Summit Group, a leading agribusiness and agricultural investment company has announced its support of two programs at the University of Iowa's prestigious Henry B. Tippie College of Business. The Alden, Iowa-based Summit Group will collaborate in early 2015 on a Business Solutions Center project - a unique initiative for MBA candidates in the Tippie College of Business.

In addition, Summit Group will support a new business scholarship program through the University of Iowa Foundation that is slated to start in the 2015 fall semester. The Summit Group Business Scholarship Program will fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships totaling $75,000 over a five-year period.

PLANTING THE SEED: An agribusiness leader, Summit Group, will collaborate on an MBA project and provide $75,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students in the UI Henry B. Tippie College of Business. The scholarship program is slated to start in 2015 fall semester.

"Summit Group is pleased to partner with the Tippie College of Business on these two worthwhile programs and support our state's future business leaders," said Eric Peterson, president of Summit Group. "We are fortunate in Iowa to have three nationally recognized public universities, and Summit Group is always looking for opportunities to collaborate with each of them."

Business Solutions Center is at University of Iowa
The Tippie College's Business Solutions Center (BSC) connects leading companies - such as Summit Group - with teams of MBA candidates to solve real-world business challenges. This experiential learning opportunity is one of many ways that Tippie full-time MBA students gain real-world experience, which is critical to their professional development.

All project teams are cross-functional, comprised of MBA candidates with concentrations in finance, marketing or strategic innovation. The BSC directors assign the teams to companies based on project scope, student experience pre-MBA, current MBA concentration and skill sets necessary to complete the project successfully.

Past participating firms have included Deere and others
Projects in the Business Solutions Center are structured over a 17-week period. Summit Group's MBA project will be one of eight projects offered next semester through the BSC. In the past, participating companies have included Principal Financial Group, Rockwell Collins, Marriott, John Deere, HON Industries, Allsteel Group, ACT, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Allied Insurance, Best Buy, STIHL and Transamerica.

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"While this is the first time we've participated in this program at the University of Iowa, Summit Group has a history of working with undergraduate and graduate students and extending experiential learning opportunities to the entrepreneurs and business leaders of tomorrow," said Peterson. "Today's classroom is much different than a generation ago and this unique MBA program is a perfect example of providing students with real life challenges to come up with real life solutions -- we're excited to be part of it." 

Summit Group offering business scholarship program
Funded through the University of Iowa Foundation, the Summit Group Business Scholarships will support over a five-year period, two $2,500 scholarships to freshmen students, one $5,000 scholarship to a junior student and one $5,000 award to a graduate student in the Tippie College's MBA program. The Summit Group Business Scholarships will be available to students enrolled in the Tippie College of Business beginning in the fall of 2015.

ABOUT SUMMIT GROUP: Summit Group is based in Alden, Iowa, and under the leadership of CEO Bruce Rastetter, oversees a diverse number of successful operations, ranging from crop and livestock production to wind energy, renewable fuels and international development. Rastetter is president of the Iowa Board of Regents and serves on the board of directors for Hawkeye Energy Holdings, Advanced Bioenergy, Cultivation Corridor and Iowa Premium Beef. An active philanthropist, he founded the Rastetter Foundation which is an initiative dedicated to supporting educational, entrepreneurial and agricultural pursuits.

ABOUT HENRY B. TIPPIE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS: The University of Iowa has been providing business education for more than 150 years. The Tippie College of Business offers an undergraduate program that is consistently ranked in the top 20 public programs in the country. The college's three domestic MBA programs include the full-time program offered on campus; the MBA for Professionals and Managers (MBA-PM) program that is offered around the state of Iowa to more than 800 working professionals; and the Executive MBA program in Des Moines and Iowa City/Cedar Rapids. The college also offers a Masters of Accountancy Program and PhD programs in six subject areas. Tippie's MBA programs are consistently recognized for being a "best value." This full portfolio of educational offerings is designed to help today's students have an impact on the world of business immediately after graduation.