Internal Updates: march 2026

Sent on behalf of the Office of the Provost...

🏆Honors Convocation

Join Us for the 57th Annual Honors Convocation

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

University Theatre | Boca Raton Campus

 

Honors Convocation celebrates the achievements of Florida Atlantic’s most outstanding students and faculty,

recognizing excellence in scholarship, leadership, teaching, research, and service.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Parvathi Perumareddi of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine,

recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, an honor made possible through student nominations.

We extend our appreciation to the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Student Committee, representing all nine colleges,

for their leadership and dedication in selecting this year’s honoree.

Open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. No RSVP required. A reception with light refreshments will follow.

This message has been sent on behalf of the Office of the Provost.

Learn more at fau.edu/honorsconvocation

Sent on behalf of Lacey Taylor...

🌸Dean’s Spring Social

Hello Faculty and Staff,

As the semester comes to a close, please join Dean Gropper for a Spring Semester Social! Come celebrate the end of the spring semester with colleagues and hear important college announcements and recognitions from Dean Gropper.

Please see the event details below:
Event Name: Dean Gropper’s Spring Semester Social
Date: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Schmidt Family Complex, Executive Education, West side of the Executive Lounge (near SF 112)

Refreshments will be provided.

Please click here to RSVP by Friday, April 24.

Department Chairs- Please forward this invitation to any adjuncts in your department.

If you have any questions, please contact Lacey Taylor at laceytaylor@fau.edu

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Lacey Taylor

Sent on behalf of the Office of Research Development...

💲Funding Opportunity

I hope that this email finds you well. 

I’m writing with a recently-posted opportunity from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation - Call for Letters of Inquiry: Economic Research on the Returns to R&D Investment. 

The focus of the opportunity is to support primary research that can help develop consensus estimates of the return on investments in research and development (R&D).

Letters of inquiry are due by April 30, 2026.

Grants are expected to be approximately $250,000 for the primary call.

I’m sending this in case this funding opportunity may be of interest to faculty members wthin the College of Business.

 

Best, Alice

Alice Espinosa Miehl, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Research Development

Division of Research

🎓Graduation Ceremonies for the College of Business 

Please note that this semester there will be 3 back-to-back ceremonies for COB.

The College of Business graduation ceremonies will be take place at the following times:

 

Thursday, May 7th at 9:00 AM

College of Business (Bachelor’s Degrees only)

(Undergraduate Marketing, Management, General Business, General Studies majors only)

 

Thursday, May 7th at 1:00 PM

College of Business (Bachelor’s Degrees only)

(All other majors except Marketing, Management, General Business, General Studies)

 

Thursday, May 7th at 5:00 PM

College of Business (Master’s & Doctoral Degrees only)

Sent on behalf of Lacey Taylor...

🥂Graduation Celebrations 

Date: Thursday, May 7

Location: FAU Boca Raton Campus, College of Business - Sean Stein Pavilion

Time: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Event Breakdown:

The College of Business will host three Commencement Ceremonies on this day; therefore, the Graduation Celebration is divided into the following groupings. Although the event runs from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM, we encourage you to attend during the time slot in which you taught the majority of your students.

Group 1: Select Undergraduate Majors

• Attending the Graduation Celebration from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
• Attending the 1:00 PM Commencement Ceremony.
• Undergraduate Majors Attending: Accounting, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Finance, Economics, Health Administration, Data Science and Analytics, Management Information Systems

Group 2: Select Undergraduate Majors

• Attending the Graduation Celebration from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
• Attending the 9:00 AM Commencement Ceremony.
• Undergraduate Majors Attending: Marketing, Management, General Business, General Studies

Group 3: All Graduate Level Programs

• Attending the Graduation Celebration from 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.
• Attending the 5:00 PM Commencement Ceremony.
• All graduates in Master’s and Doctoral programs attending.

Please click here to RSVP by Friday, May 1.

Department Chairs- Please forward this invitation to any adjuncts in your department.

If you have any questions, please contact Lacey Taylor, laceytaylor@fau.edu.

We look forward to celebrating together!

Sincerely,

Lacey Taylor

Sent on behalf of FAU Financial Affairs...

📒Financial Affairs - Year-End Information

Good Morning FAU Fiscal Community,

The March 2026 Financial Affairs "The Owl Ledger" e-newsletter is attached. If you did not receive it in your inbox, please check your spam and/or junk folder and also update your email settings to trust this sender: newsletter@controller.fau.edu. If you are not currently subscribed and would like to receive The Owl Ledger e-newsletter, please use this link to subscribe: The Owl Ledger - Subscribe Florida Atlantic University - Division of Financial Affairs, or send us an email, and we can add you to the subscriber list.

As a reminder, the spring season is a great time to do a little financial cleanup before FY26 year-end guidance arrives. A little preparation now can help significantly reduce stress later.

