Southern Miss School of Accountancy

The School of Accountancy would like to congratulate Ms. Amber Hatten on being selected as USM's 2026 recipient of the Emerging Graduate Mentor Award.

This university-wide recognition is awarded by the University of Southern Mississippi Graduate School and celebrates a faculty member whose dedication to graduate mentorship is shaping lives, scholarship, and the future of the academic community.

Ms. Amber Hatten, CPA, joined the Southern Miss faculty in 2012 as a Professor of Practice after an 11-year professional career with KPMG, LLP in Jackson, Mississippi, and she has served as Director of the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) graduate degree program since 2014.

During her past 12 years as MPA Director, Ms. Hatten has taught and mentored hundreds of students and walked alongside each of them as they completed their master's degrees, prepared for the CPA exam, searched for professional job opportunities, and began their careers in accounting.

We are proud of Ms. Hatten and are thankful for her ongoing commitment and tireless efforts in supporting and mentoring our students, and we appreciate all that she does for the School of Accountancy.

Congratulations, Ms. Hatten!

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The School of Accountancy would like to congratulate Mrs. Amber Cole as she leaves USM and begins her next chapter and thank her for her many years of dedicated service to the university and to our students!

Mrs. Cole, a Louisiana State University (LSU) accounting graduate and USM Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) program alumna (2012), has been the face of ACC 200, Introduction to Financial Accounting, for thousands of our students over the past 13 years.

She has taught more than 114 sections of Introduction to Financial Accounting (ACC 200), along with Intermediate Accounting I (ACC 325) and Intermediate Accounting II (ACC 327), and she has also led our International Study Abroad program in London, England.

In addition to teaching, she has managed significant service responsibilities in support of the School, the College, and the University, including but not limited to her roles as Assessment of Learning (AoL) Director for the School of Accountancy, Chair of the Undergraduate Programs and Assessment Committee (UPAC) for the College of Business and Economic Development, and four years of service the USM Faculty Senate, including serving as Chair of the Faculty Senate Finance Committee.

She was awarded the College of Business and Economic Development Faculty Service Award in 2022, which recognizes a faculty member's excellence in service contributions to their program, school, college, and university, as well as their work in building connections and partnerships with external business stakeholders, and she was also named the Fred T. Neely CPA Gold Medalist by the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), for earning the highest score on the CPA exam in the state of Mississippi in 2013.

We are so grateful for the dedication Mrs. Cole has given to the USM School of Accountancy and our students during her time here, and we will miss her tremendously. Thank you, Mrs. Cole!

The School of Accountancy would like to congratulate Dr. Nell Adkins on her retirement!

Dr. Adkins joined the faculty at USM after previous faculty positions at both the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Houston. She came “home” to Southern Miss in 2011, returning to the institution where she earned both her BSBA-Accounting and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) degrees, before beginning her professional career in the Jackson office of KPMG LLP and later completing her PhD at Florida State University.

She has spent the past 15 years at Southern Miss serving as a cornerstone of our tax and financial reporting curriculum. She has taught Intermediate Accounting I (ACC 325) to our undergraduate accounting students and Corporate and Partnership Taxation (ACC 630) to our MPA students, along with Introduction to Financial Accounting (ACC 200). Students consistently characterize her as one of the best teachers at Southern Miss and attribute much of their success on the CPA exam and in their professional accounting careers to the preparation that she provides in her classes.

In addition to her exceptional teaching, she has served the School, the College, and the University on numerous committees and in immeasurable ways. She has also published her research in the Journal of Accounting Education, The Tax Adviser, and the Journal of Accountancy. She has been honored with the USM Gold Leaf Award (2025), the College of Business and Economic Development Joseph A. Greene Teaching Excellence Award (2024), and the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) Accounting Educator of the Year Award (2023), among others.

In her time at Southern Miss, Dr. Adkins has taught, mentored, and championed thousands of students now serving as CPAs and leaders across Mississippi and beyond, and she has served as an exceptional colleague and friend.

On behalf of our faculty, staff, alumni, and students, we thank her for her many years of dedicated service. She leaves USM having made a meaningful difference in the lives of countless students, and we wish her every success and much happiness in her next chapter.

Congratulations to Koriona Crenshaw for receiving this year's FORVIS award at the Golden Quills Ceremony hosted by the College of Business! Sponsored by the CPA firm Forvis Mazars, this award honors an outstanding senior accounting major who has demonstrated strong scholastic and leadership abilities.

The School of Accountancy is proud to recognize Koriona for her dedication and hard work throughout the 2025-2026 school year! 🦅

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Congratulations to Jennifer Gallegos-Trajillo for receiving the Student Center for the Public Trust Outstanding Member Award at the College of Business's Golden Quills Award Ceremony! This award honors a StudentCPT member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the organization over the 2025-2026 academic year!

The School of Accountancy is grateful for Jennifer's hard work and all she has done to promote the organization! 🦅

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The School of Accountancy is proud to present this year's Outstanding Accounting Undergraduate Student Award (Online) to Amelia White! Amelia has demonstrated exceptional dedication throughout her academic performance in her undergraduate program.

Congratulations, Amelia! 🦅

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The School of Accountancy is proud to present this year's Outstanding Accounting Undergraduate Student Award (from the Hattiesburg Campus) to Taylor Trible! Taylor has demonstrated exceptional dedication throughout her academic and leadership performance in the undergraduate program.

Congratulations to Taylor, and we wish her all the best! 🦅

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Congratulations to Rileigh Martin for receiving the Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Member Award at the Golden Quills Award Ceremony hosted by the College of Business! This honor is awarded to a Beta Alpha Psi member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the organization throughout the year!

The School of Accountancy is thankful for Rileigh's participation in BAP and her constant presence at the organization's professional and service events! 🦅

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The School of Accountancy is proud to present this year's Outstanding Master's student in Professional Accountancy to Laura Katherine Stovall! Laura Katherine was honored at the Golden Quills Award Ceremony hosted by the Southern Miss College of Business. This prestigious award is given annually to an MPA student who has demonstrated exceptional academic promise. Since joining the MPA program, she has shown consistent dedication and determination in her coursework.

Congratulations, Laura Katherine! 🦅

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Congratulations to this year's BMSS Advisors and CPA award winner, Lydia Maddox! This is presented to an outstanding senior accounting major and was awarded to Lydia at the Golden Quills Award Ceremony hosted by the College of Business and Economic Development.

We are so excited for Lydia and can't wait to see what she accomplishes in her future! 🦅

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