The North Carolina State University chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) was named the No. 6 International Chapter out of more than 340 universities worldwide at the 2026 American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference (ICC), held in Chicago.

This prestigious recognition highlights the chapter’s excellence across all six functional categories of its annual report: professional development, community and social impact, membership, fundraising, communications and chapter operations.

“This recognition reflects a year defined by scale, impact, and growth,” said chapter leadership. “We are incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished and the opportunities we’ve created for our members.”

A Year of Impact and Growth

Over the past year, NC State AMA demonstrated exceptional performance across multiple areas:

● Hosted 33 professional development, networking, and workshop events
● Connected students with 42 companies
● Welcomed 140+ new members and supported 89 national AMA members
● Led 10+ community initiatives, donating 248 pounds of food to the Raleigh community
● Generated over $17,000 in revenue and raised $8,150 for its Regional Conference
● Expanded digital presence to 31,000+ Instagram reach, achieving 292%
year-over-year growth

Student Perspective

Jayden Ford, Vice President of Communications, emphasized the personal and professional impact of the organization: “Being a part of AMA has been a wonderful learning experience. I’ve been able to make friends in chapters all across the country, and sharing ideas with other leaders is what being in a student organization is all about.”

National Competition Success

In addition to its global chapter ranking, NC State AMA earned top honors in competition at ICC.

A student team consisting of Lydia Ferguson, Matt Taylor, Nitya Gayatri Srikantha, Carter Wright and Rydham Patel secured First Place in the Digital Marketing Competition. During the fast-paced, two-hour challenge, teams developed strategic and creative marketing deliverables based on a live brief, judged by industry professionals from McGraw Hill and Minus33 Merino Wool Clothing.

Additionally, Caitlyn Muniz was recognized as a Top 10 finalist in the Perfect Pitch competition, competing against more than 650 participants.

Leadership and Community

The chapter’s success was driven by a dedicated leadership team, including:

● President: Malak Hassanein
● EVP of Strategy: Gianna Ciardullo
● VP of Event Operations: Matt Taylor
● VP of Finance: Ravi Patel
● VP of Professional Development: Juliana Romero-Cortes
● VP of Digital Content: Tanvi Birru
● VP of Communications: Jayden Ford
● VP of Fundraising: Kinzy Eldessouky
● VP of Community Relations: Caitlyn Muniz
● VP of Membership: Izzy Benson
● CMS CEO: Lydia Ferguson
● CMS COO: Prisha Desai

The chapter also credits its success to faculty advisors Patrice (Fontaine) Nealon, Pieter Verhallen and Tom Byrnes.

Looking Ahead

As the chapter concludes one of the strongest years in its history, NC State AMA remains committed to fostering professional growth, driving community impact, and empowering the next generation of marketing leaders.

“AMA-zing ideas start here,” the chapter shared, reflecting on a year to remember and continued momentum moving forward.

Byrnes was also impressed. “I am so proud of this AMA-zing group of students,” he said. “This is the highest level of attainment that we have ever achieved at this International Conference in my 13 years at Poole College. These students are not just marketing majors, but from many concentrations (economics, finance, et al.) throughout the university. What a great way to end the semester!”