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Trulaske College of Business announces $1 million gift to School of Accountancy
The Trulaske College of Business proudly announces a gift to benefit the School of Accountancy. The gift, which was made during the university’s historic Mizzou: Our Time to Lead campaign, will establish an endowment that will reach $1 million. This generous contribution will be used to fund a professorship and programs focused on tax education.
“My degree from the School of Accountancy serves as my foundation for a rewarding, interesting and challenging career that I love,” said the donor, who chooses to remain anonymous. “I have stayed involved with the school since graduating many years ago, so I know one of the areas of greatest need for Trulaske is faculty support. Academic rigor and an innovative curriculum lead to well-prepared graduates – and both of these are at the heart of our faculty’s work.”
For many students in the tax program, it’s engaging interactions with tax faculty that initially spark interest in the field.
“At first glance you’d think tax accounting is boring, but my instructor highlighted how tax accounting is always changing,” said Sarah Wingbermuehle, a graduate student in her fifth year in the accountancy program. “It’s dynamic, it never stays the same.”
Thomas Geisinger, who recently completed a master’s degree, also was drawn to the tax program because of the relationships he built with his professors.
“I ended up taking more tax classes than anything else, so I got a graduate certificate in taxation,” Geisinger said.
This fall, Geisinger will join PricewaterhouseCoopers as a tax associate in the mergers and acquisitions group. Because of Geisinger’s graduate certificate in taxation is combined with an accounting master’s degree, he is able to pursue a more advanced position at PwC with a higher salary.
Dr. Vairam Arunachalam, director of the School of Accountancy, said he sees the generosity of Trulaske alumni as inspirational.
“This gift, in particular, will be transformational to the tax specialization offered in the School of Accountancy. Its benefits to tax curriculum enhancement, faculty recognition, professionals’ involvement, student recruitment, online offerings and program outreach will be highly significant,” Arunachalam said.
For the donor, now was a significantly important time to give back to the school.
“I decided to make this gift now, during a particularly challenging time, to both share some good news and to show my support for the vision of School of Accountancy and the Trulaske College of Business,” said the donor.
Arunchalam said this gift will enable the tax program to maintain and advance its reputation as a leader in the industry.
“We are very grateful for this gift as it will enable the accomplishment of our long-standing vision to enhance our tax offerings as well as the overall national standing of our School of Accountancy at Mizzou,” Arunachalam said.
For Dean Ajay Vinzé, the generosity of donors is an integral part of the success of the Trulaske College of Business.
“Our donors are at the heart of our progress as a college. With their support, we are able create new and innovative programs and strengthen existing ones,” he said. “This allows us to provide students with both a rigorous academic experience and sophisticated career preparation, and ensures that the college continues to lead the way in business education – including accounting education, provided by our School of Accountancy, of which we are very proud.”
About the School of Accountancy at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business
Students in the School of Accountancy acquire practical experience in the field of accounting in a degree program that is nationally recognized for excellence.
Ranked in the top 15 nationally in the 2019 Public Accounting Report, the school’s 150-Hour Program confers both a BS and MAcc upon graduation. Alumni of the school have a record of excellent performance on CPA exams, including multiple high score winners for the AICPA Elijah Watt Sells Award from 2014 to 2020.
The School of Accountancy supports a strong, technologically enhanced curriculum that includes data analytics, integration of enterprise resource planning and e-business through MU’s alliance with software firm SAP. Additional offerings are available, including certification in tax and assurance. Students benefit from excellent job placement with more than 90 percent of students completing professional internships and more than 95 percent obtaining full-time positions upon graduation.
Make a gift to the Fund for Excellence in Tax Education!