Issue 19
Fall 2012
Connecticut’s Public Liberal Arts University
EASTERN Issue 19 | Winter 2012
In This Issue 1 From the President’s Desk 2 Eastern Alumni 4 Eastern Celebrates! 8 Alumni Gatherings 9 Back in the Day
Closing the Achievement Gap 10 From the City to the Campus 13 Taking it Back Home 14 Summer Programs Promote Admissions 16 Preschool Literacy: Crucial for Academic Success 18 Making a Difference in Windham Schools
Features 21 Campus News 26 Athletics 28 Philanthropy 31 Class Notes 40 Final Thoughts Inside back cover Supporting Eastern
Staff & Contributors Executive Editor Kenneth J. DeLisa Editor Edward Osborn Associate Editor Amy Brenner-Fricke Designers Kevin Paquin | Leigh Balducci Contributors Dwight Bachman
Meghan Carden | Peter Dane | Kate Harner Chris Herman | Gabrielle Little | Joseph McGann Ebony Minott | Robert Molta | Anne Pappalardo Ryan Rose | Michael Stenko | Kyle Verona Photographers Nick Lacy | Jack Wassell 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. EASTERN Magazine is printed on coated paper that is certified by three environmental groups and manufactured with 30 percent post-consumer recycled fiber.
Reflections from
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This issue of EASTERN magazine focuses on a topic of national interest that has its own special story to tell in our hometown of Willimantic. I am speaking of the “Achieve “Achieve-ment Gap,” the gap in academic progress between lowincome, minority, largely urban students and their more affluent, suburban Caucasian counterparts. This gap can be found throughout the United States and — here is the shocking truth — is greatest in Connecticut. In various measures of reading, writing, mathematics and science, the achievement gap between Latino and African American students across Connecticut and their Caucasian peers is the largest in the nation. Eastern is working hard to impact this critical issue. We do so for many reasons. For one thing, as a public university, we are committed to providing educational access to students of all backgrounds. We believe this is a moral obligation. The college attendance rates of Latinos and African Americans significantly lag those of whites. When one considers data that shows 68 percent of jobs in Connecticut will require some form of college degree by 2018, educating more minority students is an economic imperative, in addition to being our moral duty. Much of our work in attempting to close the achievement gap occurs right here in Willimantic. Not only have we been active community members since Eastern was founded in 1889, Willimantic’s unique personality makes it a perfect location for our University to have an impact. Since the middle 1950s, when the American Thread Company and the Hartford Poultry plant recruited workers from Puerto Rico, Willimantic has had a growing Latino population. Today, perhaps 40-50 percent of the overall population is Latino, and as much as two-thirds
of the school-age population. Language barriers, cultural differences, and a host of other social and economic conditions have created the same academic achievement gap in Willimantic that can be found throughout Connecticut. The fact Willimantic’s Latino population is three to four times the state average, and that our school-age population is three times the national average, compounds our local challenges. In the pages that follow, you will read of a number of programs and initiatives at Eastern designed to improve educational opportunities. While we recognize that our ef efforts are only part of a growing movement in Connecticut and the United States to confront the Achievement Gap, what better place to start than in the community where we live and work? I hope you enjoy reading about this important element of our mission. Perhaps you have already found your own role in the effort. Thank you, as always, for your interest and commitment in our state’s public liberal arts university.
Elsa Núñez President
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EASTERN ALUMNI 2012 EASTErn FElloWS ArE InDuCTED Eastern inducted its fourth class of Alumni Fellows, selected from a group of distinguished graduates who have made their marks in their chosen professions. Inductees included Carla Goodwin ’69, an elementary education major and now a forensic psychologist in Massachusetts; Wendy Daly ’75, a psychology major and pediatrician/owner of a leading pediatric clinic in Louisville, KY; and Tim White ’81, director of collections and operations at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. “Today’s Fellows are role models, the kind of graduates we want our students to be,” said President Elsa Núñez. “For them to come back to our campus to speak with our students about their career success is a wonderful gift to the University. The Fellows’ careers reinforce that a liberal education provides a foundation for many career paths.” During an hour-long panel discussion in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Conference Room, the three alumni spoke about their careers to a room full of students, faculty and staff. With the encouragement of then-Dean of Students Betty Tipton, Goodwin turned away from a planned career as a classroom teacher to become a forensic psychologist.
From left: Tim White ’81, Carla Goodwin ’69, Eastern President Elsa Núñez and Wendy Daly ’75
Daly, who was a registered nurse when she arrived at Eastern, graduated, got married, and eventually moved to Louisville, KY, where she decided she had what it took to become a doctor, despite the fact only 25 percent of the medical school students at the time were women. Today, she owns a pediatric practice with four doctors and 13 employees and has also done research in the area of vaccine development. White has spent the past 29 years as a member of the administrative team at Yale’s Peabody Museum.
Last year, White was a member of a group of Yale officials who returned historical artifacts from the Inca site Machu Picu to Peru. “There I was, riding in a presidential motorcade in Lima, sharing a deep, emotional moment with the people there. The artifacts were a matter of national pride.” All three Fellows offered similar advice to the students present: “Find a mentor who can help push you.” “Find unexpected opportunities.” “Learn to use the library, even with all the Internet resources today.”
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The 18th Annual Accounting Banquet, sponsored by the Accounting Society, was held in the Betty R. Tipton Room of the Student Center with more than 150 students, alumni, faculty/staff, emeriti and friends in attendance. Pictured prior to the event are, from left: Professor Moh’d Rujoub, coordinator of the accounting program; Ralph E. Webb, professor emeritus in accounting; John P. Listro, professor emeritus in accounting; William T. Sisco, professor emeritus in accounting; President Elsa Núñez; and Joseph D. Lobe ’03, senior financial analyst for the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority and the keynote speaker for the event. Lobe, who holds a B.S. in accounting from Eastern and a J.D. from Western New England School of Law, spoke eloquently about the current Native American debt crisis and how the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes are each handling the immense challenges.
MATh AnD CoMPuTEr SCIEnCE AluMnI quADrEnnIAl More than 150 alumni, faculty, students and guests gathered in the Betty R. Tipton Room for the Ninth Quadrennial Math and Computer Science Reunion. First held in 1980, the reunion brings alumni together from all over the country to share in a night of friendship and laughter. Professor Emeritus Stephen Kenton, organizer of each of the nine reunions, welcomed guests and delighted everyone with stories about his new life as an Eastern retiree. Kenton also challenged all math and computer science alumni to support Eastern through their financial gifts. He noted that every alumni who gives to Eastern helps the University rise in rankings conducted by such widely acclaimed publications as “U.S. News & World Report.” Kenton thanked everyone who has continued to support an endowed scholarship fund established in 2008 to honor his retirement. More than $40,000 has been raised so far.
