Month: April 2025

Adjunct Professor John Mandyck Article Featured in The Economist

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City Skyline.
Image credit: The Economist

Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Green Council, John Mandyck, recently published an article in The Economist discussing how city governments are pioneering climate action where national policies falter. 

John is a new faculty member who will begin teaching in the fall, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the UConn community! He also recently spoke to our MSSRIB program through our hybrid speaker series, where he shared valuable insights about sustainability in urban development and the vital role of cities in shaping climate policy. 

In his recent article feature in The Economist, Mandyck explains how climate action is facing significant setbacks as both governments and companies retract prior commitments. Despite this, cities are stepping up as a key driver of progress. With buildings accounting for nearly a third of global climate emissions, many cities are working to reduce carbon output by decarbonizing the built environment. 

Cities like New York are leading the way with new and innovative polices, showing that, despite global challenges, cities remain a powerful and necessary force in combating climate change. 

Read John Mandyck’s full article from The Economist.  

UConn MSSRIB Students and Faculty Attend Landmark UN Event on Modern Slavery

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MSSRIB Graduate Students and Faculty in New York City.

On April 8, 2025, Professor Rachel Chambers and graduate students Elizabeth Sullivan and Taylor Moran from the University of Connecticut’s Master of Science in Social Responsibility and Impact in Business (MSSRIB) program attended a landmark event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The event marked the unveiling of a major new report by the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.

Held in the iconic Trusteeship Council Chamber, the high-level convening brought together world leaders, advocates, policymakers, and experts for a full day of dialogue and action planning aimed at eradicating one of the most urgent human rights challenges of our time: modern slavery.

“Attending the launch of a new report from the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking was an incredibly inspiring experience,” said Professor Rachel Chambers. “The high-level opening session set a powerful tone, with distinguished speakers like Dr. Pierre-Justin Kouka (Executive Director of the Commission) and the Ambassadors of the UK and Bahrain to the United Nations emphasizing the urgent need for global collaboration.

Most impactful to us, however, were the testimonies of survivors of modern slavery. The networking session provided us with the opportunity to engage with experts like Professor Andrew Thompson, Professor of Global and Imperial History at Oxford University and Commissioner, whose words about the history of the Trusteeship Chamber at the UN caught our attention.”

For students in the MSSRIB program, the event served as a powerful bridge between academic study and real-world global policy. It also reinforced UConn’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of ethical and socially responsible business leaders — individuals prepared to tackle complex global challenges through a lens of human rights, sustainability, and justice. This event not only emphasized the importance of survivor-centered solutions but also spotlighted the critical role of ethical leadership and business accountability in ending modern slavery by 2030.

“The event offered a rare and powerful opportunity to hear from a range of influential voices—including successful politicians, academics, and business leaders. Most importantly, we had the privilege of listening to survivors of modern slavery share their lived experiences,” said graduate student Taylor Moran. “This experience left a lasting impact on me. It reinforced the importance of involving all stakeholders; especially those most affected by exploitative labor practices – in the conversation. True reform is only possible when every voice, particularly those on the front lines, is heard and valued.”

“The event was a very insightful experience. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity through the MSSRIB program and classes,” said graduate student Elizabeth Sullivan.

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Marketing Department Head Robin Coulter to Publish in the Journal of Business Ethics

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Robin Coulter, University of Connecticut Professor of Marketing, Voya Financial Fellow, and Marketing Department Head, with colleagues, Yuliya Strizhakova, and Linda Price have a forthcoming article, “ ‘Fresh Start’ Messaging, ‘Rebirth Associations,’ and Consumers’ Environmentally Sustainable Actions” in Journal of Business Ethics.

Their article introduces metaphoric “fresh start” marketing messaging as an effective tactic to engage consumers in environmentally sustainable actions, particularly donating used products for remanufacture or reuse. Their experimental studies find that metaphoric “fresh start” messaging is more effective (than “recycle” and “reduce waste”) in increasing used product donations and donation intentions for a variety of consumer goods, including for example, clothing and children’s toys. The effectiveness of metaphoric “fresh start” messaging is grounded in its activation of consumer abstract thinking, specifically around new beginnings, renewal, and new life. These “rebirth associations” engage consumers in the messaging and result in consumers engaging in environmentally sustainable behaviors. Thus, Coulter’s work has implications for firms’ environmentally focused communication strategies.