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Student Research Showcase

 

MCOBA Student Research Showcase

April 24, 2026
The Inaugural MCOBA Student Research Showcase

$10,000+ in research awards for students
$1,500 for the best Undergraduate Student Research Project
$1,500 for the best Graduate Student Research Project
....and more categories!

The Purpose -

  1. To highlight and celebrate the research – academic and practitioner research – that our business students are creating, both in courses and in other curricular endeavors.
  2. To inspire other students to engage in more business research.
  3. To inspire MCOBA faculty, business and industry partners to continue to collaborate on research, both in their courses and in other curricular endeavors.

The Timeline - 

  • March 1, 2026 - The application portal opens. Check back here for more instructions. You should expect to include a 500-1000 description of the project, including a discussion of the reason for the research and its significance.
    • You will need a faculty mentor. This can be a co-author or just a reference.
    • You will also need to include a resume and LinkedIn link. 
       
  • March 31, 2026, by 11:59pm - The application portal closes. No submissions will be accepted after this time.
     
  • Monday, April 13 (or earlier) - Semifinalists announced. All semifinalists will need to prepare a poster presentation of their research - here's what that entails for you. Faculty & staff will work with you this week; we may also have help from Advance and other research programs on campus.
     
  • Monday, April 20 - Semifinalists put their research project posters on display in Moody Hall. The posters will be on display throughout the week - and they will be judged to determine the finalists.
  • Tuesday & Wednesday, April 21 & 22 - Judging of research project posters by the MCOBA Faculty Research Committee.
    • Students will be invited to be present during select hours (such as 11am-1pm) to discuss their projects with judges, faculty, other students and other curious spectators.
  • Wednesday, April 22, by 6pm - Finalists announced.
     
  • Friday, April 24 - MCOBA Student Research Showcase Final Presentations - In person, oral presentations of 8-12 minutes each.
    • 11:30 - Check in and opening
    • 11:45 - Lunch and keynote address
    • 12:15 - Presentations begin
    • 1:45 - Awards ceremony

Application information - 


We are still working on the application details (as of February 4). Here's what we know or expect:

  • Application portal opens March 1, 2026. It will be a Microsft Forms form.
  • Application portal closes March 31, 2026, at 11:59pm.
     
  • Name, program/major/minor, class
  • Faculty advisor or reference (just a name, nothing more)
  • Resume or CV and LinkedIn link (we will prepare a resume book for industry partners and recruiters)
  • Title of project
  • Type of project: qualitative, quantitative, case study
  • Type of project: Individual vs. Group
  • 500-1,000 word abstract or description of the project
     
  • Faculty judges will review all applications, score and rank them, and then narrow down all submissions to a group of Semifinalists. The number will depend on the applications and the judges, but could be 20-30.
  • All of the application is imporant - but the judges will spend the most time with your 500-1,000 word project description. This is where you should invest your mental time and energy.

Check back periodically for more details.

This new program is a collaborative effort between Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management & Marketing faculty and the Dean's office. 

The research awards are being provided by:

  • Dr. Gary Wagner, Acadiana Business Economist / BORSF, Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Economics
  • Dr. Josh Bendickson, Brauns-Oudenhoven-Boustany Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Dr. Brian Bolton, Dwight W. Andrus, Jr. / BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Finance
  • The MCOBA Dean's office.

 

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