UNews - Monica Gorham

Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Case Competition now accepting student registrations

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 15:59:53 +0000

Student participants are now being sought for the inaugural Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Case Competition, a unique new venture presented collaboratively by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College.

A student-directed initiative, the competition is designed for students to expand their knowledge in the areas of agriculture and business on a global scale, all the while introducing students to key players in the agribusiness sector. The competition is scheduled to run Nov. 6-8, 2015.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for students to gain practical experience in finding ways to improve agriculture practices by implementing modern business theories in an agricultural setting,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge management student Monica Gorham, one of the event organizers. “It’s also a huge networking event, a chance for students to get to know future employers and for event sponsors to meet potential employees.”

Bringing students from both of the area’s post-secondary institutions together for the competition is a natural fit and speaks to the manner in which the schools’ programs complement each other.

The inaugural event will primarily include undergraduate students from the U of L and Lethbridge College. Teams of three to four students will be presented with a written business problem and given four hours to analyze and solve. Teams then present their findings to a panel of judges, often made up of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, industry sponsors and the community at large.

The competition is open to all students at either the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge or Lethbridge College and students can register as an individual. It is not necessary to have a background in agriculture or business but they are considered strengths.

For more information on the Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Case Competition, and to register, visit uleth.ca/management/agribusinesscase. The registration deadline is Oct. 16, 2015.

Industry sponsors for the event include Cor Van Raay, MNP, Scotiabank, MacLachlan McNab Hembroff, Viterra, Cargill, Dow AgroSciences, Lethbridge Exhibition Park, FarmLink Marketing Solutions, Lethbridge County, Economic Development Lethbridge and UFA.

Any further sponsors looking to get involved in the competition are urged to contact Gorham at 403-382-8101 or agribusinesscase@uleth.ca.

Business of agriculture to be the focus of Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Case Competition

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 16:23:56 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College are collaborating on a new venture that will present a challenge to students and begin to lay the foundation for the future of agribusiness in southern Alberta. The Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Case Competition, scheduled for Nov. 6-8, 2015, is the first of its kind in western Canada.

Bringing students from both of the area’s post-secondary institutions together for the competition is a natural fit and speaks to the manner in which the schools’ programs complement each other.

“Southern Alberta is an ideal location for this competition,” says Dr. Danny LeRoy, agricultural economist and coordinator of the agricultural studies program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “Agribusiness is of local and global importance, encompassing a wide range of activities that are ultimately aimed at meeting the needs for food, feed, fibre and fuel. From farm gate to consumer, entrepreneurs are continuously responding to an ever-changing, consumer-driven marketplace.”

Bringing students from both of the area’s post-secondary institutions together for the competition is a natural fit and speaks to the manner in which the schools’ programs complement each other.

“Lethbridge College is delighted to partner with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in this first annual competition, made possible through the generous support of Cor Van Raay,” says Chair, School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Lethbridge College, Dr. Edith Olson. “This competition will allow students to apply theory to find practical solutions to real-world business problems, and will provide students with the skills employers are looking for. The competition is an example of the strong interrelationship between programs at Lethbridge College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.”

Business case competitions have been commonplace for years but only recently has an agricultural component been incorporated.

Gorham, who is in her fourth year of studies and set to graduate in December, is a veteran of case competitions. She was part of a four-person team that included fellow organizer Phyllis MacCallum that claimed first place at the 3rd Annual International Agribusiness Case Competition at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph in 2014. That led to a trip to South Africa for a world competition and thoughts of bringing an agribusiness case competition out west.

“When we were in South Africa, the Cor Van Raay gift to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Lethbridge College was announced and we thought that maybe we now had a way to try and start something here,” says Gorham.

The inaugural event is scheduled for Nov. 6-8, 2015 and will primarily include undergraduate students from the U of L and Lethbridge College. Teams of four to five persons will be presented with a written business problem and given four hours to analyze and solve. Teams then present their findings to a panel of judges, often made up of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, industry sponsors and the community at large.

“It really gives students the opportunity to apply theoretical material they learn in class to practical uses in areas of agriculture, natural resources and general business,” says Gorham.

The competition is open to all students and they can register as a group or individually. At least one agriculture student per team is required and Gorham advises a business student be included as well. Registration details will be announced in the fall.

“It’s amazing that through my experience in the competitions, how many doors have opened for me,” she adds. “Not being from an agriculture background, I’d always thought of agriculture as the family farm and it’s definitely opened my eyes.”

The cases for the competition will be mined from an online bank of business cases and tailored to include an agriculture element. Examples could include a scenario where a middle-sized corporation is looking to expand its operation, or the father of a family farm is retiring and has to design a succession plan for his business.

Industry sponsors for the event include Cor Van Raay, MNP, Scotiabank, MacLachlan McNab Hembroff, Viterra, Cargill and UFA.

Collaborative effort leads to win in Agribusiness Case Competition

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:51:03 +0000

An interdisciplinary group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students showcased their problem solving and presentation skills recently, earning first place at the 3rd Annual International Agribusiness Case Competition held at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph.

The team of (L toR) Rebecca Joseph, Phyllis MacCallum, Lara de Moissac and Monica Gorham now sets its sights on Cape Town, South Africa in June.

Monica Gorham (Management, Calgary, Alta.), Rebecca Joseph (Agriculture Studies, Lamont, Alta.), Phyllis MacCallum (Agriculture Studies, Vankleek Hill, Ont.) and Lara de Moissac (Agriculture Studies, Edmonton, Alta.) were presented with a case study that proposed using insects as a fourth protein source for both human consumption and livestock feed given the global issues of population increase combined with declining water and land resources.

“These competitions give students the opportunity to apply their skills to real-world problems facing the agribusiness industry, which spans agricultural input industries to food retailing,” says Dr. Danny Le Roy, coordinator of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Agriculture Studies program and Chair of the Department of Economics. “The competition involves analyzing and presenting a case study which incorporates the complexities of food systems, corporate responsibility and sustainable solutions relevant in the global agribusiness environment. In addition to the competition itself, it is also a great networking opportunity for students and faculty members who have an interest in the business of food."

Students were given five hours to deliberate on and then solve the case for presentation to a panel of judges. They were tasked with analyzing the presented problem and implementing a sustainable plan for the future. Their 15 to 18 minute presentation to judges also included fielding questions from the panel.

The top teams from the preliminary round were then given further information on the case, asked to adjust their proposals and then present for 22-25 minutes to a new set of judges.

“To finish first overall was amazing and it’s given us the opportunity to now travel to Cape Town, South Africa (June 16-19, 2014) for another case competition sponsored by the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association,” says Gorham. “Not only did this case improve my academic knowledge but it has opened up doors for the future.”

It was the first time a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge team had taken an interdisciplinary approach to the competition, sending students from both the Faculties of Management and Arts & Science.

“This competition really showed that when two Faculties at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge work together, not only does this provide a great opportunity for students, it benchmarks success that can be duplicated in many collaborative areas in the future,” says Dan Kazakoff, director of Theory Into Practice Programs and the Chair of the Small Business Institute Advisory Council in the Faculty of Management. “These students were amazing.”

Dow Agrosciences Canada Inc. provided funding support for the team and its journey to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph.

UNews - Monica Gorham

Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Case Competition now accepting student registrations

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