23rd Annual Collegiate Ethics Case Competition Challenges Students to Tackle Real-World Ethical Dilemmas
The 23rd Annual Collegiate Ethics Case Competition (CECC) presented by the Center for Leadership Ethics in the Eller College of Management, brought together some of the brightest undergraduate minds from across the country and around the world for a weekend of critical thinking, collaboration, and ethical.
Hosted in McClelland Hall, the two-day competition invited student teams from 20 colleges and universities to analyze and present solutions to a complex real-world business ethics case before panels of expert judges. Each year, the competition challenges students to confront timely ethical dilemmas faced by professionals in industry.
This year’s case authored by Paul Melendez, founder of the Center for Leadership Ethics, centered on the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment—a real incident that sparked national debate concerning the financial and social pressures surrounding corporate profitability, public safety, and regulatory oversight within the railroad industry.
Students assumed the role of consultants tasked with advising the Association of American Railroads. Their mission was to evaluate the ethical, safety, and regulatory issues stemming from the derailment and provide recommendations on how the industry should proceed moving forward.
Over the course of the competition teams worked collaboratively to analyze the case, identify key ethical issues, and propose actionable solutions. They presented their findings to panels of judges who evaluated their understanding of ethical principles, their ability to apply them to real-world business decisions, and the clarity and persuasiveness of their arguments.
"I was moved by how many universities are committed to building ethical leadership skills within their students. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to network with students across North America. What impacted me about the case specifically was how unconventional it was," says Brenna Boer, one of the Penn State students who took home the first place prize. "For students considering participating in an ethics competition, I encourage you to spend the majority of your time conducting research. If you think you have a solution, dissect it to find its flaws and you will often find a new idea that better serves all key stakeholders."
Congratulations to the 2025 winners:
First Place – Penn State University
Brenna Boer
Palmer Moore
Second Place – The University of Texas at Austin
Reem Alhalhali
Lucy Ma
Third Place – University of Massachusetts–Amherst
Jack MacKinnon
Evan Stotsky
Fourth Place – Indiana University
Mia Cochran
Nikitha Donthi
Fifth Place – Washington University in St. Louis
Emily Huang
Alexander Schultze
The Collegiate Ethics Case Competition would not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors: South32, Vantage West Credit Union, and the HS Lopez Family Foundation, along with Vanguard and McGraw Hill.