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MSU Takes Top Spot at IANA Case Competition

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) announced on Sept. 22 that Mississippi State University (MSU) took the number one spot at the organization’s 2025 Intermodal Case Study Competition. This was MSU’s first time participating in the event.

The students representing the university were Elijah Davis, Emma Lovely-Gonzalez, Sophie Perrigin and Bradley Sills. This year’s case, “A Port of Clearview,” addressed the real-world challenge of congestion at a hypothetical port, asking them to develop solutions for mitigating gate congestion while balancing operating and customer costs.

In addition to MSU, IANA’s other competing scholarship schools included: Cal Poly Maritime Academy, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, University of Arkansas, University of Houston, University of North Texas, SUNY Maritime, University of Maryland, University of North Florida, University of Tennessee, Knoxville and University of Wisconsin, Superior. IANA’s scholarship awards support curriculum designed to attract students to intermodal transportation and related careers.

Since the Scholarship Program’s inception in 2007, IANA has awarded more than $6.0 million to support students in university programs focused on freight and intermodal transportation. The Program funds tuition, student research projects on intermodal issues, and curriculum development.

“We are extremely proud of our team. The competition brings together great students from leading universities, so for Mississippi State to win in our first year as a scholarship school and event participant was especially exciting and meaningful,” said Dr. Chris Boone, the university’s associate professor of supply chain logistics. “We’re very grateful to IANA for this opportunity and for their commitment to supporting students and developing the next generation of intermodal talent.”

“We’re thrilled to congratulate Mississippi State University on their well-deserved win. The team’s creativity and commitment really stood out,” said IANA President and CEO Anne Reinke. “It is inspiring to see the next generation from all of the IANA scholarship schools bringing such energy and fresh ideas to our industry.”