Top left: Professor Kenton received a box of sticky buns from Sturbridge’s Publick House as a gift from Math/CS Professor Marsha Davis. The pastries are Mrs. Kenton’s favorites and are used by Kenton to accrue “positive marriage points” at home, a fact which he pointed out during the reception. Top right: Susan (Nowsch) Lowrey ’76 and Robert Lowrey catch up with Faith Kenton. Bottom left: Karen Wilson ’85 and Cheryl Bray ’85 chat with a classmate. Bottom right: (from left) Richard Sulinski ’74, Barbara Rothstein, Robert Rothstein ’74, Professor Kenton and Janet Laterra Arnone ’73. To make a gift to the Stephen A. Kenton Endowed Scholarship Fund, contact Peter Dane in Eastern’s Development Office at (860) 465-4513, or give online at www.easternct.edu/advancement/donate.htm.
EDuCATIon SyMPoSIuM hoSTS DISTInGuIShED AluMnI Three distinguished Eastern education alumni returned to campus on April 20 to serve as the keynote speakers at an Education Symposium that addressed the topic, “Effective Teaching in Today’s Classroom.” The event was hosted by the Office of Institutional Advancement and the Education Department.
at Sweeney since shortly after graduating from Eastern with a B.A. in Elementary Education and History. Firth offered advice and inspiration for the aspiring teachers in the room: “Our responsibility is to promote civic responsibility in our classroom because at the end of the day, these kids are our future.”
Pam Aubin ’89/’96 M.S. has been the superintendent of the Montville Public School System since January 2010, having served as superintendent in Norwich for four years prior to that. Aubin talked about passion, stating her belief that if the educator is not passionate, the learners will not be either. This theme of passion filtered into the rest of the presentations. David Bosso ’97, a social studies teacher in Berlin, is Connecticut’s 2012 Teacher of the Year. He asked, “Why do you want to be a teacher? You can’t think of teaching as a job but rather think of it as a life mission.” Kathryn Firth ’05/’08 M.S., who was named the 2012 Teacher of the Year for both the W.B. Sweeney School and the Windham School District, has been a fourth-grade teacher
From left: David Bosso ’97, Pam Aubin ’89/’96 M.S., and Kathryn Firth ’05/’08 M.S.
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On May 12, more than 1,200 people — graduating seniors, their families and alumni — were on campus for such activities as Reunion Day and the Big Tent Barbeque. The Jubilee Class of 1962 was honored with the presentation of Golden Diplomas to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their commencement from Willimantic State College.
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1. Ashley Pereira ’12 and Janice (Slowik) Mooney ’83
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2. Patricia (Hartl) Tomkunas ’62 and Judith (Mitchell) Hany ’62 participate in the “Alumni March” from the Student Center to the Big Tent Barbeque.
3. Almyra (Tefft) Hornberger ’72 and Carol (Seaton) DesSureault ’72 share memories and laughs at the Alumni Reunion Reception. 4. Priscilla Hill, LaKeisha Murphy ’12 and Frances Murphy
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Leading up to the Big Tent Barbeque, approximately 250 alumni from the Classes of 2001 through 2011 gathered at Blarney’s in Willimantic on May 11 for Eastern’s Third Annual “Bash for the Past” reunion, which kicked off a weekend of “Eastern Celebrates!” events. The party included live music from Jim Wolf ’03, and was the largest gathering of young alumni of the entire year.
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5. Ruth (Zenchoff) Russian ’42 and Luva Mead Hoar ’42 celebrate 70 years since graduation from Willimantic State Teachers College. 6. Esther (Hansen) Phelps ’32 (center) and her daughter, Patricia Locke, admire a “Golden
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Diploma” presented by Executive Vice President Michael Pernal on the 80th anniversary of Esther’s graduation from Willimantic Normal School.
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Alumni from the classes of 1932 through 1987 returned to campus for luncheons, tours, and the annual Alumni March. Attendees were delighted to welcome Esther (Hansen) Phelps of the Willimantic Normal School Class of 1932. Don Cohen spoke on behalf of the Class of 1962, which is now undertaking a goal to raise $15,000 to endow a special fund to assist students with emergency needs. The Class of ’62 also led the traditional Alumni March from the Student Center to the Big Tent Barbeque, where graduating seniors from the Class of 2012 were welcomed as the newest members of the Eastern alumni family. “It was wonderful to see so many families in attendance,” said Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. “We had alumni from as far back as the Class of 1932 visiting campus. Not only are they always surprised and pleased with the growth that has taken place on our beautiful campus, they enjoy visiting with today’s students and the faculty and staff who work hard to make our alumni proud of their alma mater.”
7. Class of 1952: Richard A. Curland, Francesca W. (Macione) Dussault and Felix J. Winters 8. Dan Giuntini, Scott Nolan ’12, Jaclyn Giuntini ’12 and Benjamin Foran ’12 9. Class of 1957: From left: Annette M. Murphy, Shirley May Doyle Shepard, Patrice (Demurs) Kaneda, Marilyn J. Barnes McFarland, Raymond F. Brown, Jean B. Fishbone, Geraldine S. (Shea) Spillane and Morris A. Fishbone. 10. Class of 1962: Front, from left: Anna (Stankewich) Alfiero, Ann (Garrison) Bailey, Judith (Bloch) Vertefeuille, Beverly (Bellavance) Anthony, Jacqueline (Jeffrey) Burgess, Carol S. (Sexton) Cohen, John W. Freudenstein and Nancy (Hart) Allyn. Back, from left: William
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Diffley, Victor H. Ferry, Judith (Mitchell) Hany, Elizabeth (Kodym) Heckler, Patricia Ann (Hartl) Tomkunas, Brenda (Winakor) Holmwood, Paul Songdahl and Donald Cohen. 11. Rev. Barbara L. (Hibbard) Schreier ’67, Mitch Pietras ’67 and Margaret Lea Lavezzoli ‘67 12. Anthony Amato ’12, Milan Sands ’12, Josh Jenkins and a friend enjoy the Big Tent Barbecue. 13. Class President Donald Cohen ’62 offers remarks at the Class of ’62 Jubilee Reunion reception, where each class member was presented with a special “Golden Diploma.” 14. Hannah Ojard ’12 and her father, Greg Ojard
15. Class of 1972: Front, from left: Kathleen (Brown) Fabian, Paula H. (Honeyman) Weber, Nancy G. (Gratson) Souza, Artelia (Green) Williams, Susanne (Rondeau) Leuck, Almyra R. (Tefft) Hornberger and Carol S. (Seaton) DesSureault. Back, from left: Mary Jane (Larson) Traska, Mary S. Mladek, Daniel Diodato, Jennifer A. Malone, Celeste M. (DesSureault ) Jakubowski and Patricia J. (Yelmini) Williams. 16. Robert Shular and Jasmine Williams ’12 pose with “The Shield” mascot. 17. Class of 1977: Richard R. Greenwood ’78, Larry Criniti, Carol H. (Hammond) Wright, Joseph A. Cassella, Jan Grace (Piccolello) Cassella, Jack Kwastel and Denyse A. Totten
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18. Class of 1982: Front, from left: Thomas Hyer, Elizabeth J. Skov, Rosemary M. (Drennan) LoStocco ’81, Carol B. Stierle and Barbara E. (Wing) Baldovin ’82. Middle, from left: Patricia (Greenwood) Fogle, Darlene Folan, Kathleen B. (McAleenan) Lucas and Lisa (Boutot) Proctor. Back, from left: Geraldine (Dolyak) DeGenova, unidentified man, Bill Paetzol and Kenneth Skov ’82. Missing from photo but attending the reunion: Terri (Knoblauch) Wilson.
