The American Institute of CPAs announced on Wednesday that seven college and university educators from across the country have been honored with the 2017 Effective Learning Strategies Awards.

The annual award looks to highlight professors who have demonstrated original teaching methods or curricula in accounting studies. Winners were selected by the AICPA’s Pre-certification Education Executive Committee’s ELS Educator Awards Task Force.

“With these awards, the AICPA is recognizing educators who are thinking outside of the box and developing new, creative and inspiring curricula to engage their students,” said Joanne Fiore, AICPA vice president of professional media, academic and student engagement, per a statement. “The work of these educators is crucial to the accounting profession continuing to develop innovative thinkers who are able to solve the problems of tomorrow.”

The 2017 Effective Learning Strategies Awards winners are as follows:

• Bea Sanders/AICPA Innovation in Teaching Award (1st/2nd year studies): Dr. Wendy Tietz, professor at Kent State University. Tietz received the award for her submission, “Create Customized Financial Accounting Case Assignments with the Accounting Case Template (ACT),” a web tool that lets instructors assemble custom assignments. Honorable mention was awarded to Dr. Chris McCullick, assistant professor; and Ashley Minnich, professor, both of William Jewell College, for their submission, “Brainteasers, Black Lights, and Balance Sheets: Applying Introductory Financial Accounting Concepts in an Interactive Escape Room Environment.”

• George Krull/Grant Thornton Teaching Innovation Award (3rd/4th year studies): Dr. Jeffrey Miller, associate professor at Sam Houston State University; and Dr. Grace Lixuan Zhang, assistant professor at Weber State University, for their submission, “Student Distinctive Consolidated Financial Statement Assignment.” Their entry saw students prepare consolidated financial statements via technology to document their work.

• Mark Chain/Federation of Schools of Accountancy Teaching Innovation Award (graduate-level studies): Dr. Maureen Butler, associate professor at the University of Tampa; Dr. Kimberly Swanson Church, assistant professor at the University of Missouri; Dr. Gail Hoover-King, professor at Purdue University Northwest; and Dr. Angela Wheeler Spencer, associate professor at Oklahoma State University. Their entry, “AICPA Core Competencies – An Experiential Learning Case to Increase Student Awareness of Professional Competencies for Accounting Career Success,” had students examine the many facets needed to successfully enter the accounting profession.

Each award recipient will receive $2,500 and a plaque, as well as the opportunity to present their curriculum at the American Accounting Association’s annual meeting next August. The winners’ entries will also be added to the Accounting Professors’ Curriculum Resource, the AICPA’s curriculum tool, along with past winners.

For more on the Effective Learning Strategies Awards, head to the AICPA’s site here.

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