Eastern Magazine Spring 2023

Eastern magazine is published by the Division of Institutional Advancement for the benefit of alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of Eastern Connecticut State University.

Executive Editor Kenneth DeLisa

Editor Edward Osborn

Associate Editor Michael Rouleau

Designers Leigh Balducci | Kevin Paquin

Contributors Molly Boucher | Meghan

Carden | Julia DeLapp | Jack Jones | Joseph

McGann | Bob Molta | Michael Stenko

Noel Teter | Lucinda Weiss

Photographer Tom Hurlbut

Call to Readers

We welcome the feedback and input of our readers. Pitch us a story. Send us an Alumni Note. Tell us what you like and want to see more of in Eastern magazine. Contact us at editor@easternct.edu.

See previous Eastern magazine issues at www.easternct.edu/magazine

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Editor’s Note:

Photographs of Eastern’s 2022 NCCA Division III Baseball Champions in the fall 2022 issue of Eastern magazine by James Naprstek.

a shared commitment to excellence and opportunity

s I reflect on my 17 years at Eastern, I can recall many special moments — memorable events, student and faculty accomplishments, new buildings and other snapshots in time. What strikes me about all these memories is that they speak to the collective values held by those of us who call Eastern home.

The Eastern family — more than 40,000 alumni, 4,000 current students, and 1,000 faculty and staff — are bound together by a common commitment to learning and the realization that Eastern is making a positive difference in our state and nation. Over the years, I have witnessed three recurring themes on our campus that further define Eastern — each of them is captured in our mission statement.

Academic excellence: Last fall we learned that Eastern — for the first time — was named one of the top 20 public universities in the North Region in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. Anthropology Professor Sarah Baires has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to further study the ancient indigenous city of Cahokia in southwestern Illinois. Earlier this year, elementary school teacher Elaine Hill ’17 was recognized with a prestigious Milken Educator Award. Other alumni are making their contributions known at the Mohegan Sun, at Hartford HealthCare and in many other professions and locations.

Supporting the public good: As a public university, Eastern has long been focused on serving our local and state communities. Faculty and students in our Biology Department are using a NASA grant to study scorpions as they seek new antibiotics in the wake of increased bacterial resistance. Staff in our childcare center are at the forefront of bilingual education for preschoolers. In response to the national nursing shortage, Eastern will launch a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this coming fall.

Eastern is also committed to the environment and was recently awarded its first Gold rating in the annual Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).

Access and opportunity: From our local STEP/CAP program to working with Higher Edge in New London, to supporting “Promise” scholarship recipients from Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury, Eastern continues to make a college education accessible and affordable to students from all backgrounds. At the national level, for the past six years and counting, Eastern has enrolled more Opportunity and National Scholars — upwards of 350 — than any other partner school of TheDream.US, established in 2016 by former Washington Post publisher Donald Graham to support undocumented students. This winter we received a NASA grant to encourage high school students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers, and we are in the second year of a similar NSF grant to enroll students from lower-income families as they also pursue STEM professions.

As always, our mission is advanced by the financial support of alumni and other donors, through major gifts, Annual Fund contributions, our yearly #Warriors Give campaign, endowed scholarships and through many other means. I am forever grateful for this generosity and for the good will shown by members of our Eastern family. Together, we can continue to be proud of our mission as Connecticut’s only public liberal arts university, a mantle of distinction we carry with honor.

Elsa M. Núñez

PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WIN NATIONAL COLLEGE BOWL

For the second year in a row and fourth year overall, Eastern physical education teacher candidates have won the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America National College Bowl. Sarah Gallagher, Isiah Lovell and Cole Paquin were on the winning team, with Eastern’s second team of Samantha Mowry, Payton Shannon and Cole Hoffman placing eighth. Paquin and Gallagher were on the 2022 national title team. Eastern students also won the SHAPE National College Bowl in 2017 and 2019.

This year’s College Bowl was held March 29 in Seattle, WA, at the SHAPE America National Convention and Exposition. Nineteen teams from throughout the United States competed in a “Jeopardy” style competition with questions in the areas of motor behavior, exercise science, adapted physical education, health and wellness, dance, sport and games, and assessment.

The Eastern students prepped for the national competition by winning the 13th annual Connecticut Association for Health Physical Education and Dance Dee Perilli College Bowl this past November. “Eastern’s physical education teacher candidates complete coursework in a variety of topics that encompass what well-rounded professionals need to know within their majors, concentrations and professional lives,” said Darren Robert, department chair and professor of education. “Coupled with this instruction, teacher candidates receive numerous opportunities to put their knowledge to practice in real-world teaching experiences.”

Robert thanked health and physical education faculty, the Education Department, cooperating teachers, the students’ families and the Kalber family for their support. “Providing students/teacher candidates with experiences like this is what makes Eastern an awesome place to be!”

arah Baires, associate professor of anthropology, is the principal investigator on a new National Science Foundation grant to conduct an archaeological study of Cahokia. This indigenous city in southern Illinois was the largest in North America in medieval times and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a state historic site.

Baires will study the early occupation of the city, looking at how neighborhoods on the outskirts of the urban area related culturally and in infrastructure to the core “downtown” area. As many as 20,000 people lived in Cahokia, which was on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River near present-day St. Louis, MO.

SBaires has studied Cahokia for more than 10 years and has written several books about it, most recently, “Cahokia and the North American Worlds” (March 2022, Cambridge University Press). Her research has been featured in documentaries on PBS and the Smithsonian Channel.

Her co-principal investigator, Melissa Baltus, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Toledo, will study the late collapse of the city. Cahokia was a metropolis from roughly 1000 AD to 1400 AD, when London and Paris were also developing. The reason for its abandonment is unknown. Large burial mounds like Monk’s Mound (shown right) remain and have been extensively excavated.

Eastern students will participate in the new study through archaeological field schools, starting in the summer of 2024. The opportunity will be open first to anthropology majors taking Archaeological

Field School, a course in how to conduct archaeological field work, and then to any students who want to pursue archaeology as a career. Funding is also available to hire student workers during the academic year to conduct artifact analysis in Baires’ lab.

The revamped performance ensemble Thread City Jazz Trio features three music program faculty who released a new album this past January. The self-titled release is an adventurous reimagining of jazz standards through the fusion of the unique artistic perspectives of Anthony Cornicello (piano), Rick O’Neal (bass) and Matt Bronson (drums).

As colleagues at Eastern, Cornicello, O’Neal and Bronson inspire each other to be creatively engaged in bringing their own interpretations to jazz standards. Often, the members will try to play familiar pieces in the context of different genres. “There are times we’ll walk in and

we’ll be like, ‘let’s try this as a Latin,’” said Cornicello. “Other times, it happens in performance.”

The trio’s new album represents a new direction, largely because Bronson joined the band only about six weeks before the album was recorded.

“I was getting accustomed to playing with them,” he said. “In a certain way, we

had to look at it from a different perspective,” said Cornicello, as Bronson’s voice behind the drum kit is different from that of former drummer Venlo Odom. “We had to reconfigure some tunes.”

With the addition of Bronson, the band rebranded, having formerly been called the Straight Up Jazz Trio. “It was a different band, even with only one member different,” said O’Neal. “There’s only three of us.”

Bronson, who joined the band long after they had the idea of recording an album, said that he was inspired to “contribute to it in a way that was authentic.”

New biology research at Eastern has discovered that novel bacteria exist in the stingers of scorpions. Long considered a sterile environment, the research finds for the first time that this venom-producing appendage in fact contains a diverse microbiome. This may aid in the development of new antibiotic medicines, which could help alleviate the global issue of antibiotic resistance.

“The research shows that scorpions contain vast types of bacteria in their venom-producing organ, the telson,” said biology Professor Barbara Murdoch, who conducted the research alongside Professor Matthew Graham and former biology students Christopher Shimwell ’20 and Lauren Atkinson ’19. “This contradicts central dogma, since the telson has been previously thought to be a sterile environment, devoid of bacteria.”

Scorpions represent an ancient lineage of arachnids that have permeated throughout the world and are incredibly resilient. Given the harsh environments that many scorpions live in, scientists have speculated about the organism’s microbiome in its evolutionary success.

“We were curious to see if the stingers of scorpions, an incredibly old group with origins in the Ordovician Period — more than 440 million years ago — possessed unique bacteria adapted to these ancient venomous environments,” said Graham.

The study’s greater implications concern the global health crisis of antibiotic resistance, in which drugs meant to treat bacterial infections are becoming increasingly ineffective at killing bacteria. Combating antibiotic resistance is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

“Although most people don’t care about scorpions,” said Murdoch, “finding novel bacteria within scorpions may lead to new sources of antibiotics to treat human microbial infections.”

(left to right) Professor Barbara Murdoch, Lauren Atkinson and Christopher Shimwell

Eastern has received its first “gold” rating for sustainability from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). Eastern was one of only three colleges in Connecticut to receive a gold rating and is one of 138 colleges and universities nationwide to be gold-rated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The rating is a way for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance in broad areas such as academics, operations, innovation and leadership, among others. The only other Connecticut institutions ranked gold are Yale University and Connecticut College.

Under President Elsa Núñez’s leadership, the University has revised its Climate Action Plan and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030, while advancing climate resiliency through participation in Second Nature’s Climate Leadership Network. “I am very proud of Eastern’s sustainability accomplishments,”

said Núñez. “While there is much work ahead, we have made good progress and will continue to increase the integration of sustainability into our curriculum, enhance campus and community engagement, and improve efficiencies and carbonfree initiatives in our operations.”

“STARS provides a mechanism by which Eastern can prioritize actions to improve sustainable practices across all sectors of campus,” said Patricia Szczys, executive director of Eastern’s Institute for Sustainability. “This achievement is the result of efforts of the entire community.”

The gold rating is valid through 2025, at which point Eastern will submit a new report for review. The University’s latest report was peer-reviewed by sustainability specialists at Connecticut College and Wesleyan University for quality control prior to formal STARS submission.

Two assistant professors at Eastern, Khai Zhi Sim and Soojin Kim, have received fellowships from the New England Board of Higher Education’s North Star Collective, which supports Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty. The fellowships are designed to help junior faculty achieve promotion and tenure, with a special emphasis on writing, publishing and providing mentorship.

Sim, assistant professor of economics and finance, studies banking, macro and monetary economics, and applied game theory. During his fellowship, Sim will work on two research projects: One will

analyze the strategic interactions between financial institutions and policymakers, and the other, in collaboration with a Wesleyan University professor, will look at how bank bailouts incentivize banks’ investment in complicated and opaque assets.

Sim’s native language is Mandarin Chinese. “I believe that my participation in the fellowship would be a great help to me in writing the two research articles,” said Sim in his fellowship application. “As a non-native English speaker, I am usually at a disadvantage when it comes to communicating my ideas through writing.”

Kim, assistant professor of art and art history, will use her fellowship to work on

a limited-edition artist’s book, “Granny Pants,” exploring the cultural aspects of one of her early memories of Korean grandmothers wearing baggy pants, a holdover from what Korean women were once forced to wear by Japanese colonial authorities in the early 1900s. These “Mom Pae,” a type of “balloon pants,” were popular with her grandmother’s generation in Korea.

Eastern was one of the North Star Collective’s founding members in 2022. The collective now provides fellowships to 16 member colleges and universities, both public and private, in New England.

Soojin Kim Khai Zhi Sim

Eastern’s Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE) reached a milestone on March 22 when it surpassed 5 million views on its YouTube channel. The center is a research and professional development institute focused on improving the quality of early care and education.

Center faculty and staff conduct research on child development and teaching strategies, and develop educational videos to train current and future teachers. Videos are hosted on the center’s website and YouTube channel.

The center’s YouTube channel has more than 250 videos featuring researchers and other experts, teachers, home day care providers, home visitors and program administrators. To date, more than 130 Eastern students have been involved in projects or research that led to videos or have served as production interns helping to capture and edit video footage.

Videos have been viewed around the world, with most views coming from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and India. Viewership also comes from countries such as the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Pakistan.

