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School of Business Welcomes 11 New Faculty Members

Posted on by Claire Hall

The University of Connecticut has embarked on an ambitious hiring initiative to expand its faculty and senior academic leadership across disciplines, investing in 500 tenure-track faculty positions over the next four years.

As a result of this initiative, the School of Business is delighted to welcome 11 new faculty members in the 2013-2014 academic year. These new faculty bring a diverse array of expertise and research interests to the school and our students, with specialty areas in accounting, finance, management, marketing, and operations and information management.

New Undergraduate Financial Management Major Introduced to Stamford Campus

Posted on by Claire Hall

The new undergraduate financial management major was introduced to the School of Business’ Stamford campus on Thursday, August 29. The first class includes 17 business students. The financial management major offered only at the UConn Stamford campus is specifically designed to prepare students for careers in corporate money management and investment. The curriculum is closely tied to professional financial services practice. It was developed in partnership with the Stamford Chartered Financial Analysts Society (SCFAS), and prepares students to take the first level of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams which leads to the CFA designation. The unique program will include support from the society with mentoring and introductions to the various financial institutions in the tri-state area.

The first class will graduate in May 2014.

Pictured: The financial management students along with Professor Katherine Pancak, Professor John Knopf, Program Manager Marlys Rizzi, Executive Director for the School of Business at UConn Stamford Jud Saviskas, and Finance Department Head Chinmoy Ghosh.

Student/Alumni Networking Event Marks the Start of a New Academic Year

Posted on by Claire Hall

The start of a new semester is an excellent time to strengthen connections and welcome in new students. That is just what happened at The Society Room on August 22 in downtown Hartford, as the UConn School of Business community welcomed in new students entering into the MBA, Master of Science in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM), and Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBAPM). Continue Reading

Doctoral Student Awarded as Promising Young Educator

Posted on by Claire Hall

Management doctoral student Nicole Jones received the Promising Young Educator Award at the Ph.D. Project Management Doctoral Students Association Conference, held August 7-9, 2013.

A peer and self-nominated award, the Promising Young Educator Award is given annually to the Ph.D. Project Management Doctoral Student Association (MDSA) member who has demonstrated teaching excellence during the current academic year. Jones, a third-year doctoral student, received an exceptional teaching rating. Students’ evaluation of teaching gave her a 5.0 of 5.0 in both the MBA course, Gender & Diversity, and undergraduate course, Organizational Behavior. Teaching evaluations are considered in the nomination process among other criteria including a statement of teaching philosophy, teaching role and scope of responsibilities, number of courses, number of students, student population, teaching awards received, and class syllabus.

Jones also recently passed the General Exam, a major milestone in the School of Business doctoral program. She is active in Ph.D. minority recruitment and in other Ph.D. initiatives such as the Planning Committee for the U21 Doctoral Research Conference in Business (DRCB), which was hosted by the UConn School of Business April 10-13, 2012.

The Ph.D. Project’s expansive network helps African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native Americans attain their business Ph.D., become business professors, and mentor the next generation. School of Business Dean John A. Elliott, then at the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, was one of the inaugural inductees into the Ph.D. Project Hall of Fame in 2011.

Sulin Ba Named Associate Dean of Academic and Research Support

Posted on by Claire Hall

The UConn School of Business is pleased to announce that Professor Sulin Ba has accepted the new position of associate dean of academic and research support in the Dean’s Office of the School of Business, effective September 6, 2013. Ba joined the UConn faculty in 2002 as an associate professor in the Department of Operations and Information Management (OPIM) after beginning her career at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (USC). She was promoted to full professor in 2011.

Professor Ba holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. She has a distinguished research record and works on health IT, various issues around online behavior, and on internal market mechanisms. Several of her papers have been recognized by best paper awards including Best IS Publication of the Year (2010) and MIS Quarterly Best Paper of the Year (2000). She was recently awarded the School of Business Research Excellence Award for her nationally and internationally recognized scholarship and long term impact on UConn research. She is the co-principal investigator (co-PI) on two National Natural Science Foundation of China research grants.

Ba has extensive international experience including associations with Fudan University, Universitat Mannheim, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and City University of Hong Kong. She has been active with the Connecticut Information Technology Institute (CITI) and Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at the School of Business and has been involved in experiential learning for the last eight years. Recently, Ba led a team of Management Information Systems (MIS) students in developing a Microsoft SQL Server based Enforcement and Examination Tracking System for the Consumer Credit Division of the Connecticut Department of Banking. Her corporate engagements have included many Connecticut companies, nonprofits, and government organizations.

