Eastern Magazine Winter 2008 by EasternCTStateUniversity

EASTERN Our Cover: Find the following

Volume 6, Issue 2 | Winter 2008

stories on our cover, illustrated by Don Landgren: Hurley Hall (Day of Giving): p. 2; Chamber of Commerce/Spanish Merchants (Lost in Translation): p. 4; Whitewater Partnership: p. 8; Eastern

In This Issue 1 From the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Desk

Perk: p. 17; Brown Residence: p. 21;

2 A Day of Giving

Margaret S. Wilson Child and Family

4 Lost in Translation

Development Complex: p. 22; Soup

6 Friends For Life

Kitchen: p. 23; Relay for Life: p. 23; The Church Farm: p. 23; Witches of Wethersfield: p. 24; Akus Gallery/ Tibetan Monks: p. 24; Ties to Thailand: p. 25; Student Center: p. 25; Science

8 Rapidly Restoring Willimantic 1 0 Promoting Peace and Human Rights 1 2 DNA Revealed 1 4 Honoring Minority Alumni

Building: p. 26; Strategic Plan: p. 26; and Frog Sculpture: p. 26.

Fe a t u re s 1 6 Philanthropy i-xvi Annual Report of Donors 2 0 Campus News 2 4 Alumni in the News 2 7 Athletics 3 0 Class Notes 3 2 Final Thoughts

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.

From the President’s Desk Eastern Connecticut State University is an enduring part of Willimantic, and we are proud to call it home. As a long-standing member of the community, the University actively participates in the daily life of local neighborhoods. Eastern’s students, faculty, staff, and alumni are increasingly immersing themselves in issues that affect the University and the Town of Windham. They are making a profound difference in the life of our town, while learning more about the challenges and opportunities facing all communities. This issue of EASTERN Magazine highlights many ways in which the University is invested in Willimantic. Our cover art is a light-hearted portrait of some of the excitement and progress being made in Willimantic, and also serves as a visual snapshot of the stories you are about to read. Junior Jason Budahazy led an army of campus volunteers to provide a hearty Thanksgiving meal to more than 400 local residents who otherwise would have gone without. A recent community seminar conceived by Eastern and co-sponsored by the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce helped open up dialog and bridge the cultural gaps between the Anglo and Latino cultures in Willimantic. Faculty and students from different disciplines at Eastern have helped the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership move forward with its plans to revitalize, restore, and develop the Willimantic River and adjacent lands. Eastern’s Peace and Human Rights Committee brought a fresh cultural perspective to town in December 2007 when it sponsored a visit by Tibetan monks from the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, who created a beautifully intricate sand mandala for peace. And in many places both on and off campus, members of the Eastern community are leading by example as they involve themselves in local issues where they work and live. To fulfill this vision requires an ongoing commitment and a personal investment from everyone connected with Eastern. In this issue you will find a special section that lists all of the individuals, businesses, and organizations who contributed financially to the University this past year. Their dedication and generosity is fundamental to the ongoing vitality and life of Eastern, and to the University’s continuing connections with the world around us. I encourage you to read more about how Eastern students, faculty, staff, and alumni are involved in the life of our town and the world we live in.

Elsa M. Núñez President

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Eastern Feeds More Than 400 Area Residents BY DWIGHT BACHMAN

ith almost 16,000 residents and a poverty rate approaching 20 percent, there were many people in Willimantic this past Thanksgiving who were in no position to go to the supermarket to buy the makings for a special meal. However, the determination of one Eastern student and the support of the entire campus community resulted in more than 400 local residents receiving an unexpected treat.

“Man alive, this is some good food! I hope they don’t mind if I take a plate home!” That was the reaction from one of the many men, women, and children who filled up Hurley Hall to partake in Eastern’s “Day of Giving” on Nov. 21. The University fed more than 400 people who could not afford to have a full-course Thanksgiving dinner, providing a nourishing meal with all the trimmings — huge helpings of moist, delicious turkey; garlic potatoes; cranberry sauce; vegetables; and an assortment of desserts.

“A university exists to serve its community, and I want to tell you how happy I am that we can share Thanksgiving with you this year,” Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez told the crowd. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this. I am so proud of our students, faculty, and staff, and all the volunteers who made this possible.” The event was conceived and organized by Jason Budahazy, a junior from Bridgeport. “Our community has many issues, and one of them is hunger and homelessness,” Budahazy said. “I wanted to do something large scale that would help people less fortunate than us. I got very emotional hearing

(Top) Eastern’s faculty, staff, and student volunteers served more than 400 local residents with a healthy Thanksgiving meal. (Left) Eastern’s Visual Art majors created a sculpture with some of the food donations.

(Left) President Elsa Núñez with event organizer Jason Budahazy. (Above) Student and staff volunteers take a break after serving more than 400 Thanksgiving meals to a grateful crowd of Willimantic residents. (Below) Mary Lou DeVivo '60 helps the Office of Institutional Advancement serve turkey and all the trimmings during the Day of Giving festivities. (Bottom left) Music Professor Richard Jones-Bamman (right, on guitar) and William Hare (left, on mandolin) entertain the crowd.

some of the people tell me how grateful they were.” Patrons of local soup kitchens and food pantries, as well as families subsidized by the Willimantic Housing Authority, were invited to the Day of Giving. Transportation

was arranged by Eastern and the local social service agencies. Budahazy’s dream also was supported by Sodexho Food Service, which donated the food; all university student clubs including Eastern’s Student Government Association; Eastern faculty and staff; ProForma, a Massachusetts-based T-shirt company; the ECSU Foundation; and local grocery stores. A campus-wide canned food drive for local food pantries netted 10,000 cans to complement the dinner. Budahazy says he hopes the event will move other universities in the Connecticut State

University System to host a “Day of Giving” so that the event becomes statewide. “A woman came up to me and said if it wasn’t for Eastern, she would not be able to share a Thanksgiving meal with her son, and she started to get emotional,” he said. “That’s what makes all the hard work and time worth it.”

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illimantic’s economic future is in the hands of small business owners and many of them will be Latinos, said Elsa M. Núñez, president of Eastern Connecticut State University, to a seminar audience of more than 130 area business people, educators, local officials, representatives from nonprofit organizations, and Eastern students, faculty, and staff on Oct. 16. The seminar, hosted by Eastern and co-sponsored by the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce, was held in the Paul E. Johnson, Sr. Community Conference Room in the J. Eugene Smith Library. “Lost in Translation” was designed to open up dialog and to begin to bridge the cultural gaps between the Anglo and Latino cultures. President Núñez explained that each person has a complex set of customs, cultural expectations, religious beliefs, and other aspects of his or her heritage that influence behavior, attitudes, and how they relate to other people. Gaining sensitivity to these differences is the first step to coming

BY DWIGHT BACHMAN AND ED OSBORN

together as a community to solve common issues. “Once we understand one another better, we can begin to work more closely in the business arena and as a community,” Núñez said. She described Willimantic as a unique community, where a Latino population that began arriving in the 1950s, when Puerto Ricans were recruited to

work at the Hartford Poultry Co. and the American Thread Co., has grown with a recent influx of Mexican and Central American immigrants. “The Latinos in Willimantic want to be part of the local economy,” remarked Núñez, “and most of their contributions will be in the area of small business.” Eastern’s president noted that 60 to 80 percent of the jobs created in the United States are in small businesses, and that 85 percent of the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce’s members are small-business owners. “Willimantic is ripe for a small-business revolution,” Núñez concluded, noting new resources available in the business sector and a communitywide interest in forging new bonds (Left) Rob Simmons, business advocate for Connecticut, speaks with Raúl Lorenzo of Bauzá & Associates. (Right) Roberta Dwyer, executive director of the Northeast Connecticut Business Alliance, chats with Hector Bauzá.

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Roger Adams (left), executive director of the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce; (right) Frank Alvarado, director of the New Haven Office of the Spanish American Merchants Association (far right), looks on with other members of the audience; (lower right) Wilson Camelo of Bauzá & Associates answers a question from the audience.

between Anglos and Latinos. Referencing Michael Shuman’s book, “The Small Mart Revolution,” Núñez said that developing local small businesses creates local jobs and local markets, generates local investments, and keeps money circulating locally in Willimantic. “Small business is smart business,” she said. Bauzá & Associates Hispanic Marketing of Holyoke, MA, followed Núñez’s remarks with a powerful presentation on how the Anglo-dominant community can better communicate with Hispanic consumers. Some “don’ts” in marketing to the Hispanic community include not

relying on someone whose only credential is an ability to speak Spanish; not relying on direct translations because it is a mistake to assume that everyone from Latin America will interpret messages the same way; and not relying on mass marketing to communicate to Hispanics. “Latinos want to meet you face-to-face,” explained Wilson Camelo, a Willimantic native and one of the principals of Bauzá & Associates. “Grassroots relationships are very important to the Latino community.” Regarding the language disconnect, the Bauzá team used the example of New York City’s mayor, who placed a campaign ad that said he wanted to wipe out “gangas,” a Puerto Rican word for “gangs.” Unfortunately for the mayor, other Latin Americans interpret the word to mean “something of small value” or “something on sale.” The question on the streets of New York became, “Does Mayor Bloomberg want to wipe out crime or city sales?” Business leaders in the audience were encouraged to align their brands with the local culture and environment; to connect by appealing to a person’s heart as well as to the intellect; and,

most important, to create trust within the marketplace. This is best accomplished by developing relationships within the community — establishing partnerships with churches, schools, and other local organizations. The seminar also focused on smallbusiness development in Willimantic. Following the general session, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center conducted a breakout session on Hispanic Small Business Development; other breakouts included Marketing to Hispanics and Communicating/ Serving Willimantic’s Hispanic community. Luncheon speaker Rob Simmons, Connecticut’s newly appointed Business Advocate and former U.S. Representative for Connecticut’s Second Congressional District, also described ways in which the state is supporting small businesses. EASTERN

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hen schoolteachers Susan Stack, Joni Moser, and Judy Schumacher were traveling from Ellington to Eastern Connecticut State University to earn their master’s degrees, they hoped the experience would help them become better teachers. But while juggling young families, teaching careers, and college classes, the three women also formed a close bond and came away with much much more. “We became a support group. It was life changing,” explains Stack, who had just moved to Ellington from Minnesota with her husband in 1979 and was teaching at Crystal Lake School when she learned about the master’s degree program at Eastern.

