Buffalo, NY - Thomas Widman, a Canisius University student pursuing a master’s of business administration degree in accounting, is one of only seven students, nationwide, selected to earn a Postgraduate Technical Assistant (PTA) position with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). He is the first student from Canisius University to earn a PTA position with the GASB.
The GASB is an independent, private-sector organization, based in Norwalk, CT, that establishes accounting and financial reporting standards for U.S. state and local governments to follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). PTAs work for one year with the GASB or Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), where they become highly involved in the accounting standards setting process. PTAs are integral to the staff of the GASB/FASB and develop an in-depth understanding of the roles played by preparers, auditors and users of financial information.
Widman will work on all phases of his assigned projects, which include conducting and analyzing research, conducting stakeholder outreach, responding to technical inquires, preparing memorandums on technical issues and presenting to the FASB.
Widman previously interned at Deloitte in the areas of audit and assurance, and at Dresher & Malecki LLP, also as an audit intern. He is a recipient of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) Excellence in Accounting Scholarship and recently passed all four parts of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.
An Alden, NY resident, Widman graduated, summa cum laude, from Canisius in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, accounting information systems and finance. He will graduate in May 2019 with a master’s degree in business administration accounting.
One of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York.
