Graduate Programs

1st Annual Risk Management Academic Conference

Posted on by Melissa Ferrigno

The Master of Science in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM) Program at the University of Connecticut will host the First Annual Academic Conference on Risk Management at Storrs, Connecticut on May 30, 2014.

Date & Time

  • May 30, 2014 (Friday)
  • 9am-5pm

Program Committee

  • Chinmoy Ghosh
  • Chanatip Kitwiwattanachai
  • Efdal Misirli

Purpose

The purpose of this conference is to bring together academic researchers at the frontier of risk management and investments. This year’s conference program includes empirical perspectives on credit contagion, hedge fund investment, fire sales, market efficiency, mutual fund investment and media visibility in financial markets, central bank borrowing and risk shifting by banks in Europe.

Invitation

The Finance Department at the UCONN School of Business organizes this conference for the first time this year, and we would like to make it an annual event where prominent scholars and active young researchers present their work and receive valuable feedback. We will be happy if you can join our conference in its inaugural run.

Presenters

1. Jean Helwege, J. Henry Fellers Professor of Business Administration at the University of South Carolina, “Do Hedge Fund Fire Sales Disrupt the Stock Market?”  (9:00 – 9:50 am)

Discussant: Namho Kang (University of Connecticut)   (9:50 – 10:05 am)

Audience Q&A. (10:05 – 10:15 am)

 

2. Jennie Bai, Assistant Professor of Finance at Georgetown University, “Non-committable Channel for Credit Contagion”.  (10:15 – 11:05 am)

Discussant: Chanatip Kitwiwattanachai (University of Connecticut).  (11:05 – 11:20 am)

Audience Q&A. (11:20 – 11:30 am)

 

Lunch & Remarks from Dean John Elliot (11:30 am – 1:00 pm)

 

3. Ron Kaniel, Professor of Finance, University of Rochester, “Making the list – the impact of WSJ fund rankings on consumer investment decisions”,  (1:00 – 1:50 pm)

Discussant: Jonathan Reuter (Boston College, NBER). (1:50 – 2:05 pm)

Audience Q&A. (2:05 – 2:15 pm)

 

4. Bing Liang, Professor of Finance, University of Massachusetts Amherst, “Hedge Fund Ownership and Stock Market Efficiency” (2:15 – 3:05 pm)

Discussant: Jean Helwege (University of South Carolina). (3:05 – 3:20 pm)

Audience Q&A. (3:20 – 3:30 pm)

 

Coffee Break (3:30 – 3:45 pm)

 

5. Phillip Schnabl, Assistant Professor of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Kaufman Management Center, NYU “Who Borrows from the Lender of Last Resort?”. (3:45 – 4:35 pm)

Discussant: Jennie Bai (Georgetown University) (4:35 – 4:50 pm)

Audience Q&A. (4:50 – 5:00 pm)

2014 Ph.D. Awards

Posted on by Brian Kelleher

 

2014 School of Business Hall of Fame Award

  • Management – Lauren D’Innocenzo

 

2014 Ph.D. Program-wide Outstanding Student Scholar Award

  • Management – Margaret Luciano, winning 2nd consecutive year

 

2014 Departmental Outstanding Ph.D. Student Scholar Awards (*Nominated for Program-wide Outstanding Scholar Award)

  • Accounting – Biyu Wu*, Andrew Duxbury, Valerie Tellez
  • Finance – Yihong Xiao*, Charles Clarke, Steven Kozlowski, Xiangkun Yao
  • Management – Margaret Luciano*, Brian Fox, Rebecca Ranucci
  • Marketing – Anna Vredeveld*, Nian Wang, Selcan Kara, Bin Li, Zahra Tohidinia
  • Operations & Information Management – Yuan Jin*, Yucheng Chen

 

Departmental Ph.D. Student Teaching Awards

  • Accounting – Biyu Wu
  • Finance – Yihong Xiao
  • Management – Wonseok Choi
  • Marketing – Selcan Kara
  • Operations & Information Management – Gang Wang (Winner of the Ph.D. Program-wide Teaching Award)

 

MSFRM Students Das & Li Awarded National Scholarships

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Stamford, Conn. – Only two scholarships awarded annually by the Public Risk Management Assoc.

PRIMA Student ScholarshipsEach year, the national Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) awards just two scholarships to students enrolled in public policy and public administration programs. For 2014, both scholarship recipients are from UConn’s MS in Financial Risk Management program.

Xinyue Li and Debolina Das, both enrolled in Stamford, were selected for the annual PRIMA Student Scholarship awards for their outstanding academic performance.

“These scholarships not only recognize our students’ academic strengths and their strong commitment to risk management, but also confirm the quality of our MSFRM program,” said Jud Saviskas, executive director of the UConn School of Business in Stamford. “We are very proud of these two students, and they are a shining reflection of our fine program.”

Based in Alexandria, VA, PRIMA exists to promote and advance the profession of public risk, and serves as the primary resource for public risk management educational programs, products and services.

