FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: Clark McCann (206) 543-1806
cnmccann@u.washington.edu

DATE: February 23, 2006

A four-person undergraduate team from the UW Business School won the case competition in February at the Emerging Leaders Conference at the University of Texas in Austin. This was the second year for this prestigious conference, hosted last year by the University of Minnesota, which draws business honors students from the top 25 undergraduate programs in the nation. The conference develops leadership skills and promotes discussion of current business topics. In the case competition, teams were asked to propose strategies for increasing the numbers of diverse, college-eligible students within the community. The UW Business School team prevailed over finalist teams from the University of Florida, University of Arizona, and New York University. Team member Mary Westlund said "I think our plan's focus on business and economic development within the minority community and economically depressed areas really set us apart from the competition. Even more gratifying than the victory, UT Austin is reviewing our recommendations and may implement the plan on their campus."