This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1 (Fall 2012)

Summer 2012 in London was a remarkable place to be—a time and place where hopes and aspirations were fulfilled for many a member of the UConn family. Among the UConn contingent in London this summer were 40 undergraduate students studying abroad, international alumni ambassadors, visiting alumni, faculty, staff, athletes, fans, and friends, who were drawn together by the Olympic games.

The School of Business is proud to have been globally represented by such an extraordinary delegation of students, alumni, and Husky Olympians, including Asjha Jones ’02, USA Women’s Basketball; and Chinyere Pigot ’15, Suriname Flag Bearer during Opening Ceremonies and Swimmer (50-meter freestyle).

Summer Olympics Study Abroad

Forty undergraduates ranging from sophomores to seniors in a variety of majors spent six weeks in London this summer learning about complex global issues ranging from gender iniquities in sports to urban poverty. The students took courses through the Florida State University (FSU) Center in London, studying “London and the Olympics, a Cultural History,” “Shakespeare in a Global Context,” “New Media, Politics and Society,” “Literary London,” and “London’s Global Geographies.” In addition to coursework, an internship component designed to enable the students to learn about community building placed them in London schools, inner city youth projects, and the local women’s basketball center where they coached local kids in basketball fundamentals.

The students also found time to enjoy the Olympics and to experience some of London’s cultural activities. In addition to reading Shakespeare plays for class, they also saw live performances at The Globe Theatre. Each student was provided with tickets for two Olympic basketball games and attended an event featuring Geno Auriemma and the UConn alums on the U.S.A. women’s national basketball team.

“These students exhibited a great deal of enthusiasm, passion, and excitement about UConn and about being in London,” remarked School of Business Dean John Elliott, who spoke with some of the students at the event in London.

International Alumni Ambassadors

As part of a program started by the University of Connecticut Alumni Association in 2008, International Alumni Ambassadors serve as a point of contact for information about their countries of residence for UConn alumni, faculty, or students who may be traveling to that region. Elizabeth James ’08 and Alejandro Blanco-Moreno ’07 currently serve as ambassadors in London.

Elizabeth James ’08

Elizabeth (Liz) James, a 2008 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Business, is an International Alumni Ambassador, fundraising volunteer, and a 2012 Olympic Torchbearer. A Greenwich, Connecticut native, James was a Marketing and Professional Sales major at the School of Business and a member of the National Honor Fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi. Commenting on her undergraduate experience, Liz says, “The UConn Business School laid the foundation for my business knowledge and pushed me to achieve more than I ever thought possible.”

Liz was hired by the Nielsen Company after graduation as part of their Emerging Leaders Program, which moved her from Tampa to San Francisco, Chicago, and

New York. After working on some sports-related projects, she was asked to go live and work in London in 2010 in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

Six months before the Olympic Torch Relay, Liz was nominated by her peers and selected by a panel of senior managers at the Nielsen Company to be a Torchbearer. “I was flattered to be selected out of 1,500 candidates in our UK offices!” exclaims Liz. One of nearly 8,000 torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame during its 70-day journey across the UK as part of the ancient Olympic Torch Relay tradition, Liz carried the flame through the London Borough of Bromley on July 23. “It was amazing to meet my fellow torchbearers on my route (there are 30 people per route) and to be around such wonderful, selfless people. When I got off the Olympic bus to start my 500-meter run, I was greeted by about 40 family members, friends and work peers! Everyone had either an American flag or a UConn flag to show their support… I ran as slow as I could with the torch, so I could soak up every moment of it! This is an experience I will never forget.”

Now that the Olympics are over, Liz is preparing for her next adventure. Will it be Rio for the next Olympics, or perhaps back home to the United States? Says Liz, “Our company is in over 150 countries, so the possibilities are limitless!”

Alejandro Blanco-Moreno ’07

Alejandro (Alex) Blanco-Moreno, is a 2007 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Business and has been living in London for over five years, where he also serves as an International Alumni Ambassador.

Originally from Spain, Alex enrolled at UConn through UCAELI, a program for international students to learn English and qualify to attend universities in the United States. When asked why he chose UConn, Alex responds, “Most of my relatives have studied abroad in different countries, and I did quite a lot of research. I was looking for a school in a rural setting that had a good balance between sports and academics. [The UConn School of Business] was starting to greatly improve its position nationally, thanks to the big investment taken not only to provide its students with brand new classroom facilities, but also to greatly increase its staff and broad offer of available majors and study programs. That was the final reason that made me leave Spain and start my new life in Storrs.”

A couple of months before graduation, Alex accepted a job offer that would return him to Europe. Joining structured credit brokerage OTX, a start-up company in London at the time, Alex rose through the ranks quickly, eventually taking on the role of CFO. Commenting on the experience, he notes, “The fact that we started trading right in the middle of a global financial meltdown only helped to put into practice everything that I learned back in the classroom, and combine it with all the non-textbook experience that you gain in an economic event with such huge international consequences as the one we have gone through the last few years.”

On hiatus this summer, Alex spent time with many notable UConn friends in London, among them alumnus and donor Mark R. Shenkman ’65, who was elected to the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame in 2002 and has endowed the Shenkman Family Chair in E-Business for the business school. Mr. Shenkman is founder and president of Shenkman Capital Management, Inc., a registered investment advisor with offices in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut. “Of course it was a great honor to be able to meet Mark Shenkman and his family during their stay for the London 2012 Olympics. Mark is not only a very important and generous alumnus to the University, but also an extremely nice and approachable person,” mentions Alex. When Mark and his family needed advice on directions or things to do in London, Alex was happy to share his knowledge about the city.