Business Law Faculty Takes Center Stage at Annual Conference

Posted on by Claire Hall

The Business Law Faculty in the School of Business participated in the 88th annual Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) conference, held in Boston, Massachusetts on August 6-10, 2013. The conference featured presentations, workshops, and panels, and hundreds of legal scholars from around the world gathered to discuss a variety of legal and pedagogical topics. Continue Reading

Marketing Department Fall 2013 Newsletter Now Available

Posted on by Claire Hall

Education takes many roads! In January, Professor Bill Ross led an MBA group to Lyon, France, and in June, Professor Robin Coulter led the Executive MBA Class of 2014 on their trip to Beijing, China (see the photos here). Both trips were filled with enriching academic and cultural experiences.

We are pleased to share these with you in our latest newsletter, along with exciting updates from our undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. programs here in Connecticut.

>>Access the Fall 2013 Marketing Department Newsletter (PDF)

In this issue, you’ll read about our undergraduate students who developed a promotional and advertising campaign for the Honda Civic sedan and graduate students who tackled marketing challenges for The Palace – Stamford Center for the Arts and News America Marketing.

You’ll find that we are also looking forward to some exciting research: Professors Hongju Liu, Nicholas Lurie, and Joseph Pancras received prestigious Marketing Science Institute grants for their proposals on mobile marketing.

View the full newsletter here to learn more. We are looking forward to a great 2013-14 academic year!

Alumni News and Notes

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1960s

David P. Marks ’69, ’71 MBA has joined Conning Holdings Corporation’s Board of Directors as an independent director.

1970s

Stephen J. Enright ’72 has been promoted to senior vice president at Diamond Healthcare Corporation.

Christopher J. Kelleher ’77 was promoted to senior managing director and head of institutional asset management at Newfleet Asset Management.

James M. Mahoney ’79 has been elected the new CPA and managing partner of Mahoney Sabol & Company, LLP, and has been appointed to chairman of the Board of Directors for the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain.

Rakesh Narang ’74 MBA was recognized by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin as an outstanding member of Indian-American community in the category of Entrepreneurship and Business Acumen.

1980s

David L. Albrycht ’89 MBA has been inducted into the CCSU Business Hall of Honors.

Christopher A. Bleck ’80, ’88 MBA has been appointed to the Product Advisory Board of Alcresta.

James E. Cotter ’82 has been appointed to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Naugatuck Valley Financial Corporation.

Deborah R. Gordon ’88 MBA has been appointed to chief learning and development officer at Boyden in New York City.

William J. Hagist ’80 MBA has been named president and chief executive officer of the Enfield Community Federal Credit Union.

Paul H. Kauffman ’84 has been appointed as a managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle in its Stamford office.

Todd A. Krygier ’87 has been named the new coach of the Muskegon Lumberjacks, a tier one junior hockey team in Michigan.

Edward F. Lange Jr. ’86 MBA has been appointed to the position of chief executive officer of Holiday Retirement.

Scott R. Lewis ’85 has been promoted to senior vice president and controller of The Hartford.

Lee R. Schlesinger ’82 received the Mary H. Connolly Community Caring Award for outstanding service to the United Way and the entire community.

Donald E. White ’89, ’00 EMBA has been appointed to serve as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Salisbury Bank and Trust Company.

1990s

Andrew N. Albert ’92 MBA has been named managing director in the equity sales and trading group at R.W. Pressprich.

Paulette R. Alviti ’92 has been appointed to senior vice president and chief of human resources at Foot Locker.

Christopher L. Ayers ’96 EMBA has been appointed to president and chief executive officer at WireCo WorldGroup in Kansas City.

Richard L. Baran ’93 MBA, JD has been named as chief financial officer at MediaShift, Inc.

Shawn R. Fields ’99 has been selected as the new C.H. Booth library director.

Heidi M. Goldstein ’95 has been promoted to principal of Altus Capital Partners, Inc.

Robert L. Howard Jr. ’93 has been appointed as a partner directing the public sector practice at Mahoney Sabol & Company, LLP.

Gregory P. Lewis ’91 has been named the vice president and chief financial officer of Automation and Control Solutions.

Gary T. McCollum ’94 EMBA has been listed on “The Power List: 75 people who shape and influence Hampton Roads.”

James M. Yanosy ’92 has been promoted to chief financial officer for consumer markets at The Hartford.

Christopher R. Zell ’97 MBA has been appointed senior client manager of specialized industries for the Connecticut market by Bank of America.

