Oklahoma Teams Prevail at Regional Ethics Competition in San Antonio

News Release November 20, 2013

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Contact: Shannon Hiebert at (405) 823-1299 Or Colin Schoonover at (405) 308-6796 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN ANTONIO – Teams from three universities in Oklahoma dominated the standings at this year’s Regional Student Ethics Bowl held here November 16 on the campus of St. Mary’s University. First place went to University of Oklahoma’s “Boomer” team (3 wins, 0 draws, and a point differential of 52). University of Central Oklahoma’s “Bronchos,” team finished second (3 wins, 0 draws and a point differential of 43). Third place was awarded to Oklahoma Christian University’s “Talons” team (2 wins, 1 draw and a point differential of 46). University of Arkansas – Little Rock’s “Maroon” team finished fourth. This year’s regionals featured a total of 16 teams. In addition to the first through third place winners, there were three additional teams entered from the Sooner state. Across the nation there are ten separate regional competitions. Three to four teams will advance from each of those contests to the National Student Ethics Bowl, scheduled for February 27, 2014 in Jacksonville, Florida. Members of the winning team are all sophomores at the University of Oklahoma. Jeremy Allen, an Economics and Environmental Sustainability major; Storm Dowd-Lukesh, an Economics major; and Rahul Gaikwad, a dual degree student majoring in Economics in the College of Arts & Sciences and Finance in the School of Business. The winning team’s advisor, Dr. Stephen Ellis, is Associate Professor and Graduate Liaison in the Department of Philosophy at OU. The team also received coaching from faculty members Breea Clark, Will Spain, and Adrienne Jablonski; and graduate student Kelly Epley, who served as argument coach. Members of the University of Central Oklahoma team are Jordan Atterberry, Matthew Franklin, Xiang Li, Matthew Oleson, and Shirley Tran. The team’s faculty sponsor is Dr. Katherine Terrell with coaching assistance from Charles Gray and Dr. Bambi Hora. Page 2 of 3

Members of the Oklahoma Christian University Talons team are Jasper Bawcom, Hunter Farhat, and Gabriel Gasiorowski. The team’s faculty sponsor is Associate Professor of Business, Jeff Simmons. Representing the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium and Business Ethics Foundation at the event were Colin Schoonover, manager of pipeline systems and engineering services for ONEOK Distribution Companies in Tulsa, and Jack Rosenberg, senior manager of corporate security and ethics compliance for Chesapeake Energy Corporation. Judges evaluated the teams based on clarity, relevance, use of central ethical dimensions and deliberative thoughtfulness. Teams were ranked by number of wins, number of ties, and the point differential as awarded by judges. Each team researched and presented positions involved with cases based on current examples of ethical challenges. Winners were selected by teams of judges representing a cross section of educational backgrounds and professional disciplines. “The interaction between teams this year was very competitive and the students delivered insightful arguments about the ethical issues each case scenario presented,” said Schoonover, who had previously judged two statewide, two regional, and two national ethics challenges. “A commonality of the winning teams was their ability to present a diverse combination of solid philosophical argument along with a practical application of it to the case scenarios. The Oklahoma colleges and universities were standouts with many of the competition judges” said Schoonover. Case studies used in the competition were provided to students and their advisors six weeks in advance to facilitate debate, build strength into their conclusions, and allow for improved presentation skills. “Ability to weigh pros and cons and evaluate alternative actions is a key component of ethical behavior in the community and in the workplace,” said Shannon Hiebert, President of the Foundation, and Vice President of Mentoring and Education for the Ethics Consortium. “The cases were intentionally designed to be somewhat provocative, as ethical dilemmas often tend to be,” said Hiebert. “The primary purpose of the competition is to encourage students to pursue knowledge of ethical thought processes and to reward those who excel,” she added. Page 3 of 3

“We are excited to have had the opportunity to participate in this year’s Ethics Bowl,” said Breea Clark, associate director of academic integrity programs for the University of Oklahoma. “If we are to promote the ideals of integrity and ethical behavior, we need thoughtful discussion of what those ideals mean. That is why events like the Ethics Bowl are so valuable, not just for the students who compete but for the entire university,” said Clark. “All students who participated demonstrated professionalism, preparation, and a thorough understanding of the ethical dilemmas that our generation deals with today. It is an honor to have had our team place first,” said Clark. The statewide student ethics challenge was established by the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium’s foundation eight years ago and participation has grown to include as many as 16 of the state’s institutions of higher education in any given year.