Brian Kench, Ph.D.

Dr. Kench has worked closely with faculty to build an educational model centered on the belief that the best preparation for an extraordinary career is meaningful, real-world experience before graduation. The College’s experiential-learning initiatives include the Launchpad for Future Business Leaders, the Pompea Business Plan EXPO, a required undergraduate internship, and the Shared Live Client Experience, through which students complete consulting projects for corporate, nonprofit, and government clients. He also established the Gaia Initiative, whose students manage an investment portfolio valued at nearly $1 million, and the Liberty Initiative, which supports student research and consulting projects focused on socioeconomic issues. 

 

His leadership has extended the College’s reach internationally. Dr. Kench helped lead the August 2026 opening of the University’s branch campus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has developed academic partnerships in China and India. These initiatives expand access to University of New Haven business programs while strengthening the College’s international reputation and global engagement. 

Dr. Kench has also advanced the College’s philanthropic and community partnerships. He helped to secure the then largest philanthropic investment in the University’s history, resulting in the naming of the Pompea College of Business in 2020. He is leading a $45 million philanthropic campaign to construct Martin Family Hall, a 50,000-square-foot, four-story home for the College designed to foster experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and engagement with business and community partners. He has also expanded the College’s Advisory Board from five members to 26 senior business leaders and secured support for scholarships, faculty positions, student investment and research programs, and applied learning opportunities. 

In addition to his responsibilities as dean, Dr. Kench provides leadership for the University’s strategic planning process. He co-chaired the committee that developed the University’s strategic plan and currently coordinates its implementation, including annual planning, quarterly progress reporting, and the assessment of institutional priorities and outcomes. 

An economist specializing in behavioral and experimental economics and the economics of organizations, Dr. Kench has published extensively in academic and professional outlets and is frequently sought for economic commentary. His expertise has been featured by national and regional news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, and Connecticut media outlets. 

Before joining the University of New Haven, Dr. Kench served as Chair and Professor of Economics at the University of Tampa, where he received two Teaching Excellence Awards and was named the business school’s Researcher of the Year. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Framingham State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Connecticut.

The University of New Hampshire , 2000-2002, Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, AACSB International accredited, Durham, NH 03824-3593

Bentley University , Spring 2000, Adjunct Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics, AACSB International accredited, Waltham, MA 02452

The University of Connecticut , 1997-2000, Instructor of Economics, Department of Economics, Storrs, CT 06269-1063

Peer Reviewed Academic Journals

"Using Peer Effects to Explain Retention Rates in a Private University" (with J. Stinespring and K. Borja), Higher Education Quarterly, 2020, 74(3): 334-346.

"Basic Economics of the Export-Import Bank" (with Robert Beekman), Mercatus on Policy, 2015.

"The Moral Hazard of Mandatory Membership in Private Clubs" (with L. Hoke and C. Skipton), Research in Business and Economics Journal, 2013, vol. 8. (Acceptance rate: 20%, Source: Cabell Publishing.)

"Dynamic Transaction Costs and Firm Boundaries in the Soft Drink Industry" (with H.S. Wallace and T. Knox), Journal of Economics and Economics Education Research, 2012, 13(1): 33-51. (Acceptance rate: 21-30%, Source: Cabell Publishing.)

"Of Altruists & Thieves" (with N. Niman), Eastern Economic Journal, 2010, 36(3): 317-343. (Acceptance rate: 25-35%, Source: Cabell Publishing.)

"The Influence of Psychological Type and Interpersonal Needs in Social Dilemmas: A Public Goods Experiment with Punishment" (with R. Beekman, N. Niman, and G. Wynn), Journal of Psychological Type, 2010, 70 (January): pp. 1-17.

"From Crunch to Crisis in the Interbank Lending Market" (with J. Stinespring), Journal of Financial Transformation, (2009), 27, pp. 63-68. (Acceptance rate: 6-10%, Source: Cabell Publishing.)

"Innovation, Capabilities, and Organizational Economics: Lessons from the Business Strategy Literature," (with Trevor Knox & H. Scott Wallace), Journal of Business Disciplines, (2006), VII (1): 45-58. (Acceptance rate: 11-20%, Source: Cabell Publishing.)

"Let's Get Physical! Or Financial? A Study of Electricity Transmission Rights," Journal of Regulatory Economics, (2004), 25(2): 187-213. (Acceptance rate: 21-30%, Source: Cabell Publishing.)

Professional Memberships

AACSB International, American Economic Association, Academy of Business Economics, Southern Economic Association, Economic Science Association, Omicron Delta Epsilon, Delta Sigma Pi, Beta Gamma Sigma

Grants, Awards and Distinctions

Awarded the 2012 Teaching Excellence Award by the John H. Sykes Pompea College of Business at The University of Tampa for Excellence in Teaching.

Awarded the 2011 Distinguished Paper Award by Academy of Business Economics. Paper title: "The Economics of Vertical Integration Revisited."

Awarded sabbatical for the fall of 2009. Project title: Economics for the Global Economy.

Awarded the 2009 Teaching Excellence Award by the John H. Sykes Pompea College of Business at The University of Tampa for Excellence in Teaching.

Awarded the 2008 Researcher of the Year Award by the John H. Sykes Pompea College of Business at The University of Tampa for Excellence in Scholarship.

Awarded the David Delo Research Professor Grant (2003, and 2005-2008).

Awarded the University of Tampa Dana Faculty Development Grant (2003-2009, 2011-2012).

Awarded the 2006 Distinguished Paper Award by Academy of Business Economics. Paper title: "Strong Altruism: An Element in the Emergence of Public Institutions." Updated paper title: "Strong Altruism & Moral Sentiments: Toward a Greater Understanding of Group Behavior."

Awarded John H. Sykes Pompea College of Business Mini Sabbatical (spring 2007 and fall 2005).

Awarded research support from the National Grid Company (2002).

Awarded the University of Connecticut's Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (2000).

Awarded the University of Connecticut's Research Foundation Grant (2000).

Awarded the University of Connecticut's Institute for Teaching & Learning Large Grant (January, 1999, with Dennis Heffley).

Honorable mention recipient of W. Harrison Carter Award for excellence in teaching (1998).