CHADRON – The Chadron State College Business Academy will host the ninth annual Best of the West Business Competition for regional high school students in the Student Center Tuesday. This year, 173 students from eight Nebraska schools are registered to compete compared to 108 competitors last year, according to Dr. Gary Dusek, Professor and Department Chair.

The contest, co-sponsored by CSC and the Nebraska Council of Economic Education (NCEE), follows Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) rules and is designed to prepare contestants for the FBLA State Leadership Conference.

Competitive categories include Agribusiness,  Accounting, Business Calculations, Business Communications, Economics, Introduction to Business, Introduction to FBLA, Introduction to Financial Mathematics, Job Interview, Marketing, and Personal Finance.

Mentorship flourishes at CSC

CHADRON – Chadron State College graduate student Sutton Pohlman of Stanton, Nebraska, is gaining valuable research experience through a mentorship with Dr. Clint Evrard, Assistant Professor of Physics and Chemistry. Both Pohlman and Evrard say their collaborative efforts reflect the value of faculty-student partnerships at CSC.

In October 2025, Pohlman presented a poster about his research that examines insulin uptake in people with Type II diabetes at the National Science Foundation and Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research conference in Omaha.

Pohlman said he sought out Evrard because of his extensive background in computational quantum chemistry at multiple institutions. That expertise, Pohlman said, was critical as they applied advanced techniques to a current health issue.

“Working with Dr. Evrard on a real-world research problem has given me experience I wouldn’t get in a classroom alone,” Pohlman said. “That mentorship has helped me grow both academically and personally.”

Evrard said while he brings technical knowledge of research methods, that is fully realized only when working with motivated students.

“The professor-student relationship should be collaborative,” Evrard said. “Students like Sutton bring ideas and ambition, and faculty bring the tools and experience. That’s when real learning happens.”

Evrard said Pohlman entered the project with a clear interest in studying a disease that affects millions of people and a desire to approach it in a new way. Evrard analyzed the quantum mechanics behind the calculations. They regularly discussed results together, with Pohlman comparing computational findings to medical journal literature to interpret their significance.

Evrard noted that the interdisciplinary collaboration led to unique results and represents the essence of effective professor-student mentorship.

“With Sutton's idea, we were able to use the computational quantum chemical techniques that I know to study the disease at the molecular level,” Evrard said.

Pohlman, who earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in December 2025, plans to pursue a master’s degree in business administration with a healthcare focus at CSC while continuing to play football, before attending the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Evrard plans to publish their research providing Pohlman with co-researching credits.

Pohlman and Evrard presented about their research during a Graves Lecture in the Sandoz Center Nov. 18, 2025.