CECE videos have received seven national Telly Awards for technical excellence in video production, most recently for “A Study of the Play of Dual Language Learners in an English-Speaking Classroom,” featuring the research of undergraduate student Stefanie Dominguez ’18.

Eastern’s first exhibit of the spring 2023 semester was “Chinatown Chronicles.” In collaboration with Charles Yu’s “Interior Chinatown,” Eastern’s 2023 NEA Big Read book selection, the exhibit ran Jan. 18-March 9.

Taking inspiration from Yu’s novel, Chinatown Chronicles “explores poignant themes of interior Chinatown through the work of 20 artists who offer unexpected connections and parallels for Yu’s incisive portrait of a vibrant community that has thrived in the face of unrelenting stereotyping,” explained Julia Wintner, director of Eastern’s Art Gallery.

Stefanie Dominguez ’18 sits in front of the video recording equipment she used to conduct her honors thesis research on multilingual learners.

Allison Lundy ’20, Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, Alyssa Barry ’20, and Julia DeLapp show off high-scoring toys from the 2019 TIMPANI Toy Study after being interviewed by WILI’s Wayne Norman.

“THE SPIRIT OF AQUAI”

THREE ALUMNI LEADERS AT MOHEGAN SUN

by Meghan Carden

Opened in Connecticut in 1996, the Mohegan Sun quickly became one of the world’s largest casinos. Through expansions both nationally and internationally, Mohegan has continued to operate according to the Mohegan Tribe’s “Spirit of Aquai.” This philosophy calls for welcoming, mutual respect, cooperation and building relationships, and is infused in the culture at the Mohegan Sun. The company also strives to develop passionate and dedicated employees, many of whom graduated from Eastern and found a home there. We caught up with three Eastern alumni and captured their stories of progress and collaboration. Known for their drive and enthusiasm, they work hard, uplift those around them and proudly share the culture and history of the Mohegan Tribe.

director of human resources

LAURIE KEENAN ’12

Laurie Keenan ’12 did not start college straight out of high school. A Montville High School graduate, she began work as a clerk for the Town Council, taking minutes and preparing meeting agendas. Wanting more, Keenan started attending Three Rivers Community College, then known as Mohegan University. She earned her associate degree in liberal arts and then applied to schools for her bachelor’s degree, with Eastern located closest to her home.

“Eastern taught me how to be accountable to myself — handing in assignments, going to class,” said Keenan, who continued to work while attending the University as an English major. “Being an English major taught me how to express myself.”

Keenan’s stepfather pointed her in the direction of the recently built Mohegan Sun when she had little idea of what to do after graduation. She interviewed with the office of human resources and was hired as an on-call

Photos courtesy of Mohegan Sun

data entry employee working in the file room. “I liked the company and being in the people business.”

Within a few months Keenan was working full time. She found herself admiring the employee counselors in her department, and when a position opened, she applied. “They were outgoing, bubbly and friendly,” she said. Keenan worked in that role for seven years, performing workplace investigations and interpreting policies, before being promoted to shift manager. “It was a niche that I really, really enjoyed,” said Keenan. She worked in employee relations for 14 years until staffing reductions led to the disbandment of the training staff. When the division was brought back, she took on the role of training manager followed by the additional task of recruitment manager.

“We were rebuilding from scratch,” said Keenan. It allowed her to tap into the creative drive that led her to major in English. In her new roles, Keenan traveled around the world recruiting students who wanted to work in the United States over their summer breaks. “This brought diversity to staffing,” she explained, “adding value for both customers and other staff members.”

In November 2019 she was promoted to

director of human resources. Four months later, Mohegan was closed due to the pandemic. “I was out for nine weeks,” said Keenan, who returned in June 2020. She was happy when business finally returned to normal.

makes Mohegan and Eastern such a good fit, she explains that the two are in the same region and that Mohegan is a familiar brand. “It also offers a variety of career opportunities.” By recruiting Eastern students into internships, Mohegan staff can show students firsthand why Mohegan is a great place to work.

Keenan recalled that while working as a recruitment manager, a group of master’s students from Eastern reached out to her regarding their capstone project. They met up and worked together throughout the semester.

“We’re a company that sells fun,” said Keenan, who described Mohegan as a team culture. Because of this, they look to hire people with outgoing personalities who are naturally inclined to meet the needs of others. “Mohegan now faces immense competition around the United States,” said Kennan. “So what sets us apart? It’s our team members.”

Keenan has encountered, hired and worked with many Eastern students and alumni over the years. When asked what

“One of the students was a young mother who wasn’t sure of her plans once she got her degree,” said Keenan, who encouraged her to apply to a marketing position at Mohegan. “That position went to another candidate, but the young woman was hired as an executive host.” She moved up to assistant shift manager and is now an assistant manager. “She loves Mohegan,” said Keenan. “I’m proud of her. You just have to get your foot in the door.”

Like Keenan, Joe Lobe ’03 didn’t start his college career at Eastern. He began at the University of Connecticut but found that the school was too big. He left before his

“Eastern taught me how to be accountable to myself …”

Laurie Keenan ’12

JOE LOBE ’03

second semester and attended community college before enrolling at Eastern.

“I was a commuter at UConn in 1999 and couldn’t get the classes that I needed,” said Lobe. “I could sign up for an 8 a.m. and my next class wouldn’t be until 4 p.m.” It wasn’t an ideal schedule for a commuter.

When Lobe became an Eastern student, he continued to commute but had a better experience. An accounting major, he stepped out of his comfort zone through classes and extracurricular activities. He participated in the Campus Lantern and interviewed the rock band Counting Crows. He also took a class titled British Melodrama. Taught by a visiting artist, the class helped put on the fall theater show. “The opportunity to do something like that as an accounting major was unique.”

Lobe started his career while still a student. In his last year at Eastern, he worked at Foxwoods as a financial analyst. “My hours were 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Then I drove to Eastern for my 8 a.m. class,” said

Lobe. He was promoted after graduation, and though his hours shifted to daytime, his schedule didn’t become any easier.

“I was working full time and attending Western New England University School of Law,” said Lobe. He drove the 90 minutes to campus after work every day. From campus he went back home, and then did it

all again the next day. He attended through the summertime and completed his law degree in four years. In the meantime, Mohegan took interest in his talents and headhunted him to join their mergers and acquisitions team.

“I was working to help expand business,” said Lobe, who since joining the team has been part of numerous expansions. He was responsible for closing the Falls View deal — the casino’s expansion into Canada. Now the vice president, deputy general counsel, Lobe describes himself as a jack of all trades. He oversees the corporate legal department, which works with all Mohegan properties that don’t have on-site legal representation. This includes properties in Connecticut, the Poconos and Las Vegas, among others. Every state’s gaming laws are different, and with Mohegan operating in eight jurisdictions, Lobe needs to know the laws of each. His job also necessitates a strong background in finance and government relations.

“My accounting and business background make me a dual-threat attorney, and my liberal arts education makes me more well-rounded.”

Joe Lobe ’03

vice president, deputy general counsel

“My job requires a very general knowledge of the law,” said Lobe. “I’ll be looking at real estate transactions one moment, gaming regulations the next, then resolving an employment issue before moving on to a litigation matter.” It gives him the opportunity to do a little bit of everything and to use the education that he acquired at Eastern.

“My accounting and business background make me a dual-threat attorney, and my liberal arts education makes me more well-rounded.” Lobe offers an example of this, by way of a history class he took on Korea. As Mohegan expands into South Korea, his knowledge of its history, culture and customs has been helpful.

After several years of working at Mohegan, Lobe has noticed that the organizational culture is unique. “It’s the Spirit of Aquai,” he said. “It’s a welcoming culture. They expect a certain type of behavior from their employees. Everybody is very nice, and they have hired to that.”

A short drive away from the Mohegan Sun sits the offices of the Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders, where Beth Regan ’79 serves as a vice chairwoman and justice. This is a second career for Regan, who spent 35 years teaching at Tolland High School. Though initially unsure about college, Regan thrived at Eastern, where she found a passion for education, leading to a life devoted to teaching and uplifting others.

vice chairwoman and justice

“Our family didn’t have a lot of money,” said Regan. It was Bob Miller who brought the idea of college to Regan and her twin sister Kathy. Miller had recently started the women’s basketball program at Eastern and attended a high school basketball game with the aim of recruiting the pair. “This was our first time playing organized sports,” said Regan, who jumped at the opportunity to play at the collegiate level. “It was a great place to want to be,” she said. Miller was an advocate of women’s sports and was committed to building the women’s basketball program, still new when Regan matriculated. Off the court, Regan majored in history and social sciences and minored in secondary education. During her student teaching assignment, she helped coach the school’s team.

“After graduation I had many job offers,” said Regan, who took the teaching position at Tolland High School where she spent her career teaching and coaching. “I loved my

job.” While there, Regan specialized in Native American studies and Russian history. She developed courses on both subjects and, to enhance what her students were learning, organized trips to reservations, sweat lodge ceremonies and even overseas to Russia.

In addition to her work at Tolland High, Regan also created curriculum on Mohegan history and culture for Connecticut teachers of all grade levels. To develop these courses, Regan turned to her tribe for guidance. “I love the cultural side of my tribe,” she said. Her class for Tolland High was the first for-credit class in the state fully dedicated to Native American history. The work kept her connected to the tribe, and when she retired in the fall of 2014, Regan was elected to the Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders. In 2016 she was appointed to the position of secretary and in 2020 vice chairwoman.

The Council of Elders is tasked with overseeing judicial matters and the tribe’s cultural integrity. This is where Regan’s heart lies, with the cultural arm of the tribe. This includes their museum, library, archives, wigwam and archaeology. “I wouldn’t have left teaching for any other reason,” she said.

In a way, Regan is still teaching, sharing her tribe’s history and reintroducing their language through immersion classes offered to tribal members. Through her work, she hopes to keep the Mohegan culture going, to reclaim and teach their history. Part of this effort includes

engaging with tribal members from out of state. “The pandemic showed that we can share with tribal members all over,” said Regan, who added that in addition to Zoom meetings and events, they also keep in touch with tribal members through newsletters, emails and homecoming events.

Regan has found other ways to stay engaged with teaching and coaching. She plays an essential role in the Mohegan Tribe’s partnership with the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Program. She has spent more than 30 years as a coach and volunteer for the Special Olympics and is a volunteer coach for Eastern’s women’s basketball team, where she also tutors students in history.

“Eastern prepared me well,” said Regan. “It taught me how to be in a classroom and teach. Basketball taught me competition, teamwork, collaboration.” These skills were fostered at Eastern and Regan has carried them through her life. Now, she takes pride in imparting some of those lessons to others. “I want to give back a little piece of what I was given,” said Regan. “The more you can give back the better. Service to others is what drives me.”

“I want to give back a little piece of what I was given,” said Regan. “The more you can give back the better. Service to others is what drives me.”

Beth Regan ’79

Maheen Khan ’25 Tells Her Story

Maheen Khan, an Eastern sophomore majoring in political science, views education as her biggest privilege. Khan is in large part motivated by her parents — who came to the United States from Pakistan — and the sacrifices they made. Her story as a first-generation student and her gratitude toward her parents were highlighted when Martin Mendoza-Botelho, department head and professor of political science, asked Khan to write a blog post for the department’s web page. Here is her story.

“Being a first-generation student in my family means a lot to me. This once in a lifetime opportunity given to my parents allowed me to have the possibility of a better life filled with great opportunities such as better education quality. My parents have made the sacrifice of leaving their native home to come to this country so that they can provide us with better resources than they had. Education is one of the biggest resources.

My parents are originally from Karachi, Pakistan. (It is) a lively country filled with beautiful culture, religion and amazing food. Pakistan has improved significantly since my parents were children. Though Pakistan is a developing country trying to find a way to accelerate their economy, there are still some struggles, with education being one of them. Both my parents were from working-class families. They were lucky in that they were able to get some sort of education. But that’s not the case for everyone.

School enrollment and literacy rates have decreased. With the lack of resources and financial support, education for several children (in a family) is difficult to afford. Many don’t go to school because money is a problem and school fees are expensive.

