Beta Alpha Psi: 25 years of excellence at UNC Charlotte

For 25 years, Beta Alpha Psi, an honor organization for financial information students and professionals, has recognized the UNC Charlotte chapter as a model organization for finance, accounting, and management information systems students.

Founded in 1984, the chapter – one of more than a dozen active student organizations in the Belk College – recently celebrated its 25th consecutive year of achieving “superior” status. Reaching superior status requires the chapter to complete several milestones throughout the fiscal year, according to Bill Sofsky, faculty advisor for UNC Charlotte’s Eta Alpha chapter of Beta Alpha Psi.

“I feel proud to be part of such a great student organization,” said Zeal Patel, accounting student and president of the UNC Charlotte Beta Alpha Psi chapter. “We have had such great leaders past and current who have worked together to maintain superior chapter status, while also making the organization fun and engaging.”

Activities required to achieve superior status include:

• 11 outreach activities
• 12 professional activities including presentations by professionals in accounting or finance roles
• Six service activities requiring students to give their time, talents, and energy to benefit the campus or local community

During the 2021-22 academic year, the chapter leadership was tasked with maintaining superior status while reinstituting in-person activities, said Sofsky.

“I believe the task this year and last was more challenging than in the past due to having to reestablish an in-person mode and a regular cadence for the meetings and events coming out of more than a year of primarily virtual activity,” he said.

Beta Alpha Psi has more than 90 active members at UNC Charlotte. Patel, who joined two years ago, says the chapter has helped her step out of her comfort zone and grow her network.

“I have made meaningful relationships with a lot of my peers,” Patel said. “We all come from different backgrounds but study similar things, so it is a great way to find friends and grow yourself.”

The Eta Alpha chapter wrapped up 2022 with its fall banquet, where 13 students were initiated into the organization, and a faculty member and a Business Niner alumna were honored:

• Brian Burnett, assistant professor of accounting in the Turner School of Accountancy, received the Thomas C. Turner Distinguished Teaching Award for excellence in teaching in accounting. This award is given to a faculty member in the Turner School of Accountancy based on nominations by current undergraduate and graduate students in accounting at UNC Charlotte.
• Annette Davidson ‘93, ‘98, advisory services partner at Grant Thornton, was named the Turner School of Accountancy Alumna of the Year. This award is given to an accounting alumnus/na of the Belk College in recognition of outstanding professional accomplishments and exemplary support of the Turner School of Accountancy and the Belk College. The honoree is selected from alumni nominated by faculty of the Turner School of Accountancy.