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Plan now to attend Eastern Celebrates! on May 10-11, 2013. If your class or group would like to have a reunion during the 2013 Eastern Celebrates! weekend, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (860) 465-5302 or at alumni@easternct.edu.
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For the past five years, Eastern has been “on the road,” bringing alumni together in a variety of locales for social and professional networking while spreading the news of Eastern’s rise as a first-choice public liberal arts university. Recent networking events and alumni receptions have been held in Willimantic, Hartford, Putnam, New London, Providence, New York and Los Angeles. In addition to many of these cities, look for Eastern alumni events in New Haven, Stamford, Middletown, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Tampa and Washington, DC, during 2012-13.
AluMnI EvEnTS GroW In PoPulArITy
Hartford: Kayla Cortes ’10, Alicia Dixon ’11 and Khrystyna Stefak ’11
Hartford: Derrick Curry ’05 and Onika Harry ’05
To receive e-mail invitations to alumni events, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (860) 465-5302 or at alumni@easternct.edu, or like our Facebook group “ECSU Alumni Association.” Hartford: James A. Daniels ’03, Cynthia Daniels ’70 and Susan (Vaccaro) Musgrove ’82
Putnam: Jack Lovejoy, Christy Rathbun ’97, Kathleen A. (Burke) Lewis ’75/’04 M.S. and Anne (Pasay) Burke ’89/’04 M.S.
Hartford: Evan Parker ’07 and Rebecca Daleb ’94
Providence: Front, from left: Jeliesa Gregory ’12, Lindsay McGee ’12, Christina Frugale ’12, Laura (Assara) Mlyniec ’03, Cynthia Gianfrancesco ’88, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs Ryan Rose ’00/’11 M.S. Back, from left: Jason Ruel ’99, Kristen (Kegler) Ruel ’02, Director of Alumni Affairs Michael Stenko, Bonnie Bryden ’03 and Josh Berry ’99.
Willimantic: Cynthia A. (Kurth) Johnson ’78, Fred Johnson ’78, Jennifer Lavoie ’10, Brian Lavoie ’03 and Dr. Wendy Ernst ’93
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New York City: Keri Ellis ’03 and Lineyda Alcantara ’06
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Back in t he Day We called ourselves the ‘DRLs’ — the Dirty Rotten LeftHanders! We played other teachers’ colleges — not well, but we had fun!” Jamieson added that when basketball practice ran late, she had to run to her dorm and change clothes because the players weren’t allowed to enter the dining hall with their basketball uniforms on. “Dinner was served starting at 5 p.m., which made it hard with the schedule I had!” she said.
Jean (rose) Jamieson ’55 was one of the University’s original student-athletes who played on the Willimantic State Teachers College (WSTC) women’s basketball club. “That was when we could only play half court. If you were a forward, you played half court. You could not go over the center line because forwards stayed on one side of the line and the guards stayed on the other. You could bounce the ball twice and then you had to pass it up to make a basket. It just happened that in our class we had three left-handed players and we all played together. Peg Hickson, Mary-Ellen Caple and I were all left-handed.
Martin Masters ’46 has vivid memories of what he calls his “travels with Willey”: “I left the family farm in Lebanon and arrived on the Willimantic State Teachers College campus in September 1942. I soon developed a friendship with a young and enthusiastic professor named C. Francis Willey. His classes were exciting and creative. Several years after graduation, when I was a reporter for the Hartford Courant, I received a phone call from Willey. “I’m taking a group of students to Mexico and Cuba. Are you interested?” he said. How could I resist? A few weeks later we flew American Airlines to Mexico City, where we visited museums, schools and the university. From Mexico, we flew to Havana, Cuba, and checked into the Hotel Ambos Mundos in the old part of the city, where Ernest Hemingway wrote “A Farewell to Arms.”
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Interviewed by Gabrielle Little
We saw Hemingway on his boat out in the harbor. One day we went to the island of Cojima, where a movie crew was filming “The Old Man and the Sea” with Spencer Tracy. We witnessed Hemingway and Tracy having a heated argument. At night we walked around Havana. Battista’s soldiers hid in darkened doorways with rifles and bayonets drawn. We heard that Castro and his men and women were up in the hills waiting to take over Cuba. One morning Castro and his soldiers took Havana. The underworld gangsters, who ruled the country, were gone. That afternoon so were we. It was a great experience, and I will always remember Willey.”
Eastern students and faculty prepare to take off on a study trip to Mexico and Cuba in 1958. At far left is Martin Masters; next to him is Professor C. Francis Willey.
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By A my Brenner-Fricke And meghAn cArden
Since 2007, Eastern faculty, staff and administrators have made a major investment of time and energy — and in the process have changed the lives of inner-city students — with the Dual College Enrollment Program (DCEP), an award-winning program that works to improve the academic success of students from low-income backgrounds. Like all public institutions of higher education, Eastern has a commitment to educational access. Today, that means finding new ways to enroll underrepresented students and provide them with the tools to be successful. Providing enhanced support systems to minority and other underrepresented students once they arrive on campus is not enough. Colleges must go directly into communities and develop strategies to help students “climb aboard” an educational system that is frequently out of reach.
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Various studies show that many inner-city youths don’t believe that they are “college material” due to language and cultural barriers, economic issues and the lack of an educational legacy within their families, among other factors. The lack of positive selfesteem and the feeling of hopelessness are characteristic of many students who enter the DCEP. “Raising expectations is a first step in guiding students toward a path of academic success and increased opportunities,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez, who spearheaded a collaborative pilot program between Eastern, Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC) and the Hartford Public High School Guidance Department. The project was recently expanded to include students from Manchester High School. For Núñez, the program isn’t just a “feel-good” project: it’s personal. A Puerto Rican immigrant who moved
to New Jersey as a child, she became the first member of her family to attend college, and remembers the encouragement she received along her own path to academic success. “I have never forgotten the importance of being given a chance,” she said. As Núñez reflected upon her own experiences, she knew that there were plenty of other young people who deserved that same chance. She was keenly aware that the college graduation rate for African American students is 20 percentage points lower than that of white students, and that Latinos are half as likely to finish college as white students. “The Dual College Enrollment Program looks at how students on the academic margins miss going to a four-year program and what can be done to rectify that,” said Charlene Senteio, a counselor at Hartford Public High School’s Law and Government Academy who recommends students for the program. Once they
— Closing the Achievement Gap —
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— Closing the Achievement Gap — are identified by their guidance counselors, students are interviewed by members of the Eastern and QVCC staff in a competitive selection process. For Senteio, each student pulls at her heart. In many cases, “their home environment is not conducive to academics. Attaining a college degree would be so much harder if they remained in that environment.” “The key is to get students away from the inner city and onto our campus, where they can be assimilated into college life,” said Núñez. “At the same time, since most of these students do not have the grades or other academic indicators to meet our normal entrance requirements, we know that they will need intensive developmental coursework before taking on a full load at Eastern.” Hence the “dual” nature of the program. In their first semester, students in the program take one class at Eastern and nine credits of remedial coursework at
QVCC’s Willimantic site, which is located down the hill from Eastern. Each student in the program lives in one of Eastern’s residence halls, enjoying the full range of social and cultural activities available to all Eastern students. The students also receive guidance, one-on-one mentoring, tutoring, advisement, financial planning and other support services. When they are academically ready, they enroll full-time at Eastern. “My freshman year was a bit rough around the edges when it came to academics,” said Jahaira Comacho, who was accepted into the program and is now a junior at Eastern. “With support from the mentors in the program, I have grown and matured through my time here. I continue to strive for the best GPA possible — and will continue to strive until I have my degree in my hands.”
