The Beta Alpha Psi International Honor Organization for Financial Information Students and Professionals has recognized the Beta Alpha Psi, Kappa Lambda Chapter at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a Distinguished Chapter.
The Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) Board of Directors congratulated Mike Costigan, Ph.D., faculty advisor and accounting department chair, Susan Murray, Ph.D., co-advisor and SIUE accounting professor, and the Kappa Lambda Chapter on their successful efforts during the 2013-2014 academic year.
Recognition as a Distinguished Chapter is a significant accomplishment. Under the leadership of both Costigan and Murray, the Kappa Lambda Chapter far exceeded the baseline requirements of Beta Alpha Psi and excelled in the areas of academics, professionalism and leadership.
“As faculty advisors for the chapter, Mike Costigan and Susan Murray have provided an invaluable service to SIUE,” said Kevin Stocks, Beta Alpha Psi president.
To qualify as superior or distinguished, each chapter must report a designated amount of Reaching Out Activities. Each chapter member/candidate must have a certain number of professional and service hours as set forth in the Program for Chapter Activities by the Beta Alpha Psi Organization. Each Superior Chapter receives a monetary award of $275 from KPMG LLP and the KPMG Foundation.
In addition to receiving the recognition as a Distinguished Chapter, Francis Bennett, SIUE School of Business senior and Beta Alpha Psi member, participated on one of the winning teams of the 2014 Project Run With It (PRWI) competition.
The PRWI competition took place at the annual Beta Alpha Psi meeting this past August in Atlanta. Bennett was a member of a first place team for “Case A – Jewish Family Career Services.” PRWI, which has been part of BAP since 2008, involves 72 BAP student representatives working in 18 teams of four for approximately 30 hours during the annual meeting to develop solutions to real life business problems of three not-for-profit organizations located in the annual meeting’s area.
PRWI represents everything that BAP represents: professional development, service, and a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility. The award consists of an honorary plaque for Bennett and a monetary chapter award of $1,000. The Project is sponsored by Moss Adams LLP.
Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) is the national honorary accounting society. SIUE hosts a student chapter of BAP for the top accounting majors. It holds monthly meetings and hosts technical and informational professional presentations by various companies. Involvement fosters relationships with fellow accounting majors as well as the networking opportunities with faculty and future employers.