UConn Professor Accused Of Racking Up Personal Trips On School's Tab

STORRS, CT — A University of Connecticut professor is accused of using school funds to pay for trips for both herself and her family.

Sherry Zane, 56, is facing a first-degree larceny charge, according to an arrest report.

UConn Police said they were notified by the Office of University Compliance of a potential misappropriation of university funding by an employee. A resulting criminal investigation was launched and revealed that, between June 2021 and December 2023, Zane "utilized university funding" to expense multiple trips, both domestically and internationally, which "personally benefitted her and her immediate family," according to an arrest report.

The UConn compliance office investigation revealed that Zane provided false and/or misleading information on multiple travel forms she submitted, according to an arrest report. The investigation confirmed that Zane took 19 trips over the course of 187 days that cost the university a total of $58,084.00, school-provided documents show.

The compliance office completed the investigation on Nov. 14. In addition to the felony charge, Zane was found to be in violation of UConn’s travel policy, the Employee Code of Conduct, and the university's Guide to the State Code of Ethics, officials said.

The university travel policy states that university funds "cannot be used to reimburse employees for personal expenses. Travel expenses paid by the university must meet the definitions of what is allowable under university policy and IRS rules, in which all reimbursable expenditures must have a business purpose and must be supported by documentation."

Zane, who was a professor in residence and the area director for the Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies program at UConn, was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 15, and, per its standard protocol, the compliance office referred the matter to UConn Police.

The claimed expenses in question involved costs related to transportation, lodging, meals, and other expenses, according to the compliance report. The travel was presented by Zane in advance for approval under the guise of supporting research, but that was later determined to be "inaccurate," according to the compliance report.

The Tolland State’s Attorney's Office determined there was enough evidence to apply for a felony arrest warrant, which was authorized by a Connecticut Superior Court judge. Zane surrendered via the warrant on Feb. 13, and was charged, university officials said.

Zane this week remained on administrative leave from UConn pending the outcome of the university’s disciplinary process, officials said.

UConn officials added that, prior to and unrelated to the UConn Compliance investigation, an internal audit review of university-sponsored travel identified "several control vulnerabilities."

"As a result, the university is enhancing relevant system controls surrounding travel, including requiring extra levels of approval above a certain amount," officials said. "UConn, through its Audit and Management Advisory Services office, performs routine audits of numerous units and functions at UConn, including employee travel, to determine compliance with university policies and procedures. Any identified discrepancies are communicated to management for corrective action. In response, the University updates policies and procedures, provides additional training, or implements other corrective actions or internal controls."

UConn President Radenka Maric released the following statement:

"UConn takes its ethics and compliance responsibilities very seriously, and it is critical that we always hold ourselves and our workforce to the highest standards of accountability. The university has multiple mechanisms to identify potential issues, including through our Audit and Management Advisory Services unit and the university’s Office of Compliance. The university conducts thorough investigations into potential policy violations and takes appropriate action as needed. That is what happened in this case, and it is also how we continually support a culture of compliance on our campuses."

In 2023, UConn had received a six-figure grant from the Melon Foundation that was designated to support travel and research for the WGSS program.

Examples of trips takes by Zane with fudged credentials cited in a warrant include:

• Zane traveled to Orlando, FL in 2021 and stayed at the Disney All-Star Movie Resort with family members rather than conducting research at the "Central Florida State Archives," the warrant states.
• In 2021, she embarked on a "research" trip to Chicago and drove a rented car to Osage Beach in Missouri and stayed at the Margaritaville Lake Resort — Lake of the Ozarks, the warrant outlines.
• She also claimed a personal trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland in 2022 f0r "summer grant research," according to the warrant.
• Other international trips included Portugal and domestic trips included Boston, Newport in Rhode Island, the town of Duck in North Carolina and Myrtle Beach in South Caroline, according to the warrant.