Fischer Serves on Task Force

May 30, 2013

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Professor Helps Establish New Accounting Standards

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May 30, 2013

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

May 30, 2013

Dr. Mary Fischer has been recognized for her involvement on the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Task Force, Dr. Harold Doty, College of Business and Technology dean, announced.

She is a professor of accounting in the UT Tyler Department of Accounting and Finance and has served the university since 1990.

As a GASB Task Force member on the Government Combinations Project, Fischer helped established new accounting and financial reporting standards for government mergers and acquisitions as well as government operations that have been transferred or sold.

Specifically, she ensured the application and implementation would work not just for government entities but also for governmental not-for-profit entities, including universities and hospitals.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to research theory and current accounting guidance to propose what would be the appropriate guidance for governments,” Fischer said. “The task force work took over three years working with GASB staff and project managers to complete. The effort required a lot research by the task force members, debate on proposals and justification of various positions.”

The GASB is the independent organization that establishes and improves standards of accounting and financial reporting for U.S. state and local governments. This is the second GASB taskforce that Fischer was selected to contribute.

A frequent local and national seminar speaker regarding GASB updates, Fischer is past president of the Southwest Decision Science Institute, Southwest American Accounting Association and American Accounting Association Government and Nonprofit Section. She also serves as an adviser to the Financial Accounting Standards Board and other various not-for-profit organizations nationwide.

Fischer holds a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.

She has published more than 50 research papers regarding cash flow recognition, financial accounting, accounting education and auditing and financial management of not-for-profit organizations.

Her awards include the Daniel D. Robinson and the Professional Development and Scholarship Awards from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and American Accounting Association’s “Best Manuscript of 2013” Award.

Established in 1984 by an agreement of the Financial Accounting Foundation and 10 national associations of state and local government officials, the GASB is recognized by governments, the accounting industry and the capital markets as the official source of generally accepted accounting principles for state and local governments.

For more information, visit http://www.gasb.org.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of almost 7,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.