“By providing support for these students, specifically within the first two semesters, the students began to understand how higher education works — not only the environment of the educational setting, but what was expected of them,” said Robert Fernandez, director of financial aid at QVCC. Ismael Gracia, now a senior majoring in graphic design, credits the program with providing him a pathway to success — a blueprint that he hopes to pass on to others. “I have learned how to be a leader on campus, to voice my opinion more in the organizations I am involved in. I have seen myself maturing as a college student at Eastern, and now I can be a role model on campus that others can look up to,” he said. Gracia was elected president
e streets h t t s u j ore than hborhood g m i e m n ’ I y . m m come f ro ents f rom life experience. I d e u r t s e , h z w e than just cause of Dr. Núñ complete college e r o m m e e d that I a mael Gracia . “B ducation, and th e n r a e l e s l Gracia sity e aid I e s “I hav r a e ,” v m i s n n I o .” u s – p u r a ew u a four-ye ng willing to help n that I gr e v i g g i e bein gh for be u o n a nd I a r e r e thank h I cannot
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Left, Whitley Mingo and Orquidea Burgos share their joy at the May 2012 Commencement Exercises. Below, Jahaira Comacho works on campus at the Women’s Center.
low-income students get ready, get in and get through college.” Four years later, the program is showing results. In May 2012, the first students accepted into the DCEP graduated from Eastern. Whitley Mingo ’12 was one of them.
of his residence hall in his freshman year, and is also active in the MALES student club and the Organization for Latin American Students (OLAS). External financial support has been critical to the success of the program. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving was one of the first benefactors, and the program also received a significant grant from the Walmart Foundation through the Excelencia in Education program. A major gift from the SBM Charitable Foundation has also been fundamental in supporting DCEP students. A federal appropriation from the Department of Justice/Commerce/Science omnibus bill also provided financial assistance to the program, as does the ECSU Foundation, Inc., which continually raises funds to provide ongoing support for the program.
“I was a little bit scared coming to Eastern, but the Eastern community has been amazing,” she said. As a DCEP student, Mingo had mentors who kept her on track, including Sociology Professor Dennis Canterbury and Indira Petoskey, assistant dean of continuing education. Mingo took their guidance to heart and gained leadership positions with the National Organization for Women, the African Club and the Fashion Forward Club. She traveled to Jamaica with Education Professor David Stoloff and got professional experience in her major of sociology through various internships. Along the way, she grew more independent and mature.
It has improved the lives of those that are a part of it. It has improved my life,” she said. “It is a big step in showing what is out there and what individuals are capable of.” “The world around these students is often violent and senseless, and life appears to be fleeting in their eyes,” said Núñez. “If we can give them stability, a sense of belonging, and allow them to take incremental steps toward personal success, maybe we can begin to break the pattern we see too often in our cities. And if we can find a new approach to taking kids off city streets and seeing them succeed in college, we’ve taken a huge step forward. ” Students in the program are witnessing those huge steps firsthand. “I have learned that I am more than just where I come from,” said Ismael Gracia. “I’m more than just the streets that I grew up on. Because of Dr. Núñez, students from my neighborhood and I are being given a four-year college education. I cannot thank her enough for being willing to help us.”
With plans to start graduate school in 2013, Mingo has nothing but praise and gratitude for the DCEP. “It’s a great program.
This support, combined with funding from other sources and private donors, is fundamental to the success of the program, which received the first-ever CollegeKeys Compact Innovation Award from the College Board in 2010 for “initiating innovative, effective best practices that help
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Taking it
Back Home As the first graduates of Eastern Connecticut State University’s Dual College Enrollment Program (DCEP) make their way into the real world, senior Kayla Bynum and junior Todd Aviles are returning to their high school and mentoring students on what to expect when they start college. DCEP students themselves, Bynum and Aviles know what it’s like to enter a world about which they know little. “I was really not expecting to attend a four-year university,” said Bynum. Aviles says he “procrastinated” and was late applying to any schools. In their senior year of high school, however, Aviles and Bynum were identified by their guidance counselors as students who were ideal for the DCEP. Today they may exude the confidence, direction and maturity of students who always planned ahead, but it wasn’t until they were introduced to the program that their futures opened up. “When I was accepted the experience felt surreal,” said Bynum, who found her first semester overwhelming. Both were excited to be attending — Aviles packed a month ahead of time — but starting college presented many challenges, and, as first-generation college students, they hardly knew what to expect. Remembering how intimidating their transitions were, Aviles and Bynum wanted to make it easier on those following in their footsteps. They got together last year, created a mentoring program, and presented it to Charlene Senteio, a counselor at Hartford Public High School’s Law and Government Academy, and Kim Silcox, director of Eastern’s Center for Community Engagement. On
By Meghan Carden
Feb. 2, 2012, the pair gathered together fellow Eastern students — six from Hartford and two from the MALES student group — and traveled to Hartford Public High School to speak in a panel discussion. They answered questions about financial aid, roommates, why they chose Eastern and whether they were nervous about leaving home. After that first day, Aviles and Bynum returned every other week throughout the school year and have devoted themselves to helping Hartford students see that success after high school is attainable and manageable. For Senteio, having Aviles and Bynum in her school has helped to enhance her messages about college. “These students are the first in their family to go to college and are often the first to graduate high school,” she said. “This program gives them interaction with peers from their background who are going to college and succeeding.” Aviles and Bynum address a different topic each visit. The high school students learn about choosing the right school, getting involved, study habits, internships, motivation, relationships and health, including drugs and alcohol. As a vote of confidence for the pair, Aviles and Bynum are left alone with the students and are asked questions that may have been avoided with teachers around. “They had questions they were too shy to ask before,” said Bynum, who watched the students grow more selfassured about college as the semester went on. “They were terrified about college, especially about leaving home. Now they are more confident.”
