UConn legend and NBA standout Emeka Okafor ’04 (BUS) is well accustomed to standing ovations and thunderous applause from an enthusiastic crowd.

But for the other four alumni who will be inducted into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame alongside him on Friday, April 24, the roar of the crowd at the reception may be more novel, despite their remarkable achievements.

The School of Business will induct:

• Melissa B. Cummings ’98 MBA, Executive Vice President and COO of Progyny, a benefits management company specializing in women’s health and formerly the executive vice president at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island;
• Robert M. Giglietti ’92 (BUS), the Chief Accounting Officer, Controller & Treasurer for GE Aerospace and a transformational leader who shaped the future of GE;
• Kevin J. Kulak ’85 (ENG), Executive Vice President, Capital Markets at Voyager Technologies, who is playing an integral role in the forthcoming launch of the Starlab commercial space station;
• Edward F. Lange Jr. ’86 MBA, has held executive leadership roles in the multifamily and senior housing sectors and is now deeply committed to students at the School of Business.
• Emeka Okafor ’04 (BUS) was a star basketball player and member of the 2004 UConn Men’s NCAA National Championship Team before being drafted by the NBA and playing professionally for a decade.

“These five alumni are true all-stars in their respective fields,” says Greg Reilly, interim dean of the School of Business. “Each has leveraged their UConn education to lead, innovate, and create meaningful impact. We look forward to celebrating their achievements this spring.”

The Hall of Fame Induction & Celebration, the signature event of the School of Business, will be at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. It is black-tie optional. For tickets, sponsorship, or additional information, visit: alumni.business.uconn.edu.

Cummings, Former EVP of Rhode Island Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Now Steering New Health Care Venture

Cummings is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer of Progyny Inc., a benefits-management company specializing in fertility, family building, and women’s health solutions.

Before joining Progyny, Cummings served as EVP and Chief Customer Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, where she led record growth, retention, and brand recognition for the $2 billion provider. During her tenure, she was involved in everything from strategy to marketing to customer service.

Cummings developed a reputation as a dynamic change leader with a deep customer and provider focus. She brings a broad skillset spanning profit and loss leadership, corporate strategy, product development, sales, tech and operations. Her success with both vision and execution has consistently delivered measurable results and improved outcomes.

Cummings earned a bachelor of arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and then an MBA in Health Care Management from UConn. She is involved in civic work and has served with the American Heart Association, as past board chair for the Southern New England Board of Directors. She currently serves on the board for Rhode Island PBS/NPR and chairs its Development Committee.

She lives in Wakefield, Rhode Island, with her husband, Peter ’01 6th Year, ’16 ELP. They have two adult daughters, Helene and Caroline. Devoted Husky fans, they return to UConn often.

Giglietti Has Played Transformational Role at GE

Giglietti, Group Vice President-Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer and CEO GE Corporate Holdings at GE Aerospace, has a 30-year track record of driving transformation and leading critical financial and operational functions.

In his current role, Giglietti is responsible for GE Aerospace’s capital structure, liability management, treasury operations and pension, and he also oversees the management of a $50 billion financial services business.

He was the operational leader of GE’s transformation from an industrial conglomerate founded in 1892 into three standalone companies from 2022 to 2024. The successful execution of the separations generated more than a 400 percent increase in value since the original announcement.

A first-generation college student and an accounting major, he is a passionate advocate for higher education. He has given back to his alma mater by establishing academic scholarships, funding student venture initiatives, mentoring students, and driving GE partnerships to support academic and professional development for hundreds of UConn students.

Giglietti comes from a proud UConn family. His wife, Stacy, brother Mike, and sister-in-law Teri are all Huskies. He and Stacy have two adult sons, Noah and Adam, and reside in Fairfield.

Kulak Working on Developing Commercial Space Station

Kulak, Executive Vice President, Capital Markets at Voyager Technologies, graduated from UConn in 1985 with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.

Kulak enjoys innovation and building new businesses, and today he devotes much of his time constructing and financing Starlab, a commercial space station that will launch in 2029 aboard a SpaceX Starship rocket.

He is also the founder of Fizio Health, a Connecticut-based company serving orthopedic and physical therapy patients through an AI platform for musculoskeletal care, ensuring that patients with limited resources have access to PT.

Kulak earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he developed an interest in securities and capital markets. After graduation he joined IBM Credit Corporation where he developed and launched mutual funds, before joining Chase Manhattan Bank as an Investment Banking Associate. He then spent two decades at JP Morgan and UBS, designing and issuing securities for some of the largest and most well-known companies in the nation, including IBM, Ford, GM, Xerox and Palantir.

He then pivoted to become a partner at G Squared, a venture capital firm that invests and finances private tech companies. His venture work included SpaceX, Open AI, and Anthropic. In that role, Kulak met Voyager Technologies which specializes in national security, defense, and space, leading to his current role.

Kulak serves on the Board of Directors of the UConn Foundation. A native of West Hartford, he and his wife Katherine now live in Darien. They are the parents of four children: Caroline, John, Sam, and Amy, who is a UConn nursing student.

Lange, A Retired C-Suite Executive, Now Deeply Invested in Student Success

Lange is a UConn MBA graduate and holds a bachelor of science from the University of Massachusetts. A resident of New Canaan, he began his career as an investment banker with Advest in Hartford, and for nine years he supported real estate, health care, and public finance clients.

He transitioned to executive leadership roles with publicly owned companies, primarily in the multifamily and senior housing sectors, including Mediplex, Health Care REIT, and BRE Properties. For 20 years, he served at the CFO, COO, and director levels, helping these companies navigate external and internal challenges. Change management was the recurring theme requiring strategic repositioning, recapitalization, operational transformation and attention to corporate culture.

After BRE, Lange partnered with private equity firms, holding executive roles with portfolio companies preparing for IPO or sale. His final executive role was CEO of MAXX properties from 2016 to 2021. Through 106 Rio Ventures, Lange engages in entrepreneurial activities in the real estate “prop-tech” space, helping founders frame business models and raise seed capital.

Today, Lange is an adjunct professor at UConn, working with students in the Hillside Ventures STEM Fund, and serves on the School of Business Dean’s Advisory Cabinet. He and his wife Kim have two children: Maggie, a first-year student at UConn, and a younger son, Cooper.

Okafor Renowned for Shot Blocking, Rebounding, and Professionalism

Okafor was a star basketball player and member of the 2004 UConn Men’s NCAA National Championship team. Okafor was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, NABC Co-National Player of the Year, and the Big East Player of the Year.

He was the second overall pick in the NBA draft and the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year. Over his 10-year professional career, he played for the Charlotte Bobcats, New Orleans Hornets, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans. Okafor was renowned for his shot-blocking, rebounding, and professionalism, building a reputation as a consistent, dependable “big man” on the court.

Today, Okafor is working as a commentator and analyst in men’s college basketball, appearing on ESPN, CBS, and Fox Sports. Okafor is also known for his philanthropic work focused on education and youth development, including with Husky Sports in Hartford and New Heights NYC.

Okafor graduated magna cum laude from the School of Business, completing his degree in finance in just three years. His professors recalled his fortitude in the classroom that matched his relentless efforts on the court. While other players ran the bleachers wearing weighted vests, Okafor would carry a trainer on his back to build his endurance.

“There’s a lot to like about Emeka as a person,’’ former Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun has said. “He was a wonderful athlete, a terrific basketball player, and was an outstanding student. He was one of the great, successful kids; one of the best to come out of UConn.’’

Okafor and his wife, Ilana, have two children, Adaeze and Nnamdi, and reside in New York City.