Contact: Maridith Geuder
From fast-paced competition patterned after the classic television game-show "Jeopardy," a team of Mississippi State seniors is bringing home the top prize for the second consecutive year.
A three-member group representing the university's student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management finished first among collegiate teams from Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The regional competition held at the University of North Texas in Denton was sponsored by SHRM, the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 170,000 professional and student members, the organization is based in Alexandria, Va.
Calling on all their human resources knowledge and training, MSU management majors Melanie F. Carnaggio of Calhoun City and Lesha M. Smith of Carthage, along with psychology major Michelle E. Young of Calvert City, Ky., defeated final challenger University of St. Louis by 8,900 to 5,400 points.
Contestants were quizzed on a variety of subject areas, including management practices, staffing, performance appraisal, compensation, labor relations, and training and development, said chapter adviser Timothy R. Barnett, associate professor of management in the College of Business and Industry.
Barnett shared coaching duties with 2001 MSU marketing graduate Ann Havard, now a technology specialist at the Starkville Public School's Emerson Family Center.
"The MSU team won three straight matches early on to move into the semifinal round, won in the semifinals by an impressive score and emerged as the leader in the final rounds," Barnett said.
By virtue of its achievement, the MSU trio now is one of only six teams advancing to national competition next month in Orlando, Fla.
In addition to a trophy, the regional win earned the Starkville group $4,500 from the SHRM Foundation to help defray expenses for the national convention and the waiver of fees to take the Professionals in Human Resources certification examination. Each also received a standard human resources management textbook from Thomson-SouthWest Publishing.
LOCAL EDITORS:
Carnaggio is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Carnaggio; Smith, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Brown; and Young, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Thomason.