Exceeding Expectations: Valpo Students Place Third in Midwest Collegiate Supply Chain Competition

Valparaiso University’s College of Business is known for its continuing legacy of academic excellence and dedication to providing students with a comprehensive education that places them on the ground running after graduation. The supply chain management major gives students the opportunity to partake in one of the fastest growing job markets in the nation and learn from top educators in the field. One opportunity they were provided was to participate in an intercollegiate competition that measures the knowledge and skills of tomorrow’s professionals.

“Each team was provided with a case study centering on modern supply chain challenges,” Ata Karbasi, assistant professor of information and decision science says. “Students were tasked with analyzing the case and developing a 20-minute presentation detailing their resolution strategies, which they then presented to a panel of five industry judges.”

Students were afforded a real-world experience as they worked together as a team to find viable solutions for the case they were assigned. The experience provided them with a deeper understanding of industry norms, while broadening their perspectives about the supply chain field. Professor Karbasi served as a supervisor, guiding his students throughout the process and providing a critical review when needed.

“Professor Karbasi was a great help for us, he was very supportive in any way that he could,” Drew Wilson ’28 says. “He could not help us regarding the solution to the case but he really helped us regarding the presentation. We presented in front of him twice and he gave us a lot of constructive criticism regarding the presentation. I will always remember how supportive he was for the team.”

According to Professor Karbasi, there were approximately ten universities participating in the competition, and the Valpo team’s presentation earned them third place. The competition also provided students with a chance to network with other supply chain professionals and meet like-minded individuals that could benefit them in the long run. The nature of the competition allowed participants to defend their findings and advocate for their teams by building critical thinking and problem-solving skills that ultimately are the foundational blocks for any future career path.

“I loved the ability to present to judges from different parts of the supply chain industry and receive feedback from those people,” Drew says. “Also, the ability to solve a real-world issue was really nice. It was satisfying to go through the process of finding the issue then solving it. Finally, just the experience itself, I am a sucker for competition so this was just another way to be competitive with other people.”

Brett Little ’26 , Luke Patterson ’24, Drew Wilson ’28 and Hannah Williamson ’23 were the four students on the Valpo team this year, and the work that they presented was seen as exceptional by the standards of the judges.

“The Valparaiso University team did a great job in demonstrating innovative solutions backed by strong analytical skills, utilizing data, graphs, and in-depth analysis,” Professor Karbasi says. “According to the judges, our students showcased superior analytical and presentation skills in comparison to other teams.”

Valpo’s College of Business knows what it means to produce tomorrow’s servant-leaders and our educators are invested in their success from day one. Competitions like this are perfect examples of what our professors believe our students are capable of achieving and when they exceed expectations, both parties celebrate in their success. 

“The most memorable moment was the announcement that Valparaiso University had secured a winning position,” Professor Karbasi said. “Additionally, observing the team’s exceptional case presentation, which I believe was executed with fantastic skill and professionalism, was a highlight for me.”