DPA Students Shine at Annual MPA Case Competition

Last week, Mina Ghobadi, Merinda Gurney Cutler, and Marisa Brunsvik proudly represented the Department of Public Administration (DPA) at the Annual BYU/SUU/UofU MPA Case Competition, held at BYU’s main campus and sponsored by the Utah City/County Management Association (UCMA). Under the guidance of faculty coordinator Tim Tingey, the team delivered an outstanding performance, impressing the judges with their innovative and evidence-based proposal.

While the team narrowly missed taking home the top prize, placing second by just one point, the judges were highly impressed with their approach. The competition provided a unique opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning to a high-pressure, real-world scenario.

Reflecting on the experience, Mina Ghobadi shared:

“This competition was a great opportunity to integrate the various methods and approaches we’ve learned across different courses and apply them in a real-world, high-pressure context. One aspect I particularly enjoyed was grounding our proposal in real, evidence-based practices—something unique to our team and noted by the judges.

Beyond the project itself, the experience was a powerful networking moment. In a week, I built meaningful connections with my teammates, worked more closely with our UofU professors, and got connected with students and faculty from other universities to learn about their programs and ideas.

Overall, I’m grateful for the experience and hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future.”

Congratulations to Mina, Merinda, and Marisa for representing the DPA with excellence and professionalism! Your dedication and teamwork highlight the strength of our public affairs programs and inspire future leaders in public administration.