2000s

Ashley M. Battle ’04, ’05 (CLAS) was named Chartiers Valley High School’s girls basketball coach.

Christina S. Brown ’08 was promoted to assistant vice president and sales and service manager at Encore Bank N.A. located in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Bryan P. Hurlburt ’02 has been appointed to farm service agency state executive director for the United States Department of Agriculture by President Obama.

Jennifer A. Lambert ’02 MBA was appointed vice president of marketing at Crosman Corporation.

Ann L. Lovejoy ’02 MBA has been appointed as a quality improvement specialist at Mountain-Pacific Quality Health.

Hang T. Nguyen ’08, ’13 Ph.D. successfully defended her dissertation titled, “Three Essays on the Financial Impacts of Branding Strategies and Marketing Assets” and will begin a tenure-track position at Michigan State University.

Daniel D. Pinho ’02 MBA has been recognized as one of the “20 Under 40 Latinos Going Places” by Poder 360 magazine.

Nykesha S. Sales ’00 was named the community liaison to the assistant coaching staff for the Connecticut Sun.

Melanie E. Thomas ’08 has been inducted into Mount Notre Dame’s Hall of Fame for being the all-time leading scorer in the History of the School’s basketball program.

2010s

Danielle Higgins ’13 Ph.D. successfully defended her dissertation titled Communicating Information Beyond the Tax Footnote: Effective Tax Rate Forecasts in the MD&A and will be joining the faculty at CUNY – Baruch College in the Fall of 2013.

Ronald S. Liu ’11 and Thomas Wang ’11 will be opening a Japanese restaurant, Haru Aki Café at Storrs Center in the Fall of 2013.

What’s new with you?

Submit your career, education, or personal announcements to the Business Alumni Network

What is the Business Alumni Network?

The Business Alumni Network is a free resource offered to all School of Business alumni and is an excellent tool for networking with fellow alumni and current students. Visit alumni.business.uconn.edu.

Submit Photos

You can submit a photo with your news and notes online, but you can also email us photos of you and your fellow alumni for possible inclusion in the magazine! Email high-resolution photos to: aspada@business.uconn.edu.

* Links attached to alumni names point to that alum’s profile in the Business Alumni Network‘s alumni directory, when applicable.  The Business Alumni Network is a free password-protected resource for UConn School of Business alumni and includes features such as news and notes, event calendar, alumni directory, and career services. For more information including how to access the Business Alumni Network, contact the School’s Office of Alumni Relations at alumnionline@business.uconn.edu.

 

UConn Business | Volume 3, Issue 3 | Summer 2013

Business Briefs (Summer 2013)

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Bridging the Gap between Business and Human Rights

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2013)

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Robert C. Bird, Northeast Utilities Chair in Business Ethics and associate professor of marketing, and his colleagues hosted a colloquium titled, “Bridging the Gap between Business and Human Rights.” The event took place on May 14-15, 2013 to explore the potential for common ground between business and civil society groups in the area of human rights. Attendees at the conference explored how firms perceive and interact with human rights, examined how voluntary regimes can positively influence business behavior, and analyzed how multinational corporations can align their interests with human rights in their chosen markets.

Pictured: Lisa Laplante (UConn School of Law), Stephen Park (UConn School of Business), and Norman Bishara (University of Michigan) during the May colloquium,”Bridging the Gap between Business and Human Rights.

UConn Students Win 1st Place in Statewide Competition – Venture Business Category

On Friday, April 26, eighteen finalists from nine Connecticut universities competed in the statewide 2013 Connecticut Collegiate Business Model Competition. Among the first place winners were UConn School of Business undergraduates Tim Hidu ’13 and Paul Melancon ’13, whose business, Sea Green Organics, was awarded first place in the venture business category, coming ahead of three competing MBA teams from other universities. Sea Green Organics aims to commercially produce and distribute an organic liquid seaweed-based lawn fertilizer.

Travelers EDGE Scholars Identify Growth Opportunities for Local Organization

Travelers EDGE Scholars Begum Abadin ’15, Kurtis Adei ’14, Janice Tate ’14 and Andrea Llivichuzhca ’14 presented a marketing strategy to the New England Air Museum (NEAM) as part of the Travelers EDGE Venture project for 2013. Travelers EDGE (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment) works to help underrepresented students attain college degrees, as well as a competitive edge when entering the job market.

NBC Sports and Olympics at Stamford Learning Accelerator

Executives from NBC Sports and Olympics in Stamford met with over 80 UConn students at the Stamford Learning Accelerator (SLA) in March. Arranged by Brian Brady, director of the SLA and instructor in residence, the event was video streamed live from Stamford to the School of Business Café in Storrs, where students at the main campus were able to simultaneously participate and pose questions to the NBC Sports team.

