Biotech Conference Winners Announced

Business, law, science and medical students from top universities around the nation converged at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business on Feb. 24-25 for the 3rd Annual Biotechnology Conference and Case Competition.

This MBA case competition is unique because it unites students from a variety of educational backgrounds to collaborate and solve a strategic challenge. The had a to prepare a business plan for case sponsor LifeScan Inc. to enter a new market. The teams then made presentations to a panel of judges on Feb. 25

Winners were announced later that evening during an awards gala at Bridger Field House on the Wake Forest University campus.

University of California-Los Angeles won first place and a $10,000 prize. Students on the team included Alexy Aleshin, Terrence Allotta, Jeff Chang, Michael Y. Tsai and Baozhong (Jack) Zhu.

Second place and a $5,000 prize went to the University of Texas. Team members were Rohan John, Scott Marrett, Nick Meyerson and Jim Ryan.

Rutgers University placed third, receiving a $2,000 check, and was represented by students Brian Pan, Brandon Saks, Tarak Shah and Mark Slomiany.

LifeScan invested an additional $3,500 in surprise honorable mention awards worth $500 each.

Honorable mention recipients included:

• Wake Forest University Schools of Business: Best Conceptual Approach
• University of California-Berkeley: Best Emerging Marketing Analysis
• University of Chicago: Best Supporting Data
• Duke University: Best Tag Line
• Johns Hopkins University: Most Integrated Solution
• University of Michigan: Best Presentation
• University of California-San Diego: Most Patient-Centric

Sponsors commented about the value they received from the competition and noted that students delivered results comparable to the work of big consulting firms.

The Biotechnology Conference and Case Competition was organized by student co-chairs Justin Kistler (MBA ’12), Travis Riedel (MBA ’11, PhD ’12), Adam Vincent (MBA ’12) and Andrew Wilber (MBA ’12). The faculty advisor is Len Preslar, Distinguished Professor of Practice and Executive Director of Health Management Programs at Wake Forest University Schools of Business.

Preslar told the students, “You are wonderful and so bright, you are all going to be successful.”

“We want to thank LifeScan, the judges and all of sponsors for making the Biotechnology Conference and Case Competition so successful,” Kistler said. “We also want to recognize Wake Forest University Schools of Business Professor of Management Mike Lord for working with LifeScan to write this year’s case.”

Other conference events included student networking sessions and a keynote address by J. Donald deBethizy, the president and CEO of Targacept Inc.

The event was made possible by generous support from the following sponsors: LifeScan, Wake Forest Baptist Health, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Novant Health, Amgen, Banner Pharmacaps, Benefit Advocates, Cornerstone Healthcare, Merz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Sanofi, Targacept and Transtech Pharma.

LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company and a leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems in the U.S., is dedicated to creating a world without limits for people with diabetes.