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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Entrepreneurial Family Shares Secrets of Success With Disabled Veterans

Hughes Family Fund supports EBV and other outreach programs

Volume 3, Issue 3 | Summer 2013

As a successful entrepreneur, Robert Hughes ’92 (CLAS) knows what it takes to get a business off the ground. As a proud UConn alum, he believes the University plays an important role in supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening the state’s business and economic climate.

When Hughes learned the School of Business was interested in helping disabled veterans get back into the workforce, he decided to invest his skills, experience and finances in the effort, engaging his family members along the way. He has worked with his family in business for years, so it seemed natural to enlist them in his support for veterans outreach programs.

Together, they established the Hughes Family Fund in the School of Business to support programs for returning veterans like the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a program that equips disabled veterans with the knowledge, skills and support to start and grow their own businesses and attain economic self-sufficiency.

Robert Hughes ’92 (CLAS) and Laurie Hughes Paternoster ’82 (CLAS).

 

“Meeting and working with these veterans has been a great experience,” says Hughes, who with his sister Laurie Hughes Paternoster ’82 (CLAS), has served as mentor and helped guide veterans in the program into the world of business and entrepreneurship. “We work with them and help answer questions about developing a business plan, working with staff, dealing with legal issues and marketing strategies,” says Hughes, who is chief operating officer, president and co-founder with his brother Jack of TopCoder, an international leader in identifying, evaluating and mobilizing software development resources. Brother Greg ’88 (CLAS) and sister Mary Abel are also involved in the company.

“The news is constantly full of the everyday problems faced by returning veterans,” Hughes adds. “These men and women have made a tremendous sacrifice, and upon their return, many struggle with problems related to unemployment, stress and depression. EBV and other veterans outreach programs by the University and the School of Business are working directly to tackle those issues.”

The return to civilian life can be daunting, notes Hughes, based on his interaction with some of the veterans in the EBV program. In the military, the chain of command establishes a hierarchy for decisions and responsibilities, and the work day and schedule are pretty firmly established. “The business world, especially entrepreneurism, is pretty different, with its emphasis on creativity and seizing opportunities,” says Hughes.

Since it was established in 2010, UConn’s EBV program has helped more than 25 veterans open 27 businesses.

“We’ve had some nice success,” notes Hughes, mentioning a woman who developed a business plan for a line of leather products for women bikers. She had countless statistics and data about the size of the market and the corresponding market for men’s products. She had also given much thought to designers and possible retailers. “It entailed a lot of homework and it was very impressive.”

Some EBV participants have teamed up to leverage complementary skills. Two female veterans with military experience related to video analysis and aerial surveillance worked together to develop a plan for a company that would offer surveillance services to local and state governments for law enforcement and environmental conservation purposes.

Another source of business ideas has come from home and hobbies. A man from Minnesota, also known as the “Land of 20,000 Lakes,” devised a plan for a mobile bait and tackle shop that would travel around the lakes during the summer and winter fishing seasons.

“If you think about the problems veterans with disabilities have returning to civilian life, and then you think about the role of a university as a place to learn, to interact with people from different social settings and cultures, and prepare to work and contribute to society, it makes a tremendous amount of sense for UConn and the School of Business to support the EBV program,” says Hughes. “UConn is developing a talent pool for the entire state. Including disabled veterans in that pool is win-win, for the state and for the veterans.”


Cooperating With Corporate Connecticut

Cooperating With Corporate Connecticut

Financial Accelerator projects are making a positive impact on Connecticut companies, both large and small

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

A common theme among School of Business experiential learning accelerators is to provide opportunities for students to apply classroom concepts to solve real business problems. On the other end of the spectrum are the immense benefits to participating Connecticut businesses, particularly those facing shortages of resources such as time, skills, and technology.

Founded in 2002, the SS&C Technologies Financial Accelerator was created as a critical element of the business school’s experiential learning initiatives. Today, the long-standing partnerships between the accelerator and Connecticut businesses are excellent examples of the many ways the School of Business helps develop a skilled workforce and create job opportunities within the state.

