Wayne State University establishes Randy Paschke Endowed Scholarship in Accounting

Randolph C. "Randy" Paschke has spent decades opening doors for young people to careers in accounting. Wayne State University has now honored that legacy by establishing the Randy Paschke Endowed Scholarship in Accounting.

This scholarship is established to recognize scholastic achievement, encourage continued progress and provide assistance to students in financing their accounting education in the WSU School of Business Administration.

The School of Business Administration awards roughly $500,000 in scholarships each year to its students. A wide variety of additional financial aid options are available at the university level.

About Randy Paschke

Paschke has spent more than 30 years in the public accounting profession. He is a licensed certified public accountant and customs broker. He was a partner at Arthur Andersen LLP for 20 years, leading the firm’s Michigan tax practice from 1987 to 1996, the Great Lakes region international tax practice from 1998 to 2000, and the United States international tax and trade practice from 2000 to 2002.

Upon his retirement from Arthur Andersen, Paschke came to WSU and served as chair of the Department of Accounting from 2002 to 2012, sharing his extensive knowledge of accounting and taxation with hundreds of business students and aspiring accounting professionals. After stepping down as chair, Paschke joined the School of Business Administration’s dean’s office as director of external relations and community engagement, where he continues to play a vital role in building relationships between the school and the business community.

Paschke also serves as chair of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, which gives him yet another platform to promote the profession to future generations.

"From his years at a major CPA firm to his current service in higher education and non-profit organizations, Randy has long been committed to introducing young people to the wonderful opportunities available in the field of accounting," said Myles Stern, interim chair of WSU’s Department of Accounting. "Randy has made a very positive impact on the individuals he’s helped, and the accounting profession itself."

Twice the impact

The funds that were donated to establish the Randy Paschke Endowed Scholarship in Accounting are eligible for a matching gift from Wayne State alumni Gary and Kathy Armstrong. For any new endowed fund of $25,000 or more that is established to support scholarships for Wayne State business students, or for a gift of any amount, large or small, to their Armstrong Scholarship, Gary and Kathy will make a new gift, dollar-for-dollar, to the Armstrong Scholarship, up to a total of $100,000.

When Paschke learned of this challenge, he accelerated his own matches to gifts made to the Randy Paschke Endowed Scholarship to fully endow the fund and thus make it eligible for a matching contribution by the Armstrongs.

For more information on making a gift to support scholarships or to make a gift of any kind to the WSU School of Business Administration, please contact Steve Moore, SBA’s director of development and major gifts, at 313-577-9212 or smoore@wayne.edu.

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