Distinguished Alumni Award

Amanda L. Miller, 02BBA, has led the charge to keep recent graduates of the UI Tippie College of Business connected with their alma mater.

Miller's loyal service to the university began when she was a student at the Tippie College of Business. As president of the college's professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, Miller was nominated Chapter Collegian of the Year for her dedication to professional development and community service. She was also selected to give the commencement address when she graduated from the UI in 2002 with degrees in accounting and finance.

Following her time at the UI, Miller worked as an audit senior associate for the KPMG public accounting firm in Chicago. She led teams that performed the first audits in wake of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, helping insurance companies nationwide reform to meet the standards of the new law. Miller later traveled to 32 countries as a senior international financial auditor for Abbott Laboratories, then served as director in the Transaction Advisory Services practice at FTI Consulting, helping clients with mergers and acquisitions. This month, Miller started work with Google's M&A Finance group to help integrate Google's acquisitions into the overall business structure.

Despite frequently being away on the road, Miller has always made time for her alma mater. She served as the UI's recruiting team leader for KPMG, attending numerous job fairs to help UI students find internships and full-time careers. In 2003, Miller co-founded the Tippie College of Business Young Alumni Board (YAB), which advises the college's undergraduate program on ways to keep recent graduates involved. As one of YAB's first co-chairs, she was instrumental in the creation of an annual career development workshop, which pairs students with business graduates in their chosen field. These YAB members help undergraduates with their interview and résumé skills, as well as offer their perspective of what it's like to enter the working world.

Miller has also helped to organize several YAB alumni networking receptions in Chicago and Des Moines, which allow recent grads to connect with one another and with the Tippie College of Business, UI Alumni Association, and UI Foundation representatives to keep updated on university advancements.

Miller's true character is exemplified by her response to a friend and fellow Delta Sigma Pi member's death. When former UI student Cory Schuster died in an ATV accident in March 2007, Miller and several other Tippie College of Business young alumni raised money for a memorial bench to be placed in the Pappajohn Business Building courtyard in his honor. Miller coordinated the fund-raising efforts with the UI Foundation, contributed generously to the project, and organized a dedication ceremony attended by nearly 150 of Schuster's family members and friends. She also helped raise $250,000 to set up the Cory Schuster Scholarship Fund as a lasting tribute.

With enthusiasm and an insatiable work ethic, Amanda L. Miller plays an active role in the life of the UI Tippie College of Business—and inspires other young alumni to do the same.

Miller is an annual member of the UI Alumni Association.