News Archive
Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy in the USF Muma College of Business Names Three Faculty Members as Kerkering Barberio Fellows
By Elizabeth L. Brown
TAMPA (February 4, 2022) – The University of South Florida Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy in the Muma College of Business has named three accounting faculty members in the school as Kerkering Barberio Fellows, a prestigious honor that recognizes continued excellence in undergraduate teaching.
The school, in partnership with Tampa Bay accounting firm Kerkering, Barberio & Co., began the Kerkering Barberio Fellows program in 2022 thanks to a five-year gift the accounting firm established with the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, which was announced in November. The gift encompassed multiple components in the school, including scholarships to students and the fellows program.
The gift provides that the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy name one Kerkering Barberio Fellow on each of the three campuses. The 2022 Kerkering Barberio Fellows are Patricia Gaukel, from the St. Petersburg campus; Luke Richardson, from the Tampa campus; and Ildiko Toth, from the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
“We are very excited to introduce the inaugural Kerkering Barberio Fellows. These three individuals represent outstanding undergraduate accounting instruction,” said Mark H. Taylor, director of the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, who holds the Dan and Tina Johnson Endowed Directorship in Accountancy. “Not only are these fellows deserving of the honor, but the distinction will further strengthen their strong ties to the professional accounting community.”
The fellowship program recognizes faculty who have a history of excellence in delivering classroom instruction, proficiency in their field, as well as extensive engagement with the professional community.
Kerkering, Barberio & Co. has been a longtime sponsor of the Brunch on the Bay scholarship event at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus and the campus has benefited from their corporate philanthropy. With this gift, the firm expands its support to include all USF campuses.
“It’s always been a priority for our firm to support and mentor the next generation of accountants, and this gift offers a greater opportunity for us to make a difference,” said Rob Lane, Kerkering Barberio’s managing shareholder. “We look forward to engaging with these fellows to further support their efforts in the classroom and beyond over the next five years.”
Information about each of the 2022 Kerkering Barberio Fellows follows:
Patricia Gaukel is a senior instructor in the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy on the St. Petersburg campus. She twice has received the Quality Matters designation and twice was recognized as a faculty advisor of the year. She also has served as the director of finance and manager of financial reporting and consolidations for Florida Progress Corporation and as an auditor for Arthur Andersen and Company.
Luke Richardson is an associate professor of instruction in the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy who teaches courses in taxation of individuals and business entities. He’s often featured as a tax expert in local media outlets. He is a past recipient of the Advisory Council’s Outstanding Teaching Award and serves as the faculty advisor for the accounting internship course. He is a licensed CPA in Florida and serves as a business consultant with the Florida Small Business Development Center.
Ildiko Toth is an associate instructor in the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy on the Sarasota-Manatee campus. She teaches intermediate accounting courses and accounting information systems. Toth is a licensed CPA and has experience as a tax advisor, business analyst, and revenue agent with the Internal Revenue Service.
The Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy is one of six schools in the USF Muma College of Business and has a long history of strong CPA pass rates. The school is known for excellence in teaching. Its undergraduate and graduate programs have been ranked in the top 50 in the United States by Public Accounting Report. In the 2020 Brigham Young University accounting research rankings, the school is ranked No. 3 in the nation in accounting information systems research and No. 17 in audit research.