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School of Business featured news

A ‘No Phony Gimmicks’ Guy

Posted on by Claire Hall

Bob Kaufman ’74, founder of Bob’s Discount Furniture (Bob’s Discount Furniture)

Alumnus Bob Kaufman, Founder of Bob’s Discount Furniture: ‘I Believe Everyone Should Work for Themselves!’

One of the biggest decisions that anyone will make in life is whether to work for themselves—or work for someone else, said UConn business school alumnus Bob Kaufman ’74, founder and president emeritus of Bob’s Discount Furniture.

“I believe that everyone should work for themselves,” said the man who created the rapidly-growing, 73-store furniture giant, and who, thanks to his prolific advertising, is arguably one of the most recognized people on television.

“Being an entrepreneur is Continue Reading

‘Analytically Eloquent’ Dissertation

Posted on by Claire Hall

Alumna Margaret Luciano ’15 Ph.D. Continues to Win Recognition for Research

Margaret Luciano ’15 Ph.D. (management) was recently awarded the J. Richard Hackman Award for her Ph.D. dissertation. The award is given to a recent graduate whose work shows the greatest potential to advance the understanding of groups beyond one discipline.

Margaret Luciano ’15 Ph.D. (UConn School of Business)
Margaret Luciano ’15 Ph.D. (UConn School of Business)

Luciano’s dissertation, “Unpacking the Dynamics of Cross-Unit Coordination: A Multi-Level Quasi-Experimental Investigation,” studied 2,357 hospital-patient transfers between units over a 16-week period and investigated the implications for patient care.

She received the Hackman Award at the 2016 INGRoup conference in Helsinki, Finland in July. Her adviser, UConn Management Professor John Mathieu, was also in attendance.

At the award ceremony, Luciano’s dissertation was described as “theoretically sophisticated and interesting, methodologically rich and analytically eloquent.” Her research improved the work processes and quality of work life for hospital employees, improved patient quality of care and paid dividends to the hospital, the award committee concluded. “She not only advanced our science, but also our practice,” they said.

Luciano is now an assistant professor of management at Arizona State University.

UConn School of Business to Remain on Constitution Plaza Expanding UConn’s Overall Presence in Downtown Hartford

Posted on by Claire Hall, Cyndi Soucy
UConn Graduate Business Learning Center (GBLC) in Hartford, Conn.
The School of Business’ graduate degree programs based in downtown Hartford will remain at the Graduate Business Learning Center (GBLC). (UConn School of Business)

The UConn School of Business’ graduate degree programs based in downtown Hartford received good news recently—they will remain in their current location and expand to additional space.

Not only did the Board of Trustees vote to extend the Graduate Business Learning Center’s (GBLC) lease at 100 Constitution Plaza, but also agreed to add two additional floors to the existing space, allocating a total of six floors of classroom, meeting and office space. Continue Reading

Stamford Donors Find Joy Creating a Legacy of Philanthropy

Posted on by Tiffany Ventura Thiele

UConn Foundation – Donors Peter ’55 (BUS) and Re’ Telep are committed to supporting UConn Stamford students today – and in the future.

In 2009, the couple established the Telep Family Scholarship to support UConn Stamford students. Recently, the two decided to ensure the scholarship’s longevity by creating an endowed scholarship through their estate plans. For the Teleps, this scholarship is an opportunity to give back and help others move ahead in the world.

Business School Hosts Corporate Recruiter Summit

Posted on by Claire Hall
Distinguished corporate partners including Cigna, Cognizant, Gartner, IBM, Priceline and Prudential, at last week's Recruiter Summit. (Theodoros Menounos/UConn School of Business)
Distinguished corporate partners including Cigna, Cognizant, Gartner, IBM, Priceline and Prudential, at last week’s Recruiter Summit. (Theodoros Menounos/UConn School of Business)

The School of Business’ Graduate Career Development Office hosted a Corporate Recruiter’s Summit recently, inviting top business and human resources leaders from across Connecticut to share ideas for engaging and recruiting graduate business students.

“Our corporate partners were very open to sharing their feedback and how they intend to continue working with our students going forward,” said Robert Volle, assistant director of the Graduate Career Development Office. “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for our corporate partners to engage and hire our students.”

The July 13 event was well-received and Volle and other organizers said it further strengthened partnerships with top companies, including Cigna, Cognizant, Gartner, IBM, Priceline and Prudential, which were recognized for their outstanding commitment to UConn students.

Watch Out!

Posted on by Claire Hall
Roger Piqueras Jover (pictured), a wireless security research scientist at Bloomberg, was among the speakers at UConn's TakeDownCon security conference. (UConn School of Business)
Roger Piqueras Jover (pictured), a wireless security research scientist at Bloomberg, was among the speakers at UConn’s TakeDownCon security conference. (UConn School of Business)

Security Experts Offer Warnings, Recommendations During UConn’s Cybercrime Prevention Conference

The world is in the throes of a love affair with mobile technology and it shows no signs of abating.

We love to do our banking on our phones, text our friends—whether a block away or halfway around the world—and even set our thermostats using our mobile devices.

But the freedom and power that technology gives to mobile users is also a gateway to trouble for professional hackers, said Roger Piqueras Jover, a wireless security research scientist at Bloomberg. Because every time your phone or mobile device switches to a different transmission tower, a passive eavesdropper in your vicinity could potentially track the location of your smartphone, he said. Continue Reading

2016 iQ Winners

Posted on by Claire Hall
Elizabeth “Liz’’ Pouya, a rising senior majoring in physiology and neurobiology, who ultimately hopes to become a physician, presents her idea to prospective investors. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Elizabeth “Liz’’ Pouya, a rising senior majoring in physiology and neurobiology who ultimately hopes to become a physician, presents her idea to prospective investors. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

“I Was Surprised That Someone Hadn’t Invented This Yet”

UConn senior Stephen Hawes debuted as an entrepreneur several years ago, working diligently to perfect his first invention: a wrist-mounted, propane-driven flame thrower.

His parents worried that their son, a mechanical engineering student, would burn down their home.

But Hawes persisted, and brought his prototype to an engineering conference in New York City. There, he saw a company demonstrating artificial appendages for children missing fingers.Continue Reading

‘Treat People Right Throughout Your Life’

Posted on by Claire Hall
Bill Simon '81, '88 MBA, former Walmart CEO, at the UConn School of Business Stamford campus. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Bill Simon ’81, ’88 MBA, former Walmart CEO, at the UConn School of Business Stamford campus. (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

‘Treat People Right Throughout Your Life’ Says Former Walmart CEO Bill Simon ’81, ’88 MBA

A store manager had been abruptly fired in a small North Carolina town and Walmart president and CEO Bill Simon‘s phone was ringing off the hook.

Customers were irate, store associates were upset, and even the town’s mayor called to lodge a complaint.

“Our store manager had chased a shoplifter into the parking lot, tackled him and brought him back into the store,” recalled Simon, who earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from UConn. “Our policy was that we don’t chase shoplifters because of the risk of someone getting hurt, and he had clearly violated the policy.Continue Reading

Adding Value to the Team

Posted on by Claire Hall
Logan Bement (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Logan Bement (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Logan Bement ’16 Uses Marketing, Data to Improve Professional Baseball for Fans, Players

Logan Bement ’16 may have stopped playing baseball after high school, but his love of the game has never diminished.

With a passion for marketing, a strong grasp of data analytics, and a powerful dose of initiative, Bement has launched a career that he hopes will enhance the best of Major League Baseball—both for the fans and the players. Continue Reading