PwC donates $1.1 million to Wisconsin School of Business

PwC US representatives today presented a donation of more than $1.1 million, which will pay for a professorship and support programs for students, to Wisconsin School of Business students, faculty and staff.

The gift will be distributed over five years and will benefit the Accounting and Information Systems Department. It will fund PwC’s Professor in Accounting chair and provide support for the Future is Now, a program that introduces students to the career paths within accounting. The gift will also go toward a professional competency program for accounting students.

The $1.1 million includes $550,000 in donations from active and retired PwC partners and staff, many of whom are University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni. The other half of the donation is a match from PwC US.

PwC partner and liaison to UW–Madison Ray Wilson told the group of students that he and the company are excited to make a gift to a university and school with intelligent students and faculty who are academic leaders.

“I’m proud to say I had this idea two years ago, and I worked on it with my colleagues to make it happen,” Wilson said. “With this donation, we are investing not only in the students but in the future of the accounting profession.”

Dean François Ortalo-Magné praised the generosity of PwC’s partners and staff.

“When I became dean, I was delighted early on to hear of PwC’s great satisfaction with our alumni who are five to 10 years out of school,” Ortalo-Magné said. “Today I am honored by this generous gift from our alumni and friends at PwC. We welcome their support of our outstanding faculty and co-curricular learning experiences for the benefit of our accounting students.”

Part of the donation will fully fund the PwC Professor in Accounting for the next five years. Terry Warfield, accounting professor and chair of the Accounting and Information Systems Department, has been named to the position.

“I am honored to be recognized with the PwC professorship,” Warfield said. “I can’t emphasize enough the importance of this relationship and how much we value it.”

PwC has supported colleges and universities and their students with more than $49 million since 2008. The funds have been used for a variety of curriculum enrichment initiatives, faculty learning programs and other faculty and student support. The gift to the Wisconsin School of Business will enable accounting students at the school to receive more personalized instruction in their introductory classes.

—Lavilla Capener