UConn Today – Professor Craig Calvert, co-Director of the MEM Program, a top-rated professor, and a champion of students pursuing their job searches, will be honored with the UConn AAUP Teaching Excellence/Early Career Award in April.
Department News
Articles about activities within the academic departments
Despite Significant Challenges, Students, Alumni and Industry Professionals Share Optimism About a More ‘Green’ World
UConn Today – The School of Business’ second annual Global Business Leadership in Sustainability Summit offered a blend of optimism and stark reality about the future of business and the planet to a passionate group of students, alumni, faculty, and industry experts.
The event addressed a variety of topics, including how some 90 percent of Connecticut’s food supply is imported. Other speakers warned about companies ‘greenwashing’ their track records and environmental efforts. Even U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt entered the discussion, as he was an early adopter of electric vehicle technology, riding in an electric motorcade during a 1902 visit to Hartford.
Fish Food and the Foundry: How One UConn Startup Went Global and Others Can, Too
UConn Today – On a blue-sky day in the northern region of Jordan, Peter Goggins ’21 (CAHNR) ’23 MEGE, striding through a sprawling field of alfalfa, was reminded of just how much he loves agriculture.
In a navy-blue shirt with the ubiquitous UConn Husky logo emblazoned on the back, Goggins traversed that inspiring alfalfa field as part of a 10-day trip to the Middle Eastern country in January, where he toured farms and aquaculture facilities, met the farmers who operate them, visited agricultural research facilities and import warehouses, and even lunched with a sheik.
UConn student-led venture fund bets on sustainability, insurtech, edtech startups
Hartford Business Journal – When Aria Penna enrolled at UConn as a finance major she was eager to begin her coursework, but also knew she wanted to get more out of college life than just books and lectures. So she signed up for a relatively new program called Hillside Ventures, a student-led venture fund that invests in early-stage startups. She’s one of six women in the 31-student program.
UConn to Host Business ‘Sustainability Summit’
UConn Today – The School of Business is hosting its second annual Global Business Leadership in Sustainability Summit, addressing issues and ideas shaping sustainability in business, both locally and globally.
The event, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, March 24, will provide students the opportunity to speak with young alumni, business professionals, and other friends of UConn who share enthusiasm for “business for good.’’
Best Paper Award: Marketing’s Justin Sieow and Professor Christina Kan
Marketing doctoral candidate Justin Sieow and assistant professor of Marketing Christina Kan’s paper titled “The Business Case Against (and for) Product Gendering,” was named the best paper by the Marketing for Higher Education Special Interest Group, the “Marketing to Evolving Consumers” special session at the 2023 American Marketing Association winter conference. Their paper examines the efficacy of product gendering in contemporary society and suggests that contemporary consumers generally prefer ungendered over gendered products, and perceive the act of product gendering as a marketing action that is aimed at encouraging purchase in a manipulative manner. Justin stressed that, “This research would not be where it is at without Christina’s input and keen eye to details. It has been an absolute privilege and honor working with someone as amazing and dedicated as Christina. I could continue singing her praises, but I’m sure everyone who has worked with her already know all of that.”
Professor Plesko—Awarded Researcher, Enthusiastic Advocate for Students–Named Top Tax Educator in the Nation
UConn Today – Professor George Plesko, the head of the accounting department, a beloved mentor, and a researcher whose work changed IRS policies, has been honored as the top tax educator in the nation.
The 2022 Ray M. Sommerfeld Outstanding Tax Educator Award, a prestigious award from the American Taxation Association, is given to a faculty member with a distinguished career and outstanding contributions to teaching, curriculum development, service, participation in professional activities, and academic research.
Business Analytics, IT Security, and Supply Chain to Take Prominent Place in Revamped School of Business Program
UConn Today – The School of Business is making significant changes to one of its undergraduate programs, modernizing it to increase the emphasis on data analytics and creating a more direct pipeline to employment.
Beginning in the Fall, the Management Information Systems (MIS) program will become Analytics and Information Management (AIM). The new major will offer four concentrations: Business Intelligence, Application Development, IT Security, and Supply Chain Management.
UConn School of Business Reduces MBA Course Requirements, Enabling Students to Complete the Degree More Quickly
UConn Today – The UConn School of Business announced today that it has revised its MBA program, making it faster, more flexible, and more convenient for graduate students to earn their degrees.
Beginning in Fall 2023, the program will decrease the number of credits required to earn an MBA from 57 to 42. It will also change its concentrations and realign its core courses. The changes allow students to complete the MBA program faster—in just over a year if pursued aggressively—and at a lower cost.
Strategies for Success in Business (Taylor’s Version)
UConn Today – Superstar Taylor Swift may have exceptional musical talent and a legion of devoted fans, but, a UConn scholar argues, it is her nearly flawless business strategy that has fueled her path to superstardom.
“Talent only gets you so far,’’ says Sami Ghaddar, a School of Business professor who specializes in business strategy. “I would say that Taylor Swift is a very savvy businessperson.
“In an industry where rivalry is intense, it requires well thought-out and prudent decisions to reap the rewards that she has. Taylor Swift is a person; but Taylor Swift is also a business.’’