A team of four students in the Real Estate Organization placed second in the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Texas Undergraduate Case Study Competition in Dallas. The competition pits major universities against one another in a battle of retail development knowledge that determines which undergraduate program produces students most ready to excel in the retail real estate industry.

Members of the team were finance majors: Alex Priest, Dillon Donald, Tina Welch, and Zach Scott, accompanied by faculty sponsor, Professor Jared Harrell. The team also worked with an industry sponsor, Jace Hinderland (Vice President of Capital Markets - Retail Investment Sales, of Jones Lang LaSalle), who provided students with guidance and advice during the competition.

Faced with a challenging prompt, the students had to overcome various obstacles and answer several key questions asked by industry experts. After finishing second, each team member shared a prize of $4,000. Other benefits of the competition included hands-on learning opportunities of real-world situations, enhanced networking opportunities with industry professionals, and direct access to companies recruiting finance/real estate majors.

This supports the efforts outlined in the Rawls College of Business Strategic Plan. Learn more about the LEADER 2020 Strategic Plan and follow our progress on Twitter at #RawlsLeads.