“Through these corporate partnerships, the School of Business provides our students with active learning opportunities, confronting real decisions about live business issues, while helping Connecticut companies address significant business challenges,” says John A. Elliott, School of Business dean.

Sponsoring clients for projects have included Alpha Equity Capital, Collectic Media, Conning Asset Management, CTHFA, Discover RE, Hartford Steam Boiler, ING, Nortel Networks, Northeast Utilities, Pitney Bowes, SS&C Technologies, Thomson One, United Healthcare, and United Technologies Corporation. “We are grateful for the support of these companies and also for those executives who serve on the Financial Accelerator Advisory Board,” says Professor Chinmoy Ghosh, head of the finance department and executive director of the Financial Accelerator and Student Managed Fund. “Interaction with business executives involved in these projects is an integral part of experiential learning.”

“Mutual dedication on behalf of the students and on behalf of the client is what enables us to move these types of projects forward and make a positive impact for Connecticut businesses and the state economy as a result,” adds Ron Licata ’63, 1998 Hall of Fame inductee and adjunct professor at the School of Business, the faculty advisor for a long-standing project with Northeast Utilities.

cooperating

A Positive Impact

David McHale, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Northeast Utilities and co-chair of the Financial Accelerator Advisory Board, has seen the positive impact of deliverables produced by UConn teams. The company has employed the expertise of UConn graduate students for projects on topics such as risk management, inventory planning and warehouse expansion, internal training, and mentorship.

In a two-phase project last year, teams led by associate professor of finance Michel Rakotomavo evaluated selective hardening options (microgrids, undergrounding, and backup generation) for strengthening the infrastructure of utilities throughout the state, which could make it less vulnerable to damage from extreme weather events. Students analyzed relative cost and benefit estimates of different options and provided recommendations on which application works best under what circumstances.

Led by faculty advisor Licata for seven semesters to date, the most recent endeavor with Northeast Utilities began with determining why diverse small regional businesses supply a disproportionately low volume of goods and services to major corporate buyers. Graduate students conducted three focus groups and detailed interviews to determine the resources that diverse businesses owned by ethnic minorities, women, and disabled veterans would need to successfully compete and bid on deals with large enterprises such as Northeast Utilities. Findings led to the ultimate recommendation of establishing an academy to provide three essential resources: one-on-one mentoring, education in core business principles, and hands-on support.

The outcome of the project is a Diverse Supplier Development Academy (DSDA), established to empower diverse business enterprises and elevate their competitive presence in the market. Student teams created the business plan, marketing material, curriculum for six workshops, and the systems needed to operate the academy. “This entire student-led effort,” says Licata, “emerged as a collaboration between the School of Business, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), a national organization of mentors, and Northeast Utilities. The goal of the program is that upon graduation, each diverse enterprise owner will leave the academy with a briefcase full of work that they have completed for their own business with immediate application and benefit.”

“With the help of UConn student Matthew Farley ’13 JD/MBA, I now have a modeling tool to estimate my costs of doing business which helps me determine if my pricing is adequate,” shares Diane Winston, principal of Winston Strategic Partners, LLC, who participated in a test pilot for the program.

Northeast Utilities is just one example of the partnerships and successful projects coming out of the financial accelerator. With an exciting fall project planned, United Healthcare has also seen the positive results produced by student teams, who have developed models and tools to address critical business issues such as ensuring compliance with new industry rules and enhancing the consistency of information and reports in underwriting activities and pharmacy plans.

In a recent two-phase project, students established an information base for development of a financial model to evaluate Health Insurance Exchange (HIE) options and strategies. They then used the information to consider the impacts of HIEs on the company’s business model, helping United Healthcare to make informed decisions around the newly created exchanges.

Faculty advisor Dennis Heffley, professor of economics, notes that, “Students in the United Healthcare projects have been drawn from the MBA program, actuarial science, statistics, and the MD program. The mix of skills and various perspectives have enriched students’ experiences and enhanced the product for project sponsors.”

