UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Five teams of MBA students from programs across the United States will compete Dec. 3-4 for $17,500 in prize money in the second Penn State Smeal College of Business MBA Sustainability Case Competition.
Five finalists from Dartmouth, Duke, Texas Christian, Texas at Dallas, and Penn State Smeal were chosen as finalists from a pool of 28 teams from 19 different universities. They will compete for top prizes of $10,000 (first place), $5,000 (second), and $2,500 (third).
During the competition, each team will be allotted 30 minutes for its presentation on the case, which focuses on corporate environmental affairs at IBM. Another 15 minutes will be devoted to questions and answers with the panel of judges that includes senior executives from IBM, PepsiCo and SKF.
The preliminary-round entries from the 28 teams — PowerPoint slides and an executive summary — were stripped of identifying features and judged by a panel of five Smeal faculty led by Gerald Susman, Klein Professor Emeritus of Management at Smeal.
“Smeal is in its seventh year of embracing sustainability as part of our culture,” said Susman, who wrote the case for the competition. “The MBA Sustainability Case Competition is one of its recent teaching initiatives that underscores our commitment.”
IBM, SKF, Alcoa, International Paper, PepsiCo, and Verizon are sponsors of the Second Smeal MBA Sustainability Case Competition.
About sustainability at SmealThe Smeal College of Business is committed to sustainability in education, research, and practice. In 2013, the college's Sustainability Strategic Plan was developed by a college task force and authorized by the dean. Sustainability is infused into courses across the Smeal curriculum, including a two-piece sequence for undergraduates and a concentration in the Penn State Smeal MBA Program. The college also supports faculty research efforts related to business and sustainability, promotes outreach efforts through educational units and research centers, and leads by example in promoting sustainable behavior among current faculty, staff, and students. For more information on sustainability efforts at Smeal, visit www.smeal.psu.edu/sustainability.