Serving as a local advisor and arranger, Alex provided many London visitors this summer with information on matters ranging from getting to the Olympic arena, organizing dinners at restaurants to satisfy all budgets and palates, and coordinating a tour of the city with plenty of interesting facts that are unknown even to many fellow Londoners. “As Alumni Ambassador here in the UK, I always try to assist any fellow members in anything I can… It is always very exciting to see how many proud Huskies are out there, even after having graduated many years or decades ago,” said Alex.

Reflecting on his UConn experience, Alex notes the importance of how international the School of Business is. “[It] fully represents the environment you encounter when you start working after graduation.”

Alex is now looking for a bit of a career change, with a continued focus on finance. He is also full of ideas for increasing alumni involvement in the UK. “I really hope that our network keeps growing at an even faster pace in the future, so we can show the huge international presence and importance that our students and alumni have all around the world today,” Alex says.

Alumni Event

In a celebration of the UConn family in London, nearly 250 alumni, students, faculty, family, friends and donors gathered at the Charing Cross Hotel on August 8 for an evening sponsored by the UConn Alumni Association, UConn Foundation, Office of Global Programs, and the School of Business. Highlights of the evening included welcomes by Lisa Lewis, Executive Director of the Alumni Association; Warde Manuel, UConn Athletic Director; and Team USA women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma. Recognized attendees included international alumni ambassadors, donors, and the athletes present, including Tony Hanson ’97, a former UConn Guard, and the 6 former huskies on the national team, including Asjha Jones ’02.

In a moving “special presentation,” Geno presented former men’s basketball coach (1969-1977) Donald “Dee” Rowe with an autographed basketball and game shirt. Rowe was unable to attend the 1980 Olympics as assistant coach of the U.S. team due to a national boycott of the Moscow Olympics that year.

Several alumni traveled to London just to attend the reception and to see the women’s basketball events, coming from across Europe and the United States. “We have a group of very dedicated alumni whose loyalty to UConn was strongly felt at this event,” commented School of Business Dean John Elliott. Deb Crary, Manager of Alumni Services at the UConn Alumni Association added, “Everyone left there feeling really proud to be connected to UConn.”

   

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1 (Fall 2012)

Business Briefs

Universitas 21 Doctoral Research Conference in Business

u21.business.uconn.edu

The University of Connecticut School of Business hosted the inaugural Universitas 21 (U21) Doctoral Research Conference in Business (DRCB) on April 10-13, 2012. PhD students from twelve U21 schools, including UConn, presented research and received feedback regarding their dissertations from their counterparts, faculty from the participating universities, and UConn faculty. The vision of U21 DRCB is to create a global learning and research platform to prepare the next generation of intellectual leaders.

UConn MBA Program Rises in US News Graduate School Rankings

mba.uconn.edu

The University of Connecticut MBA Program rose several spots in the US News & World Report’s 2013 Best Graduate School rankings. “It’s always flattering to be considered among the best graduate business programs in the country,” noted Michael J. Deotte, director of the Full-time MBA Program. “Positive rankings such as this, reflect our steadfast commitment to affordable, quality graduate management education.” UConn’s Full-time MBA Program ranks 61st (31st among public business schools); the Part-time MBA Program ranks 52nd among part-time programs.

CCEA Collaborates in Winning DoE Grant for
Solar Installations

ccea.uconn.edu

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is funding a variety of initiatives designed to reduce non-hardware costs for photovoltaic (PV) solar installations by 15-20%. The core objective is to develop innovative policies, models, tools, and data management systems that will deliver this result. The Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA), now housed in the UConn School of Business, assembled a University team to analyze hardware and non-hardware costs for roof-top solar PV. The ultimate objective is to create a tool that would permit possible PV purchasers or vendors to evaluate the solar potential of the roof on their building.

CCEI Holds Annual University-Wide Business Plan Competition

ccei.business.uconn.edu

The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) at the University of Connecticut School of Business held its annual business plan competition in spring 2012. The interdisciplinary teams helped to bring a wide array of perspectives and ideas to any project. All submitted plans were reviewed by experienced entrepreneurs, investors and UConn faculty. Additionally, the CCEI hosted multiple workshops dedicated to helping teams improve and polish their plans in order to maximize their prospects for success.

MS in Accounting Does Well in US News Ranking

msaccounting.business.uconn.edu

The MS in Accounting (MSA) at UConn’s School of Business has received accolades for its online delivery in the U.S. News and World Report’s first annual rankings of online degree programs. The magazine’s latest ranking evaluated business programs in four categories: admissions selectivity; student engagement and accreditation; faculty credentials and training; and student services and technology. An overall ranking was not given. The University of Connecticut ranked seventh in the admissions area and 17th in student engagement.

