University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2026 Buffalo Business 3 More than $75K in cash and services awarded at entrepreneurship competition LAZZCO Rocketry, a consumer and educational model rocketry company that develops certified solid rocket motors, reusable motor hardware and avionics systems took first place in April at the 2026 Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition. The competition was created by the School of Management and UB's Office of Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships. Funded with a $1 million endowment from the late Henry A. Panasci Jr. and hosted by UB's Startup and Innovation Collaboratory powered by Blackstone LaunchPad, the program brings UB students from science, technology, business and other disciplines together to maximize their potential to create viable businesses in Western New York. More than $75K in startup funding and services were awarded this year. Learn more at bit.ly/UB-Panasci26. Maria Kraimer named SUNY Distinguished Professor In April, Maria Kraimer, the Donald S. Carmichael Professor of Organizational Behavior, was named a SUNY Distinguished Professor by the SUNY Board of Trustees. Kraimer serves as an associate vice provost and faculty fellow for Faculty Affairs at UB, and director of the school's Center for Leadership and Global Impact. She recently completed a two-year term as chair of the school's Organization and Human Resources Department. A highly accomplished and interna- tionally recognized scholar, Kraimer was inducted into the premier management institution of the Academy of Management Fellows in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2025. Her research has garnered more than 30,000 citations according to Google Scholar, and she has published more than 50 articles in such elite jour- nals as the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology. Her works span three distinct research streams: expatriates' adjustment methods and effectiveness, career management, and relationships at work. Her long list of honors includes the Cummings Scholarly Achievement award and many Best Paper awards. She also has extensive teaching experience and has received superior teaching evaluations. The rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor is accorded to faculty who have distinguished their campus and SUNY through outstanding academic contribu- tions, including scholarly publications, national and international research presen- tations, research findings and the training of students. The rank of Distinguished Professor is the highest faculty rank in the SUNY system and an order above full professorship with three co-equal designations: distinguished professor, distinguished service professor and distin- guished teaching professor. Kraimer will be honored at UB's Celebration of Academic Excellence this fall. First-place winners Zaid ElNasser, Zyad Zahra and Arjun Kodial� Photo: Nancy J� Parisi

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