University at Buffalo-MBA Blog

Spring 2012 MBA Advantage

ubmba — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:20:50 +0000

The second half of last week, I attended UB MBA Advantage for the spring semester. For those of you who don’t know, MBA Advantage serves as an orientation for first-year MBA students and occurs just prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters.

While the fall MBA Advantage program was focused primarily on teambuilding, the spring program centers on career development. Over the course of three days, we:

learned about personal networks and how to develop them;
participated in (and networked at) a UB SOM Alumni event;
attended a panel discussion related to the job application process featuring corporate recruiters;
competed with other MBA teams in a job interview competition sponsored by New Era Cap Co.;
took part in a very informative business etiquette presentation and luncheon

I honestly learned a lot from the program, particularly related to networking and business etiquette. Also, I’ve never heard of, or participated in, anything like the job interview competition, so it was a new and interesting experience (particularly since I’m interested in Human Resources). Useful and interesting programs like MBA Advantage are part of what sets UB apart from other schools and I’m glad to have experienced them.

~Steven Rehler, MBA 2013

It’s 2012 – Have you made any resolutions?

ubmba — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:22:21 +0000

When I graduated from 6th grade, I commented that the year had flown by. My dad said, “Wait til you’re my age, they really fly by.” Every year, as the new year approaches, I recall my dad’s words and realize that each year does seem to pass more quickly than the last.

It is also the time of year that I think about resolutions. Will I make one? If I do, will I keep it? Historically, I make one and blow it by the end of January. So, what’s the point?

This year, I decided to change my approach. I thought about what my dad said and decided to take some time to reflect on all that happened in 2011 vs. what I planned to accomplish in 2012. I actually opened an Excel spreadsheet and month by month, listed the highlights. Yes, maybe a bit much, but it was beneficial to see it in black and white.

Overall, a lot of positive things happened in 2011 and it was fun to remember them and they impacted me and others. Although I have always been extremely grateful for my friends and family, this exercise reinforced how lucky I am to blessed with great people in my life. There were a few lows and I “resolved” not to repeat them in 2012. Hopefully, I’ll be successful.

As you begin 2012, I hope that you take some time to reflect on 2011. If you make a resolution, I wish you success in following through. I hope 2012 will be a great year for all of us and that we all appreciate each day and experience.

Best Regards,
Meghan

Assistant Director of Admissions and Marketing

Festivus, for the Rest of Us

ubmba — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:04:49 +0000

As many of you are aware this past Saturday was Festivus. Festivus is one night of the year where 2nd year’s can forget that they will be out of school in six months and looking for a job, 1st year’s can celebrate almost completing their first semester of graduate school, and dual-degree students do not have to think about how many years they still have at UB.

Having worked in several career development offices across UB’s campus I can say that the MBA program is a truly unique experience. Unlike other programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, there is a communal sense in the MBA program that no one can deny. Despite team meetings that feel endless and at times wasteful, many life-long relationships begin in Alfiero. It is almost impossible to walk to class and not see a familiar face. The next time you are stressed out over a project or assignment due the following day I challenge you to step back and as they say, get out of the trees and see the forest. Although I hold great value in academic success I equally place value on the MBA experience as a whole.

I am sure we have all heard the famous advice, “enjoy the time you are in school, it’s the best time of your life.” I am not very fond of this quote for many reasons but instead I offer a bit of a variation. Enjoy your time in the UB MBA program; you may not get another chance to be part of such a large group of great people.

Chris Maugans
JD/MBA 2014

Rule #76: No Excuses. Play Like a Champion.

ubmba — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:10:10 +0000

As part of the Corporate Champions program, all first-year MBA teams are paired with a local organization at the beginning of the fall semester. During the course of the semester, representatives from the organization work with the members of your team in a series of activities, including MBA Advantage, an organizational analysis project that incorporates three core courses, a company site visit, a community service activity, and an end-of-semester reception. The 2011 Corporate Champions include local companies, such as First Niagara, Pepsi Bottling, and Roswell Park Cancer Institute to name a few.

