Students at U.'s business school get firsthand industry experience through competition

SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah MBA students won top honors at recent business competitions.

MBA students Tyler Riggs and J.J. Oliver recently claimed top honors in the 10th Adobe Web Analytics Competition, winning a $15,000 first-place prize.

The team analyzed the online performance of DepartmentofGoods.com, a closeout outlet site owned by Backcountry.com, a Utah-based Web retailer of outdoor recreational gear, clothing and accessories. They focused on, among other things, how best to reduce the number of customers who make “shopping cart” product selections, but then abandon the transactions before completing purchases.    

University of Utah students claimed another first place finish in the Intermountain University Think Tank contest, sponsored by Intermountain Healthcare. The Utah student team of Andre Kemeny, MBA/Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) and Suzanne Sigmund, MPH/MHA each earned $4,000 in cash prizes and $5,000 more for the University’s general scholarship fund.

Business competitions such as those offered by Adobe and Intermountain are just a few of the opportunities David Eccles School of Business students engaging in to get invaluable industry experience.