The Deloitte Foundation’s Doctoral Fellowship Program annually recognizes the top 10 doctoral candidates from across the nation who are performing outstanding work. For three consecutive years, the Broad College has been represented on this distinguished list, and this year, Sue Yang, Ph.D. student in the Department of Accounting, is a 2021 fellowship recipient.
Sue Yang, accounting Ph.D. student
“We are very excited and proud that this is the third year in a row that one of our MSU doctoral students in accounting has been recognized with the prestigious Deloitte Foundation Doctoral Fellowship,” Chris Hogan, department chair and Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor in accounting, said.
Yang said that her recognition is a testament to the strength of Broad’s accounting Ph.D. program overall. “I would attribute this honor to everyone in our program as it is the collective efforts that make this rare case become true.”
She was first interested in pursuing her Ph.D. at MSU in 2014, after working at Stryker Corporation for 10 years and being a certified public accountant. Yang admitted facing some struggles as she considered becoming a Spartan — trying to also balance her time as a mom with a young child — but she stayed motivated by developing strong connections to faculty members.
“I was deeply impressed by not only the collegial atmosphere and strong research achievements in the program but also the passion and dedication inside everybody to teaching and research,” she said. “The diverse research areas within the program and the close partnership between faculty and Ph.D. students are additional appeals to me.”
These factors ultimately motivated her to become an accounting doctoral student in 2018. Since then, she has continued to enjoy the program, noting that the support she gained from the department faculty has been unimaginable.
“On one hand, I have full freedom to explore the areas that interest me. On the other hand, at each step, there is always a faculty member offering me much-needed guidance, advice and help,” she shared.
Yang recalled fond memories with accounting and information systems faculty providing her with unconditional support, midnight responses and revisions and encouragement on “wild” research ideas. She noted her advisor, Ranjani Krishnan, Ernest W. & Robert W. Schaberg Endowed Chair in accounting, as well as associate professor Kyonghee Kim, Hogan and Richard Saouma, associate dean for MBA, EMBA and professional master’s programs and an associate professor, as those who went above and beyond.
“I am delighted that Deloitte has selected Sue for this prestigious award,” Krishnan said. From their work together over the past three years, she reflected on how Yang has exhibited maturity and professionalism throughout her time in the program. “During our collaboration on an academic project during the past year, I have observed her persistence and grit that are the hallmarks of a successful academic. She is a worthy recipient for the award.”
Looking ahead, Yang hopes to follow her passion for addressing questions that can assist practitioners in making better accounting decisions in the business world. Along with research, educating the next generation of business leaders is also a core aspect of her career and is the next coming step.
“After graduation, I look forward to working for a reputable university that offers support for exceptional teaching as well as research,” she said.
Yang joins past Broad Spartan recipients Aishwarrya Deore and Hari Ramasubramanian in being honored as a Deloitte Foundation Scholar. And with each recognition, the Broad College’s status as a top-of-mind business school is reinforced with passionate Spartans leading the way.
