The University of Connecticut School of Business will induct five alumni into its Hall of Fame next month.
The Hall of Fame was established in 1983 to recognize business alumni with significant career success, industry involvement and community service. This year, Melissa Cummings, Robert Giglietti, Kevin Kulak, Edward Lange and Emeka Okafor will be inducted.
Cummings, who received her MBA in 1998, said her time at UConn laid the foundation for her future career.
“I served as the President of the Graduate Business Association, worked in the Admissions office at the then West Hartford campus, spent time with faculty and enjoyed UConn life,” Cummings said.
She said UConn’s MBA program was one of the few at the time that offered healthcare management, which fueled her 30-year career in the industry.
Today, she serves as the executive vice president and chief operations officer at Progyny Inc., a benefits-management company specializing in fertility, family building and women’s health solutions. She previously served as the executive vice president at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island.
To current UConn students, she said take advantage of the alumni network.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to alums and seek to learn more about particular career paths that you might be considering.”
Giglietti, a first-generation college student who graduated with an accounting degree in 1992, said UConn gave him the leadership opportunities and the ability to interact with individuals, get support and build camaraderie.
He said these are the soft skills that are sometimes taken for granted but are essential in the real world.
“It helped prepare me to be a stronger business leader in the long term,” Giglietti said. “The technical skills will only take you so far and then it really turns into leadership skills that really accelerates your career.”
Outside of his classes, he was a part of the accounting society and a fraternity, which also strengthened his leadership skills, he said.
Today, Giglietti is a leader in the business industry, serving as the chief accounting officer for GE Aerospace. He frequently returns to UConn, speaking at business classes and mentoring students, he said. He also funds a need-based business scholarship.
“If I didn’t have this opportunity to go to such a great university, I wouldn’t be what I am today,” Giglietti said.
His college advice to students is this: get out of your comfort zone.
“Get involved in as much as you can,” he said. “It will differentiate you as you go to look for a job in the workforce.”
While both Cummings and Giglietti share their induction this year in common, they also have another similarity — both are huge UConn basketball fans and season ticket holders.
One of UConn men basketball’s own will be inducted into the Business Hall of Fame this year too. Okafor, who was a member of the 2004 NCAA national championship team, graduated with his degree in finance in three years. He was the second overall pick in the NBA draft and the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year.
UConn recognized Okafor this year by retiring his No. 50 jersey on Feb. 18 during halftime of the Creighton game at Gampel Pavilion.
Today, he works as a commentator and analyst in men’s college basketball, appearing on ESPN, CBS and Fox Sports.
Lange is an MBA graduate and current adjunct professor at the School of Business. He works with students in the Hillside Ventures STEM Fund and serves on the School of Business Dean’s Advisory Cabinet.
Before retirement, Lange held executive leadership roles in the multifamily and senior housing sectors. His final executive role was CEO of real estate firm MAXX Properties from 2016-2021, according to UConn Today.
Similar to Lange, Kulak is also invested in his alma mater, currently serving on the Board of Directors at the UConn Foundation. He graduated from UConn in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Kulak is an executive vice president at Voyager Technologies. In his profile with UConn Today, he said he enjoys innovation and building new businesses. He founded Fizio Health, a Connecticut-based company serving orthopedic and physical therapy patients.
To date, 150 alumni have been inducted into the UConn Business Hall of Fame. This year’s Hall of Fame Induction & Celebration will be at the Hartford Marriott Downtown on April 24.