Krannert Hosts Management Solutions Challenge for Purdue Undergraduates

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Student participants in the 2019 Management Solutions Challenge

On November 9th, the Krannert School of Management welcomed 52 undergraduate students from the College of Liberal Arts, Polytechnic, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Exploratory Studies to the second annual Management Solutions Challenge. Student teams converged on Krannert Saturday morning, where they were tasked with analyzing a real-world business problem and presenting recommendations to a panel of faculty judges. This year’s challenge asked teams to delve into issues of social cause marketing, supply chain ethics, and globalization. With participants from majors as wide-ranging as Kinesiology, Political Science, and Public Health, student teams were able to draw on diverse educational backgrounds in their approach to these complex topics.

Krannert awarded $1000 to the first place team, consisting of Ore Otegbade (Sociology), Rachel Smith (Selling and Sales Management), Katherine Jacobson (Communication), and Electra Szmukler (Industrial Design). The second and third place teams received $500 and $200, respectively, and three participants chosen as outstanding presenters were awarded $75 each. In addition, a number of $5000 Krannert scholarships have been set aside for MSC finalists who later matriculate to Krannert for a graduate degree.

Dr. Amy David, Academic Director of the MS in Global Supply Chain Management, gave her view on seeking out future leaders from across campus. “The most interesting problems in contemporary management can best be solved by bringing together a broad range of perspectives. A graduate management education can provide students with career opportunities that let them apply critical thinking and communication skills taught in every major at Purdue.” See Dr. David introduce the Management Solutions Challenge to participants at https://youtu.be/st0q1yiesCE.

For more information on the Management Solutions Challenge or on non-business pathways to Krannert, contact the Krannert MBA and MS Programs Office at (765) 494-0773 or krannertmasters@purdue.edu.