Antoinette Smith, professor in the School of Accounting, has been awarded the Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra (MBAF) Professorship in Accounting at FIU Business. She’s the first woman professor at FIU Business to hold this professorship and recognition for her research productivity. In 2019, Smith became the first Black woman to receive full professorship in the School of Accounting at FIU Business.

“As a woman of color, I believe professor Smith’s recognition as the MBAF professor is a new beginning for many,” said Joanne Li, dean of FIU Business. “FIU Business, along with its faculty, is committed to embracing diversity and inclusiveness.”

The accounting firm established the MBAF Professorship, via two gifts totaling $250,000 in 2007, to support one School of Accounting professor’s research and educational initiatives. MBAF is one of the nation’s top 40 accounting firms and the largest Florida-based firm, and several of its top executives are FIU Business alumni.

Smith, whose background includes four years as senior auditor and fraud detector at the U.S. Air Force Audit Agency, joined FIU Business in 2006 and has taught information systems audit, forensic accounting and accounting information systems.

Her research has been published in journals such as The Accounting Review, International Journal of Accounting Information Systems and Internal Auditor.

Currently, Smith is the faculty advisor of the FIU Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and in 2017, became one of the first AWED Faculty

Fellows in the Office to Advance Women, Equity, and Diversity (AWED) where she was instrumental on teams that improved the lives of women and people of color.

Li noted that bringing diversity to the accounting profession has been a forefront priority for many firms.

“With Dr. Smith being recognized as our MBAF professor, I hope that FIU Business will have an opportunity to inspire many who will come after her, students and scholars, to pursue careers in accounting or business,” said Li.