My team’s Corporate Champion is The Buffalo News, and for the past three months, we have been working closely with one of The News’ promotions managers and one of their digital sales managers to help strengthen our understanding of the world of business and our connection to it. About a month ago, my four team members and I, along with the School of Management’s Assistant Dean, David Frasier, were taken on a special tour of The Buffalo News headquarters in downtown Buffalo, as part of our site visit. We learned a lot of really interesting information about the daily production of the paper, had the opportunity to meet Margaret Sullivan, the editor of The Buffalo News, and were invited to a meeting with the company’s president, Warren Colville, to discuss the status of our team’s organizational analysis project.

My Team's Corporate Champion: The Buffalo News

Next week, my team members and I will present our organizational analysis project to our Organizational Behavior, Communications, and Statistics professors, as well as to our classmates and eventually, to our Corporate Champion. This project has not only allowed my team members and I to become more involved in a local Buffalo business and the local Buffalo community, but has also supplemented the knowledge that we have gained from our first semester courses. It has provided us with a valuable real-world perspective on the current business environment, and my team members and I hope that we are able to provide our Corporate Champion with some value also!

Samantha Chmura MBA Candidate, Class of 2013

Food for Thought

ubmba — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:09:24 +0000

I love trying different cuisines. One thing you will never have trouble finding in Buffalo is a variety of restaurants with a wide range of cultures and atmospheres. There are hundreds of dining establishments to try out. Don’t worry about spending too much as many restaurants offer student discounts or weekly specials. In addition, I have also found that many local restaurants can be found on restaurant.com where I have purchased $25 coupons for only $2. Keep an ear out for Buffalo’s Restaurant Week, which gains you access to restaurants that are not always affordable on a student budget. Either way once you are here be sure to try the local cuisine.

Here are a few places I have tried and recommend:

The Commons- UB offers tastes from around the world at it’s diverse food court. You can find Korean, Japanese, Mediterranean, American and much more. You can try something different everyday.
Duff’s Famous Wings- Your first culinary stop in Buffalo should be Duff’s and their world famous Buffalo Chicken Wings. Be careful- their Hot Sauce is HOT!
Chocolate Bar- If you like chocolate, sweets and a little bit of surprise you should try Chocolate Bar. Although much of the menu is dedicated to chocolate there is something for everyone.
Fuji Sushi- Fuji Grill serves the best sushi and sashimi in town. It is conveniently located just a few miles from campus.
Sample- If you are the person that goes out to eat and likes to try a little bit from everyone’s dish, Sample was designed for you. Sample’s menu offers a variety of small-portioned dishes so you can try as much as you would like.

~Rachel Lawrence MBA 2013

LeaderCORE™ – Only Available at UB!

ubmba — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:07:53 +0000

This past Friday I attended orientation for LeaderCORE™, a leadership certification program offered only at UB. In fact, LeaderCORE was one of the things that led me to choose UB for my MBA. It seemed that every staff member and student I met was talking about this new, unique leadership program. After the start of classes, I learned more about the program and knew that it offered me an opportunity to differentiate myself from MBA students at other schools. So earlier this semester I applied and was accepted into the program!

LeaderCORE seeks to developing UB MBA students to be “management ready” upon graduation. The program provides participating students with the opportunity to understand and manage both themselves and others based on the following set of core competencies:

These core competencies were developed with the help of the business community, so LeaderCORE students will emerge from the program fully prepared to enter the workplace!

Participation in LeaderCORE is voluntary and the program’s core competencies are integrated into events and classes throughout the two years of the UB MBA program. Participating students set their own goals for achievement in each of the above competencies. They work towards these goals by:

1) attending a semester long seminar devoted to leadership development,

2) working one-on-one with both competency coaches and LeaderCORE coaches,

3) journaling their leadership learnings throughout the program,

4) defending the level of competency they’ve achieved during a “Certification Defense” during the student’s final semester.

In future posts I’ll keep you updated on my own leadership journey through the LeaderCORE program!

