Research Rookies Student Profiles

Name: Collin Thompson

Cohort: Freshman Research Rookie

Major: Accountancy

Hometown: Oak Lawn, Illinois

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bradrick Cripe

Collin Thompson is hoping to follow in a family member’s footsteps. Not by taking over the family business or adopting the same hobby, but by joining the FBI. Collin Thompson’s grandmother worked for the FBI, and the stories Collin heard from her motivated him to do the same.

However, Collin does not want to be the typical field agent. He instead wants to be a forensic accountant, scrutinizing financial records of potentially corrupt organizations, providing numerical forensic evidence, etc.

Joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation is no small feat, which is why Collin jumped at the opportunity of becoming a Research Rookie. As a freshman, he is already working one-on-one with a professor in his field as a mentor and learning details about accountancy, all prior to his first university accounting class.

The current project will be focusing on governance strategies in non-profit organizations to compare techniques and identify the most efficient strategies. Looking at these organizations in the great depth needed to compare their governance plans will provide Collin with a detailed understanding of certain aspects of accountancy as early as his freshman year. Collin is very enthusiastic about the opportunity to conduct the research project and present his findings at Undergraduate Research Day in the spring.

Collin on what being a Research Rookie means: “Being a Research Rookie means to me that I am a hard worker.  It means I made a commitment, and I need to do my best to honor it.”