NEWS OF NOTE

Chapman graduate team ably represents Florida International University at intercollegiate competition.

Five students from three Chapman Graduate School of Business programs recently participated in the third annual Intercollegiate Case Competition hosted by the University of South Florida in Tampa. The Chapman team represented the International MBA, Evening MBA, and Master of International Business programs and competed against Florida Atlantic University, University of South Florida, and Florida State University.

The four competing teams had a mere 24 hours to read, research, and use the tools from their graduate experiences and varied professional backgrounds to develop strategic recommendations for the "case corporation"-Outback Steak House, Inc. (OSI), whose identity was not revealed until the case was distributed at the beginning of the competition.

Teams presented their conclusions to a panel of judges that included Paul Avery, OSI founder and president, and five others representing a variety of industries. After each presentation, the judges probed each team's conclusions and recommendations, testing the participants' ability to defend their positions and think on their feet. The team from Florida Atlantic University was declared the 2005 winner.

College faculty members Andrew McCosh (Finance), Sumit Kundu (Management and International Business), Bill Welch (Finance), and consultant Patrice Bailey generously volunteered coaching services, and program managers Joanne Edwards, Paola Moreno, and Anaa Pietraszek participated in the selection and sponsorship of the Chapman School's team.