A team of College of Health graduate students won second place at the 5th annual Seton Hall University Healthcare Management Case Study Challenge on November 1, 2025. Under the guidance of Xinliang (Albert) Liu, associate professor and associate chair, department of population health, the Lehigh team of Mackenzie Fuerth ’25, G’26, Mackenzie Donatelli G’26 and Haley Griner ’24, G’26 placed second among six teams and won a $1,000 cash prize for their outstanding performance.
According to Griner, the teams are given a real-world healthcare management problem and a short amount of time to analyze it and present solutions in this fast-paced event. “It’s very quick-thinking and intense, but also a great way to test how you work under pressure, as well as your ability to create innovative and data-driven solutions applicable to the real-world,” she said.
In preparation, their team analyzed a real-world healthcare management case study, and they invested significant time and effort into developing an executive summary and refining their presentation. They delivered preliminary run-throughs to College of Health faculty and received constructive feedback to strengthen their presentation.
“I enjoyed working closely with Dr. Liu and with the team,” said Donatelli. “It was a great, collaborative process. It was really nice for me to see it from start to finish. Then obviously, to place second — we went into it not expecting that at all. That’s a great testament to all the hard work, effort and dedication that we put into the project and the support that we got from Dr. Liu and the College of Health faculty as well.”
The students competed against teams including Seton Hall University, Rutgers University and the University of Pittsburgh, and they appreciated the opportunity to network and make valuable professional connections.
Liu shared that the team formed a true “joint venture,” united around the goal of developing the most comprehensive and actionable recommendations for a hospital in financial distress.
“They worked seamlessly as a team, made thoughtful decisions throughout the process and demonstrated professionalism beyond their years,” he said. “It’s the kind of experience they can proudly highlight in future job interviews because it showcases strategic thinking, collaboration and real-world problem solving. I strongly believe more students should pursue opportunities like this. Whether winning or not, you gain the experience of creating innovative recommendations, learning alongside talented peers from other institutions and receiving feedback from judges who are healthcare executives.”
“I’m also proud that Lehigh placed second and won a $1,000 prize for the second year in a row,” he continued. “It’s especially gratifying that our graduate programs are only three years old. Our students competed against teams from well-established healthcare management programs, and their performance speaks to both their talent and the strength of our emerging graduate programs.”
Fuerth, the team captain, competed on last year’s winning team and drew on both her healthcare management coursework and prior competition experience. She and Griner received their undergraduate degrees from the College of Health and chose to continue their studies with the COH as graduate students.
Looking ahead to her next step, Fuerth will soon begin a position as a research assistant in the department of anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine. This competition enriched her studies outside the classroom because the cases are inspired by very real challenges that the healthcare system is facing.
“Between the two cases I have worked on, we have touched on widely discussed topics in healthcare such as emergency department overuse, nursing shortages, Medicaid cuts, housing instability, AI and telehealth. I enjoyed being able to examine these problems in a more realistic setting, with very limited resources. We were given very little data, a constant reality in most real-world cases, and I think it stimulated a different kind of thought process.” She added that this competition is a great opportunity for anyone interested in pursuing a career in healthcare management.
Griner reflected on her time as an undergraduate and shared that being part of the inaugural class of the COH was a unique experience because the class was growing alongside the college. “The professors have very specific, niche backgrounds, so no matter what you’re curious about, someone can offer in-depth guidance. I’d describe the COH as supportive, hands-on and a great place for students who want to explore different areas of health.”
She chose to stay because she was genuinely interested in an opportunity to be a research assistant with Hyunok Choi, associate professor, department of population health; director, Children’s Environmental Precision Health Institute, on the Ethylene Oxide Air Monitoring Project.
“I’ve also built meaningful connections in the local community outside the university, which made continuing here for graduate studies feel like the right choice,” Griner said.
After graduation in May, Donatelli plans to pursue career opportunities in epidemiology or healthcare management. Participating in the competition offered a valuable perspective on the healthcare field, one she would not have gained solely through classroom learning. Experiential learning opportunities like this are a defining feature of a College of Health education, helping students to develop practical skills, build confidence and gain insights to tackle real-world public health challenges. For more information about graduate programs at the College of Health, please click here.