Friends for Life BY MEGHAN CARDEN

She attended an informational meeting and decided that it would be a good fit. The program, which featured classes at night, on the weekends, and during the summer, offered the flexibility that Stack needed. “You could do it at your own pace,” she says. Stack, Moser, and Schumacher all began taking classes at Eastern in 1980. They remember their professors with fondness. “In Gail Herman’s classes we were more actively involved, it was more

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(Left to Right) Joni Moser, Susan Stack, and Judy Schumacher

hands-on,” recalls Moser. They spent time doing work with movement, science, and developing trust. “We had to work in pairs with one partner blindfolded and walking on tables while being directed by the other.” The women also speak fondly of Jacqueline Abbott, the program’s advisor, and still quote Lee Silverstein, who taught his students how to communicate effectively. “I learned the importance of the quick note to parents from Professor Silverstein,” says Stack, adding that Silverstein stressed that short, informal communication would avert more serious conversations regarding behavioral problems.

This lesson was part of the reason the women employed “Friday Folders” in their classroom. Each student received a folder to keep his or her class work organized, and at the end of the week took the folders home to share with parents. Notes to the parents were included in the folder when needed, creating an informal exchange between teacher and parent. “One of the reasons I used the Friday folders was when my son was at this school, one of his teachers did it, and I loved it,” says Schumacher.

Although each woman had years of teaching under her belt before returning for her master’s degree, they all believe Eastern made them stronger and more effective educators. “The program strengthened my communication skills and taught me how to deal with parents and stressful situations,” says Stack, who explains that you may think you are prepared to teach and deal with parents until you actually do it.

the women said goodbye to their classrooms. However, as former colleagues and lifelong friends, their lives continue to intertwine. Says Moser, “We still meet for breakfast club every Friday,” a tradition that started while they were teaching. Their children are also close, having grown up together. Now a third generation of friends play together as Stack, Moser, and Schumacher

also was hired as a long-term substitute teacher for morning kindergarten, a position that began in January. Although all three women were excited about retirement, they also miss teaching. “It’s what I love,” says Moser, who keeps active with knitting, babysitting, and helping out with families in her church, especially young mothers. She traveled to Alaska over the summer and returned the day that school started, an event she met with mixed emotions. Like Stack, Moser has not been able to stay away completely and is substituting at Windermere. As for Schumacher, she still thinks about the possibility of returning to the school but currently spends her time with her grandchildren or traveling.

Joni Moser and Susan Stack still enjoy substituting at Windermere School.

After receiving their master’s degrees, the women remained friends and became coworkers, each teaching first grade at Windermere School in Ellington. After racking up almost 90 years of teaching combined, they decided it was time to retire. At the end of the 2006–2007 school year,

remain busy in retirement and watch their grandchildren grow. “I have four young grandsons that I spend time with,” says Stack. “I volunteer every Thursday from 8 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon at one of my grandson’s schools.” Stack

Even in retirement the women look back fondly at their Eastern experience. “We had the best time,” says Moser. “We still laugh about our time at Eastern,” adds Stack. They chuckle when they remember trying to save money by sharing meals at a local restaurant, and recall with fondness the woman who paid them gas money so she could write her papers on the ride to campus. They also remember receiving a quality education. “I would recommend Eastern to anyone looking to teach,” says Stack. “The student teachers sent to us from Eastern were always the very best.” EASTERN

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BY JEFFREY WARZECHA ’07 AND AMY BRENNER-FRICKE

ithout a significant industrial base, Willimantic has struggled to create jobs and economic opportunity in recent years. The town’s natural resources, specifically the Willimantic River and surrounding areas, have recently become the focal point for an economic development initiative. If you walk down Willimantic’s High Street from Eastern Connecticut State University, you will notice that areas around Bridge Street and the Chamber of Commerce look cleaner; the Willimantic River seems healthier, clearer, and home to more fish; and the paths around the area look more like walking trails. This is due, in large part, to the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership, Inc. (WWP).

The River Comes Alive Since its beginnings in 2002, the WWP has worked to revitalize, restore, and develop the Willimantic River and adjacent lands. The group is developing projects that include construction of a multi-use hiking trail along the river through downtown Willimantic; building a recreational park adjacent to the Bridge Street Dam; and creating a whitewater park with fish and kayak passage in the Willimantic River.

(Above) This architectural drawing, showing the future Bridge Street trailhead park, was unveiled at an August 2007 groundbreaking ceremony to announce purchase of the land on which the park will be built. (Below) Sarah Hemenway ’07 received the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership’s Volunteer of the Year Award for her work in redesigning the WWP’s web site.

Another of the WWP’s projects is creating a whitewater kayaking park and a regional swift-water rescue and training center along a two-mile stretch of the Willimantic River.

Eastern: Contributions from all Corners In August 2007, the WWP announced the purchase of the 3.5-acre Boland property on Bridge Street with grants secured by the Savings Institute and Connecticut State Senator Don Williams. The property will serve as a trailhead for both the East Coast Greenway (a trail running from Key West, FL, to Calais, ME), and the Veteran’s Memorial Airline Trail. The WWP plans to raise $400,000 in additional funds for this project.

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Since the partnership’s inception, faculty and students from different disciplines at Eastern have helped the WWP move its agenda forward, under the direction of business administration professor and WWP board member Eric Martin. “The interdisciplinary component is key — real community needs don’t fit well into any one academic discipline. We all need to work together to begin to address the opportunities before us,” said Martin.

(Left) Eastern student Jake Williams ’08 produced a promotional video for the WWP that will be used to help secure grants and other support. (Above) State Representatives Joan Lewis and Walter Pawelkiewicz congratulate a group of Americorps volunteers who assisted in clearing brush at the WWP’s new Bridge Street site.

In spring 2006, students in English Professor Miriam Chirico’s Business Writing class researched and wrote papers about various components of the partnership’s efforts, such as safety issues associated with whitewater parks and the economic benefits provided by similar parks in other rural communities around the country. Computer science major Sarah Hemenway ’07 received the WWP’s “Volunteer of the Year Award” for her work in updating the organization’s web site. Students in the Eastern Design Group, taught by Visual Arts Professor June Bisantz, designed a logo and promotional brochures for the WWP, honing their graphic design skills while making a contribution through their creative vision.

Spreading the Good Word Students in a course taught by Communication Professor Denise Matthews produced videos and news segments about the partnership’s efforts. The videos were aired on the University’s news channel and other local television stations, providing positive publicity for the WWP. “When Jake Williams, the producer of one of the videos, showed it to the WWP annual meeting this past June, the audience reacted so favorably that Jake realized in that moment the impact of his work,” said Matthews. “It was not just the fulfillment of a graded assignment. Connecting and contributing to the community in such a tangible way is one of the most powerful learning experiences a

student can have; Jake could see how his classroom learning was leading to positive changes in the community.” Christian Gaucher ’08, who completed a research project for Chirico’s class, described the service-learning experience: “I got the feeling that I was a part of something bigger than just a classroom setting. Instead, our work carried out into the town — and it made me feel like we were making a difference.” As the project progresses, the WWP will offer more opportunities for Eastern students to volunteer, while also providing service learning, internships, and research options in the sciences and environmental studies. For more information on the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership, visit http://www.willimanticwhitewater.org.

(Above) Business Administration Professor Eric Martin briefs the campus community on WWP progress during a forum on Oct. 16. (Left) English Professor Miriam Chirico leads a class discussion during a course in the First-Year Program.

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Promoting Peace and Human Rights BY ANNE PAPPALARDO

nterest in peace and human rights is alive and well on Eastern’s campus. Eastern’s faculty, staff, and students have made a conscious effort to immerse themselves in peace and human rights causes — on campus, in the community, and throughout the world.

Getting Started In 1995, Eastern Philosophy Professor Hope Fitz shared her hopes for starting a peace group at the University with then Eastern President David G. Carter. With his encouragement, Fitz, another staff member, and students started what was to become Eastern’s Peace and Human Rights Committee (PHRC). Shortly after, Charles Prewitt, Sr., retired Eastern professor emeritus, and his wife, Virginia, expressed a similar interest. “I went to President Carter and said, ‘We need a major or minor in peace studies,’” recalls Prewitt. “He said, ‘I think that’s an excellent idea. I’ve already talked to Hope Fitz about it.’” Carter invited Fitz and Prewitt to tea to introduce

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them to each other, and urged them to move forward with their idea.

Creating a Minor The PHRC held its first conference in 2000. Also in 2000, Fitz and Prewitt wrote a letter to Carter explaining a shared vision for creating a peace center at Eastern. Over the years the PHRC has been hard at work developing proposals for the peace center, and planning a minor in Peace and Human Rights, which was approved in fall 2005. It consists of two required philosophy courses — “Peace and Human Rights” and a related seminar — and nine credits from select courses in anthropology, business, history, philosophy, psychology, or sociology. “We felt it was very important to have a minor in peace studies at Eastern,” explains Prewitt. “I got the idea originally from teaching a major in peace studies at another school and became very interested in students being exposed to such courses. I hope that it will be a major at Eastern some day.”

State Representative Denise Merrill spoke to students on “The State of Connecticut and Peace” on Nov. 15.

Prewitt, 89, returned to Eastern after 25 years of retirement to teach classes in the Peace and Human Rights minor. His fall 2007 course included speakers such as Carter, now chancellor of the Connecticut State University System; State Rep. Denise Merrill; Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez; Amii Omara-Otunnu, UConn professor and UNESCO chair in comparative human rights; Eastern Professor James Russell; and the Rev. David Nelson.

