Smeal College of Business

Smeal's Accounting Advisory Board welcomes new chair, members

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Smeal College of Business accounting alumnus Pat Durbin, Class of 1991, has been named chairman of Smeal’s Accounting Advisory Board. The board meets twice each year to provide perspectives on the curriculum and other aspects of the Smeal experience that affect students’ career preparation.

Durbin is an assurance partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers' National Quality Organization, where he leads the U.S. Standard Setting and Technical Thought Leadership team. He is also a member of PwC’s Global Corporate Reporting Task Force, which is charged with developing the PwC global network’s point of view on international financial reporting matters. Durbin is based in New York City.

Tara Weiner, Class of 1976, is stepping down as chairwoman after serving since 2008 but will continue as a board member. She is the managing partner at Deloitte LLP for the Greater Philadelphia Region.

New members joining the board this year are Smeal accounting alumni John Barnes, Class of 1995; Karen Morris, Class of 1986; and Carl Weber, Class of 1986.

Barnes is a business advisory practice leader for Grant Thornton’s Mid-Atlantic practice. He has extensive experience in audit, tax, accounting, Sarbanes-Oxley and internal audit consulting services, and has served public and private companies in a range of industries, including nonprofit, manufacturing, software development, technology, insurance, real estate and health care. He is also a Grant Thornton Penn State Matching Gift Leader and served on Penn State’s For the Future fundraising campaign. He is based in Baltimore.

Morris is a finance manager for PPG Industries Inc. in Pittsburgh. She oversees credit services for five business units and manages the accounting function for North American accounts receivable. In addition, she serves as senior leader for the PPG Recruiting Committee, responsible for the Financial Leadership Development program and the summer internship program. Morris has two children attending Penn State.

Weber is a Deloitte & Touche audit partner in Chicago. He has worked in five Deloitte offices, including assignments in Osaka, Japan, and in Deloitte’s national office. His industry experience includes consumer products, private equity, manufacturing and insurance. Weber’s clients have included multinational companies such as The Blackstone Group, Procter & Gamble and Omron Corp., as well as smaller private companies. Weber has served in several Deloitte leadership roles and in a variety of community and volunteer positions. Weber’s older daughter graduated from Smeal in 2014. His son is a rising Penn State sophomore.

“The Accounting Advisory Board is a vital connection between the department and leading practitioners across the entire spectrum of accounting activity. The board advises the department on strategic direction and curriculum, and helps the faculty connect students’ classroom experiences with their future,” said Steven Huddart, chair of the Department of Accounting at Smeal. “As the accounting industry continues to change, the board keeps faculty in tune with what employers are seeking in the next generation of graduates.”

The Accounting Advisory Board includes some of Penn State’s most successful alumni and friends and represents many of the leading accounting firms and corporations that employ Smeal graduates.

About accounting in the Smeal College of BusinessSmeal offers accounting programs to students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including a bachelor’s degree, a five-year program integrating the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and a one-year Master of Accounting program. The college also offers a doctorate in accounting.

Last Updated August 5, 2014

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