• Professor & Cizik Chair in Management John Mathieu was recently elected to and inducted as an Academy of Management Fellow.
• Jeffrey Kramer, Emeritus Associate Professor-in-Residence and Director of Programs in Healthcare and Insurance Studies, received an award by the CT Chapter of American College of Health Care Administrators.
• Gim Seow, Associate Professor of Accounting, was awarded a $10,000 grant by the PwC Foundation.
• Professor Suresh Nair has been appointed the Interim Associate Vice Provost of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in the Office of the Provost at UConn.
• The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Associate Professor Robert Bird to the Northeast Utilities Chair in Business Ethics.
• Professors Michael Lubatkin, Zeki Simsek, John Viega, and PhD graduate Yan Ling received a Scholarly Impact Award by the The Journal of Management for their research.
• In Fall 2012, the MS in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM) Program accepted its first class in Hartford, Connecticut.
• The paper, titled “Why Give Away Something for Nothing? Investigating Virtual Goods Pricing and Permission Strategies,” co-written by UConn OPIM faculty members, Sulin Ba, Professor; Jan Stallaert, Associate Professor; Zhongju Zhang, Associate Professor; and Dan Ke; was nominated as the best ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems paper of 2010 and is also one out of five recipients of the Best IS Publications of the Year Awards 2010.
• The Westchester/Greater Connecticut Chapter of the National Black MBA Association named the University of Connecticut School of Business the 2012 Educational Institution of the Year. This award recognizes organizations and businesses for successful efforts in encouraging the development of African American students.
• The School of Business launched its MS in Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) in Fall 2011.
• The School of Business Career Center (SBCC) celebrated its 30th anniversary.
• The UConn PhD Program celebrated its 25th anniversary.
• UConn’s EMBA Program celebrated its 20th anniversary.

In the Media

Have you seen us in the news? Look who’s talking about us:

• A 13-Year-Old Enlists MBA Students to Build Her Start-Up – New York Times
• UConn Finds Seaweed to be Cash Crop – NewsTimes.com
• Business Boot Camp Gives Veterans A New Start – National Public Radio
• The Positive Effects of Negative Blogs – UConn Today
• UConn Named One of the 30 ‘Best Value’ Public Schools by Kiplinger – UConn Today
• Honda: Let the Marketing Games Begin – Daily Campus

Faculty Awards

Faculty awards are given annually by the UConn School of Business to recognize its faculty’s achievements.

Research

Best Paper: Sarah Rice and David Weber. “How Effective is Internal Control Reporting under SOZ 404? Determinants of the (Non-) Disclosure of Existing Material Weaknesses”

Runner up: Robert Day and Robert Garfinkel. “Integrated Block Sharing: a Win-Win Strategy for Hospitals and Surgeons”

Honorable Mention: Gregory Reilly. “Reconsidering Pay Dispersion’s Effect on the Performance of Interdependent Work: Reconciling Sorting and Pay Inequality”

Honorable Mention: Robert Day. “Quadratic Core-Selecting Payment Rules for Combinatorial Auctions”

Teaching

• Research Excellence co-winners:Ram Gopal and John Mathieu
• Graduate Teaching co-winners: Lucy Gilson and Kevin McEvoy
• Undergraduate Teaching Co-winners:Mark DeAngelis and Mark Spurling
• Teaching Innovation Award: Dmitry Zhdanov

Service and Outreach

• David Papandria

Ackerman Scholars

The Ackerman Scholar award recognizes significant and continuing all around academic productivity among the faculty of the School.

Appointed for 2012-13 and 2013-14:

• Jose Cruz, OPIM
• Gary Powell, Management
• Greg Reilly, Management
• Ramesh Sankaranarayanan, OPIM

Continuing in their second year:

• Sulin Ba, OPIM
• Joseph Golec, Finance
• John Harding, Finance
• Suresh Nair, OPIM
• Rexford Santerre, Finance
• Zeki Simsek, Management.

Intrigued?

Read these articles and more at business.uconn.edu/pressroom

   

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

SOCIOLOGICAL ISSUES OF TELECOMMUTING

Congratulations on the inaugural publication of UConn Business. I consider it a valuable asset and excellent learning tool for senior alumni like myself. As a retired IBMer who started in the Electric Typewriter Division and concluded my career with the IBM Personal Computer, I found the article on telecommuting most interesting.

From a retired manager perspective, I want to offer my thoughts, hopefully of interest to the debate on the sociological issues of telecommuting.

First, let’s examine some of the prime motives for companies permitting or encouraging telecommuting. Office space costs money. I was told my office expense in my final years cost IBM $17,000 per year. This can be a powerful motive for encouraging telecommuting. There are also other motives such as lack of space or lost productivity due to commuting delays.

My concern is the sociological impact of telecommuting on employees who work at home with little or no social interaction with peers and little or no supervision. From my experiences in over 30 years of sales at IBM, I firmly believe that sales people get maximum value out of learning from peers who are successful rather than from routine sales training courses. By keeping employees separated and alone in their homes, many
of the day-to-day opportunities to learn from peers are lost. Many new employees can be
overwhelmed by being alone with little or no peer assistance available. This can be detrimental and cause serious morale issues for new hires.

Then there is the normal interaction at breaks and meals. The ability to sit in on group
discussions can be very powerful for sales personnel. Good sales people form positive bonds with administrators, system engineers, and service personnel. They become
a team that supports each other resulting in superior service to customers and clients. Telecommuting stymies much of the team building that can occur in an office or branch.