(Left) Members of the Jain Society came to campus in late September 2007 to visit with Professors Hope Fitz, Gail Gelburd, Andrew Nilsson, and their students. One of the oldest religious traditions of India, Jainism was established around 600 B.C. Comprising less than one percent of the Indian population, Jainism is grounded in principles of religious austerity, self-denial, and peaceful coexistence with all living creatures.There are Jain Societies throughout the United States. (Right) Charles Prewitt, Hope Fitz, and Adam Brzozowski ’08.

Over the years, the PHRC has sponsored peace and human rights speakers on the war in Iraq; life in Sudan; conditions in Haiti; human rights violations in Uganda; environmental and social effects of war; and many others. One of the PHRC events for the 2007–08 academic year featured monks from the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, the Dalai Lama’s monastery in Ithaca, NY. During their weeklong visit in early

Gandhi’s birthday) and will feature Gandhi’s granddaughter, Ela Gandhi, and other esteemed Gandhi scholars as panel members. Fitz, a Gandhi scholar and follower of the Ahimsa way of life, is also one of the featured panelists. Ahimsa promotes gentleness and respect for life at all times. Followers abstain from causing harm, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional, to any living being.

“War simply cannot be the answer, when so many people don’t have access to education, when so many people have no health care, and when we have so much poverty.” CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter, Oct. 18. December, the monks created an intricate sand mandala for peace. (See related story on page 24.) The PHRC is also excited about its upcoming lecture series. The first lecture, Gandhi’s Legacy of Ahimsa, is scheduled for Oct. 2 (Mahatma

Students Take Active Role Besides PHRC meetings and the Peace and Human Rights minor, Eastern students have an opportunity to become involved in the Student Peace and Human Rights Organization (SPHRO). “The student club focuses on activism and advocacy on

Charles Prewitt, Sr. and CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter catch up with each other before Carter’s Oct. 18 lecture on “Education and Peace.”

peace issues. It is primarily concerned with getting things done locally,” says Adam Brzozowski ’08, former president and current treasurer of the SPHRO. “This is not to say that we haven’t addressed broader issues. However, we often approach these issues with a ‘What can we do right here, right now?’ attitude in mind.” Brzozowski was the recipient of the Prewitt scholarship for 2007-08. SPHRO has cosponsored voter-registration campaigns and hosted wellknown human rights speaker events; actively encourages Eastern students to spend their money in local small businesses; collects goods for local shelters; and promotes a “bank locally” campaign, hoping that local banks will invest in local lending. Student involvement in peace and human rights activities is very important, stresses Fitz. “All about us we see conflict and violence. People need to know that there is a nonviolent way to live and that they can change their attitudes and world perspectives. If Ahimsa can be taught to children and students around the world, there is a chance for world peace.”

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iology Professor Patricia Szczys (pronounced “Stish”) is no stranger to Eastern. After teaching at Eastern during the 2004–05 academic year, she moved to Nebraska to teach at Wayne State College. Even so, when a conservation biologist tenure-track position became available at Eastern, she was eager to return, and came back to campus last June. Though Szczys was raised in North Dakota, after doing her graduate work in Boston, she felt right at home in the Northeast. “Now I feel like a New Englander. I feel more at home here than in the Midwest.” Her return to Eastern is eventful because Szczys played a large part in the University’s acquisition of a hightech piece of equipment for the Biology Department – a LI-COR 4300 DNA sequencer. LI-COR Biosciences, located in Lincoln, NE, offers resources for administrators,

DNA BY ANNE PAPPALARDO

educators, and students, as well as a matching funds program. “I wrote a matching funds grant in early 2007 and LI-COR granted 50 percent of the funds as long as we could come up with the other 50 percent. That award was granted in April,” says Szczys. “People may have heard about DNA sequencers on TV programs such as CSI. It allows us to determine the genetic composition of parts of

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DNA. It is hoped that it will be used in Eastern’s genetics courses for that type of application — sequencing genes,” adds Szczys.

it. They’ll learn technical skills, analytical skills, and we’ll be putting it to good use on independent research projects in our department.”

Szczys will be using the DNA sequencer for conservation projects and studies of endangered species. Other biology professors may use it to learn about metabolism or development. She emphasizes that LICOR designs the machine to be userfriendly. “It is very straightforward for the students to learn how to use

Szczys is currently participating in an interesting research project, studying an endangered seabird in Bermuda and utilizing the DNA sequencer to process her data. As part of her Ph.D. studies in Massachusetts, she studied roseate terns, an endangered species. Common terns, often seen in Long

extracting mitochondrial DNA from a blood sample and then isolating and amplifying specific predetermined sections of the DNA for comparison between individuals and populations. These specific sections of DNA are then compared using the Biology Department’s DNA sequencer. Mark Clifton ’07, a Biology (BS) major at Eastern, is assisting Szczys with her bird research as part of an independent study project. “I believe this machine is vital for Eastern’s Biology Department because of the wide-ranging applications a machine like this has,” Clifton says. “The new DNA sequencer allows students and professors to have access to the answers contained in DNA in an efficient and timely manner,” he continues. “I believe that eventually the use of this technology will be standard practice for biology students at Eastern.”

(Clockwise) Szczys and David Wingate place an identification band on a Common Tern in Bermuda while the parent circles overhead; Szczys measures the wing cord of a common tern chick that is nearly ready to fly; Szczys draws a drop of blood for genetic analysis from a Common Tern chick; Szczys sets up the DNA sequencer to conduct an analysis.

Island Sound by Connecticut beachgoers, are a threatened, but not endangered, species. Szczys has identified a colony of common terns in Bermuda that was reduced in population after a hurricane and is at risk. Szczys is utilizing the DNA analyzer to determine what makes the colony endangered and why they are different from similar groups of common terns that are not endangered. She does this by (Photos for this story courtesy of Chris Burville)

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Minority Alumni Affiliate

Launch is a Stunning Success BY TIMOTHY TALLEY ’10

he evening of Oct. 27, 2007, was a special time at Eastern, when more than 150 minority alumni returned to their “home away from home” for the first time in many years. In all, more than 250 alumni, friends, and supporters enjoyed the elegance of the renovated Betty R. Tipton Room in the University’s new Student Center to attend Eastern’s first Minority Alumni Recognition Banquet. They were greeted by Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez and David G. Carter, chancellor of the Connecticut State University System. The banquet was held to increase minority alumni participation in the advancement of the University and to pay tribute to a number of distinguished alumni and University friends. It also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the original Arthur L. Johnson Unity Center. Before dinner, alumni and guests joined President Núñez and Chancellor Carter in dedicating the Arthur L. Johnson Unity Wing of the Student Center in honor of the late journalist and Eastern professor.

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complete — a community. The new Arthur L. Johnson Unity Wing is a fitting tribute to Arthur Johnson and his wife, Marie; they made a great team!”

(Above, left to right) Paul Bryant, acting vice president of student affairs; Gloria Marie Caliendo ’82; Marie Love Johnson; and President Núñez. (Below) Walter Diaz, acting director of housing and residential life (second from right, front row), poses with M.A.L.E.S. students and advisors, past and present.

Honoring Arthur Johnson “The Arthur L. Johnson Unity Center, which opened in 1997, was always about making the table bigger, building a bigger tent,” explained Núñez. “The center was about students, it was about opportunity, it was about coming together from different backgrounds to build something bigger, stronger, and more

In addition to his leadership in advocating civil rights, Johnson was a dynamic speaker and journalist, well known for his weekly incisive editorials in the North End Agent and Hartford Inquirer; his column ran for more than 20 years. “His determination to shape public policy to benefit all people changed the course of history in the civil rights arena and in circles of education,” remarked Chancellor Carter, clearly moved by memories of his mentor and friend. “He led an exemplary life of giving back. Knowing his value system, I am blessed to have lived and known him — to have been touched by him personally.”

A Lifetime of Achievement President Núñez also presented the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award to Marie Love Johnson, Arthur Johnson’s widow and a longtime supporter of the University. Love Johnson has accomplished many milestones in her career. She was the

(Left) Chancellor Carter, President Núñez and Marie Love Johnson. (Above) Members of Eastern’s Umoja Steppers Drill Team and friends.

first and only African American president of the Connecticut Speech and Hearing Association, and the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Connecticut. “Marie Love Johnson, like her late husband, was an innovator, a pioneer. She also is about students,” said Núñez in presenting the lifetime achievement award to Love Johnson. Recently, Love Johnson established a book scholarship, funded from the interest earned on the Arthur L. Johnson Unity Fund, to assist an Eastern student with unmet needs. “My husband was the kind of person who would reach into his pocket and give students money when they came to him with an emergency,” said Love Johnson. This year’s scholarship

was presented to Nazmie Ojeda ’10 of Hartford at the Oct. 27 event.

Two Alumni Honored The University also bestowed two alumni awards in honor of Gloria Marie Caliendo ’82 and Doris Powell Glass ’48. Caliendo, formerly a professor of Spanish at Eastern, is an associate professor of modern languages at Central Connecticut State University and coordinator of the university’s teacher education outreach program. She has taught around the world and has received two U.S. Fulbright Scholar Awards. Powell Glass, wife of former State Supreme Court Justice Robert D. Glass, also is one of Eastern’s distinguished alumni. She was an educator and speech and hearing therapist in Waterbury for 23 years; worked as a teacher in New Bern, NC; and taught in Hartford, Oakville, and at the University of Hartford. President Núñez and her husband, Richard Freeland (second from left), enjoy the company of keynote speaker E. Curtissa R. Cofield (right), and her husband, Gary White.