MIS Students Develop Tracking System for Connecticut Department of Banking

During the Spring 2013 semester, a team of Management Information Systems (MIS) students, as part of their capstone course taught by Professor and Ackerman Scholar Sulin Ba, developed a Microsoft SQL Server based Enforcement and Examination Tracking System for the Consumer Credit Division of the Connecticut Department of Banking. Despite the complexity of the project, the students were able to provide a system solution that the Consumer Credit Division staff can incorporate and use.

Cigna CIO Mark Boxer ’87 MBA Addresses Undergraduate Business Students

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UConn School of Business Dean John A. Elliott welcomed Mark Boxer ’87 MBA, executive vice president and chief information officer at Cigna, to campus on March 12th. Boxer spoke to a full audience of 240 undergraduates about the importance of information technology in the insurance industry and for Cigna. He also shared his career experiences and spoke about Cigna’s career opportunities in information technology for business majors.

Pictured: Undergraduate students gather to hear Mark Boxer ’87 MBA speak on the importance of information technology.

Marketing Students Develop Advertising and Promotional Campaign for 2013 Honda Civic

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In an Integrated Marketing Communications course taught by William Congdon ’75, former publisher of Popular Mechanics and adjunct lecturer, a team of students—named the “Blueprint Integrated Marketing Team”—engaged with EdVentures, Inc. to develop “Honda Push-Play,” an advertising and promotional campaign for the 2013 Honda Civic Sedan.

Pictured: UConn students experience the 2013 Honda Civics on Fairfield Way and participate in games and giveaways.

UConn School of Business Ranked Among Top 100 Most Social Media Friendly MBA Schools

Evaluated on presence and activity levels in social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and others, the University of Connecticut School of Business was ranked among the “Top 100 Most Social Media Friendly MBA Schools for 2013” by OnlineMBAPage.com.

Read More

View all business briefs, accolades, and media mentions at business.uconn.edu/pressroom.

Message from the Dean (Summer 2013)

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This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2013)

Dean ElliotWhat a year it has been, and what an exciting year is approaching. In this issue of the UConn Business magazine we celebrate a number of recent events and initiatives, but the big news is certainly Next Generation Connecticut, the transforming decision by the State of Connecticut to invest $1.5 billion in UConn over the next ten years. Key features of this investment are the need to foster economic growth and the desire to ensure that students have access to education that will prepare them for key career opportunities, while also developing them as people, as citizens. These features are at the core of who we are and what we do.

As you will read in this issue, we offer an innovative Master of Science in Business Analytics and Project Management, which prepares its graduates for great careers in a rapidly growing industry. You can hardly open a newspaper today without seeing examples of data analytics at work: whether it is about pushing advertisements to you as you shop online; or analyzing the human genome and drug efficacy; or searching for cyber-terrorists. While not all of our programs are in the news daily, our various programs excel at preparing our students for excellent career opportunities.

Also in this issue you will read about our very successful and over-subscribed Geno Auriemma Leadership Conference held at Mohegan Sun this spring. It brought executives together from across Connecticut and beyond to examine leadership practices, with particular attention to leading a diverse, cross-generational work force. This is one of many examples of active engagement with the business community in mutually beneficial ways. The article in this issue on the Northeast Utilities project is an example of such a partnership. Over several semesters our students worked under the guidance of a faculty member to help NU develop a solution for their need to have more diverse suppliers prepared to bid on projects and deliver services and products to NU. We are pleased not only by the resulting program to train venders, but also by the significant learning opportunity that our students enjoyed as they encountered real world problems and worked with faculty and NU executives to define and solve the problem.

The Next Generation initiative has other significant features that will transform UConn and the School of Business. We will be doubling the size of the student body at the Stamford campus, and many of those students will be business students. We will also add residential facilities and thereby transform the student experience. UConn is moving its West Hartford campus into downtown Hartford, and we will be able to co-locate our undergraduate and graduate business programs to that location. This will be very good for our programs and equally good for the city of Hartford. A more vibrant downtown is in everyone’s interest. Finally, we will be adding some 5,000 new students to the Storrs population and many will want to pursue business.

So this year will be exciting as we begin to implement these initiatives. We will be hiring exceptional new faculty to support our growth. We will be welcoming outstanding students. As these groups come together, I look forward to sharing their stories with our alumni and friends. Thanks, as always for your interest and support.

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John A. Elliott

Dean