A Farmer School finance and accountancy major has received a prestigious scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Senior Adrian Awuah was named a PCAOB Scholar, the only one at Miami University and one of only 332 across the nation.

It’s the eighth year that the PCAOB has given out the scholarships, which come from an unusual funding source. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 created the PCAOB to oversee the audits of public companies and other issuers in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate and independent audit reports. Part of the act’s mandate requires that monetary penalties imposed in PCAOB disciplinary proceedings be used to fund a merit scholarship program for students in accredited accounting degree programs.

Those nominated for the award must demonstrate interest and aptitude in accounting and auditing as evidenced by an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher or being in the top 1/3 of their overall class and must demonstrate high ethical standards.

“It's truly an honor and privilege to be selected as the PCAOB Scholar from Miami University. It's invigorating to see my continuous hard work paying off, and to see opportunities like this available to students,” Awuah said. “I would like to thank the Farmer School of Business and the Accountancy Department for the various resources and people who have impacted me and helped shape the person I am today. I hope that my experiences will continue to inspire other accounting students to stay persistent!”

Awuah said he hopes to pursue a career in strategic management consulting, capital markets, or financial services after graduation next year.