Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010
For the second year in a row, a Rider University student has been awarded the Philadelphia Area Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship. Timothy McMillan, a sophomore Accounting major, was honored as the 2010 recipient at the chapter’s breakfast meeting on April 20.
McMillan found out that he had received the scholarship while participating last month in the Internal Revenue Service’s Adrian Project, an interactive learning experience developed by the Criminal Investigation Division, on the Lawrenceville campus.
“I was pretty surprised. I wasn’t expecting to hear anything, so I was very happy when I found out,” said McMillan, who is also a student in the Forensic Concentration and Certificate program.
To qualify for the $3,000 scholarship, applicants must be full-time Accounting or Criminal Justice students. The award is based on overall academic achievement, letters of recommendation and a personal essay on why the applicant deserves the scholarship and how fraud awareness will affect his/her career development. Last year, Chelsea Hinkle, a junior Accounting and Finance dual major, was awarded the scholarship.
McMillan, whose father, Samuel, and brother, Steven, are both College of Business Administration alumni, switched from Communication and Accounting because of his general interest in business. McMillan feels a background in accounting will give him a solid foundation in business principles.
“Knowing the ins and outs of fraud will be a big help in making a positive difference in the field of accounting,” he said.
In the future, McMillan, who is a fan of detective shows like NCIS, would like to pursue a career in forensic accounting. He had the chance to step in the shoes of an IRS special agent when he participated during a mock white-collar crime case as part of the Adrian Project.
“It’s a lot different in real life than it is on TV. I didn’t realize how much leg work went into solving a case,” he said. “It really seems like a good way to combine my interests in accounting and criminology.”
Dr. Dorothy McMullen, associate professor of Accounting, nominated McMillan for the scholarship. McMullen, a certified fraud examiner, was recently appointed to the Higher Education Advisory Committee of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The committee provides input and guidance that helps ACFE develop and promote anti-fraud education in college and university disciplines such as accounting, management, business and criminal justice. McMullen began her two-year term in March. She will also serve on a panel discussion at the annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in July.