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Special Summer Programs Promote College Admissions
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“The program was more rigorous ness and extra-curricular activities. This summer, more than 70 stuthan many of the classes The program helped me build my dents from across the state enrolled DELOATC I had my freshman self-confidence and even raised my in Eastern’s Summer Transition at te t H year. It helped expectation of myself.” Eastern Program/Contract Admise to create a sion Program (STEP/CAP), now in foundation for its 29th year. If they perform like Anquanette Deloatch, a sophomore my success at STEP/CAP students have in the past, social work major, wants to own her Eastern.” The many will go on to become doctors, own group home one day and work college writing lawyers, teachers, hospital and insurwith adolescents. She says STEP/ class was his ance executives, personnel managers CAP helped her to break out of her favorite. “Being and professionals, a remarkable track shyness. “First, it helped me prerecord for students needing to take able to read well, pare for what college is really like. summer courses to qualify comprehend and articulate what you EY ’91 Faculty and staff gave us a lot of L for entrance into Eastern. have read in writing is critical to bework and taught us critical DA coming a successful college student.” studying skills. I would not have made it through the STEP/CAP had a first semester without tremendous impact on STEP/CAP and MathWiley Dawson ’12, a ematics Professor Kim history and sociology Ward. She made math major from Bridgeport so enjoyable.” who trained at Teach for America in New York City this past summer. Dawson wants Astley Daley ’91 works at Comto teach in an urban public school cast Cable, where he focuses on setting. For him, STEP/CAP was sales, service and product distria life-saver. “STEP/CAP was very bution. Daley was a STEP/CAP supportive with everything — acastudent in 1987, and he found the demics, social preparation, effectivesummer classes quite challenging. Wiley DAWSON ’12
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Aaron Daley, a sophomore majoring in political science with a minor in business information systems, has followed his father Astley’s footsteps. Aaron wants to pursue a career in public administration or be a partner in a law firm. Things are going well on campus. He’s involved with the Student Government Association; the Public Relations Society of America Student Chapter; is a student orientation counselor; and is a member of the lacrosse team. He credits STEP/CAP and Political Science Professor Nicole Krassas for keeping him focused. “STEP/ CAP has helped me mature; adapt to change; face up to challenges of life; and learn how to pay attention to detail in the classroom.” Aaron says Krassas is as good as it gets. “She teaches with amazing enthusiasm. She’s tough, but she is always there to help, and she always seems happy!” In addition to STEP/CAP, Eastern offers another alternative program for students who didn’t meet all the entrance requirements, but demonstrated academic promise. Through
Rory o’DonnEll
Below, Frederick Hornung, interim director of STEP/CAP, meets with a student in the Academic Services Center.
Aaron DAlEy
the Summer Proof of Ability (SPOA) program, students get a chance to prove they can make it by enrolling in two summer courses — a literature and health and wellness course. Completing SPOA requires a serious commitment, as attendance on eight successive summer Saturdays is mandatory; instruction runs all day long; and participants must earn at least a C or higher grade (2.0 GPA). If they do, they are admitted parttime in the fall semester and must earn a 2.0 GPA carrying a minimum of nine, but no more than 11 credits. If they maintain the 2.0 GPA or better, students are cleared for full-time admission in the spring semester. On campus housing is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. For Rory O’Donnell, Eastern was the only place he wanted to be. Eastern offered the best education programs with the fastest route, and the SPOA program would quickly get him on a track to teaching history at the high school level. “By the winter break of my freshman year, I was a — Closing the Achievement Gap —
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full-time student living on campus,” he said. O’Donnell, a senior, is working on his bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He said without the foundation SPOA provided him, the road to securing his college education would have taken much longer. “I still have a long way to go, but I am blessed for the opportunity, and it all started with the Summer Proof of Ability program.” “At Eastern, we are very committed to offering students alternative paths to college admission,” said Frederick Hornung, interim director of STEP/ CAP. “We recognize that each student is an individual, and has his or her own way of discovering the inner resolve and fortitude needed to succeed at college and graduate.”
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Preschool Literacy: Crucial for Academic Success BY A MY BRENNER-FRICKE
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Learning to read and write is critical for every child’s success in school and beyond — if a child’s ability to read and write, or comprehend what they are reading, is deficient, it affects virtually every subject they will take. Research shows that a child’s ability to read is shaped during the first five years of life. The research also indicates that children from specific ethnic and racial backgrounds and low-income families are especially at-risk for reading difficulties — a finding with troubling implications. Analyses by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2009 and 2011 showed that African American and Hispanic students trailed their white peers by an average of more than 20 test-score points on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math and reading assessments in the fourth and eighth grades — a difference of about two grade levels. A 2011 study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that children who live in poverty and read below grade level by third grade are three times as likely not to graduate from high school as students who have never been poor.
Eastern’s Child and Family Development Resource Center (CFDRC). Under the leadership of CECE Program Coordinator Julia DeLapp and Maureen Ruby and Ann Anderberg, assistant professors of education, the project worked to improve the language and literacy skills of nearly 600 preschool-age children in Willimantic/Windham through an intensive, bilingual, family-based language and literacy preschool intervention program — with impressive results. According to Anderberg, the project was designed with Windham’s diverse community in mind. While Hispanic residents constituted 13 percent of the Connecticut population in the 2010 Census, the percentage of Latino residents in Willimantic is nearly 40 percent and approximately 37
In 2008, Eastern’s Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE) set out to examine this issue at the local level and explore the theory that the gap in literacy can be addressed in the preschool years. Using a three-year, $3.9 million Early Reading First (ERF) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the CECE partnered with Windham Public School’s Early Childhood Center and
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Opposite bottom, Ashley Anderson works with a child in the CFDRC. Above, Professor Ann Anderberg in the classroom with students. Below, Maureen Ruby reads with a student.
percent of the town’s residents speak a language other than English in the home. “We worked to address the issues of early childhood education and early literacy development for both English-speaking students and English learners in the community,” she said. Fourteen preschool classrooms from English, transitional bilingual and dual language programs were represented in the study. Over the project’s three-year period, a number of research-based early literacy practices were introduced and implemented. Intensive, class-focused professional development training was provided — in both English and Spanish — for all teachers and paraprofessionals, and literacy coaches were assigned to each classroom. Screening assessments and monitoring tools were used to track students’ progress and guide instructional planning. The time spent in literacy instruction was increased within the curriculum. In addition, a comprehensive family program was carried out. The family program consisted of literacy lending kits — available in several languages — that included books and suggestions to parents about questions they could ask their children about the reading material.
