Senior Leadership Team

Appelbaum assists the dean in developing and shaping policy, strategies for collaboration, and overall operating principles. She serves as the dean’s senior advisor on a wide range of internal and external issues to ensure that initiatives are carried out in support of the university’s and school’s mission. Previously, as an assistant dean and director of the school’s Career Resource Center, Appelbaum managed strategic planning for career development, internships and recruitment. She brings extensive experience to her role, having served as manager of New York sales and director of energy trading at National Fuel, and as a financial analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In 2017, Appelbaum was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. She received an MBA from the UB School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Bagnoli serves as a strategic business partner, providing leadership over budget and financial management, human resources, administrative operations, compliance and stewardship. In her role, she helps create a vision and strategy that aligns with School of Management and university goals to drive planning, decision-making and problem resolution within the school. Prior to joining the School of Management, Bagnoli was unit business officer for UB’s Graduate School of Education, and director of resource management for University Advancement. She also brings private sector experience to her role, including six years as a finance manager at Praxair Inc. for global engineering, procurement, human resources, sales, operations and global safety. Bagnoli has an MBA from St. Bonaventure University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hilbert College.

Costello manages a staff of seven and provides information technology support to faculty, staff and student employees. Responsibilities include support, management and security for the school’s servers, financial and research databases, 11 technology-equipped classrooms, and student computer lab, as well as oversight of the school’s web presence and web-based applications. He is also responsible for managing the school’s facilities, including space utilization and maintenance. Costello serves as liaison to centrally supported technology services such as email and VoIP telephone service, as well as liaison to UB’s central facilities. He is project manager for facility repairs, new construction and rehab projects. He has an MBA from the UB School of Management, a BS in business administration from Canisius College and is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Since 2019, Dittmar has led a comprehensive effort to ensure school-wide academic integrity and student success, providing guidance and support to faculty and staff. She works directly with students to educate them on what constitutes academic integrity violations, including meeting with those who have committed such acts. She also assists students in crisis, connecting them to academic, personal, financial and mental health resources. Dittmar is a liaison to university-wide offices for academic integrity and student success. Previously, she served as assistant dean for undergraduate academic programs and student services since 1997. A recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service, Dittmar has a PhD in higher education administration from Boston College, as well as an MS in education and a BS in business education, both from Canisius College.

Gammell helps to define and lead a comprehensive, coordinated strategy for enrollment-focused programming, student outreach, recruiting and admissions. In partnership with the dean and the school’s leadership team, she develops and executes a data-informed strategy to meet enrollment and revenue goals, while adapting to ever-changing market demands. She also oversees the teams responsible for the school’s recruiting and admissions operations. Prior to joining the School of Management, Gammell worked for UB in several roles, including director of recruitment for graduate enrollment for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She has a Master of Education in higher education administration from the University at Buffalo, and a BA in biology with minors in engineering and psychology from Lehigh University.

Ghosen leads school-wide communications, public relations and media relations efforts and provides strategic oversight for digital and print communications to position the school as a national leader in business education. She is also editor-in-chief of Buffalo Business, the school’s alumni magazine. Since joining UB in 1995, her achievements have earned her the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. She and her team have been recognized for the quality of their work with more than 70 awards from PRSA, SUNYCUAD and CASE. Active in the Public Relations Society of America, Ghosen has served in numerous leadership roles in the Buffalo Niagara Chapter. She holds an MBA from the UB School of Management, a BS in business from Medaille College, and is accredited in public relations.

With a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from the University at Buffalo, LaDelfa directs the school and university-wide activities related to analytics, accreditation, program review and approvals, and use of data to enhance the understanding and effectiveness of the school’s academic programs and operations. LaDelfa has more than 20 years’ experience in educational leadership, policy and student services management, and worked at several other SUNY institutions before joining the school in 2017. She also has an MS in counseling from the University at Albany and a BS in psychology from SUNY Cortland.

Piscitelli leads the school’s development initiatives, including direct supervision of major and principal gift fundraising initiatives, and collaborative oversight of annual giving efforts. He and his team work in concert to strengthen the culture of philanthropy by engaging internal and external constituents. He also provides direction and strategy, allowing for continued growth toward campaign success. As liaison to the university’s central advancement division, Piscitelli advocates for the school on behalf of its students, faculty and staff. He has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Rochester.

Rogers is responsible for advancing a culture of diversity and inclusion in the School of Management. Her role includes enhancing school support for faculty, staff and students, especially in consideration of hiring, promotion, admission and retention processes. She provides guidance to individuals, departments and programs in identifying practices that will generate a more inclusive environment and equitable outcomes, and works across the school to develop short- and long-term goals, objectives and strategies for success. Rogers also leads several diversity and inclusion committees within the school and serves as clinical associate professor of organization and human resources. She earned an MBA from the UB School of Management and a BA in communication from the University at Buffalo.

Ruggiero manages strategic planning for career development, internships and full-time employment for the school’s graduate and undergraduate populations. She directs a team that provides students with individual and group advising, required career courses, educational and networking events, employer information sessions and interview training. She also uses her extensive career services experience to build and maintain relationships with all stakeholders, including students, employers, alumni, faculty and staff. A Buffalo native, Ruggiero is active in professional career development organizations locally, regionally and nationally. A two-time graduate of the University at Buffalo, she earned an MS in education with a focus in college student services and development, and a BA in psychology.

Shore maximizes the positive impact of alumni and external relationships on the school’s reputation, resources and academic programming through strategic, innovative and coordinated interaction with these constituents. She and her team strive to increase the engagement of worldwide alumni in achieving the school’s mission and vision, and increase philanthropic tendencies of external constituents by improving the quality and frequency of their engagement with the school. Shore also supports co-curricular programming by engaging practitioners in real-world learning opportunities, and provides input to the school on curricular innovation that is adaptive to the changing demands of employers and the business community. A recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, Shore has a BS in business administration and an MBA, both from the UB School of Management.

Walsh oversees non-credit open enrollment, custom training and micro-credentials for the school. She co-created intensive training modules on emotional intelligence, and has taught and coached more than 500 business professionals. Walsh also has organized international business trips to China, Chile, Ireland, England, Italy, Germany, France and Brazil to provide educational, business and networking opportunities for current and future professionals. Previously, she held positions with Delaware North in Buffalo and Boston, and served in multiple strategic marketing roles for entertainment and nonprofit organizations. Walsh earned an MBA from the UB School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from Ithaca College, with dual majors in management and marketing. She also holds numerous certifications in such areas as emotional intelligence, negotiation and decision-making strategies, Hogan Group Assessments, WorkPlace Big Five and CernySmith Assessments.

Steffan serves as executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, providing strategic direction and program oversight to support the CEL’s mission to unlock human potential, create jobs, inspire wealth and invigorate the greater Western New York economy and community through entrepreneurial development. Prior to joining the School of Management, Steffan was a clinical associate professor and chair of the Business, Management and Leadership Department at Medaille University, and won the Brian Shero Award for Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership. Steffan’s extensive industry background includes time at General Motors and Hearst Publishing, as well as decades of work with small businesses as a volunteer and through her consulting practice. Steffan has an MBA and a BS in business administration from the UB School of Management.