A team of four University of Connecticut MBA candidates took first place in the fifth annual MBA Strategy Case Competition hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, held February 7-9. Ten schools participated in the competition: Arizona State, Baylor, Connecticut, Hong Kong UST, Illinois, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, and Purdue. Continue Reading
Event Article
Update: Webcast Recording Available for “Town Hall” Meeting on U.S.-China Relationship
UConn-Stamford Joins 60-City Live Program with U.S. Ambassador to China
The University of Connecticut’s Stamford campus and the Business Council of Fairfield County are teaming to offer a unique opportunity to students, business leaders and other community members to learn about critical U.S.-China relations.
UConn-Stamford will be one of 60 venues nationwide offering the Oct. 29, 2012, presentation of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ sixth annual CHINA Town Hall. The live webcast event, “National Reflections, Local Connections,” includes a discussion and a question-and-answer session with Gary Locke, the U.S. Ambassador to China.
UConn-Stamford’s event starts at 7 p.m. and includes a presentation by China specialist Keith W. Abell, co-founder the Sungate Properties real estate investment company. His discussion precedes the webcast of the Town Hall, which starts at 8 p.m.
UConn-Stamford will present the discussion and live webcast in its Gen Re auditorium on the first floor of the downtown campus. Admission is free.
Ambassador Locke will deliver a special address to be broadcast live to audiences in the 60 cities and towns across the United States. He will then respond to questions from audience members nationwide in a discussion, moderated by Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
The presentation of the live webcast at UConn-Stamford is part of the University’s commitment to offering timely, compelling events and resources to students, the region and its business community.
“China is now part of Fairfield County’s daily reality. This event is an important investment in our region’s growing understanding of the US-China relationship,” says Christopher P. Bruhl, President and CEO of The Business Council of Fairfield County.
Ambassador Gary Locke has been U.S. Ambassador to China since August 2011. Previously, he served as the Secretary of Commerce from 2009 to 2011 where he was point person for achieving the President’s National Export Initiative, which achieved a thirty-two percent increase in exports to China from 2009 to 2010.
Before his appointment to the President’s cabinet, Ambassador Locke served two terms as governor of Washington, where he helped double the state’s exports to China, and as a partner in the Seattle office of the international law firm, David Wright Tremaine LLP, where he co-chaired the firm’s China practice.
The National Committee on United States-China Relations is the leading national, non-partisan public affairs organization devoted exclusively to building constructive and durable relationships between the United States and China.
For more information, contact:
Timothy Dowding, UConn School of Business International Business Accelerator
(203) 251-9582 or timothy.dowding@business.uconn.edu
Michael J. Deotte, UConn School of Business Director of Marketing
(860) 486-4478 or mdeotte@business.uconn.edu
Joseph Weed, Director of Communications
National Committee on United States-China Relations
(212) 645-9677, ext. 11 or jweed@ncuscr.org
2012 MBA Women International Conference & Career Fair
The 2012 MBA Women International (MBAWI) Conference & Career Fair was held October 18-20 in Phoenix, Arizona. Marlys Rizzi represented the University of Connecticut School of Business at the event and served on the conference planning committee. This year’s theme, “Leadership Trends, Achieving Peak Performance,” was designed to assist women, both students and professionals, as they continue along the journey to develop and enhance their leadership skills. Continue Reading
Innovation for Business Growth in Fairfield County
Over 110 UConn Alumni and business leaders from Greater Stamford gathered at the “Innovation for Business Growth in Fairfield County” event at the Stamford Learning Accelerator last Thursday. The event, hosted by the University of Connecticut School of Business and The Business Council of Fairfield, Connecticut, featured a panel discussion on topics such as new business growth in Connecticut and why companies are relocating to Fairfield County.
Moderated by Dean John Elliott of the UConn School of Business and Christopher Bruhl, President and CEO of The Business Council of Fairfield County, the panel was comprised of UConn alumni business leaders in the area as well as UConn faculty. Panelists included Tim Hunter, Professor and Head, Digital Media & Design Department, UConn Schools of Business and Fine Arts; Lincoln Millstein ’77, Executive Vice President, Deputy Group Head at Hearst Publications; Seth Ruzi, VP & Associate General Counsel, Starwood Hotels & Resorts; and Joseph Parsons ’79, Management Committee Member, Bridgewater Associates.
The interactive discussion was followed by a cocktail party and networking reception welcoming the new Dean, where attendees were also able to chat with panelists directly.
The Business Career Center Breaks the Mold on Career Fairs
On October 12, 2012, the School of Business Career Center hosted its inaugural Business Career Expo during which they welcomed over 480 registered business students and over 100 key corporate professionals to an invitation-only career event. The Expo, held on a Friday during the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., was marketed to employers and students alike as “Not your Classic Career Fair” and was the first event of this kind for not only the School of Business, but the University as well. Absent from the room were the long tables and employer banners which usually serve as the backdrop of career fairs and which can form a barrier to more personal conversations.
The day was structured around three components: networking, information sessions and personal career placement conversations. The main Expo room, set with bistro style tables, was filled with light and an open energy flow which resonated around both employers and students alike. In breakout rooms across the hall, 17 individual employer information sessions ran concurrent to the Expo and offered students the ability to learn more about individual companies and placement opportunities. “We designed the day in a setting that was intended to foster compelling, impactful conversations with a direct focus on student placement. Based on attendance as well as student and employer comments, the day was such a resounding success that we plan to continue the event in the coming years.” said Jim Lowe, Executive Director of the School of Business Career Center and Assistant Dean of External Relations and Outreach.
The day concluded with a private luncheon for our corporate partners hosted by the Business Career Center. Mary Holz-Clause, the University of Connecticut’s Vice President of Economic Development, and Jim Lowe spoke briefly at the luncheon to welcome and thank all of our corporate partners for their continued support of our students.
NPR Discusses MIS Recruiting with UConn OPIM Department
Dr. Ram Gopal, department head of Operations & Information Management (OPIM) at the University of Connecticut School of Business, accompanied by OPIM faculty members Ramesh Sankaranarayanan, Sudip Bhattacharjee, Dmitry Zhdanov, and students Walid Namane, Imrus Sadiq, Carlo Guerriero, and Lily Elawar chatted with Neena Satija of NPR News about the overwhelming need for MIS (IT) skills in the state job market.Continue Reading
UConn MBA Students Win ACG CT Cup
On April 2, 2012, UConn School of Business won the Third Annual ACG Connecticut Cup Competition. UConn’s MBA team consisted of Vivek Goel, Isaac Park, Archit Patel, Tom Wang, and Dawei Zheng. The other schools competing in the competition were Yale University School of Management (2nd place), Sacred Heart University College of Business (3rd place), and Quinnipiac University School of Business (4th place). Continue Reading
Etiquette and Business
The UConn School of Business Career Center hosted two Etiquette Training events on April 4, 2012. The first event was specifically geared toward MBA students focusing on the impact etiquette has on the business environment including production loss, executive-level etiquette responsibility and potential business situations that tie into social environments. The second event was held for the Undergraduates in which the event speaker, Daniel Post-Senning (the great-great grandson of Emily Post, a renowned expert in the field of etiquette), guided students on a multitude of topics including: job interview and follow-up etiquette; when it is appropriate for a guest to discuss business topics; and, more importantly, how etiquette is the power that fuels our business relationships and offers a guide to success by combining manners and principles. The Emily Post Institute’s principles have been guiding business professionals since 1922 when Emily Post first wrote “to make a pleasant and friendly impression is not only good manners but equally good business.”
These events provided business and social etiquette advice to over 75 students and were sponsored by our generous corporate partner Pepperidge Farm, located in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Photo: Daniel Post-Senning
UConn Student Wins First Place in National PSE Competition
On November 18th, 2011, at the Widener University in Chester, PA, Pi Sigma Epsilon, held their National Speakers Competition. Armando Jimenez, a junior studying business management with a concentration in entrepreneurship at the University of Connecticut, and a member of the Epsilon Omega Chapter on campus, won first place in the national competition. Jimenez said that he went out for the competition because he enjoys public speaking, it sets him apart from his peers, and it allows him to influence diverse audiences.
Jimenez gave a 6-minute speech discussing the “9 Realities of Life.” The speech touched upon realities and truths that go overlooked in our daily lives. Through the sharing of personal experiences and information that Jimenez learned from others he was able to mention points relative to career, academia, and personal realities. Jimenez said, “the purpose of my speech was to bring awareness to my peers about some of the things we (as a society) do not pay close attention to.”
Jimenez gave his speech to a panel of professional and peer judges and placed first. He won a Pi Sigma Epsilon national convention package to Indianapolis, IN, in March, where he will have the opportunity to emcee a keynote presentation at the week-long event.
Photo: Armando Jimenez giving his speech
UConn Team Wins Travelers IT case competition
The University of Connecticut School of Business team won the 2011 Travelers IT case competition. The competition is held annually by the Travelers IT Leadership Development Program that pairs talented college students with realistic business scenarios. It is a great opportunity for students to showcase their technical and business abilities, and helps demonstrate the importance of strong research, teamwork, and presentation skills.
This year’s team included Dr. Wei-Kuang Huang, Associate Professor in Residence, Operations and Information Management Department, as the faculty advisor and the following students:
- Chad Munroe (Senior in Business Technology, Hartford)
- Dean Richards (Senior in Business Technology, Hartford)
- Joshua Rome (Senior in Business Technology, Hartford)
- Reuben Ruppert (Junior in Business Technology, Hartford)
- Justin Iriondo* (Senior in Management Information Systems, Storrs)
The participating schools for this year’s competition included University of Minnesota (Carlson School of Management), Central Connecticut State University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Quinnipiac University, Metropolitan State University and UConn. This year’s topic of the competition dealt with Agile software development and project management. During the three weeks prior to the competition, the team put forward tremendous amounts of effort and time discuss issues, researching solutions, and rehearsing their presentation.
On Friday, November 18, 2011, the team presented their final work along with other participating schools in front a panel of 7 judges. Our students, being poised and prepared, came out on top, representing UConn with great pride. This is the third time UConn won the Travelers IT case competition in the past four years.
*Justin participated in the first two weeks but was unable to continue due to medical constraints.