The project also served as a rich source for undergraduate research for Eastern students. Throughout the entire study, 38 college students conducted more than 3,600 early childhood literacy assessments at the CFDRC and Windham Public School’s Early Childhood Center. The assessments provided by these students — who received professional-level training from Anderberg and Ruby in administering standardized early childhood literacy assessment tools — produced critical information that was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Community Partners for Early Literacy project. At the end of the study, the research showed positive results. Both the teachers and the paraprofessionals improved their literacy knowledge by more than 15 percent over the course of the project. In addition, the children made tremendous gains in their “receptive vocabulary,” “rhyming” and “quality of book reading” — with Spanish-speaking students making the most gains. Such findings enabled the researchers to draw conclusions about lessons learned from the project that can be implemented in preschool classrooms throughout the state, said DeLapp. “Through this project, we learned that to be successful with preschool-aged children, you need to provide ongoing, differentiated professional development that is embedded in what’s going on in the classroom. You need to invest in paraprofessionals and believe that they can be true partners in the instructional team. You have to involve families in meaningful ways that support children’s literacy learning at home. And you need to use assessment data to drive your instruction,” she said. Perhaps the most important takeaway from the ERF project, said the researchers, is that the study inspired the teachers to believe in each student’s potential, regardless of their home environment and young age. “Nobody should be surprised that children can learn as much as they do at such a young age,” said Anderberg. “Young children can be assessed, they can receive direct instruction, and they can make tremendous progress when they do. By addressing emergent literacy skills in a very planned and informed manner, and keeping track of how kids are progressing, we have a chance to close or lessen the academic achievement gap before children get to kindergarten.” Added DeLapp, “You have to believe that if you challenge children in developmentally appropriate ways, they are capable of doing amazing things.” EASTERN
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W n i e c n e r e f f i D a g n i k a M s t n e d u t S n r Easte By A nne PAPPAlArdo
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For decades, Eastern Connecticut State University has shared the talents of its students, faculty and staff in local schools, providing student teachers, tutors and other special services. Today, the need for education-related assistance is greater than ever in addressing such challenges as low test scores, school dropout rates, illiteracy, teen pregnancy and other socioeconomic factors. Eastern’s Child and Family Development Resource Center, the Education Department’s many teacher candidates, various grant-funded programs, and educational initiatives such as the Dual College Enrollment and STEP/ CAP programs all play a part in addressing such challenges. In addition, programs offered through Eastern’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) serve to augment existing efforts. As the clearinghouse through which many local community groups reap the benefits of Eastern’s energetic and purpose-driven students, the CCE offers numerous opportunities for Eastern students to get involved. CCE programs that serve to address gaps in academic achievement are offered year-round. “Puentes al Futuro/ Bridges to the Future” is a six-week
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enrichment summer camp that offers academic instruction in math and language arts. Held on campus, Eastern student tutors/mentors and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers work under the guidance of a Windham Middle School (WMS) teacher. The camp was designed to maintain the academic skills of middle school students, many of them English Language Learners (ELL), throughout the summer months. The camp also offers cultural enrichment and recreational activities and helps students build self-confidence, proficiency in the English language and an understanding of Latino culture. “The Puentes program helps middle school students in Willimantic transition to high school,” said Rosie Hernandez, family liaison at WMS. “Our goal is to stay in touch with these students throughout high school, using the creative arts to help them embrace their Latino culture. This year we are using folkloric dances, visual arts and poetry to help them learn more about their heritage and Latin American history.” During the school year, other community service opportunities abound in local schools. A variety of programs
are offered both during the school day and at before- and after-school programs at Willimantic’s elementary schools, WMS and Windham High School (WHS), as well as at local community centers and the Salvation Army. For example, Eastern students volunteering on the “Purple Team” assist ELL students at Windham Middle School during the school day. The program focuses on working with the students in their studies in order to help them progress toward success in high school.
At right: The Puentes al Futuro program uses dance, visual arts and poetry to help students embrace their Latino heritage.
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s l o o h c S m a h d n i W n The academic school-year version of “Puentes al Futuro/Bridges to the Future” is a twice-a-week WMS after-school program that provides homework tutoring followed by a visit to campus for art, music and cultural activities. Eastern’s Art and Culture Series brings Windham’s elementary school students to Eastern for a day of music, dance, story-telling and art each year. The CCE also offers community center-based tutoring/mentoring programs held at the local Salvation Army and at the West Avenue (Project Academic Achievement) and Village Heights (Cameo Club) community centers. According to Kim Silcox, director of the CCE, more than 1,000 Eastern students volunteer in Windham schools each year, through academic courses, clubs, residence halls and CCE-sponsored programs. “Students participate in more than 20 long-term programs, volunteering for a semester, a year or longer. The impact the Eastern students have on the children is significant and life-changing.
At left, Federica Bucca tutors students at Windham Middle School as a volunteer with Eastern’s “Purple Team.” At right, Eastern student Melanie Attardo.
Our students learn so much about themselves in the process, and develop their own sense of civic responsibility.” In some cases, tutoring and mentoring efforts prove to be mutually beneficial for both Eastern students as well as their young charges. Federica Bucca, a senior sociology major from Hartford, immigrated to the United States from Argentina at the age of 10. As an ELL student herself, she made a conscious decision to make a difference in the lives of other students with similar backgrounds. As a first-generation college student and a first-generation high school graduate, Bucca is well aware of the many challenges that face non-native English speakers.
After being accepted into Eastern’s Dual College Enrollment Program, Bucca was introduced to volunteering in Windham schools through OLAS, a student club that assists in the educational success of Latino students at Eastern. She is currently a site coordinator for the Purple Team at WMS and assists at Sweeney Elementary school’s after-school program. She
also volunteers at WHS, was involved in this year’s Arts and Culture day, and was a tutor/mentor at the “Puentes” summer camp. “Once I started volunteering I realized that these students needed positive role models that they can relate to on an everyday basis. These students see themselves in me, and the teaching goes both ways,” said Bucca. In some cases, volunteering as a tutor can spark an interest in teaching as a career. Sophomore Melanie Attardo of Wethersfield, a double major in early childhood education and Spanish, initially started volunteering because it was required for one of her classes. She enjoyed it so much that she joined Eastern’s People Helping People student club. One thing led to another and Attardo eventually increased her volunteer efforts not only in Windham schools, but at the local Salvation Army’s after-school program as well.
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“Volunteering helped me find my calling. I knew I loved working with children, but it helped assure me that I had made the right choice about wanting to be an early childhood education major. And working in Windham schools helped me decide on my second major — Spanish,” she said. As a result of Eastern’s focus on community engagement, faculty are encouraged to consider incorporating a service learning component into
their courses. Associate Professor of Psychology Jennifer Leszczynski and Lynette Braunhardt, Mathematics Department adjunct faculty member, have both offered courses that include service learning. In Braunhardt’s Joyful Teaching course, Eastern students committed to at least one hour a week doing a community service project. Most of her class gravitated toward working with children as tutors or classroom assistants at local after-school or church programs, or at daycare centers. Students in Leszczynski’s Psychology of Childhood course
volunteered at least six hours during the semester working with children at WMS, North Windham or Sweeney Elementary Schools, and at local community center programs. “It is absolutely essential for our students to gain experience applying what they learn in the classroom to individuals in the community. Learning about the importance of citizenship and community is an added benefit,” said Leszczynski. Added Braunhardt, “My students couldn’t believe how making a connection with just one child could change how that child felt about learning or school in general in such a positive way.”
