Department News

Articles about activities within the academic departments



Hometown Advantage? CEOs Tend to Acquire Companies in Familiar Stomping Grounds

UConn Today – Multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway bought CEO Warren Buffett’s struggling hometown newspaper. Amazon acquired Whole Foods, which is headquartered in the same state where CEO Jeff Bezos grew up and owns a home.

New research shows these deals aren’t coincidences. Companies are 2.5 times more likely to acquire firms headquartered in the state where their CEO grew up than similar firms located elsewhere, the study found.

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Coveted Class: Financial Services

Paul Gilson, director and assistant professor of in residence of finance at the Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on Aug. 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Paul Gilson, director and assistant professor of in residence of finance at the Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on Aug. 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

The Instructor

Associate professor-in-residence in finance, Paul Gilson grew up in the Thames River town of Gravesend, 20 miles east of London, and earned a degree in mathematics from Bristol University. His plan was always to go on to a Ph.D. “But first,” he says, “I needed a job.” So he went to work in London for KPMG, the global accounting giant. His first day at the office, stock markets around the world collapsed in the Black Monday crash of 1987, still the greatest one-day loss by percentage in Dow history. During the long recovery that followed, KPMG was kept very busy, and Gilson gained extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, a specialty of his department. “The late 1980s in London,” he says. “It was an exciting time.” Continue Reading


Predictive Modeling Class Projects Become Twin Wins for UConn

The UConn delegates pose at a reception during the JMP Discovery Summit in Tuscon, AZ.  The two UConn teams represented here tied for first place in the contest. (Contributed Photo)
The UConn delegates pose at a reception during the JMP Discovery Summit in Tuscon, AZ. The two UConn teams represented here tied for first place in the contest. (Contributed Photo)

If a pet-adoption agency wants to quickly find a home for a puppy, is it better to post a picture of the pup with its littermates—or a series of photos of the dog alone?

And if soccer club owners are trying to identify which FIFA players are underpaid based on their talent, could they accurately do so by analyzing public data about each player’s skill ratings?Continue Reading


While CT’s reserves rise, Wall Street compensation shrinks

Hartford Business Journal – While Connecticut’s budget reserve just hit a new high, one of the driving forces behind that accomplishment may be cooling down. According to a recent report from the New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, compensation on Wall Street was down 6% last year, driven by a 17% drop in bonuses.

Opo


Alum Helps Disruptor ‘Fundbox’ Solve Small Business Cash-Flow Needs

Fundbox Director of Finance Steven Groccia '10 (BUS).  (Contributed Photo)
Fundbox Director of Finance Steven Groccia ’10 (BUS). (Contributed Photo)

For many small business owners, the months-long gap between completing a job and getting paid threatens the growth, potential, or even solvency of their firms.Continue Reading


EMBA Students Dive Right In to ‘Real Life’ Business Challenges

Shot of colleagues having a meeting during a late night in a modern office
(istockphoto.com)

As a self-described ‘mushy-gushy’ type, Catherine Davis-Gomez wasn’t exactly counting the days until the first session of her Financial Controls course in UConn’s Executive MBA program.

“When I learned what Financial Controls was, I thought, ‘I’m gonna hate this,'” said the highly trained therapist who helps create school-based programs to address post-traumatic stress in children.

The feeling didn’t last long.Continue Reading


Consumers: Online Restaurant Reviews are not All Equal

UConn Today – People searching online restaurant reviews give less value to those written on mobile devices than on other platforms, according to new research in the journal Marketing Science.

In a study of 275,000 restaurant reviews, researchers from the University of Connecticut, Boston College, and Peking University found differences in reader perception based on the platform where the review was generated.


At Amazon, workers unite to speak out on warehouses, climate and more

CNET – An energetic crowd of hundreds of Amazon workers gathered around the Spheres, a 90-foot-tall glass building at the center of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, to hold up signs reading “No AWS for Oil and Gas” and practice chants like “Climate change is not a lie, do not let our planet die.”

Opo


Professor Dunbar Earns National Award, Pays it Forward

Accounting Professor Amy Dunbar has been honored with the Ray M. Sommerfield Outstanding Tax Educator Award, from the Amaerican Accounting Asociation. She plans to use her prize money to establish a scholarship fund. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)
Accounting Professor Amy Dunbar has been honored with the Ray M. Sommerfield Outstanding Tax Educator Award, from the Amaerican Accounting Asociation. She plans to use her prize money to establish a scholarship fund. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Accounting professor Amy Dunbar has been honored as the top tax educator in the nation, winning a prestigious award from the tax section of the American Accounting Association.Continue Reading