Our students have access to experiential learning opportunities that encompass classroom instruction and participation in local, regional, and national external competitions—giving them real-world opportunities to compete with their peers and showcase their difference-making education.
FMA International Student Leaders’ Conference Marks a Big Win for Duquesne’s Finance Students
School of Business finance students attended the Financial Management Association (FMA) International Student Leaders’ Conference in New York City on February 29 and March 1, 2024. Duquesne’s student team competed against approximately 300 students in a case competition analyzing Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
The team, comprised of undergraduate students Matthew Fediaczko, Cary VanNewkirk, Ashley Kennedy, Marin Laffey, Bennett Thrash, and Nicholas Kopy, delivered an exceptional written report, presentation, and Q&A session. Their efforts impressed the expert panel of judges, earning them first place—an achievement that marked the first win for a team from the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business. Congratulations to our exceptional finance students and their professor, Dr. Ryan Garvey.
Header Image Left to right: Ryan Garvey, Matthew Fediaczko, Cary VanNewkirk, Ashley Kennedy, Marin Laffey, Bennett Thrash, and Nicholas Kopy
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External-Facing Competitions Roundup
Accounting Student Successes Underscore School’s Leadership in Accounting Education
School of Business accounting students excelled in the Annual IIA/PICPA Case Competition, securing 1st, 3rd, and 4th place among 15 teams from five universities. The event, held on November 9, 2023 at BNY Mellon Pittsburgh, challenged participants to address issues of internal controls and potential fraud in a private car rental company. The first-place team, including undergraduate students Sami Dragar, Jonathon Rambo, Madison Milone, Caroline Padgett, Carli Stone, and Isabella Niccolai, won a $2,000 prize. Image Left to Right: Val Williams, Professor, Sami Dragar, Jonathon Rambo, Madison Milone, Caroline Padgett, Carli Stone and Isabella Niccolai
Internal Auditing Course Case Competition
In another nod to the School’s accounting program, student teams from Professor Valerie William’s Internal Auditing course competed in a case competition sponsored by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Josh Obrin, Daulton Roth, and Roman Lisicky won first place for their presentation on environmental, sustainable, and governance (ESG) reporting and received $1,500. They earned their BSBAs in May 2024 and will begin the MAcc program this fall. Matt Leininger, Evan Babcock, and Austin Fritch presented on data analytics, winning third place and a $500 prize. Three universities from western Pennsylvania competed, evaluated by judges from IIA, ACFE, Schneider Downs, Crown Castle, Highmark Health, and Gleeson. Image Left to Right: Josh Obrin, Daulton Roth, and Roman Lisicky
Duquesne Students Take 2nd and 3rd Place at the Supply Chain Management Poster Competition
In March 2024, three teams of Duquesne Supply Chain Management students competed in the final round of the annual Supply Chain Management Symposium poster competition. Sponsored by the Traffic Club of Pittsburgh and hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Supply Chain Management, students presented their posters in person to event attendees and competition judges. We are excited to share that Duquesne supply chain students Jackie Burich, Emma Pfeiffer, Jeremy Rawicz, and Ellen Shanahan won the second prize, $200, with their poster titled “The Last Flexible Mile (Utilizing gig economy workers as a resource to ship freight).”Third place ended in a tie between two teams of Duquesne supply chain students: Stew Adams, Ray Alzahrani, Josh Gerber, and Maria Walletz with their poster titled “The Future of Au tonomous Vehicles in Supply Chain Management, and Kevin Carr, Dominic Esposito, Jack Forsythe, and Brianna Pierce with their poster titled “Learnings from COVID-19 Production and Distribution.” Image Left to Right: Maria Walletz, Brianna Pierce, Jackie, Burich, Emma Pfeiffer (Front Row), Jeremy Rawicz, Dr. Ryan Atkins, Jack Forsythe (Back Row)
MS-AIM Student James Cole Lands in First-Place at this year’s Super Analytics Challenge
The 2024 Super Analytics Challenge, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, West Virginia University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Penn State University, is an annual platform where graduate students from various disciplines use data analytics to tackle pressing regional issues. This year’s challenge was to develop solutions for the workforce shortage in southwestern Pennsylvania’s advanced manufacturing industry. The competition was marked by a unique collaboration between students from Duquesne, Pitt, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, and West Virginia University. Each team, under the expert guidance of an Executive Coach, navigated through three challenging phases of the competition. The first-place team included James Cole, a student in the School’s MS in Analytics and Information Management (MS-AIM) program. Team members will receive fellowship funding to implement their solutions through the Katz Bridge Program, sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Jacqueline Gerber, Associate Professor of Information Systems and Technology, served as one of the team judges. Dr. Karen Donovan, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Executive Education, served on the advisory committee and as a Phase 2 judge. Justin Mallgrave, VP Global IT at Xylem Water Solutions and a School Executive-in-Residence served as an Executive Coach. Image Left to Right: Kee Won Song, Anirudh Narayanan, James Cole, and Shiv Waleacha
2nd Annual Supply Chain Management Case Competition Held at Rockwell Hall
The Center for Supply Chain Management, in partnership with Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Pittsburgh Forum, hosted its second annual Supply Chain Management Case Competition on November 11, 2023. Eleven teams of 42 students from seven colleges and universities competed for $5,000 in case awards. The student teams had three hours to prepare for their six-minute presentations. The case challenge was to investigate an expansion quest for TESLA. The third annual SCM Case Competition is scheduled for November 16, 2024. Image: SCM students, faculty, and industry experts pose outside of Rockwell Hall.