Lastly, there is the issue of supervision. As a sales manager I can attest that  telecommuting can be a severe productivity drain. How does the manager know the telecommuter is working rather than babysitting, or watching TV, or playing golf? Sure, some of these hazards exist in an office where most sales and support people are in the field; however, I contend the telecommuter is far more exposed to productivity issues by simply being at home, rather than by working out of an office.

I firmly believe that the costs of housing employees in an office are worth the expense. It is  the age-old question of revenue versus expense. My experiences told me that the productivity gains of bonding your team by having them work side-by-side, far outweighed the expense of the office.

It would be interesting to compare a sales productivity and morale index of similar  companies that have telecommuters versus in-house employees.

Robert K. Blair ’61
Marketing

 THE GENEROSITY OF THE SEARFOSS FAMILY

Thank you for the article “Investing in the Future” (UConn Business, vol. 1, issue 1) that featured the Searfoss family.

The article gave a very nice overview of the Searfoss family’s commitment to the business
school. Their commitment is also being carried on by the family’s younger children (Erol
Searfoss, who is a Design Engineer, and Rana Searfoss, who recently graduated from Yale University).

The entire family, Selma, Cengiz, Erol, Rana and their cousin, Shebna Olsen, are to be
applauded for their foresight by establishing an important legacy supporting business students for generations to come.

As the University continues its commitment to educating the best and the brightest students, the generous support of the Searfoss family has greatly enhanced the experience for these students at the School of Business.

Diana L. Timlin, CFRE
Director of Development
UConn School of Business

* The opinions and perspectives expressed in published Letters to the Editor do not necessarily represent the views of the UConn School of Business.

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Raymond A. Palmer
BUSINESS CAREER CENTER, ASSISTANT DEAN & DIRECTOR

Ray Palmer, former long-time director of the School of Business Career Center, died on  November 24, 2009 of injuries and disabilities resulting from a car accident in 2006.

He was born August 21, 1947 in Pawtucket, RI, and graduated from Classical High School in  Providence, RI. Ray subsequently earned a Bachelor in Mathematics at the University of  Vermont and a Master in Education from the University of Connecticut.

Ray began his career at UConn in Residential Life, then became Associate Director of  Career Services at the University. He later rose to Assistant Dean and Director of the  Business Career Center of the School of Business. He led the placement program at the School of Business for nearly fifteen years and was a sought after counselor
and friend to thousands of UConn business students.

Known and respected for his mild manner, sound advice and countless business contacts, Ray spent his entire professional career at UConn, helping to boost the School  and its rankings through numerous administrations.

His primary concern was always for the students, and he was known for his kind, patient demeanor with all who sought his guidance. His style was one of quiet reserve overlaid  with a bright intellect and a dry sense of humor. He was a member of numerous  professional organizations, routinely presenting at professional conferences and was  widely published in his field.

His very strong support for the School and UConn as a whole has been missed since his  retirement. Among Ray’s other interests were model trains, UConn women’s basketball,  reading and traveling with a particular fondness for the Maine Coast. Ray is survived by his wife of 35 years, Linda.

Alumni In Memoriam

Charles Adams ’49
Richard A. Anderson ’52
Ronald S. Ashworth ’61
Joanne D. Austin ’47
Charles J. Bernard ’59
Arthur F. Blum ’49
Albert E. Boulanger ’58
Ronald Briggs ’55. ’56
Mary L. Cacchillo ’48
Robert E. Canfield ’54
Bruce E. Carusillo ’77
Joseph N. Celello ’49
Ralph P. Centola ’68
Dennis A. Cloutier ’79
Gregory F. Conron ’80
Ralph E. Cortese ’92
Joseph W. Costello ’66
Robert E. Darling, Jr. ’58
William J. De Patie ’49
Robert A. Dias ’54
Howard R. Dyer ’97
Otto K. Elser, Jr. ’82
C. Roger Ferguson ’59,’70,’72
Zachary Fortunato ’49
June O. Frangione ’80, ’82
Robert A. Gardner ’52
George E. Genlot ’50
Fred B. Gifford ’58, ’58
Seymour H. Gottlieb ’49
Clifford Grodd ’48
Robert M. Guinessey ’56
Anita Gulati ’80
Robert J. Haggerty ’50, ’63
Robert H. Haines III ’63
David M. Hatheway ’42
C. Norman Holmberg ’48
William V. Huling ’72
Lucian J. Jachimowicz ’50, ’79
Chad A. Jacobs ’92
Lawrence C. James, Jr. ’53
James J. Jordan, Sr. ’50
Stewart R. Joslin ’62
Barbara H. Kalas ’75
Bryant R. Kitching ’60
John Koziell ’75
Gerald I. Krupnikoff ’64
Marc A. Lagasse ’76
Carolyn I. Lincoln ’53
Philip J. Loiacona ’57
Ruth F. Lux ’78
Harriet R. Lyman ’62
James D. MacGovern ’50
Virginia A. Manzi ’50
Paul J. Marrkand ’47
Ben L. Matthesen ’49
James R. Maxson, Jr. ’48
Everett E. Meek ’72
John A. Messina ’64
Raymond E. Miko ’68
Raymond A. Milutis ’52
Alan S. Miner ’49
Edward W. Morgan, Jr. ’55
John N. Mushovic ’72
Harry J. Mustakos ’50
Roger Noone ’70
Leonard H. Olson ’50
Joseph W. Pepin ’57
William C. Polini ’66, ’75
Robert D. Powers ’49
Robert P. Quinn ’48
George H. Roberts ’65
Robert D. Rouleau ’65
Robert Roy ’55
Stanton Savell ’52
Francis P. Schierberl ’64
Victor I. Senger, Jr. ’53
Edward J. Senk ’54
David Shields ’76
Michael P. Sikora ’56
Warren J. Smith ’50
Mark J. Smith ’88
Robert W. Sopher, Jr. ’79
David D. Squires ’51
Ansley M. Starr ’94
Rosemary T. Strekel ’77
Samuel J. Swirsky
Alfred R. Vaill ’52
Roland D. Van Kavelaar, Sr. ’50
Robert W. Voight ’48
Frank E. Waldie, Jr. ’79
John Wazer ’52
Alan Weinstein ’53
Richard West ’62
Leighton B. Wilklow ’68
Frederic W. Williams III ’63
Cornelius J. York ’50

