School of Management graduates inaugural honors cohort

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. — After two years of leadership development, self-reflection and enrichment opportunities, the first cohort of undergraduate honors students in the University at Buffalo School of Management have graduated and are ready to advance their careers.

Only the top 5% of business administration and accounting majors qualify to participate in the school’s elite honors program. These high-achieving students strengthen their leadership skills through an individualized development plan, specialized courses and opportunities to complement and enhance what they learn during their undergraduate degree program by conducting research with faculty, studying abroad, taking select graduate-level courses and completing a credit-bearing internship or supplemental coursework.

“Through various self-assessments, we identified our strengths, work styles and areas of improvement,” says Mahwish Khan of Karachi, Pakistan, an honors student who earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and psychology from UB this year. “After a lot of reflecting, I found my passion in the marketing research and training and development fields. I also learned the importance of my personal brand, to be receptive to feedback and that change is imperative in life.”

The program culminates with a senior capstone course and the second half of their leadership development course, during which each student delivered a presentation highlighting how they’ve grown through the program and how that development will impact their future.

“The program is personalized, reflective and introspective,” says honors student Ian Scaduto of Clarence, who graduated with undergraduate degrees in business administration and mathematics from UB. “This spring, I gave talks on diversity based on a group project I completed and joined a research team with Professor Emily Grijalva. Because of the program and experiences like these, I have gone outside of my comfort zone and am pleased with the results.”

The following 22 students graduated from the School of Management’s honors program this year:

Reem Abdellatif of Grand Island; Lili Chen of Brooklyn; Peter Costello of Ballston Spa; Billy Dickinson of Cheektowaga; Christopher DiDuro of East Amherst; Kathleen Gaul of Niskayuna; Tyler Grassman of Columbus, Ohio; Brian Grosso of Middletown; Catherine Harber of Hamburg; Briana Janson of Amherst; Yuyu Jin of Hunan, China.

Also, Mahwish Khan of Karachi, Pakistan; Siddharth Khandelwal of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India; Hseuh Kim (Charlie) Low of Seri Kembangan, Malaysia; Sebastian Mace of Clifton Park; Khadeisha Richards of Brooklyn; Matthew Ricotta of Darien Center; Ian Scaduto of Clarence; Willian Sueyasu of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Jon Voyzey of Grand Island; Shelby Wilde of Kenmore; and Gabrielle (Qianhui) You of Nanning, China.

Lorrie Metzger, clinical assistant professor of accounting and law, serves as faculty director for the program, and Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah, clinical assistant professor of organization and human resources, teaches the leadership development courses.