Contribute to the Future The Honorable E. Curtissa R. Cofield, presiding judge of the Hartford Community Superior Court and Connecticut’s first African American female superior court judge, delivered the keynote address. She told her audience that the playing field in society is not a level one, and encouraged them to use adversity as a motivator to achieve. She recalled her own mother saying that education is a debt that you pay back by giving of yourself. Cofield closed by quoting Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change that we want to see.” Alumni attending the banquet said they are looking forward to becoming more involved in the University. Shirley Jane Gillis ’75, who majored in early childhood education, remembered the assistance she received when attending Eastern: “I taught during the day and took courses at night. Professors let my daughter sit in with me during my classes. I know I want to help today’s students in some way.” “I was blessed that my first African American teacher was Art Johnson,” said Education major Artelia Green Williams ’72. “I am honored to be here tonight.” EASTERN

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Philanthropy

Stamford Reception Sparks Alumni Giving

Planning Grant Will Aid Underrepresented Populations

On Nov. 7, Margaret Toner ’42, a former assistant superintendent of schools in Stamford, hosted a Fairfield County Alumni Reception at the Stamford Yacht Club. More than 40 people attended the event, visiting one another and meeting Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez. Toner announced at the reception that she would be starting a five-figure endowed scholarship through her estate plan. The following day, Elena Lupinacci ’42, Toner’s close friend and classmate, announced that she was going to do the same. The week ended with a phone call from Tom Gavigan ’49, of Florida, another Toner confidant, who decided to start a $10,000 endowed scholarship on the spot and agreed to host a Florida alumni reception in March.

The ECSU Foundation, Inc., has been named as a recipient of a $100,000 grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation to participate in the foundation’s Project Compass, a program designed to help increase the number of young people from underrepresented populations who graduate with four-year degrees. One of only six universities chosen, Eastern will use the grant to support a year of planning and capacity building. “We are thrilled to have been awarded this Project Compass planning grant,” said President Núñez. “The generosity and vision of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation in making the grant is much appreciated. We will use these funds to support initiatives in our new Strategic Plan that are designed to improve the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students.”

Project Compass will serve students from various populations who are currently underrepresented on New England college campuses — Ryan Rose ’00, associate director of alumni affairs (right), visits with Greg Brasher ’95, Jared Beazley ’98, and Ian Beazley ’98 at the Stamford from first-generaAlumni Reception. tion immigrant students in Connecticut to Native American popu“Peg, Elena, and Tom are all former lations in northern Maine, from urban educators who believe in the Eastern mission and understand the importance students of color to rural low-income learners. Participating colleges will work of making higher education accessible to identify challenges to academic sucto students from all socio-economic cess for these populations in order to levels. They epitomize the giving spirit help students persist and graduate from that is so prevalent among Eastern college. alumni,” said Kenneth J. DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement.

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President Núñez visits with Emeriti faculty before the Eroica Trio concert. Bottom (left to right): Dr. Núñez, Lee B.Watts, Jo Ann Newmyer. Row Two (left to right): Ann M. Curran, Mary Rogers, Frederick Herbert. Row Three (left to right): Charles W. Prewitt, John St. Onge. Row Four (left to right): David G. Haines, Henry I. Snider,William J. Jahoda,Vernon Phelps. Missing from photo: James F. Lacey.

Emeriti Faculty Visit Campus On Nov. 27, President Núñez and Professor Emerita Lee Watts co-hosted a reception for emeriti faculty and leadership donors in the Joinery of the Child and Family Development Resource Center. The reception was held prior to the Arts and Lecture Series concert by the Eroica Trio. “What a great party,” said Watts, following the evening’s festivities. “The emeriti are still talking about the VIP treatment they received — the first-class reception, the shuttle to Shafer Hall, and the reserved seats for the performance.”

Philanthropy

haring Megan’s Passion

When friends and family describe Megan Kleczka, a sophomore who was majoring in Social Work and Women’s Studies before she passed away in April 2007, the word “passionate” is used again and again. It was this passion that touched so many and led to her many accomplishments.

Brown Faculty Residence on Bolivia Street.

Eastern Receives Two Largest Gifts in School History Eastern Connecticut State University recently received the two largest gifts in its history. Both estate gifts, the two donations promise to be transformative in nature. Dorothy E. Brown passed away two years ago and left her entire estate to the University, including a Victorian home on Bolivia Street, land, and a stock portfolio in excess of $4.5 million. The resulting contribution, including matching funds from the State of Connecticut, will be $6.25 million. Brown’s home on Bolivia Street has already been named the Brown Faculty Residence and is being utilized as a residence for visiting University guests. Dorothy’s mother, Doris, attended Eastern in the mid1930s, leaving to work as a bookkeeper in her husband’s furniture and appliance store located on Main Street in Willimantic. “A gift of this magnitude will have a tremendous impact on the University and will greatly enhance Eastern’s ability to provide multiyear scholarship commitments for deserving students,” said Kenneth J. DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement.

The estate of John C. Hicks, valued at $1.3 million, including $500,000 in matching funds from the State of Connecticut, will fund an endowed chair in biology. This brings to three the number of endowed chairs at Eastern and coincides with the opening of the 175,000-square foot Science Building in fall 2008.

Kleczka impacted the lives of everyone she met with her spirit and excitement. She believed in helping those around her, performing volunteer work for an HIV clinic and working in (Photo by Casey Beaupre) the Women’s Center on campus. She was devoted to women’s issues, a cause that led her to an internship with Planned Parenthood of Connecticut. It was her dream to work for Planned Parenthood, advocating for and educating people about reproductive and sexual health. “Megan was a special young woman. Her enthusiasm and passion for her work with Planned Parenthood was endless. I knew that she was going to do great things in this world,” recalls Gretchen Raffa, community organizer at Planned Parenthood.“Her positive energy, her desire to educate others, and her eagerness to learn were just a few of the amazing qualities that stood out immediately.”

Doris Brown

“The Brown and Hicks bequests are perfect examples of why we talk to our alumni and friends about ways that they might be able to help the University in the future, not just today,” said President Elsa M. Núñez. “It is our job to be stewards for the present as well as the future. This is why we use the Legacy Society to plant the seeds of support for Eastern with our alumni and friends.”

Kleczka’s family has created a scholarship in her name to ensure that her legacy continues.“The Megan L. Kleczka Scholarship means a lot to me and my family,” says Sarah Sansom, Kleczka’s sister.“We hope that it will be awarded to another promising student who is involved in some of the causes that Megan was passionate about.” If you would like to donate to the Megan L. Kleczka Memorial Scholarship, please contact Kyle Verona in the Office of Institutional Advancement, (860) 465-0003, veronak@easternct.edu.

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Philanthropy

rant Update

The Office of Institutional Advancement has secured several grants for the Child and Family Development Resource Center:The SBM Charitable Foundation awarded $250,000; the Bank of America gave $20,000; and the Rosie’s for All Kids Foundation contributed $70,000. A team of faculty and staff members under the leadership of Dean Carmen Cid submitted a successful proposal to the Nellie Mae Foundation for Project Compass, an initiative to increase the retention and graduation rates of public four-year institutions of higher education. Nellie Mae awarded Eastern $100,000 for a one-year planning grant, making Eastern eligible to apply for a subsequent fouryear, $400,000 implementation grant.

Parent Giving at Eastern Parent giving topped the $50,000 mark for the first time in 2006-07, due in large part to the support of Eastern’s Parents Association. In two years the number of current and past parents contributing to the Parents Fund has increased from 26 to 323.

“He was always teaching us how to give back,” remembers his daughter, Marisa Esposito ’08. Marisa has followed in her father’s philanthropic footsteps by establishing the Neil R. Esposito Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

“Parents Fund dollars enable the University to make campus enhancements that directly impact our students on a daily basis,” said Kenneth J. DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. “Last year we used Parents Fund gifts to purchase equipment for the new exercise room in the Student Center. This year these dollars will be used to purchase a new cover for the gymnasium floor, enhancing the look of the facility when students bring live entertainment to campus and need a larger venue.”

Esposito Scholarship Initiated Rocky Hill businessman Neil Esposito was known throughout the Hartford area for his philanthropy. Esposito, whose The SBM Charitable Foundation’s generous support is benefiting the family owned a successful trashyoungsters who enjoy playing in the Child and Family Development hauling business, gave money, Resource Center’s Great Room. resources, and, most important, time to those in need and to causes close to his heart. He worked FACULTY/STAFF with homeless shelters, bringing Patricia Szczys, Biology. $47,652 from LICOR trucks full of toys to the children at the holidays. His generosity to Cathy Tannahill, Education. $150,000 from Wethersfield sports was recognized the Connecticut Department of when the Neil Esposito Memorial Education Field at Wethersfield High School was dedicated in May 2004. When David Stoloff, Education. $153,000 from the Connecticut Department of Education his son Ray was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in 1996, Esposito started David Stoloff, Education. $36,000 from the the Raynbow Foundation to benefit Connecticut Department of Education diabetes research. Kim Silcox, Student Affairs. $36,666 from the Corporation for National and Community Service

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Before his sudden death in 1999, Esposito was able to pass on the importance of charity to his children.

President Núñez accepts a check from Marisa Esposito ’08.

Esposito attended Eastern aspiring to join the baseball team. Injuries soon ended that dream and he transferred to Manchester Community College before entering the family business. Although he wasn’t at Eastern long, he had a lasting impact. “He loved his time at Eastern. My mother always tells me that,” Marisa says. “Knowing I am helping students with need to obtain a college degree warms my heart,” she continues. “I know it is a legacy that my father would be proud to have attached to his name.”

Philanthropy The Eastern Rugby Team spent the evening of Sept. 21 serving food to the hungry at the Covenant Soup Kitchen. Director Paul Doyle noted the team’s “great work ethic, vast energy, and respect for the guests. Eastern has much to be proud of in these young men; they are fine ambassadors of your school.”

Dallas Burke ’08, Lucilyn Diaz ’08, Nardeen Matta ’08, Erin Abrahamson ’10, and Erica Gahrmann ’08, all students in Biology Professor Elizabeth Cowles’ entomology class, collected insects at the Church Farm in Ashford.

Around The Town

A sampling of the exciting and newsworthy events that took place at sites on and off the Eastern campus (left) For the sixth year in a row, Eastern’s baseball complex in Mansfield was the location of the Windham Relay for Life, a 24-hour walkathon in support of the American Cancer Society. More than 1,800 walkers participated, raising more than $196,000. Over the event’s 11-year existence, walkers have raised more than $1.7 million in support of cancer research.