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Announce your good news and find updates on your classmates’ careers, accomplishments, and families. Log on to theBusiness Alumni Network to submit your Class Notes.

1950

Edward Satell ’57 was honored as the “2009 Humanitarian of the Year” by Caron Treatment Centers. One of Mr. Satell’s most recent efforts was to provide the initial funding for a Children’s Education Program at Caron to aid children ages 7 to 15 who have been  affected by a parent or sibling’s addiction. Mr. Satell is the founder and CEO of the Satell  Center for Executive Education as well as the founder of Progressive Business Publications (PBP), a diversified information company with multiple divisions.

1960

William Dick ’64 has published his book, “Santa Meets God’s Ukrainian Children” and it is available on www.buybooksontheweb.com and on www.amazon.com. 70% of the royalties and 100% of all other donations will benefit Ukrainian children.

Nicholas DeRoma ’68 was appointed to a position at Alcoa Inc. located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as executive vice president, chief legal and compliance officer.

Roger A. Nelsen ’69 has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors at UV Flu Technologies, Inc. located in Centerville, Massachusetts. Mr. Nelsen brings over 36 years of experience in the medical equipment and health care sector. Mr. Nelsen has been Senior Vice President at Eco-Rx, Inc. since 1996 and has also served as the principle of Nelsen & Associates, an independent health care sales and consulting organization.

1970

Bruce E. Berlet ’70 was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame by the Connecticut State Golf Association at their 110th annual meeting. As a retired Hartford Courant sports writer, Mr. Berlet covered numerous golfing events including U.S. Opens, PGA Tours, Ryder Cups and several CSGA and Connecticut Section PGA tournaments.

Kevin E. Flaherty ’75 (CLAS), ’77 MBA has joined Webster Bank as senior vice president. Mr. Flaherty will head up new business development for mid-size commercial borrowers in northern Connecticut and western Massachusetts. Mr. Flaherty, with over thirty years of experience, worked with Sovereign Bank as their market president for Connecticut and
western Massachusetts.

Mark Geist ’75 was appointed to the Board of Directors at AdEx Media, Inc., located in Alamo, California. Mr. Geist brings a distinguished business career to AdEx and has held positions with Rogers, Casey & Barksdale, Inc. as a pension fund consultant as well as an executive with St. Regis Paper Company. Mr. Geist was also the co-founder of Montgomery Asset Management.

Mark J. Blum ’76, ’84 MBA has taken the position as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Thomaston Savings Bank. Mr. Blum, with over 33 years of financial experience, previously held his position as president and director for Valley Bank.

William L. Trubeck ’76 MBA has been appointed to the board of directors at WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Mr. Trubeck was the executive vice president and chief financial officer of H&R Block, Inc., and held a number of senior management positions at Waste Management, Inc. and also served as senior vice president, finance and chief financial  officer of International Multifoods, Inc.

Miriam Katz ’77 was promoted to the new chief knowledge officer at Vcorp Services LLC., located In Monsey, New York. Katz has also served as the assistant vice president and compliance administrator of National Financial Partners Corp. (NFP), and has held positions with Salomon Smith Barney and CIBC World Markets (formerly Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.). Vcorp offers an extensive suite of services including entity formations, formation services, supplemental filings, document retrieval, tax- exempt filings, UCC filings and searches, trademark applications, and more.

Raymond J. Martino ’77 (CLAS), ’81 MBA has been elected to the Board of Directors at Worker’s Credit Union of Fitchburg. Currently Mr. Martino is president and CEO of Simonds Internation of Fitchburg.

Charles Scoville, Jr. ’77 is joining dat-Avail Corporation as managing director of sales. Mr. Scoville, with twenty-nine years of experience, comes from Marketsphere Consulting and will lead the Southern region sales team for datAvail. datAvail Corporation provides remote database management services for companies with Oracle, Oracle E-Business, MySQL, and SQL Server databases.

Clarence J. Silvia ’77 (CLAS), ’79 MBA has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of The Hospital of Central Connecticut and president of the Central Connecticut Health Alliance. Most recently Mr. Silvia was senior vice president and chief  operating officer of CCHA and the hospital. Prior to that, he was president and chief  executive officer of Bradley Memorial Hospital.

Ellen M. Rizzo ’78, ’84 MBA has joined Hanover Insurance Group as chief financial officer, property and casualty companies. In her new role, Ms. Rizzo will be responsible for financial oversight of The Hanover’s personal lines, commercial lines and claims organizations. Most recently Ms. Rizzo was the senior vice president and chief financial officer at Travelers Companies.

