Fayetteville State University MBA Student Projects Support Local and Global Economic Transformation
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., (January 11, 2023) — Fayetteville State University (FSU) MBA students took on 25 different projects proposed by local businesses over the past semester, culminating in three top projects in the semi-annual MBA Project Showcase.
Assuming the role of business consultants, each team spent the last four months conducting research, interviewing industry experts, compiling and analyzing data, and formulating recommendations and solutions to share with their business clients.
“Each year our students bring valuable research and recommendations to their clients, and this year is no different,” said Ulysses Taylor, J.D., dean of FSU’s Broadwell College of Business and Economics (BCBE). “I am immensely proud of the work produced by these young people who are already making a difference in both the local and international economies.”
The X-Culture team earned first place under the supervision of Meysam Manesh, Ph.D., assistant professor of management in FSU’s Broadwell College of Business and Economics. The international team included Alicia Del Pardo (USA), Areeba Mohsen (Pakistan), Ewan Campbell (UK), Kelonda Mitchel (Grenada), Marie-Amélie Bricout (France), and Rahul Sengupta (India). They provided solutions to the Brazil-based company, Novabrink. Novabrink has manufactured toys for 70 years and was interested in expanding. The X-Culture team recommended leveraging existing relationships with technology and entertainment companies to develop environmentally conscious products for sale in the United States. The team identified potential promotion, distribution, pricing, regulatory, and logistical considerations to support Novabrink's expansion into United States. They won $2,000 for their first-place project.
The second-place winner worked under the supervision of Burcu Adivar, Ph.D., interim assocıate dean and assocıate professor of management in the Broadwell College of Management. The student team included Daniel Becker, Sameer Kapilesshwari, Joshi Manoj, Ahmed Salem and Thomas Wehrenberg. They worked with very large weigh-in-motion datasets to create a dashboard for various stakeholders.
The third-place project team comprising Amanda Blackwood, Jonathan Baird, Patricia Dudley and Winona Tosic also worked under Adivar’s supervision. The team examined the medical flight services operated by Duke Life Flight, a service of Duke Health. Students analyzed current business processes, collected and analyzed data, and created a discrete-event system simulation to minimize the total time from dispatch to hospital arrival. Project results attracted Duke Life Flight’s attention and will continue as a research project.
Each semester, business faculty, SBTDC, and local organizations team up to give BCBE students the opportunity to directly put their knowledge to use and gain practical experience while providing innovative solutions for the businesses. All the projects make a significant and positive impact on small businesses to grow or improve their productivity. Organizations that would like to collaborate with the Broadwell College of Business and Economics can complete the application form BCBE Project Showcase: Project Proposal Application for Industrial/Community Partner