School of Business featured news
Professor Greg Reilly, an advocate for innovative learning and a leading strategic management scholar with extensive experience training executives globally, has been appointed interim dean of the School of Business effective Jan. 3. Continue Reading
UConn Today – After a dozen remarkable years at the helm of the School of Business, Dean John A. Elliott will step aside next month and return to the accounting faculty.
Elliott’s many achievements include creating new academic programs, expanding hands-on learning opportunities, championing the development of entrepreneurship programs serving all students, and expanding business education at regional campuses in Stamford and Hartford.
He spearheaded the rapid and successful pivot from in-person to online education at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, something he described as one of his biggest challenges.
His impact extends well beyond UConn, having mentored three associate deans who went on to lead business schools at the University of New Hampshire, Michigan State, and DePaul during the last three years.
UConn Today – Two years before he joined the UConn Men’s Soccer Team as a walk-on player, Jack Loura ’24 (BUS) was part of the “goal patrol,” a pack of ardent fans standing behind the opposing team’s net and heckling the goalie.
Loura wrapped up his college soccer career just a few weeks ago, devoting three years to playing for the team and serving as a co-captain. Today he’s pursuing a graduate degree in financial technology at the UConn School of Business. And he’s hoping to further his soccer career with the United Soccer League, parent company of the Hartford Athletic team.
UConn Today – After studying and working in Germany for a year, Michelle Buerkler ’24 (BUS) found herself in high demand in the job market. Potential employers were impressed by her willingness to take a risk, become fluent in German, and immerse herself in a new culture far from home.
UConn Magazine – Working as the head of an investment management firm for 19 years, Steve Wilson found himself frustrated by the gender disparity he saw in the field. He wanted to hire women as investment professionals but struggled to find enough who were trained and qualified.
“I realized that colleges weren’t preparing enough women to enter the field,” Wilson explains. “I think it was a combination of a lack of awareness of career opportunities and perhaps, to some degree, self-selection — with too many fully qualified women thinking ‘I’m not good enough, so I’m not going to try’ or ‘It’s a hostile space, so why would I put myself out there?’”
UConn Today – Any company that strives to be profitable and successful needs to include women and other diverse representatives in its leadership. Yet even in the most forward-focused organizations, women may still face obstacles to inclusion.
Sameer Somal, a tech entrepreneur and the co-founder of Girl Power Talk and Girl Power USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping you women become leaders in business and society, will share his experiences and perspective on empowering women during the next Equity Now presentation on Nov. 19. The event is sponsored by School of Business.
UConn Today – OPIM professor Wei Chen, a champion of Connecticut companies learning to integrate generative AI into their businesses, has received a prestigious, national early-career award.
UConn Today – Business student Emily Laput ’26 (CLAS) created her own marketing and consulting firm when she was in high school. That impressed interviewers at NBC Universal in New York City, and helped her capture a coveted summer internship.
Across the city, recent alum Peter Spinelli ’24 (BUS, CLAS), is working as a production intern at ABC News. He is passionate about increasing the percentage of Gen Z adults who watch TV news.
UConn Today – Wells Fargo has partnered with the University of Connecticut’s Center for Neurodiversity & Employment Innovation to introduce free neurodiversity workshops for corporate America. The new workshops, an academic and corporate collaboration, aim to provide instruction to key leaders from Fortune 500 companies to help design neurodiversity initiatives end-to-end.
UConn Today – The School of Business’ 2024-25 Equity Now Speaker Series will kickoff this month with a presentation by Lauren Cleary, an ethics and compliance professional at Patagonia, the popular outdoor equipment and apparel brand.