Marietta's Tau Pi Phi members participate in national case study competition

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (04/11/2023) — Three Marietta College students recently competed in the 2023 Tau Pi Phi business case competition in Pittsburgh.

In the two-day competition, Marietta faced Wittenberg University and the event's host, Juniata College.

"Though our team did not place, the competition provided a great learning experience and networking opportunity for all involved - faculty, mentors, judges, and especially students," said Dr. Greg Delemeester, Milton Friedman Chair in Economics and the faculty member accompanying the team to Pittsburgh.

Marietta's team consisted of Gabe Hehr '23 (Zanesville, Ohio), Nathan Ritchie '24 (Fleming, Ohio), and Artemii Stepanets '23 (St. Petersburg, Russia).

"The experience was very enjoyable. While we had limited knowledge going into it, we competed well, and I thought we took a lot away from the competition, including how to complete a case study," said Ritchie, who is majoring in Management. "The other schools' faculty and competitors were nice, and the city of Pittsburgh was beautiful and was a great time."

The first day's events consisted of a written analysis and oral presentation to a panel of judges on a Harvard Business School case involving strategic decisions facing an avocado supplier and its plans for market expansion. A case involving LIV Golf and its clash with the PGA was the subject of an oral presentation to another panel of judges on the second day of the competition.

"Although we did not have the results we were hoping for, we were able to get much out of our time in Pittsburgh," said Hehr, who is majoring in Finance. "Our teamwork with the three of us was healthy and a good environment to work in. Our networking opportunities were another positive as we were able to connect well with the other five teams that were present, which had similar interests as us. Even the people running the competition and faculty were amazing to talk to and network with as well. Overall, I believe getting back into the case competitions is crucial for the Tau Pi Phi's growth."

Professor Grace Johnson, the interim faculty advisor for Tau Pi Phi, expressed her appreciation to the three students who made up the Marietta College team.

"Gabe Hehr, Nathan Ritchie, and Artemii Stepanets are congratulated for accepting our invitation to participate in the case study competition. Their involvement with the event involved a great deal of courage, preparation, and hard work, and I am proud of how they represented themselves and Marietta College," she said. "Because of the pandemic, Marietta College did not have an opportunity to send a team to the competition since 2019. It felt like a 'return to normal' to be involved with the competition once more."

Tau Pi Phi is a national business honorary. Founded in 1931, Marietta's chapter was the third established in the nation. Students eligible for induction into the Gamma Chapter are majors in the Department of Business & Economics who have completed a minimum of 60 hours, achieved 15 hours of coursework in courses taught in the department with a 3.2 GPA, and earned a 3.2 overall GPA.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

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