New Student Profile: Michelle Lund

 

The Graduate Programs Office is preparing to welcome the incoming MBA Class of 2015 this coming August during MBA Advantage. We are excited to gain a new group of fresh faces within the walls of the School of Management. We are sharing this excitement by posting short profiles throughout the summer introducing the incoming MBA Class of 2015. We hope you will take the time to get to know our newest UB MBA’s as we share some of their experiences and interests.

Michelle Lund: Class of 2015

Hometown:  Buffalo, NY

Current City:  Buffalo, NY

Graduated from:  Ohio State

Major: Marketing & Minor in Fashion Merchandising

Why UB?  It has a great program and it will give me the connections to stay in Buffalo!

Why an MBA?  Further my business sense, leadership and knowledge so that I can excel and bring expertise in the workplace upon graduation.

Summer plans:  I will continue working at my full time job through mid-July. At that point I plan on doing some traveling around the US and/or Europe before returning to school full-time!  I am a Marketing Specialist at Novum Medical Products. It is a small medical equipment company which has given me the opportunity to touch upon a lot of different aspects of marketing (market research, product positioning/branding, social media, SEO, design, etc.)!

Something you want to learn:  I would love to learn to surf, because I love the beach and the ocean!

Someone you’d like to meet:  I would love to meet Audrey Hepburn, as she lived an admirable life.

Someone you’d like to have as a mentor:  I would choose some sort of fitness guru as my mentor, since it is the one area of my life I can’t seem to stay motivated in!

The hardest thing you’ve ever done:  The hardest thing I have ever done is run a half marathon, because I DESPISE running.

Fun Fact:  Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I have been to 10 cities around the US in the past year, and hope to get to Europe this summer!

“Give Me Data, I Will Tell You A Story…”

Some grad school courses teach us things in new academic areas, some equip us with new skills, and some courses provide new insights that let us develop new interests or even new career aspirations. UB MBA offers a course that does all of these – MGG633, the official course name is Managerial Model Process, and students have been ‘affectionately’ calling it Data Modeling.

Right from my first semester, I used to hear a lot about this course from alumni and second year MBAs. I decided to pursue the course in spring 2013. The course was supposed to teach us build models for real time business scenarios, but today I realize that the course has changed the way we make decisions. Now we are better at converting data into decisions by building models, analyzing risk and sensitivity, and also visualizing different forms of data. Our presentation and reporting skills have also tremendously improved.

We used MS Excel as the platform. Whenever we learned a new tool we immediately worked on cases to become familiarized with them. With a series of meticulously planned individual and group assignments, the course stressed hands-on experience versus just mere theory.

On the whole, the course was such an exciting journey and a great learning experience. I would like to express my gratitude to our beloved professor, Frank Krzystofiak, for MGG633. I included his famous quote as this post’s title.

Balakumar
UB MBA Class of 2014

Soiree Celebration

While those involved in the MBA program believe deeply in working hard, they also believe in taking the time to reward this hard work.  Every Spring, the first and second year MBA students as well as faculty and staff get together to celebrate the end of another great academic year.  This year’s Soiree event was hosted at Aqua, located right on the Buffalo waterfront.  Luckily, the day was beautiful and we were able to take advantage of the outdoor patio.

The most memorable part of my night was when awards were given to first and second year students for certain superlatives.  Elected by their classmates, students were awarded titles such as “Rookie of the year,” “Most likely to become the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company,” and “Most likely to still be in Alfiero at midnight.”  These are special honors to receive since each student is nominated by their fellow peers.  The MBA family is very unique in that they take the time to recognize those who go above and beyond what is required, while at the same time maintaining a great sense of humor.  The “Most likely to contribute to a corporate downfall” superlative is a prime example of how everyone is able to recognize success without taking themselves too seriously.  Faculty and staff were not neglected in the awards process, and were given honors such as “Professor whose class I looked forward to the most.”

This end of the year celebration was also a chance for everyone to recognize the efforts of this year’s GMA (Graduate Management Association) officers and welcome the new officers.  Todd Carter, Brian Wagner, Nick Notarius, and Angela Haase will be followed next year by Chris Eglin, Kevin Scoma, Derek Zwerman, and Megan Walck.  This was a great opportunity for all of us to one last time get together and celebrate before we see off the second year students at their graduation on the 10th!

Sneak Preview Weekend

The School of Management just recently hosted the annual “Sneak Preview Weekend” for incoming MBA students. The weekend started off with a reception downtown at the beautiful Templeton Landing restaurant overlooking the harbor. School of Management faculty and staff from the Graduate Programs Office and the Career Resource Center attended the event, as well as some current students. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the incoming students.

After the reception, the Graduate Management Association (GMA) coordinated a happy hour for the incoming students just a short block away at Pearl Street Bar & Grill. The turn-out from current students was very impressive! It was an excellent chance for first-years and second-years to mingle and get to know the Class of 2015. It was a lot of fun.  For those of you that attended, we hope you enjoyed the night as much as we did!

On Saturday, “Sneak Preview Weekend” continued with a case study from the reputable Professor Frank Krzystofiak, introductions to the Career Resource Center and the LeaderCORE program, and panels with alumni, professors and current students. It was a great event that allowed the incoming Class of 2015 students the opportunity to get a taste of what life is like as an MBA student here at the University at Buffalo.

- Laura Quackenbush

Last Week of Classes for the Class of 2013!