(right) Brian Hull, chief financial officer of The Savings Institute Bank & Trust and a member of the ECSU Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors, surveys the silent-auction tables at the annual Fun*Ding reception, prior to the Johnny Mathis performance on Dec. 8. Barnes & Noble and Sodexho Food Services served as Diamond Sponsors for the event, and New Alliance Bank and The Savings Institute Bank and Trust served as Gold Sponsors. Over the past decade, Fun*Ding has generated more than $1 million for Eastern’s academic programs and endowed scholarship funds.

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Campus News

Tibetan Monks Create Sand Art for Peace at Eastern The Eastern campus and surrounding communities were presented an intricate demonstration of sand art in the University’s Akus Gallery in December, when Tibetan monks from the Dalai Lama’s Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, NY, arrived on campus and spent six days creating a traditional sand mandala for peace and compassion. The mandala creation is a painstaking process of carefully placing grains of colored sand to construct an intricate geometric illustration; each mandala is unique. Large audiences, which includ-

ed bus loads of schoolchildren, visited the gallery throughout the week and learned about the prayers and rituals of Tibetan Buddhist culture. Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez hosted a reception for the Venerable Tenzin Thutop and the Venerable Tenzin Wangchuk in the gallery on Dec. 3. The monks presented a lecture and demonstration during Eastern’s weekly University Hour on Dec. 5. On Dec. 9, the final day, the monks dis-

mantled the delicate mandala and, along with Eastern students, faculty, and members of the community, proceeded to the Flower Bridge, where the sand was tossed into the Willimantic River, accompanied by prayers for peace in the world.

Eastern Under Witching Hour Spell On Nov. 7, Eastern students, faculty, staff, and area residents were treated to a day of lectures, a dance performance, and dramatic representations of 17thcentury religious intolerance in a presentation of “The Witching Hour.” The production was a unique cultural and historical theatrical reenactment of Connecticut’s 17th-century witch trials, as performed by the Judy Dworin Performance Project. A dramatic performance highlighted the 17th-century witch trials in Connecticut.

Nineteen people (14 women and five men) were hanged for witchcraft during the 1692-1693 Salem Witch trials. Two trials in 1648 and 1651 in Wethersfield resulted in three additional lynchings. Women constituted 85 percent of all people in Europe and

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America who were executed for witchcraft during this time. An afternoon symposium, “Witches Among Us: A Reconsideration of Witchcraft Studies,” featured both

Eastern faculty and international experts on the 17th-century witch hunts and related gender issues. “The Witching Hour” was co-sponsored by The ECSU Foundation, Inc. and the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society.

Campus News

Student Center Dedicated “This place is gorgeous!” is how one student described the lobby in Eastern’s newly expanded and renovated Student Center. “The marble floor and beautiful pillars make you feel like you are part of ancient Greek history — the Parthenon in Athens!” It was this kind of excitement that filled the air when Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Raeanne V. Curtis; David G. Carter, chancellor of the Connecticut State University System; and other state officials joined Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez and the campus community on Sept. 25 to dedicate the new center. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on the plaza in front of the facility. The remodeled and expanded student center features a fitness center, bookstore, theatre, coffeehouse, snack bar, several open lounge areas, conference and meeting rooms, and offices for student clubs and organizations. Núñez thanked Governor M. Jodi Rell, CSUS Board of Trustees Chairman Lawrence D. McHugh, the Board of Trustees, and the Connecticut

Legislature for their leadership in making the Student Center a reality. The president said the real power of the facility will be the memories students build and carry with them after they leave Eastern. “Students will mature in this building as they debate financial aid, public policy issues, and nurture leadership qualities,” said Núñez. “With the center becoming the hub of campus life, we can give students more opportunities for civic engagement and leadership, reinforcing the learning that occurs in the classroom.” McHugh praised Governor Rell and the state legislature for their support of the project and for being totally committed to higher education in Connecticut. “The sun is shining on Eastern today. I am so proud of President Núñez and her team and the job they are doing here at Eastern.” Chancellor Carter added, “The primary infrastructure of any society is an educated society.” He encouraged the audience to “dare to dream, and realize why we are here, to touch the lives of students today and tomorrow.”

(left to right) Lawrence McHugh, chairman of the CSUS Board of Trustees; DPW Commissioner Raeanne V. Curtis; Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez; CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter; Sulthana Sayed, Student Government Association president; and Paul Bryant, vice president for student affairs.

toloff Goes to Thailand on Fulbright Exchange

David Stoloff, professor and chair of the Department of Education, has just returned from serving on a Fulbright faculty exchange program from Dec. 2 to Jan. 14 at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University (CMRU) in Thailand. While in Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand, Stoloff taught workshops on Internet resources for English as a Second Language to high school teachers; lectured on online learning and teaching for university faculty; and taught classes on U.S. cities,American family life, U.S. government, and the American educational system. Stoloff’s host, Anchalee Wongla, spent six weeks (Sept. 15 – Oct. 29, 2007) at Eastern participating in Education Department classes and conferences on multicultural education and educational technology. At the end of her visit, her husband, CMRU President Ruangdet Wongla, signed a formal memorandum of understanding with Eastern’s administration to initiate student and faculty exchanges between the two universities.

Eastern’s Vice President for Academic Affairs Rhona Free (right) receives a gift from Anchalee Wongla (left) and CMRU President Ruangdet Wongla in celebration of the signing of the exchange agreement between the two universities.

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Campus News

Trustees Briefed on Eastern’s Strategic Plan During the October 2007 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut State University System, President Núñez outlined Eastern’s 2008–2013 Strategic Plan. Núñez said the plan represents the cumulative efforts of more than 250 faculty, students, staff, administrators, alumni, and friends of the University, who have invested more than 10,000 hours of their time to create a visionary plan for Eastern’s future. “For me, this planning process was very helpful in my first year at Eastern. By being immersed in the process, I learned a great deal about the University while also building invaluable relationships,” she said. (The University Senate overwhelmingly approved the plan at its Nov. 6 meeting. It is available online at: www.easternct.edu/strategic_planning.)

It’s Easy Being Green

A seven-foot tall fabricated metal frog sculpture, constructed by Andrew Sullivan ’08, sits outside the High Street entrance to Windham Town Hall. Sullivan’s work, which was built from discarded steel parts found at a local transfer station, was commissioned two years ago when he was a student in Professor Claudia Widdiss’ sculpture class.The piece is a collaboration between Eastern and the Windham Garden Club.

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New Science Building Set to Open in the Fall Faculty members in mathematics and the sciences are excited as the University’s Master Plan takes a giant step forward next fall. That’s when Eastern opens the doors to its new Science Building. The facility, being built to U.S. Green Building Council certification standards, will house all of Eastern’s science and mathematics departments in one 174,000-square foot building. Construction, which will end this spring, is on schedule. Equipment and furnishings will be moved into the facility during the spring and summer. Nancy Tinker, director of facilities management and

planning, says the move will be made without disruption to regularly scheduled science courses being held in Goddard Hall. The goal in constructing the new science building is to provide modern space for math and science instruction; promote cross-disciplinary interaction; and provide a facility that will attract the best faculty and students. Future projects in the pipeline include a second 850-space parking garage; a new campus public safety facility; a Fine Arts Instructional Center; and relocation of the current softball field to a site just west of the University’s baseball stadium.

Bits of the Bard Brings Richard III to Life “Bits of the Bard: Richard III Excerpted” was conceived and directed by Professor Larry Hunt, as inspired by an Edwin Austin Abbey painting of Shakespeare’s Richard and Anne. Nine student actors from the “Great Roles: Period Styles of Actors” class created multiple parts and performed one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, Richard III, as a man of multiple personalities.Three actors at a time, male and female, performed his monologues to show the many sides of this charismatic figure.The show was uniquely physical as the actors performed with Japanese Bo (wooden staffs).

Campus News

Capitol Steps Kick Off Arts & Lecture Series On Sept. 29, a Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium crowd of 700 people enjoyed the performance of The Capitol Steps, the Washington, D.C.-based group known for its fun way of spinning current political events into satirical performances. The group got its start in December 1981 when founding members gathered at a holiday party to create parodies about the political goings-on of their day.

The Eroica Trio thrilled the audience on Nov. 27.

On Feb. 12, heralded actor Mel Johnson, Jr., in collaboration with writer and director Tom Dugan, presented “Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery.” Johnson’s Broadway credits include Mufasa in The Lion King; The Rink with Liza Minnelli and Chit Rivera; Hamlet; and History of the American Film (Hartford Stage), just to name a few. Eastern’s popular Arts & Lecture Series closed out the year with a performance by jazz artist Poncho Sanchez on March 6.

The Capitol Steps performed on Sept. 29.

Ocean explorer Robert Ballard spoke to a packed house on Oct. 10.

On Oct. 10, ocean explorer Robert Ballard spoke to a packed house in the gymnasium. Ballard is among the most accomplished of the world’s deep-sea explorers. He has conducted more than 120 deep-sea expeditions and is best known for his historic discoveries of the wrecks of the R.M.S. Titanic, the battleship Bismarck, the USS Yorktown, and John F. Kennedy’s PT-109.

Mel Johnson Jr. gave a powerful presentation on the life of Frederick Douglass.

The Eroica Trio, one of the most sought-after musical trios in the world, lived up to its reputation on Nov. 27 as a group that “thrills audiences with flawless technical virtuosity, irresistible enthusiasm, and sensual elegance.” The group performed in Shafer Auditorium, demonstrating extraordinary skills on piano, violin, and cello. Jazz artist Poncho Sanchez performed on March 6.

