The Sam M. Walton College of Business and the William Dillard Department of Accounting are proud to announce that alumnus Samuel Abram has been named a recipient of the prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). This award is granted to CPA candidates who obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, pass the four sections on their first attempt and have completed testing in 2024.

Abram was one of only 11 candidates nationwide to receive the honor in 2024; more than 74,000 individuals sat for the CPA exam in 2024. The Elijah Watt Sells Award is one of the highest honors in the CPA profession.

A native of Southlake, Texas, Abram graduated from the Walton College with a double major in accounting and information systems. He currently works as an associate in KPMG's Deal Advisory practice in Dallas.

"I was in complete shock when I found out I won the Elijah Watt Sells Award," Abram said. "I never thought I would be one of the people to receive this award. Winning this award gave me immense confidence that I could do anything if I set my mind to it."

Abram credited his success to the rigorous preparation he received at Walton College. "Every topic on the CPA was already covered in one of my accounting classes," he said. "Some of the classes I took in school were more difficult than the CPA exams themselves, so my foundation in accounting was already very strong. I want to thank my accounting professors along with the Walton College's accounting program for designing courses that allowed me not only to pass the CPA, but also to be one of the 11 candidates in the country to achieve this award."

Barry Bryan, CPA advisor and teaching professor in the William Dillard Department of Accounting, praised Abram's dedication and work ethic. "Samuel was always well prepared and engaged in class discussion. It was obvious that he was dedicated to the task at hand from the beginning," Bryan said. "He was efficient in planning his timeline to successfully complete the CPA Exam before beginning his career, while still performing at the highest level in his coursework."

Bryan emphasized that Abram's achievement reflects the strength of Walton College's accounting program. "This award is a testament not only to the quality of education our students receive, but to the commitment and self-discipline our students must demonstrate in order to become a licensed CPA," he said. "Samuel's and our other students' success on the CPA Exam makes them very attractive candidates to our employers."

The William Dillard Department of Accounting prepares students for CPA Exam success through comprehensive coursework in financial, managerial, and governmental accounting, as well as auditing, taxation, information systems, and analytics. The department's commitment to excellence has earned it recognition from the AICPA as a "key school" in the growth of the CPA pipeline, with many students completing the CPA Exam prior to graduation.

The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Exam, as well as to honor Sells, one of the country’s first CPAs. A founding member of the firm now known as Deloitte, Sells was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a significant role in advancing education within the profession.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 10,300 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. Its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the top program in North America by Gartner. In 2025, The Princeton Review included Walton's M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.