Kevin Melia of Pennsauken, New Jersey Wins University of New Haven's Dean's Challenge Competition

2012 Apr 13

Kevin Melia, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, was one of 20 students to win an iPad as part of University of New Haven's Dean's national business challenge.

The online entrepreneurial business plan competition on Facebook was open to any incoming freshman or transfer student who had been accepted to the UNH College of Business by the contest deadline, March 18. Four top winners were awarded full tuition scholarships.

"The competition has attracted attention from all over the country and resulted in more than 100 entries," said Lawrence Flanagan, executive dean of the college, who, as the former chief global marketing officer for MasterCard, spearheaded the famous "Priceless" advertising campaign. "The winners have outstanding ideas and clearly demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit that is a cornerstone of the business program at the University of New Haven."

Entrepreneurial leadership is a hallmark of the College of Business and Flanagan noted that he was looking for students who will become the future leaders in the business world. "Many of our alumni are highly successful," he said. "We are looking for students with an entrepreneurial spirit who will use their education to continue that tradition of success."

Participants were asked to create a Facebook page for a business they wish to launch. As part of the project, they defined what the business is, what it does, why it is unique, why it is needed, and how it will be positioned to achieve and sustain long-term success. The entries were judged by a panel of business leaders and UNH faculty members.

The university plans to run a similar competition next year.

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale University in cooperation with Northeastern University, UNH moved to its current West Haven campus in 1960. The University provides its students with a unique combination of a solid liberal arts education and real-world, hands-on career and research opportunities. UNH enrolls approximately 6,400 students, including nearly 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates – the majority of whom reside in University housing. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, Tagliatela College of Engineering, and University College, UNH offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UNH students have access to more than 50 study abroad programs worldwide and its student-athletes compete in 16 varsity sports in the NCAA Division II's highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference.