Tolga Turker, Ph.D.
Director of Global Entrepreneurial Programs
Email: atturker@uconn.edu
Tel: (860) 486-5184
Tolga Turker is the Director of Global Entrepreneurial Programs at UConn Global Affairs and oversees the Global Training and Development Institute`s global operations and portfolio. He collaborates across UConn to initiate and enhance international partnerships and programs, as well as with incubators and accelerators to help them navigate political and regulatory landscapes. Before joining UConn, Tolga led the University of Arizona’s international programs in Europe and Central Asia and held full-time faculty positions in Turkey and Kazakhstan. There, he spearheaded efforts to align institutional strategies with the goals of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In addition to teaching courses on regional security structures at an International Security Studies (MA) program, Tolga is deeply committed to forging connections between universities, businesses, and policymakers to support the development of resilient and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems—work that aligns closely with UConn’s mission to serve as a global leader in education, research, and innovation.
Jack Barry, Ph.D.
Learning Activities Instructor, Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI)
A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Jack received his Ph.D. in political science in 2015. Jack’s areas of research are Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Human Rights, with a particular focus on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). He is the author of Information Communications Technology and Poverty Alleviation: Promoting Good Governance in the Developing World (2018), in which he addresses the impact of ICTs on the poor in developing countries, staking the claim that governance is the missing link overlooked in the literature. Jack’s scholarship has appeared in the journals Third World Quarterly and Contemporary Politics, as well as chapters in titles from Routledge and Cambridge University Press. He has taught courses at various institutions of higher education including the University of Connecticut, the University of Rhode Island, and Trinity College. Jack served as a UConn's Academic Co-Director for the Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) for young entrepreneurs from North and West Africa for three years when he was a doctoral candidate at UConn (2013-2015), after which he became the Academic Director for SUSI for three years (2015-2018) as well as the Academic Director for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) for five years (2015-2020; 2025). He also serves as a Facilitator for international programs, conducting a variety of simulation activities, leadership skill-building workshops, and cultural exercises. A native Rhode Islander, Jack enjoys surfing and playing basketball in his free time.
Laura Labato, M.A.
Assistant Director, Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI)
Administrative Director, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)
Email: l.labato@uconn.edu
Laura is the Assistant Director for UConn’s Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI). She provides administrative and program support for the Global Training and Development Institute’s programming for international participants. She holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies with a focus on cultural studies, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a focus on diversity. Additionally, she has completed three Graduate Certificate programs at UConn in Human Rights; Culture, Health, and Human Development; and College Instruction. She enjoys learning about other cultures and working with the international participants involved in educational and professional exchange programs implemented by UConn GTDI.
Mohit Mukherjee, M.Ed.
Facilitator, Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI)
Email: mmukherjee@upeace.org
Mohit Mukherjee is the Founding Director of the Center for Executive Education at the University for Peace, established by the United Nations. He is also the Founder of Changemakers International and a Senior Consultant with FranklinCovey, where he leads clients through “The Four Disciplines of Execution,” “The Speed of Trust,” “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” and “Four Essential Roles of Leaders.” Mohit finds that leaders who create the conditions for well-being in their teams enjoy the journey more and also get better results.
Mohit’s past work experience includes management consulting with AT Kearney, leading a global non-profit in Costa Rica, managing a private-public partnership at Florida International University, leading curriculum design for an incubator for social entrepreneurs in Colorado, and teaching Master’s-level students in Responsible Management in Costa Rica. Mohit authored a handbook for social entrepreneurs that is being used as in the curriculum of the YSEALI program. Mohit holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University.
Mohit has been conducting interactive education workshops for UConn GTDI for over 15 years, working with hundreds of entrepreneurs from 25 countries to provide training on the principles of Design Thinking for innovation, including serving as an instructor for the Nexus 3.0 program in 2025, teaching the fundamentals of pitching and sales strategy to startups in India.
Kelly Suprenant, MFA
Advanced Student Support Specialist, East China Normal University Summer Program at UConn
Cultural Ambassador, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)
Email: kelly.suprenant@uconn.edu
Kelly earned her MFA in Fiction Writing at Brooklyn College, where she taught for many years before coming to UConn. She is a third-year MA/PhD student in the English department, where she also teaches first year writing. Her research examines the history of spectacle, medical humanities, and gothic literature in American culture. Her work is featured in the Winter 2023 issue of the Journal of Shirley Jackson Studies. Kelly has been working with GTDI's short-term international exchange programs since 2023, including 118 undergraduate students from China and 120 Academic Fellows from 11 Southeast Asian countries.