In fact, in Pakistan, families are required to pay high tuition fees for their children to attend schools from K-12. Instead, the children start their life selling food or accessories on the streets. Due to job shortages and low-paying jobs, many parents do the same. That is their way to make a living and support their kids’ future.

Many parents in Pakistan put their needs last because they want better for their kids. They are willing to sacrifice anything for their kids’ education, even if it is less for them. In our culture and (our) religion of Islam, we heavily value education. A big responsibility for Muslims around the world is to provide their children with education because Islam states it as a fundamental human right for both women and men.

But those that have the right and access to education receive pressure from their parents. A lot of our parents have emphasized the importance of education. Many of us first-generation students feel emotionally impacted by the pressure of having to do well academically. Let’s use this pressure to create the best versions of ourselves because we all bring a unique perspective to the table. (Our parents) immigrated to an unfamiliar place for us to receive a better life and give us a place that we can call home. A place where they can have endless opportunities and, most of all, access to great education. Without realization, we sometimes take our parents for granted.

Maybe our parents’ dream of having the same education has faded away, but that should only make us want to aim higher. Take the opportunity and make changes in the world so that those people who are still living the way our parents did can achieve that right to education. Having that right to obtain higher education will not only impact our lives but will get us to the place where we want to be in life. So take a step back and reflect whenever you feel stressed and worried from an exam or an assignment. Go achieve the American Dream for yourself and your parents.”

First-generation student recalls parents’ sacrifice and the privilege of education

Treasures from

Hidden in plain view, on the fourth floor of the J. Eugene Smith Library, are collections that tell the stories of local people who lived in earlier times. There you can find first-person accounts of battles written by Civil War soldiers; dance cards from Windham socials in the 1920s; letters from death row inmates; and shelves of leather-bound books dating back to the 18th century.

It’s all there in the Archives, Special Collections and Center for Connecticut Studies, housed on the library’s fourth floor and accessible to the public by appointment. Students use the collections for class assignments about local history and antique books. The collections also have rich primary source material for writers, historians and sometimes people tracking missing pieces of their family history.

Recent records are stored there too — all The (Willimantic) Chronicle’s editions back to 1877, a selection of the town of Windham’s records, including tax records, town directories, and even dog and liquor licenses issued through the years. Eastern’s records are stored there as well, down to class syllabi and information on where every student teacher from 1889 through the 1920s worked after graduation.

“It’s a glittering jewel not enough people know about,” says Caitlin Carenen, professor of history, describing the Center for Connecticut Studies, which she directs. The center is recognized as a Center for Excellence by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.

Tara Hurt, university archivist, who manages the collections day-to-day, is working to digitize the holdings, a huge project aided by student interns. Some parts of it, like the Church Farm Collection — donated records dating back to 1840 of an Ashford farm and farm family — are available at https://www.easternct.edu/churchfarm. Other records can be searched in person with the help of aids that tell the archivist where to locate the records. And some volumes, like city directories, are in the stacks.

One large volume, the Grand Army of the Republic’s handwritten accounts of births, deaths and battle experiences of the area’s Civil War soldiers, reveals in fading brown-ink cursive how local boys — some as young as 14 — signed up and went to war.

“Hanging up my scythe in an apple tree, leaving the hayfield with my father’s consent, (went) to enlist,” wrote Jerome B. Baldwin of Mansfield, born in 1843 and enlisting in 1862. He wrote that he “hitched up the family horse and (drove) to enlist with a neighbor and friend, Edwin Thorne,” who was later shot dead at Baldwin’s side in battle at Drury’s Bluff, VA. Baldwin remembered climbing a tall tree at Petersburg, VA, on June 16, 1864, and singing a jingle for his comrades below, “For we are going to Dixie to fight and (missed?) your eye.” He climbed down, they marched through a cornfield toward Petersburg with fixed bayonets, and as he advanced, he was struck by a Confederate Minié ball in his left eye, the first in his company to be hit. He remembered the Confederate gunfire splintering a fence he climbed over in his escape on the Petersburg Road.

Earl S. Cranston, born in 1843 in Mansfield, tried to enlist in Willimantic in April 1861, at the start of the war, but no one would captain the regiment. “They were not right politically, all smelling of copper,” he wrote, referring to “Copperheads” who opposed Lincoln’s war. So he went to

The Grand Army of the Republic’s record of Civil War veterans in the Willimantic area

the Past

By Lucinda Weiss

Library collections yield historical gems

Hartford to join a company being raised by Col. Samuel Colt, who was going to outfit it with his revolving rifles, but that, too, failed. Finally, in July he enlisted in the 5th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry and saw action at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

There is also the account of Leonard Shaffer, born in 1818 in Willington, who recalled lining up on the road at the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley “when Gen. Phil Sheridan rode up, his black horse white with foam. An officer in command said, ‘General, the day is lost!’ ‘Not by a long sight,’ said General Phil. ‘I can lick them now with what few men I can pick up.’ And we did.”

The family of Capt. Charles Fenton, who became a prominent silk mill manager and owner in Mansfield and Willimantic, donated not only his pocket diaries from the Civil War but also his boot spurs, holsters and other “realia,” as physical items are now called, stored in archival boxes in the Center for Connecticut Studies.

Other parts of the collection include 19th-century textbooks, which show how school curricula have changed over time; Sanborn fire maps, detailed maps of fire risks across the county, showing how the area has changed; and letters written by death row inmates from Connecticut.

“It’s a pretty extensive collection,” says Carenen. “What makes it special to me, is that there aren’t a lot of schools that have archives of this kind.”

Students from many disciplines — not just history and English — make use of it, notes archivist Hurt. It’s a rare chance for students to work on original material from other eras. “We really try to get the students using the material because that primary source document experience is very unique,” she says.

Noelle Ciccarelli ’23, a senior developmental psychology major, took a course with English Professor Benjamin Pauley, The Social Life of Books, in which she had to study a book in the special collections. She stumbled upon “The Confessions of Con Cregan,” a picaresque tale written in the 19th century by Irish novelist Charles Lever.

“It was super interesting to try and piece together the mysteries of this book and the inscription inside,” says Ciccarelli. “I’ve never visited or used a book from Special Collections before but I’m glad I did.”

Jarod Werner ’23, another of Pauley’s students, researched Gilbert J. Hunt’s “The Late War,” published in 1816 just after the War of 1812 ended. “I’ve always loved old books and documents,” he says, “so being around so many in a comfortable space and being able to examine one in depth was really interesting.” The experience made him want to pursue a career in library sciences or historical archiving.

Like other students in the class, Werner made his own book using a

Emily Barrata is a senior biology major who worked in Special Collections last fall on a class project, selecting an old book and researching it. The book she is holding is from 1799, “The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy” by William Paley.

“It’s a glittering jewel not enough people know about,” says Caitlin Carenen, professor of history.

small press that Pauley built. They set their own type and inked the pages to learn how books were made. “It was surprisingly difficult. However, once it was on the page, it was very satisfying to look at,” says Werner.

Pauley, whose research is on 18th-century England, says that for some students, “it was the first time they were touching a book that old,” when paper was made by hand and printing was also a handson skill. “Special Collections was our way into thinking about books as material objects,” he explains.

Census records from 1900, local maps and town directories were consulted by student Angela Papadopoulous ’22 in researching the history of a house at 67 Lewiston Ave., Willimantic, for a class taught by Stefan Kamola, associate professor of history. In the archives she also found tax registries and books about Willimantic industry that helped her trace the families who lived in the house over the years.

Bill Powers, a weekly columnist for The (Willimantic) Chronicle who visits three or four times a week to research his articles on local history calls the Eastern archives “a veritable oasis in the desert of information at times.”

Powers, formerly a teacher at Windham High School and now retired, digs through the archives for photographs, old stories, even newspaper advertisements that he calls a “slice of life” documenting Willimantic 100 years ago — “what it was like for the everyday person.”

“You get the stories of who’s coming to visit, who’s new to the community,” he says.

Powers wrote several columns about Windham High School’s 1942 state championship basketball team, drawing material from the sports sections of old issues of The Chronicle. The archives also house a wealth of information about the Revolutionary War era, the silk industry, and what happened in Willimantic during the 1919–20 stock market crash. He also has found stories of Prohibition — how two Russian farmers were charged with making moonshine in 1921 — and who served in World War II.

“I love it — I taught history,” he says.

Nana Hansen, a senior in Professor Benjamin Pauley’s honors colloquium, holds type. Students made their own books after studying Special Collections books. They set their own metal type and made their own paper.

Jarod Werner sets up his own book on Professor Pauley’s hand printing press.

Above: Caitlin Carenen, professor of history and director of The Connecticut Collection

Left: A history class receives instruction on Special Collections from archivist Tara Hurt.

Left: The Connecticut Collection houses this box which is part of the Charles Fenton Collection and contains Fenton’s boot spurs, gloves, holsters and strap from the Civil War.

Sports Information

Director Bob “Bullet”

Molta has been a fixture at Eastern going back to the fall of 1974, all the while staying current with changes in technology, student culture and campus growth.

By Ed Osborn

How did Molta end up at Eastern?

S i n igng t

heWarriors song for 48years

A native of Branford, CT, Molta took the advice of a high school friend who attended Eastern and had raved about the baseball team. Molta chose Eastern Connecticut State College over Southern Connecticut State College to “get away” from his hometown and never looked back.

What was life like on campus in the 1970s?

Molta was an economics major and loved Professors John Lombard and Ken Parzych. “They were such great professors,” he recalls. Molta was also influenced by Bill Stanley, a year older and also a resident of Crandall Hall. Stanley encouraged Molta to join the Campus Lantern staff as a sophomore. “We worked so hard on the campus newspaper. We covered all campus events and would go down to the (Wil-

limantic) Chronicle to lay the paper out.” Molta also started working as an unpaid student volunteer in the Sports Information Office in his sophomore year. “Del Dixon was the college’s public relations officer, and also covered athletics. I remember him hauling his Smith Corona up from Shafer Hall to the Sports Center to switch from one job to the other. There were no computers back then.”

How did Molta get his nickname?

During his first year on campus as a member of the Crandall (Hall) Crew, Molta’s friends nicknamed him “Bullet” after Bob “Bullet” Hayes, Olympian sprint

champion and star of the Dallas Cowboys. Molta is “Bullet” to this day, and still gets together with the Crandall Crew for pizza several times a year.

After graduation

After graduating in 1978, Molta went to work at the Norwich Bulletin for four years before returning to Eastern in 1982 as a paid part-time employee in the Sports Information Office. “I lived on campus in Low Rise and they also covered my meal plan.” In 1986, Molta became Eastern’s full-time sports information officer. Compared to his days in the 1970s when all students were unpaid volunteers, Molta

now supervises approximately 20 student workers, including three student employees who manage the Athletic Department’s ETV video productions.

Warriors TV comes alive

Nick Aconfora ’15 helped Molta launch the video team for Eastern athletics in 2011-12. “We started off with a laptop computer and one camera,” notes Molta, “and through Nick’s vision and the University’s support, we were able to get a Tricaster portable mixer, more cameras and other equipment.” Over time, the ETV crew has become known for its high standards: male students wear a coat and tie, sportscasters are taught to be objective, and the video team takes pride in developing their work ethic and other professional skills. As many as six students at a time now staff the various roles for the expanded operation.

Favorite moments

Molta recalls with pride the school’s backto-back national softball titles in 1985 and 1986: “It was great to win the 1985 national tournament on our home field!”

The recent 2022 baseball national championship 20 years after the Warriors’ last national baseball title will also be an enduring memory. “Perhaps my most enjoyable moments are seeing the students who work for me grow personally and professionally, learning to show up and do a good job, about the technical side of sports

reporting and doing a professional job without being there simply as a spectator or fan,” Molta said. “Developing relationships with athletes and student workers as individuals, seeing them overcome challenges and excel — that also has been very gratifying personally.”

What’s changed over time?

