The iQ program is a series of events that starts slowly, and then accelerates very quickly. It all starts with mentor meetings, followed by the application, and then the final pitch to get accepted to iQ. Then, a moment’s anticipation, then workshops, a flood of new ideas, constant networking, and barely enough time to breathe. All the while, you’re working on prototypes, building your business model, and then… Continue Reading
I have previously shared my thoughts about graduation speeches and mentioned several excellent examples. In that blog, I talked about the range of topics and advice in those speeches but I just read an essay by David Brooks—NYT, May 29, 2015, “The Small, Happy Life.’’—that I think enriches the discussion. David invited his readers to “send in essays describing their purpose in life and how they found it.” He “expected most contributors would follow the commencement speech clichés of our high achieving culture; dream big; set ambitious goals; try to change the world.”Continue Reading
Some may not like sports as a metaphor for life, and if you fall in that category, you might want to stop here. But I think it can be useful, and I want to talk about three examples in sport and draw inferences to life.
I am the dean of the business school at UConn, so not surprisingly, I cite our Geno Auriemma as an example of leadership of the highest order. Geno has coached the women’s basketball team since 1985 and, in the process, has garnered 10 NCAA championships. His championship record is unsurpassed among women’s coaches, and tied with legendary UCLA men’s coach John Wooden. Geno headlines the “Geno Auriemma UConn Leadership Conference’’ and invariably talks about his experiences as a coach, and the teams he has been privileged to train. Continue Reading
It is that time of year: graduation, commencement, celebration and satisfaction. At UConn, we find myriad ways to celebrate our students, by engaging graduates, their families and friends, our alumni, our faculty and staff. As dean, I find I pay attention to what others say in these settings and invariably learn in the process.
This year, Professor Robert Shiller, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Economics and a Professor at Yale, spoke at our undergraduate commencement and received an honorary degree from UConn. His message was powerful and important and dealt with “Business and the Good Society.” He chose to remind our business graduates, that while some give business a bad rap, it is an engine of growth and promise. Good business propels a rising tide that lifts all boats. He found a nice balance between engaging our thoughts and our emotions. He challenged all of us to engage with our world and to better it. His talk is worth a read.
Let me share three other speeches that I consider landmarks: Continue Reading
Finals week has always been the most challenging time during every semester for me especially this one. It was definitely challenging for everyone else, but most people I know only needed to prepare for finals and pack up to go home. However it was about dealing with the multi-tasks for me. After knowing that I am not able to live in the same dorm at Alumni which is where I have lived for both my freshman and sophomore year, I decided to live off-campus during junior year. Finding off-campus housing as well as roommates might sound interesting, but that is true only when you have enough time. Continue Reading
Since we have returned from Guatemala our project has gone from a project to a passionate pursuit, a fire has been ignited within us. Before our trip Dr. Lisa Eaton told us that we had to ‘get our feet wet’ and bring Parrot MD to an impoverished country. We didn’t realize how important this advice was until we were in a small village seeing firsthand the problem and how useful our device can be. There’s a lot to be said for sitting and planning out details but at one point you have to be there to fully understand what needs to be done.Continue Reading
After working for the Daily Campus in the Photo Department, I have started to discover more things that are happening around the campus. About a week before, I found that the 2015 Spring career Fair was going to be on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at the Student Union Ballroom, so I was required to do the grabs on Thursday during a weekly meeting with the Daily Campus staff to make sure that we could cover this event. (“Grabs” is whatever events we are photographing for the Daily Campus that are not in the budget. So we don’t have to cover it, but if I am interested in covering it, I can do it as a “grabs.”)Continue Reading
The final applications are in. The iQ judges will be sifting through over 50 applications to find the top 16 innovations. Those winners will then be asked to give presentations on their ideas, and eight of them will be invited to iQ’s summer incubator. The top three get prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000.
In the past few workshops, iQ focused on understanding innovation and commercial potential of products. Innovation can be defined as an invention plus its distribution. The invention itself needs to bring something to the market that is different than what is already out there. As Professor Rich Dino would say, how is it cheaper, better, or faster? Continue Reading
I cannot think of anything more intimidating then driving into an office with the NFL Shield displayed on the welcome sign for the first day of a new internship. Stepping into the facility felt like a dream and the entire orientation day flew by. On my second day I was just as intimidated. I learned quickly, however, that I could use the knowledge I acquired from my time at the UConn School of Business earning a Management degree to my advantage throughout every step of this experience. As a Project Management intern for NFL Films, I use the knowledge I gained through academic experience every day here. I have now been here for about a month, and I am constantly learning how to do new things.The personnel in the Project Management department are seen as the point people for every project that NFL Films takes on. Continue Reading
Since the MS in Financial Risk Management is offered on the Hartford and Stamford campuses, we’ve been taking an annual trip to visit the University’s main campus in Storrs as a group. We start by following the Lodewick Visitor Center student staff to explore the School of Business, then walking across the street for a tour of Gampel Pavilion—home of champions. The visit includes Continue Reading