Startups

Bloomberg Businessweek has again ranked the UB School of Management's MBA program as one of the nation’s best. The school vaulted 12 spots in the 2022 ranking to No. 64, putting it solidly in the top 10% of AACSB-accredited business schools.

Among public universities, the School of Management is ranked No. 29. The school fared exceptionally well in the learning component of the survey with a rank of No. 32 overall, again besting such schools as Harvard, Duke and NYU, and in diversity, also No. 32.

“Our climb in this ranking is a reflection of the quality of our faculty, and the caliber and success of our students,” says Paul Tesluk, dean of the School of Management. “In addition, initiatives like LeaderCORE, Global Programs, Corporate Champions, Social Impact Fellows and our Nonprofit Board Fellowship have had a positive impact on the student experience and contribute to our exceptional placement in the learning and diversity components.”

The ranking is based on data compiled from 6,640 students, 12,462 alumni, 853 employers, and compensation and job-placement data from each school. In addition to the overall ranking, schools are separately ranked on five component indexes—compensation, networking, learning, entrepreneurship and diversity.

Of more than 16,000 business schools worldwide, the UB School of Management is one of only about 910 schools accredited by AACSB International and the only school in the Buffalo Niagara region to make the Bloomberg Businessweek ranking.

The School of Management has appointed Susan C. Steffan executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL).

Active in the entrepreneurial community, Steffan is an experienced trainer and facilitator on a variety of topics, particularly in the areas of finance and accounting for entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

She previously worked for Medaille College, where she was most recently an associate professor of the practice in the Department of Business, Management and Leadership. She also served as department chair and director of the school’s MBA program.

Prior to her role in higher education, Steffan held positions in the private sector and ran an independent consulting business. She also serves on the board of directors for Alden State Bank.

Steffan earned both her MBA and BS in business administration from the School of Management.

“We welcome Susan and look forward to working with her,” says Paul Tesluk, dean of the School of Management. “Her unique skill set will enable her to build on the high-quality entrepreneurial and small-business programing and support to the community that has defined the CEL brand for more than 30 years.”

Steffan will succeed Anthony DeSimone, who has served as interim director of the CEL for the past year.

The School of Management Alumni Association presented the 2021 Faculty Award for Alumni Engagement to Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah, clinical associate professor of organization and human resources, and faculty director of Global Programs.

Siaw-Asamoah received the award in December at a faculty reception hosted by the alumni association’s board of directors. She was lauded for providing outstanding opportunities for students to connect with alumni and the business and nonprofit community through numerous classes, programs and experiential learning activities. In her Global Programs role, she has engaged more than 200 School of Management alumni and friends through the Experience the 50 program alone.

Additionally, through a class taught by Siaw-Asamoah, seniors in the school’s undergraduate honors program connect with nonprofit organizations to provide student-led financial literacy training to some of the region’s most underserved populations. Over the past seven years, students have assisted 15 local organizations.

The school’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (CLOE) concluded its first-ever “52 Weeks of Leadership” program in December. Every Monday throughout 2021, an expert from the School of Management or a guest expert gave a 30-minute presentation live to a Zoom audience. Topics included boosting creativity and innovation, inclusive leadership, emotions in teams, crisis communications and more. Attendees gained practical leadership insights—and tangible steps to put those insights to work. They also had the opportunity to discuss new concepts with faculty and connect with industry peers. Select sessions are recorded and available at management.buffalo.edu/leadership52.

In addition to the CLOE webinars, School of Management faculty and staff shared their expertise in a series of webinars hosted by the UB Alumni Association on a wide range of subjects. From giving and receiving feedback to information security management to more resilient supply chains, there is something for everyone. Watch faculty and expert webinars at management.buffalo.edu/research.

The School of Management honored the co-leaders of the Western New York Vaccination Hub and several alumni at the school’s annual awards ceremony, held virtually last fall.

WNY Vaccine Hub co-leaders Michael E. Cain, MD, former vice president for health sciences at UB and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD ’04, president and CEO of Erie County Medical Center Corp.; and Mark A. Sullivan, president and CEO of Catholic Health, received the 2021 Buffalo Niagara Executive of the Year award for their role in the regional COVID-19 vaccination effort.

In addition, the School of Management celebrated the following alumni for their considerable impact on the school, the community and their industry.

• George Chamoun, BA ’97 and management minor, CEO of ACV, for entrepreneurship
• Ridzki Kramadibrata, MBA ’99, president of Grab Indonesia, for industry leadership
• Sarah Tanbakuchi, BA ’09, JD/MBA ’14, president and CEO of TechBuffalo, for her service to the school
• Danielle Vazquez, BA ’16, MPH/MBA ’19, director of support services at Rush University Medical Center, for early career success

President Satish K. Tripathi, Dean Paul Tesluk and other university leaders gathered Nov. 5 with members of the Agrusa family to formally dedicate Paula T. Agrusa Plaza outside the School of Management.

The project, which has totally refreshed exterior spaces on both sides of Jacobs Management Center, was made possible by a gift from Russ Agrusa, BS ’76, in memory of his wife and School of Management alumna, Paula Agrusa, BS ’78.

After Paula passed away in 2016, her husband began working with the Office of University Advancement on a way to honor his wife and the university she loved. Paula T. Agrusa Plaza is a peaceful, welcoming space filled with flowers, benches, walking paths, café-style lighting and a firepit focal point. Before Paula passed away, the couple had decided they would contribute to the School of Management to greatly improve its physical presence and provide a valued meeting place for students as they go from class to class. “She was a very caring person,” Russ said, “and always wanted to give back.”

The firepit was added thanks to a gift from Bob, EMBA ’00, and Gayle Denning and Greg, BS ’82, and Joanne, BS ’82, Bauer in memory of Keith Stolzenburg—a beloved mentor, former executive in residence and dedicated School of Management alumnus who passed away in 2020. Stolzenburg’s wife, Rosanne, and children, Anna and Eric, also attended the dedication.

Speakers remembered Paula’s fondness for flowers, adding long strings of numbers in her head and giving to others. “This space reflects the beauty, imagination and love of Paula,” Tesluk said.

The space also features a glass sculpture created in Paula’s memory with a poem she wrote a number of years ago. Tesluk read the poem, “Carry On,” at the dedication event. 

A native of Binghamton, Paula studied accounting and finance at the School of Management. She met Russ, an electrical engineering student, and they dated throughout their time at UB. They married in 1978 after Paula’s graduation. As partners at home and at work, the Agrusas grew their company, ICONICS, from a startup into an international software company with hundreds of employees.

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