Sixteenth Annual Accounting Alumni Awards

Monday, November 16, 2026
Ball State University Alumni Center
5 p.m. Reception | 6 p.m. Dinner  

Events & Registrations

Join fellow alumni, faculty, and friends of the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting for an inspiring evening honoring the accomplishments and impact of our outstanding alumni. Support tomorrow’s accounting leaders through your sponsorship of the Accounting Alumni Awards. Your participation and generosity provides for accounting-specific scholarships and educational opportunities for Ball State accounting students. Please reach out to the department for details or register through the button below.

rEGISTER HERE

2026 Honorees

Please join us in celebrating this year's Accounting Alumni Award recipients:

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Jim Higgins, '83

Graduate of Excellence Awards:

Octavius T. Molton, '00

Trent Wilson, '09, MA '10

Emerging Leader Awards:

Kylie Bruening, '19, MA '20

Nick Gannon, '17

Julie Bilsland, '17, MA '18

Questions?

For information about the awards dinner, nomination process, and further sponsorship opportunities, please contact us.

Submit a Nomination

Each year, we set our ledgers aside to honor those among us who lead the industry and support the department during the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting Alumni Awards. Held annually since 2010, the event features a series of awards that recognize emerging leaders, influential professionals, and lifetime achievers. 

The next Accounting Alumni Awards Ceremony will be held November 16, 2026, and nominations are currently closed. Know an alumnus/alumna who qualifies for one of the awards below? If so, fill out the nomination form, which is considered for the next three years. For example, a new nomination not chosen for an award in 2026 will automatically be considered in 2027 and 2028's award cycles. 

Nominate Someone

The Awards

Emerging Leader Award

This award recognizes an accounting alumnus of Ball State who has demonstrated leadership in their career. This person is typically in the first ten years of their accounting or finance career and has demonstrated qualities that place them ahead of their peers. This individual has made outstanding contributions to the accounting or finance profession through work, community service, and giving back to Ball State.

Graduate of Excellence

This award recognizes an accounting alumnus of Ball State who consistently goes above and beyond the expectations of a typical individual in their field. This person is typically ten years or more into their accounting or finance career and has demonstrated qualities that put them ahead of their peers. This individual has contributed meaningfully to their employer, community, and Ball State. This individual is recognized as a successful leader that other alumni would desire to emulate and garners respect from peers, employees, and friends.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is given to an individual who has dedicated their life and career to making the accounting profession better. Their dedication to their workplace, community, and Ball State is exceptional and unusual. This individual has contributed meaningfully to enriching the lives of others and demonstrates the qualities that other graduates desire to emulate.

Past Accounting Alumni Awards Programs and Recipients