“Technology is huge. I used to have to dig to find statistics; now, each home team shares stats with the opposing team and we have databases to work with. It used to take days to develop film for photos, and it was expensive. Now we can get a photo of an athlete up on our website in five minutes. We have grown in many other ways. When I started, we had six varsity teams; now we have 19. All our head coaches are full time. Of course, the university has also grown — enrollment as well as the campus itself. The David G. Carter Science Building, the Fine Arts Instructional Center and the Shafer Hall renovations are all a tribute to our leadership. We have one of the most beautiful campuses you will ever see; when

we recruit student athletes and get them on campus, it’s a huge selling point. Our academic programs and the quality of our students have improved as well.”

Describe a typical day

“There is no real ‘typical day’ in my job. I can go from uploading content to the website to taking photos, to doing the public address announcing at a game, sending out news stories and working on statistics. It never feels boring. Each season comes with different sports, different athletes, different weather. I have never gotten out of bed and wished I wasn’t coming to work. When I started doing this back in 1975, I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

Bob Molta (seated left) is joined by fellow staff during the 2002 Baseball National Tournament.

“Bob taught me the definition of hard work and what it means to serve a community. Bob is one-of-a-kind because through all the hard work he puts in daily, he finds time to connect at a deep level with each person he is around.”

Nick Aconfora ’15

he current shortage of nurses in our nation is evident to varying degrees across all 50 states, and Connecticut is certainly part of this trend. Nationally, we will need 1.2 million new registered nurses (RNs) by 2030. There are almost 200,000 new openings annually across the country, with 3,000 of those occurring in Connecticut.

While 3,000 new nurses are needed each year in the state, Connecticut’s nursing schools are graduating only 1,900 new candidates, according to the Governor’s Workforce Council. It is estimated that the state’s nursing programs are able to admit only 25% of applicants due to the lack of faculty and clinical placements.

In 2022, Gov. Ned Lamont introduced the Connecticut Health Horizons project, a three-year, $35 million program to address the nursing shortage. Eastern Connecticut State University will receive $1.2 million from the initiative to equip and staff a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, scheduled to start in fall 2023.

Hartford HealthCare is Eastern’s active partner in the new program. To provide essential hands-on instruction, a clinical simulation lab is being constructed at Windham Hospital, with Hartford HealthCare providing the renovated space and funds from the state grant being used to purchase necessary equipment. Three full-time faculty necessary to staff the new program will also be hired with funds from the Connecticut Health Horizons initiative.

“I applaud our state officials for their response to the critical nursing shortage in Connecticut and beyond,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. “This $1.2 million grant provides a crucial infusion of funds to jump-start our nursing program, and we are very grateful for that support. I am also pleased that we have Hartford HealthCare as our working partner on this initiative. With their support, our students will receive

important hands-on instruction as well as invaluable clinical placements as they get ready for professional nursing positions. We will not only be part of the solution to the nursing shortage, Eastern will be preparing dozens of nursing students for rewarding, meaningful careers.”

The Board of Regents of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities will be asked to approve the new major later this spring. If approval is granted, Eastern hopes to enroll its first nursing students in the fall 2023 semester. The simulation lab at Windham Hospital is planned for a spring 2025 opening in time for the students’ second semester of their sophomore year.

In addition to providing simulation lab facilities, Hartford HealthCare will be active in the program in other ways — nursing staff will serve as adjunct professors, and area medical offices will provide clinical rotations for students.

“Hartford HealthCare is pleased to work with Eastern to create a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program,” said Dr. Rocco Orlando, senior vice president and chief academic officer at Hartford HealthCare. “Connecticut faces a profound nursing shortage and this program will help alleviate that.”

Eastern’s new four-year baccalaureate degree in nursing will be cohort-based; the first group of students enrolled this coming fall will progress through the program at the same time. Courses planned for the major include biology, chemistry and biochemistry, as well as human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and nutrition for nursing. Specialty areas will include maternal and newborn care nursing, geriatric nursing, psychiatric and mental health nursing, and community and public health nursing.

By Ed Osborn

Along with science classes, courses in nursing practice and hands-on learning experiences, students in the new B.S.N. program will gain leadership and decision-making skills while also becoming patient advocates who are knowledgeable about health care disparities among vulnerable populations.

Equipment that will be used by nursing students on campus includes a virtual dissection table; a skills/demonstration lab; high-fidelity simulators — manikins that mimic human physiology; and specialized manikins for trauma, birthing and pediatrics. The simulation lab being built at Windham Hospital by Hartford HealthCare will provide additional clinical training, with Eastern earmarking $500,000 from the new state grant for laboratory equipment.

“Our faculty are excited about the opportunity to provide instruction and guidance to prepare students for careers as professional nurses,” said Yaw Nsiah, professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences. “With Eastern’s expert faculty and outstanding teaching facilities, coupled with the support from our partners at Hartford HealthCare, we look forward to launching our Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree this coming fall.”

Students completing the degree are eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses. The program will also seek accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Connecticut State Board of Nurse Examiners. Graduates can look forward to an exciting, rewarding career, with RNs being among the Top 20 Best Jobs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Michele Lodigiani ’13 earned her communication degree at Eastern before receiving her B.S.N. at the University of Connecticut. Today she works in the intensive care unit at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London. “My liberal arts background (at Eastern) ensured I had the evaluative and critical thinking skills required for a nursing career. During my time at Eastern, I was also able to participate in clubs and activities — Habitat for Humanity, People Helping People — which allowed me to serve the community and fostered my interest in a career assisting others.”

Lodigiani loves “getting to be an advocate for those in need and being able to make a difference in someone’s life on a daily basis. I also love that I can use my skills in a variety of settings and the schedule allows for a great deal of flexibility.”

“A B.S.N. program at Eastern would provide eastern Connecticut, and our state as a whole, with highly qualified professionals who will ensure our residents receive quality, professional care,” she said.

State-of-the-art medical manikins will provide Eastern students opportunities to practice a range of hands-on nursing skills.

Connecticut Health Horizons is financed through the federal American Rescue Plan Act–Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded to the State of Connecticut by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (FAIN: SLFRP0128).

Bryan Frankovitch ’17 graduated from Eastern with a health sciences major, also serving as co-president of the Pre-Health Society on campus. He then earned his nursing degree in the University of Connecticut’s accelerated nursing program.

Frankovitch now works in Hartford Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as a Registered Nurse III, not only taking care of his own critically ill patients, but also serving frequently as the resource (charge) nurse

overseeing all patient care in the ICU. Last year he became Board Certified in Critical Care and Cardiac Medicine and is also working toward his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

“Nurses are the backbone that keeps (the health care system) afloat, pushes for progress, and advocates for patients, while simultaneously performing clinically and being there emotionally for our patients,” said Frankovitch. “As the population is living longer and many more people live long lives with chronic health conditions, nurses are the ones who take care of them and their families.”

What inspires him to be a nurse? “I love working in a challenging environment that requires a lot of critical thinking. I enjoy that I get to constantly improve my practice and learn something new every day. I love to serve as a resource for colleagues, patients and families. I also get to have an immense impact on people’s lives. I have treated thousands of patients over the years, and it is amazing to hear from some of them through cards or letters or word of mouth and realize the impact I had on them.”

A successful liver transplant received by her father inspired Amanda (Eakin) Copeland ’16 to become a nurse and work in the Kidney and Liver Transplant surgery unit at Yale New Haven Hospital. Today she works for Hartford HealthCare, supporting and teaching the electronic health record (EHR) system to clinical staff and health care providers. What makes nursing so rewarding?

“I wanted to make a difference in not only patients’ lives but also their family members.”

A graduate of the University of Connecticut’s nursing program, Copeland says her time at Eastern was the foundation of her nursing career.

“While completing challenging courses within the Health Sciences Department, I was very involved in campus life as a resident assistant, participated in a global field internship in Ghana, acted as a peer mentor for first-year students, served as co-president of the PreHealth Society and volunteered my time in the Willimantic community through various community service projects … Eastern taught me so many life lessons … and allowed me to see different perspectives that made me a compassionate nurse … I wouldn’t be the nurse I am today without attending Eastern.”

Babatunde Olatinwo ’12 graduated with a degree in biology and earned his nursing degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He works in the post-op recovery room at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. “The biology faculty at Eastern are great — so knowledgeable and engaged. I took my anatomy and physiology course at Eastern. The lab courses prepared me well for nursing school. I was also in the Biology Club.”

What motivates him? “It’s gratifying to provide hands-on care for patients during their most vulnerable moments.” Olatinwo notes that nurses are with patients more than any other health care professionals.

Barry is two-sport All-American

Lewis Repeats as LEC Wiltshire Named

Track

Athlete-ofthe-Year

Fifth-year senior Anna Barry of Andover became Eastern’s second two-sport AllAmerican this past fall when she was voted as an American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) Division III All-America honorable mention choice for 2022, becoming the first among Eastern’s four All-America honorees to repeat the honor. The six-foot forward on the women’s basketball team was also named to the WBCA All-America honorable mention team last year and is a contender to repeat the honor in 2022-23. The only other two-sport All-American at Eastern was Andrea Costa ’88 in volleyball and softball.

Barry also became the first Little East Conference (LEC) women’s basketball player in 17 years to be named Player-of-the-Year as many as three times when she received the honor as a fifth-year senior in 2022-23. She was also named Defensive Player-of-the-Year, the first three-time recipient of the award, which was instituted in 2008-09 and won by Eastern’s Jessica Moriarty ’11 in each of the first two years.

Senior Collin Wiltshire was named the Little East Conference Men’s Track and Field Athlete-of-the-Year on Feb. 24. A native of Ledyard, Wiltshire repeated as indoor triple jump champion at the LEC Championships Feb. 18, becoming the first Eastern athlete to repeat that honor. Wiltshire is ranked in the top 10 nationally in the triple jump and qualified for the national championship.

Barry becomes Eastern’s third multiplewinner of the LEC Player-of-the-Year Award, following Eastern Hall of Famers Ashley McFetridge (2007-08 and 2008-09) and Allison Coleman (2000-04), the only fourtime recipient of the award in LEC women’s basketball history.

In the fall, Barry was named LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year for the third time in volleyball. Her attack percentage led the LEC for the second straight year. In addition to repeating All-America honorable mention honors, Barry was voted to the All-Region team and to the New England Women’s Volleyball Association (NEWVA) teams for the third straight year (excluding the 2020 COVID season).

Warriors shine in Little East fallratings

Eastern Connecticut State University has won the Little East Conference’s (LEC) Presidents’ Cup for overall academic supremacy the past three years and the Commissioner’s Cup for athletic excellence for the past five. Based upon the early returns in 2022–23 through fall competition, the Warriors hold the early edge to extend both streaks. In the fall, Eastern featured 62 All-Academic qualifiers — five more than its nearest competitor in the nine-team conference — and also garnered a conference-leading 6.71 rating in eight fall sports sponsored by the conference. Those results go toward the Commissioner’s Cup calculations released following the spring season.

In all, 62 of 97 (63.9%) of Eastern’s fall athletes who had attained sophomore status qualified by amassing cumulative GPAs of 3.30 or better through the spring. None of Eastern’s seven fall programs had less than half of its athletes qualify, with many of the

Player-of-the-Year in Golf

Junior Ashton Lewis of Fairfield repeated as the Little East Conference (LEC) Player-of-the-Year, an honor bestowed upon the winner of the LEC Men’s Golf Championship, finishing the two-day event in October with a score of 145, which made him the repeat medalist in leading the Warriors to their second straight LEC title. Lewis carded a one-under par 71 on the opening day of the championship, held at Ellington Ridge Country Club, before shooting a 74 on the second day. He was undefeated on the course leading up to the LEC Championship, having earned medalist honors in each of Eastern’s five tournaments.

In addition, first-year Eastern head coach Marc Senia was voted the 2022 LEC Coach-of-the-Year by his peers after guiding the Warriors to their second straight LEC championship. By winning the LEC title, Eastern qualified automatically for its first NCAA Division III tournament to be held May 16-19 in Nicholasville, KY.

programs well above the threshold. Nine of 11 (81.8%) eligible volleyball players qualified, as did 17 of 21 (81%) eligible members of the women’s soccer team and five of seven (71.4%) eligible members of the women’s cross-country program.

