University of Akron Takes 1st Place AGAIN in 2014 APICS Student Case Competition
Akron Team Heading to New Orleans for International Competition
Coraopolis, PA. February 22, 2014: The University of Akron took 1st place in the APICS Mid-Atlantic District Student Case Study Competition. The students from Akron won the Grand Prize, $5500 towards travel expenses to compete at the International Case Study Competition at APICS 2014 in New Orleans, LA. Students take advantage of this opportunity to hone their analytical, public speaking, team dynamics and leadership skills during this annual event!
The winning team members are undergraduate students Courtney Ou, Christopher Cesta, Patti Bailey Roach, Annie Nelson, Nicholas Waggoner and graduate student Mark (Xiao) Sun. Professor Jeong Hoon Choi served as the team’s student advisor. Chris Cesta and Courtney Ou were on last year’s team. Courtney Ou said, “It was such a great experience! It has really been a wonderful opportunity.”
There were total of 12 schools represented, 11 undergraduate schools and one graduate school all competing against each other. Students prepared a written report and presented their recommendations for the Whirlpool Case. The teams arrived in Pittsburg on Friday and worked through the night in order to be ready the following day. John Sulka, Director of Membership for Akron APICS said, “The one thing that I think definitely differentiated Akron from all the other schools was that their solution to the case study took a data driven approach to justify their finding.”
After fierce competition, three teams were selected as final awardees. The second place award was given to the Penn State University Team, and the third place award was given to the Cleveland State University Team. Bob Wynes, Director of Student Affairs for Akron APICS said, “I left Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon inspired by Akron’s talent.”
The other participating schools are (in alphabetical order):
- Ashland University;
- Bowling Green State University;
- Cleveland State University;
- Duquesne University (Graduate and Undergraduate teams);
- Penn State University;
- Robert Morris University;
- University of Akron;
- University of Delaware;
- University of Pittsburgh;
- University of Toledo; and
- York College of PA.
APICS is the leading professional association for supply chain and operations management and the premier provider of research, education and certification programs that elevate end-to-end supply chain excellence, innovation and resilience. APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) designations set the industry standard. With over 37,000 members and more than 250 international partners, APICS is transforming the way people do business, drive growth and reach global customers.
2014 Team, from left to right: Mark (Xiao) Sun, Christopher Cesta, Annie Nelson, Dr. Jeong Hoon Choi (Faculty Advisor), Courtney Ou, Patti Bailey Roach, and Nicholas Waggoner
University of Akron Takes 1st Place in 2013 APICS Student Case Competition
Congratulations to APICS Student Members from the University of Akron for winning 1st place in the APICS Student Case Competition in February. The team, Trevor Biddle, Christopher Cesta, Christopher Stonecipher, Courtney Ou, and Michael Nalepka are student members of the APICS Akron Chapter. APICS Academic Member, Professor Jeong Hoon Choi , was the team's adviser. The Student Case Competition was sponsored by the APICS Mid-Atlantic District. The competition was held in conjunction with the district meeting in Harrisburg, PA. The University of Akron team competed against 11 schools with top supply chain programs and came out on top with the first place analysis and presentation.
The APICS Akron Chapter has made a big push over the last year to partner with the University of Akron. Professor Steve Ash, Management Department Chair said, “I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the recent competition, and extremely proud of our students. I feel that this result speaks very highly of our program. I am especially grateful of the support and encouragement from APICS. The students had a wonderful experience and were treated well.”
Courtney Ou, President of Student Supply Chain Association and 2012 recipient of the Thomas J. Kelty Memorial APICS Scholarship Award worked hard at promoting the competition and recruiting the top students for the team. Courtney said, “It was a great opportunity for the team to see how we stacked up against the competing schools. It was a great feeling to know that our faculty at the University of Akron has taught us such great concepts, problem solving methods, and real world applications that enabled us to obtain 1st place. The competition was a wonderful learning experience and a memory that I will always cherish! I'm honored to know that I am working with the best.” Team Member Christopher Cesta said, “This competition was such an amazing experience with some of the brightest students In the CBA. I am already entertaining the possibility of going back next year.”
2013 Team, from left to right: Michael Nalepka, Trevor Biddle, Courtney Ou, Christopher Cesta, Christopher Stonecipher