Liberal Arts

School of Labor and Employment Relations holds annual HR Case Competition

Student teams from six schools compete in event held at PepsiCo global headquarters

Members of student teams from Penn State, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina and NYU pose with faculty advisers, executive judges, and event organizers during the second annual HR Case Competition, which was organized by the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations and held Oct. 22-24, 2025 at PepsiCo's world headquarters in Purchase, New York. Credit: Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations / Penn State. Creative Commons

PURCHASE, NY — Human Resource Management (HRM) student teams from Penn State, Michigan State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, the University of South Carolina, and New York University (NYU) gathered Oct. 22-24 to compete in the second annual HR Case Competition organized by the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations.

This year’s event took place at PepsiCo’s global headquarters in Purchase, New York, and was sponsored by PepsiCo, ZRG Partners, and SHRM. Senior-level executives from PepsiCo, ZRG and other Fortune 500 companies also served as panelists and judges for the event.

The competition challenged students to design innovative, data-driven, and human-centered strategies that would prepare organizations — and their people — to thrive in an AI-powered future. In addition to promoting HRM as a field of study and practice, the three-day event provides students with a unique opportunity to network with and learn from peers and executives from across the country.

Last Updated December 5, 2025