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Alumni in the News

Janice Mayeran ’86 Janice Mayeran ’86 was selected as the Connecticut Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year at the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (CTAHPERD) this past November. Mayeran teaches at McKinley School in Fairfield and coaches both the girls’ and boys’ varsity volleyball teams at Fairfield High School.

improve the fitness habits of the students but we have had a 100 percent increase in fitness scores. We also have many more active students, as evident by the numbers of students in our afterschool sports programs.” Mayeran also finds ways to reach out to the local community and expand physical education opportunities for children and their families. Events she has organized include Jump Sheree Shields-Farrell saddles up for a horseback ride during Rope for Heart, Hoops for Heart, the pageant competition in Tucson. family nights, after-school teacher walking groups, Diabetes Walk, Project Having graduated cum laude with a A.C.E.S., and a noontime running club. Bachelor of Science in Communication and a minor in Sport and Leisure Management, Shields-Farrell is now pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy and Law at Trinity College in Hartford.

Sheree Shields-Farrell ’04

In announcing her award, CTAHPERD Janice Mayeran ’86 noted that Mayeran’s philosophy for teaching “revolves around empowerment as the key to creating healthy children who value purposeful movement for fun and health/wellness. Janice teaches the how and why, as well as the benefits, and teaches children that they have the power and control over what happens to them and the far-reaching benefits of their choices.” Additional comments supporting her selection included praise for her ability to plan innovative and exciting lessons and activities to meet the needs of a diverse student population. With 32 different first languages spoken by her students, Mayeran creates and plans many visual aids to help the children understand physical education materials and directions. “I was surprised to get the award and very honored,” said Mayeran. “That is such a wonderful endorsement of my program. This is my third year at a new school with new students and a new principal. It was a challenge to

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Shields-Farrell also has been making headlines since she was named Mrs. Connecticut USA in June 2007. The Mrs. Connecticut competition recognizes outstanding married women who manage to juggle family, home, career, volunteerism, and future goals. Shields-Farrell is the first African American winner in the pageant’s 69year history. “The third time is definitely a charm,” jokes Shields-Farrell, who was first runner-up in the previous two pageants.

Sheree Shields-Farrell poses with Mrs. America.

When Sheree Shields-Farrell ’04, a nontraditional commuter student from Plainville, first stepped onto Eastern Connecticut State University’s campus, she knew it was for her: “I was first attracted by the Sport and Leisure Management program. When I arrived I was impressed with the administration and the faculty’s ability to make you feel as if you were the only student at the University.”

While she didn’t win the national competition held this past September in Tucson, AZ, Shields-Farrell had the time of her life. “From the moment I got off the plane, I was treated like a queen. We toured old Tucson; visited Nogales, Mexico for a day; went horseback riding; and had an old-fashioned cowboy breakfast on the range. I got to meet 50 other wonderful women — now I can say I know someone from every state of the union.”

Alumni in the News

Eastern Welcomes Families to Campus

More than 700 students and their families and friends participated in Eastern’s Annual Family Weekend, held Sept. 29–30 on campus. A barbeque picnic, bluegrass musicians, games for the whole family, and Eastern’s Warriors competing on the athletic field were just a few events that students and guests enjoyed throughout Family Weekend. Guests also were provided tours of the campus and the newly renovated Student Center. The event was co-sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Alumni Affairs. Following the picnic, parents and other family members joined Eastern students to enjoy the humor of The Capitol Steps in the Francis E.

Geissler Gymnasium. The Washington, D.C.-based group of Capitol Hill workers is known for spinning current political events into satirical humor, and has released 30 albums over its 25-year career. As the capacity crowd left the performance, there was a sea of smiling faces and a warm glow shared by the Eastern family.

aying It Forward When Sharon Mendes ’04 attended a community college after graduating from high school in 1972, she felt lost and confused and had no idea what to expect. She quit shortly after her first semester began.

After 25 years, she decided to make a second attempt and enrolled in classes at Eastern as a part-time, nontraditional student. She juggled motherhood and work, eventually becoming a full-time student before graduating in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Applied Social Relations. While pursuing her studies, she received the Jarrell Cuyler and Angelica Padilla Memorial Scholarship and the Ellen L. Lang Endowed Scholarship. Mendes so values the assistance she received that she now donates to these very scholarships. After completing her undergraduate work at Eastern, Mendes received her master’s degree in counseling from CCSU in May 2006 and now works as an academic advisor at the University of Connecticut. “Giving back is important because of what one was given to start with – it is almost like replenishing supplies for the future. ”

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Alumni in the News

David Poulin ’93 For many children with disabilities, participation in athletics presents a variety of barriers. It is often difficult for them to compete on a level playing field with nondisabled athletes, leading many to opt out of team sports and physical education classes. Such a scenario was unacceptable to an avid outdoorsman like David Poulin ’93, so he created a program to provide sports opportunities to children with physical disabilities.

chair tennis, basketball, and soccer; goalball, a sport for the visually impaired that uses an audible ball; sled hockey; adaptive skiing, swimming, and cycling; and sitting volleyball. Athletes include those who are ambulatory, nonambulatory, and visually impaired. “There aren’t many opportunities for kids with physical disabilities to play team sports,” said Poulin. “This is often the first time my athletes are on a team.”

David Poulin assists a student with muscular dystrophy during a program at Alyeska Ski Resort in Alaska.

After three years of running the program on a volunteer basis, Poulin’s efforts have begun to garner notice and awards. He was selected as the 2007 Outstanding Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Alaska Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. He also received the Removal of Attitudinal Barriers Award from the Alaska Governor’s Committee on Employment and Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities.

HPE Professors Robert Horrocks and Neil Williams congratulate David Poulin ’93, center, on his awards.

Poulin is a nationally certified adapted physical education specialist in the Anchorage (Alaska) School District, which serves more than 50,000 students. Approximately 500 students have disabilities that range from learning issues to visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy. It was his work with these students that prompted him to develop the program. The Blaze Sports Alaska program provides such opportunities as wheel

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Health and Physical Education Professor Neil Williams commented, “Dave took advantage of the opportunities at Eastern to improve both his academic credentials and his own personal development. That’s evident now in the work he’s doing — he’s a leader in his field. We’re very proud of him.”

Christina Fenn ’05

In addition, the Blaze Sports Alaska program was named “Best New Program” for student/athletes with a physical disability at the 2007 National Disability Sports Conference. “By offering these sports, everyone — regardless of ability — is able to participate on a level playing field,” said Poulin. “These kids deserve opportunities to compete and be the best they can be physically.” Poulin credits much of his success to the support he received while at Eastern, pointing to a study-abroad course in outdoor education and an internship at a San Diego camp for learning-disabled children as experiences that gave him a focus and set him on his path.

Christina Fenn ’05 is keeping it in Willimantic, opening up the Eastern Perk coffee shop on Main Street in October 2007.

Athletics

Harris “A Breath of Fresh Air” A disappointing finish to the 2006– 2007 season prompted Eastern’s head women’s basketball coach Denise Bierly to conduct a self-study of her program in the off-season.

the veteran coach might provide her with a listing of potential coaching candidates for the part-time position. Harris, a four-year Eastern baseball letterwinner in the early and mid-1980s and a lifelong area resident, did indeed have the name of a candidate in mind. “Coach Bierly left a message at my home and the first person I thought of was me,” remembers Harris. If first semester results are any indication, Harris’ contributions to the program have been immense. Heading into final exams and the Christmas holidays, the Warriors boasted a perfect 10-0 record. In those games, Eastern’s average winning margin was nearly 25 points. (The team completed the regular season with a 21-4 record).

Her evaluation pinpointed two areas for improvement. One was the need for more team building and leadership development among her players. The second involved an adjustment to the coaching staff — Bierly believed that one part-time assistant coach was inadequate to handle the myriad demands of practice and game preparation, scouting, and recruiting. During the summer of 2007, Bierly called Lyman Memorial head boys basketball coach Stan Harris ’88, hoping

“Stan has clearly been a huge addition to our program,” says Bierly of Harris, who teaches social studies and reading and serves as director of athletics at Mansfield Middle School. “He’s been a breath of fresh air, as far as his enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge.” Complementing Harris this year has been new assistant coach Tiffany Kelver. “Both Coach Kelver and I are new to the program, so we give Coach Bierly a different perspective, a fresh look, a fresh idea,” says Harris.

Batter Up! Senior members of the 2007 Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team were presented with ash bats at the annual Eastern Baseball Fall Banquet this past October. The bats were provided courtesy of Eastern baseball alumnus Bunty Ray, coowner of Rally Bat, LLC, of Hampden, MA. Ray was a member of the 1998 NCAA Division III national championship team. Pictured above from left are: Randy Re, Sam Iverson, Jason LaVorgna, Justin Davis, Eric O’Toole, Matt Cooney, and Matt Cremins.

“Stan does all of that extra stuff – he stays after practice and works with the kids, says Bierly. “He’s willing to do all of that. And hopefully, he’ll do it for a while, because he likes it.”

Alumni Games

Laura Bratz ’08 of Lee, NH, and Ashley Del Vecchio ’12 of Fairfield battle for possession during this past October’s alumni field hockey game.

Current and former members of the Eastern men’s soccer program competed in the annual alumni game in August 2007.

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Athletics

thletes Share Their Time

Student athletes continued their involvement in the community this past fall. Members of the men’s lacrosse program were involved in after-school programs at a number of area schools.

Freshman Broderick Sawyer and junior Kris Johnson visit North Windham School to assist in its after-school program.

Eastern Goes Back-To-Back to Win LEC Titles Eastern won two Little East Conference championships in a span of less than 24 hours this past October. Despite venturing into unchartered territory, the men’s soccer team did it the easy way, winning the regularseason conference championship and downing Rhode Island College and Keene State College to capture its first postseason conference title.

In October, members of the Eastern volleyball program raised $505 in conjunction with its annual Crabtree Classic tournament as part of Lee National Denim Day.The proceeds benefited the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund for breast cancer research. Eastern athletes designed and made T-Shirts for the event, which raised money online; held a bake sale; and requested donations at the door during the tournament.

first No. 5 seed ever in any conference postseason tournament to win the title, eliminating three higher seeds away from home after losing to them in the regular season to chalk up its third straight championship. “We had a lot of struggles this year and a lot of ups and downs, but the players pulled together,” observed fifth-year Head Coach Jolie Ward after her team swept No. 2 seed and state rival Western Connecticut State University to win its eighth postseason conference title. The biggest adjustments came in the tournament semifinals, where the volleyball team overcame two convincing regular-season losses to top-seeded Keene State to pin a thrilling five-game loss on the Owls on their own court.

