UConn Today – Several of UConn’s graduate and professional degree programs rank among the nation’s best, reflecting its emphasis on providing an innovative, rigorous, and supportive educational experience to guide those students to professional and personal success.
U.S. News & World Report’s new rankings, released Tuesday, showed several UConn graduate programs earning high marks across its campuses, including some that entered the rankings for the first time with impressive debuts.
After decades of service at UConn School of Business, including her long-standing role as Head of the Marketing Department, Robin Coulter retired on Aug. 31. Robin’s scholarship has been widely recognized and garnered international awards, while her leadership has shaped the careers of countless students and faculty. The entire University and School of Business community is grateful for her many contributions, and significantly better for it.
Robin completed her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh, and since joining UConn as an Assistant Professor in Fall 1987, she served with dedication, enthusiasm, accountability, and professionalism.
Throughout her tenure, Robin demonstrated exceptional leadership, scholarship, and service. Promoted to Associate Professor in 1993 and subsequently to Professor in 2006, she was notably the first woman in 18 years to achieve this rank within the School of Business. In January 2008, she was appointed Department Head of the Marketing Department, a role she held for over 16 years.
During this time, Robin was instrumental in the development of a robust undergraduate curriculum with concentrations and minors in digital marketing and analytics, professional sales leadership, and social responsibility and impact in business. Her leadership also guided the creation of graduate certificates and the launch of the M.S. in Social Responsibility & Impact in Business. Within the Marketing Department, she -served as steward of the Voya Financial Endowment.
Robin’s collaborative spirit fostered strong relationships within the School of Business and across the university. Remembering her colleagues throughout her career at UConn, Robin especially valued working alongside John Elliott, George Plesko, Chinmoy Ghosh, Cuihong Li, Brandy Nelson, Alana Adams, and Meghan Hanrahan. She acknowledged the significant contributions of marketing department members past and present, and of Nancy White, her trusted department manager.
When asked about her history at UConn, Robin recalled the leadership and mentorship of Peter Nichols (Provost, 2006–2012) and Sally Reis (Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, 2016–2022) as being important in shaping her career and giving her a voice. She expressed gratitude for the thoughtful counsel of colleagues Jim Wohl, Kelly Bannister, Renee Boggis, Johanna Gorgone, and Brandon Murray. Robin actively served on the University Senate, Scholastic Standards Committee, and Nominating Committee, and in these roles was exposed to myriad perspectives related to university actions. She, along with Senate colleagues and committee members Laura Burton, Holly Fitch, Jen Dineen, Hedley Freake, Jen Lease-Butts, Maureen Armstrong, Karen Bresciano, and Christine Wenzel, impacted many changes over the years. Across campus, Robin also noted her collaborations with Dave Kenny and Blair Johnson in Psychology, as well as Kathy Libal, Shareen Hertel, and Human Rights Institute colleagues.
In her instructor role, Robin taught and mentored undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral students. Robin chaired and served as advisor to many doctoral students, noting, “I am very appreciative of their engagement and insights and our joint scholarship.” Robin was a strong advocate of the Executive MBA (EMBA) program, having not only taught, but also served as the EMBA Academic Director and as chair of redesign task forces. Her Global Business Issues international trip course was a highlight learning experience for UConn’s EMBA students. She took great reward from the many students who said the trip changed their lives personally and professionally.
Over the years, colleagues suggested that Robin consider other administrative roles at UConn and elsewhere. Recalling these opportunities, Robin quoted a mantra from quotes Dr. Seuss: “Life is a great balancing act.” Robin’s many roles at UConn enabled her to contribute to the Department, School of Business, and University. She took on leadership positions at the American Marketing Association (AMA) Academic Council and served as AMA President.
In her remarkable career of scholarship, Robin’s portfolio of work, broadly speaking, focused on consumer behavior issues with attention to global citizenship and cross-cultural consumer behavior, branding in developed and emerging markets, and numerical cognition and pricing. Her long-term scholarly research program included award-winning, reprinted, lead article publications, including the recent 2025 Journal of Consumer Research article “Tournaments of Destruction: Consumers Battling for Visibility.” Robin known for her adeptness and advocacy of multi-method approaches to address interesting research questions. For this, Robin acknowledged her many co-authors over the years, particularly, her long-time colleagues, Linda Price and Yuliya Strizhakova.