The PRIMA student scholarship covers expenses related to their attendance at PRIMA’s 35th Annual Conference, June 9-11 2014, in Long Beach, California. These expenses include the conference registration, meals, hotel accommodations, and both air and ground transportation.

As a student scholar, each will be paired with a mentor—a PRIMA member who is an experienced risk manager. The mentor will help the students network, gain industry knowledge, and expose them to other learning opportunities before, during, and after the 2014 Annual Conference. The winners will also receive a complimentary one-year student membership in PRIMA.

“Our FRM program has grown nearly five times in the last three years, attracting outstanding students from abroad, and earning the support and recognition from major corporations in the northeast,” added Professor Chinmoy Ghosh, head of the Finance Department and director of the MSFRM program. “These competitive scholarships recognize the academic excellence of our students and highlight our focus and emphasis on research initiatives in Risk Management.”

Pictured: Xinyue Li and Debolina Das, recipients of the 2014 PRIMA Student Scholarship awards

IBM, MBAs Use Visual Analytics to Tackle Business Problems

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IBM, MBAs

Stamford, Conn.– “Big Data.”

It’s a term we hear over and over again, and its impact is universal. But what is “big?”

According to a 2011 IDC/EMC study, the estimated size of the digital universe was 1.8 zettabytes, and is predicted to grow to 35 zettabytes by 2020. To put that number into perspective, it is the equivalent of 35,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes!Continue Reading

UConn MBA Business Trip Immerses Students in Chinese Business, Culture, and History

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UConn MBA China TripAs the world’s second largest economy, it’s no wonder China is a compelling travel destination for global business programs such as those offered at UConn School of Business.

Thirty-seven MBA students traveled to China over the last Thanksgiving holiday for an intensive, 11-day study program designed to supplement their foundational business education with an understanding of the business and cultural aspects of the influential global nation.

“UConn’s travel program to China was an experience of a lifetime for me,” commented Namita Joshi ’15 MBA, manager of Drug Safety Operations at Purdue Pharma. “I had many perceptions about China regarding their business model, culture, food, population, cleanliness, etc. I literally got a ‘reality check’.”

Global Camaraderie

UConn is one of only a few MBA Programs in the U.S. to offer a study program in China that encompasses three cities. Now in its 12th year, the travel program includes visits to Beijing, Shanghai, and Jinan—the capital of Shandong Province—where the UConn School of Business has enjoyed a five-year relationship with Shandong University, with multiple faculty and student exchanges between the two universities.

One of the many highlights of the latest trip was meeting with fellow MBA students at Shandong University’s School of Management. Shandong MBAs accompanied UConn to meetings with Jinan companies and met later to network, share experiences and exchange ideas. Shandong faculty and MBAs hosted a dinner banquet in honor of the UConn visitors and invited UConn faculty member Brian Brady to present a guest lecture on entrepreneurial marketing to the associate dean, faculty and select students the following day.

Curriculum

The MBA travel program comprises two separate, but integrated, courses, OPIM 5894 – Global Supply Chain Management taught by Professor Tim Dowding, and MGMT 5894 – Management Issues in Asia taught by Brian Brady. Students may opt to take one or both courses.

As part of the curriculum, students toured and met with executives at over ten companies including Diageo, Henkel, GE Healthcare, RR Donnelley, WPP/Ogilvy & Mather Asia, SinoTruk and Tsing Tao Brewery. The group also had a private meeting with Elizabeth (Betsy) Shieh, an officer in the Foreign Commercial Service (U.S. Dept. of Commerce) at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

“I frequently travel to Asia on business, and participating in this study program has been invaluable,” says Jean-Pierre (JP) Karam ’14 MBA, a senior project engineer at Becton, Dickinson and Company. “It has given me a first-hand look at how other companies operate in China and given me a benchmark for my company.”

Photo: UConn MBAs pose with their peers at Shandong University in Jinan, China.

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MBA

Online Accounting Certificate Program to Debut Fall 2014

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Attractive Bridge to MS in Accounting Degree. The UConn School of Business Accounting Department is pleased to announce the launch of the new online Accounting Certificate Program (ACP) commencing fall 2014.

The new program is specifically designed for college graduates and working professionals with non-accounting backgrounds who are interested in acquiring fundamental accounting knowledge. For those individuals wishing to pursue UConn’s MS in Accounting Program, which requires the same prerequisite accounting courses, the certificate provides an attractive bridge for meeting the degree’s entry requirements.

“UConn’s ACP program has broad appeal in the marketplace, especially given the online format,” says Amy Dunbar, professor and program director. “Already leaders in online accounting education with our highly successful online MSA program, we’re pleased to leverage our expertise in developing a quality online certificate program that addresses the needs of two unique constituencies – individuals who simply want more accounting education than they currently have and those who would like to use the accounting courses as a bridge to an MSA program.”

The ACP comprises four comprehensive accounting courses covering financial reporting, assurance services, and taxation. The program runs through the fall and spring semesters, culminating in the completion of the certificate in May.

