UB School of Management certifies third LeaderCORE class

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Management awarded LeaderCORE™ certification to 41 MBA students in a ceremony on April 11 at the Marriott Hotel in Amherst.

This is the third group to complete LeaderCORE, an exclusive leadership development program that spans the entire two years of the UB MBA experience.

LeaderCORE, which received the prestigious Innovator Award last year from the MBA Roundtable, gives students the opportunity to study and navigate real-world business situations while developing a set of clearly identified management competencies.

The graduates are: Natasha Allard, Karina Armstrong, Jeffrey Beacham, Naveen Bitra, John Bossung III, Brian Bowman, Ryan Carr, Balakumar Bharathi, Emily Clark, Kevin Cross, Caitlin Curry, Srutakirti Das, Christopher Eglin, Peter Fendt, Geoffrey Gallson, Cathryn Hilliard, Haiyan Hu, David Huoh, Kristen Ilecki, Luv Khurana, Rachana Kumar, Lijuan Lin, Christine Lundahl, Ankit Manchanda, Sugirtha Murugesan, Girish Nair, Marita Paredez, Shahid Parkar, Amit Pitale, Jeannette Russell-Shepherd, Swetha Sarathy, Vincent Schutt, Kevin Scoma, Miao Shi, Gregory Smith, Francesca Sosnowski, Megan Walck, Jenna Wegrzyn, Kathryn Weston, Landry Willard and Paul Zelepsky.

“LeaderCORE was designed with input from a wide cross-section of employers who tell us that the competencies developed in the program are an important factor for being hired and progressing in their organizations,” says Nick Everest, faculty director of the program and assistant professor of organization and human resources in the UB School of Management. “It is very rewarding to see students build on their existing strengths and develop skills that will guide their ongoing career development.”

LeaderCORE bridges the gap between academic learning and the workplace, focusing on core competencies—such as teamwork, problem solving, adaptability and integrity—considered vital by the business community for effective performance and successful leadership. The program is integrated into every aspect of coursework, career and professional development opportunities, internships and more.

In their first semester, LeaderCORE students undergo a rigorous assessment process during which they identify the competencies they wish to strengthen. Each student then creates an individual development plan based on current competencies and career aspirations.

One of the most differentiating features of LeaderCORE is the two-step certification process that includes a new assessment center experience launched this year with individual and group exercises, as well as a final defense interview.

During the interview, candidates are required to present and defend their learning portfolios and provide examples of how they have successfully put their newly developed competencies into practice. Each candidate is interviewed by a pair of trained assessors, one from within the school and the other an experienced business executive. The final assessment determines the student’s level of certification: proficient, superior or role model.

External assessors praised LeaderCORE as a great differentiator for both the school as an institution and for each of the participants.

“With the leadership dimensions instilled in them through the program, LeaderCORE graduates are clearly more prepared to enter the workforce and engage from day one,” says Eileen Morgan, vice president of human resources at Delaware North Cos. “It truly is an important program and one that we are certainly pleased to support.”

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.