Robin’s excellence in teaching, research, and service has been recognized through several honors, including being named a Voya Financial Fellow in 2015 and a nominee for Distinguished Board of Trustees Professor in 2023. She was honored as an American Marketing Association Fellow in 2023.
“Being named an AMA Fellow is very meaningful and humbling,” she said, “Of course, there are many in my academic journey to thank for their support, but particularly my colleagues, Linda Price, June Cotte, Kelly Herd, and Jerry Zaltman.”
Importantly in regard to the “balancing act,” Robin recognized the enduring support of her husband, Keith, and their daughter, Alyssa. After many years at UConn, Robin looks forward to new adventures, but to also continuing with her scholarly work because, as she said, “That is who I am.”
UConn Today – Marc Massicotte says he was nervous about going back to school after 20 years: Would he be able to balance it all, he wondered.
“The students and teachers created an environment that made it easy to acclimate and succeed in the classroom,” he says.
And after plugging away in the School of Business Flex MBA Program, he’s graduating, and planning – perhaps ironically – to continue on in law school.
UConn Today – Julianna Cushner comes from a long line of UConn graduates, and during her college search, she thought she might opt for a small, business-centric school. But once she toured the Storrs campus, she knew she wanted to continue the family tradition. Cushner has been involved in a number of activities, many of them centered around finance and investments. She is headed to the banking world of New York City following graduation and knows that the UConn network of alumni will be a benefit to her.
UConn Today – The University of Connecticut offers graduate programs across a wide variety of fields and disciplines that rank among the very best in the United States, according to rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
“We are proud to see our graduate programs recognized among the nation’s best in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings,” says Provost and Chief Academic Officer Anne D’Alleva. “This achievement reflects the exceptional dedication of our faculty, the talent of our students, and our continued investment in graduate education.”
UConn Today – This past spring, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS) addressed a large audience of students, faculty, and staff at the Student Union Theatre. One member of the audience paying especially close attention was Samantha Gove ’24 (CLAS), a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation who worked extensively with UConn’s Native American Cultural Programs during her time in Storrs. Shortly after Butler’s visit, he and Gove connected over video call for a conversation about Butler’s time at UConn, what he’s learned in two decades of leadership in the Nation, and what he wants Native students to keep in mind. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
UConn Today – Erica wants everyone to find the joy in every experience—even if that experience is a little bit scary. If you can learn something new at the same time, that’s icing on the cake. The School of Business graduate student and Double Husky took classes in Italian and floral arrangement, joined a sports team and a sports ministry and numerous other clubs, and says there are broadening opportunities at UConn for every person and interest. Erica plans to bring her skills in business analytics home to the family business after graduation. And she’s taking her own advice and continuing to plan new experiences, like a hike across Spain for the fall. And her whole family will continue to visit the Dairy Bar, because broadening your horizons doesn’t mean you forget the pleasures of your own backyard.
UConn Today – Basketball fandom drew Danielle Harrington to UConn, and the strength of the School of Business kept her here. Harrington’s interest in math and finance, as well as a desire to make a positive impact on organizations, led her to major in Business. Guiding younger students as a Resident Assistant and a Husky Ambassador, and making friends across campus through activities and volunteering, helped her grow her interpersonal skills. She attributes a boost in her strategic thinking to her advanced business courses. But devising ways to score front row tickets to basketball games can’t have hurt, either!
UConn Today – In high school, Ish Panwar used her talents in public speaking and leadership to run a non-profit organization teaching those skills to young adults. That approach to life – simultaneously ambitious and concerned with helping others – served her well at UConn, where she forged connections with mentors, developed new skills, and discovered that, for such a big university, UConn has a close-knit, supportive field. After graduation, she heads off to New York City, to put her skills to use in the finance industry.
UConn Today – Mike Morris had his sights set on an MBA degree for a long time, but the obligations of work and military service – Morris holds the rank of colonel in the US Army Reserve – meant that had to be put on hold. When the time was right, Morris chose UConn – and found a seamless process from application to acceptance to support in course work and studies in the School of Business’ Online MBA program. And although the OMBA program is designed for non-traditional students, Morris was still able to take advantage of a familiar student activity: an immersive trip to study abroad, in Europe and North Africa. Having been elected to the UConn School of Business Student Hall of Fame, he’s looking forward to the next goal in life.