Thomas Tellefson, Cynthia Scarinci, and Susan Holak at the NYSSCPA 116th Annual Election Meeting.

CSI Accounting Professor Cynthia Scarinci, CPA, was awarded the Dr. Emanuel Saxe Award in Education at the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants’ (NYSSCPA) 116th Annual Election Meeting and Dinner at the New York Marriot at Times Square.

The award is named for Emanuel Saxe, a well-known New York CPA who was a Dean Emeritus and a member of the Baruch College faculty for 31 years.  It highlights outstanding service and professional development in education and is designed to recognize educators for distinguished service and excellence in teaching and for contributing to and promotion of the accounting profession.

Professor Scarinci, a current member of the NYSSCPA’s Board of Directors, at both the state and local level, has been a member of the organization since 1990. She is a former President and Vice President of the Staten Island chapter and is a member of the chapter’s Executive Board.

Scarinci has worked tirelessly, helping students through various outreach programs such as the first annual Career  Opportunities in Accounting Program (COAP), which took place this summer in early July, and the World of Accounting, which introduces high school students to various opportunities in the accounting profession and highlights the education requirements for the major.  Scarinci established this program and coordinates it annually for the Staten Island chapter and area high schools.  Last year’s attendance was a recordbreaking 175 participants. For the past decade, she has coordinated the chapter’s annual accounting education night for Staten Island college students, where students listen to presentations and mingle with accountants from a variety of professions and organizations, including the FBI.  She has also served on CSI’s Curriculum and Proficiency committees and Mentor Program.

“Twenty years ago, if someone had asked me to “fast forward” my life, I would never have envisioned a career change into the world of academia,” said Scarinci. “It is so great to now see my students’ reactions when their balance sheets actually balance, or when they are completing their audit assignment and they finally understand how all of the pieces of the accounting puzzle fit together…their Aha! Moment; I just find it very rewarding to see their sense of accomplishment and enjoyment of it.”

“It’s hard to believe that I have been a member of the NYSSCPA for 23 years,” Scarinci continues. “The time has passed so quickly. I didn’t realize how important Society membership would be. I have made so many friends and business contacts throughout the years. I even came to teach at CSI because of colleagues in the Staten Island chapter! Our chapter works diligently to reach out to students in high school and college, to provide a better understanding of the field of accounting, CPA licensure requirements, and opportunities for a variety of different venues, but we are also involved in charitable work. Our chapter runs the Annual Bowl-a-thon for Batten disease. We always have a great turnout and have raised a great deal of money for this very worthy cause. We coordinate continuing professional education courses for Society members throughout the year and we assist in an annual tax advisement program coordinated by the Society and the Staten Island Advance. I encourage all of my students to become student members and to continue their membership when they are licensed and employed.”

Cynthia Scarinci has published several articles in the field of auditing and small business. She has also conducted disaster recovery and contingency planning surveys of small businesses that have survived disaster. She is presently working on a survey and interviews of Staten Island small business owners who were impacted by Superstorm Sandy.