A team of students from the University of Southern Indiana placed second in the national Student Case Competition sponsored by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). This is the 12th year for USI’s Romain College of Business to qualify for the national finals. Team members were Alicia Frederick '20, finance; Caua Ferreira '19, finance; Ryan Loehrlein '19 M'21; and Andrew McGuire '17 M'19. Faculty sponsors were Jeanette Maier-Lytle, instructor in accounting, and Dr. Brett Bueltel, assistant professor of accounting. The IMA conference, held in San Diego, California, June 15-19, provides students with the opportunity to network with business colleagues and remain current with the latest professional standards and trends.
L to r: Jeanette Maier-Lytle, Alicia Frederick, Ryan Loehrlein, Andrew McGuire, Caua Ferreira, and Brett Bueltel. Photo: Brett Bueltel.
“USI’s team provided an innovative solution to a complex situation,” said Dr. Brian McGuire, interim dean of the Romain College of Business. “The team offered many advanced techniques in their recommendations to the case, and we are proud of their excellent work in both their solution and their presentation. The students were excellent representatives of USI and the Romain College of Business.”
“I attribute USI’s continued success to the students’ willingness to contribute countless hours to unique and creative solutions for the business case study problem,” said Jeanette Maier-Lytle. “I also believe USI’s 12-year qualification in the final four of the competition exemplifies the excellence of the accounting, finance and CIS undergraduate and MBA graduate programs.”
Accounting teams from universities throughout the country entered the competition. To qualify for the finals, teams prepared 15-minute video presentations and submitted them for blind judging. Four teams were chosen to make live presentations in the final round at IMA’s 2019 Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, California. The other three teams included University of Nevada, Las Vegas; California State University – Bakersfield; and Texas State University. Judges included representatives from industry and academia across the country. Finalists received a $3,000 award.
“It was neat to see our students develop over the course of the competition," noted Brett Bueltel. "The experiences they gained in the competition will benefit them as they transition into the job market. I am so proud of the way they represented USI and the Romain College of Business on a national stage.”
The Student Case Competition is sponsored annually by IMA to promote sound financial/accounting analysis and presentation skills. IMA is an organization for management accounting and finance professionals with more than 75,000 members worldwide.
USI's accounting program holds supplemental accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), reserved for the top accounting programs in the country. The program focuses on real-world accounting problems and case studies, applying technical and theoretical knowledge in practical settings.
Published June 18, 2019