At left, Jennie Navarro ’12 served as a language arts coordinator for the Puentes al Futuro summer program. At right, Federica Bucca assists young students with a math project.
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes 2012 Barnard Scholars honored at annual banquet and pre-professional experience through several internships, projects and an oncampus job in the Office of University Relations. Cava completed the majority of her academic studies in just three years, while maintaining a 3.85 GPA. While finishing up her last remaining degree requirements this past year, she worked full time as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in Eastern’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE). From left: Brittney Cava ’12, Eastern President Elsa Núñez and Kathryn Harner ’12
Eastern students Kathryn Harner ’12, an English major from Oxford, and Brittney Cava ’12, a political science major from Torrington, were honored at the 24th Annual Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award Dinner. Harner earned a 4.0 GPA and has been on the Dean’s List every semester while studying at Eastern. She has served as president of the student volunteer group
People Helping People, and as co-coordinator of Eastern’s Fifth Annual “Day of Giving” Thanksgiving meal and food drive. She also served in numerous volunteer service capacities both on and off campus, including as a peer mentor for the First-Year Program and as a volunteer for Joshua’s Trust, an organization that works to preserve more than 4,000 acres in northeast Connecticut. Harner also gained extensive research
In her position with the CCE, Cava coordinated more than 200 Eastern volunteers each semester who contributed more than 2,000 hours of service at 20 different locations in and around Willimantic. According to Kim Silcox, CCE director, the VISTA position has only been offered in the past to college graduates. However, because of Cava’s demonstrated commitment to the community and her tireless advocacy for social justice, an exception was made to offer her the VISTA position.
Undergraduate projects on display at research conference and expo A record 120 students presented at the 12th Annual Research Conference and Exhibition. More than 40 faculty members from the 11 departments and 13 majors of the School of Arts and Sciences served as mentors for the students’ projects. An additional 250 students participated in the School of Education and Professional Studies 12th Annual Excellence Expo. Research presentations included such topics as the geology of Andover Lake; the anatomy and physiology of coral competition; the media’s influence on public opinion of war; an analysis of the Harry Potter books; sustainable energy and the workforce; ancient Greek history; the history of Irish-American women in Willimantic; and Alzheimer’s disease. Music students and faculty also presented an experimental music performance; several short plays were presented by theatre students; and visual art students exhibited two-dimensional and digital art, as well as a range of sculpture art.
Adam Geriak, a junior biology major from Bethel, discusses his research on the metabolic rate of the central bearded dragon lizard.
“The conference and the expo are no longer just events,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. “They are part of our culture at Eastern.” E ASTERN
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times
Photo: Lynton Gardiner
Arts & Lecture Series kicks off 12th season
Eastern’s 2012-13 Arts & Lecture Series opened on Oct. 9 with a lecture by former “CBS News” anchor and “60 Minutes” correspondent Dan Rather, titled “Looking Ahead to the 2012 Election.” From the Kennedy assassination to the Indian Ocean tsunami, Rather has covered every major story of our time.
On Feb. 5, 2013, the U.S. Coast Guard Swing Band hosts a concert of swingera music of the ’30s and ’40s, with a performance that includes compositions by such jazz greats as Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and George Gershwin. The concert will be held in Shafer Auditorium.
On Nov. 15, Marine Colonel Matthew Bogdanos will visit campus to discuss his book, “Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine’s Passion to Recover the World’s Greatest Stolen Treasures.” Colonel Bogdanos served three tours of duty in Iraq and led the investigation into the looting of Iraq’s National Museum. His presentation will be held in the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
Wrapping up the 2012-13 series will be a lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward. Woodward has authored or co-authored 16 books, including “All the President’s Men” and “The Final Days.” The accounts chronicled the investigative reporting done by Woodward and fellow Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein into the Watergate break-in and ensuing
Distinguished leaders are recognized, honored
Eastern’s Latin American Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have performed extraordinary service in support of the Latin American community. From left: Executive Vice President Michael Pernal with Latin American Distinguished Service Award winners William Stover, Luz Burgos and Omar Rodriguez ’12
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scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. His latest book, “The Price of Politics,” published on Sept. 11, 2012, is an intimate and sweeping portrait of how President Barack Obama and congressional leaders handled the economic crisis. The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. on March 12, 2013, in the Betty R. Tipton Room. Tickets for Arts and Lecture Series events are $10 for the general public and can be reserved by calling (860) 465-0036 or e-mailing tickets@easternct.edu. For more information on the 2012-13 series, visit www.easternct.edu/artsandlecture.
Eastern President Elsa Núñez poses with the winners of Eastern Connecticut State University’s Ella T. Grasso Distinguished Service Award. From left: Christy Calkins, assistant program director at the Journey House; Núñez; Eastern alumna LaShawn McBride ’93 and Eastern student Ashley Lovett ’12 of Marlborough
Eastern presented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Awards to Marci Reisman ’12, Eastern retiree Margaret Hebert, University of Connecticut Professor Xae Alicia Reyes and Wiley Dawson ’12 at a reception in the J. Eugene Smith Library.
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes Eastern celebrates 122nd Commencement More than 1,200 undergraduates, along with 88 graduate students, celebrated their academic achievements at Eastern Connecticut State University’s 122nd Commencement exercises at the XL Center in Hartford on May 15. Approximately half the Eastern graduates were the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree.
seniors. Foran encouraged the graduates to continue donating so that the scholarship will grow, telling his classmates, “For many of us graduating tonight, college was a time for self-discovery, immense change and personal growth. Eastern has given us all incredible opportunities, which have allowed us to flourish and succeed…Because of your commitment to give back to our University, we are able to pass on experiences and opportunities that we have enjoyed to future students for years to come, so that they too may benefit from the University that has given us so much.” As Connecticut’s only public liberal arts university, Eastern draws students from 162 of the state’s 169 towns. Approximately 90 percent of graduates stay in Connecticut to launch their careers, contribute to their communities and raise their families. Dr. Michael Roth
Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University, delivered the Commencement Address. Noting the social, political and economic divisiveness that exists in our society today, Roth said that universities “must continue to strive to be places where young people discover and cultivate their independence and must themselves resist the trends of inequality that are tearing at the fabric of our country.” He told the Class of 2012, “The habits of mind developed in liberal arts environments like Eastern’s…will empower you to see opportunity where others see only obstacles.” Eastern President Elsa Núñez told the graduates not to sit on the sidelines. “The challenges we face today as a nation and international community are ours to face and ours to solve… You are now the next generation of citizen leaders in our state and in our nation. Together, you can be the force of change that can keep our country strong.” Senior Class President Benjamin Foran presented Núñez with the class gift, a scholarship funded by donations from 222
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes National honors and accolades Eastern was honored to be included in President Obama’s 2012 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the U.S. Department of Education named Eastern one of the nation’s colleges and universities leading the way in bettering their communities through community service and service learning. While 642 institutions of higher learning were acknowledged on President Obama’s honor roll, Eastern was one of only 110 schools in the country (and one of only two in Connecticut) to be included in the “With Distinction” category, for their work in serving local communities through volunteer programs and other activities. For the fourth year in a row, Eastern was named to the Great Colleges To Work For roster by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The results, released on Aug. 10 in The Chronicle’s fifth-annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of more than 46,000 employees at 294 colleges and universities. For the third consecutive year, Eastern was named one of the nation’s Green Colleges by The Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Eastern’s Drzewiecki and Ostwald honored cal Survey, and his students frequently present the results of research from his class at regional professional conferences and campus symposia. Students uniformly consider his classroom teaching to be accessible and engaging. Jamel Ostwald, associate professor of history, received the Board of Regents/CSU Research Award at the campus level for his research work. Ostwald has compiled an impressive record of research and creative activity and recently published “Vaubaun Under Siege: Engineering Efficiency and Martial Vigor in the War of the Spanish Succession,” an award-winning book on military history.
