Four University of Illinois Springfield Master of Business Administration (MBA) students earned second place out of 16 teams in the Florida Southern College MBA Strategic Case Competition on Nov. 13, 2026. The team received a $600 cash prize.

The UIS team, known as Team Nectar, consisted of Dolapo Adunola, Rachael Baliira, Amber Carriker and Sarah Akhtar. Sudeep Sharma, interim associate dean of the UIS College of Business and Management and MBA program director, served as the team’s coach and mentor.

The competition challenged students to develop a solution to a real-world business problem presented by Treatt, a global ingredient manufacturer specializing in natural extracts and ingredients used in food, beverages and consumer products. Senior executives from the company evaluated the teams’ proposed solutions.

The UIS team competed against students from 13 other institutions, including Auburn University, Rutgers University, Mississippi State University, the University of Alabama, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of San Diego and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The team brought together students enrolled in both on-campus and online MBA courses at UIS. After receiving the case on Oct. 5, the students met weekly to conduct research, analyze the business problem and develop their proposed solution. They submitted a recorded presentation on Nov. 6 and participated in a live question-and-answer session with judges on Nov. 13 before the winners were announced.

The annual competition, held virtually, provides MBA students with an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world business challenges while strengthening their research, analytical, strategic thinking and presentation skills.

The AACSB-accredited UIS MBA program goes beyond the classroom to prepare tomorrow’s business leaders. Through experiential learning, real-world business challenges and opportunities to compete nationally, students develop the strategic thinking, leadership and problem-solving skills needed to excel in today’s competitive business environment.