In the early running for the Commissioner’s Cup, Eastern’s conference-leading rating of 6.71 is followed by two other programs with a 5.00 or better: Plymouth State University (5.86) and the University of Massachusetts Boston (5.75). All but one of Eastern’s seven fall programs finished in the upper half of the conference’s standings or championship. Men’s golf won the LEC title in the two-day championship tournament for the second straight year, with women’s cross-country finishing second and men’s cross-country third in the one-day championship meet. Men’s soccer shared second place in the final standings and women’s volleyball tied for fourth.

Warriors Shine at LEC Swim Championships

Riding in style

Sophomore Maya Brody of East Granby became the third Eastern swimmer to win as many as three individual events in one championship when she captured the 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly at the 21st LEC Championships held Feb. 16-19 at the Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, MA. Brody, who missed the first half of the season recovering from injuries, repeated as the 50m butterfly champion when she broke her own record from last year’s championship with a time of 26.56.

Eastern athletes are riding in style to their away games with a newly wrapped bus supplied by DATTCO. The graphics include several athletes along with our 10 National Championships honor. See us on the road — give us a wave. Or better yet, follow behind and cheer us on!

In the second annual men’s championship, sophomore Connor Rego of Winsted became the first Eastern male to win an event when he claimed the 100m butterfly and followed that up two days later by winning the 200m butterfly. The men’s program, now in its fourth year, broke 15 individual and relay records at the meet. The Warriors finished third in both the women’s and men’s competition.

JOHN SHISHMANIAN

John Shishmanian ’77 retired this past November after a 43-year career as a photojournalist for the Norwich Bulletin. Born in Norwich and still living in southeastern Connecticut, Shishmanian said his job was “challenging, informational, exciting and most of all, just a lot of fun.”

“One of the reasons it was never a boring job is that technology changed dramatically over the decades.” From developing black and white film in a darkroom early on to using digital cameras over the past decade or two, Shishmanian says he has truly enjoyed the benefits of technological advances.

During his career, he took photos of seven different U.S. presidents, including George H. W. Bush touring a submarine in Groton. He also took photos of Walter Cronkite, braved the storm to capture the fury of Hurricane Gloria in Norwich in 1985, and covered the fateful launch of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.

Shishmanian especially appreciated taking photos of a natural birth in the mid-1980s: “I was called at 3:30 a.m. and arrived to get my photos. The paper ran a full page of photos and the parents and grandparents said they were very thankful that I was there. I will always cherish those moments and sharing such an important time in a family’s life.”

As a student at Eastern in the 1970s, Shishmanian paid his own way and majored in applied social relations, “which helped me greatly in dealing with a variety of people and situations in my newspaper career.”

Shishmanian was also a champion ping-pong player, making his own paddles and beating most other players who dared to play him. He also worked in a summer counseling program for area children.

t Grace Ormerod, 5, of Killingly and

3, of Brooklyn were named Little Miss Brooklyn

Mr. Brooklyn Fair at the 172nd annual Brooklyn Fair on Aug. 25, 2022. q President Elsa Núñez addresses the graduates on May 15, 2018, during the Eastern Connecticut State University commencement at the XL Center in Hartford.

"I stopped Dr. Núñez before commencement to tell her my son would be graduating from Eastern the next year and I would not be taking the graduation photos in 2019. She smiled and told me to apply for VIP seating so I could get a good photo of Jack.”

p John Shishmanian (photo credit: Jack Shishmanian)

Jack Ferra,

Fair and Little

p These beautiful horses, a Quarter Horse and a Gypsy Vanner, run in the snow after seeing their owner Kathy Daudish was about to feed them in Colchester.

u Salem volunteer firefighters Andy Frausini, in water, and David Musto rescue a deer from thin ice on Jan. 22, 2007, at Gardner Lake in Salem. The deer was pulled to shore and ran off into the woods.

“I remember having to run to the hot air balloon to the left of the Statue of Liberty hot air balloon and jump in as it was just about to take off … The Girard brothers of Griswold, CT, hand-sewed the balloon in their garage to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty gift from France. After the photos and story ran in the Norwich Bulletin a French magazine contacted me for my photos for a story they were doing on the

p A full-sized replica of The Statue of Liberty hot air balloon is about to take off from Kelly Middle School in Norwich on June 23, 1986.

brothers’ balloon.”

p Norwich firefighters battle a massive house fire on Deepwood Drive in Norwich on May 14, 2007. “Even at a distance I could feel the heat from the blaze. I knew the family from taking photos of their children involved in local sports events.”

p Mural artist Ben Keller of Vernon works on this 50x60 foot mural at the soon-to-be Jubilee Park, a public space at Castle Church in downtown Norwich. The mural depicts two important Black figures in Norwich’s history — James Lindsey Smith and Sarah Harris Fayerweather.

All photos ©John Shishmanian - USA TODAY NETWORK

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM SUPPORTS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Sociology Professor Cara Bergstrom-Lynch raised more than $4,000 in memory of former student Alyssiah Wiley on Dec. 4 at the annual Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage in Northampton, MA. Wiley was an Eastern sophomore when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2013. The run was sponsored by Safe Passage, an organization that supports survivors of domestic violence. Dean Emily Todd of the School of Arts and Sciences also participated in the awareness-raising event.

“This was my 10th time running it (every year since 2013) and I was so honored to run in memory of Alyssiah again and to raise awareness about domestic violence,” said Bergstrom-Lynch.

“Thanks in large part to the generosity of our Eastern colleagues and many former Eastern students, I raised $4,060 this year, bringing my cumulative fundraising total since 2013 to $21,000 in memory of Alyssiah,” said Bergstrom-Lynch. Every year during the race, she wears a white ribbon bearing the names of all donors who contributed to her fundraising.

For Todd, participating in the Hot Chocolate Run is a longstanding tradition. “This year was the 19th annual Hot Chocolate Run. I first participated in 2003, the very first year, and almost every year since.

“Safe Passages has such an important mission, and their annual Hot Chocolate Run is such a fun community event and a really successful fundraiser,” said Todd. By the morning of the event, Safe Passage had raised nearly $800,000. Since 1977, the organization has helped thousands to safety in the wake of domestic violence, helping them rebuild their lives.

The Eastern Connecticut State University women’s basketball team raised upwards of $4,500 at its breast cancer awareness game on Feb. 4. “Our goal was to raise $1,500 and we raised almost $4,500,” said Head Coach Denice Bierly. “Wow! So many faculty, staff and administrators donated and attended! The stands were full and all were wearing pink in support of breast cancer awareness. The support was overwhelming.”

Eastern Rugby, Covenant Soup Kitchen Take the Plunge for

Eastern Connecticut State University’s men’s rugby team hosted the 12th annual Olga Ezis “Plunge for Hunger” on Feb. 4 at Lauter Park in Willimantic. For the first time in two years, the event was held live. The annual plunge benefits the Covenant Soup Kitchen.

Even in the absence of in-person festivities during COVID, the success of the plunge persisted. During the two years when the plunge was virtual, the rugby team still raised about $120,000 for the soup kitchen. “Just seeing everybody back, everybody is excited and wants to do it again,” said Devin Rodriguez, public relations officer of the men’s rugby team.

To date, more than $100,000 has been raised with donations still being accepted.

The plunge featured many swimmers in costume. Rodriguez dressed in a blue cape, mask and t-shirt with a unicorn on it. “I wanted to make up my own superhero,” he said. His unicorn shirt was in honor of two fellow plungers who wore inflatable unicorn suits. “I wanted to be the superhero of the unicorns,” he said.

It was not just students who wore creative costumes. A 72-year-old man who refers to himself as “The Lone Stranger” arrived on his trusty steed, “Sliver.” The man played on Eastern’s 1968 national championship soccer team and was a lifeguard at Lauter Park 50 years ago.

A group of women headed by Leigh Valliere showed up in tiaras, referring to themselves as the Plunging Queens. Valliere explained that

Hunger

they chose this name because they were “older ladies” taking the plunge. “Good thing there are EMTs here to save us,” she joked.

Heidi Groeger ’05 and Lori Riley, mother of Kate Barry ’22, took the plunge dressed as penguins, carrying flotation tubes that matched their costumes. The outfits were Groeger’s idea; this was her first plunge. Riley has taken the plunge three or four times; in 2020 — she dressed up as the Little Mermaid.

Donations still can be made through covenantsoupkitchen.org. “You’ll find a polar bear on their website, so just click on that and it will send you straight to the donation page,” said Rodriguez.

DONORS STEP UP FOR ANNUAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

The seventh annual #WarriorsGive fundraising campaign that concluded on Nov. 14 generated $84,629, including an anonymous matching gift of $21,629. Of the total raised, 63% is designated for athletics and 37% for scholarships. Nearly 400 donors participated in the four-day online giving campaign — 72% were Eastern alumni.

The accounting program, with $5,150 from 10 donors, was the top performing academic program. Men’s lacrosse, field hockey and softball

divided $5,000 in incentive dollars for having the highest alumni participation numbers. Lacrosse led with 57 alumni donors to win the Athletic Director’s Challenge.

“We were once again pleased with the response from our alumni and friends during the #WarriorsGive Big Match Days campaign,” said Joe McGann, director of institutional advancement. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who donated during #WarriorsGive!”

ALUMNI NOTES 1950s

Carol (Montgomery) Bush ’57 writes: “In July 1957 I moved to Albuquerque and have been here since then. I taught first grade for two years. In October 1958 I married Dan Bush, and we had five children (four boys and one girl). I was a stay-at-home mom and loved it. I keep in touch with several classmates. Don passed away Oct. 12, 2017 — two days after our 59th Anniversary. Our family takes good care of me in our home. ‘Hi!’ to all my classmates — small classes were great!”

Phyllis (Fogil) Aaron ’58 graduated from Windham High School and attended Central for one year before transferring to Eastern where “I met so many nice friends.” In 1956 she married Truman Elwood (Woody) Aaron, and they moved to Champaign, IL. “As a result, I graduated from Willimantic State Teachers College in 1958 instead of with my class in 1957.” She taught school for five years in Connecticut and 15 years in Illinois. Woody passed away in 2017 after 61 years of marriage. She has three children, Kevin, Kimberly, and Kendall and three grandchildren, Andrew, Austin and Savannah.

Audrey (Davis) Smith ’59 writes, “My experiences over 60 years ago, both academically and socially, were enriching for my life.”

1960s

tBert Nussbaum ’63 continues to serve ex-officio on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Boca Raton Board of Advisors and was recently profiled in the organization’s newsletter. Bert’s 53-year career in education included work as a teacher, guidance counselor and principal for various New Jersey school systems. He and his wife, Judi, moved to South Florida in 2010. Shortly after arriving in Florida, he took a position at Florida Atlantic University as a developing teacher supervisor before retiring in 2016.

Jean-Henry Mathurin ’64 retired in August 2014 as the media coordinator for Fairfield University after 34 years of service. After graduating from Eastern, he served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy/Fleet Marine Force for four years until his discharge, when he began his teaching career. He taught secondary mathematics at Marianapolis Preparatory School in Thompson and later at Madison High School. In 1973 he accepted a position as math editor for the Center of Humanities in White Plains, NY, and in 1974 he earned his M.A. from Fairfield University.

Elaine Dugas Shea ’66 u finds lovely frosted beach glass near her home in Montana at Flathead Lake; her travel writing and photos were recently featured in Beachcombing magazine. Elaine has two published poetry collections and enjoys exploring with her husband, Bill, and three grandchildren.

Bob Brewster ’68 was named top producer for the Central Florida Region at Workers Realty Corp. Bob and his wife, Ruth, recently returned from a cruise to Alaska. They both sing with their church Praise Team for church services.

Tamara (Szreders) Rich ’69 writes, “I am a happy retired wife, mother and grandmother. Eastern launched my career as a lifelong educator/learner and activist.”

