University Audit

About Us

Robert J. Taft CIA, CCSA, CBA
Robert J. Taft CIA, CCSA, CBA

Chief Audit Executive

Robert.Taft@ucf.edu

As Chief Audit Executive, Robert is responsible for providing oversight for the conduct and operations of all internal audit activities, coordinating external audits, and supporting the system of internal controls and risk management across the University. Robert has over 22 years of audit experience and lead the internal audit functions for two NYSE publicly traded organizations in the insurance industry. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in Accounting from the State University of New York at Albany. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Bank Auditor. He also has a Certification in Control Self-Assessment from the Institute of Internal Auditors. Robert started with University Audit in January 2014.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: The opportunity to learn something new every day, interacting with smart and interesting people, sharing information, and evaluating ideas to determine their potential impact on the university.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: Our goal is not to always add new controls and give our clients more work—we are delighted if we can remove or streamline controls and achieve the same or better results.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: Open Forum Day when I interviewed for the job. Had the sense the world of Higher Education would be an interesting adventure. I remember meeting the audit staff as a group and asking them more questions than they had time to ask me!
  • Life outside of work: Spending time with my wife, daughter, and two dogs, getting to know the Orlando area better, and catching up on reading and TV.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Depending on my mood it would be one of the following: 1) TV game show host, 2) US Supreme Court Justice, 3) Supermodel.
  • Best vacation I ever took: A trip to Cape Cod, MA, when I was about 9 years old. First time to the ocean and loved it (although the water was cool and filled with seaweed). Also got to watch a lot of Red Sox games on TV-38 in the pre-cable era and try lobster for the first time.
Tina M. Maier CPA, CFE, CIG
Tina M. Maier CPA, CFE, CIG

Associate Director

Tina.Maier@ucf.edu

Tina manages the investigations function and supervises investigations. She has over 30 years of experience performing investigations and identifying internal control and process improvements. She also serves as an advisor for the first ever Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) student chapter at UCF and started a student fraud investigator internship program in University Audit. Tina has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from UCF and a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration. Tina is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Inspector General. Prior to joining University Audit in January 1990, Tina worked three years for the Florida Auditor General.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Identifying opportunities for improving processess throughout the university community
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: Folks think we know everything about tax law and filing tax returns. When they hear the word "auditor" they think Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  • Most memorable UCF moment: There are so many! However, my favorite is being part of and seeing UCF grow to become the 2nd largest university in the nation. I'm a proud '86 alumna.
  • Life outside of work: I am a native Floridian - born and raised in Sanford, Florida. I've been married for 33 years and have three grown sons all who are attending UCF at the same time. I love spending time with family and friends, cooking out, and going to New Smyrna beach.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Working for Candid Camera as a prankster or developing ideas for pranks.
  • Best vacation I ever took: A family vacation to New York City during the winter break and New Year's Eve. Thank you, Dr. Hitt, for the time off!
Vallery B. Morton CPA
Vallery B. Morton CPA

Audit Manager

Vallery.Morton@ucf.edu

Vallery Morton performs operational and compliance audits and provides advisory services to departments. She has a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Saint Mary's College of California. She is a Certified Public Accountant and worked eight years as a senior auditor with a media/publishing corporation after beginning her professional career at a public accounting firm. Vallery started with University Audit November 1993.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Helping others. Every new project there is an opportunity to make someone's job a little easier and to show appreciation for what they do.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: The idea that we are "bean counters." What we really do is gather information and communicate solutions; we solve puzzles.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: My first Symphony Under the Stars.
  • Life outside of work: I have been married for 30+ years and have two adult children. I enjoy creating new recipes, making crafts, and participating in outdoor activities like hiking, tennis and swimming.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Outdoor muralist
  • Best vacation I ever took: Taking the kid's across town for a week of pure Orlando tourism – so much fun and the travel was a breeze.
Vicky A. Sharp CPA, CIA
Vicky A. Sharp CPA, CIA

Auditor III

Vicky.Sharp@ucf.edu

Vicky Sharp performs operational and compliance audits and provides advisory services to departments. She has a Master of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor. Prior to joining University Audit in June 2003, Vicky was a senior auditor with a public accounting firm, and has over three years in public accounting.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Every few months I work on a new project and I get to meet new people and learn new processes.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: People are often nervous when they hear “audit” because they think they might have done something wrong and they are going to be in trouble. We are here to make things better for the university by making processes more efficient or bringing a unit into compliance so they don’t get into trouble with outside agencies.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: The first football game in the on-campus Bright House stadium.
  • Life outside of work: : I have two sons, who keep me busy. I'm also very involved at church, and I love to cross stitch and watch UCF Football.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Party Planner
  • Best vacation I ever took: It's a tie between my honeymoon in St. Lucia and a weeklong trip to Italy with my mom.
Mary Dailey
Mary Dailey

