Isenberg Ethics Competition Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary This Fall

Isenberg teams posted strong results in national and international ethics competitions last spring as the Management Department prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Isenberg Ethics Competition on Nov. 8, 2025.

The internal competition gives students in three divisions—undergraduate open, undergraduate competitive, and graduate competitive—a case one week in advance. Teams deliver a 25-minute presentation analyzing ethical implications and recommending solutions that are ethical, financially viable, and legally compliant, followed by judges’ questions and feedback. Winners of the undergraduate competitive division are invited to join the Isenberg Ethics Team and may compete externally. Graduate competitive winners are automatically considered for the International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition (IBESCC) and the International Business Ethics Case Competition (IBECC).

• Students interested in participating can register here by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

Isenberg teams have historically appeared at the Eller College of Management Collegiate Ethics Case Competition (October), the Ethics Bowl (December), the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition, the Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition (February), as well as at IBESCC and IBECC.

In February 2025, an Isenberg team placed second in its bracket at the Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition, held Feb. 20–22 at Stetson University in Florida. Sixteen invited undergraduate teams analyzed a contemporary business issue at the intersection of financial, legal and ethical considerations under the theme, “DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) at Daytona: Stay on Track, Accelerate Forward, or Race Away?” Sophia Roselli and Jack MacKinnon competed for the team, supported by observers Vanshika Modi and Andrew Tollman.

In April 2025, Isenberg’s undergraduate IBECC team placed second in its division for the 25-minute presentation, first for the 10-minute ethics conversation, and first for the 90-second ethics elevator pitch, according to Jennifer Merton, associate chair, law lecturer coordinator, and Senior Lecturer II in the Management Department.

“Anna Tonelli and Jack MacKinnon, along with Melissa Adams, Aidan Chan and Mihir Gogri did a tremendous amount of work to prepare for this competition, and their performance reflected their excellent efforts,” she said, noting that the team examined how Tyson Foods could ethically navigate avian influenza (bird flu).

In addition to extensive online and journal research, the students met with Dr. Wilmore Webley, professor of microbiology and senior vice provost of equity and inclusion at UMass Amherst, in their efforts to better understand the challenges posed by the epidemic. 

The undergraduate IBESCC team—led by Vanshika Modi with Andrew Tollman, Chi Nguyen, Jolie Duong and Minnie Phan—competed online under primary advisor Brian Shea and focused on bird flu at Cal-Maine. The team earned second place in its division for the 25-minute presentation, Merton said.

Isenberg also fielded an MBA team at IBECC and IBESCC. Supriya Sharma, Can (Alyssa) Li, Amlan Sengupta, and Maleeha Joohi presented on environmental and industry challenges in lithium-ion battery disposal. They took first in their division for the 25-minute presentation and second for the 10-minute presentation at IBECC, mirroring results earlier in the week at IBESCC, according to Merton.

“I could not be prouder of our students,” she said. “Their hard work and thoughtful analysis enabled them to develop outstanding presentations. It is wonderful to receive recognition and win awards when we compete. However, the true measure of our success is in fostering ethical leaders who contribute to our community here at Isenberg and go on to serve as stewards of their organizations and communities in their professional lives.

“Thank you to everyone at the Isenberg School of Management for supporting ethics across our curriculum,” added Merton. “I appreciate the opportunity to mentor students as they travel on their ethical journey.”

Strategy and Consulting Competitions

Separately, the Fourth Annual Isenberg Strategy Summit on April 26, 2025, featured the Capsim Strategy Simulation Competition, hosted by the Management Department with the support of volunteers from the Isenberg Management Association, and the Isenberg Consulting Academy Case Competition, led by faculty members Matthew Langenkampand Nora Junaid. Capsim introduces students to a computer simulation used in the senior strategy capstone, while the Consulting Academy event showcases student analyses before a panel of consultants from firms including Bain, EY, BCG and McKinsey. In the Capsim Competition, first place went to Cristy Lin, Evelyn Lu, and XiaoYan Huang; and second place went to Samyak Choudary and Sarosh Kotwal. Top honors in the Isenberg Consulting Academy Case Competition were awarded to Tuan Nguyen, Shanna Lacey, Ashley Kim, Khoa (Tony) Nguyen, and Ngo To Nhu Ngo.