Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Richard R. Barnhart ’94 MBA has been named President of Kaman Aerospace Group. Kaman Corporation, founded in 1945 by aviation pioneer Charles H. Kaman, is headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Mr. Barnhart retired from The Barnes Group in 2016 as Senior Vice President and President of Barnes Aerospace.
John F. Farrace ’93, has accepted the position of Managing Director in SierraConstellation Partners, LLC’s Los Angeles office. SCP is an interim management and advisory firm to middle-market companies in transition. Before joining SCP, Mr. Farrace was a Managing Director and Group Head in CIT Group’s Commercial Finance unit and was Head of Corporate Banking at OneWest Bank.
Christopher R. MacPherson ’98, a principal of The MacPherson Gilchrest Group, has joined the Glastonbury, CT office of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, a leading full-service wealth management, financial services, and investment banking firm headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. The MacPherson Gilchrest Group was previously affiliated with Merrill Lynch.
Evan T. Gilchrest ’05, a principal of The MacPherson Gilchrest Group, has been named one America’s Top Next-Generation Wealth Managers by Forbes. Mr. Gilchrest has joined the Glastonbury, CT office of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, a leading full-service wealth management, financial services, and investment banking firm headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. The MacPherson Gilchrest Group was previously affiliated with Merrill Lynch.
James B. Hughes, Jr. ’76has been appointed as Interim Dean of the School of Law at Emory University. Professor Hughes is currently the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and has been at Emory since 1992. He has been a proven leader and an outstanding part of the Emory Law community for 26 years.
Melissa Platner ’15 MBAhas accepted the role of Vice President, Institutional Business Development, for Pax World Management LLC, investment adviser to Pax World Funds and a pioneer in the field of sustainable investing. In this newly created role, Ms. Planter will focus on strengthening existing relationships and building new partnerships with institutional investors and consultants.
Robert Fowles ’77 is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Opus One Winery in Oakville, California, and was honored as one of the Top 15 CFOs in the Northern Bay Area of California for 2017 by the North Bay Business Journal.
M. Travis Maynard ’07 Ph.Dwas recently honored by Colorado State University when he became the second recipient of the Sonny Lubick Pinnacle Award. This special honor is in recognition of his outstanding research and teaching, as well as his contributions to the community.
Kenneth R. Labbe ’87 has joined Lyman Real Estate as a sales agent. Mr. Labbe has over 25 years of experience in real estate and his background includes acquisitions and dispositions, mixed-use lifestyle center development, structured finance, international real estate consulting and real estate brokerage, according to a release.
Linda B. Whinfrey ’89 has been promoted to vice president of internal audit and enterprise risk management at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Ms. Whinfrey was most recently the managing director in the department. She will oversee internal audit, enterprise risk management, external audits, and quality monitoring efforts. Prior to joining Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 2003, she worked at Metropolitan Life and Cigna Corporation.