The 2023 Pitt Business Analytics Case Competition was held on Friday, April 7, 2023 at DICK’S Sporting Goods headquarters in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania with teams of undergraduate business students from across the U.S.
The Pitt Business team finished in second place, taking home the $2,000 runner-up prize. Texas Christian University finished in first place and the University of Southern California finished third. Other teams in the top eight represented Bucknell University, Boston University, Indiana University, Iowa State University, and Oklahoma State University. The competition started with 21 teams from 14 schools. Each team submitted a preliminary case, but only the top eight competed in Pittsburgh.
The case competition is offered in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration and DICK’S Sporting Goods. The national data-driven strategy challenge requires undergraduate students to use their analytical techniques to solve pressing retail issues and provide creative recommendations to a panel of experts from DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Students on the Pitt Business team included:
- Shreya Thennanchar Rajaram
- Ryan Tinkelman
- Jodi Trang Tran
- Bradley Wiggins
Interim Associate Dean Lawrence Feick said he was “excited, but not surprised” that the Pitt Business team finished in the top three.
“I was convinced our team would do a great job in the elite eight against really good teams from across the country,” he said. “We’re proud of their work and how well they represented the University.”
Pitt Business is proud to collaborate with DICK’S Sporting Goods on this annual event. Tommy Scales, DICK’S Sporting Goods campus recruiter, credits the Pitt Business Career Development team as a driving force behind this annual event. “I really appreciate their expertise in helping students develop their skills to help them reach their dream careers. I look forward to a bigger and better event every year!”
The Power of Analytics
In response to the importance of data and analytics in business decision-making, a new Business Analytics major was launched in Fall 2023. In 2022, three foundational courses on data analytics started to be required for every Pitt Business undergraduate student. Situated very early in the curriculum, these courses will allow upper-level courses to build more specialized analytics skills tailored to the major.
The existing Certificate Program in Business Analytics is another option for students to diagnose problems and envision solutions from an evidence-based perspective. For more information, contact: admissions@business.pitt.edu.
