Ashland University Students Awarded CMA Scholarships

2/26/13 ASHLAND, Ohio - Four Ashland University students have been recognized for their outstanding work and were the recipients of the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) scholarships by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) at Ashland University’s Student IMA meeting on Feb. 20. Those receiving the CMA scholarships were Andrew Knapp of Millersburg, Rita Wiening of Ashland, Grace Bowers of Wadsworth and Jessica Workinger of Orrville.

Knapp is an accountant at REA and Associates in Millersburg, Ohio, and is pursuing his MBA with an accounting specialization. Wiening is a teacher at Pioneer Career and Technology Center and is pursuing her MBA with a finance specialization. Bowers is in the Accelerated BSBA/MBA program with an accounting specialization. She is currently interning with The Gorman-Rupp Company in Mansfield. Workinger is a senior accounting major at Ashland University and will be interning this summer with The J.M. Smucker Company in Orrville, Ohio.

As a recipient of the CMA Scholarships, these students will receive a comprehensive package of benefits enabling them to study for and take the CMA exam at no cost. The benefits also include a free IMA membership for three years.

“The Certified Management Accountant is the gold standard of certification in management accounting,” said Dr. Kris Parsons, associate professor of accounting and chair of the department of accounting and information systems at Ashland University. “It is unique among professional and academic credentials, designed specifically for accounting and financial management professionals in business.”

Parsons said achieving the CMA demonstrates professional expertise in financial planning, analysis, control, decision support and professional ethics. “These are essential skills sought after by successful organizations and their financial team leaders,” she said.

The IMA is committed to supporting the education of future accounting and finance professionals working in business and, as part of this effort, the IMA has instituted the CMA Scholarship program that honors top students by recognizing them with this scholarship.

Ashland University’s IMA student chapter is sponsored by the IMA Chapter in Canton. For information on graduate courses that cover the learning outcomes of the CMA exam, contact the MBA office at Ashland University at 1-888-MBA-CLAS.

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2012, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.

Photo Captions
In top photo, three of the four Ashland University students receiving the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) scholarships – (l-r) Rita Wiening, Grace Bowers and Jessica Workinger – pose with Brenda Sue Mullen, the CMA review professional instructor.
Andrew Knapp, shown below, was the other recipient of a CMA Scholarship.