UConn Today – Jason Correia ’10, ’13 MSA has nothing against artificial intelligence, but when the corporate executive is hiring a new employee, he’s looking for great communication skills, a strong work ethic, and the ability to work as part of a team.
“With the advent of AI, I feel like the ability to communicate in person has become deprioritized,’’ said Correia a principal at CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), based in West Hartford.
UConn Today – Adam DeJulius ’09, MBA ‘20 has only been CEO and President of Miller Foods for eight months, but it is a job he’s been preparing for his entire life.
Miller Foods is a family-owned, fourth-generation business in Avon, Conn., founded in 1950 by his great-grandparents, fondly known as Oma and Pa. DeJulius was immersed in the business from an early age, working alongside his family carving turkeys during the family’s annual pre-Thanksgiving turkey sale.
UConn Today – The first time Sarah Macary Brine took a seat at HOB Industries, she was 6 or 7 years old and her feet didn’t reach the floor from her chair at the reception desk.
“My dad would sometimes bring us in on weekends, and I have fond memories of spending a portion of some Saturdays drawing pictures and stringing paper clips together for hours,’’ Brine said. “Patti, our receptionist, always knew when we had been in the building, because she spent her first half hour on Monday unclipping that paper-clip chain!’’
As a high school student, Alli Selman ’26 (MS) took a trip to Tanzania where she volunteered at a Baby Home and Mothering Center that assisted single mothers in creating a better life.
Most of the clients enrolled in the Mothers Against Poverty program had husbands who had died or abandoned them. The program gave the women the resources to create self-sustaining small businesses that served the community while making money to support their families.
The businesses were as unique as their owners, ranging from a hairdressing business to a fresh-juice dispensary.
“I was so impressed by the women I met, and the way that their businesses empowered them to contribute to their communities, and changed their lives for the better,” Selman said. “I thought, ‘Wow! This is really awesome!’ and that enthusiasm has never left me.”
Selman recently graduated from UConn with a master’s degree in Social Responsibility & Impact in Business. The program advanced her interest in business as a vehicle for good.
A resident of the Greater Dallas area, Selman appreciated the online format of the UConn program, which allowed her to continue working full-time as a legal assistant while also taking up to four classes per semester. She was able to complete her master’s degree in one year.
“It was very tough at times,” she said. “The rest of my life took a step aside for a year. My focus was all on work and school.”
Despite living 1,600 miles away, Selman felt connected to the program by attending three in-person course weekends, which allowed her to make friends, work on group projects, meet professors and program leaders, and feel well-connected to UConn. Arminda Kamphausen, program manager, even gave her a tour of Hartford.
Selman found UConn’s program while searching for master’s degrees online. She applied to and was accepted into a number of business- sustainability programs. UConn stood out academically, and she also liked its online format, which allowed her to keep working full-time while attending school.
“A master’s is a big commitment, and I wanted to dedicate the time and effort to it,” she said. “I was able to live at home and cut down on expenses and other stressors. Even though I’ve always been a good student, a master’s degree program is a whole new beast! I would recommend this program to everyone.”
“The professors were great and so knowledgeable, and my classmates were so kind,” she said. “The advisers made it very manageable and were in constant communication, even if it was just a check-in by email. Just knowing I had the support and a team behind me that wanted me to do well, pushed me to succeed.”
Kamphausen said that Selman had the drive and initiative necessary for a sustainability career, but needed the tools and confidence to take the next step.
“Alli brought a wonderful energy and unique perspective to the cohort,” she said. “I’m certain that she’s going to have a tremendous impact during her career, and we look forward to her success.”
Selman said she enjoyed all aspects of the sustainability program, but found the skills she learned about corporate sustainability reporting the most valuable.
“As I’m looking at job postings, I can confidently say, ‘I have a solid foundation in this,'” she said. “Everyone believes that good business practices are valuable, but through this program I learned how to document them. I can confidently explain that responsible business choices are appealing to both customers and investors.”
Selman earned two bachelor’s degrees at Belmont University, one in social entrepreneurship, the other in faith and social justice. She said her undergraduate degrees sharpened her moral compass and revealed how ethics and morality play into business.
“The UConn program allowed me to see that in practice—especially the sustainability side, which I had little knowledge of when I came in,” she said. “The ‘Global Issues in Marketing for Social Impact’ class taught me to analyze different sustainability reports and understand if a company is meeting its goals and communicating its success efficiently and honestly.”
Selman, who has worked as a legal assistant since 2022, also earned a certificate in corporate regulatory compliance from the UConn School of Law.
“Another thread connecting my education and my experience is that I’ve learned a great deal about compliance practices and adhering to the laws. I know the legal jargon, how to write a legal document, the ins-and-outs of case management. They are all skills that I think will be helpful in my career,” she said.
Selman is pursuing roles in corporate sustainability, human rights, or social impact. She plans to cast a wide net initially and then fine-tune her interests.
“Across the years, my interest has surrounded the theme of impact and trying to positively effect and help others,” she said. “I’m excited to find my niche.”
UConn Today – As companies face increasing pressure to address climate change, many are choosing to publicly announce voluntary carbon-elimination goals.
Two UConn researchers have discovered that, in addition to highlighting environmental responsibility, these commitments also influence how investors perceive the value of a company.
UConn Today – In one of the most harrowing descriptions in his new book, two-time alum George Aldo Barrios ’87 (CLAS) ’89 MBA, a transformative business strategist and former co-President of WWE, recounted a trip to Saudia Arabia to close an important deal to bring wrestling entertainment to the kingdom.
The company was in the home stretch of the deal when journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, in October 2018. His death was believed to be at the behest of the Saudi Crown Prince. Everyone at WWE was nervous about moving forward.
UConn Today – Dmitrii Tuzov was initially drawn to UConn because of its strong business analytics program, and he was thrilled to also find an environment that fostered ample chances for growth, ownership, and real-world impact. During his time in the Master of Science in Business Analytics and Project Management program, Tuzov led and contributed to hands-on experiential initiatives in cutting-edge generative AI and machine learning that have helped prepare him for the rapidly evolving world of analytics and artificial intelligence. For incoming students, Tuzov says although it can seem overwhelming, they should take full advantage of the opportunities on offer.
UConn Today – Two student teams from the UConn School of Business’s Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) master’s program won competitions at the QuantumUP! hackathon at the UConn Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on April 8, combining cutting-edge technologies, innovation, and collaboration to solve complicated transportation issues. Both teams will be awarded $5,000 prizes.
UConn Today – For the second consecutive year, a team of UConn grad students won the InsurTech NY University Case Competition.
Graduate students Trishan Kundu (BAPM) and Vitosavero Avila Wibisono (FinTech) took home the top prize and a $2,500 award on Tuesday at the event in New York City. The competition was judged by insurance leaders, investors and practitioners.
UConn Today – The Deloitte Foundation has awarded a $25,000 Doctoral Fellowship to Tuan Doan, a fourth-year accounting Ph.D. candidate, who is known for his discipline, hard work, and warm personality.
The Deloitte Foundation Doctoral Fellowship awards are intended to help strengthen the pipeline of accounting faculty by supporting Ph.D. candidates who plan to pursue academic careers.