1970s

Alan Turner ’70 u has written “Novel Ideas,” a brief collection of memories, anecdotes, unique projects and sound advice collected from his many years of teaching in Plainfield and New Britain. “I was feeling as though I accomplished everything that I had set out to do,” he explained, “when my son (also a teacher and an Eastern alumnus) suggested I write about the ideas I employed in the classroom to facilitate learning.”

After graduating from high school with honors and actively serving in the U.S. Navy for two years, Bob Valerio ’72 completed his Associate of Science degree at Manchester Community College after marrying his high school sweetheart at age 19. He transferred to Eastern to continue his education while supporting his family and proudly earned his bachelor’s degree. He received a Golden Diploma in fall 2022, honoring 50 years since his graduation from Eastern. He spends most of his time with his wife, Pauline.

Almyra (Tefft) Hornberber ’72 taught in schools in California, Connecticut and Kentucky before retiring with her husband to Sullivan, ME. Almyra has been a long-time volunteer with the Frenchman’s Bay Library. She served as chairperson of the library board of directors for 10 years, during which time she led a major renovation of the building. Almyra and her husband, John, are the parents of a daughter living in Halifax, NS, a son living in Washington, DC, and proud grandparents to Daniella, age 7.

Ron Pires ’76 coached E.O. Smith boys basketball for 44 years and earned 590 wins. He walked the sidelines for one last game on Feb. 17, 2023, against Bolton. Pires, 74, had missed the season following surgery but returned for his team’s final home game. He was inducted into Eastern’s Hall of Fame in 1988.

John Shishmanian ’77 retired after a 43-year career as a photojournalist with the Norwich Bulletin. In addition to photographing Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush #41, Clinton and Bush #43, John also captured images of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Mickey Mantle, Andy Pettitte and Walter Cronkite. (See full story, pgs. 24 and 25)

Anthony Zaccaro ’79 u launched a YouTube Channel called “The Forgotten Golfer,” an instructional site targeting adaptive golfers, beginners or anyone wanting no-nonsense golf instruction. “By turning to expensive equipment and technical devices, golf has left behind those of us in our 50s and 60s and older folks. This channel is for us!” Check it out at https://www. youtube.com/@TheForgottenGolfer.

1980s

Raymond Hill Jr. ’83, adjunct professor of operations research in the Air Force Institute of Technology’s (AFIT) Graduate School of Engineering and Management, was the 2022 recipient of the J. Steinhardt Prize for outstanding contributions to military operations research. After earning his master’s degree in operations research in 1987 from AFIT, he served as an Air Force operations research analyst until 2002. During that time, he served as a logistics, weapons and tactics analyst, and AFIT faculty member.

Derby, CT, has named David Marcarelli ’84 as the town’s new fire marshal. He recently retired after 30 years with the North Haven Fire Department, most recently as deputy fire chief/deputy fire marshal.

After a career as a reading teacher, Andrea (Fatse) Brosnan ’87 became a realtor in the Newtown, CT, area, and now educates her clients on the processes involved with listing properties. She loves helping sellers stage and showcase their properties, and

helping buyers locate their dream home. According to Andrea, “It’s the best job ever!”

Marie Stone ’87 earned an M.S. from Trinity College of Vermont in 1999.

Michael Madow ’89 was recently named to the board of directors of Thomaston Savings Bank after serving as a corporator for the past five years. Michael has served as president of Ramco Recovery, Inc. for the past 20 years, managing daily business operations and project management. He serves as an officer of the Rotary Club of Thomaston and is a member of the Economic Development Commission in Thomaston as well as the Thomaston Town Center Planning Committee. Michael resides in Thomaston with his wife, Heidi (Stone) Madow ’89, and their son.

Missy (Bonsall) Meyers ’89 has been named CEO of Generations Family Health Center in Willimantic. Missy has worked for Generations since 1995 when she was hired as a medical case manager, was named director of operations in 2001, and chief operating officer in 2010. Missy led the design and construction of Generations facilities in Willimantic and Putnam, and has been

recognized as one of the leaders for the health center during the pandemic. She earned a master’s degree in health administration in 2007 from A.T. Still University in Missouri.

In addition to being the founder/ president of Pitch Perfect Consulting LLC, Catherine Poulin ’89 is manager of U.S. public relations for Highclere Castle Spirits, one of the fastest growing luxury gin brands.

1990s

Amy (Keane) Steed ’90 is assistant girls soccer coach at Rockville High School. The head coach is her daughter, Hannah Steed ’18, who is in her first season. Amy was part of three state champion soccer teams at Tolland High School under coach Beth Regan ’79, M’89. Amy was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. She is the curriculum liaison at Tolland High School.

After more than a decade with CNA Insurance in Chicago, Shannon (Niezelski) Benjamin ’91 was recently named vice president, equipment breakdown

High school students pick from eight (8) one-week residential programs

for Travelers BoilerRe. Prior to moving to Chicago, Shannon was with HSB in Hartford for more than 20 years, where she began as an intern through a cooperative work experience program at Eastern. She resides in Chicago with her husband, Richard.

Dawn (Walmsley) Brolin ’92, M’05, CPA, CFE received a Top Presenter Award for 2022 from CPAacademy.org.

Wendy Jason ’99 is the founder and director of the Justice Arts Coalition (JAC), a national network and resource for those creating art in and around the criminal legal system. Headquartered in the Washington, DC, area, the JAC unites teaching artists, arts advocates, artists who are or have been incarcerated and their allies, harnessing the transformative power of the arts to reimagine justice.

2000s

Fulfilling a dream she first had at age 19, Melissa (Lombardi) Kelly ’00 founded Mind, Body & Soul, LLC in 2007 “to provide support and services that promote overall health and wellness for individuals, couples and families.”

Mansfield Public Schools named Larry Barlow ’01 as principal of Mansfield Middle School, where he had served as assistant principal for eight years. Prior to his work in administration, Larry was a social studies teacher for 12 years at Lebanon Middle School, and was named Teacher of the Year there in 2008.

to build and strengthen a community organizing infrastructure statewide.

Andrew Stedman ’01 was recently profiled in TheUnion.com in Grass Valley, CA. Following careers in sports massage therapy and as a recreation supervisor for a Level 5 maximum security prison, Andrew moved to California where he spent time as a recreation manager for the U.S. Department of Labor Job Corps. Since 2016 he has been director of community operations at Lake Wildwood, CA, where he helps manage all five parks surrounding the lake, the community center and tennis courts.

Michael Taylor ’01 is competitive intelligence and market insights lead for financial wellness outcomes practice at Prudential Financial.

Edwin Villanueva ’01 is the new lieutenant with Eastern’s Police Department. He returns to Eastern after a 30-year career in law enforcement, beginning with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, followed by 27 years with the Manchester Police Department.

Katie Berube ’03 is the director of global partnerships at Oak View Group, whose mission is to develop and deliver the best entertainment venues and experiences. Oak View has been opening arenas in major markets since 2015. This past fall, Katie spoke to students in Professor Charlie Chatterton’s Sports Marketing class.

Premier Rugby Sevens has added Alexis Frappier ’03 as director of event marketing and sales. She is a 20-year veteran of the live event industry and has been responsible for marketing campaigns for Feld Entertainment, Live Nation and other event companies. In her new role, Alexis will help grow the sport of rugby sevens into more markets with more franchises.

t Jim Wolf ’03 has released “Monster in My Head,” a three-song EP and music video. The EP is available on Spotify and Apple Music/iTunes, and the video is available on YouTube.

David Jones ’04 has been named chief diversity officer at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He held a similar position at William Paterson University after serving as director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center at Rutgers. At NJIT, David will be responsible for helping the university deepen diversity, foster belonging for students, faculty and staff, and earn the federal designation of being a Hispanic-serving institution, all of which are initiatives of NJIT’s strategic plan.

u Olayinka (Yinka) Kuye-Romelus ’04 has been named director of operations at The Peabody Companies, a group of property management and real estate firms. She will provide leadership, guidance and development to her direct reports and assigned portfolio of clients.

Julie Rumrill ’04 has written and published a memoir “Finding Mary,” the true story of one sister’s journey through unresolved grief toward forgiveness and understanding. “Finding Mary” invites the reader to reexamine forgotten promises, old secrets and the complicated ways families cope with traumatic loss. Julie has been promoting the book through speaking engagements in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Milton Jackson ’05 participated in the #BeMore2022 Festival organized by adplist.org. His presentation was titled “Basketball and Lessons I Learned in Design Leadership,” and included how to represent your team, how to focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, finding balance, and how to build productive relationships.

Alexis Bivens ’01 is the new vice president of strategic initiatives at the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, where she will work to advance the council’s strategic priorities to achieve a more equitable Connecticut. She will also assume the role of managing director of the Supporting Organizing Work (SOW-CT) funders collaborative, a project supported by the council, where she will lead a philanthropic effort

u Frederick M. Gordon ’04 was promoted to lieutenant in charge of the Geographical Section of the Fire Prevention Division at the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department.

u Colin Osborn ’05, a career advisor for the Burke School of Public Service and Education at Post University, was named to the “100 Men of Color” for 2022. He served as an alderman for the City of New Britain for two years, and helped to create Power Muzic Radio, where the station plays “Southern Soul, Ole’ School, Adult Contemporary, Neo-Soul, Nu-R&B/Ambient, Quiet Storm and incorporates Jazz, House and Hip-Hop music.”

Dwayne Robertson ’05 has been promoted to senior manager for diversity and inclusion at Young President’s Organization (YPO). YPO is a global leadership community of chief executives, with approximately 29,000 members in more than 130 countries.

Matthew Solak ’05 is a lieutenant with the Willimantic Police Department. He is one of several Eastern alumni and faculty to appear in articles featuring Eastern’s new Social Work Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project in which social workers are paired with police officers to assist with nonviolent 911 calls. Matt was credited with playing a key role in the development of the SWLE Project, working with professors at Eastern and the University of St. Joseph to develop the training.

Daniela de Sousa ’06 came to the United States in 1999 from Brazil and earned her B.A. in Visual Art. She is a ceramic artist, sculptor and a lecturer in Eastern’s Department of Art and Art History. She made a presentation in the Art Gallery about her work that was featured in the 2022 Sculpture and Ceramic Faculty Exhibition.

Andrew Simmons ’06 received Fourth Degree Honors exemplification in the Knights of Columbus during a recent ceremony in Suffern, NY. He serves as treasurer at the Knights of Columbus, St. Lawrence O’Toole Council 1495. Members of the fourth degree have the special honor of holding the title “Sir Knight” and participating in color and honor guards with organizing programs that promote Catholic citizenship.

Kim (Toledo) Ambroise ’07 has joined the board of directors of The Bridge Family Center. She is also the recipient of the center’s 2022 Build No Fences Award, presented to an individual who sees no boundaries and works collaboratively with child advocates to support young people and families. Kim is the interim principal at Braeburn Elementary School and resides in West Hartford.

Jonathan Hunt ’07 has been promoted to segment marketing lead analyst, individual and family plans at Cigna.

Drawings and paintings by Frietha Lawrence ’07 were exhibited at the Top Shelf Gallery in Hampton, CT, earlier this year. After four decades working as a nurse, Frietha earned her degree in studio art, and opened Count It All Joy, her studio in Ashford. During the pandemic, she wrote and illustrated a children’s book, “The Owl Watchman.”

Marianne (Toomey) Legassey M’07 is the executive director of UConn Child Labs. Marianne earned her master’s degree in early childhood education at Eastern while on the professional teaching staff at UConn, first in the infant program and then as a master teacher in the preschool program at the Child Labs, where she focused on community and relationship building.

Marianna (Capomolla) Linnehan ’07 was named the new head coach of girls volleyball at Greenwich High School, where she also teaches health and physical education. She was an assistant coach at Eastern and Manhattan College for one season each, before moving to Westhill High School in Stamford, where she coached for 10 seasons.

Adam Wurtzel ’07 is the senior producer at Bahakel Entertainment and co-host of “Hollywood’s Greatest Game Shows” live stage tour with Bob Eubanks.

