COLLEGE STATION – The Academic Bowl Team from Texas A&M University’s department of agricultural economics recently captured its second consecutive national title.
The team academic competition took place during the American Agricultural Economics Association 2007 conference in Portland, Ore.
The win marked Texas A&M’s fifth national title since 1990.
Texas A&M competed against 25 teams representing agricultural economics programs from across the U.S. and Canada. The Aggie team won five consecutive rounds before reaching the finals, defeating the University of Florida by five points with the last question.
The members of this year’s team were Brandon Grooms, a senior from Paris; Eric Manthei, a senior from Bryan; Jeremy Quast, a senior from Garland; Jaco Saaiman, a senior from Riversdale, South Africa; Emily Seawright, a senior from Stephenville; and Shauna Yow, a junior from Seguin.
Dr. Fred Boadu, Callie Rogers and Jim Mjelde coached the team with assistance from Dusty Menzies and Ed Rister.
Team sponsors were Cargill, and former students Graham Weston (class of 1986), Matt Hanson (class of 2001) and John Windwehen (class of 1976).
“The Academic Bowl win reflects our deep commitment to excellence in our academic program,” said Boadu, assistant department head for undergraduate affairs in the department of agricultural economics. “Our faculty continues to work with our students to become the best in applied economics and agribusiness. Our students are motivated and committed to maintaining the winning tradition of our great university.”
The competition format, similar to that used by the television game show Jeopardy, tests students on their knowledge of agricultural economics. Questions are broken into eight categories: resources/policy, macroeconomics, microeconomics, agricultural business/finance, marketing, management, quantitative and potpourri (assorted mixed questions).
Also competing in the event were teams from Purdue University, the University of Manitoba, the University of Idaho, the University of Nevada, the University of Nebraska, Oklahoma State University, the University of Florida, Iowa State University, the University of Arkansas, California Polytechnic Institute, the University of Alberta, Mississippi State University, the University of Wyoming, Kansas State University and California State University at Chico.
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