Spring Financial Cleanup

Quick reminders:

1. Review Purchase Orders: Close any unused POs by submitting requests to purchasing@fau.edu. 2. Close Spend Authorizations: Fully paid spend authorizations should be closed to release held budget. 3. Check Smart Tag Balances: Review expenses and revenues carefully and submit any needed corrections. 4. Review Payroll Reports: Submit payroll accounting adjustments early for accurate budget tracking. 5. Helpful Tip for Cost Center Managers: Reviewing these items monthly helps avoid delays and keeps reporting accurate throughout the year.

Cost Center Manager - Best Practices

Please continue to review your financials monthly. Regular review of reports, SmartTags, and account activity is the best way to catch issues early and make timely adjustments.

A few key reminders:

• Review supporting documentation carefully before approving transactions in Workday. If something does not make sense, send it back to the initiator for clarification. Remember there is specific information that must be attached to Workday transactions and when in doubt, review the job aids and other authoritative guidance we have posted on our websites and in the Financial Affairs Canvas Trainings. * If you bill external customers, it is your responsibility to track invoices and confirm payments have been received (for both domestic and international customers). * Use available Workday reports and FAU FIN available balance reports to monitor activity, spot trends, and address issues before they become problems. * When questions arise about expenditure allowability, consult the Allowable Expenditure Guide and other available Financial Affairs resources (many direct links to these resources are available in the attached e-newsletter).

FY26 year-end calendars and guidance will be released in the coming months, along with targeted Procurement, Controller, and Budget year-end LibCal sessions that will be available for registration.

Financial Affairs is here to assist with questions, support, and additional training.

Warm regards,
Louisa - on behalf of the Division of Financial Affairs

Louisa Kelly, CPA, MBA
Associate Vice President of Financial Operations and University Controller Division of Financial Affairs - Controller's Office

Influential Leader in AHLA Foundation Women’s History Month Campaign

Congratulations to Soyoung Park, Ph.D., on being selected by the AHLA Foundation for its Women’s History Month campaign, an initiative that celebrates influential women shaping the future of hospitality.

As part of the FORWARD/26 initiative centered on the theme of “Influence,” Dr. Park was invited to share her perspectives on leadership and industry impact. Her insights will be featured across AHLA Foundation’s digital platforms throughout March and highlighted during the FORWARD conference.

Soyoung's recognition underscores her meaningful contributions to hospitality research and education, while also elevating her voice within a global community of industry leaders.

Federal Advisory Board Appointment in Higher Education

Congratulations to Siri A. Terjesen, Ph.D., on her appointment to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, a federal advisory board that plays a critical role in shaping the future of higher education.

Dr. Terjesen began her six-year term in March, joining a select group of national experts who advise the U.S. Department of Education on accreditation, institutional quality, and eligibility for federal student aid.

An internationally recognized scholar in entrepreneurship, corporate governance, and higher education policy, Dr. Terjesen brings deep expertise and a global perspective to this influential role. Her appointment reflects both her scholarly impact and her commitment to advancing accountability and excellence across the higher education landscape.

Siri's recognition highlights her leadership at Florida Atlantic University and underscores the university’s growing influence in national conversations shaping higher education policy.

Women in Business Marketing Board Appointment

Congratulations to Marketing chair, Hong Yuan, Ph.D., on her appointment as a founding member of the inaugural advisory board for Women in Marketing Strategy (WIMS)—a fast-growing global network focused on supporting and elevating women in marketing academia.

As one of just three founding advisory board members, Dr. Yuan will play a key role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction, fostering research collaborations, and expanding opportunities and visibility for women scholars worldwide.

Hong's recognition speaks to her ongoing impact in the field and further highlights the leadership and influence of Florida Atlantic University in advancing global marketing scholarship.

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In the Media | FAU Business

Steven Carnovale, Daniel Cornely, Bryan Cutsinger, Monica Escaleras, Daniel Gropper, Eric Levy, William Luther, Peter Ricci, Eric Van Tassel, Siri Terjesen, Vegar Wiik

Peer-Reviewed Research

Joel DiCicco,  Richard Gendler, Senior Instructors, School of Accounting, and Philippe Dubois, Instructor, Finance Department, have had their paper “ESG in Valuation: Adjusting Cash Flow or Discount Rate?” accepted for publication in Florida CPA Today, 42(1).

Scott Seavey, Associate Professor, School of Accounting, along with co-authors, has had their paper, “CEO Gender, Overconfidence, and Reported Data Security Breaches,” accepted for publication in Accounting and Business Research (AJG 3).

Public Scholarship Research

Steven Carnovale, Associate Professor, ITOM - Logistics Managers' Index

William Luther and Eric Van Tassel, Associate Professors, Economics - Monthly Inflation Report at Florida Atlantic

-FAU-