Business Showcase to highlight Behrend student projects

A portrait of Penn State Behrend student Simon Nero

Simon Nero, a senior at Penn State Behrend, will discuss his work with the college's CFA Institute Research Challenge Team during the inaugural Business Showcase on April 26.

Credit: Contributed photo

ERIE, Pa. — The Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend will feature more than a dozen student projects, as well as student-led research and case studies, at the inaugural Business Showcase on Monday, April 26. The program, which begins at 1 p.m., will be hosted on Zoom, with two program tracks; links are available here.

“The presentations will include examples of Behrend’s Open Lab learning, where students and faculty advisers partner with businesses, industry and community organizations to develop solutions to various challenges,” said Greg Filbeck, director of the Black School of Business. “The students gain hands-on experience, and the partner organizations benefit from the energy and perspective our students bring to the work.”

Student projects in the showcase will include:

  • A collaboration with Kent International, which has developed a motorized pushcart for golfers.
  • A student-run social-media marketing campaign for Erie Center for Arts and Technology.
  • A website and online presence for the Anchor School, a proposed charter school in Atlanta, designed by students in the marketing and management information systems programs.

Other sessions will highlight student opportunities through the CFA Institute Research Challenge, a worldwide market-valuation competition, and hands-on learning with the college’s Bloomberg Terminals, including certification through the Bloomberg Market Concepts program.

Members of the Intrieri Family Student-Managed Fund will discuss their investments, which use real money. Other students will outline their work in financial literacy — a Black School outreach program that is being used at 400 high schools in eight states.

Research presentations will explore the economic crisis in Venezuela and an analysis of automation in the fast-fashion supply chain.

The Black School of Business offers nine four-year bachelor’s degrees and four master’s programs, including in-person and online MBA degrees. It is the only business school in the Erie region with accreditation by AACSB International, the premier accrediting agency for management education, and is listed among America’s Best Business Schools and the Best 300 Business Schools. To learn more, visit the Black School of Business online.

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