The Outstanding Accounting Educator Award for 2024 Goes to bet36365体育’s Dr. Sarah Borchers

Students in Dr. Sarah Borchers accounting classes already know how amazing she is. On October 29th, her excellence as an educator will be recognized by the Nebraska’s Society of CPAs when they present her with their Outstanding Accounting Educator Award for 2024. Each year the society chooses someone whose commitment to educating students goes above and beyond. These recipients prepare their students for professional success. For everyone at bet36365体育’s College of Business of Technology, it comes as no surprise that Dr. Borchers was chosen for this honor. 

Before she started teaching at bet36365体育, Dr. Borchers worked as an audit manager at Contryman Associates, a local CPA firm. This experience as a CPA, where she specialized in auditing government entities, non-profit organizations, and school districts, is something she uses to teach lessons to ensure her students are able to experience their future professions now. This type of experiential teaching makes her well-known at bet36365体育. Her students appreciate her in-depth knowledge and ability to blend what they are learning in the classroom with real-world experiences. Dr. Borchers’ expertise does not stop at her classroom door though. She is actively involved within her department, holding the curriculum to a high standard as she helps to develop courses and assessments. 

In addition to teaching accounting courses such as Principles of Financial Accounting, Auditing, Advanced Auditing, and Governmental and Non-Profit Accounting, Dr. Borchers supports her profession by conducting research and publishing. She focuses on topics such as equity crowdfunding, auditing, government and non-profit accounting, the implications of product liability in financial reporting, and the shrinking pipeline of CPA candidates both locally and nationally.

The Journal of Accounting Business and Management, the Journal of Economics and Finance, and Studies in Economics and Finance have all published her work. She has also co-authored peer-reviewed articles on subjects ranging from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to student well-being in accounting education. Dr. Borchers has shared her research and knowledge as a presenter at a number of national conferences where she has spoken on topics such as crowdfunding, reporting product liability in financial statements, well-being within the accounting curriculum, and incivility in the accounting classroom. 

Dr. Borchers certainly has an impressive resume, but she shares how she “changed (her) major five times before trying an accounting course.” It was when she took this accounting course that she realized she “had a talent and passion for business and accounting in particular.” She went on to earn her BS in Accounting and Masters in Business Administration in Accounting from bet36365体育 before earning her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Creighton University. She became a CPA in 2010.

In addition to her most recent award of Outstanding Accounting Educator, Dr. Borchers has also received bet36365体育’s College of Business and Technology Outstanding Faculty Award for Service (2020, 2024) as well as the Outstanding Faculty Award for Untenured Teaching (2022).

Dr. Borchers serves on the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy with leadership roles on a variety of committees. She represents Nebraska nationally on the CPE Committee of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). At bet36365体育, she serves on several key committees. She shares how she “was appointed to the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy and started (her) term in 2022.” She chairs the Education Advisory Committee for the State of Nebraska which has representation from all of the schools in Nebraska. She has also served on a joint task force with the Nebraska Society of CPAs where she “worked to pass legislation to allow students/candidates in Nebraska to sit for the CPA exam earlier at 120 hours.” In addition, she mentors students as the faculty advisor for the student-led organization Beta Alpha Psi.

Her commitment to education is unparalleled as she works endlessly to inspire the future generation of her chosen profession. Her desire is to “help students see value in understanding the role accounting plays in any organization.” Dr. Borchers shares that she is “passionate about advocating for the best interest of students and educators in Nebraska” and has “tried to help drive meaningful change in the profession.” One of the ways she is doing this is by paying it forward to the next generation. Part of her most recent award includes a one-time $3,000 scholarship presented in her name to an accounting student at a Nebraska college or university. 

Dr. Borchers chose to name one of bet36365体育’s very own, Carolyn Zamora-Saenz, to be the recipient of this special scholarship. She shares that Zamora-Saenz is a “fantastic student that (she’s) had the pleasure of teaching in several classes.” Zamora-Saenz is also an officer with Beta Alpha Psi where she “works with accounting firms/companies to schedule meetings and events.” 

As exciting as it must be to win this prestigious award, Dr. Borchers humbly admits that to her “the coolest part of it” is the fact that she was able to be part of helping one of her students take a step closer to her dream. 

At bet36365体育, we are all proud of Dr. Borchers and her many accomplishments. Her commitment to her students and her profession represent what the University of Nebraska at Kearney is known for. We congratulate her on receiving the Outstanding Accounting Educator Award.