News

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Congratulates Top Performers

Mercyhurst College, DeSales University and University of St. Thomas Win FBI National Case Study Competition

Washington, D.C. – January 20, 2006 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is proud to announce the winners of the first FBI National Case Study Competition. During the fall 2005 semester, five (5) collegiate teams competed nationwide at the undergraduate level for a chance to win a top prize of $3,000. Each team was responsible for investigating how the FBI has evolved since its inception, and then applying this knowledge to make both short-term and long-term strategic recommendations to the FBI. The top three teams received a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their case study to top managers at FBI headquarters. Mercyhurst College located in Erie, Pennsylvania took home the top prize in the competition. The second place winner, DeSales University located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania received $2,000 while the third place winner, University of St. Thomas located in St. Paul, Minnesota received $1,000.

The student teams participating in the FBI National Case Study Competition were responsible for analyzing a case study titled, “The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Adding Top-Flight Intelligence to Top-Flight Investigation and Law Enforcement.” Each team then had to develop and submit both a short-term and a long-term strategic plan for the FBI answering specific questions pertaining to the case study. An independent judge from academia reviewed all case studies to determine which three teams would present their results to the FBI. On Friday, January 13th, the finalist teams formally presented their case study solutions to a prestigious panel of FBI managers and subject matter experts at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. The judging panel consisted of Aubrey Farrar, Supervisory Special Agent at the Washington Field Office; Tai-Yin Landis, Chief of the Intelligence Career Management Section; Margaret Gulotta, Chief of the FBI's Language Services Section; Maximo DeLancer, Chief of the Special Programs Unit in the Equal Employment Affairs Office and David Rushing, Supervisory Special Agent in the Counterterrorism Division. All five judges were extremely impressed with the students’ recommendations and ideas. One judge Maximo DeLancer stated, "I like that idea. I think it's excellent. I might steal it." The students’ recommendations to the FBI spanned areas such as Personnel Recruiting and Incentives, Public Relations, Community Outreach, Information Technology, and Organizational Structure. Each student team also responded to rigorous questions and critiques from the judging panel.

Gwen Hubbard, Chief of the Personnel Resource Unit who commissioned the case study concurred that the students’ recommendations were invaluable to the FBI. Following their presentations, she told students, "I would feel comfortable bringing you in front of the Director [Mueller] saying, 'You need to hear this.' You have given us so much valuable information."

The FBI is striving to represent the face of America and to meet current recruiting challenges, including the need for culturally diverse individuals looking to make a difference. As the FBI transforms from primarily a preeminent law enforcement agency, to a world-class, forward-thinking intelligence organization, the Bureau is looking to find the next generation of best and brightest employees. In order to meet the growing and diversifying need for Special Agents as well as Intelligence Analysts, Linguists, and other professional staff positions, the FBI is approaching recruiting and community outreach in a whole new way. The FBI National Case Study Competition helps fulfill those goals, as one of the student participants stated, "I'm interested in the FBI as an organization now that I've done this project. It is as if I went through a 15 week FBI training program. This was the best group project I have ever worked on and definitely the most rewarding." The FBI National Case Study Competition is just one of several innovative marketing and recruitment initiatives being implemented by the FBI to help grow the pipeline and attract America’s best and brightest students to consider careers with the Bureau.

For more information regarding possible career opportunities with the FBI, please visit www.fbijobs.gov.

The FBI National Case Study Competition was developed and managed by Orinda, California based EdVenture Partners. EdVenture Partners develops programs for their clients that link industry and education utilizing EdVenture Partners’ curriculum-based, peer-to-peer models. EVP is the only marketing education consultancy in the United States that brings together educators, students, clients and their channel partners for mutual collaboration, partnership and benefit. All EdVenture Partners designed programs provide the opportunity for students to apply academic theory to real-world situations, thereby leveraging student minds in addressing client goals and objectives. In an EdVenture Partners National Case Study program, students are introduced to an organization and learn about their objectives. They are then challenged to consider and answer analytical questions, or situation of interest regarding the client’s brand positioning, communication strategy, human resource challenge or current strategic situation.

For more information on EdVenture Partners, please visit http://www.edventurepartners.com.