has won numerous other awards for teaching and research. Dr. Boyle earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, an MBA from Columbia University and a doctorate from Kennesaw State University.

Dr. Boyle’s research has been published in numerous academic and practitioner journals, such as The Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Accounting Horizons, Issues in Accounting Education, Current Issues in Auditing, The Journal of Accounting Education, The Accounting Educators’ Journal, The Journal of Accountancy, Strategic Finance, Fraud Magazine, Internal Auditor, Management Accounting Quarterly, The CPA Journal, Internal Auditing, The Journal of Applied Business Research and The Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences.

An award-winning teacher and scholar, Dr. Mahoney earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from The University of Scranton as well as a doctorate in accounting from Syracuse University. A Certified Public Accountant, he was named Kania School of Management’s Professor of the Year five times and has won numerous other awards for teaching.

Dr. Mahoney’s research has been published in numerous professional journals, such as The CPA JournalInternal Auditor, Strategic Finance, Management Accounting Quarterly and Journal of Business and Economics Research, Accounting and Financial Management.

Why Emotional Intelligence is Necessary for Every Step of Your Career

Accounting and finance professionals who show higher emotional intelligence are more likely to obtain higher organizational positions according to research discussed in a Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) podcast by Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., chair of the Accounting Department and director of the University’s internationally recognized DBA program.

In the episode 62 IMA’s “Count Me In” podcast, which aired nationally on April 27, Dr. Boyle discusses the four major components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management; social awareness; and relationship management. He also discusses training to develop skills in each of these areas, and explains in more detail the traits of each of these components that are valued throughout your career, as well as specific traits that are advantageous at different levels of advancement, such as at the supervisory, managerial or executive career levels.

At Scranton, Dr. Boyle also serves as director of the University’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. He, along with accounting faculty members James Boyle, D.B.A., and Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D., led the University’s effort to establish a Business High School Scholars Program.

A Certified Public Accountant as well as a Certified Management Accountant, Dr. Boyle has more than 25 years of industry executive experience. He has served in executive roles in startup, middle market and Fortune 500 companies where he has held the positions of chief executive officer, president, chief operations officer and chief financial officer.

An award-winning researcher and teacher, Dr. Boyle was profiled in 2018 as one of just six “Professors to Know in Business Programs Based in the Northeast” selected by Bschools.org, an online resource for entrepreneurs. The professors, who teach at business schools in the Northeast with online MBA programs, were selected based on their professional experience and knowledge.

Dr. Boyle, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 2009, was awarded the Faculty Senate Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award for 2019; the Kania School of Management’s (KSOM) Alperin Teaching Fellow for 2015 to 2018; and the KSOM Advisory Board’s Award for Curriculum Innovation for 2017-2018. In addition, he has twice earned the KSOM Teacher of the Year award and earned the Provost Excellence Awards for the Scholarship of Teaching in 2014 and for Scholarly Publication in 2012. He was awarded the Outstanding Accounting Educator of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 2015. Also, four research papers he has authored with fellow KSOM faculty members have received the IMA’s Lybrand Medals for “outstanding papers.”

Dr. Boyle earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, a MBA from Columbia University and a doctorate from Kennesaw State University.

IMA is one of the largest and most-respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. In 2017, the University’s undergraduate accounting program earned endorsement by IMA, which recognizes select programs across the county that meet rigorous educational standards, enabling students to pursue and earn the Certified Management Accountant (CMA®) credential. IMA also recognized Scranton’s student chapter as one of just five Outstanding Student Chapters in the nation for the 2018-2019 academic year.


Learn more about the DBA program.

Testament to our Sense of Community

One thing you will always get with a Scranton education is a strong sense of community, even in these difficult times. See what our faculty, staff, students and area residents are doing to keep the community strong in the Royal News article below.

A group of community organizers, led by University of Scranton faculty, staff, and students together with community partners, are asking area residents to share stories of resiliency. On April 30, they held an online dialogue, “Finding Community Amid Coronavirus,” to kick off the effort, with 25 participants joining from a range of backgrounds, spanning generations and across diverse racial/ethnic identities.

“In light of the current pandemic, we are asking area residents to share stories of when they or their community found the strength to overcome a difficulty. We hope reflecting on lessons of resilience we have from our pasts can help us face the coronavirus challenges of today,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president for community engagement and government affairs at the University. “We know we have so many experiences that make up the story of Northeastern Pennsylvania – the coal mining era, economic hardship, military service, the journeys of refugees and immigrants. And across it all, the bonds of family, friends, and community are a common thread.”

Residents can easily submit their stories at Scranton.edu/findingcommunity and submitters can remain anonymous if they so choose. Images related to the stories can also be uploaded. The stories will be shared on the University’s website, social media, and other outlets, and may be accessed for University research or creative purposes.

“In this time of social distancing, we are trying to find ways to create community, to foster mutual understanding, and to build connections. By sharing and reflecting on our collective and diverse stories of resilience, we hope to help our neighbors draw strength and exercise empathy as we encounter this coronavirus pandemic, which has brought new struggles. The online dialogue allowed us to form a virtual community to share experiences; now we want to amplify that effort, keeping in mind that while we may be in different boats, we are truly in this ocean together. Collecting these stories also will help us catalogue this unique and challenging time for the future,” said Teresa Grettano, Ph.D., associate professor of English and theatre, and a co-leader of the University’s dialogue initiative efforts. The dialogue was modeled after a recent national dialogue series organized by Essential Partners, a national non-profit organization based in Boston, which the University has collaborated with over the past three years.

