University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2019 Buffalo Business 3 School of Management hosts national case competitions Facing off against business students from around the country, a team of four School of Management students took first place (see photo at right) at the second annual UB MBA Case Competition on April 6, hosted by the School of Management and sponsored by Citi. Presenting teams were identified only by a number, so judges didn't know which college or university each team was from until aer their evaluations were complete. Ten teams of finalists were selected based on the quality of their written case analysis of a real-world business problem on how to best position a successful cra beer company for expansion. They then presented their proposed solutions in person to a panel of executive judges. The UB team received $5,000, Rutgers Business School took second and received $2,000, and the University of Illinois Gies College of Business took third place and received $1,000. With sponsorship from Eli Lilly and Co., the School of Management also hosted the inaugural undergradu- ate competition the same day. The first-place team, from the University of Rochester Simon Business School, won $5,000, From left: UB MBA Case Competition winners Orion LaMontagne, Mike Kleinfelder, Valerie Cardillo and Jacob Walsh. Photos: Tom Wolf while the team from the Binghamton University School of Management won $2,000 for second place. UB's team col- lected a $1,000 prize for their third-place finish, and was made up of Ryan Hughes, Kyle Jensen, Noah Nardozza and Paige Roseman. In addition, Nardozza, a freshman study- ing business administration, was named Best Presenter among all undergraduates and won a $500 prize. x Nardozza O'Brien receives Chancellor's Award Erin O'Brien, MBA '00, has been awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, the highest award SUNY bestows to professional staff. As as- sistant dean and director of graduate programs in the School of Management since 2013, O'Brien oversees the overall di- rection of graduate recruitment, admissions and student services. Through her leadership, O'Brien successfully launched and executed a scalable structure of collaborative degree programs that has enabled the School of Management to sustain and grow enrollment. She also created and instituted a comprehensive set of strategic recruitment and en- gagement initiatives for the school's MBA and master's programs that support active members of the military, veterans, women, underrepresented students and those in the health sciences, providing a highly personalized experience that connects with students at an individual level. The net effect has greatly in- creased the diversity and breadth of student recruitment efforts and the quali- ty of the student experience for the school's graduate programs. "Erin brings a highly disciplined and data-driven approach to under- standing problems and developing solutions," says Paul Tesluk, dean of the School of Management. "Her efforts have helped to enhance the quality and strength of the school's graduate program portfolio, and we are pleased she is being recognized with this well-deserved honor." x Entrepreneurial triumph Ogechi Ogoke, a doctoral student in chemical and biological engineering, took first place on April 10 in UB's Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition for a patient-specific cell therapy that can be used as an alternative to a liver transplant. He will receive $25,000 in start- up capital and in-kind services valued at $27,000 for his company, Livandala. Hosted by the School of Management's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and UB's Blackstone LaunchPad pow- ered by Techstars, the event is part of UB's bur- geoning entrepreneurial ecosystem. x Photo: Nancy J. Parisi

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