Kent State's College of Business Administration MBA Students Compete at MBA Case Competition

KENT, Ohio - May 12, 2016 - PRLog -- Kent State University's College of Business Administration students Elizabeth Ruiz, Rouholla Shirzehhagh and Illian Jimenez Colbert represented the College's MBA program at the 12th annual Key Bank Minority MBA Case Competition March 4-6 in Cleveland, Ohio, hosted by KeyBank and Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

The three students are master's students studying business administration in the Department of Management Information Systems. Ruiz's undergraduate major concentration was in fashion design/merchandising, Shirzehhagh in finance and Colbert in marketing.

"The KeyBank Foundation Minority MBA Case Competition provided our students with the opportunity to sharpen essential skills such as communication, team-building, analysis and the ability to think and respond quickly," said Felecia Urbanek, graduate coordinator for the Graduate Programs Office at the College of Business Administration.

KeyBank Foundation supervised the selection of a contemporary and never-before-used case topic addressing business issues with varied implications at either a national or international level. Teams of three presenters were invited from universities and colleges across the country to compete. The teams had a chance to hone their communication skills while learning from the expertise of business executive judges and moderators.

"We are always pleased to see our students taking advantage of opportunities that offer such a rewarding experience," said Deborah F. Spake, dean of the College of Business Administration. "These competitions are a great way for students to go beyond the classroom and apply what they are learning to the real world, allowing them to gain experience that prepares them for their future careers."

First through fifth place winners received trophies and team awards ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Each team received individual participation certificates and a team photo plaque. Members of each team received a participation allowance ranging from $200 to $400.

Presenting teams selected for participation in this minority MBA student case competition were required to have one team member who represented ethnic diversity.

To see the full list of rankings and awards, visit http://fisher.osu.edu/offices/diversity-student-services/events/keybank-case-competition.

To learn more about the College of Business Administration's MBA program, visit http://business.kent.edu/degrees/masters-programs/ftmba.

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Kent State University's College of Business Administration is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) and one of the largest colleges of business in Ohio.  The college has more than 4,300 students representing 50 countries with over 89 full-time faculty from 16 countries.

The college grants undergraduate through graduate degrees, and is one of only three colleges in Ohio with a comprehensive Ph.D. program.  The MBA program is offered with nine concentrations and five dual degree options. The Executive MBA program offer two tracks: one targeting corporate professionals and the other healthcare executives.  The M.S. in Accounting and M.A. in Economics are specialized master's degrees for those seeking advanced study in these disciplines.  The college boasts nine undergraduate majors, 12 minors and a Professional Sales Certificate program.

The college is listed as a Best Business School by Princeton Review, ranked as a Best Business College by U.S. News and World Report, one of only 23 accounting programs worldwide to be endorsed by the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), ranked Top-Tier for Executive Education in North America by CEO Magazine and ranked fourth by the SEF (Sales Education Foundation) in Ohio for Professional Sales Education.

The college boasts an onsite Career Services Center and International Programs Office dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Media Contacts:
Michelle Manning, Director of Marketing Communications, mparris3@kent.edu, (330) 672-2717

Bri Figley, Marketing Communications Specialist, bfigley2@kent.edu, (330)672-1279