Beta Alpha Psi Chapter Receives National Recognition

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo School of Management’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi received a top prize and several additional awards at the organization’s international conference in Anaheim, Calif., in August.

Beta Alpha Psi is an international financial information organization for students and professionals.

A team of four students from the UB School of Management’s Zeta Theta chapter won first place in a best practices competition, “Strategic Planning: BAP in 10 Years.”

Each team was required to formulate and effectively present a strategic framework for Beta Alpha Psi to implement to maximize the organization’s success over the next 10 years.

The members of the winning team were seniors Bill Baxter of Rochester, N.Y.; Ya Pan of Hong Kong, China; Qi Ma of Suzhou, China; and junior Tasneen Hamdani of Indore, India.

“These awards demonstrate the high level of professionalism that our students possess,” said Alex Ampadu, associate professor of accounting in the UB School of Management. “They came together as a team, competed against other top schools from all over the globe and achieved excellent results.”

UB’s Zeta Theta chapter also received special recognition from the IRS at the conference for having the largest Beta Alpha Psi-run Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in the nation this past tax season, based on the number of volunteers who contributed at least five hours of service.

The VITA program at UB surpassed its previous years’ results by setting records for total returns filed (393), total refunds distributed ($234,566), and total certified volunteers (138) who collectively contributed more than 1,400 hours of service over the 10-week program.

In addition, Zeta Theta was recognized as a “Superior Chapter,” by the international Beta Alpha Psi organization, receiving a plaque and monetary award.

The Wall Street Journal has ranked the UB School of Management No. 9 in the nation among schools with strong regional recruiting bases. In addition, BusinessWeek has ranked the school as one of the country's top 5 business schools for the fastest return on MBA investment, and Forbes cited it as one of the best business schools in the U.S. for the return on investment it provides MBA graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.