Zarbuck '14 wins Elijah Watt Sells Award

Austin G. Zarbuck '14 is a winner of the Elijah Watt Sells Award, given to CPA candidates who have obtained a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination and passed all four sections of the examination on their first attempt.

In 2015, 93,742 people sat for the examination and 75 candidates met the criteria to receive the award. "By earning this award, Austin puts us on the map with the best accounting programs in the nation," said Dr. John Delaney, Augustana professor and chair of accounting.

Zarbuck earned a B.A. in accounting and business administration at Augustana, and a master's in accounting from The Ohio State University. He is employed by Grant Thornton, LLP in Chicago. 

While at Augustana, he did two summer internships at Group O in Milan, Ill., and a winter internship at Grant Thornton. He used Augie Choice to support his internship in Chicago. He originally is from Urbana, Ill.

Zarbuck was co-chair of the Live on Campus committee, a member of Rho Nu Delta, and was the executive director for the Student Life Programming Board. He was an Academic All-Conference member of the swim team. He was the head volunteer event organizer for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, and volunteered with Augustana's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

"This year's winners earned the Elijah Watt Sells Award for their truly extraordinary performance on the CPA Exam," said Michael Decker, AICPA vice president of examinations. "On behalf of the AICPA, I'd like to congratulate the winners on their accomplishment and wish them the best of luck throughout their careers in the profession."

The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Examination. Sells, one of the first CPAs in the U.S., was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a key role advancing professional education within the profession.

Dr. Pamela Druger, professor of accounting, wrote about Zarbuck in 2014 in a More Than I Imagined profile: "When I first met Austin, he was this quiet sophomore, sitting in the back row of my Principles of Accounting class. He didn't say much, but when I graded his first test, I knew this was a student I wanted as a major. He displayed a natural talent and ability that is uncommon.

"For the last class we had together, I used his work as the solution manual because it was better than the author's version. Austin continued to grow and flourish during his time at Augustana, and I look forward to watching him as he flourishes as a professional."