Erwin Vahlsing, Jr. ’78 was appointed as chief financial officer at Sungro Minerals Inc., located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Mr. Vahlsing is an executive with extensive operational experience; including both domestic and international background in leading and managing finance departments in the manufacturing, service, and construction industries for various public companies. With over ten years SEC reporting experience both as CFO and as a consultant, Mr. Vahlsing has dealt with all aspects of compliance
and reporting, as well as being the interface with external auditors, legal counsel, and shareholders.

1980

Michael L. Alberts ’80 (CLAS), ’87 MBA is the new vice president and commercial relationship manager at Simsbury Bank. Mr. Alberts has held positions such as senior vice president, senior commercial loan officer, vice president, and principal with companies such as Putnam Bank, Savings Institute Bank & Trust Co.,Woodstock Financial Group, and Fleet Bank.

Thomas Shimko ’80 has joined Direct Marketing Association as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Mr. Shimko has over 25 years of global marketing experience in business management, marketing, and strategy. Most recently Mr. Shimko was vice president of strategies marketing for GE Capital’s equipment financial services business as well as chief marketing officer for Danbury Health Systems.

Frank J. Minerva ’81 MBA was promoted to chief operating officer at UBS in their ultra-high-net worth business in the United States. Most recently, Mr. Minerva, a 21-year UBS veteran, led the New York office of Private Wealth Management at UBS.

Deborah Fuhr ’82 is now the global head of ETF research and implementation strategy at Barclays Global Investors. Ms. Fuhr left Morgan Stanley after eleven years when the bank closed down her team in the summer of 2008, and then her new employer was put up for sale by its parent, Barclays PLC. Through it all, Ms. Fuhr has remained the No. 1 authority
on the exchange-traded fund landscape, an area into which banks and asset managers are keen to expand as investors seek liquid products with greater transparency. Ms. Fuhr is based in London but works with clients across Europe, the U.S. and emerging markets.

Kenneth Murphy ’82 has accepted a position at Connecticut College located in New London, Connecticut, as the men’s soccer head coach. Mr. Murphy comes to Connecticut College from Brown University as the assistant soccer coach. Previously Mr. Murphy spent sixteen years on Wall Street as a successful commodities broker.

Nicholas P. Randazzo ’82 has been promoted to vice president of sales at PHT  Corporation, the leading provider of electronic patient reported outcome solutions. Mr. Randazzo has been employed at PHT since 2000 and was the company’s leading account executive for several years. In 2005, Mr. Randazzo took on a leadership role with the PHT sales organization where he managed the entire global sales team.

Michael T. Sheahan, Jr. ’82 has been appointed to vice president and mortgage & consumer loan department head at Simsbury Bank in Simsbury, Connecticut. Mr. Sheahan will lead the bank’s mortgage and consumer lending sales and service including and origination, underwriting and processing and compliance. Most recently, Mr. Sheahan was employed at Webster Financial as mortgage lending division head and prior to that had a long career in mortgage and consumer financial services and online services with
Shawmut Bank, Meca Software, and Centerbank Mortgage.

Mickey S. Goldwasser ’83 was appointed to senior vice president of marketing, communication and public relations activities for Continuity Engine located in New Haven, Connecticut. Mr. Goldwasser was most recently the vice president of product marketing at Eclipsys Corporation. Mr. Goldwasser is also a member of the UConn School of Business Marketing Advisory Board.

Robert D. O’Connor ’83 MBA was appointed to president and chief executive officer at  Loftware, Inc. located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Mr. O’Connor joins Loftware from Softrax Corporation where he served as president and chief executive officer.

Deborah M. Murphy ’84 was promoted to a newly created role at Zebra Technologies Corporation as vice president of market channel development, specialty printing solutions. Ms. Murphy has been with Zebra Technologies for 14 years and has held many marketing roles within Specialty Printing Solutions, including the formation and development of Zebra’s burgeoning global healthcare business.

Michael P. Palermo ’84 has been elected to a 10-year term on the Board of Directors at Millbury Savings Bank in Millbury, Massachusetts. Mr. Palermo previously served as vice president, director of sales, for The Boston Company Asset Management LLC.

James P. Hammel ’85 was selected as the UConn School of Business Finance Alum of the Year and was recognized at the Finance Department’s award ceremony on April 12th. Mr. Hammel has demonstrated outstanding leadership during his tenure as a member of the School’s Financial Accelerator Advisory Board and has provided very strong support of
special events organized by the board.

Ronald Brault ’86 MBA has joined Financial Strategies Investment Advisor Services, LLP in Bethel, Connecticut, as a partner. Mr. Brault brings more than twenty years of experience in portfolio management, investment consulting and client service to the firm and will concentrate on financial planning and investment consulting for the firm’s clients. Prior to joining Financial Strategies Investment Advisor Services, Mr. Brault has worked at companies such as Alliance Bernstein, Dreyfus Management, and Morgan Stanley in positions including senior vice president, senior portfolio manager, and vice president.

David Brigham ’86 has been promoted to CEO at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which has been named a new leader in major arts-and-cultural organizations. Mr. Brigham joined the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in October of 2007. Prior to that he was a director of collections and exhibitions as well as curator of American art at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts and helped to transform the Allentown art Museum in Pennsylvania.

