UConn Today – Business law professor Robert Bird gave two lectures last month at the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany.
The Institute is a top global center for foundational comparative legal research and is renowned for its academic rigor and expert policy advising.
UConn Today – When his patients’ parents would tell Dr. Dante Paolino that they had trouble coaxing their children to brush their teeth, he was admittedly a bit judgmental.
Then he and his wife had their own children, and the pediatric dentist’s whole perspective changed.
“My kids employed some classic stalling tactics, like throwing themselves on the floor, pursing their lips or locking their mouth shut, running away, pushing the toothbrush out of their mouth with their tongue, or shaking their head back and forth while trying to brush,’’ Paolino says. “They tried literally anything they could do to avoid getting the job done.’’
UConn Today – In the last year, Justin Fargo ‘28 has created a new cybersecurity and compliance firm to help small- and medium-sized companies meet the requirements needed to become U.S. government contractors.
“I really think people should know that just because you’re a college student and you have a lot of obligations, you can still take risks. You don’t have to wait until you graduate to start a business,’’ says Fargo.
UConn Today – During the 10 years that Tom Gutteridge served as dean of the UConn School of Business, the program experienced tremendous growth, including the construction of a new academic building and creation of significant partnerships and programs within the business community.
UConn Today – A reduction in IRS employees has a direct impact on taxpayer filings and may result in billions in lost revenue, according to research compiled by two UConn accounting professors and a UConn Ph.D. recipient.
Every year, the Hartford Business Journal celebrates forty exceptional businesspeople under the age of 40. For 2026, they honor three School of Business Alums. Read More about their experiences by clicking on the portraits below:
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.”