UConn 360 – When somebody scrolls through the top product categories on Amazon odds are some 60% of the brands for sale will be ones you’ve never heard of before. That poses a challenge for marketers looking for their brands to be chosen among the many options, including familiar ones. UConn marketing professor Danielle Brick has researched how novel brands can make inroads in a very crowded marketplace and it has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research. She joins us on the podcast and tells us about how she went about her research, which included offering candy bars to people that just worked out at a gym. Brick also tells us about how novel brands have affected her personal shopping habits and her research on spiteful brand choices in relationships.
Faculty
OPIM Professor Fasheng Xu, a ‘Forward-Thinking’ Scholar, Wins Early Career Award
UConn Today – Fasheng Xu, a professor of Operations and Information Management (OPIM), has been awarded the 2025 Chelliah Sriskandarajah Early Career Research Accomplishments Award, a global honor bestowed on just one scholar annually.
The award, presented at the Production & Operations Management Society’s (POMS) annual conference in Atlanta last weekend, recognizes exceptional research contributions by a scholar who completed his or her doctorate in the last six years.
Accounting Professor George Plesko Wins Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship
UConn Today – Each year, the Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship (PAECES) recognize the outstanding contributions of faculty, staff, students, teams, and community partners who collaboratively address critical societal challenges through the creative and reciprocal exchange of knowledge and resources.
CREA Foundation Creates Two Scholarships, Bonus Opportunities for Real Estate Students
UConn Today – CREA Foundation, Inc. has created two, renewable scholarships for UConn students interested in studying commercial real estate, and they include bonus opportunities to set them up for success.
“We’re excited and eager to partner with CREA to introduce more students to the real estate industry,’’ said David Wharmby, director of the Center for Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies at UConn. “This gift will ensure that they are not just career-ready but have solid work experience in the industry.’’
Professor Bird Awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Conduct Legal Research in Finland
UConn Today – Business Law professor Robert Bird has been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and will spend three months studying human-centered legal strategy and design in Finland next semester.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to collaborate with my peers in Finland, who are doing some interesting work on strategic legal design,’’ he said. “I believe this research will add value to organizations, make complex contracts easier to understand, and benefit my students as well.’’
UConn Graduate Programs Ranked Among the Best in the Nation
UConn Today – The University of Connecticut offers graduate programs across a wide variety of fields and disciplines that rank among the very best in the United States, according to rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
“We are proud to see our graduate programs recognized among the nation’s best in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings,” says Provost and Chief Academic Officer Anne D’Alleva. “This achievement reflects the exceptional dedication of our faculty, the talent of our students, and our continued investment in graduate education.”
Hartford’s 4th Annual AI Day Will Offer Businesses, Professionals, Students Opportunities to Navigate Emerging Tech
UConn Today – The first time AI Day was offered in Hartford in 2022, it drew a small but enthusiastic group of 68 participants. It was before the release of ChatGPT, and both the capabilities of the technology and its potential impact on business and society were not widely recognized.
This year, some 800 people are expected at AI Day events spread across two days – a kickoff and thought leadership keynote on Tuesday, April 22, and a day-long learning forum on Wednesday, April 23.
Hartford, Stamford Campuses Open ‘Innovate Labs’ Where Technology, Fun, and New Skills Connect
UConn Today – Freshman Barbara Hawke Lopez was the captain of her high school robotics team and enjoys coding and emerging technology.
When she discovered that Innovate Labs was opening a facility on the UConn Stamford campus, with hands-on learning opportunities in emerging technology, she was intrigued.
Today, Hawke Lopez is employed as a lab assistant there, teaching her peers how to experiment with new technology, and helping them develop their confidence in the automation of the future.
UConn Online MBA Program Debuts Highly in New National Ranking
UConn Today – The UConn Online MBA program debuted at No. 33 among the best online programs in the nation, considered an honor for a program that recently entered the academic arena.
Poets & Quants, a news and ranking organization focused on graduate business education, announced the results this week. The UConn program also ranked No. 27 for career outcomes and No. 26 for academic experience.
School of Business to Launch MS in Supply Chain Management
UConn Today – The School of Business is launching a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management next year, capitalizing on student interest, faculty expertise, and the identification of New England as a “hot spot’’ for supply-chain management positions.
“I’m very excited about this new degree program,’’ said professor Cuihong Li, a supply-chain expert who leads the Operations and Information Management department at the School of Business.