UConn Today – Adam DeJulius ’09, MBA ‘20 has only been CEO and President of Miller Foods for eight months, but it is a job he’s been preparing for his entire life.
Miller Foods is a family-owned, fourth-generation business in Avon, Conn., founded in 1950 by his great-grandparents, fondly known as Oma and Pa. DeJulius was immersed in the business from an early age, working alongside his family carving turkeys during the family’s annual pre-Thanksgiving turkey sale.
UConn Today – The first time Sarah Macary Brine took a seat at HOB Industries, she was 6 or 7 years old and her feet didn’t reach the floor from her chair at the reception desk.
“My dad would sometimes bring us in on weekends, and I have fond memories of spending a portion of some Saturdays drawing pictures and stringing paper clips together for hours,’’ Brine said. “Patti, our receptionist, always knew when we had been in the building, because she spent her first half hour on Monday unclipping that paper-clip chain!’’
UConn Today – In one of the most harrowing descriptions in his new book, two-time alum George Aldo Barrios ’87 (CLAS) ’89 MBA, a transformative business strategist and former co-President of WWE, recounted a trip to Saudia Arabia to close an important deal to bring wrestling entertainment to the kingdom.
The company was in the home stretch of the deal when journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, in October 2018. His death was believed to be at the behest of the Saudi Crown Prince. Everyone at WWE was nervous about moving forward.
UConn Today – Researchers examined more than 6,000 cohorts of MBA and law students over several decades and found that having even one additional minority student among a cohort of 100 students increased starting salaries cumulatively across the cohort by up to $30,000
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.
UConn Today – For UConn women’s basketball standout Azzi Fudd ’25 (CLAS) ’26 MBA, learning in school is the same as playing defense.
“It’s effort,” says Fudd, the recently named 2025-26 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. “What you put in is what you’re going to get out.”
UConn Today – Two teams of UConn MBA candidates are among an elite group of students advancing in the highly competitive National Ethics Case Competition.
The teams—that tackled ethics in the pharmaceutical industry and in artificial intelligence—are among the 10 percent of entrants to move to Round 2 in the competition. Only 37 teams in total were selected from the more than 300 who entered.
UConn Today – UConn’s excellence in graduate education is being recognized nationwide, with U.S. News & World Report granting high rankings for 2026 to several online programs for their quality, affordability, and flexibility for distance-learning students.
UConn Today – The School of Business’ Online MBA (OMBA) program has been ranked among the best in the nation by Poets&Quants. UConn climbed to No. 25 in the 2026 Online MBA program rankings, up from No. 33 last year.
“The School of Business was highly intentional in the development of our online MBA courses, prioritizing accessibility without compromising quality,’’ said Mia Hawlk, Executive Director of UConn’s MBA programs. “Those deliberate efforts continue to pay dividends for our program and, most importantly, for our students.’’
UConn Today – Marilena Mademtzi ’25 MBA had already earned two advanced degrees, including a Ph.D., when she enrolled in the UConn MBA program.
A career-long advocate for students with autism and mental health struggles, Mademtzi ultimately hopes to drive innovation in pediatric behavioral healthcare throughout Connecticut.