On Feb. 8, 2008, Smith students gathered at both Van Munching Hall and the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center for the MBA Consulting Forum. This is the ninth consecutive year that the MBA Consulting Association Executive Board has partnered with faculty, staff and student volunteers to host this daylong interactive event for students, alumni and industry professionals. Students in attendance had the opportunity to interact with consulting professionals from varied backgrounds, levels, firms, and industries both collectively and individually throughout the day.

Every year the MBA Entrepreneurship Club hosts a local round of the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), whose winner then moves on to a regional competition. This year the local round took place on Feb. 8, 2008 and featured three local startups that are currently in the process of looking for funding—Prepchamps, Inspire and mpowerplayers.

Undoubtedly the one of the most anticipated events of the Smith MBA program, the annual MBA Case Competition puts strategic thinking and analytical skills of full-time second-year MBA students to the test. The six-day competition started on Friday, Jan. 25 when 20 teams of students received a case about Teva Pharmaceuticals. Students went through three rounds of competition and the final four teams competed for a grand prize of $1,000 per person.

College Park, Md. - January 28, 2008 - The MBA program at the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business is ranked No. 18 in the United States in the Financial Times MBA 2008 rankings, published today. The school ranked No. 6 among business schools globally in the Best in IT category and No. 7 in the Best in eBusiness category, both of which are based upon alumni recommendations.

An enthusiastic crowd gathered in Comcast Center on Dec. 20, 2007, to cheer on a brand-new crop of proud Smith School alumni. Allan Edelson 81, director of Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage, Inc., joined in the congratulations and gave his fellow alumni advice on selecting a career and specific steps they could take to be successful in their first job.

On Friday, Nov. 30, a group of first- and second-year Smith MBA students traveled to the headquarters of the investment firm Calvert in Bethesda, Md., to learn about the Calvert Fund, a socially responsible mutual fund. This field trip dubbed The Calvert Trek was organized by the Smith Net Impact Club, whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by building a community of leaders who use business to improve the world.

On Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, the Smith School hosted its Sixth Annual Kaleidoscope: Women & Diversity at Smith event. Kaleidoscope provided a unique opportunity to expose prospective members of underrepresented groups to the rich diversity of the Smith MBA community and culture, and experience at large. The event was co-hosted by the school's Black MBA Association, the Hispanic MBA Association, the Smith Association of Women MBAs, and the Smith Pride Alliance.

A group of first- and second-year Smith MBA students traveled to the New York City area on the Finance Associations annual Wall Street Trek, Nov. 8-9, 2007. The trip is designed to allow Smith Students interested in pursuing careers in capital markets to attend discussion and informational sessions with Wall Street professionals. The goal is to expose the students to a variety of jobs inside the industry and give them the opportunity to network with Smith alumni who are currently employed in capital markets.

A group of first- and second-year Smith MBA students traveled to the New York City area on the Finance Associations annual Wall Street Trek, Nov. 8-9, 2007. The trip is designed to allow Smith Students interested in pursuing careers in capital markets to attend discussion and informational sessions with Wall Street professionals. The goal is to expose the students to a variety of jobs inside the industry and give them the opportunity to network with Smith alumni who are currently employed in capital markets.

A three-person team from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has captured the title and a $3,000 prize at the sixth annual MBA Stock Pitch Competition that took place at the Parker Center for Investment Research at the Johnson School at Cornell University on November 2, 2007.