UT Dallas members of the business-career student group Phi Beta Lambda gave the Jindal School new competition success to celebrate by earning several top honors at the organization’s recent National Leadership Conference in Chicago.
“This is a first for UTD JSOM — PBL has never won first place in a category at nationals,” said Dr. Michele Lockhart, a senior lecturer in organizations strategy and international management and the group’s advisor. “I am very proud of our students; they worked hard to earn these awards.”
Top finishers, the team of Phimlamphay Merry Dimanh and Bethany Salgado, earned first place and $1,000 in the event’s Social Media Challenge at the June 24-27 gathering. Dimanh, Salgado and a third team member who did not go to Chicago qualified for nationals by earlier winning first place at PBL’s Texas State Leadership Conference, held at the Jindal School in April.
A review of winners in Chicago shows the Jindal School competitors placed:
- First, with a $1,000 cash award, in the Social Media Challenge
- Second, with a $200 cash award, in Business Law
- Sixth in Job Interview
- Seventh in Impromptu Speaking, and
- Eighth in Marketing Analysis and Business Decision Making.
In all, 13 UT Dallas chapter members qualified to enter nationals, and nine qualifiers travelled to Chicago. Six of those scored in the top 10 in various categories. At both state and national levels, competition events testing students’ knowledge were open in a wide variety of business-relevant subject areas ranging from accounting analysis to website design.
A trio of JSOM students came home from the national conference with awards in two categories. Bethany Salgado, on the first-place social media team, turned in the sixth-place showing in the Job Interview event. Teammates Nousheen Karimi and Mounika Mutyala earned second place in Business Law and eighth place in Marketing Analysis and Business Decision Making.
“Results were excellent. My congratulations to all our students,” Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Jindal School dean and Caruth Chair of Management, said. “I already am looking forward to next year, when the Jindal School will once again host Phi Beta Lambda’s state leadership conference.”
Held annually, both the state and national conferences provide a resource for students not only to compete but also to gain leadership experience and participate in motivational general sessions, career-planning workshops and social networking activities.
“The opportunities to network are there,” Social Media Challenge winner Phimlamphay Merry Dimanh said about the conferences. “You simply have to take the initiative and extend your hand, introduce yourself, or start off with small talk during an elevator ride, workshop or meeting.”
The collegiate division of the Future Business Leaders of America, Phi Beta Lambda focuses on preparing students for careers in business and business-related fields. On the college level, more than 11,000 students nationwide participate in the organization.
| Event Name | JSOM Contestant | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Challenge | Team: Phimlamphay Merry Dimanh Bethany Salgado | 1st |
| Business Law | Team: Nousheen Karimi Mounika Mutyala | 2nd |
| Job Interview | Bethany Salgado | 6th |
| Impromptu Speaking | Sara Ho | 7th |
| Marketing Analysis and Decision Making | Team: Nousheen Karimi Mounika Mutyala | 8th |
