Seventh Trinity University Graduate Selected for Financial Accounting Standards Board

Last month, Ari Skolnick-Schur ’24, M’25 was crossing the stage, graduating from Trinity’s Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program. Now, he’s counting down the days until he will begin an exciting position with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

In January 2026, Skolnick-Schur will step into a prestigious Postgraduate Technical Assistant (PTA) position at FASB. This highly selective program admits only about seven students nationwide each term. Skolnick-Schur is the seventh Trinity student to earn this remarkable distinction, following another fellow Trinity MSA student who was also chosen for this position last year.

“This prestigious appointment is a testament to Ari’s outstanding academic performance, professionalism, and commitment to the field of accounting,” says Julie Persellin, Ph.D., chair of Trinity’s accounting department. “It also reflects Trinity’s strong tradition of preparing students for leadership roles in the profession.”

During his one-year term, Skolnick-Schur will play an integral role in the standards-setting process that shapes the future of financial reporting in the United States. He will collaborate closely with FASB staff and gain firsthand insight into the perspectives of financial statement preparers, auditors, and users.

“The PTA position at the FASB will allow me to develop research and technical skills that would be hard to find anywhere else,” Skolnick-Schur says. “I am excited to become involved in the standards-setting process and help make a meaningful impact.”

As an undergraduate, Skolnick-Schur majored in accounting and was involved in a variety of student organizations and extracurricular activities. He spent a year on the Trinity Orientation Team, three years as a tour guide, one year as an admissions intern, was a three-year member of Delta Sigma Pi, and served one term as president of the Trinity University Accounting Association.

Skolnick-Schur also studied abroad in London and Copenhagen, participated in the Deloitte Audit and Innovation Campus Challenge (AICC), and interned in the audit and assurance practice at Deloitte’s Dallas office. 

Through Trinity’s MSA program, he continued this trend of experiential learning as a graduate assistant and research assistant. 

“My Trinity education laid the groundwork for critically thinking about complex problems, analyzing them, and communicating relevant pieces of analysis,” Skolnick-Schur says. “I am excited to use the wide variety of skills that I gained from Trinity’s liberal arts curriculum, technical and soft skills alike, to contribute at the FASB.”

Skolnick-Schur thanks Trinity’s entire accounting department for helping him learn about the PTA position and prepare his application.

“While Dr. [Julie] Persellin and Professor [Sunita] White were my primary points of contact for the application process, I talked to professors from across the accounting department who helped connect me with alumni and get their perspective on the issues that I was preparing for during the interview and application process,” Skolnick-Schur says. 

Skolnick-Schur also wishes to give a special shout-out to Jared Koreff, Ph.D., his major adviser, who “was always willing to give me the advice I needed to succeed.”