Spooky! Eastern’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted its Sixth Annual Haunted Happening for area youngsters at the Sports Center on Oct. 26. Children were treated to games, arts and crafts, a parade, and a costume contest. A committee of student representatives from each of the department’s athletic programs, SAAC created the Haunted Happening in 2002 to provide a safe environment for children to celebrate Halloween.

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The men’s soccer team celebrated its first-ever LEC tournament title.

After winning consecutive tournament titles as the top seed in both 2005 and 2006, the women’s volleyball team did it the hard way this time by producing a miracle finish to a disastrous regular season. After floundering through the regular season – which included a programrecord 10-game losing streak – the Warriors pulled together in time for postseason play. Eastern became the

Team captain Priscilla Dougherty – the team’s only senior – was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Greg DeVito, the men’s soccer team claimed its first-ever LEC tournament title, besting 2006 champion Keene State College on penalty kicks, 3-2, after a 110-minute scoreless

Athletics standoff before a supportive crowd of 500 at Thomas Nevers Field.

Priscilla Dougherty ’08, pictured with a Keene State official, receives the Most Outstanding Player Award at the LEC Volleyball Championship.

Kyle Bedini, Maxim Fantl, and Nicholas Boretti converted penalty kicks for the Warriors, with Boretti igniting a frenzy when he ripped his shot under the dive of Keene goalie Cal Mintz. With Eastern in danger of going down 2-0 on penalty kicks, keeper Jay Barney stopped Keene’s second try, and Bedini tied the score with his successful shot. Barney saved two of Keene’s five tries, and was clearly in line to save a third, which went wide of the post.

Hall of Fame Banquet Honors Eastern Warriors

“You can’t write the script any better than this, especially for my four years,” observed Barney. He was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after officially making nine saves in regulation and overtime before adding two more in the penalty kick session. “Playing Keene State in the finals at home… Eastern had never beaten Keene in the Little East, and we were able to do that today,” added the LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year. “You have to give credit to everyone. Everyone on this team played great all year.”

baseball title team; and Vostinak was a starting defender on the 1968 and 1969 men’s soccer teams that advanced to the NAIA national tournament.

Five former Eastern athletic greats were inducted into the Eastern/E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 4 in the Betty R. Tipton Room in the Student Center. From left, Bertha Willoughby, former E-Club president; Anita Jean, award recipient; and Baseball Coach Bill Holowaty.

Mickey Fitzgerald ’70 presents Hall of Fame honors to Eugene Vostinak ’70.

The Class of 2007 included Dennis Glynn ’82 of New London; Christia Mohan Besko ’90 of Stockton, CA; Basilio Ortiz (1989-91) and Timothy W. Quinn ’77, both of Hartford; and Eugene P. Vostinak ’70 of Ashford. Recognized with the Michael A. Atkind Exceptional Service Award was Anita N. Jean of Willimantic, a former member of the E-Club.

All five inductees participated in national competition during their careers. Glynn was a senior captain on the 1982 NCAA Division III national baseball championship team; Mohan Besko was a senior captain on the 1990 NCAA Division III national championship softball team; Quinn competed in national competition twice in cross country and once in track and field; Ortiz was a junior All-American on the 1990 NCAA Division III national

Basilio Ortiz and his presenter, Scott Smith ’92.

Ed Drew, professor emeritus of music (left), chats with Francis Geissler, Hall of Fame member. Drew entertained the crowd with his singing and double-bass instrument.

Bonnie J. Edmondson, a 1987 Eastern graduate and former two-time collegiate All-America in the discus, served as emcee.

Tammy Schondelmayer ’90, a member of the Hall of Fame Committee.

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Class Notes 1945

1973

1996

Mary J. Cummins has lived in North Myrtle Beach, SC, for the past 21 years. She visited campus with Elsie Hale in 2003.

Susan H. Hidler is a novelist with five published books and two more in progress. She is also a columnist for the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

1949

1975

Thomas W. Gavigan, a former teacher in Old Greenwich, is retired and living in Tampa, FL.

Brendan Moriarty has retired from the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch.Pamela Greco Martin is in her 19th year of education in Suffield.

Roberta Reaoch-Fruchter finished her master’s degree in December 2007 in Special Education, focusing in Early Childhood Special Education. She currently works for Hacienda LaPrente Unified School in California as a SDC teacher. Yamuna (Nair) Winge, and her husband, Michael, have a 10month-old son, Maximilian Venu. After living and working in Austin,TX, Switzerland, and Germany, they currently reside in Scotland.

1951 Barbara Cohen Rosenthal has been happily married to her Willimantic State Teachers College classmate, Neale, for 56 years.They have four daughters, 18 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

1979

1953

Julie Zander got her Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2004. She can’t wait to retire and write again! Elkin Spitia has joined the staff of Quinebaug Valley Community College as a Spanish instructor.

Edward Requardt is a retired professor from the University of Cincinnati.

1980

1954

William Godburn has been named vice president for revenue management at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford.

Lewis Lamb and his wife, Jane, celebrated their 54th anniversary this year, as well as their 80th and 75th birthdays!

1981 John Hesselbein’s book, “Allegheny Mountain,” can be found in the J. Eugene Smith Library.

1957 Raymond Brown has a new job at Ray Brown, a grandfather clock-servicing store, after 36 years in education.

1962 Ann Bailey has retired. Now retired, Barbara Chapel Storrs is keeping busy with her five grandchildren, church, and choir. Bob Walenczyk retired from being an airplane captain for Northwest Airlines.

1964 Eleanor E. Koss retired from the Bloomfield School System in 1991 after 35 years of service. She has been working at Mohegan Sun Casino since 1991.

1982 Gayle H. Bruce has been teaching reading at Sebastian River High School in Florida for the past seven years. She is also an adjunct instructor at Indian River Community College.

1984 Deborah Kleckowski is an adjunct professor and director of College Career Pathways at Middlesex Community College. She is also the Middletown Planning and Zoning Commissioner.

1985

1965

Joseph Ferron is the owner and president of Ferron Financial.

John L’Homme has retired after 37 years of teaching fifth grade at J.W. Long School in Ledyard.

1987

1969

Marc Calafiore has been assigned to the New Haven Police Department detective bureau’s homicide unit.

Joan Russoniello Goba has retired after working 34 years in the Windham Public School System as an administrator of federal and state grants.

1970

1989 Tracey Boyden, a research scientist at Pfizer, is one of three company employees who took part in the 2007 Pan Mass Bicycle Challenge.

Bill Goba retired from the Lebanon Public School System and for the past eight years has been working part-time as an ESL teacher for Norwich Adult Education. Kathleen (Bowen) Pepin has retired from teaching reading and the Reading Recovery Program in Concord, NH.

1991

1971

Bill Lee was elected to the Enfield Town Council in 2005. He is serving as the councilman-at-large.

Toni A. Knurek retired from the Montville School System in June 2007, after 36 years of teaching. Lewis Middleton is working for the Ikon Supplies Division in Glastonbury as the senior new business development account executive.

1972 Mary-Jane Larson Traska has retired after 35 years of teaching in the East Hampton School System.

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James Dineen has been appointed assistant principal for the high school and middle school in Tolland.

1992 1993 Dana Rondel Olmstead’s novel, A Flower: It Has Its Own Song, was published in 2006. She has been working full time as a writer, public speaker, and choreographer; and founding three community programs (Book of Metaphors, RVoices NMotion, and Seeds of Lotus Rising) and a business program called HueManiTeam. Still residing in the Boston area, Darren Ross is now working at Capgemini, Ernst & Young as director of product marketing.

1997 Rachael Cacace has been appointed principal of Quaker Farms School in Oxford.

2000 Courtney Chan, a psychiatric social worker, has been selected as human services administrator for the Town of Coventry. Brian Miller has accepted a position as a sixth-grade life science teacher at Denn John Middle School in Kissimmee, FL. Robert Schmidt is on assignment to the Pentagon working for the Chief of Naval Operations.

2001 Wissam Abul-Huda is working as the director for iOGlobalSolutions LLC in Wilmington, DE.

2002 Beverly Chapman has been offered a position at Windham Middle School teaching the fifth grade. Sarah Normandie has accepted a job as a preschool teacher for Canterbury Public Schools. Deborah Tajmajer is currently working for the Connecticut Ancestor Connections.Tyler Hewes is the new executive director for the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and is the production manager of San Diego’s Mainly Mozart. Kimberlee Kenney is in her 6th year of teaching high school math for the Chesapeake City Public School System. She and her husband, Jeff, are stationed in Norfolk,VA, with their daughter, Bailey.

2003 Erik Harakaly graduated with honors from Roger Williams Law School in May 2007. He then passed the Connecticut bar exam in July. Kristen Sixbey has been hired at Windsor High School.

2004 Rachel Albino has decided to move back to the west side of the state where she now teaches at Northwest Regional #7 in Winsted. She also is certified as a Red Cross CPR/first aid instructor for infants/children and adults. Tye Frazer is attending the Connecticut National Guard’s Officer Candidate School at Stone’s Ranch. Frederick M. Gordon is a Firefighter/EMT for the Washington, D.C., Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Patrick Conner has worked the past two years with Pharmalytica Services in Newington, CT as a metrologist.

2005 Ryan Parsons is an officer with the Cromwell Police. Joseph A. Penrose is in the internship program at Advanced Equity Financial Group in Westerly, RI.

class notes 2006

2002

In Memoriam

Ryan Aubin is the new director of youth and family services for Griswold. He will oversee the youth center and recreation department. Heather (Branch) Capalbo is working as a staff accountant for Marien & Company LLC, CPAS in Norwich. Melissa DeMarco has been hired as a sixth-grade teacher at Elizabeth Shelton Elementary School in Shelton. Jennifer McPhee is teaching science and social studies in the fifth grade at Carmen Arace Intermediate School in Bloomfield. Sheree ShieldsFarrell was recently crowned Mrs. Connecticut USA. Allison Sumecki is a Physical Education teacher at East Haven High School. She is also in her first season coaching the girls’ swim team.

