A group of Slippery Rock University marketing students are making their case that they are among the best in the nation. As one of 10 finalists in the American Marketing Association’s Collegiate Case Competition, a team from SRU will present business cases and compete against nine other schools at the AMA International Collegiate Conference, April 5, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The competition brings together top marketing students to work on a business challenge presented by co-sponsors, Adobe and Deloitte Digital, who provide a real-world business challenge for the students to develop a marketing strategy.
SRU’s team includes:
- James McGrody, a senior marketing major from North Huntingdon (Norwin HS).
- Katelyn Peterson, a senior marketing major from New Castle (Shenango HS).
- Melina Putt, a graduate student majoring in business administration from Elizabethtown (Lower Dauphin HS), who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in December 2024.
- Payton Tallat, a senior marketing major from Bethel Park (Bethel Park HS).
“This is an exciting opportunity and we’re proud to represent the University,” Peterson said. “We have a great team and we’re grateful to advance and have this experience. We’ll benefit from this because it will look good on our résumés, but it’s also a great networking opportunity.”
SRU advanced to the finals after their case submission was selected by a panel of AMA judges that included college faculty in the region and marketing professional volunteers. Through a blind process, the SRU team was chosen based on their situation analysis, market research, tactics and other presentations materials.
“This is an extraordinary achievement for our students, especially considering the prestigious institutions we competed against,” said Jeananne Nicholls, SRU professor of business, and co-adviser for the AMA Collegiate Chapter at SRU. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our marketing students and business and marketing faculty. Several years ago, our marketing faculty revamped the curriculum, ensuring students are better prepared for the Marketing Seminar class and their marketing careers, which contributed to this year’s success. Their hard work and expertise have positioned them among the best marketing students and marketing programs in the nation.”
The SRU team was formed from a class project in the 400-level Marketing Seminar class last fall, where students apply marketing concepts, conduct in-depth primary and secondary research, and develop data-driven marketing recommendations to the case sponsor.
“I’ve learned a lot at SRU the last four years,” Peterson said. “It’s been a very personal experience, because all the professors know who you are, and they work closely with you.”
In the final round, the SRU team will deliver their presentation in person to another panel of judges. The winning team will receive $2,000 for their school’s AMA Collegiate Chapter, while second and third place finishers will earn $1,000 and $500, respectively.
The other finalists are:
- British Columbia Institute of Technology
- Capilano University
- Indiana University, Bloomington
- Montana State University, Bozeman
- North Central College
- Temple University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
More information about the AMA Collegiate Case Competition is available on the AMA website. More information about the marketing programs at SRU is available on the Finance, Accounting, Marketing and Economics Department’s webpage.
UPDATE FROM APRIL 7, 2025: The SRU team placed third and received $500 for their AMA Collegiate Chapter.