Regina Foley ’86 was appointed to chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, treasurer, and secretary of the Taiwan Greater China Fund. Ms. Foley has over twenty years of experience in accounting and finance industries and has worked for both financial services and reinsurance companies. Ms. Foley also has extensive experience in creating and administering internal controls in accounting processes and operations.

Daniel D. Toscano ’87 has joined Morgan Stanley as co-head of global leveraged and acquisition finance. In his previous employment, Mr. Toscano was the cohead of leveraged and acquisition finance in the Americas at HSBC Holdings PLC and also has worked in leveraged finance at Deutsche Bank AG and Bankers Trust Co. for almost 16 years.

Dominick A. Musilli Jr. ’89, ’94 MBA has been named the executive vice president and principal of RHYS Commercial, a real estate advisory firm located in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Musilli will serve on the company’s senior management team as well. With 18 years of industry experience, Mr. Musilli has held positions as executive managing director and partner at FirstService Real Estate Advisors.

1990

Claude (Tate) George ’90, president and CEO of George Group, LLC, took part in a NAACP Economic Summit as the keynote speaker. This summit discussed topics such as how to bring black-owned banks, hotels, developers and other major enterprises to the New Haven area as well as a multiyear plan for recovery in the area.

Steven J. Peeters ’90 has joined the Main Street America Group as vice president, commercial lines product. Mr. Peeters will be a member of Main Street America’s senior management team and will be responsible for all product development, underwriting standards, pricing processes and compliance for the company. Mr. Peeters previously held the title of president and chief operating officer of Zurich Insurance service in Jacksonville, Florida.

James P. O’Meara ’92, ’00 MBA has been named as the vice president, commercial banking chief of staff at Webster Bank based out of Hartford. Mr. O’Meara also held a leadership role in Webster’s expansion into Boston in December of 2009.

Evelyn A. Graham ’93 has been appointed to the Board of Directors at CalciMedica
located in La Jolla, California. CalciMedica is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Stephen C. Swett ’93 MBA accepted a position at Morgan Keegan located in New York City as senior equity analyst. Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., one of the nation’s largest regional full-service brokerage and investment banking firms, is the securities brokerage arm of Regions Financial Corporation. Mr. Swett was formerly the senior vice president at
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. in New York City.

Christopher L. Ayers ’96 MBA was named as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Alcoa Inc.’s Global Primary Products business. Prior to joining Aloca, Mr. Ayers was the president of the forgings division of Precision Castparts Corporation and also held
positions with United Technologies Corporation and later joined PCC Airfoils, Inc. where he was the vice president and general manager of facilities.

Jamelle Elliott ’96, ’98 (ED) was appointed to a position at the University of Cincinnati as the Women’s Basketball Coach. Ms. Elliot is a former UConn assistant coach as well as a player.

Huasong S. Shen ’97 MBA has been appointed as the vice president of finance at Sino Green Land Corporation in China. Sino Green Land Corporation is a leading distributor of high-end fruits and vegetables in China. Ms. Shen has had extensive experience at many financial institutions including, Deloitte & Touch LLP, UBS Warburg, and JPMorgan Chase.

Steven Williams ’97 MBA accepted a position at American Realty Capital Trust Inc. located in New York, New York as senior vice president and sales manager for the western division. Mr. Williams has over 18 years of experience and has previously worked at KBS Capital Markets Group as regional vice president.

Vincent Calabrese, Jr. ’98 MBA was promoted to chief financial officer of F.N.B.  Corporation located in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Mr. Calabrese brings over twenty-one years of experience in the financial industry and was previously senior vice president, corporate controller and principal accounting officer at F.N.B. Corporation. F.N.B. Corporation is a financial service company and a leading provider of commercial and retail banking, leasing, wealth management, insurance, merchant banking and consumer
finance services.

Jonathan Zupnik ’98 accepted a position at On Corp US, Inc. located in San Diego, CA as vice president of sales and merchandising. Previous to this position, Jonathan was employed at Sears Holding Corporation as Divisional Merchandise Manager TV/Audio/Video.

Rodney A. Butler ’99 was named the new chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council. Mr. Butler was elected into the tribe as the treasurer before becoming chairman and prior to that worked as a financial analyst at Foxwoods. Mr. Butler is also a trustee of
the Sea Research Foundation, the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration’s nonprofit parent.

Paul Giardina ’99 MBA has been named as the chief executive officer at Protegrity Corporation in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Giardina joined Protegrity in 2004 serving as senior vice president overseeing marketing, product management, research and development. Protegrity Corporation is a leading provider of Data SecurityManagement Solutions.

Rino C. Nori, Jr. ’99 has joined Alvarez & Marsal’s Equity Services Transaction Advisory Group as a senior director in New York. Mr. Nori has over nine years of transaction experience and has provided financial due diligence services to private equity and corporate clients on over 150 merger/acquisition transactions. Prior to joining Alvarez & Marsal , Mr. Nori was with the Transaction Services unit of PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.

John F. Reilly ’99 MBA has been appointed to vice president of corporate finance and treasurer at The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is ranked among the top 40 property and casualty insurers in the United States and offers a wide range of property and casualty products. Prior to
joining Hanover Insurance Group Inc., Mr. Reilly was employed at The Hartford Financial Services group where he served in senior-level positions in investor relations, finance and business development.

