Modern day recruiters face a few common challenges as they attempt to grow their companies. Among them: how can they identify top student talent early enough in their academic careers to help guide their path? How can companies effectively differentiate between candidates to see how students perform in real life situations?
The UConn Tech Park seeks to answer those questions with a pilot program that connects industry leaders directly with students eager to make their mark. Uniquely, it is offered to first-years, not juniors and seniors.
This summer, UConn Tech Park worked closely with nine key industry research partners on the initiative. The idea grew from conversations with UConn Tech Park’s advisory board.
“We execute incredible industry research here at UConn, bringing direct economic benefit to Connecticut and the community. UConn also stands as our state’s flagship educational institution. Our industry advisors astutely pointed out a missed opportunity to merge these two great strengths,” says UConn Tech Park Director Emmanouil Anagnostou. “Through this new Talent Incubator, first-year students get direct mentored exposure to the most powerful and successful research industry partners in the region.”
Companies including Eversource, Synchrony, AvanGrid, Travelers, Sikorsky, Casella, Trane, Tescan, and Hyaxiom are supporting 20 early-career students. The UConn scholars are exploring challenges in fields like sustainability, security, and finance, spending approximately 100 hours over the summer exploring these challenges.
Theo Menounos, then the director for student professional development for the College of Engineering, visited early level engineering classes to garner interest, encouraging interested students to submit their resumes for consideration.
“The Tech Park Talent Incubator initiative is a unique opportunity for first-year engineering students to gain early hands-on experience working on real-world industry projects,” says Menounos, now UConn’s assistant director of the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. “This program provides an excellent way for them to assess their career interests while enhancing core NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Career Readiness Competencies, such as critical thinking, communication, and teamwork.”
Hundreds of students submitted resumes for consideration and the Tech Park narrowed the field to 50 candidates for 10 total challenges. Students were paired with the participating companies on merit and availability. In May, after acceptance into the Incubator, students got to work on the various challenges. This opportunity is not a typical summer internship or temporary job, but rather a chance for the students to flex their own learning and expertise in areas significant to the respective companies.
For example, students selected for the Trane challenge helped audit heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems throughout UConn Storrs. They sought methods to improve system efficiency and help with large-scale sustainability solutions.
While most companies provided one challenge, Synchrony Financial offered opportunities to two teams of students. Synchrony senior vice president for engineering Dan Murphy ’06 (ENG) says the company, which specializes in cybersecurity, saw sponsoring the programs as a mutually beneficial opportunity.
“The talent incubator program has been a great solution to bridge the gap between newer UConn students and our internship programs, which are designed for students nearing graduation,” Murphy says. “Through real world experiences, top performing students build critical skills, foster relationships with leaders in the industry, and prepare to be future leaders in the state. For Synchrony, the benefits are clear: growing our talent pipeline while solving real business problems with the support of these students.”
Incubator students will present their final reports to the industry sponsors on Sept. 9. After their presentations, the students will have the opportunity to network with leaders from throughout Connecticut’s industry ecosystem.
“Nowhere else can first-year students connect with nearly a dozen major employers in a setting that’s welcoming, personal, and built around conversation,” UConn Tech Park business development Manager Mike DiDonato says. “At the same time, our industry partners get a chance to meet exceptional students early and begin building relationships that can grow over the next four years.”
While designed as a pilot, the reception amongst participants has already been strong. UConn expects the Talent Incubator to grow in the coming 2026-27 academic year with more participating industry partners and a larger cohort of first-year students.
