Flagler SAM team wins seventh national title

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From Staff

The Flagler College chapter of the Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) set new records this week when it won its seventh Management Case Competition national title — more than any other college or university — at the SAM Student International Business Conference in Las Vegas.

No other SAM teams have won more than three of these awards. Flagler’s SAM chapter also landed several other honors, including its sixth Campus Chapter Performance Program national title, which recognizes the best SAM chapter in the country.

“The students just did an outstanding and professional job,” said Louis Preysz, advisor to Flagler’s SAM team and professor of business administration. “It’s reflective of the quality of this institution. Flagler College swept every award we qualified for, within our categories. This has never been done before.”

Flagler’s SAM team competed against undergraduate student chapters from 44 colleges and universities at the annual International Business Conference, “Global Challenges & Governance,” held March 25-28. The Flagler chapter beat out students from Ohio Northern University, Villanova University, Wright State University, Texas A&M University and others.

This year’s case company was Church & Dwight, maker of consumer products such as Nair, Brillo, Arm & Hammer and Pepsodent. Members of Flagler’s SAM Management Case team included Maria DiPietro, Trista Straits, Ryan Alfred and Sam Osborne.

Other Flagler accomplishments at this year’s competition included:

– National Outstanding SAM Student award to DiPietro
– Three Regional Outstanding SAM Student awards to DiPietro, Straits and Cassandra Sterba
– Outstanding Faculty Advisor and election to SAM International Board of Directors and Vice President to Preysz

SAM is a non-profit organization founded in 1912 by colleagues and disciples of Frederick Taylor, an engineer often called the “Father of Scientific Management.” The organization brings together academics, practitioners and students to increase management skills and improve knowledge, performance and leadership ability.