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MBAs achieve LeaderCORE™ certification
The School of Management awarded LeaderCORE certification to 38 MBA students in April.
This is the 13th group to complete LeaderCORE, an exclusive leadership development program that spans the entire two years of the UB MBA experience. More than 500 UB MBA students have earned LeaderCORE certification since the program was established in 2012.
A winner of the MBA Roundtable Innovator Award, LeaderCORE gives students the opportunity to study and navigate real-world business situations while developing a set of clearly identified leadership competencies.
This year’s graduates are: Kashif Ansari, Peter Bouris, Steve Brady, Eric Cornell, Emily Diep, Alisa Franasiak, Kevin Gardener, Brennan Gorman, William Gorman, Samantha Green, Pranay Karnatak, Akshay Koltewar, Srikrithi Krishnan, Daniel Kurowski, Fouad Laajine, Patrick Lageraaen, Danielle Lehman, Hsiang Heng Ma, Ryan Martin, Mark McCarthy, Benjamin Michalowski, Zainul Patrawala, Kevin Quinn, Eric Raine, Elizabeth Ramirez, Angelene Roberts, Rachel Romanowski, Sophie Schindler, Kovid Shrivastava, Pankaj Singh, Shashwat Singh, Ahbar Syyed, Matthew Taboni, Sumanth Thummala, Jawad Tung, Dylan Urban, Frances Uwechue and Zachary Zelazo.
“LeaderCORE is more relevant and timely than ever, given the dynamic business environment of the past four years,” says Marla Kameny, faculty director of the program and clinical assistant professor of organization and human resources. “The program continues to be highly sought out and praised by both employers and students, and employers are consistently impressed with how prepared LeaderCORE graduates are when they enter the workplace.”
UB receives formal association with the United Nations Department of Global Communications
The University at Buffalo will gain global recognition and representation at the United Nations, and will be involved in advocacy efforts to help monitor and implement international agreements thanks to its new formal association with the U.N. Department of Global Communications.
In December, the United Nations Department of Global Communications Civil Society Association Committee approved UB for association with the Department of Global Communications.
“We are joining a large family of organizations that support the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and are committed to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” says Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah, clinical professor of organization and human resources, faculty director of global programs and director of the school’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. “This is a tremendous opportunity to build the reputation of UB and the School of Management while making an impact on initiatives that align with UB’s position as SUNY’s flagship and support its ambition to become a top-25 public research institution.”
Siaw-Asamoah spearheaded UB’s efforts to achieve the U.N. association. As faculty director of global programs, she led Undergraduate Honors students to the inaugural Green Summit at the U.N. Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, and hosted a visit by U.N. Communications Officer Felipe Queipo, among many other initiatives.
“This designation reflects the mission of the School of Management to create positive change in the world, and aligns with our vision of a world of agile, transformational leaders who roll up their sleeves and change society for the better,” says Ananth Iyer, dean.
Kudos
Congratulations to the following School of Management faculty and staff on their recent accomplishments.
Britany Bartula, CPA, clinical assistant professor of accounting and law, was named a 2024 Emerging Leader by the New York State Society of CPAs. The award recognizes NYSSCPA members who have demonstrated leadership in their organization, made significant professional achievements in the past year and have gone above and beyond in giving back to the community.
Kevin Cleary, clinical assistant professor of management science and systems, was a recipient of the 2024 Academic Integrity award in April from UB’s Office of Academic Integrity for his commitment to upholding academic integrity, the foundational value of teaching, learning and research. The award celebrates those who go beyond their duty to promote and enhance UB’s culture of integrity.
Michael Krupski, clinical assistant professor of operations management and strategy, was honored with the Arjang A. Assad Excellence in Teaching award in May. Established with a personal endowment from Assad, former School of Management dean, the award is given biennially to a faculty member who has demonstrated teaching excellence, leadership and a passion for the profession.
Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing, was named a SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador. Lindsey was nominated by UB’s Educational Design Collaborative. Presented at the SUNY Online Summit in February, the award recognizes exemplary online educators who are enthusiastic and effective, and who can be positive and strong advocates for online teaching in the SUNY community.
Aisha O’Mally, clinical assistant professor of organization and human resources, was appointed to UB’s Equity, Diversity, Justice and Inclusion Faculty Fellows program for the 2024-25 academic year. The role of EDJI Fellows is to enhance the implementation of the recommendations made by the university-wide President’s Advisory Council on Race related to curriculum and instruction.
Charles Pustelnik, web producer in the school’s Information Technology Department, was selected in May as a 2024 UB Digital Accessibility Advocate award recipient. Pustelnik helps break down barriers to make the university’s digital landscape inclusive and empowering for individuals with disabilities. This achievement highlights his commitment to creating digital experiences that are accessible to all.
Jody Giarrusso and Carey Petruso of Enterprise Mobility were named Career Resource Center Recruiting Partners of the Year. Photo: Noah Owsiany, BS '26
School celebrates career partners
The Career Resource Center — an exclusive resource for nearly 4,000 students in the School of Management — hosted a celebration on May 8 to honor the following recruiting and internship partners for their considerable impact on student success and career development.
OUTSTANDING INTERNSHIP ORGANIZATION
West Herr Automotive Group
INTERN OF THE YEAR
Claire Ritchie
Casa Bella Management LLC
INTERN SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
Melissa Boland
Casa Bella Management LLC
INTERN OF THE YEAR
Akshay Prabhakar Koltewar
Linde
INTERN SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
James Luciani
Linde
NEW RECRUITING ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR
Techtronic Industries
RECRUITING PARTNERS OF THE YEAR
Carey Petruso
Enterprise Mobility
Jody Giarrusso
Enterprise Mobility
CRC ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Caroline Organ, MBA ’07
BS&P CPAs and Consultants
Team says “cheeze” to win UB entrepreneurship competition
The creators of a plant-based, cheese-alternative sauce took first place April 18 at UB’s Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition.
The winning team, first-year MBA students Matthew Mullens and Neharika Korati, received $25,000 in startup capital and in-kind services valued at $40,000 for their company, Empasta, which produces what the team calls “cheeze” sauce — a healthier, tasty cheese alternative.
Mullens was inspired with the idea in 2019 and wanted to create a product that has a low impact on the planet while being accessible and satisfying to those who have adopted a plant-based diet. He says the team was able to apply several concepts from the past two semesters of the MBA program.
“Even though I founded Empasta before coming to UB, our pitch was so much more refined because we had a better understanding of the language of business and how to communicate the value we are adding to people who engage with our product,” he adds.
The second-place team, Dominic LaVigne, a mechanical engineering student in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Daniel Chan, a School of Management student, will collect $10,000 for Exergi, which develops and deploys a solar energy generator for residential and small commercial buildings.
Selected from 31 first-round pitches and 12 semifinalists, six teams of finalists delivered 5-minute pitches to a panel of judges and other viewers, and were evaluated on how well they described the feasibility and marketability of their venture, proved the need for their product or service and presented potential sources of capital.
Panasci TEC was created in 2001 by the UB School of Management and the UB Office of Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships, and is funded with a $1 million endowment from the late Henry A. Panasci Jr. Hosted by UB’s Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad, the event brings together UB students from science, technology, business and other disciplines to maximize their potential and create viable businesses in Western New York.
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