Rick Bruneau ’08 is the new director of finance for the City of San José, CA, the 10th largest city in the United States. He began his career with the U.S. Department of Defense as a financial auditor, worked briefly as a financial analyst for a private company, then joined the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to lead the strategic finance function for the National Cash Business Line. In 2018, he joined the City of San José’s Finance Department as a deputy director of the Revenue Management, Banking, and Administration Division.

t Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina has promoted James Goldkamp ’08, CPA to director of tax services. James began his career at FML in 2008 as a generalist in the tax department, and now manages engagements for the firm’s state and local tax practice with a focus on income tax, sales tax, and federal and state credits and incentive services. James earned a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Hartford.

Philip Trostler ’08, drama teacher and director of the NFA Playshop, was named Norwich Free Academy Teacher of the Year. Philip studied acting in New York and London, and pursued an acting career in Los Angeles. He was a contestant on a pilot game show, “Trust Me” which never aired, winning the game’s $50,000 grand prize. He was an

extra in the movie “The Social Network,” appeared in commercials and cooking shows, and landed a small role in “How I Met Your Mother.”

2010s

Katherine Patnaude ’10 has been promoted to partner at PKF O’Connor Davies as an audit partner in the Wethersfield, CT, office.

Amanda (Pierlioni) Fontaine ’11 was inducted into the Plainville Sports Hall of Fame. In her basketball career at Plainville, she was named to the All-Conference team three times and to the Class M All-State team twice.

Alicia McKenzie ’11 was recently hired as director of institutional diversity, equity and inclusion at Bryant University.

Jim Schult ’11 led the East Hartford Jets to a third consecutive championship of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. In the championship game, he pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out seven and walking one. At the plate, he had two hits, two RBIs, and a run scored. Jim is senior associate at RSM US LLP.

Maiyah Gamble-Rivers ’12 u is assistant director of student affairs at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. She recently returned to Eastern, visiting the Art Gallery to moderate “Women at War: Preserving History and Truth,” a panel discussion focusing on gender, resistance and displacement.

Women’s Wear Daily took note of Mary J. Blige celebrating her 52nd birthday in a silver sequin minidress with a plunging neckline custom designed by Matthew Reisman ’12. Matthew’s designs have been featured in several fashion publications and worn by Issa Rae, Lizzo, Kalen Allen, Wendy Williams, Bebe Rexha and Tess Holliday.

u Ariana White ’12 was named to PRWeek’s “40 Under 40.” She is senior director of publicity at Atlantic Records.

Tandi (Rossman) Carignan

M’13 has been named the new gymnastics coach at Norwich Free Academy. She guided the Wildcats to a spot in the Class LL state championship last season.

Elaine Hill ’17 receives Milken Educator Award

Eastern alumna Elaine Hill ’17 received one of the nation’s most prestigious education awards, the Milken Educator Award, on Jan. 12 in a surprise assembly at her elementary school in Waterbury. The award includes $25,000 to spend however she chooses.

Hill is a fourth-grade teacher at the Academic Academy, a school-within-a-school for gifted students in fourth through eighth grade at Michael F. Wallace Middle School in Waterbury.

Up to 40 elementary school educators nationwide will receive the award during the 2022-23 school year. Hill will also have the opportunity to join the national Milken Educator Network, which includes more than 2,900 exceptional K-12 teachers and leaders. Honorees receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles for the Milken Educator Awards Forum this April.

Scott Petit ’13 recently became the vice president of sales at Don Petit’s Store of Floors after a nine-year career with the Connecticut Judicial Branch with the rank of Sergeant Judicial Marshal.

By Noel Tetter

“One of the primary qualities of a Milken Educator is excellence in the classroom, and as a founding member of the Academic Academy with wraparound support, Elaine Hill’s challenging programming and high expectations have helped students reach their greatest potential,” said Jane Foley, a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator and the Milken Educator Awards senior vice president.

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Connecticut Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker presented Hill with the prestigious award. “I was in complete shock when the announcement was made,” said Hill. “The staff, students and I were not aware of the purpose of the assembly or what would be announced.”

Hill, a founding member of the Gifted Student Program at the academy, believes in laying an educational foundation

is an IB PYP Candidate school. Schuylar and his wife Lili have two sons, Huang Huang (Nathan) and Bin Bin (Fabio).

Dane Paracuelles ’15 is the associate director of residence education for community engagement at San Diego State University.

t Nicolai Soendergaard ’15, omni enablement leader at Newell Brands, visited Professor Emiliano Villanueva’s International Business class during the fall semester. Nicolai came to Eastern from Denmark and majored in business administration. He is pursuing his professional career in the United States, working for such multinational companies as LEGO, Kellogg’s, Bain and now Newell Brands, an American manufacturer, marketer and distributor of consumer and commercial products.

Andrew Way ’15 is a mid-level industrial security specialist with Boeing.

conducive to student growth. “I approach teaching elementary school with the belief that all students must be supported, believed in, respected and held to the highest standards in order for them to reach their full potential,” she said.

Central Connecticut State University in 2019.

The Common Council of Norwalk, CT, has appointed Kendrick Constant ’18 to the Board of Estimate and Taxation. The board formulates the city’s operating budget, reviewing all department budget requests. Kendrick earned a B.S. in finance and minored in accounting and business information systems. He was a risk assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers before taking a position as an experience assurance associate at RSM US LLP in 2021.

Morgan Cunningham ’18 has launched a new talk show on WTIC News/Talk 1080 and WTIC.com. On Saturdays at 2 p.m., “Spotlight Connecticut with Morgan Cunningham” embraces what’s fun about Connecticut through a weekly breakdown of stories, attractions and people from across the Nutmeg State. Morgan is also the morning drive news anchor at WTIC.

Rachel (Junga) Bieniek ’14 has been promoted to a new position as engagement manager, executive search, global technology and services practice at Heidrick & Struggles.

Schuylar Whiting ’14 lives in Guangzhou, China, and is teaching fourth grade at the Canadian International School of Guangzhou. Last year he earned the school’s Primary Teacher of the Year award. The school is an Alberta-accredited institution and also

Jennifer DuBois ’16 is Coventry’s first-ever Teacher of the Year for 2023. She is a first-grade teacher at Coventry Grammar School, where she also served as a student-teacher. Jennifer said her favorite part about being a teacher is being able to foster relationships with her students and colleagues. “Getting to know each student individually is what every teacher strives for,” she said. Jennifer earned her B.S. in elementary education/mathematics at Eastern, and her M.S. in special education from

The Yale Alumni Association has promoted Stephanie Hartnett ’18 to assistant director of Yale College Classes. She will be working with the classes of 1988-1977 and planning the 35th, 40th and 45th reunions. She was hired at Yale as program coordinator for young alumni annual giving, and moved to the YAA as senior administrative assistant for Yale College Classes. At Eastern, Stephanie majored in communication, and worked in the Office of Alumni

Affairs. Stephanie earned an M.Ed. in higher education/higher education administration from Louisiana State University in 2022.

Hannah Steed ’18 is the new head coach of girls soccer and assistant girls indoor and outdoor track coach at Rockville High School. Hannah earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from Eastern in 2018, and her master’s degree in special education from the University of Saint Joseph in 2022. She is a physical education teacher at Center Road School in Vernon. Her assistant coach is her mom, Amy (Keane) Steed ’90

2020s

t Music program alumna

Adella Carlson ’20 returned to the Fine Arts Instructional Center’s Concert Hall to present, “Rise Up,” a recital of contemporary works for clarinet. After earning her B.A. in Music, Adella enrolled at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she is in her second year of the Master of Music program.

Francelis Gonzalez Perez ’20 is an intern with the Norwich Police Department as she pursues her M.S.W. from the University of Saint Joseph. She is one of several Eastern alumni and faculty to appear in articles featuring Eastern’s new Social Work and Law Enforcement Project in which social workers are paired with police officers to assist with nonviolent 911 calls.

Brian McKenna Jr. ’20 is a financial systems analyst at Northeastern University. Brian was a computer science major at Eastern.

As the coordinator of ad integration and strategy at ESPN, Jack Petrucci ’20 was the perfect candidate to speak to Professor Charlie Chatterton’s Sports Marketing class. Petrucci graduated from Eastern with a degree in communication and media studies, and a concentration in television/sports production.

Marissa Starkel ’20 is digital communications coordinator at The Fund for American Studies in Washington, DC. She earned a B.S. in communication from Eastern, and served as a social media intern in the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Cyera Williams ’20 has joined the FOX43 News Team at WPMT in York, PA, where she will be an anchor/report-

er. She had previously been the weekend evening anchor at WKTV NewsChannel2 in Utica, NY. Cyera graduated with her B.S. in communication from Eastern and her M.A. in broadcast digital journalism from the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.

Meg Campbell ’21 is pursuing her M.F.A. in screenwriting at the University of Southern California. While at Eastern, Meg was an Honors Scholar majoring in new media studies. Last fall she virtually met with students majoring in theater and performance media as well as students minoring in film studies to talk about applying for graduate school as well as her experience in the screenwriting program at USC.

Emily Constantino ’21 is a social worker with the Willimantic Police Department. She is one of several Eastern alumni and faculty to appear in articles featuring Eastern’s new Social Work and Law Enforcement Project in which social workers are paired with police officers to assist with nonviolent 911 calls. Emily earned her B.A. in Social Work from Eastern and her M.S.W. from the University of Saint Joseph.

Lizzy Cretella ’21 is one of the founders of the Connecticut Women’s Basketball League, consisting of 10 teams and 100 players. For more information about the CWBL, visit https://playpass.com/cwbl.

Kyle Gray ’21 started a new position as law clerk at Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley, P.C. in Springfield, MA.

Keira Integlia ’21 is a lead member service attendant at Yale University while she pursues an M.S. from the University of New Haven in sports management, concentrating in collegiate athletic administration.

The Springfield Thunderbirds have hired q Nate Lynch ’21 as an account executive in ticket sales. Nate joins the Thunderbirds full time after serving as an intern in the team’s ticket sales department. Nate earned a B.S. in sport and leisure management at Eastern.

u Cami Makula ’21 met virtually with Professor Charlie Chatterton’s Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Communications in Sports class. As an account executive for the New York Islanders, Cami provided students with useful insights into the world of business and sports.

Safiya Palmer ’21 is a CSG recruiting consultant with Barton Associates, Inc., a national health care staffing company.

Originally from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Kemrodge Bell ’22 is a research assistant in the UConn School of Public Policy’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy. His goal is to become an attorney and believes that pursuing a master's degree in public administration will help him meet his goals.

Nathan Fontaine ’22 is community standards graduate associate at Springfield College, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs administration. He earned his B.A. in history at Eastern.

The Glastonbury Police Department has hired Richard Freebairn ’22 as a public safety dispatcher. He also serves in the Connecticut Army National Guard.

Emily Kesilewski ’22 is the new head girls lacrosse coach at Lyman Hall High School. She is a former player and team captain at Lyman Hall, and played lacrosse four years at Eastern.

Amanda Ouk ’22 is a recruiting consultant with Barton Associates, Inc., a national health care staffing company.

Tessa Slesinski ’22 is the orientation and onboarding coordinator at Middlesex Community College.

Jonathan Wilson ’22 interned with the Boston Celtics following his graduation from Eastern. He is pursuing a graduate degree in sports leadership at Northeastern University.