The Student Experience

When asked about his personal experience at the Financial Accelerator, Lance Rambush ’13 MBA remarks, “I had several takeaways from this project. First, I was able to oversee the development of a sophisticated program from start to finish (given that the preliminary market research was already complete). I learned to view a project through the perspectives of all stakeholders, foresee potential difficulties for different parties, and design mechanisms in the project that would alleviate those problems. I also got experience in defining the mission and vision for an emerging organization, setting goals and planning how to reach them, and measuring the impact of a program by defining quantifiable success metrics.”

Ankheet Bhatt ’10 (CLAS) who is currently working towards a combined MD/MBA at UConn adds, “The Financial Accelerator allowed me to work for a large, national organization while interacting with a core group who was dared to think differently, push the status quo, and solve real problems facing real companies. This is an incredible opportunity for young professionals.”

“Financial Accelerator projects allow students to acquire experience, skills, connections, and possibly jobs at sponsoring companies,” adds Rakotomavo. “Businesses which sponsor these projects have… the full attention of knowledgeable faculty advisors, the stamp of quality from UConn… and a wide range of deliverables that may include analysis, research, software and more.”


NextGenCT

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

Excitement.

That’s the word used by Karla Fox, special assistant to the Provost and professor emeritus, to describe the overall feeling around the university after legislative approval of Next Generation Connecticut – an impressive $1.5 billion investment to significantly expand educational opportunities, research, and innovation in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines at UConn over the next decade.

“With the previous support of UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn, UConn has undergone a major transformation in the last 20 years – and Next Generation Connecticut (NextGenCT) is another step in significantly elevating our reputation,” says Karla Fox, who helped to develop and advance the initiative.

A large part of NextGenCT includes building new scientific laboratories, purchasing advanced equipment, constructing new classrooms, and adding housing. Another facet of the plan calls for increasing operating funds to hire hundreds of new faculty and to expand the student body in STEM fields.

“This critical funding is one of the most ambitious state investments in economic development, higher education and research in the nation,” says UConn’s vice president for economic development, Mary Holz-Clause.” Next Generation Connecticut expands the university’s critical STEM activities that drive innovation, enhance job creation and economic growth state-wide.”

STEM Investment

In the past decade, STEM jobs grew three times faster than non-STEM jobs, a trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, previous investments only brought UConn facilities up to date and, at best, on par with other leading institutions. UConn faculty members are still at a significant disadvantage both in competing for major research grants and effectively teaching students. Therefore, the targeted, strategic investment in UConn facilities, faculty and students in STEM disciplines is vital to ensuring Connecticut’s competitive position in the future.

Next Generation is a game-changer for our state in that it provides long-term funding to bring together state-of-the-art equipment, expertise and the necessary facilities to fuel Connecticut’s economy with new technologies, highly skilled graduates, new companies, patents, licenses, and high-wage STEM jobs,” says Holz-Clause.

The Business of STEM

“Connecticut’s investment in science, technology, engineering, and math is critical and appropriate,” says John A. Elliott, dean of the School of Business. “But if that investment doesn’t generate goods, services, companies, or jobs, then it has failed in its purpose to provide a return to the investor. That’s where business comes into play.”

The business school’s involvement in NextGenCT goes well beyond facilitating the success of traditional STEM disciplines though. The information age has generated the need for high capacity computing, often referred to as “big data.” Though already tackling the issue, the Operations & Information Management (OPIM) department is poised to play a greater role in the field, given essential resources.

Additionally, the convergence of digital arts, science, technology and business has driven a major shift in how information is now conceived, produced, delivered and consumed. Along with the Schools of Fine Arts and Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of Business is heavily involved in digital media as it rapidly transforms fields such as data analysis and marketing.

NextGenCT: Economic Impact

The overall excitement goes beyond the initiative’s impact at UConn. “NextGenCT is critical due to its focus on economic development,” shares Fox. “What we’re hoping for is that, through its contribution, UConn continues to be a strategic partner of and beneficial asset to the state.”


Leading With Excellence

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

Accomplished and aspiring leaders from all corners of industry gathered in late April to be inspired by some of the nation’s best business minds, as the first participants in the inaugural Geno Auriemma UConn Leadership Conference.

The conference, held April 29 and 30 at the Mohegan Sun Convention Center, was sold out to capacity with more than 150 registered attendees.Continue Reading