Canisius alumna Paige E. Burkard received a 2016 Elijah Watt Sells Award from the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). This prestigious award is given to CPA candidates who have obtained a cumulative average score above 95.5 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Exam, passed all four sections of the exam on their first attempt and completed testing in 2016.
Burkard was one of 58 candidates out of a total of 102,323 nationwide to meet the criteria and receive the award.
A member of the assurance staff at EY, LLP, Burkard earned a BS in accounting and accounting information systems in 2015, and an MBA in accounting in 2016 from Canisius University.
The Canisius University Accounting Program is ranked Number 1 in New York State according to the CPA Exam. Canisius alumni ranked first (1st), overall, in New York State during the 2015 CPA exam cycle, with a 75 percent pass rate, among medium programs.
“We are extremely proud of Paige’s outstanding accomplishment,” said Daniel J. Borgia, PhD, dean of the Richard J. Wehle School of Business. “Our exceptional accounting faculty, rigorous program standards and real-world experiences equate to successful graduates who are in high demand by employers in Western New York and nationally as well.”
The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Examination. Sells, one of the first CPAs in the U.S., was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a key role advancing professional education with in the profession.
The Department of Accounting is part of the Richard J. Wehle School of Business. Western New York’s premier private business school, the Wehle School is an AACSB accredited institution. Fewer than five percent of business schools worldwide have earned this accreditation, which is considered a symbol of the highest standard in business education.
Canisius University is one of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation and the premier private university in Western New York.
