Sarah S. Kostelny

Sarah Kostelny is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in both academia and the professional services industry. She currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Accounting and the Assurance of Learning Coordinator for the School of Business & Entrepreneurship at North Central College, where she has been shaping the future of accounting education since joining the faculty in 2008.

Sarah’s academic focus centers on developing practical classroom applications and case studies that bridge the gap between theory and practice. She is also known for her pioneering work in digitally enabled teaching and learning, and for implementing community-engaged learning projects that foster academic growth and professional and ethical development. Her innovative approach to “flipping the classroom” has enhanced the learning experience for countless students.

Sarah’s excellence in teaching has been recognized with multiple awards, including:

• The Outstanding Senior Faculty Clarence F. Dissinger Award (2016)
• The Higher Education & Ministry Award for Exemplary Teaching (2017)
• Recognition for Outstanding Service to the College (2025)

In addition to her academic leadership, Sarah has a strong background in audit training. Since 2017, she has worked part-time at Sikich, where she currently serves as Senior Manager of Audit Training, leading strategic initiatives in audit education and development.

Prior to her roles at North Central College and Sikich, Sarah worked as a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City, specializing in real estate accounting. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance and a Master of Accounting Science (MAS). Sarah is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

A dedicated wife and mother of five, Sarah balances her professional accomplishments with a vibrant family life, making meaningful contributions to both the corporate and academic worlds.

Selected Scholarship

Kostelny, S. (In Press). Auditing Unrecorded Liabilities at Bella’s Golf Shop. In Sage Business Cases. Sage Publications, Inc., DOI forthcoming. 

Lureau (Kostelny), S. 2020. Auditing Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts at Cardinal Corporation. The North American Accounting Studies 3 (1): 21-40.

• https://neiudc.neiu.edu/naas/vol3/iss1/4/

Fraud Triangle. In P. Gupta, (Ed.), Sage Business Foundations: Accounting. SAGE Publications, Inc. doi:10.4135/9798348811693

• Sarah Kostelny provides an interview for the Field Report: Theory in Action

Positive Accounting Theory. In P. Gupta, (Ed.), Sage Business Foundations: Accounting. SAGE Publications, Inc. doi:10.4135/9798348811716 

• Sarah Kostelny provides an interview for the Field Report: Theory in Action

Gagné, M. L., McKinney(Kostelny), S., & Sue, D. L. (2006). Does it pay to be ethical? Review of Business Research, 6(1), 123–131.

Courses Taught

Auditing

Government & Not-for-Profit Accounting

Financial Accounting

Managerial Accounting

Accounting Information Systems