This fall, the University of Dayton School of Business Administration, led by Dr. Kaitlyn DeGhetto and Professor Joseph Krella, launched its inaugural Responsible AI Case Competition in collaboration with IBM. The challenge brought together 28 undergraduate business students across seven interdisciplinary teams to tackle a timely issue: how can companies use AI responsibly while staying competitive?
Student teams were tasked with evaluating an AI-powered hiring platform and advising a fast-growing technology company on how to balance innovation, efficiency and fairness, without losing sight of human impact.
The competition gave students what today’s business leaders need most: real-world application of AI concepts, mentorship from faculty and industry experts, and practice making ethical decisions in a rapidly evolving business environment.
The Case: Innovation Meets Ethics
Students stepped into the role of consultants for Luma Inc., a fast-growing health and wellness technology company struggling to scale its hiring process. Luma had recently adopted an AI screening tool, HireSelect AI, to improve recruiting outcomes.
The technology delivered clear advantages:
- 80% faster screening
- Lower recruiting costs
- Stronger technical hires
But new challenges followed:
- Applicant confusion and frustration
- Concerns about bias and fairness
- Public criticism and declining trust
- Technical errors and cultural mismatches
Each team was asked to recommend a responsible, competitive path forward.
“Experiential learning is at the heart of what we do at UD and in the SBA, and this competition provided another great opportunity for our students to engage with real-world business problems,” said Professor Joseph Krella. “AI is influencing all aspects of business decision-making. With experiences like this, our students develop practical skills that they can use in their internships and careers to help make a difference in the organizations they work with.”
High-Impact Learning in Action
Over several weeks, students explored legal requirements, governance frameworks, data ethics and organizational culture. Along the way, they addressed questions facing every modern organization:
- How do you balance innovation with fairness?
- What does responsible AI look like in practice?
- When should people override technology?
- How do you build trust when algorithms fail?
IBM mentors and UD faculty guided students through technical analysis and presentation development, preparing them for real consulting work.
“The competition was presented in collaboration with IBM, and its support made a real impact on our students,” said Professor Joseph Krella. “IBM committed three mentors who met with our student teams to discuss their overall strategies and help them prepare their final presentations. IBM’s commitment to the competition and its mentoring of our students enriched their experience beyond measure.”
Collaboration Across Majors
Students from business analytics, marketing, economics, accounting, finance, management and entrepreneurship worked together, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of AI challenges.
“I developed stronger quantitative reasoning and structured problem-solving skills from this project,” said Nora Lynch (‘27, economics). “Since our role in the case was a professional consulting team, I knew that our proposal needed to exceed just a simple theoretical concept and instead systematically break down a complex, multifaceted issue. Our proposals were research-backed and realistic, requiring our team to interpret data and statistics to form a clear recommendation.”
Judges, Presentations and Winners
On Nov. 18, teams presented their recommendations to judges from IBM, McKinsey and EY. Teams were evaluated on ethical reasoning, strategy, creativity and feasibility.
Winning teams and prizes
First place – $3,000 each
Team captain: Allison Shelly (‘26 business analytics and management information systems) and Jason Kintzele (‘29 entrepreneurship), Luke Jenkins (‘27 management information systems), and Joseph Deep (‘26 marketing)
Second place – $1,500 each
Team captain: Matthew Sommers (‘27 entrepreneurship and finance), Annabelle Busch (‘28 marketing and operations and supply chain management), Anna Coon (‘29 discover business) and Jonathan Munteanu (‘28 management)
Third place – $750 each
Team captain: Clare Kostolansky (‘27 management), Sydney Nowak (‘25 applied mathematical economics), Lindsey Lieving (‘28 marketing) and Nora Lynch (‘27 economics)
“I was impressed that several of the student teams went above and beyond to conduct their own research. For example, several spoke to industry leaders from their networks to better understand best practices related to LLMs, data security, bias, governance, and so on,” said Dr. Kaitlyn DeGhetto. “I was also impressed that the teams developed solutions that effectively took into consideration human elements as well as efficiency gains.”
Preparing Graduates for the AI Workforce
Employers increasingly look for graduates who understand both the power and limits of AI. This competition helped students build:
- Ethical decision-making skills
- Real-world consulting experience
- Professional presentation skills
- Confidence with emerging technology
- A practical understanding of AI risk and impact
This experience doesn’t just prepare students for class. It prepares them for internships, job interviews and leadership roles in a world where AI is everywhere.
“I am a strong believer that you learn best by doing so applying lessons from my classes. This competition was extremely beneficial to my professional development,” said Annabelle Busch (‘28 marketing and operations and supply chain management). “This experience has definitely made me more confident about discussing AI in internship and job interviews.”
What’s Next
The competition will expand in future years, giving more students opportunities to engage with AI technology and ethical leadership.
“This challenge completely changed how I look at AI. It pushed me to think beyond efficiency and look at fairness, bias, transparency, and how trust is built (or lost),” said Lynch. “Now I see AI as something that needs just as much human oversight as it does technical improvement, especially when it impacts people’s lives the way hiring does.”
The Responsible AI Case Competition reflects UD’s commitment to innovation grounded in humanity—preparing students to lead not just with skill, but with purpose.
Learn more about the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration and ways students are getting involved outside of the classroom.