~Steven Rehler, MBA 2013

East Meets West: University at Buffalo School of Management and Renmin University School of Business Linking Up for Outstanding Student Opportunities

ubmba — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:19:02 +0000

Students from the the UB School of Management and the Renmin University School of Business in Beijing, China, will have an opportunity to exchange places for a semester or a year under a new agreement being ratified by both schools. Under the agreement students will have one-semester or full year options to study at the alternate school. Under the full year option students will spend their second semester, the summer and their third semester at the host institution, engage in a summer internship and be awarded an MBA degree by both institutions.
Given the continued importance of the U.S. – China relationship in global business this program affords an unprecedented opportunity for students from both schools to gain insights and experience in the “other” country. U.S. students with some Mandarin language expertise will be preferred but courses in both programs are taught in English so fluency will not be critical. For more information on this developing program contact David W. Frasier, Assistant Dean at the UB School of Management at 716-645-3204 or davidf@buffalo.edu

Buffalo – More to see than you think.

ubmba — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:52:18 +0000

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day. My husband and I finished a lot of yard work in the morning and ran errands in the afternoon. Since I was the passenger, I was able to take in quite a bit more scenery than when I drive. I’m a huge proponent of Buffalo and yesterday’s drive confirmed my conviction.

We drove into the city along Route 5. There are gorgeous homes along the lake, many people were biking along the bike path and there were a few sailboats in the water. It was also impressive to see old grain elevators juxtaposed with new condominiums in the beautiful fall sunshine.

We drove along Delaware Avenue, past several “Occupy Buffalo” activists, the impressive New Era Cap headquarters, the new Avant building, the fountain at Gates Circle and then along Chapin Parkway. Chapin and Bidwell Parkways are part of the terrific Buffalo park system that was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was considered the founder of landscape architecture and also designed Central Park. I’ve attended many farmers’ markets and free Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concerts on Bidwell Parkway and really miss these opportunities now that we live in the suburbs.

We walked along Elmwood Avenue. Elmwood offers terrific shopping and several types of local restaurants. We walked by Zillycakes and learned that the owner, Zilly Rosen, was going to be featured on Food Network Challenge. There were also several people walking the avenue who were in town for the National Preservation Conference. Based on a Sunday newspaper article, it sounds like the conference was a great success and many visitors were impressed with Buffalo.

There are several more things that Buffalo has to offer than just yesterday’s observations. I try not to take Buffalo for granted and our little drive yesterday was a great reminder of all of the great opportunities available here.

Meghan Felser

Assistant Director of Admissions and Marketing

Grand Jury

ubmba — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:36:39 +0000

I was recently summons to participate in Grand Jury. Many people gave me pointers on how to get out of it. But I was not sure I wanted to get out of it. What a learning opportunity! I felt like it was my civic duty. While I work at an institution of higher learning I do not always have the opportunity to engage in learning experiences like this one.

I was right, boy am I learning. At the same time it is reinforcing the decision for me, to do what I do. I was lucky to bump into a JD/MBA alumni. He was practicing law. It was great to watch him in action. To see that the learning he did here at UB, in the MBA and JD programs, was working for him.

The MBA program has afforded me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. People that I still keep in touch with and remember when I run into them. This is the network we try to educate our students about as well. While UB MBA students are busy learning they are also building an enormous, irreplaceable network. What an opportunity.

So, I will continue learning through my Grand Jury experience. I will build my network with my co-jurors and I will appreciate knowing that I have chosen the right career path. I recommend that you do the same-Learn, Network and Appreciate what you are doing.

UB Football!

ubmba — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:49:27 +0000

Anyone interested in getting together in Alfiero during the afternoon on October 8th to do homework? I didn’t think so. Instead, put down the books and head over to the special events parking lot to tailgate for the UB Bulls football game! The GMA has provided discounted tickets for the UB Bulls Vs Ohio football game on October 8th, for $10. Tickets include tailgating before the game – beer, pop and food. Tailgate begins at noon and the game starts at 3:30pm. Tickets can be bought directly from GMA officers up until September 30th. Over the six years I have been at UB I have been to over a dozen games and had fun at all of them, win or lose. Even if you aren’t a football fan come out and join your fellow MBA’s outside of the classroom!

Chris Maugans

JD/MBA 2014