In the Media

External media mentions

Almunus Richard Eldh ’81 Appointed CEO & President of UConn Foundation

Posted on by Claire Hall
Rich Eldh '81 delivers the keynote address at Commencement 2025 in Storrs, CT.
Rich Eldh ’81 delivers the keynote address at Commencement 2025 in Storrs, CT. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Congratulations to School of Business alumnus and Hall of Fame inductee Richard Eldh ’81 who has been appointed CEO and President of the UConn Foundation, the fundraising arm of the university.

In his new role, Eldh will oversee the “Because of UConn’’ fundraising campaign, which has raised more than $900 million, at a time when philanthropic investment is critically important to the success of all universities.

Eldh is an entrepreneur, business leader and investor. He is known for his work in B2B research, advisory services, and philanthropy. Formerly an officer at Gartner, a leading technology research and advisory firm based in Stamford, Conn., he also co-founded and served as co-CEO of SiriusDecisions, Inc., which catered to major corporate clients such as Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Cisco, and Salesforce.

A graduate of the school of Business, where he majored in finance, Eldh recently served on the UConn Foundation Board of Directors. He and his wife, Joyce Eldh, have generously supported student scholarships. He was also an early supporter of Hillside Ventures, an experiential-learning course in venture capital at UConn. Eldh was the 2025 commencement speaker for the School of Business, where he emphasized servant leadership, respect, hard work, and creating environments in which others can thrive.

Ask the Experts – Kevin McEvoy

Posted on by Scott Slater III

Wallethub – Gas credit cards can give you as much as 6% back on gas purchases, either at any gas station or at a specific chain, depending on the card. To point you in the right direction, we evaluated the gas credit cards in our database of 1,500+ credit card offers and selected the top gas cards using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system.

If you always purchase a certain brand of gas, your best bet is to get a card affiliated with that gas station. Otherwise, you should get a card that offers a solid rewards rate on all gas purchases, so that you can be flexible about where you fill up your tank. Also, before you purchase gas with a gas credit card, check to see if the gas station charges extra for using a credit card. Using your gas credit card is only worth it if the rewards you’ll earn make up for or exceed the extra charge.

Read article

UConn Business Researchers Discover Voluntary Corporate Climate Goals Are Viewed Favorably by Investors

Posted on by Claire Hall

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.

Read article

Former WWE President George Aldo Barrios ’87 Offers Career, Life Advice in New Book

Posted on by Claire Hall

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.

Read article

AI for ImpaCT: UConn Launches University-Wide Initiative to Drive AI Innovation Across Connecticut

Posted on by Alex Lohrey

UConn Today – Artificial intelligence (AI) has raised big questions for higher education, employers, policymakers, and communities. How should AI be used in the classroom? What skills will students need in an AI-enabled workforce? How can organizations take advantage of new technologies while addressing concerns about privacy, ethics, and trust? Answers to these questions are already being explored across UConn, the state’s flagship, land- and sea-grant university.

Read article

Cricket Press Taps UConn Students to Explore AI-Driven Growth Strategies

Posted on by Theresa Cramer

CTSBDC – Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to unlock new growth. Through a recent collaboration between the UConn School of Business and the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), Cricket Press—a West Hartford staple since 1971—gained valuable insights from some of UConn’s top business students, opening the door to new opportunities and ideas.

As part of its Honors Program, the UConn School of Business offers a Case Competition which gives students a chance to work directly with real-world businesses to address a challenge. In years past, students have worked with larger enterprises, but during the Spring 2026 semester, students worked with CTSBDC’s client, Greg Confessore, owner of Cricket Press. For Confessore, working with the students was about continuing a legacy of being forward-thinking and using new technology—and the knowledge of others—to allow his small business to operate at a higher level.

Read article

School of Business, CLAS, and College of Engineering Host MIP 2026 Research Conference at UConn Stamford

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – UConn Stamford recently hosted a four-day, invitation-only research conference on mixed-integer programming, a major area of mathematical optimization, known as MIP 2026.

The workshop brought leading academic researchers together with representatives from some of the world’s top technology and analytics companies to discuss new theoretical advances, computational methods, and real-world applications of optimization.

Read article

BUILDing Connecticut’s Capital City: Unique UConn Course Celebrates Five Years of Partnership, Collaboration, and Hartford Stories

Posted on by Jaclyn Severance

UConn Today – On a Wednesday afternoon in late April – tucked inside a quiet brick building in Hartford’s Frog Hollow neighborhood, just a few blocks from the shining gold dome of Connecticut’s State Capitol building – a celebration took place.

On the third floor of The Lyceum – an historic site that at different times in its past housed a box manufacturing company, a punk rock dance club, and a roller-skating business – there were balloons, and there was music. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Smiles and handshakes and hugs passed around.

Read article