Date: Feb. 9, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov HOUSTON — Special agents from IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Houston Field Office will soon serve as mentors for select University of Houston-Downtown students in a first-of-its-kind agreement between CI and a university. The program is for students in the Marilyn Davies College of Business who are 18 months or less from graduating and pursuing an accounting-focused degree. “Innovation and education are at the heart of progress, and this initiative underscores our belief in the transformative power of mentorship to shape careers and futures alike. This partnership exemplifies our dedication to investing in the next generation of leaders and strengthening the ties between our agency and the local community,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington, of the Houston Field Office. “CI special agents, who investigate a wide range of financial crimes, draw upon their own academic backgrounds in business, accounting, and finance to guide and inspire students as they prepare to embark on their professional journeys.” “As UHD expands its outreach into the community, we continue to create new partnerships with businesses and governmental agencies across the region. As an anchor institution for Houston, we are committed to supporting our city’s development and sustainability while ensuring the success of our graduates,” said UHD President Loren J. Blanchard. “Our new partnership with the IRS Criminal Investigation Houston Field Office is the first of its kind in the U.S. I am excited to watch the impact of this mentorship program on student success and career preparation.” While CI is currently hiring, the mentorship program is not just for those wanting a career in the agency. “Participating students can get answers to questions they have from the most common to most advanced on topics such as how someone got started in a field, how they chose their major, what they would do the same or differently if they had the option to do it again,” said Brett Hobby, director of the business college’s career center. “We have the systems in place and students who are hungry to connect with professionals in order to transition from being a student to a professional as quickly as possible.” To be eligible for the program, students should be 18 months or less from anticipated graduation and graduate with at least 15 hours of accounting and nine hours in other business/finance courses). Graduate students pursuing a Master of Professional Accountancy or Master of Business Administration degree are also eligible if the course work includes those hours. “Our special agents are among the best in the nation at investigating financial crimes and many in our field office have backgrounds that range from corporate accounting to other business units in the IRS and even other federal agencies,” said CI Supervisory Special Agent Brett Rovey. “Mentoring students is another way we proudly serve our community and nation.” Rovey led CI’s efforts to establish the program, a first within the agency. The application requirements partially reflect the academic rigor needed to be hired as a special agent in CI. Students must apply by Feb. 29, 2024, for the Spring 2024 semester. Applications are submitted via their GatorHiRED accounts. About CI’s Houston Field Office CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. The agency’s Houston Field Office stretches across Texas with nine offices between Houston and El Paso. About the University of Houston-Downtown Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas. U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. TheStockWatcher.com called UHD a “notable institution providing high-quality online MBA programs. … UHD ensures that its graduates are well-prepared to succeed in their chosen career paths.” The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.
