Kelly Ulto ’88

Kelly Ulto’s career is a rich blend of industry and academia. She served as a staff and senior audit manager at KPMG LLP and as an instructor who ran training courses for the firm’s workforce across the country. A certified public accountant, Ulto is deeply immersed in her field, contributing to the development of the CPA Exam, as an instructor for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and as a collaborator with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), among other engagements.

At the Gabelli School, Ulto has been a dedicated member of the faculty as a clinical professor for more than two decades, and she is also the director of the MS in Accounting and MS in Taxation programs.

While she always planned to become an accountant, Ulto’s entry into higher education was serendipitous. “I went to an alumni event and someone said, ‘We’re looking for an instructor who can teach advanced accounting. Would you want to do it at night as an adjunct?’” she reflected. So, she returned to the Gabelli School of Business, where she had earned her undergraduate degree in accounting years before.

Ulto, who also holds an MBA from Iona University, has been bringing her vast industry knowledge and expertise into the classroom where she guides students in preparing for the rigors of the CPA exam. “It’s hard, and my students may complain about me sometimes,” she jested. “But most of the time, they email me after the exam and they are extremely happy!” Ulto says her career feels most fulfilling when she hears from students after they graduate and learns about their successes.

Assurance and Audit, Ethics and Accounting, and Advanced Audit are among the classes Ulto teaches. AIS Consulting is another that she co-instructs with an IT professor and professionals from EY who act as “the client.” The course involves research, problem-solving, group projects, and final presentations at EY offices. “Students often come back and say, ‘I can’t tell you how many times I think about what we did in that class,’” Ulto said. “It’s great exposure for students to get that holistic viewpoint on the future job they might have. And that’s what I hope to bring to the table as a practitioner.”

Until 2022, Ulto wrote and taught KPMG’s new-hire training programs and she continues to remain connected to the firm, writing case studies and other materials. She is also part of the AICPA’s Academic Champion Program.

At the Gabelli School, Ulto serves as the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee and as co-director of the Center for Professional Accounting Practices. She also supports students as the faculty advisor of Beta Alpha Psi, the international honor society for students and professionals in accounting and related fields. Ulto values the loyalty of Fordham alumni and notes how they step up with support so willingly whenever she reaches out for guest speakers and student mentors.

She has received many awards and recognitions for her contributions, including the Gabelli School’s Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and Dean’s Award for Teaching Innovation, and Fordham University’s Magis Award and Bene Merenti Award for 20 years of service.

In her free time, Ulto ’88 enjoys visiting her beach house on the Jersey Shore with her husband Gerard ’88, ’19 MS and their children, Cristina ’17, ’18 MS and Nicholas ’21.