Member Excellence in Service Award
This Award recognizes a member who has made outstanding contributions to the mission of ACUA through exceptional service.
Outstanding Professional Contributions Award
This Award recognizes a member who has made outstanding and noteworthy contributions to the profession of internal auditing in higher education.
Rising Star Award
This Award recognizes an “up-and-coming” member who has made significant individual contributions in the areas of internal audit, compliance, or risk management that furthers the mission of ACUA.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
2026 Award Recipients
Member Excellence in Service Award 2026
Brian Daniels, University of Tennessee System
Brian began serving as the Chief Audit and Compliance Officer at The University of Tennessee System in 2019. Previously, he served approximately 15 years in higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia, primarily at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, where he last served as the Director of Internal Audit. With an early career focus on IT Audit, his undergraduate degree was from Virginia Tech, and he received an MBA from James Madison University.
Under Brian’s leadership, Audit and Compliance, with more than 25 professionals, is a systemwide resource for the University of Tennessee, reporting directly to the Audit and Compliance Committee of the UT Board of Trustees. Offices are located on the Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Martin, and Pulaski campuses, as well as in Nashville.
Brian and his wife Cindy, have two children and reside in Knoxville, TN.
Member Excellence in Service Award 2026
Katrina McNair, Georgia Southern University
Katrina McNair is the Chief Audit and Compliance Officer at Georgia Southern University. Katrina began her career in Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance in November 2013 as an Auditor II and was promoted to Associate Director in September 2016. In April 2021, she was appointed Chief Audit Officer, where she now leads enterprise audit and compliance functions, partnering with executive leadership to enhance internal controls, mitigate risk, and ensure regulatory alignment.
She holds bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration in Accounting and Management, with a minor in Fraud Examination, from Georgia Southern University. Katrina is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and maintains active membership in The Institute of Internal Auditors, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the Association of College and University Auditors.
Outstanding Professional Contributions Award 2026
Toni Stephens
Toni Stephens, CPA, CIA, CRMA, has 41 years of higher education audit experience. She received her accounting degree from Texas A&M University, worked for the Texas State Auditor’s Office for seven years, was the CAE at UT Dallas for 34 years, and retired in July 2026.
Toni’s professional leadership activities include serving as the ACUA President, board member, PEC Chair, Annual Conference Director, Recognition Committee Chair, and Historian. She plans to continue volunteering for ACUA on the historian subcommittee after retirement. Toni also served as a board and audit committee member for the Dallas Chapter of the IIA, President and board member for TACUA, advisor for the Dallas ISD audit committee, and advisory board member for the UTD Center for Internal Auditing Excellence. She has presented at numerous conferences and webinars and has written several Kick Starters. Toni was inducted into the ACUA Hall of Fame and has received awards from both ACUA and the Dallas Chapter for her service.
Rising Star Award 2026
Patricia A. Davidson, Binghamton University
For Patricia “Patty” Davidson, safeguarding institutional integrity isn’t just a career—it’s personal. As a proud alumna of Binghamton University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Patty has come full circle. Today, she serves her alma mater as the Director of Internal Audit, partnering closely with senior leadership to navigate risk, champion robust internal controls, and protect the campus community she once walked as a student.
Patty’s leadership is backed by over two decades of high-stakes financial experience, highlighted by a distinguished career at the federal level. She served as a Financial Crimes Auditor for the United States Department of Justice, where she developed complex white-collar cases for federal prosecution and testified in federal court. Additionally, she spent over a decade with the U.S. Treasury as an Internal Revenue Agent and Supervisor. Her diverse background also includes corporate risk management experience as a Senior Accountant at BAE Systems.
A Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Patty is an active voice in higher education governance, serving on ACUA’s Auditing and Accounting Principles sub-committee.
Whether she is analyzing complex data, leading a campus workgroup, or advising leadership on emerging risks, Patty brings a unique blend of technical expertise and Bearcat pride to everything she does.