As the last week of MBA classes has arrived this semester, I have taken some time to reflect on the journey that my fellow MBA teammates and I have ventured on. It seems as though it was just a short time ago that I attended MBA Advantage and met my fellow teammates for the very first time. (Disclaimer: If you haven’t participated in MBA Advantage, some of what you’re about to read might sound a little crazy.) During our first week as a team, I remember doing yoga poses with Arvind while we struggled not to fall off of a block of wood. I remember walking with Ashley as she held my arm and led me around a small area near Baird Point. I remember talking with Colin during lunch and realizing that we’re both from the same small town and know a lot of the same people. Finally, I remember laughing with Zach as he cracked jokes to alleviate some of the awkwardness that all of us were feeling.

As an MBA Ambassador, a Buddy-Connect participant, and the sister of an incoming Class of 2015 MBA student, a lot of people ask me about the unique team experience of the UB MBA program. What I like to tell most people is that over the course of the first year, you and your fellow teammates become a family. Like a family, you did not get to pick one another, but you have to figure out a way to work together. At some points throughout your experience, it may even feel like you spend as much time with your teammates as you do with your family because nearly all teams spend 20+ hours together per week between classes and team meetings. Like your relationships with the other members of your family, your relationships with the other members of your team are not going to be perfect all of the time. Almost every team, just like almost every family, experiences a rough patch at least once throughout their journey. However, you have to figure out a way to get through that rough patch and overcome it, so you can successfully accomplish your individual and team goals. At the end of the first year, you’ll realize that the relationships that you spent so much time cultivating are likely to be lifelong friendships.

Here’s a picture of my MBA team from the winter session of MBA Advantage.

From left to right: Arvind, Zach, Me, Carly Hartmans (our Corporate Champion contact), Ashley, and Colin.

I can’t believe that almost two years have gone by. It’s crazy to think that in a few short weeks, the Class of 2013 will be walking across the stage at commencement and celebrating the end to an incredible journey. If you’re considering the UB MBA program, I strongly encourage you to apply, so you don’t miss out on the chance to experience this amazing, unique opportunity to form lifelong relationships with truly unforgettable people.

Samantha Chmura
JD/MBA Candidate, Class of 2015

Breakfast Conversations

This morning I had the opportunity to join a small group of students for a breakfast with Richard Floersch, McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, and Richard Severa, Managing Partner of Accretive Partners & Strategies LLC. The conversation focused primarily on emotional intelligence, but covered topics ranging from conflict management to professional development to empathy in the workplace.

Both Mr. Floersch and Mr. Severa were frank and open about their experiences and provided thoughtful answers to our questions. Reviewing my notes, I have a stack of ideas to think about and reflect upon as a student and one-day, hopeful leader. But two points related to leadership really stood out to me.

Mr. Floersch described how he sees the future of leadership as increasingly collaborative and cross-functional. Different departments will need leaders that ensure HR, marketing, operations, etc. work together seamlessly. He also discussed how a leader’s integrity will always be paramount. Mr. Severa added that, over time, leadership becomes inherent in your personality. Eventually, the person is indistinguishable from the leader. For me, it’s interesting to put both of these insights together and reflect on my current leadership strengths and weaknesses and identify areas to grow.

I’m very grateful that Mr. Floersch and Mr. Severa took the time to speak with UB MBAs. Conversations like this are invaluable to students. Talks with prominent business leaders provide a shining light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. They help you understand and appreciate (when you’re lost in the end of the semester mad dash of projects and finals) the real-world applicability of what you’re learning. And these conversations push you to think of yourself and your potential aspirations 20 to 30 years down the line. What kind of leader do you want to be? How would you run a leadership team?

Pretty thought provoking conversations over breakfast…

Sarah Tanbakuchi

JD/MBA (Class of 2014)

Picture Abhi Baaki Hai, Mere Dost!

Last week witnessed the LeaderCORE™ certification ceremony at Buffalo Marriott and thousands of thoughts flashed in front of my daydreaming eyes. It was the moment to honor the efforts that my fellow classmates have put in last two years for self-development and to realize what it means to a LeaderCORE student!

Through the LeaderCORE thought-process, I realized that one of my ‘newly-found’ motivating factors is the opportunity to make a positive difference in somebody’s life. Being an international student, I was a bit nervous about the challenging time in initial few months in Buffalo while being acquainted with new life and new culture. However, I was happily surprised to see the extensive support by classmates, faculty and staff members in UB School of Management. Later, the Buddy-Connect program was originated to address similar challenge and to help incoming students acclimate in new environment. Our basic idea is to make a human connection and use the current experience our MBA students to help the incoming counterparts to have a smoother transition in the UB culture. Graduate Programs Office successfully implemented the pilot phase of this initiative last year (2012) with our international friends and subsequently, we realized that Buddy-Connect could add value to ALL incoming students. After receiving a positive feedback from students who participated in this program in 2012, we are in process to extend this program to the entire incoming MBA class of 2015 and we deeply appreciate the voluntary support from UB MBA class of 2014. For me, it was really rewarding to see how this initiative helped to dissolve the virtual barriers between first year and second year MBA students, and touched so many lives in positive way. Standing on the verge of graduation, I am proud to be a part of Buddy-Connect legacy that will keep making a positive difference in upcoming years.

As I finish my last post on UB MBA blog, I remember one of the classic Bollywood quotes: “Picture abhi baaki hai, mere dost!” (The show isn’t over yet, my friend!) We, UB MBA graduates, will keep on learning; keep on getting better every day and most importantly, keep on making a positive difference!

I wish all the very best to UB MBA class of 2013 and extend a warm welcome to the UB MBA class of 2015!

Amit Prayag
UB MBA (Class of 2013)