UNM Team selected as Finalists in National Accounting Student Case Competition
A UNM student team has been selected as a top four finalist in the 2025–2026 Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) U.S. Student Case Competition. The students will compete in the national finals during the IMA26 Accounting and Finance Conference in Tampa, Florida, on June 14.
The team consists of students Nico Huggins, Antonella Abriola, Alfredo Villazon, Britten Ratcliff, and Gavin Richards, with guidance from Assistant Professor Jonathan Jona and Adjunct Professor Anthony Serrano as their faculty advisors. All team members are students at The James and Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership (previously Anderson School of Management) and are pursuing degrees in business administration.
The IMA U.S. Student Case Competition gives students the opportunity to interpret, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate solutions to complex management accounting problems.
This year’s case, “West Valley Fresh Distribution Company: Using Data Analytics to Explore Opportunities in the Hass Avocado Market & Visualizations,” presents a fictional company using real business data to immerse students in real-world business scenarios.
The team earned a spot in the U.S. finals after advancing through the regional competition where the top four teams competed within their respective IMA region.
The team is currently preparing for the finals, and for several team members, the trip to Tampa will mark their first visit to the city.
The opportunity to compete at the national level reflects the team’s dedication and ability to apply classroom knowledge to complex business challenges.
The James and Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership:
As of May 8, 2026, the UNM Anderson School of Management has been renamed to The James and Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership in honor of a transformative $30 million gift. Read more about the Ellis family and the historic gift.
