In January, Delta Sigma Pi participated in a CBA-wide case study sponsored by Target. Four-person student teams apply knowledge, teamwork, and presentation skills to solve a business case for the Target Corporation titled "Reducing Storage in Electronics and Entertainment." Rhea Ranavat, Stephen Reed, Yanqi Weng and Derek Wigmore represented Delta Sigma Pi. Teams complete 15-20 minute presentation with Q & A to panel(s) of Target Representatives, CBA/Katz faculty and staff. While the team was not one of the five final teams chosen to advance to the next round, they had a lot of fun learning about Target and gained valuable presentation and business writing skills.
Leading the discussions were Dr. Josephine Olson, director of International Business at University of Pittsburgh and faculty initiate; Annie Nagay, campus recruiter for the Peace Corps, and Brice Lynn, a representative from International Studies Abroad (ISA). Jo began the discussion by sharing her background and where her international business interested sparked. Jo has taught in Brazil, Peru, and Czech Republic where she served as the dean for Czech Management School. Jo stressed the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone to fully emerge yourself in the language and culture of a foreign country. Jo also discussed her involvement in developing the recently announced International Internship Program available to CBA students with locations in San Paulo, Prague, and Beijing.
Next, Annie shared her experience with the Peace Corps. Annie discussed her experiences, the purpose of the Peace Corps and the growing business opportunities within. Finally, Brice described his international experience in Grenada, Spain. He informed students of the 25 cities around the world where ISA, one of the most cost inclusive study abroad programs available, offers business specific programs and classes. There were Hors d'oeuvre and beverages served at the networking session after the event were made possible by a grant from the International Business Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
Delta Sigma Pi is currently participating in the second annual Berg Cup case study competition sponsored by the Phi Beta Lambda Chapter of the University Of Pittsburgh's. Our team consisting of Hennah Iqbal, Corinne Kelly, Shannon McCall and Rhea Ranavat was the winning team from Pitt's preliminary round held in February and they will now advance to compete against other regional colleges. The final round is held during the weekend of March 26-28 in Pittsburgh. Teams will be given a case created by the Berg Center for Leadership and Ethics in coordination with Pitt Business students and will focus on topics including international business, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility.