At the end of March, members of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), an international honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students, converged in Wichita, KS for the Missouri Valley Regional Best Practices Competition.  Missouri State students placed first in all three categories of the competition:

• Roots: Team created LEAN: Learning Ethical Actions Now program
  • Members: Jordan Reynolds, Sydney Hill, Cristin McCoy, and Alex Hockman
• Branches: Team created a recruiting video, performed a SWOT analysis, and worked with other student organizations to spread awareness of Beta Alpha Psi
  • Members: Camille Wilmes, Luke Harris, Deston Lindsay, and Dayton Kingore
• Shade: Team created technology workshop for senior citizens
  • Members: Xingjie (Jay) Wang, Jackson Frazier, Peiyu (Katrina) Tang, Benjamin Dobson, Dantian (Alina) Liu, Fangzhou (Frederic) Liu, and Sean Lee

All three teams were supported by MSU Beta Alpha Psi President, Blake Bowale, Vice President Brody Olson, and experienced competitor Zachary Herbert. As the top team in each category, these MSU students will travel to Chicago, IL in August, where they will compete during the National Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting.

“The caliber of the Theta Pi’s Best Practice teams is unlike any other. I had the pleasure of watching these students present at the competition, and all three teams were the clear winners in each category. The Theta Pi chapter has an unmatched history in this competition in the Missouri Valley Region, but these three teams are the strongest the chapter has ever produced. All of the students and the faculty advisors, Dr. Carl Keller & Dr. George Schmelzle, should be very proud of how these projects make contributions to their chapter, the community, and Missouri State University. They will be one of the most competitive chapters at the annual meeting in August!,” states Elizabeth Reger, a Theta Pi chapter alumna, Missouri State University’s Graduate Program Coordinator, and the Beta Alpha Psi Missouri Valley Region Alumni Representative for 2019.

“Our Beta Alpha Psi chapter has a tradition of excellence. This year’s results from the regional BAP meeting continue that tradition. To win a first place in Best Practices is outstanding; to win all three is phenomenal. ” states Dr. John Williams, Director of the School of Accountancy. “The School of Accountancy, College of Business, and Missouri State University are proud of the students and faculty advisors. We always say that our students can compete with anyone. These results confirm again that they not only can compete; they compete to win“.

Benjamin Dobson, one of the participants on the Shade team had this to say: “Beta Alpha Psi’s regional meeting was a great experience for me in developing as a professional. Networking and meeting with other students from difference universities was awesome for my fellow classmates and I. On top of that, the Best Practices competition was beneficial in progressing my public speaking and presentation skills which I can then apply to my future career. I am very glad I decided to attend this conference, as I came away with many great relationships and experiences.

To become a member of Beta Alpha Psi, students must attend an AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited program, be among the top 35% of their university class or have a 3.0 cumulative GPA.