Full Circle: Morgan Palmerton’s Journey from WSU to Public Accounting and Back

By Eric Hollenbeck

Carson College of Business doctoral student Morgan Palmerton (’21 Acct.) always knew she enjoyed working with numbers, but it was her passion for mentorship and helping others that ultimately redirected her career path. After spending two years as an audit associate at KPMG in Seattle, Washington, she found herself reconsidering her long-term goals. Even though she enjoyed the variety and challenge of auditing, she soon realized her true passion lay not just in the work itself, but in helping others learn and grow.

“I loved those moments when I could explain something to a newly hired associate or student intern and see that lightbulb go off,” she says.

This realization set her on a path back to WSU, a place where she had always felt both supported and inspired.

Staying connected to WSU

During her time at KPMG, Palmerton stayed closely connected to her alma mater. She returned regularly to represent the company at professional development and networking events hosted by the Carson Center for Student Success.

“Coming back to campus as a recruiter was meaningful because I could share my journey and help guide students who were in the same place I had been,” she says.

Her desire to give back to the WSU community grew stronger with each visit, reinforcing her commitment to pursuing a career that could one day help her to shape the next generation of accounting professionals.

Palmerton credits the relationships she built as an undergraduate with providing the guidance and motivation for her to pursue a PhD in accounting. She kept in touch with mentors like Marla Meyer, accounting relations manager at the Carson College, who helped guide her early career steps. She also remains in contact with accounting professor Kathleen Harris, whose own research, experience, and guidance helped Palmerton see academia as a space where she could make a broader impact.

“Professor Harris was always open about the challenges of balancing a career and personal life, especially for women in accounting,” says Palmerton. “Talking to her made me realize that pursuing a PhD could offer a more fulfilling pathway that aligned with my goals for work-life balance and professional growth.”

Growing as a researcher and educator

Now in her second year of the Carson College PhD program, Palmerton is confident she made the right choice. Teaching has become a central part of her academic experience, and she currently leads an auditing course, drawing on her industry background to create a dynamic and practical classroom environment.

Despite the challenges of stepping into a teaching role so early in her program, Palmerton finds the experience rewarding.

“I didn’t expect to enjoy teaching this much,” she adds. “It’s amazing to see the growth in my students from the start of the semester to the end.”

In addition to teaching, Palmerton is diving into research. She is working on research—led by Harris and fellow WSU accounting professor Beau Barnes—that examines how the mix of professional backgrounds on audit committees affects financial reporting quality. The project allows Palmerton to combine her practical skills with her academic interests.

“I’m working with a lot of industry historical and archival data and excited to contribute to research that has real-world implications, like financial reporting quality,” she says. “It’s one of the things that drew me to academia in the first place.”

Looking ahead, Palmerton is focused on completing her coursework and advancing her research experience. She views her journey from industry to academia as a natural progression, shaped by her a meaningful career path and mentorship of others.

Reflecting on her journey so far, she says that returning to WSU to pursue her PhD has been about finding a career that fits with her values and long-term vision.