2025 Educator of the Year Award: Dr. Rasha Kassem, CFE

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) recognizes exceptional individuals every year for their contributions to the fight against fraud and provide inspiration to other professionals within their field. Established in 2002, the Educator of the Year Award is presented to an ACFE member who has made outstanding contributions to anti-fraud education within their college or university.  

Dr. Rasha Kassem, CFE, a senior lecturer at Aston University in the United Kingdom, is the recipient of the 2025 Educator of the Year Award. She is an internationally oriented academic with more than 16 years of experience in higher education, with expertise and research interests in forensic accounting, fraud, financial crimes, corporate governance, business ethics and auditing. She teaches at the executive, postgraduate and undergraduate levels, conducting impactful research and collaborating with policymakers, law enforcement and practitioners to exchange knowledge and drive meaningful change. Her work addresses current business challenges and informs public policy and organizational practices. 

Dr. Kassem’s cross-sector collaboration and leadership has been instrumental in raising the standard of anti-fraud training. For the last three years, she has been working closely with law enforcement, policymakers and Cifas to develop online fraud courses that enhance the skills of fraud investigators, anti-fraud professionals and law enforcement in countering fraud.  

Dr. Kassem is a member of the ACFE Fraud Advisory Council, consultant at Cifas and a member of the Cross-Sector Fraud Advisory board at the Cabinet Office. Along with her certifications, she is a published author with several publications in fraud, auditing and corporate governance, as well as reviewing several manuscripts for a wide range of international peer-reviewed journals.  

Her work reflects a deep commitment to advancing anti-fraud education in a way that embodies the ACFE’s mission to reduce fraud worldwide. Congratulations to Dr. Rasha Kassem on receiving the 2025 Educator of the Year Award!