Dorothy (Shedd) Krause ’39 Barkhamsted, CT • Aug. 9, 2022

Madelyn (Plouffe) Briggs ’47 Redding, CT • Nov. 24, 2021

Patricia Howard ’49 Niantic, CT • Feb. 17, 2022

Marvin Edelman ’52 Chaplin, CT • Oct. 31, 2022

Harrilyn (Greenleaf) Sottile ’52 Mystic, CT • Oct. 22, 2022

Jean (Browne) Wolfe ’53 Denver, CO • June 29, 2022

Edward Volle ’53 Hobe Sound, FL • Dec. 1, 2022

Janet (Smith) Selavka ’54 Belchertown, MA • Oct. 8, 2022

Helen MacPherson ’55

Albany, NY • Feb. 19, 2021

Victoria LaCara ’56

Wethersfield, CT • Aug. 13, 2022

Gladys (Krigsman) Tucker ’56 Avon, CT • July 29, 2021

Nancy (Pierce) Woolf ’56 Grafton, MA • April 15, 2021

Rose (Rothen) Days ’57

Quaker Hill, CT • Jan. 23, 2022

Carol (Mesick) Ouillette ’58 Jewett City, CT • Oct. 25, 2022

Dorothy (Hannon) Shea ’59 Colchester, CT • Dec. 20, 2022

Helen Anderson ’61 Waterbury, CT • Aug. 3, 2021

George Dargati ’61

Tolland, CT • July 20, 2022

Roslyn (Pacifici) Haney ’61

Venice, FL • Nov. 9, 2022

Lawrence Forrest ’62

Tolland, CT • Feb. 28, 2023

William Kotrba ’62

Windham, CT • Oct. 14, 2022

In memoriam

Joyce (Racine) Ricci ’63 Dayville, CT • July 21, 2022

Theodore Blanchette ’64 Dayville, CT • Dec. 14, 2021

John Sunmark ’67 Storrs Mansfield, CT • Sept. 20, 2022

Jessie (Lathrop) Hovey ’68 Manchester, CT • Sept. 25, 2022

Margaret Shea ’69 Willimantic, CT • Nov. 5, 2022

Susan (Fitzgerald) Bucklin ’70 Willimantic, CT • Aug. 30, 2022

April (Cobb) Campbell ’70 Madison, AL • Aug. 18, 2022

Elizabeth Reheiser ’70 Tumwater, WA • Sept. 30, 2022

Robert Haddad ’70 Rocky Hill, CT • Feb. 22, 2023

Loretta (Topping) Manning M’71 Jewett City, CT • Dec. 2, 2021

Benjamin Blake ’72 Griswold, CT • June 18, 2022

Diane (Lubik) Gigliotti ’73 Grand Junction, CO • Dec. 30, 2022

Ann Sheedy ’73 Lebanon, CT • Dec. 3, 2022

Catherine Sonstrom ’75 Middletown, CT • Jan. 19, 2021

Phyllis Dawe ’75 Middletown, CT • March 9, 2022

Denise (Fontanella) Kaczorowski ’75 Marlborough, CT • Dec. 29, 2022

Andrew Carey ’75 South Windham, CT • Dec. 31, 2022

David Acquaotta ’75 Lakewood, CO • Sept. 5, 2022

George Brown ’75 East Woodstock, CT • July 21, 2022

Claire Connelly ’76 South Windham, CT • Aug. 14, 2021

Pierre Drouin ’78 Saint Petersburg, FL • April 28, 2022

James Moore ’79 Binghamton, NY • June 22, 2022

Carol (Meikle) Moulton ’79 Mansfield Center, CT • Nov. 23, 2022

Susan (Sweet) MacLachlan ’80 Jewett City, CT • Jan. 5, 2023

Linda (Tyler) Collins ’83 Newington, CT • Dec. 24, 2022

Jerry Collins ’84 Alameda, CA • Aug. 12, 2022

David Walsh ’85 Midlothian, VA • Dec. 26, 2022

Patricia (Backus) Beckenhaupt M’87 Teaticket, MA • Jan. 26, 2022

Gail Robinson ’88 Willimantic, CT • Sept. 20, 2022

Cindy (Brown) Fahnestock ’89 Waterford, CT • Dec. 27, 2022

Claudia Fridinger ’91 Pawcatuck, CT • Aug. 14, 2022

Julia Byron-Sycz ’92 South Windsor, CT • Sept. 26, 2022

Diane (Doyon) Estes ’93 Charlotte, NC • June 10, 2022

Anne Yarusewicz ’93 Vernon Rockville, CT • Nov. 28, 2022

Shelley Gardner ’93 Mystic, CT • Sept. 29, 2022

Tina (Boucher) Miner ’95 West Townsend, MA • Oct. 13, 2022

Rachel Morganson ’01 Plantsville, CT • Oct. 6, 2023

Laurel Kohl ’01 Dayville, CT • June 10, 2022

Kevin Gallagher ’05 Plainville, CT • Feb. 3, 2023

Justin Williamson ’12 Derby, CT • Dec. 28, 2022

Bernard Mulligan • Former Faculty Tolland, CT • Nov. 17, 2022

Geri Langlois • Former Faculty Windham, CT • Sept. 18, 2022

“Edmond Chibeau could have a conversation with anyone, on any topic. From postmodernist art to his car breaking down, he could spin a tale that engaged you, that made you think, that opened new doors in your perception.”

Terri Toles-Patkin communication professor

“Edmond loved offbeat anything — theatre, music, poetry, fiction, playwriting, journalism, fashion, video, television, radio, film, political cartoons, free speech, sound, light, noise, theory, philosophy and criticism. He had a great beret, a Ph.D. and a beat-up leather briefcase.”

Andrew Utterback communication professor

“Dr. Edmond Chibeau was my very first advisor, and through the years he insisted on following along and knowing my life, even after college. He always took a huge interest in his students, and as an

David Edens • Former Faculty Storrs Mansfield, CT • June 20, 2022

Daniel Thompson • Former Staff Brooklyn, CT • Feb. 5, 2023

In Memory of Edmond Chibeau

Edmond Chibeau, professor emeritus in the Communication Department, passed away on Jan. 23, 2023. During his Eastern tenure, Professor Chibeau taught courses in mass communication, scriptwriting, journalism, social media and many other topics.

Upon his retirement in May 2022, Dr. Chibeau said: “In 25 years in Eastern’s Communication Department, I believe I have learned as much from my students as I have taught. Education is in your head the way your fist is in your hand. The most important thing you can learn in college is how to think for yourself. I hope I have made some small contribution to my students and to the school as a whole.”

Anne Smith • Friend Storrs Mansfield, CT • Oct. 9, 2022

Margaret McCaw • Former Staff Lebanon, CT • Oct. 30, 2022

international student, I truly felt welcome in his office or just talking about random, weird things in the hallway. He was definitely special.”

Charlie Sibbesen ’11

“Some of my first short plays in NYC were developed in his classes, and even after I graduated, he continued to support me by appearing on my old podcast and voting for my play in the Broadway World Off-Broadway Awards. I will always be thankful for the role he played in my life.”

Anthony J. Piccione ’16

“He was knowledgeable, inspiring and had this crazy way of teaching that kept you on the edge of the seat, laughing and engaged. He definitely made you think in a unique and different way. He didn’t want to just teach, he wanted to learn, and he knew he could learn from anyone.”

Austin Darley ’15

James Brown • Former Staff Willimantic, CT • May 13, 2022

Final thoughts

Students at Eastern Connecticut State University, regardless of major, gain broad intellectual skills applicable to any professional career — critical thinking, ethics, communication, quantitative literacy, collaboration. These skills are taught in our liberal arts core curriculum and across more than 40 Eastern majors. One area I would like to focus on is STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM jobs will outpace other industry sectors in Connecticut the rest of this decade, with 18,000 new jobs to be filled, a 16 percent increase from 2020 to 2030. Employers in our state and across the nation are voicing concerns about filling these positions, which enjoy a median salary more than double that of jobs in other economic sectors.

Of particular note are the lack of women and minorities in STEM careers. Women account for less than 30 percent of all STEM jobs in America. While African Americans represent 13.4 percent of the population, they hold only nine percent of STEM positions. Latinos make up 16 percent of the population but fill only seven percent of STEM jobs. We need to do better as a nation, and Eastern is already doing its part. In the past five years, 51 percent of our STEM graduates have been women.

At Eastern, we also have several grants targeting low-income students and minorities to support them moving into STEM careers. This spring, a grant from NASA is bringing local high school students to our campus to expose them to the opportunities found in science, math and technology. They are working with two Eastern professors to conduct health care research. A National Science Foundation grant of more than $650,000 is funding two cohorts of students — 11 students to date — as they pursue STEM careers during their four years at Eastern.

In addition to these grant programs, Eastern donors support STEM-related majors through a variety of scholarships. In addition to endowed scholarships for students in biochemistry, biology, computer science, environmental earth science, mathematics and physical science, donors such as Marc Freeman ’93 have created endowed scholarships to support students engaged in science-based research. Our new Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which is planned to start this coming fall, presents another opportunity for donors to support students in the health sciences.

I encourage anyone seeking ways to financially support Eastern students to consider helping our University respond to the call for more STEM graduates. You can donate to an existing scholarship or start your own. Our Office of Development staff is happy to assist. You can help students with unmet financial need fulfill their dream of a college education in a promising professional field. You also will be helping the state of Connecticut, our region and our country in preparing the skilled workforce we need to stay competitive in today’s global economy.

Eastern graduates students in dozens of career fields, and many of them fall beyond the scope of STEM — education, history, English, political science, psychology and more. We are equally proud of those students and will continue to support their career goals. We also need to respond to the challenge and opportunity that STEM presents us. By helping Eastern meet the challenge, you can give students additional opportunities for promising careers, students whose lives are forever changed by the generosity of Eastern donors. Thank you, as always, for your support.

Kenneth J. DeLisa Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chief Human Resources Officer

Charlotte Braziel ’80 recently informed Eastern that she has made the University a beneficiary of her IRA within her estate plan.

Braziel was inducted into the Eastern Fellows in 2019, joining the ranks of distinguished alumni recognized by the Fellows program. She served 26 years as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where she handled a variety of assignments and retired only because she reached what was then the mandatory retirement age. Braziel currently has her own investigative consulting business, teaches criminal justice at St. Leo University near her South Florida home, and served on a South Florida cold case task force until it was recently dissolved.

It is Braziel’s humble beginnings that inspire her to give. “I came from a lower middle-class family and my three siblings and I were state school students,” said Braziel. “Public universities are vital to the future of this country. I value education and I know at my demise, this IRA distribution will have a ripple effect, helping students like me who come from modest backgrounds.”

Braziel encourages others to support Eastern and other qualified nonprofits while you are still alive by using the IRA charitable

rollover to make a tax-free gift to the ECSU Foundation without paying income tax on the distribution.

Angela Atwater echoes Braziel’s sentiments. Eastern has been an integral part of her family for decades: her twin sister, Grace Enggas, was the director of housing and financial aid coordinator at Eastern for more than 30 years. Enggas started an endowed scholarship with her husband, David, before her death in 2014.

Both of Atwater’s children attended Eastern and her husband, Marshall, had a long career in meteorological research, energy and information technology, as well as teaching at Eastern, Central Connecticut State University and Manchester Community College before his sudden passing a year ago. In his retirement Marshall wrote several books on the local history of Vernon and Tolland, as well as a definitive account of the origins of the United Congregational Church of Tolland.

The Atwaters didn’t need any assistance from a financial planner when they were working on their estate plan. They established an endowed scholarship in 2018 for an Eastern student with need; at that time they also indicated each of them had made Eastern a beneficiary of their IRA account upon their death — Marshall distributed his among four charities and Angela selected three, with Eastern being the priority.

“Eastern was so important to our family — it was right there in front of us,” said Atwater. “We wanted to help the University and the best way to do that was to grow the scholarship we started almost five years ago.” Five months after Marshall’s passing, the ECSU Foundation received a significant five-figure disbursement from his IRA.

“It is such an easy process adding the ECSU Foundation to the IRA beneficiary page online using percentages,” said Atwater. “Having worked for decades in the nonprofit sector, most recently as executive director of KIDSAFE CT, I know how important planned gifts are to the financial vitality of deserving nonprofits like Eastern.”

Note: If you are 59½ or older, you can take a distribution from your IRA and then make a gift without penalty while taking a charitable deduction for the amount of your gift. For more information, contact Joe McGann at mcgannj@easternct.edu or (860) 465-4514.

Front: Marshall and Angela Atwater at their 50th anniversary dinner. Back: Cindy Atwater ’01 (daughter) and Matt Atwater (son)

Morning reception with President Núñez • Alumni March led by Class of ’73 Tours, presentations and surprises