John R. Riley ’99 MBA accepted a position with First Republic Bank in Boston, Massachusetts as managing director of foreign exchange. Mr. Riley has over twenty years of banking and currency risk advisory experience and will help manage the foreign exchange needs of clients in New England and New York.

Jayme Staron ‘99 and Angela (Talcik) Staron ‘96 (CLAS), ‘00 (ED), welcomed twins Nathaniel Jude and Adam Michael on March 16, 2009. The family lives in Shelton, Connecticut.

2000

Nykesha Sales, ’00, a former University of Connecticut women’s basketball standout, was selected as Philanthropist of the Year at The Hartford Golf Club. Sales, known for her moves on the court, was cited for her selfless efforts on behalf of women and girls by being involved in myriad programs and activities, including Read To Achieve and for her Nykesha Sales Celebrity Golf Tournament, which benefits the Aurora Club.

John Tarantino ’00, ’05 MBA participated in the 114th Boston Marathon on April 19th, 2010. He ran as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) Team. The DFMC raises funds for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Christopher Jarvis ’01 MBA is the vice president of the Autism Society of New Hampshire. Mr. Jarvis plays on the Merrimack Dodgers, a team in the Granite State Baseball League.

Robin L. Knowles ’01, ’10 Ph.D. has successfully defended her dissertation titled, “Defined Benefit Pension Sponsors & Market Prices: Early evidence from Pension Accounting Reform”. Dr. Knowles has accepted a faculty position at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Adrienne D. Cerulo ’03, ’04 MSA, ’06 MBA has begun a position at Longroad Asset Management, LLC as a controller. Ms. Cerulo has held positions such as corporate accountant at Weston Capital Management as well as positions with Sageview Capital and UBS.

Frank Carmon IV ’06 MBA accepted the Small Business Administration’s 2009 Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year award for Connecticut in honor of his 63-year-old family-owned company that manages nine funeral homes and a crematory, Carmon Community Funeral Homes. This award honors a family-owned and operated business which has been passed from one generation to another, demonstrating long-term business success and increased employment for family and non family members.

Nicholas Roy ’06 created a financial planning company geared toward the needs of individual investors, Somnio Financial Group in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Somnio Financial Group provides tailored financial planning and ongoing advice to their clients to help them meet their wealth goals. Previously, Mr. Roy was employed at Ameriprise Financial as a financial advisor.

Bill Coolahan ’07 MSA received his CPA license. Mr. Coolahan passed all four parts of the CPA Exam in a six month period earlier in 2009. He works at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut, pricing and negotiating proposals with the U.S. Government.

Julie Peck ’07 launched Peck Place Consulting located in Danbury, Connecticut. After 20 years of working in Fortune 500 companies, Julie has taken the entrepreneurial plunge and opened her own marketing and business strategy consulting firm serving the B2B community.

Khash Sarrafi ’07 MBA is the managing partner at Castle Rock innovations, LLC in Ellington, Connecticut. His company has been recognized in INC500 as one of the fastest growing private companies. Brett W. Eagleson ’08 has joined O, R, & L Commercial in their brokerage division as a commercial real estate broker. Mr. Eagleson joined O, R, & L in June of 2008 after his graduation in the finance department as an assistant controller.

Morris K. George ’08 Ph.D. was awarded the 2010 Davidson Award for best article in the Journal of Retailing 2008 for the article, titled, “Cross-buying in Retailing: Drivers and Consequences”. The William R. Davidson Award is given annually to authors of the leading articles in the field of retail marketing that are published in the Journal of Retailing. Dr. George is currently a marketing professor in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.

Merim (Djumalieva) Crossley ’09 MBA has joined Covidien Surgical in the Soft Tissue Implants franchise as a global marketing analyst.

Ciaran B. Heavey ’09 successfully defended his dissertation titled “A Dynamic Managerial Capabilities Model of Organizational Ambidexterity”. Dr. Heavey is currently a lecturer at Smurfit Graduate Business School at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland.

Tricia A. Hyacinth ’09 MBA has taken a position with Hands On Hartford, located in Hartford, Connecticut as an engagement project manager on the community engagement team. Hands On Hartford is a Hartford-based volunteer action center and social services agency. Prior to Hands On Hartford, Ms. Hyacinth was co-founder and manager of sales  and marketing at LinuxGenius, LLC.

Linda Kolbasovsky ’09 Ph.D. successfully defended her dissertation titled, “The Trade-off between Risk Management and Earnings Volatility: Evidence from Restatements”. Dr. Kolbasovsky will become faculty at the University of North Carolina, Greensborough.

Rajeev Kumar ’09 Ph.D. defended his dissertation titled, “Hiding in Plain Sight: Anonymity and Privacy Preserving Mechanisms for Data Collection and Collaboration”. Dr. Kumar is now an Assistant Professor at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Favien S. Feshazion ’10 and Barbara F. Williams ’10 won 1st place in the National Black MBA Association – West Chester/Greater Connecticut Chapter’s Business Case Competition.

Ioannis Kareklas ’10 Ph.D. successfully defended his dissertation titled, “A Quantitative
Review and Extension of Racial Similarity Effects in Advertising”. Dr. Kareklas will join the faculty at Washington State University as an assistant professor of marketing.

For more Alumni Class Notes, please visit alumni.business.uconn.edu.