Audit Investigator II

Mary.Dailey@ucf.edu

Mary Dailey performs investigations and fraud risk assessments. She identifies internal control and process improvements. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida. Her final semester at UCF, Mary participated in University Audit’s student fraud investigator internship program. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner. Mary started with University Audit in August 2019.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Every assignment is different. I am constantly learning new things and meeting new people.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: That auditors are an opponent. We are all on the same team working together so UCF can reach its greatest potential.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: As a UCF graduate, my most memorable UCF moment is catching a duck at Spirit Splash my freshman year!
  • Life outside of work: I am a huge Disney fan and an annual passholder, so I am frequently at the parks. I love to go on runs with my dog and then take a swim to cool off!
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: To work on a cruise ship as an entertainer and travel the world.
  • Best vacation I ever took: A cruise to Greece in the summer of 2014. Santorini is a beautiful island with incredible views. The architecture is so unique with the white buildings and blue roofs. The Red Beach was breathtaking.
Sandra Petrino
Sandra Petrino, MBA, CPA

Auditor II

Sandra.Petrino@ucf.edu

Sandra Petrino performs operational and compliance audits and provides advisory services to departments. She has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Dayton. Sandra is also a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Florida. She has three years of experience working with a public accounting firm, over three years of experience in internal audit with a NYSE publicly traded organization, and over three years of experience providing independent audit consulting and accounting services. Sandra joined University Audit in March 2020.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Learning about different areas of the organization, working on new projects, and collaborating with different leaders within the organization.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: That we aim to catch you doing something wrong. Our goal is to add value. We identify areas where efficiencies can be improved and make recommendations for improvements for the benefit of the unit, department, and organization.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: Meeting the audit team.
  • Life outside of work: I am a mom of two wonderful boys. I love spending time with friends and family, doing anything fun outdoors and around town, and dancing.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Ballroom dancer.
  • Best vacation I ever took: Camping at the beach with my family every year and going on an Alaskan cruise.
Chase Jicha
Chase Jicha, CFE

Investigations Manager

Chase.Jicha@ucf.edu

Chase is responsible for supervising and conducting investigations of allegations of wrongdoing and identifying recommendations for corrective action and process improvements. He has over 8 years of experience in performing both criminal and internal investigations. Chase has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Psychology from UCF. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. Prior to joining University Audit, Chase worked 3 years for BB&T Now Truist as a Corporate Investigator and over 5 years with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office as a sworn law enforcement officer specializing in the investigation of economic crimes. Chase started with University Audit in May 2020.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Having the ability to work with various departments and learn new processes.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: Audit’s purpose is to find fault within departments. We are here help implement efficient processes and to identify and minimize potential risks.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: Attending my first football game as a student
  • Life outside of work: I have two sons with my wife of over 7 years who keep us on our toes. I also enjoy working on vehicles and boating in my free time.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Classic car mechanic
  • Best vacation I ever took: Trips to Blue Ridge, GA. I love the feel of the small-town community with scenic mountain views.
Corey Fischer
Corey Fischer, CIA

IT Auditor I

Corey.Fischer@ucf.edu

Corey Fischer performs IT audits, special projects, and investigations. Corey has over five years of audit and compliance experience working in governmental and higher education industries. He has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Eastern Kentucky University. He is a Certified Internal Auditor. Corey started with University Audit in August 2020.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: The opportunity to participate on new projects that can make a positive impact on a process or control.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: People believe auditors are only concerned about numbers. The audit function focuses greatly on client interaction and being able to ask the right questions to gather information and understand processes.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: Touring the campus on my first day.
  • Life outside of work: I have a small petting zoo, consisting of 2 dogs and 2 cats, that keep me busy. I also enjoy getting outside to disc golf, hike, and ride roller coasters.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Theme park critic or a Formula One driver.
  • Best vacation I ever took: A long weekend trip to Baltimore to attend the annual Crab Festival and then hit some of the D.C. tourist spots.
Connor Gilchrist
Connor Gilchrist, CPA

Auditor II

Connor.Gilchrist@ucf.edu

Connor performs operational and compliance audits and provides advisory services to departments. He has a Master of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Central Florida, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from the University of Florida. Connor is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida. He has over 2 years of experience working with a public accounting firm. Connor joined University Audit in December 2020.

  • Favorite things about working in audit: Working with different people in different departments. Working with people has always been my favorite part of any job, and the new situations I face with audit always makes my job engaging.
  • Biggest misconception people have about audit and internal auditors: That we only show up when you do something wrong. Auditing and internal auditing are part of the normal course of business, and help prevent someone from making a mistake that could turn into a major problem. Auditors and clients are all on the same side to promote the best practices in any organization.
  • Most memorable UCF moment: Seeing my first UCF football game. The game was against USF at night, and it was an amazing game with the crowd going crazy every time we scored.
  • Life outside of work: I usually hang out with friends and family outside of work. I also enjoy watching football and playing with my Corgi, Biscuit.
  • If I wasn't an internal auditor, my dream job would be: If I wasn’t an internal auditor, my dream job would be: Psychologist
  • Best vacation I ever took: Going to Italy and trying Italian pizza, pasta, and gelato. I had gelato every night just because I had never had it before.