LAKE MARY, Fla. (February 21, 2023) — The Internal Audit Foundation, part of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), announced today that it has awarded “Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Grants” to two University of Scranton Ph.D students: Xiaobing (Emily) Li and Lisa Haylon. The Foundation awards up to two grants per year, with a maximum value of $10,000 per grant. The awards are part of the Foundation’s commitment to enabling the internal audit profession of the future. The Michael J. Barrett Dissertation Grant is an incentive for future professors who will continue research and education in the internal audit profession.
Xiaobing (Emily) Li, CPA, MBA, is a transfer pricing staff employee at EY. Her dissertation is titled: “The Effects of Management Training Ground and Internal Audit Service Type on External Auditors’ Reliance on Internal Auditors’ Work.”
Li has worked in the accounting field for several years and plans to teach accounting students after completing her doctoral program.
In her application, Li said, “I believe [relationships with government and industry] are an excellent source of ideas, data… and problem-solving expertise… [These relationships] would provide students with truly industry-relevant experience and skills in identifying and resolving complex business and accounting problems.”
Lisa Haylon, is a tenure-track assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University. Her dissertation title is “An Investigation of the Tactics Used to Create Collusive Fraud Teams.”
In her application, Haylon said, “I think it is vital to develop future professionals to be able to navigate professional/ethical decision-making in ways that are consistent with professional ethical standards… I hope that further research on collusive fraud can help fraud prevention and thus anticipate using my research to educate fraud prevention professionals as well.”
About the Michael J. Barrett Dissertation Grant
In 1990, the doctoral dissertation grant was named in the memory of Michael J. Barrett, DBA, CIA, who was a leader in internal audit research and education. Dr. Barrett served on the Board of Research Advisors for the Internal Audit Foundation and in many other IIA leadership positions. In 1990, he was awarded The IIA's Bradford Cadmus Memorial Award. Dr. Barrett was chairman and professor of the accounting department at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. He was instrumental in establishing internal audit courses at the universities where he served, and at many other colleges and universities.
To learn more about the Foundation, please contact Laura LeBlanc.
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About the Internal Audit Foundation
The Internal Audit Foundation, supported by the generosity of its donors, advances the practice of the profession by executing global research to explore issues impacting the profession and funding academic initiatives that support the pursuit and promotion of internal audit education within institutions of higher education.
About The Institute of Internal Auditors
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is an international professional association that serves more than 230,000 global members and has awarded more than 185,000 Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certifications worldwide. Established in 1941, The IIA is recognized throughout the world as the internal audit profession's leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance. For more information, visit theiia.org.