Additional Scranton faculty, staff, and students leading the effort are: Carolyn M. Bonacci, Community and Civic Engagement Coordinator; Tiffany Bordonada, Ph.D., assistant professor of counseling and human services; Cyrus P. Olsen III, D. Phil, associate professor of theology and religious studies; Amy Simolo, Ed.D., faculty development specialist for the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence; along with University of Scranton student Conor Nealon, Duryea, who serves as an intern in the Community and Government Relations Office. Community members also involved with the project are: Gus Fahey, President and CEO, Valley in Motion; Margaret Gannon, IHM, Ph.D., IHM Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Professor Emerita, Marywood University; and Donna Korba, IHM Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Director of the Office of Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC).


This article was originally posted to Royal News.

Accounting Faculty Article Wins National Award

An article written by four University of Scranton accounting professors was awarded the inaugural Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year from the Institute of Management Accountants’ Committee on Ethics and Strategic Finance. The article, titled “The Value of Trust,” was written by Amanda S. Marcy, assistant professor of accounting; Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., chair of the University’s Accounting Department; James F. Boyle, D.B.A., assistant professor of accounting; and Daniel P. Mahoney, Ph.D., professor of accounting. The award highlights an article that focuses on the importance of ethics in business as a whole and finance and accounting in particular.

The new annual award is named in memory of Curtis C. Verschoor, a longtime member of the IMA Committee on Ethics, editor of the Strategic Finance Ethics column for 20 years, and a significant contributor to the development and revisions of the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice. Verschoor was a passionate, renowned thought leader on ethics in accounting, having earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Trust Across America-Trust Around the World for his leadership in and advocacy for trustworthy business practices.

Professor Marcy was named assistant professor of accounting at Scranton in 2018 and previously served as a faculty specialist in the department. She worked as an accountant for Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP. She is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Accounting Association and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Professor Marcy earned both a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA specialized in accounting from The University of Scranton, and is currently pursuing her doctorate of business administration in accounting at the University.

Dr. Douglas Boyle serves as director of the University’s internationally recognized DBA program and the founder and director of the University’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program.

In addition, he, along with Dr. James Boyle and Dr. Mahoney, led the University’s effort to establish a Business High School Scholars Program. Articles written by these three professors have also won four Institute of Management Accountants’ “outstanding article of the year” medals, including two gold medals.

A Certified Public Accountant as well as a Certified Management Accountant, Dr. Douglas Boyle has more than 25 years of industry executive experience. An award-winning teacher, he was profiled in 2019 as one of just six “Professors to Know in Business Programs Based in the Northeast” selected by Bschools.org, an online resource for entrepreneurs.

Dr. Douglas Boyle’s research has been published in numerous academic and practitioner journals, such as The Journal of Accounting and Public Policy (JAPP), Accounting Horizons, Issues in Accounting Education, Current Issues in Auditing, The Journal of Accounting Education, The Accounting Educators’ Journal, The Journal of Accountancy, Strategic Finance, Fraud Magazine, Internal Auditor, Management Accounting Quarterly, The CPA Journal, Internal Auditing, The Journal of Applied Business Research and The Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, an MBA from Columbia University and a doctorate from Kennesaw State University.

Dr. James Boyle has taught part-time at the University since 2009 and full-time since 2012 and also served as an internal auditor for the University for more than a decade. He has published articles in multiple academic journals, including The CPA Journal, Strategic Finance, The Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting and Internal Auditing. He holds a bachelor’s and MBA from The University of Scranton and a DBA from Kennesaw State University.

An award-winning teacher and scholar, Dr. Mahoney’s research has been published in numerous professional journals, such as The CPA JournalInternal Auditor, Management Accounting Quarterly and Journal of Business and Economics Research, Accounting and Financial Management. A Certified Public Accountant, he was named Kania School of Management’s Professor of the Year five times and has won numerous other awards for teaching. He earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from The University of Scranton as well as a doctorate in accounting from Syracuse University.

Our Master of Arts in Theology Program is like No Other

About Us

With an internationally recognized faculty, whose research specialties encompass both ancient and modern Christianity, Eastern and Western, as well as Judaic-Studies and Christian-Muslim dialogue, the MA Theology Program at the University of Scranton—the only one of its kind in the region—offers an intellectually rigorous environment, faithful to its Catholic context and challenged by the Jesuit pursuit of the common good.

 Mission

Our mission is to teach and inquire into the intellectual, spiritual and moral riches of the Christian tradition.

We mean to acquaint students with Christianity’s long and disciplined reflection on the deeply human questions about the quest for God, wisdom and human fulfillment. While accenting the Catholic tradition, our inquiry into these questions includes other Christians and religious traditions, including Judaism and Islam.

Where are they now?

Graduates within the last year alone have obtained teaching and campus ministry positions in places such as Seton Hall Prep (NJ) and St. Joseph’s Prep (PA). Graduates from years past have also obtained similar positions and/or placement in PhD programs or hospital chaplaincies.

Opportunities for Students

The program offers  faculty-led, short-term study abroad courses to, so far, the Holy Land, Uganda, the Balkans, and Germany.

 


Learn more about the Theology program.