A team representing the University of South Carolina won first place at the Deloitte Foundation’s 2019 National Audit Innovation Campus Challenge, held at Deloitte University in West Lake, Texas.

The annual competition invites students and faculty members from across the country to test their audit skills in real-world scenarios. Student teams from 52 colleges and universities participated in the event, with 12 teams ultimately advancing to the final round.

“Deloitte’s Audit Innovation Campus Challenge provides an educational experience for both students who have recently been introduced to the demands and career opportunities of the audit profession and for experienced audit and assurance leaders looking to help students better understand how the profession is transforming,” stated Erin Shannon, global and U.S. change management and communications leader at Deloitte. “The competition also presents a unique opportunity for students to offer insight into how Deloitte can better educate and train newly hired professionals and create a mutual understanding of career goals.”

This year’s teams were challenged to use their audit knowledge to advance typical assurance services and explore modern, non-financial statement services. The University of South Carolina team won for their submission of establishing active user validation assurance services to identify potential active user inflation and inaccurate reporting.

The University of South Carolina team consisted of Katie Bergey; Brendon Beach; Katie Field; Karen Gates; Jack Graha; and Aaron Gulibon.

“This competition provides an invaluable setting for students to explore the skills necessary for the auditor of the future, interact with peers from other universities, and be inspired by knowledgeable Deloitte professionals,” said Clark Hampton, University of South Carolina faculty advisor, in a statement. “I am extremely proud of our team and grateful for the opportunity to participate in this case competition and Deloitte’s commitment and sponsorship of this unique program.”

For more on the Audit Innovation Campus Challenge, head to Deloitte’s site here.

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