UNLV Business Students Win Accounting Competition

On June 17 two teams from the UNLV Lee Business School department of accounting competed in the final round of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) annual National Student Case Competition in Indianapolis, Indiana. UNLV competed against teams from Texas State and Wright State, with one of the two teams from UNLV ultimately winning the competition.

The Student Case Competition gives students an opportunity to analyze a relevant case study and develop a solution. Teams submit videos to present their case analysis and from there the finalists present to an audience at the IMA’s Annual Conference and Expo. This year 25 teams from universities across the nation participated in the initial round of the competition. The four finalist teams each received $3,000 and the winning team received an additional $2,000 grand prize. The two UNLV teams won a combined total of $8,000.

The students on the winning team included UNLV students Ashley Brinkmeyer, Savannah Schmidt, Esther Lee, Jesika Herrera, and Simon Zhu. The other finalist team from UNLV included Naomi Tekabe, Katrina Scheuermann, Jacob Lennard, and Charmaine Pancho.

Both teams were coached by accounting professor Danny Siciliano. Siciliano coached last year’s winners of the IMA Student Case Competition as well as a the team of accounting students who won the AICPA Accounting Competition presented by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 2014.

“Winning the IMA Case Competition for the second year in a row further solidifies the reputation of the department of accounting at UNLV as a highly competitive program that is preparing students to succeed outside of the classroom,” said Bob Cornell, department chair of the UNLV department of accounting. “I’m proud of our students and what both teams have accomplished this year.”

This year’s case focused on an organic clothing company for babies and children. The company received an offer from a large national retailer to sell the clothing line in its stores. For the competition students, acting as the management team of the organization, had to prepare a well thought out strategy that would influence the companies final decision regarding the offer.

Lee Business School is one of 180 business schools worldwide – which puts Lee in the top five percent – to hold dual accreditation for business and accounting by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier accrediting body for business education. The accounting program at Lee Business School is one of a few in the nation to be endorsed by the Institute of Internal Auditors; ranks #10 and #11 in the 2016 Public Accounting Report for its bachelor and master degrees, respectively, for schools with 15 or fewer faculty; and has been named the third best accounting program in the West by Founder Thoughts Tax School. The school matriculates approximately 150 bachelor and 55 master students annually with more than 95 percent placed within three months of graduation.