Lesia Ervin, a Certified Internal Auditor, has been the Director of Internal Audit at Mississippi State University since May 2011. Her audit experience spans over two decades, including prior roles at Arthur Andersen LLP and the University of Houston’s Internal Audit. She holds a master's and a bachelor's degree in accounting from MSU.
In her role, Lesia oversees operational, compliance, and departmental audits, investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse, and the management of the university's hotline. She is responsible for leading the annual risk assessment and developing the internal audit plan, which is approved by MSU’s President and the Board of Trustees. Since 2016, she has managed a co-sourcing agreement with an external firm for IT audits and initiated a program to involve university students in lower-risk audits, providing practical experience while allowing staff to focus on more complex audits.
Beyond the department's primary duties, Lesia and the IA staff offer training to administrators on internal controls and fraud red flags and provide university-wide training to business personnel on internal controls and the audit process. These efforts reflect the department's commitment to enhancing transparency and accountability across the university.