(Posted February 15, 2002)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- The collapse of the energy marketing company Enron and the questions surrounding how the accounting firm Arthur Anderson may have contributed to that collapse through irregular accounting procedures is the focus of "Arthur Anderson and the Accounting Apocalypse," a Juniata College Bookend Seminar lecture at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 28 in 202 Good Hall on the Juniata campus.

The lecture is free and open to the public. The Bookend Seminar series features afternoon lectures each month by Juniata College faculty.

Juniata faculty members Pat Weaver, professor of accounting, business and economics, and Dominick Peruso, assistant professor of economics and business, will describe how audits of a company's accounting records are a major safeguard to protect investors from corporate greed and chicanery. "A breakdown in this system results in financial catastrophes like Enron and threatens our capital markets," Weaver says. "What's wrong with public accounting and how did the profession get to this sorry state?" The two professors also will address what needs to be done to restore confidence in accounting.

Weaver joined the Juniata faculty in 1986. Previously she had been self-employed as a certified public accountant and also worked as a staff accountant for the Tyrone office of Young, Oakes, Brown and Co.

She earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree in English from Penn State University and earned a master's degree in business administration from Penn State.

She teaches management information systems and finance courses as well as financial, managerial, and cost accounting at Juniata. She is co-author of "Persuasive Writing: A Manager's Guide to Effective Letters and Reports." Weaver is a member of both the Pennsylvania and American Institutes of CPAs.

Peruso joined Juniata as assistant professor of accounting in 1999. He earned a bachelor's degree in management and accounting from St. Francis University and earned a master's degree in higher education from Penn State University.

Before joining Juniata's faculty, Peruso worked as a staff accountant with Price Waterhouse. He is a member of Delta Epsilon Sigma, the American Accounting Association, The Institute of Management Accountants and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.