K-State Team Wins IFAMA World Student Case Study Championship
K-State's Graduate Students of Agricultural Economics (GSAE) Case Study Team of John Green, Lauren Benavidez, and Megan Hill recently competed in the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) Student Case Competition. The team was awarded 1st Place in the Graduate Division out of a field of 26 teams from around the world.
“It was a very fulfilling experience having real-life company issues to solve strategically with the knowledge acquired from our master's program studies," Benavidez said. "The group dynamic was great as everyone came up with ideas from our diverse backgrounds and that made the contest also an enjoyable experience."
IFAMA conducts the competition at its annual conference, but due to COVID, the 2021 contest was conducted virtually. During the competition, teams review a selected company and provide recommendations to a panel of senior management judges.
"The IFAMA Student Case Study Competition was held virtually this year and consisted of two rounds. In the preliminary round, we had 24 hours to read and analyze a case study over the company Perfect Day and write a five-page report giving our recommendations to the company," Hill said. "In the final round, we had four hours to read part two of the case study and create a presentation with our recommended solutions. Immediately after the four hours ended, we gave our presentation to the judges over Zoom. This was a challenging experience because of the time constraints, but it gave us the opportunity to use the skills we learned in the classroom and apply them to real issues that companies face."
The team wins a cash award; opportunities for internships and interviews with the sponsoring companies; an opportunity to serve on a sustainability council for Perfect Day--the company featured in the case study; and complimentary conference attendance for the IFAMA in-person conference in Costa Rica in 2022.
"John, Lauren, and Megan worked hard and were determined to successfully represent KSU in this international competition," Dr. Aleksan Shanoyan, Associate Professor and the team's faculty advisor, said. "Taking 1st place in this global competition indicates the quality of our graduate students and the world-class agribusiness education they receive in the Department of Agricultural Economics at KSU. This continues the tradition of our students placing top in national and international competitions."
