Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A team of four Mississippi State graduate students is among the top winners of the 2016 Southeastern Conference MBA Case Competition.

Participants were called on to solve simulated, real-world problems that covered the spectrum of business disciplines.

Finishing in fourth place overall, the team included Brandon L. Balli of Carriere, Charles T. “Charlie” Dean of Iuka, Garrett C. Dismukes of Kilmichael and Carew S. Ferguson of Mandeville, Louisiana. Ferguson also received the first-place award in the Best Q&A category.

The competition is among several annual events organized by SECU, the Southeastern Conference’s academic initiative to showcase regional, national and international achievements of its students and faculty members. For more, see www.thesecu.com.

Enrolled in the College of Business’ nationally recognized MBA degree program, the MSU four were among team representatives from all 14 conference-member institutions. The universities of Alabama and Florida, and Texas A&M were other top competition winners.

“This case competition is very tough, but this was an exceptionally good MSU team,” said Dean Sharon Oswald, in expressing the college administration and faculty’s congratulations.

Oswald said the state’s oldest business education program also is “extremely proud” of Ferguson’s first-place category finish. “This shows how well he can think on his feet; the kind of skill that will make him a success in business,” she added.

In 2015, Dean, Dismukes and Ferguson all completed MSU undergraduate studies with high-honor degrees. Dean was a magna cum laude graduate in biological engineering; Dismukes, magna cum laude in forestry; and Ferguson, summa cum laude in both kinesiology and finance.

For complete information on MSU’s College of Business, visit www.business.msstate.edu; regarding its graduate programs, www.business.msstate.edu/curstu/grad/index.php.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.