Award winners: (L-R) Jonathan Duke, Heather Yopp, Stephanie Howeth, Mallory Trochesset, Donna Lee Davis and Matt Garrett. (Photo by Michael Childs)

Six graduate students in the University of Georgia’s college student affairs administration program claimed first, second and third places against 20 other student teams in a case study competition at a recent regional conference.

The sweep was the first of its kind at the Southern Association of College Students Affairs Conference. “No other graduate program in the region has ever accomplished this feat,” said Diane Cooper, a professor and coordinator of the master’s program in the College of Education’s department of counseling and human development services.

Competing in teams of two, UGA first-year students Matt Garrett and Mallory Trochesset received first place, Jonathan Duke and Stephanie Howeth received second place, and Donna Lee Davis and Heather Yopp placed third.

Each team in the competition is given a case and a short period of time to prepare their response. They present their response in front of a panel of judges made up of four senior student affairs professionals. The case study was about a racial incident on a college campus. It required the students to prepare a short-term plan for working with the students and group involved in the incident, and to long-term plan for a diversity initiative on campus.

See more on UGA's college student affairs administration program.

© 2006 University of Georgia