Sean Cao Wins Two Best Paper Awards for AI Research
Smith associate professor Sean Cao, co-founder and director of the Smith AI Initiative for Capital Market Research, received two best paper awards for research showing how humans and artificial intelligence work together to improve stock analysis and corporate disclosure in capital markets.
Stephen Loeb and UMD Newly Recognized as Scholarly Leaders in Accounting Ethics
Stephen Loeb, retired University of Maryland Smith School professor and former department chair, was named a leading accounting ethics scholar by the Journal of Accounting Literature, which cites his foundational research and ranks UMD first among institutions in the field.
‘Evolving Cyber Fraud Threats’ Highlight Latest Forum on Financial Information Systems and Cybersecurity
The Financial Information Systems and Cybersecurity Forum examined emerging cyber fraud threats, research and policy issues, while honoring the 25th anniversary of the Gordon-Loeb Model. Faculty and experts highlighted evolving scams, data-driven insights and the model’s lasting influence on cybersecurity investment decisions.
Unlocking Forecast Quality: The Power of Material Sustainability Disclosures
In 2013, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) began releasing guidelines to identify material (or financially relevant) sustainability metrics. This study investigates the effects of material and immaterial sustainability activities on analyst forecast error and dispersion. We further examine how these effects are influenced by the issuance of stand-alone sustainability reports and the release of SASB’s material sustainability standards.
Effects of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change Policy on Audit Fees
This study explores the correlation between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from U.S. companies and their audit fees, driven by the escalating frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Building on prior research that connects climate risk, regulation, and audit fees, our investigation uses a sample of companies with Scope 1 GHG emissions sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP). Our results show a positive association between GHG emissions and audit fees.
Ghosts in the Classroom: How AI Fraud Is Haunting College Campuses
As International Fraud Awareness Week marks 25 years, the Smith School’s Samuel Handwerger warns that AI is fueling both false cheating accusations and large-scale “ghost student” financial-aid fraud—revealing how technology now endangers academic integrity, accountability, and public trust.
Building credible commitments via board ties: Evidence from the supply chain
Using a novel dataset that provides a comprehensive coverage of U.S. firms' industrial supply chain relationships, we find that firms with innovation specific to a buyer are more likely to share a common director with that buyer. This association is stronger when the buyer has a larger number of alternative suppliers. We further find that when a supplier–buyer pair shares a common director, the supplier's R&D investment is more sensitive to the investment opportunities of its buyer. Moreover, such pairs tend to have longer supply chain relationships.
21 Smith School Professors Named Among Top 2% Scholars Worldwide
Twenty-one Smith School professors were named among the top 2% most cited researchers globally, according to Elsevier’s 2025 study across 22 fields. Representing both current and emeritus faculty, their impactful research advances business knowledge and global academic excellence.
UMD Justice for Fraud Victims and State’s Attorney Partner to Fight Financial Crime in Frederick
The University of Maryland’s Justice for Fraud Victims program is partnering with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit to fight financial crime, following a successful Prince George’s County collaboration, providing forensic accounting and courtroom support for investigations.