Student Honors & Achievements

2008-2009

The WIU Zeta Beta chapter received its 21st consecutive superior chapter award at the BAP Annual National Conference in NYC, NY.

BAP was also one of the 14 schools from across the nation to recieve The Gold Chapter status.

Student chapter of IMA (SCIMA), won the Clark Johnson Achievement Award, the Outstanding Student Chapter award for the 4th time, and the sixth consecutive IMA Gold Award of Excellence.

SCIMA also won the best practice award for Best strategic plan.

2007-2008

The WIU Zeta Beta Chapter received its 20th consecutive Superior Chapter Award at the BAP Annual National Conference in Anaheim, CA.

SCIMA’s case team represented WIU as one of the final four participants in the IMA’s 2008 National Student Case Competition in Tampa.

The SCIMA Chapter received the Gold Award of Excellence.

The SCIMA Chapter also won an award for the “Best Newsletter” at the Tampa meeting.

The WIU Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants won an Outstanding Chapter Award recognizing it as one of the top 3 chapters in the nation.

The Department of Accountancy awarded in excess of $25,000 in scholarships at its Annual Awards Banquet.

Senior accounting major, Aaron Becker, was selected as the CBT’s outstanding graduating senior.

2006-2007

The WIU Zeta Beta Chapter received its 19th consecutive Superior Chapter Award at the BAP Annual National Conference in Chicago, IL.

The IMA Student Chapter was formally recognized at the IMA Annual Dinner as part of the IMA’s 88th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona.

Four WIU Accounting Majors won CPAexcel full scholarships out of 155 scholarships awarded nationwide.

The IMA selected Western Illinois University’s student team to receive the 2007 Student Manuscript Award for their manuscript entitled:   Starting SCIMA: A great Idea.

The Department of Accountancy awarded over $24,000 in scholarships at its Annual Awards Banquet.

Aaron Becker was named a national IMA Memorial Education Fund Scholarship Winner.

The WIU Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (SCIMA) won Outstanding Chapter Award naming it as one of the top 3 chapters in the nation in addition to winning a Gold Award of Excellence.

Beta Alpha Psi members received 2nd place in the Best Practices Competition at the BAP Midwest Regional Meeting.

2005-2006

The WIU Zeta Beta Chapter received its 18th consecutive Superior Chapter Award at the BAP Annual National Conference in Washington D.C.

A student team from the Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (SCIMA) placed in the national finals of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Student Case Competition.

SCIMA received two awards at the 87th Annual IMA Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas.  SCIMA was one of three Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) student chapters in the nation to win the prestigious 2005-2006 Award of Excellence.  SCIMA also won the Award of Excellence – Best Practices Award for its Strategic Plan.

Master of Accountancy Graduate Students made a clean sweep of the top prizes in the 2005-2006 Central Illinois Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors (CICIIA) Manuscript Contest. Receiving awards for first through third place were Ashley Cook, $750, Martin Small, $500, and Jennifer Steinke, $250. The CICIIA also awarded a check to the Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (SCIMA) and the Zeta Beta Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi.

The IMA Case team (Tracy den Blaauwen, Colleen McDonald, Ray Horn, James Kveton, and was selected as one of the top four teams in the nation to participate in the IMA’s June 2006 National Student Case Competition in Las Vegas.

The Internal Auditor Magazine is reviewing for publication the paper "Private Companies Take the First Steps" written by the Department’s 2005/2006 Outstanding Graduate Student Jennifer Steinke.

The Department of Accountancy awarded in excess of $22,000 in scholarships at its Annual Awards Banquet.

Senior Accounting major, Christina Earp, was selected as the Outstanding Scholar for the CBT. Christina was also selected for the College Lincoln Laureate Award.

Marty Small, Master of Accountancy student, received the CBT Best Graduate Student Paper Award.

Holly Leuchtenburg was named a national IMA Memorial Education Fund Scholarship Winner.
SCIMA earned the National Student Chapter IMA Gold Award of Excellence, received Award of Excellence (AOE) Banner (given to top 3 student IMA organizations in the nation) and awarded the national AOE Merit Award for its Strategic Plan.

WIU accounting students were awarded the “Student Attendance Award” at the Illowa IMA Student Night Meeting for the fourth year in a row (2003-2006).

The WIU SCIMA team placed in the top four nation-wide in the 2005 National Student Video Case Competition. The team presented their solution to the “Heartland Furniture Company Adapting to Change” Case at the National IMA Conference in Boston in June 2005.

In April 2005, SCIMA members Lucas Macklin, Josh White, and Martin Small attended the Mid-America Council Leadership Training Session in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The students shared their current CJAA Mentor Program Project with Council members. Student members attended sessions on chapter operations, chapter reporting, roles and responsibilities, and website development and maintenance. The SCIMA members also attended the IMA Illowa Chapter professional presentations in the Quad Cities.

Eight SCIMA members and Diana McCabe, SCIMA Faculty Advisor, attended leadership and professional development sessions at the 6th Annual IMA National Student Conference held in Orlando. SCIMA members, Rob Hillman from Johnson & Johnson, and students from the University of Sonora, Mexico presented information about the Clark Johnson Achievement Award (CJAA). SCIMA’s award-winning promotional video and Sonora’s IMA identification cards were highlighted during the presentation.

George Peek, IMA Academic Mentor and Josh White (McGladrey and Pullen), former SCIMA President served on the IMA National Committee on Students, which was responsible for planning the National Student Conference.

2004-2005

The WIU Zeta Beta Chapter received its 17th consecutive Superior Chapter Award at the BAP Annual National Conference in San Francisco.

Master of Accountancy students placed 1st and 3rd in the 2004-2005 Central Illinois Chapter of The Institute of Internal Auditors' Manuscript Contest. Amy Merdian won 1st Prize ($750) for her paper, Business Ethics and the Internal Auditor’s Role, and Tracy Eyler won 3rd prize ($250) for her paper, The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and Internal Auditors.

The Department of Accountancy awarded in excess of $17,000 in scholarships at its Annual Awards Banquet.

Anna Kyer, a Master of Accountancy student, was selected as the CBT Outstanding Graduate Student.

Senior accounting major, Josh White, received the CBT Best Undergraduate Student Paper Award.

The IMA national office announced that WIU's SCIMA team has been selected as one of the top four teams to participate in the IMA's 2005 National Student Case Competition in Boston.

Members of the team included Fred Manning, Patrick McDonagh, Marty Small, Cheryl Stoller and Josh White.

SCIMA has been selected by the National IMA for a 2005 Best Practices Award for its Newsletters. WIU accounting students received three of the ten national IMA $1,200 scholarships given this year -- Luke Macklin and Tracy denBlaauwen from the Macomb campus and Christina Earp from the Quad Cities campus. Tracy also received a $500 scholarship from the ILLOWA Chapter of the IMA.

The SCIMA chapter earned the National Student Chapter IMA Gold Award of Excellence for the 2rd straight year.

The Society of Accountancy and BAP chapter in the Quad Cities provided assistance to the local community by preparing over 300 income tax returns

The WIU Kappa Chi Chapter served as co-host with Northern Illinois University at the BAP 2005 Midwest Regional Meeting in Chicago

2003-2004

Seventeen SCIMA members attended the 5th Annual IMA National Student Conference in San Antonio, TX. Nine members made a presentation of their best practice that won the Clark Johnson Achievement Award.

Anna Kyer represented WIU at the BAP Graduate Case Student National Seminar in Minneapolis.

Misty Smith, a junior accounting major, received a $3,000 national scholarship from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and a $500 scholarship from the Illowa chapter of the IMA.

SCIMA, the WIU Student Chapter of the IMA receives its first Silver Medal Award for accomplishments during the 2002-03 academic year.

2002-2003

The WIU Zeta Beta Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi receives its 15th consecutive Superior Chapter Award at the BAP annual meeting in Hawaii.
September 2002 The National Beta Alpha Psi Fraternity will contribute $1,000 to the September 11th Children's Fund in recognition of the Quad Cities Chapter's September 11th fund-raising effort.

2001-2002

A team of five accountancy majors from the Macomb Campus tied for second place in the finals of the 2002 IMA Case Competition which took place at the Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas in August 2002.

The Student Chapter of the IMA received the Outstanding Volunteer Service Organization Award at the annual Office of Student Activities TEAMLEAD Awards Banquet.

Kathy Gray and Molly Mayfield received a $1,500 scholarship each from the Deere and Company Foundation. Molly is a student at the Macomb campus and Kathy is a student at the Quad Cities campus.

Justin Novotney, a junior accounting major, received a $3,000 scholarship from the Institute of Management Accountants. Justin also received a $500 scholarship from the ILLOWA Chapter of the IMA. Justin is a student at the Macomb campus.

200-2001

A team of graduate students participated in the 2001 Andersen Tax Challenge and placed in the top 10 schools nationwide. Team members included Janet Stevens, Amy Muhleman, Abe Smith, and Crystal Witbeck.

Kathy Gray received a $4,000 scholarship from the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois. Kathy is a junior accounting major who is pursuing a second bachelor's degree in accounting at the Quad Cities campus.

A team of WIU Accountancy majors from the Quad Cities Campus wins second place in the IMA National Case Competition at the Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Team members included Terry Dierksen, Karie Bullian, and Tammy Willett.

Doryon Stanfield, a WIU Accounting major was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Independent Accountants Association of Illinois Scholarship Foundation and also an AICPA Scholarship for Minority Students in the amount of $2,000.

1999-2000

Carole Carter, a Department of Accountancy Alumni and Director of Internal Auditing at WIU, earned a William S. Smith Certificate of Excellence Award for scoring among the top six of 6,170 auditors from 58 countries who completed the May 2000 Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) Exam.

A team of four WIU accountancy majors wins Second Place in the IMA National Case Competition at the Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meetings in Washington, DC.

Brian Burger, a senior accounting major, is the recipient of the annual scholarship awarded by the Quad Cities Chapter of the IMA.

1998-1999

Nadia Vaschenko won First Place in the Beta Alpha Psi Manuscript Competition.