MS BAnDS students win new Dominican Republic-based retail competition

MS BAnDS students win new Dominican Republic-based retail competition

Friday, October 24, 2025

Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-744-4363 | [email protected]

A group of four Oklahoma State University business analytics graduate students made history as the first winners of a new international competition.

Kazi Arman Ahmed, Mason Morris, Patrick Mohsen Pashna and Gaspar Tsai teamed up for a victory in the first-ever Alpha Ramos Hackathon, a retail competition in the Dominican Republic. The Spears School of Business Master's in Business Analytics and Data Science students participated remotely to place first in the marketing category, finishing ahead of five other university-based teams.

"I am incredibly proud of our team, LogiCoders, for winning the Alpha Ramos Hackathon in the Dominican Republic," Ahmed said. "Despite language barriers, technical challenges and time constraints, we collaborated to pitch new products in men's skin and hair care. Huge thanks to Dr. Miriam McGaugh for introducing us to this opportunity and guiding us through the competition, as well as to our amazing mentors, Pamela and Robert from Grupo Ramos, for their unwavering support. This achievement is a testament to our teamwork, resilience and dedication. I am proud to represent OSU in this international win."

The students competed over 30 days with counsel from McGaugh, a professor of professional practice in OSU's School of Marketing and International Business. The team combined data analysis and cross-cultural marketing skills to develop strategies for promoting a product line and fostering brand loyalty.

Spears Business students travel to the Dominican Republic for a CAGLE study abroad program. (Courtesy of CAGLE director Caitlin Kelley)

OSU entered this competition thanks to a connection through the Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement, which coordinates and supports all global activities within Spears Business. CAGLE's spring 2025 study abroad program locations included the Dominican Republic, where a different group of Spears Business students impressed retail company Grupo Ramos.

OSU was then the only university in the United States invited to this fall's inaugural Alpha Ramos Hackathon, sponsored by Grupo Ramos. Ahmed, Morris, Pashna and Tsai signed up without knowing exactly what to expect. Although the MS BAnDS program has a rich history of competitive success, these students couldn't rely on past examples to navigate an unprecedented experience.

While their competitors spoke fluent Spanish and presented in person, the MS BAnDS students had to communicate across languages with the added challenge of virtual meetings. Morris knew some Spanish phrases, and the students turned to interpreters and a translator app for guidance, gaining valuable international business experience.

Each team had a different assignment, and the MS BAnDS students stepped out of their comfort zone to tackle their project. None of the four men had extensive knowledge of hair care or skin care products, yet they adapted to create a well-researched presentation. The students conducted data analysis, identified a market gap, developed a prototype and delivered their presentation in a video.

Trials persisted until the last minute, but OSU's team refused to fold under pressure. Tsai carefully made final edits to fit the allotted video time limit while meeting the submission deadline.

Winners were announced Oct. 2 at a large ceremony in the Dominican Republic, and the MS BAnDS students joined the meeting remotely, watching their video play on a big screen.

The LogiCoders celebrate their victory. The students received a trophy and T-shirts as prizes.

"The moment I saw our team's name, LogiCoders, show up on the big screen as first place -especially after the long buildup -a huge weight lifted off my chest knowing our hard work finally paid off," Tsai said. "Without the help of our mentors, Dr. McGaugh and the team, I don't think any of this would happen. This is a brand-new experience to me, and I'm super-grateful and excited I was able to represent OSU internationally in this event."

While breaking new ground, the LogiCoders maintained a reputation of excellence for the MS BAnDS program, which is No. 2 in the nation behind Harvard University in Fortune.com's rankings. In fall 2024, four MS BAnDS students won a national championship at Purdue University's Data 4 Good Case Competition. MS BAnDS students also earned multiple Disney Data and Analytics Women awards in back-to-back years, accounting for half of the honorees over the past two years.

Ahmed, Morris, Pashna and Tsai are the first students from their new MS BAnDS cohort to represent the program in a competition.

"The MS BAnDS students constantly impress me, and this was no exception," McGaugh said. "After a monthlong remote hackathon in the Dominican Republic, conducted in Spanish, Mason Morris, Gaspar Tsai, Patrick Mohsen Pashna and Kazi Arman Ahmed joined forces outside class to research, plan and pitch a new men's skin product. I'm proud they persevered through this harder-than-usual competition. We will always be able to say an OSU team won first place in the inaugural Retail Hackathon in the Dominican Republic."

Visit the website to learn more about OSU's award-winning MS BAnDS program.