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Student Research Showcase

 

2026 MCOBA Student Research Showcase

THE FINALS - April 24, 2026

 

All 9 finalists teams presented their research projects, explained the science and impact of their work and fielded questions from a panel of faculty judges. Presentations were judged based on the rigor of the research and the clarity of the presentation.

All 9 were amazing!

We awarded over $25,000 to all participants. Here are the winners, across various categories:

  • Ainsley Gauthier, Economics
    "To Tip or Not to Tip?" The Impact of Voluntary Tipping Vs. Mandatory Service Charges on Consumer Satisfaction
    $5,000 - Best Individual Project, Best Undergraduate Project 1st place, Faculty Favorite Poster
     
  • Azme Abbas, MBA
    Predictive Machine Learning for Automated Insulin Delivery in Type 1 Diabetes
    $4,000 - Best Graduate Project 2nd place, Best Presentation, Fan Favorite Poster
     
  • Shelton Edwards, Accounting
    Accounting for the Wild: Integrating Exotic Animal Valuation into Pricing Models
    $2,500 - Best Undergraduate Project 3rd place, Faculty & Staff Favorite Poster
     
  • Debra Crawford, MS Accounting
    “Buying Down the Personal Income Tax Rate” and Who’s Making the Payment: A Look into Louisiana’s Updated Tax Framework
    $2,000 - Best Graduate Project 1st place
     
  • Leah Pontiff, MBA
    “Don’t Panic”? A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Enduring Dark Triad Leadership
    $1,000 - Best Graduate Project 3rd place
     
  • Sydnee Johnson (Accounting), Amanda Vincent (Accounting), Sydney Montagne (Accounting)
    The Ripple Effect: Causes and Effects of University Noncompliance Found in Financial Audits
    $3,000 total - Best Undergraduate Project 2nd place, Best Group Project
     
  • Dr. Laura Latiolais - Best Faculty Mentor

All finalists received $500 per individual project and $900 per group project and all other participants received some cash award for contributing to this inaugural Research Showcase.

We have no idea what the cash awrds will be in the future - we just know we are going to continue the Showcase and we are going to continue investing in our amazing students.

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who participated - Thank you for creating something special!

 

The Finalists have been announced

  1. Azme Abbas, MBA
    Predictive Machine Learning for Automated Insulin Delivery in Type 1 Diabetes
     
  2. Debra Crawford, MS Accounting
    “Buying Down the Personal Income Tax Rate” and Who’s Making the Payment: A Look into Louisiana’s Updated Tax Framework
     
  3. Shelton Edwards, Accounting
    Accounting for the Wild: Integrating Exotic Animal Valuation into Pricing Models
     
  4. Ainsley Gauthier, Economics
    "To Tip or Not to Tip?" The Impact of Voluntary Tipping Vs. Mandatory Service Charges on Consumer Satisfaction
     
  5. Kayden Hebert (Accounting), Peyton Lopez (Management), Rose Hidalgo (Psychology)
    When Big Firms Feel Small: Explaining "Mom-and-Pop" Structures in Major Family Businesses
     
  6. Sydnee Johnson (Accounting), Amanda Vincent (Accounting), Sydney Montagne (Accounting)
    The Ripple Effect: Causes and Effects of University Noncompliance Found in Financial Audits
     
  7. Leah Pontiff, MBA
    “Don’t Panic”? A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Enduring Dark Triad Leadership
     
  8. Alyssa Ray (Accounting), Briana Henry (Accounting), Nicholas Hannan (Accounting)
    The Challenges of Influencer Tax Compliance and Reporting in the United States
     
  9. Evan Weber, MBA
    What Actually Drives Broker Success in the E&S Market? Examining Activity, Efficiency, And Retention Using Broker Performance Data

 

April 20-22, 2026
Poster Presentations in Moody Hall
(voting on Tuesday & Wednesday)
Finalists Announced on Wednesday, April 22

April 24, 2026
The Inaugural MCOBA Student Research Showcase FINALS
11:30am to 2:00pm
Moody Hall #103

Click Here to Learn More About the 20 Semifinalists

$15,000+ 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:

  • A generous gift from Mr. E. Bruce Bentley, 1970 graduate in Accounting.
  • 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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