Karl Nitowski and Katie O’Connell on Oct. 20, 2007

Thelma Koistinen ’33 (1913-2007) Mary S. Child ’39 (1917-2007) Ann Theresa Mara ’42 (1920-2007) Gene-Ellen Walton ’48 (1927-2007) Eugene Frankel ’49 (1925-2007) Nancy Mead ’66 (1922-2007) Norman E. Naum ’69 (1937-2007) Joyce Blackstone ’70 (1931-2007) Reilein A. Dean ’73 (1933-2007) Therea Orszulak ’79 (1925-2007) Jody E. Flowers ’81 (1957-2007) Heidi Gantick ’87 (1965-2007) Andrew Bonnafant ’98 (1947-2007) Sharon Molzen ’99 (1956-2007) Lillian Kandrak Gasper ’03 (1950-2007) Kathryn Giglio, Friend of Eastern (1946-2007) Diana A. Kirby, Friend of Eastern Michaud Norma, Friend of Eastern (1940-2007) Patricia G. Mulhall, Friend of Eastern (1933-2007) Sharon L. Mystique, Friend of Eastern (1961-2007) Dean A. Reilein, Friend of Eastern (1933-2007) Grace Rovozzo, Friend of Eastern (1930-2007) Richard E. Stewart, Friend of Eastern (1930-2007) Alexander Taylor, Emeritus Faculty (1931-2007)

2003 Kevin Asklar and Carrie Ufferflige on June 16, 2007 William John Snyder Jr. and Christine Jan L’Homme on Sept. 28, 2007 Andrew Gardner and Stephanie Daigle on Aug. 4, 2007

2004 Bryan Andrew White and Sarah Ellen Krushinkski on June 30, 2007 Mark Barone and Jessy Potak on Sept. 1, 2007

2007

2005

Ramon J.M. Lebron is working as an associate for Kostin, Ruffkess, & Co. in New London. Lisa Jablonski was awarded the CSCPA Merit Award. Christina Litrico has accepted a second-grade permanent position at Robertson Elementary School in Manchester. Matt Zagura has been offered a teaching position in health and physical education at Goodwin Tech.

Kelli Berns and Nathan Lacey in November 2005

Marriages 1988 Peter McDevitt III and Susan Bankowski on Sept.16, 2006

1990 Spencer Glover and Brandi Aubin on Sept. 8, 2007

1997 Michelle Mayette and Michael Grzebieniowski on Sept. 22, 2007

2001 Natalie Cristino and Brian Crowe on July 29, 2006

2006 Ellis J. O’Briant and Lisa K.White on May 5, 2007

Births and Adoptions Devon McKenna ’98 and her husband, Bryan, announce the birth of their first child in January 2007. Joseph Corso ’99 and his wife, Erin Egan ’00, announce the birth of their daughter, Margaret Maureen, on March 8, 2007. Jill (Gallo) Pera ’01 and her husband, Joseph, announce the birth of their daughter, Stefanie, on Jan.11, 2007. Kelli Lacey ‘05 and her husband, Nathan, announce the birth of their first son, Jack Daniel, on Feb. 2, 2006, and their second son, Logan David, on Sept. 5, 2007. Carrie (Lisitano) Rose ’00 and her husband, Ryan ’00, announce the birth of their daughter, Jordan Elizabeth, on Dec. 15, 2007.

One of our older alumna is 92-year-old Margaret (Bradshaw) Curtin ’70 MS, who wrote us to share the following: “I did my graduate work as a grandmother and thoroughly enjoyed being in classes with young people — it was a wonderful experience.” Curtin taught in Stonington, where her husband was principal and later superintendent, and retired in 1975. She substituted for another eight years before leaving the chalkboard behind to spend time with her six children, 15 grandchildren, and 12 greatgrandchildren. Congratulations, Margaret, and thanks for sharing with us!

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Winter 2008

Final thoughts

shared values and vision for the future. Projects like “Lost in Translation” and the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership offer Eastern an opportunity to invest in the economic future of our town, while the Day of Giving in November was our way of supporting people less fortunate than us.

Have you ever spent a few minutes exploring your Webster’s dictionary in hopes of uncovering more subtle meanings of a word you may have taken for granted? Try the word “investment” and the related words “investiture” and “vested.” While we typically think of investing as a process of advancing money to yield a financial dividend, there are other definitions to be found. You will discover meanings that range from the archaic “to clothe” (investment), to the legal “grant or endow authority” (vested), to the formal “ratification or confirmation” (investiture). The theme that seems to run through all of these definitions is that of positive empowerment. While supporting Eastern Connecticut State University financially — the traditional definition of investment — is essential to the University’s growth and success, the broader definition of positive affirmation is equally fitting in describing Eastern, both in terms of the assistance Eastern receives from its supporters, and the University’s own investment in the community. In this issue of EASTERN Magazine, you have read poignant stories about a number of public investments, both by and on behalf of Eastern. Each illustrates this concept of investing in the public good by empowering individuals, providing material support, serving the community-at-large, and affirming our

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Winter 2008

People also continue to invest financially in Eastern, recognizing that a healthy University can better serve its students and the community in which we live. The DNA Sequencer donated by LI-COR Biosciences is an example of how someone in industry was interested in investing in future scientists in our Department of Biology. The large philanthropic gifts we have recently received from the Brown and Hicks families demonstrate the impact that large financial contributions can have on Eastern and its students. And the generosity of alumni like Sharon Mendes and Margaret Toner demonstrates that support and inspiration come in all sizes. With the generosity of our donors, who number in the thousands and are detailed in the Annual List of Donors found in the middle of this publication, Eastern is able to provide needed financial scholarships and other support to hundreds of our students, while enhancing our academic programs, facilities, and learning outcomes. In a very real way, Eastern is reinvesting this generosity by actively serving the local community, the state of Connecticut, and the worldat-large. To each of our donors, for the many ways in which you support this University, thank you. With your support, Eastern can continue to advance its mission as Connecticut’s public liberal arts university.

Kenneth J. DeLisa Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Alumni Ambassadors

Attention Alumni Have you moved or gotten married? Have you taken a new job or had an addition to your family? Interested in volunteering at alumni events or activities? Please send your information to: Michael Stenko, Director Office of Alumni Affairs Eastern Connecticut State University 83 Windham Street Willimantic, CT 06226 e-mail: alumni@easternct.edu Watch our web site for alumni receptions and networking events in Connecticut and out-of-state. Interested in a new professional position, or looking to recruit a new graduate or student intern? Contact the Office of Career Services at www.easternct.edu/depts/career or call (860) 465-4559. Willing to volunteer at college career fairs as an admissions ambassador? Call: Christopher Dorsey Assistant Director of Admissions phone: (860) 465-4398 e-mail: dorseyc@easternct.edu

Comments Please send story ideas and “letters to the editor” to: Edward Osborn, Director Office of University Relations Eastern Connecticut State University 83 Windham Street Willimantic, CT 06226 phone: (860) 465-5735 e-mail: osborne@easternct.edu

California Los Angeles Area David T. Branin ’98 Benjamin J. Pratt ’98 John Toolan ’90 Tony P. Riccio III ’99 San Francisco Area JoJo Farrell ’97 Lisa A. Hatt ’93 Joseph A. Parks ’90 Frank M. Rudnick ’75 Shannon E. Riley ’96 San Diego Area Marie K. Baer ’86 Patrick T. Cross ’99 Kevin T. Lemieux ’98 Mary E. Liu ’78 Andrew J. McRory ’95 Christopher W. Melingonis ’99 Cynthia I. Monter ’85 Nicole K. Monter ’99 Sigrid H. Nicholas ’84

N e w Yo r k / Ne w Je r s e y Metropolitan New York City Area Michael Moore ’90 John Stueck ’83

Rhode Island Providence Area Bonnie Bryden ’03

Sri Lanka Dilini Gunasekera ’91

Sweden Poyan Shojaiyan ’04

United Arab Emirates Natasha Husain ’01

Massachusetts Greater Boston Area Tony Cristi ’96 Veronica Beechwood Curry ’97 David Mullin ’98 Laila Siddiqui ’04

Thanks, Eastern Family! Bowlathon a Great Success! Once again, the faculty, staff, students, alumni, local community, and friends of Eastern Connecticut State University came through at the annual BOWLATHON on March 8, to raise funds for scholarships for local Eastern students. Held at Willi Bowl in North Windham, the BOWLATHON featured more than 30 teams and raised approximately $15,000 to support the ECSU Foundation Community Scholarship Program, which awards a number of scholarships to incoming students from a 20-mile radius of campus. To the faculty, students, staff, alumni, and other Eastern supporters who “bowled for BUCK$” in support of our students, thank you!

Kimberly Crone, director of admission and enrollment management, and her husband, Lewis, visit with President Núñez. Lewis Crone’s Millstone Power Station group is typically the largest of all the BOWLATHON teams.

You are invited to attend 2008 Eastern Celebrates Saturday, May 17, 2008 Alumni • Graduating Seniors & Parents • Faculty & Staff

Reunion Class Reception (3 p.m.) 1983 • 1978 • 1973 • 1968 • 1963 • 1953 • 1948 • 1943 • 1938

Hosted by President Elsa M. Núñez Also join the Dean of Education & Professional Studies and Emeriti Faculty in our newly remodeled Student Center!

Big Tent BBQ (5 p.m.) Join us for a mouth-watering BBQ menu and lively entertainment to round out your visit to our beautiful campus! For more information or to make reservations, please contact the Alumni Office at (860) 465-4517.

EASTERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY 83 WINDHAM STREET WILLIMANTIC, CT 06226

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