Published October 12, 2026

MONROE, La. – The University of Louisiana Monroe will hold the annual premier lecture and seminar series, the College of Business and Social Sciences Symposium, from October 12-17, 2026. The theme for 2026 is “It Happens Here.” The event will feature a keynote panel, an elevator pitch competition, a career fair, a cookout, the annual CBSS Brain Bowl, and many speaker sessions covering a wide range of topics.    

The Elevator Pitch Competition, held in conjunction with the Office of Career Development and the Career Ambassadors, will be held on Tuesday, October 13, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in The Hangar. Student competitors will have 90 seconds to pitch their vision for a shot at the top prize. Student attendees will also be entered to win a door prize.  

The keynote panel, featuring three local business leaders, is entitled “It Happens Here,” and will be on Wednesday, October 14, at 11:00 a.m. at Bayou Pointe Event Center. Keynote panelists include Michael Crenshaw, CEO of Crenshaw Analytics; Ruslan Hemed, Director of Business Intelligence & Strategy at Kennedy Rice Mill/4 Sisters Rice; and Stephanie Polk, CEO of Holy Dippers.  

The annual CBSS Brain Bowl also takes place on Wednesday, October 14, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in The Hangar. The Brain Bowl is a CBSS-wide trivia competition with teams representing each School within the College. Each team is made up of three students, one faculty member, and one professional. The competition is open to CBSS students. Students may contact their school director for more information.   
 

CBSS Symposium sessions are free and open to the public. The College of Business and Social Sciences invites anyone who is interested to attend. Click the schedule link below for times and details about each session.    

 

CBSS Symposium Schedule 

(selected events; full schedule linked below) 

Tuesday, October 13 

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Rush Hour Career Fair – Hemphill Hall, 1st floor 

3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Career Elevator Pitch Competition – Hangar A 

Wednesday, October 14 

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. -Keynote Panel – Bayou Pointe 

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - CBSS Brain Bowl Competition – The Hangar 

6:30 – 7:30 p.m. - RMIN Alumni Panel: "Risk Happens. Careers Begin” - Hangar A 

Thursday, October 15 

9:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. - CBSS Symposium Speaker Sessions – The Hangar Ballrooms A, B, D 

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - CBSS Symposium Cookout – The Hangar South Lawn 

 

For a full list of events, view the 2026 CBSS Symposium Schedule.