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Late April brings many milestones for our Accounting Roadrunner Community, and one of the highlights each year is the Accounting Student Organization (ASO) Spring Banquet. This year’s celebration certainly lived up to the tradition.

Following an academic year marked by record‑breaking attendance at ASO meetings, the Accounting Roadrunner Community came together for a well‑deserved end‑of‑term celebration. The ASO Spring Banquet welcomed current accounting and MPAcc students, alumni, faculty, staff, advisory board members, scholarship donors, and employer partners – making it a true community gathering.

St. Cajetan’s was packed with energy as more than 80 attendees connected over a buffet dinner and drinks. ASO faculty advisor Jo Erven opened the evening by welcoming guests, recognizing the dedication of the ASO student officers, and thanking the employer sponsors who helped make the event possible.

The program then turned to the evening’s keynote speaker, Jim Murphy, one of our beloved and recently retired accounting faculty members. With his signature humor and storytelling, Jim shared reflections from his professional journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way, much to the delight of a room filled with laughter and applause.

Following the keynote, Department Chair Dr. Greg Clifton recognized accounting and MPAcc students receiving scholarships and awards, celebrating their academic accomplishments. MPAcc Program Manager Lauren Shaffer then acknowledged the strong MPAcc presence in the room and congratulated graduating accounting students whose undergraduate academic performance has earned them either a GMAT waiver or prequalification to apply to the graduate accounting program for the upcoming summer term. Adding a special and unexpected moment to the evening, soon-to-be MPAcc alum Tim Cloran took the microphone to share a surprise appreciation message from MPAcc students to their advisor, Lauren. 

The evening wrapped up with gift card raffles and continued conversation as attendees lingered to celebrate, reconnect, and enjoy one another’s company.

The Spring ’26 ASO Banquet served as a reminder of the strength, generosity, and support that define our Accounting Roadrunner Community. Thank you for the 2025-2026 ASO student officers and faculty advisor Jo Erven for creating repeated opportunities for students to build their professional networks outside the classroom through ASO meetings with firm representatives, professional organizations, test prep partners, and each other.  

Here’s to another great year ahead!