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Member Spotlight – Patricia Davidson, CFE, CIA

Patricia Davidson, CFE, CIA
Campus Auditor, Binghamton University

Years in Higher Education: 3

ACUA Involvement
ACUA Auditing and Accounting Principles Subcommittee – Chair

“AuditCon in 2023 was my first deep dive into ACUA, and the value of this organization was immediately clear. I was so impressed that I actively sought a way to contribute, leading me to join the Auditing and Accounting Principles subcommittee (within Best Practices) in 2024. ACUA has become an indispensable resource for me, offering the expertise and network I need to navigate this unique environment.”

Professional Background
Patty Davidson, CFE, CIA, has returned to her roots, now serving as Director of Internal Audit at Binghamton University (part of the State University of New York or SUNY system), where she earned her bachelor’s in accounting. Her career began at IBM, establishing a strong foundation in internal audit before she moved to the public sector. There, Patty applied her expertise to critical roles, including tax audits for the IRS and financial crimes investigations for the Department of Justice, demonstrating a deep commitment to accountability.

Following her return to Binghamton, Patty quickly became involved with the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA), now directing its Auditing and Accounting Principles Subcommittee.

Spotlight Nomination

“Patricia is a relative newcomer to higher ed, and in her short time she has already proven to be a valuable member of ACUA. She has been instrumental in developing a gap assessment tool to support internal audit shops in evaluating their compliance with the recently released IIA Global Internal Audit Standards.

Under her leadership of the Auditing & Accounting Principles subcommittee (AAP), AAP hosted two roundtables and a concurrent session at the 2026 Audit Interactive conference, providing ACUA members with insights about practical application of the Global Internal Audit Standards. Patty approaches her volunteer commitments with a sense of dedication, collaboration, and humility, helping everyone feel welcome and valued.”

Celebrate IAA Month with Official ACUA Gear!

Celebrate Internal Audit Awareness Month with official ACUA gear designed to help you show your connection to the ACUA community and the higher education internal audit profession. Explore apparel, drinkware, totes, notebooks, and more in the ACUA Store.

Internal Audit Awareness Month is a time to recognize the important role internal auditors play in strengthening institutions, supporting accountability, and helping organizations operate with greater confidence.

This year, ACUA is making it even easier to celebrate the profession and show your connection to the ACUA community with official branded merchandise, now available in the ACUA Store.

Whether you’re looking for something to wear during Internal Audit Awareness Month, planning ahead for AuditCon, searching for a thoughtful gift for a colleague, or simply looking for a way to represent your professional community throughout the year, the ACUA Store has you covered.

Shop the store now

What You’ll Find

The storefront offers a curated selection of ACUA-branded items, including:

Comfortable apparel in a range of sizes
Drinkware and accessories for the office or home
Totes, notebooks, and more

Each item was selected with ACUA members in mind: functional, professional, and perfect for showcasing your ACUA pride.

The ACUA Store offers a convenient way to celebrate your involvement with ACUA, support Internal Audit Awareness Month, and represent the higher education internal audit profession on campus, at events, in the office, and beyond.

Visit the Store

Browse the full selection and place your order today:

We look forward to seeing the ACUA community sporting these items throughout Internal Audit Awareness Month and all year long.

Thank you for all that you do to raise awareness, uplift one another, and continue driving excellence in internal audit.another, and continue driving excellence together.

Start Your cart

Celebrate Internal Audit Awareness Month with ACUA!

May is Internal Audit Awareness Month and ACUA is proud to celebrate YOU. This month, we recognize the essential role internal auditors play in strengthening higher education. From risk management and compliance to promoting accountability and improvement, your work empowers institutions to thrive.

Below are ways you can get involved this month with ACUA!

Show your pride!
Download and share our official Internal Audit Awareness Month graphics on your social channels—be sure to tag so we can reshare!

Download the images by clicking and saving the image

Other Ways To Celebrate:

Thank you for all that you do. Let’s raise awareness, uplift one another, and continue driving excellence together.

Happy Internal Audit Awareness Month!

Sincerely,

The ACUA Team

Member Spotlight – Kara Hefner, CPA, CIA, CFE

Kara Hefner, CPA, CIA, CFE
Audit Manager, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Years in Higher Education: 6+

ACUA Involvement
ACUA Journal – Editor
ACUA Auditing and Accounting Principles Subcommittee ACUA Speaker

“Kara enjoys the opportunities to serve her ACUA community by sharing information to support other university auditors”

Professional Background
Kara L. Hefner, CPA, CIA, CFE is an Internal Audit Manager at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she has worked for the past six years. She has 19 additional years of internal auditing experience in university health care, Fortune 500 public utilities, and student loan guarantors. Kara holds degrees in math, economics, and accounting and began her career in public accounting.

In addition to being a frequent speaker at ACUA conferences, Kara is the current Editor of ACUA’s College & University Auditor Journal and is a member of the ACUA Auditing and Accounting Principles Subcommittee. Kara received the ACUA Member Excellence in Service award in 2025. In her free time, Kara participates in competitive swimming, teaching adult learn to swim classes, and has authored two books on her German from Russia heritage.

Spotlight Nomination

“Kara continuously encourages individuals to contribute to the ACUA Journal and always provides helpful feedback on articles. She is an active volunteer and embodies ACUA values through every interaction she has with members – her integrity is unquestionable, she is respectful, and always committed to excellence in her work and volunteer service.”

Volunteer Spotlight – Tiffany Yordan, CIA

Tiffany Yordan, CIA
Principal Auditor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Years in Higher Education: 18

ACUA Involvement
ACUA Best Practices Committee
ACUA Data Analytics Subcommittee

“Tiffany has found volunteering with ACUA to be such a rewarding experience.  One of her favorite things is getting to meet other ACUA members in person at AuditCon after connecting virtually throughout the year.”

Professional Background
Tiffany Yordan, CIA, is a Principal Auditor in Audit and Advisory Services at Rutgers University, where she has worked since 2024.  Previously, she spent 16 years in the Office of Audit and Compliance at Princeton University.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from American University and an MBA from the University of Maine.

Tiffany has volunteered with the data analytics subcommittee since its inception in 2019 (when it was not even a committee yet, just a group of people who got together to write a kick-starter on data analytics).  She has enjoyed seeing it grow and evolve into a standing subcommittee and for the last four years, she has served as the director.  As part of the Best Practices Committee, the subcommittee’s goal is to support ACUA members by providing resources, tools, and insights to enhance the use of data analytics.  Tiffany has really enjoyed her time on the committee and getting to know so many amazing ACUA volunteers.  Through the subcommittee, she has been able to author and contribute to various kick-starters and organize webinars and roundtables.

Spotlight Nomination

“Tiffany’s service reflects a deep commitment to the organization and to the professional development of her peers.”

“Tiffany’s contributions to the Data Analytics Subcommittee have had a lasting impact, and her service has helped shape a more connected and capable community of internal auditors in higher education. It has been an honor to work alongside her.”

Information on Federal Directives

The following resources are available for ACUA members to remain informed about recent Presidential Actions affecting higher education. We are providing these resources solely for informational and educational purposes. Our intention is to raise awareness about federal directives without endorsing or taking any political stance. If you have additional resources to contribute, please send them to info@acua.org.

Organizations who are reviewing and interpreting the directives:

Organizations that post articles and blogs with updates on the directives: