SHU Professor Named to Hartford ‘40 Under Forty’ List

Maura Cook, educator and United Way marketing executive, recognized as a leader in her field

Maura Cook ’13, an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University, is among a group of young Connecticut professionals named to Hartford Business Journal’s 2022 “40 Under Forty” list. Her inclusion highlights the leadership skills she demonstrates as a SHU educator and a marketing executive for United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.

The annual list recognizes “outstanding young professionals in the greater Hartford area who are excelling in their industries through their leadership roles,” according to Harvard Business Review. The publication reported that it received more than 130 nominations for the award, and the 40 winners come from private, public and nonprofit organizations, large and small.

“I was so honored to be nominated, let alone recognized. I have worked really hard and set big career goals for myself, and I’m proud of what I have been able to accomplish,” Cook said.

Cook graduated from SHU with her master’s degree in communication with a concentration in corporate communications and public relations after earning her bachelor’s degree from Assumption University in Worcester, MA. She has worked at the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut since she earned her degree and is now vice president of marketing and development.

“My team at United Way nominated me, and I think that means as much as the recognition. I would not have been able to achieve what I have without my amazing team and the many mentors I have had both personally and professionally,” Cook said.

At Sacred Heart, Cook teaches in the strategic communication & public relations graduate program, guiding students in promoting and producing the SHU Media Exchange, an annual forum that features experts discussing timely, media-related topics. She also directs students in organizing other events, including United Way’s Power of the Purse fundraiser.

“Serving as a faculty member at SHU is fulfilling,” said Cook. “Learning from the best and then teaching with the best is a rare opportunity that I treasure. I love working with students and sharing my experience with them. I am passionate about helping people find what they love to do and maximizing their potential, and teaching at SHU enables me to do that.”

Cook said the “40 Under Forty” recognition is not so much a career booster as it is a tool to help her promote United Way and her alma mater. “While being recognized as an individual is amazing, I think I’m most excited about being able to leverage this opportunity to help more people understand the great work we do at United Way and why it is important,” she said. “I’m excited to share my story and to highlight both United Way and Sacred Heart University, because both organizations have had such an impact on me.”