Applicants for the new certificate program must have an undergraduate degree (any major) and have completed introductory financial and managerial accounting courses. After completing the ACP, individuals can apply to UConn’s MSA program and receive credit for two of the ACP courses.

The Accounting Department has seen significant interest in the MSA program from individuals in the work force, as well as from UConn students in other graduate degree programs, who generally don’t have the undergraduate accounting background required for admission.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had to decline a majority of students interested in the MSA program over the years because they simply didn’t possess the prerequisite undergraduate accounting courses,” says Mo Hussein, professor and department head of Accounting. “The next question generally asked was whether we offered the required courses here at UConn. Now, we are able to say ‘yes!'”

For more information, please visit http://msaccounting.business.uconn.edu/

2013 Ph.D. Awards

Posted on by Brian Kelleher

Congratulations to doctoral students who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in research and/or teaching:

2013 School of Business Hall of Fame Award

  • Marketing – Hang Thu Nguyen

Dean’s 2013 Pre-doctoral Fellowship

  • Accounting – Erin Henry, Elizabeth Kohl
  • Finance – Tingyu Zhou
  • Management – Margaret Luciano, Lauren D’Innocenzo
  • Marketing – Jeffrey Carlson
  • Operations & Information Management- Mark Schneider, Gang Wang

2013 Departmental Outstanding Ph.D. Student Scholar Awards
(*Nominated for Program-wide Outstanding Scholar Award)

  • Accounting – Erin Henry*, Biyu Wu, Valerie Tellez
  • Finance – Tingyu Zhou*, Charles Clarke, Steven Rush, Steven Kozlowski
  • Management – Margaret Luciano* (Congratulations to Margaret for also winning the Ph.D. Program-wide Outstanding Ph.D. Scholar Award)
  • Management – Brian Fox, Hyoun Sook Lim
  • Marketing – Jeffrey Carlson*, Shan Lin, Selcan Kara, Anna Vredeveld, Bin Li
  • Operations & Information Management – Mark Schneider*, Gang Wang, Lei Wang

2013 Departmental Ph.D. Student Teaching Awards

  • Accounting – Elizabeth Kohl
  • Finance – Tingyu Zhou
  • Management – Lauren D’Innocenzo (Congratulations to Lauren for also winning the Ph.D. Program-wide Teaching Award)
  • Marketing – Jeff Carlson
  • Operations & Information Management – Gang Wang

MBAs Continue to Collect Competition Honors

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For the second year in a row, UConn MBAs won first place in the APICS Northeast Supply Chain Business Case Competition held this year February 7-8, 2014 in Albany, NY.

The winning “Grand Champion” team, comprising Jaimin Bhatt ’15 MBA, Mohit Ganotra ’15 MBA, and Bhupender Singh ’15 MBA, will represent the Northeast District in APICS International Student Team Competition scheduled for October in New Orleans. Continue Reading

UConn’s CFA Research Challenge Team Advances to Americas Regional Competition

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CFA Institute Research ChallengeHartford, CT – The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. The Hartford CFA chapter hosted the local CFA Research Challenge competition for the first time this year. By participating in this competition, students gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst and are tested on their ability to value a stock, write an initiation-of-coverage report, and present their recommendations.

We are pleased to announce that with the assistance of the CFA Society Hartford Industry Mentor Leslie White and Finance Department Professor Michael Oancea, the CFA Research Challenge team representing the University of Connecticut School of Business was victorious in completing the research challenge for the local Hartford region and are moving on to the Americas Regonal finals in Denver this March. UConn’s CFA Research Challenge Team consists of the following MBA students: Kamran Momenzadeh, Pornpong Lueang (Omo), Jon Singsen and Jeff Makray.

This global competition tests university students’ skills on equity research and valuation, investment report writing and presentation skills. The competition consists of a written investment research report on a single, publicly traded company and a 10 minute presentation to the judges. The winning team is selected based on the thoroughness of the equity analysis and full research report as well as the overall knowledge of the company. Last year, over 775 universities in 54 countries participated in this global challenge.

From Left to Right: Leslie White – CFA Industry Mentor, Kamran Momenzadeh, Pornpong (Omo) Lueang, John Singsen and Jeffrey Makray

New Online Accounting Certificate Program

Posted on by Brian Kelleher

Now accepting applications!

The UConn School of Business Accounting Department is pleased to announce the new online Accounting Certificate Program (ACP). The program is designed for non-accounting college graduates interested in obtaining a graduate certificate in accounting. The potential applicants are likely to be working professionals who want to acquire additional accounting knowledge and potential MS in Accounting applicants, who were not accounting majors and thus do not have the required prerequisite accounting courses, providing an attractive bridge into the MSA Program. The program will offer four comprehensive accounting courses; Financial Reporting I, Financial Reporting II, Federal Income Taxes, and Assurance Services over the fall and spring semesters resulting in the completion of the certificate in May.
For more information, see ACP Information.

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MSA