Esther R. Sawyer Research Award Recipients Announced At IIA International Conference in Dubai

LAKE MARY, Fla. USA (8 May 2018) — The Internal Audit Foundation’s 2018 Esther R. Sawyer Research Award recipients were announced today at The Institute of Internal Auditors’ (IIA) 2018 International Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The annual recognition is granted to individuals currently enrolled as of Sept. 1, 2017, in an undergraduate or graduate-level program in internal auditing at an Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) university.

The first-place recipient receives US $5,000, and US $3,000 is awarded to the IAEP program with which the student is affiliated. The award is based on submission of an original manuscript on a specific topic related to modern internal auditing. This year’s theme was “Assessing Governance – Internal Audit’s Role in Reviewing the Top of the Organization.”

The 2018 award recipients are:

• 1st place: Ellen Waterman, Birmingham City University (United Kingdom)
• 2nd place: Raluca Popescu, University at Buffalo (USA)
• 3rd place: Anupam Gupta, The University of Texas at Dallas (USA)

“For decades, The IIA has been committed to Academic Relations at every level,” Michael J. Fucilli, CIA, QIAL, CGAP, CRMA, Internal Audit Foundation President and IIA Vice Chairman of Research, said during the award ceremony. “Over the last 10 years, the Internal Audit Foundation Academic Fund has awarded over $1.5 million in grants to 27 IAEP universities worldwide.

“Academic Relations and opportunities such as the Sawyer award are meaningful ways to elevate and promote the value of our profession by providing the next generation of students with the education and skill sets necessary to embark on a career in Internal Auditing,” Fucilli said. “These future practitioners and thought leaders help the profession progress and continue to increase our membership worldwide.”

Esther Sawyer was a passionate advocate for internal audit curricula in colleges and universities and promoted internal auditing as a lifetime career. Established in June 2000 by the Internal Audit Foundation Board of Trustees as a tribute to the memory of Esther R. Sawyer and her contributions to and support of the profession of internal auditing, the award is funded through a generous contribution to the Foundation by the Sawyer family.

For more information and full award details please visit The IIA’s Esther R. Sawyer Research Award page.

About the Internal Audit Foundation

The Internal Audit Foundation (Foundation) is the donor-supported arm of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). The nonprofit Foundation conducts groundbreaking research and scholarly publishing, offers essential career development and thought leadership products through The IIA Bookstore, and works with colleges and universities through the Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) program to enlighten the next generation of internal auditors. For more information, visit www.theiia.org or www.theiia.org/foundation.