Department News

Articles about activities within the academic departments


Ask the Experts – Car Insurance in CT

Wallethub – Q: Is it fair for car insurance companies to consider gender or age when setting premiums?

A: Car insurance, typically though not always, costs more for men than women. This is because insurance companies have concluded that male drivers, particularly young male drivers, are statistically a greater risk than female drivers. Insurance companies are looking for ways evaluate their risk as effectively as possible. That said, there are already a small number of states, such as California, Massachusetts, and Michigan, which prohibit using gender to set premiums. More states might adopt those provisions in the future. Regarding age, insurers may charge more for very young and very old drivers because of their greater risk. An open question is how car insurance premiums will change for transgender and nonbinary people.

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Capstone Students Design Themselves Into Coveted Tech Jobs

UConn Magazine – If you’ve compared cell-phone costs at a Spectrum/Charter kiosk, played around on a display screen at a BMW dealer designing your own dream car, or compared features on a series of premium hot tubs, you’ve likely experienced the work of Reality Interactive in Middletown, Connecticut. The high-tech firm creates customer-focused, digital display technology experiences for Fortune 500 and other multinational companies, including BMW, Nintendo, Titleist, Behr Paint Company, and P.C. Richard & Son. “What we accomplish here is breathtaking,” says Jack Nork ’91 (CLAS), the company’s implementation director. “When I see the finished product, it is actually cooler than I ever thought. We have smart, highly educated employees who love to learn new things and then apply them.’’

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UConn Business Partners with Prestigious Chinese University to Enroll Top Grad Students

UConn Today – The School of Business on Thursday signed a formal partnership with Shandong University in China, one of that nation’s top universities, enabling Shandong students to begin graduate coursework in China and complete their degrees at UConn.

The Shandong students, who will come to UConn starting in Fall 2025, can pursue degrees in financial technology, business analytics and project management, or financial and enterprise risk management.

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Prof. Jag Sheth wins 2024 Significant Contributions to Global Marketing Award

NRI Pulse – NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT

Atlanta, GA, June 21, 2024: The Global Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced that Professor Jagdish (Jag) N. Sheth, a distinguished professor at Emory University, has won the 2024 Significant Contributions to Global Marketing Award.

This prestigious award honors a scholar who has made substantial contributions to the field of global marketing. This year, a panel of esteemed judges, including past award winners and notable academics, selected Professor Sheth. The selection committee was led by Constantine S. Katsikeas from Leeds University Business School, with members Robin Coulter from the University of Connecticut and Carlos Sousa from Molde University College.

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Ask the Experts – Credit Card Rewards

Wallethub

Q: Why do you think 21% of people say that inflation makes them less interested in earning credit card rewards?

A: High inflation likely results in people avoiding spending (and thinking about spending). Thus, credit card rewards are likely less attractive during inflationary times.

Q: What advice would you give to consumers who are considering applying for a new credit card solely for the sign-up bonus?

A: Do not be myopic. Businesses that offer credit cards are rational, meaning they anticipate making money off the average consumer.

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Meeting the Team: Insurity Offers Unfettered Access to C-Suite

UConn Today – Long before Chris Lafond ’87 (CLAS) became the CEO of Insurity, a $350 million software company headquartered in Hartford, he was trying to figure out the best strategy to develop and showcase his business abilities.

He quickly discovered the importance of being inquisitive and developing knowledge beyond what is expected.

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Chairman Rodney Butler ’99: ‘You’re Here for a Reason’

UConn Today – This past spring, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS) addressed a large audience of students, faculty, and staff at the Student Union Theatre. One member of the audience paying especially close attention was Samantha Gove ’24 (CLAS), a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation who worked extensively with UConn’s Native American Cultural Programs during her time in Storrs. Shortly after Butler’s visit, he and Gove connected over video call for a conversation about Butler’s time at UConn, what he’s learned in two decades of leadership in the Nation, and what he wants Native students to keep in mind. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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‘Change Happens When One Person Makes a Bold Move’

UConn Today – Alumna Medina Jett ’08 EMBA delivered a commencement speech to the Class of 2024 that emphasized something she knows well: the importance of being brave and thoughtful in the face of change, whether celebrated or not.

“I stand before you not only as a fellow Husky, but as someone who understands the challenges and triumphs that come with the journey of life,’’ Jett told some 700 enthusiastic undergraduates, their families, and friends on Saturday afternoon in Gampel Pavilion.

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Erica Dean ’24, School of Business

UConn Today – Erica wants everyone to find the joy in every experience—even if that experience is a little bit scary. If you can learn something new at the same time, that’s icing on the cake. The School of Business graduate student and Double Husky took classes in Italian and floral arrangement, joined a sports team and a sports ministry and numerous other clubs, and says there are broadening opportunities at UConn for every person and interest. Erica plans to bring her skills in business analytics home to the family business after graduation. And she’s taking her own advice and continuing to plan new experiences, like a hike across Spain for the fall. And her whole family will continue to visit the Dairy Bar, because broadening your horizons doesn’t mean you forget the pleasures of your own backyard.

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