Dr. C. Aubrey Smith
A visionary in accounting education, Dr. Smith's 42-year legacy at UT-Austin laid the foundation for modern auditing practices and education.
As the first CPA on the UT-Austin teaching staff, Dr. Smith was instrumental in establishing the Degree of Master in Professional Accounting and shaping the Accounting Department into what it is today.
His dedication to excellence and innovation in auditing education continues to inspire our work at the C. Aubrey Smith Center.
1924
Dr. Smith joins UT-Austin
1948
Establishes Master of Professional Accounting degree
1951
Establishes the first auditing course
1972
Retires after 48 years of service
1987
CAS Center founded in his honor
2023
$1.35M donation enhances CAS endowment
Our Mission
The C. Aubrey Smith Center for Auditing Education and Research is dedicated to:
- Promoting and improving auditing education for those who plan to enter the accounting profession.
- Conducting and disseminating research so as to advance the theory and practice of auditing.
- Identifying, elucidating and helping to resolve issues facing the auditing profession.
WHAT IS AUDITCHATS?
AuditChats is a (mostly) virtual community aimed at connecting researchers and real-world practitioners to discuss professional challenges, develop and disseminate cutting-edge audit research, and work together to solve practice problems.
OBJECTIVES
Connect & Share
Connect real world professionals with researchers to assist researchers with working on relevant research and help professionals consume research findings.
Support Doctoral Students
Assist current auditing doctoral students with networking, obtaining visibility, and securing high-quality job placement.
Foster Collaboration
Foster collaboration among research that transcends school boundaries.
C. Aubrey Smith's Impact
№1 Ranking
18 consecutive years as the top undergraduate accounting program
$2 Million
Endowment for the C. Aubrey Smith Center for Auditing Education and Research
100 Years
Of family support for UT Austin's accounting programs
50+ Years
Of continuous excellence in auditing education and research
1000+ Alumni
Shaping the future of auditing across the globe
A Family Legacy
C. Aubrey Smith Jr., BBA '52, continues his father's legacy through generous support and leadership of the Aubrey Smith Family Foundation.
The Smith family has supported accounting programs at UT for almost 100 years, beginning in 1924 when C. Aubrey Smith Sr. joined the accounting faculty.
"Just keep accounting №1."
- C. Aubrey Smith Jr.
Our Team
Jaime Schmidt
Executive Director
Jaime Schmidt leads the C. Aubrey Smith Center of Auditing Education & Research as its Executive Director. Jaime is a Professor of Accounting in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Jaime received a B.B.A., M.S. in Accounting, and M.S. in Education from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Jaime also worked in practice as an auditor for BKD (now Forvis).
Jaime.Schmidt@mccombs.utexas.edu
Nick Hallman
Associate Professor
Nicholas (Nick) Hallman is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Nick received a B.B.A., and M.S. in Accounting from Appalachian State University and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri Columbia. Before getting his Ph.D., Nick worked in practice as an auditor for Deloitte.
Nicholas.Hallman@mccombs.utexas.edu
Zach Kowaleski
Assistant Professor
Zach is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the McCombs School of Business. Zach was formerly on faculty at the University of Notre Dame, an Economic Research Fellow at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and he worked four years in PwC's audit practice between earning his BBA, MAcc, and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
zkowaleski@utexas.edu
Kiryll Pokudin
Program Coordinator
Kiryll serves as the Program Coordinator at the C. Aubrey Smith Center. He received his B.B.A. in Finance from McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
Pretty good at using the computer.
kiryll.pokudin@mccombs.utexas.edu