2024 Virginia Tech Accounting Research Conference Agenda

May 16, 2024 (Thursday)

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Informal Kick-Off Social
Eastern Divide Brewing Company (https://easterndivide.com)
3175 Commerce St., Blacksburg

May 17, 2024 (Friday)

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Breakfast

8:55 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Welcome remarks by Dr. Robert Davidson, Department Head, Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Paper 1: Ben Yost (Boston College):  "Capital Gains Taxes and Acquisition-Motivated IPOs"
Discussant: Anh Persson (Illinois)

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Paper 2: Wei Cai (Columbia):  "Empowered Learning as a Control System"
Discussant: Marshall Vance (Virginia Tech)

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Paper 3: Travis Dyer (BYU):  "Financial Data Providers and the Diversity of Market Opinions"
Discussant: Michelle Lowry (Virginia Tech)

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Break

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Paper 4: Zachary Kowaleski (University of Texas at Austin):  "Weak Incentives for Audit Quality:  Evidence from Broker-Dealers"
Discussant: Sabrina Salomé (Virginia Tech)

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Free Time

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Reception

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Dinner

8:00 p.m.
Optional Charity Poker Tournament 

May 18, 2024 (Saturday)

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Paper 5: Jessica Buchanan (Providence College):  "Testing an Intervention to Improve Audit Inquiry Quality"
Discussant: Latoya Flint (Ole Miss)

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Paper 6:  Ally Zimmerman (Florida State):  "Auditors' National Office Consultations"
Discussant: Summer Liu (Texas A&M)

11:30 a.m.
Conference Concludes,  Boxed Lunch,
Optional hike in the afternoon
Optional BBQ after the hike