Four students from Rice University’s Master of Engineering Management and Leadership (MEML) program — Arturo Simg Herrera, Nicholas Kuci, Alan Salceda and Franco Tobares — earned First Place in the 2025 ASEM International Virtual Case Study Competition, hosted by the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM).
Now in its nineteenth year, the competition challenges students to analyze a complex, high-tech business case in just four hours and present actionable recommendations to a panel of industry judges. This year’s case focused on how Nvidia can maintain its leadership position in AI, pushing participants to combine technical insight with strategic management thinking.
“MEML is a program that combines technical knowledge and management, creating a strong ecosystem for analyzing and solving complex problems,” says Salceda, a Fulbright student from Mexico. “I believe that the MEML courses were very helpful in winning this case study competition because we gained frameworks and knowledge that made our way of thinking more complete and competitive. This allowed us to analyze a case from different perspectives and incorporate topics such as project management, data science, economics and ethics.”
The Rice MEML team’s winning solution stood out for its clarity, creativity, and real-world feasibility — a testament to the program’s focus on developing both engineering expertise and leadership acumen.
Learn how Rice’s Master of Engineering Management & Leadership program prepares professionals to solve complex challenges and lead innovation in today’s technology-driven world.
Photos courtesy of the winning team: Arturo Simg Herrera, Nicholas Kuci, Alan Salceda, and Franco Tobares.