Although 3D printing has been around for a few years, its potential capabilities continue to amaze academics and consumers alike. Jonathan Moore, an instructor-in-residence in the department of Operations and Information Management (OPIM) said the use of 3D printers to print prosthetics, at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods, continues to impress him.
“Is there a new business model out there? How does this affect business and technology? These are the important things to know about 3D printing,” Moore said.
At an informative workshop last month, the OPIM department educated about 20 UConn students about 3D printing and its potential effect on businesses.
At the Academy of Business Research Conference in New Orleans on March 23-25, Nicole Jackson, assistant professor of management, and Kevin McEvoy, assistant professor of marketing, earned a Best Session Presentation Award for their work titled, “Mindfulness, Marketing and Management – Is it all that?”
The two professors, both of the Stamford campus, were recently discussing their various interests in research. They realized they were both looking at studies concerning “Mindfulness.” Mindfulness, considered a meditation practice, has shown positive effects in concentration, stress control, creativity and many other areas.
Business Connections Learning Community Traveled to Macon, Georgia to renovate homes for those less fortunate. Photo Courtesy of Chris Colgan.
BCLC Students Repair Homes in Georgia for Those Less Fortunate
Nineteen students from the Business Connections Learning Community (BCLC) gave up a portion of their winter break to clean and paint houses, build wheelchair ramps and tidy up the yards of people in need in Macon, Georgia.
The three-day service trip is part of an annual School of Business pilgrimage to aid low-income, elderly and disabled people.
UConn students said they returned from three days of hard work with a sense of accomplishment and stronger bonds with their classmates.
“We saw states of decay that you normally don’t see around Connecticut,” said Carter Janssen ’18, one of the trip leaders. “A lot of people were put in situations that they might be embarrassed by, which is understandable. Some of them weren’t so eager to come out and say hi to us. But we know they all appreciated the help all the same.”
Chris Colgan ’18, another trip organizer, said that one woman who received a wheelchair ramp looked so happy that there were people who cared about her.
“She was reserved and shy,” Colgan said. “It seemed like she was sad that it had to happen, but grateful at the same time.”
Macon is a financially divided city. While some live in luxury, many others live in inadequate houses, Janssen said. The BCLC students worked under the guidance of Rebuilding Macon, a nonprofit organization that last year renovated 250 homes in the city. They were on the work site from Jan. 11-13.
“One of the best parts of the trip was becoming closer to the people in our group,” Colgan said. “There were some people in the BCLC on my floor that I hadn’t even talked to, but this trip changed that.”
The BCLC funds their trip through student payments. Each student gave $250, which covered gas, food and the three rental vans. The UConn students were paired with a group from the University of Illinois both onsite and overnight at the churches where they were invited to stay.
Janssen and Colgan recruited students for the trip, contacted churches to make sleeping arrangements, lined up the rental car, budgeted the trip, and performed many other duties. They, in turn, praised Rebuilding Macon Executive Director Debra Rollins with helping make the trip a success.
Colgan said that one student who was hesitant about the trip, said afterward, “This trip was so much more than I expected it to be. I’m endlessly glad I came.”
Jess Nieves ’19 and Hayley Lapadula ’18 stressed how friendly the entire group was and how much they bonded.
“I honestly didn’t anticipate how much fun it would be,” said Nieves, adding that taking herself out of her ‘comfort zone’ was a good experience.
Fred Carstensen professor of finance and economics, will speak at the annual Energy, Environment and Economic Development conference on March 9 from 7 AM to 1:30 PM.
The conference brings together Connecticut leaders from energy and related industries to understand how their businesses interact with environmental policy and development.
Carstensen will give an overview of Connecticut’s economic outlook. He is also the director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis.
Ph.D. Student Speaker Series Continues with Marketing
UCLA Marketing Professor Suzanne Shu discussed retirement savings, and how individuals make their decisions about how much to save and how much to spend, during a presentation to faculty and doctoral students on Jan. 29.
“Risk, Ownership and Loss in Decumulation During Retirement,” was the topic of her speech, presented as part of the School of Business Ph.D. Student Speaker Series, which was attended by faculty and doctoral students.
Students Use ‘Winter Session’ to Get Ahead; Enjoy Small, Intense Classes, Personal Attention
While many UConn students were lounging in bed, working at the mall, or visiting family, the students in Accounting Professor Leanne Adams’ ACCT 2001 Winter Session course spent early January learning the principles of financial accounting.
“A Winter Session course provides a great opportunity for students to check off a requirement on their plan of study,” Adams said. “But it’s also a great learning experience. The January term has the same rigor as a regular semester, however students tend to find it easier to grasp the material since class meets every day and they’re not distracted by a full course load.”
The fast-paced session, which began Dec. 28 and continued until Jan. 15, offered courses at all campuses, as well as online. Some 130 students took advantage of the business courses offered which included accounting classes, the legal and ethical environment of business, a practicum in professional sales, and professional practice in marketing.
In his “Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship” course, management professor Timothy Folta gave student groups $5 and told them to use it as start-up cash for a new business. The project was designed to spur creativity around new business ideas.
Students had one week to brainstorm ideas, but once they received the cash, they had only two hours to make as much money as possible.
Claire Tremont's Writing 