University at Buffalo School of Management

with a majority of the experience already online, Chowdhry says the academic transition was fairly seamless. "I enjoy going to class. I experience palpable energy walking into the school that can't be replaced, but look- ing at the greater public health issues, it was the right call," he says. "The professors did a great job adjusting schedules and modifying the learning experience on a quick timeline." He says there were benefits to the online learning experience, too, like being home to help with the baby, easily breaking out into groups through Zoom and time saved from not commuting. Chowdhry and his classmates even got to study the economic impact of the pandemic as it happened, from the supply and demand of toilet paper to big-picture issues like income and wealth inequality. "School helped me get through it all," he says. "Education was the light of my day—an opportunity to divert my attention away from the stresses associated with being a health care provider during the pandemic." Learning–and serving Lizzie Hughes, a business administration under- grad also minoring in law, was in her apartment with friends when she found out classes were transitioning to distance learning. Her spring break flight was scheduled to take off just two hours later, so she packed what she could and headed home. On top of her classes, Hughes is a peer tutor in the school's Undergraduate Learning and Community Center and says the team worked together quickly to develop new ways to serve fellow students. "It was tough because we rely on things like whiteboards and being face to face with students to maximize their experience," says Hughes. "But we moved all our tutoring, academic support and workshops online via Zoom and had weekly team meetings to discuss challenges that arose." Through it all, Hughes says the hardest part was staying motivated, but adaptability was key. "At first, it felt like school was over, but then real- ity hit and I had to get back to work," she says. "Deadlines and assignments were constantly changing, and planning out my week was more important than ever." Seizing opportunities, liing each other up and applying determination in the face of challenges—that's what School of Management students do every day, even during a pandemic. Despite the challenges of remote learning, School of Management students delivered high-quality work—and made a positive impact on many organizations. • Master's students in the Finance Academy consulted with such organizations as Shea's Performing Arts Center, Whiting Door Manufacturing Co. and Ferric Contrast. Read more: bit.ly/finance-academy • For the Undergraduate Management Poster Competition, undergrads used video technology to highlight their research, social innovation and applied learning activities. Read more: bit.ly/ugpostercomp2020 • In the "Experiential IT Projects" course, students developed a sales forecasting tool for Nissha Medical Technologies and helped launch a telemedicine app with the Sleep Medicine Centers of WNY, among other projects. Read more: bit.ly/experiential-IT VIRTUAL PROJECTS, REAL IMPACT Hughes Autumn 2020 Buffalo Business 11 Chowdhry at Southtowns Radiation Oncology in Orchard Park. Photo: Tom Wolf Photo: Tom Wolf

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