Winners named in UB School of Management DEAL Expo

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A student research study exploring recent organizational behavior theories took top honors in a new University at Buffalo School of Management event designed to showcase undergraduate achievement.

Held in conjunction with the university’s spring open house for accepted students, the inaugural DEAL (Display of Efforts, Aptitudes and Leadership) Expo provided undergraduate students in the School of Management the opportunity to showcase their best research and class projects, internship experiences and leadership initiatives. The event was held March 23 in the Alfiero Center on UB’s North Campus.

Joseph Ramia of West Seneca earned first place and a $1,000 prize for his project “Increasing the Work Effort and Performance of the Psychologically Entitled: The Role of Need for Achievement and Participative Leadership.”

Luke Nuttle of East Aurora and Stefanie Bou-Mansour of Toronto, took second place for their integrated marketing communications plan to reposition Reebok EasyTone sneakers. The team will split a $500 prize.

Alexandra Schwartz of Merrick was awarded third place and a $250 prize for her internship experience project, “Life is a Journey, not a Guided Tour.”

The Open House Choice award was given to the team of Benjamin DiCesare of Hamburg, Joshua Seward of Webster, Nicholas Doran of Rochester, Jesse Schooley of Auburn, Kyle Divinichi of Watervliet, Zachary Block of Lyons and Ryan Foreman of Greece. Their project, QuickPrint, was a product idea for an ultra-portable printer that would also function as a laptop case. They will share a $250 prize.

School of Management alumni, faculty and staff served as judges for the competition. Alumni judges were Sudha Bommidi, MBA ’07, senior administrator, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; and Tom Cogan, MBA ’99, senior vice president, Citigroup Inc. Faculty and staff judges were Sri Duvvuri, assistant professor of marketing; Carrie Gardner, administrative director, Credit Bearing Internship Program; and Harold Star, assistant professor of operations management and strategy.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.