Overview
Chris Cavanaugh is the Director of Internal Audit Services at WSU, providing internal audit services to the university president, vice presidents, deans, directors, department chairs, and others. He has worked in this position since 1991 under six presidents, including our current president, Dr. Rick Muma.
According to Cavanaugh, internal auditing involves both assurance and advisory components. Is information reliable, are processes working effectively, and are compliance requirements satisfied? If not, how can we work together to improve internal control?
Cavanaugh holds bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from Pittsburg State University, and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
His extensive knowledge and experience in risk assessment and control processes led him to establish the WSU Internal Control All-Star digital credential to create awareness about the critical importance of establishing an ethical culture and effective systems of internal control.
Before joining WSU, Cavanaugh worked eight years as an internal auditor for the Farm Credit Bank of Wichita, where he advanced to Associate Vice President for Internal Audit. He also has public accounting experience and taught managerial accounting at Pittsburg State and Wichita State.
Outside WSU, Cavanaugh serves on the Campus Credit Union board of directors as its treasurer and as a member of its Executive Committee. He previously chaired the credit union's Supervisory Committee.
Chris Cavanaugh grew up in the west Wichita suburb of Goddard, where he listened to Shockers football and basketball games on the radio and went to games with his dad or friends whenever he could.
After college, he returned to Goddard with his wife, Mary Kay, and raised four children there. The couple enjoy long walks with their dog Bailey on the "rails to trails" path near their home, and Chris is a regular at the weekly Exploration Place Parkrun 5K.