Smith School Honors Student Leaders

The close of the spring semester at Smith is always filled with anticipation and excitement. Students are studying for finals, preparing oral presentations, attending awards ceremonies, looking for jobs, and counting the days until graduation. First-year MBAs are competing in the most anticipated event of the MBA program, the case competition.

Undergraduate Awards

Smith′s Third Annual Undergraduate Awards Banquet, May 1, recognized graduating seniors with exceptional performance in academics and extracurricular activities. Gregory Bayne (above), double-major in logistics, transportation, and supply chain management and decision information sciences, received the Dean′s Graduate of Distinction Award and the Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain Management Award. Bayne is a recipient of the prestigious Banneker-Key scholarship and has a 4.0 GPA.

"This year′s awards banquet was the best yet," said assistant dean for undergraduate studies, Patricia Cleveland. "It is a genuine pleasure to be able to honor our outstanding students, faculty, and corporate partners in one fine event - which not only brings us all together, but also spreads the word of the terrific accomplishments of these members of our Smith community."

The Smith School held its first awards ceremony for the undergraduate program students at the Shady Grove, Md., campus on April 27. Business majors also received awards at the University of Maryland′s 22nd Annual Awards Banquet.

MBA Case Competition

Undoubtedly the most anticipated event of the Smith MBA program, the case competition is the first comprehensive test of strategic thinking and analytical skills that first-year MBAs encounter.

At the start of the seven-day competition (May 2-8), 40 teams composed of five students each were challenged with presenting an external, unbiased analysis of the wine industry and strategic options over the next several years for the Robert Mondavi Corporation. The teams submitted their analyses and recommendations in written and oral presentations. Four teams advanced to the final round, which was judged by a panel of senior executives who played the role of the company′s board of directors.

The winning team, I3 (Intelligence, Inspiration, Innovation), recommended divesting the Woodbridge brand and concentrating on the high-end market. Team members James Chang, Geoffrey Pickett, Jeff Spampinato, Ritvik Purohit, and Satish Pillalamarri received $500 each and the opportunity to compete in a new global business plan competition next year in Arizona.

"We knew before we ever started the competition that we really wanted to win," said Chang. "I had the privilege to work with four of the hardest working, smartest, and most dependable guys on the planet who just happen to be four of my closest friends. Winning has not really sunk in yet. I′m sure the reality of it all will hit us shortly and when it does I know that it will be a memory that will have us smiling for a very long time."