Peter A. Drzewiecki, associate professor of environmental earth science
Peter A. Drzewiecki, associate professor of environmental earth science and assistant chair of the Department of Environmental Earth Science, was named the statewide winner of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents/CSU Teaching Award. Drzewiecki was recognized for his innovative use of outsidethe-classroom education, including a mix of lab, field trips and student research projects. He has established an internship program for geology majors at the Connecticut Geologi-
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Jamel Ostwald, associate professor of history
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes Dean Carmen Cid receives ESA’s America Diversity Award In August, more than 4,300 ecologists from around the world were on hand in Portland, OR, when the Ecological Society of America (ESA) honored Carmen Cid, dean of Eastern’s School of Arts and Sciences, at its annual conference. The society presented Cid with its America Diversity Award in appreciation for her 20 years of ongoing work in promoting diversity among current and future ecologists. Cid began presenting her research at the annual ESA conference in 1978. At that point, she was the only Hispanic ecologist and one of very few women in her area of expertise — forest and wetland ecology. By 1991, she was appointed chair of the first ESA Women and Minorities in Ecology Committee, and coordinated the development of the first ESA strategic plan to enhance recruitment and retention of women and minorities in ecology. During her tenure, she was successful in implementing child care facilities at the annual conference for the first time, and focusing attention on the work/family balance issues experienced by women in the field of ecology. Since then, Cid has worked on increasing recruitment of minorities in ecology, especially among Hispanic females, through educational outreach to fourth- to sixthgrade students. Her multimedia science education program, “The Urban Ecologist,” was part of the award-winning women in science learning series Project Wonderwise, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, and is part of the after-school program curriculum for 4-H clubs in 28 states and Canada. Cid has continued to mentor women and minorities in ecology through professional academic leadership development programs that she helped develop for college deans and department chairs in national programs coordinated by the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS). Cid serves as a member of the CCAS board of directors, with which she has a National Science Foundation grant to help promote career development of women in the sciences.
Caitlin Carenen named to Academic Fellowship in Terrorism Studies The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan policy institute headquartered in Washington, D.C., has named Caitlin Carenen, assistant professor of history, an “Academic Fellow” for 2012-13. Carenen traveled to Israel this past May for an intensive course in terrorism studies, and in particular, how democracies can defeat the worldwide terrorist threat. The FDD Academic Fellows program provides a 10-day learning experience for U.S.-based teaching and research professionals to provide them with cutting edge information about defeating terrorist groups. The program, which was conducted at Tel Aviv University from May 27 to June 6, included lectures by academics and military and intelligence officials, as well as diplomats from Israel, Jordan, India and the United States. It also included “hands-on” experience through visits to police, customs and immigration facilities; military bases; and border zones to learn the practical side of deterring and defeating terrorists. Carenen also has recently published the book, “The Fervent Embrace: Liberal Protestants, Evangelicals, and Israel.” E ASTERN
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes
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all of Fame induction held Oct. 21
The 2012 E-Club Hall of Fame reception and induction ceremony was held on Oct. 21 in the Betty R. Tipton Room in the Student Center. Sponsored by the Eastern Connecticut State University Athletic Booster Club, the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes the athletic achievements and contributions of the University’s dedicated athletes, coaches and administrators. The Class of 2012 includes Erin Byrnes
Alumnus returns as Athletic Director Jeff G. Konin ’88 was appointed director of athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University, effective July 2. Konin, a native of Hamden, is a nationally recognized expert in the field of sports medicine and athletic training, and had significant teaching and administrative experience in collegiate athletics in his previous positions as vice chair of the Department of Ortho and Sports Medicine and executive director of the Sports Medicine and Athletic-Related Trauma Institute at the University of South Florida (USF).
Jeff Konin ’88
Konin has authored and edited academic texts and numerous journal articles and is a frequent national and international lecturer on athletic and sports-related topics. He also served on the 1996 medical staff for the Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA, and currently serves as the medical coordinator for Team USA Wheelchair Rugby.
Klemyk ’01 (women’s lacrosse); Scott C. Chiasson (baseball); Michelle L. Cunningham ’08 (softball/volleyball); Donna A. Poyant ’93 (softball); and Norman T. Worthington ’90 (baseball).
After earning his bachelor’s degree at Eastern in 1988, Konin received his master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia in 1989, a master’s degree in physical therapy in 1994 from the University of Delaware, and his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in 2004.
Bonnie Edmondson ‘87 served as mistress of
ceremonies. The induction ceremony was the 19th since the formation of the Hall of Fame in 1986. A total of 104 individuals have been inducted to date.
“In addition to his academic leadership at the University of South Florida and his experience in athletic administration, Dr. Konin is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of sports medicine,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. “We are very pleased to hire someone of Jeff’s talent and experience for this important position at Eastern. The fact he is an alumnus of our University makes his return to Connecticut even more special.”
Softball players named to All-America team Senior right-handed pitcher/designated player Molly Rathbun and junior third baseman Arielle Cooper were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) Division III All-America team. The Warriors completed a record-setting 44-3 season which included a record 40-game winning streak, a third-straight Little East Conference regular-season and tournament championship, and the team’s 19th NCAA Division III tournament appearance. Rathbun is the softball program’s first four-time All-American.
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Molly Rathbun (top) and Arielle Cooper
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes For the second year in a row, the Eastern women’s swim team achieved Division III Scholar All-America status from the College Swimming Coaches’ Association of America (CSCAA).
S F ROM TH E N OT E
Student-athletes acheive on and off the playing field
Recipients of the 2011-12 Francis E. Geissler Senior Male SportsPerson-of-the-Year and Bonnie Edmondson Senior Female SportsPerson-of-the-Year Awards were (center, from left) Salieu Bolivar ’12, Jamie Kohn ’12 and junior Ashley Prizio. Pictured with the recipients are David Geissler (far left), son of the late Francis Geissler; and Bonnie Edmondson ’87 (far right).
Eastern Connecticut State University continued its reputation as one of the top academic institutions in the Little East Conference by amassing 75 selections to the conference All-Academic Team in 2011-12: 32 in the fall, 25 in the spring and 18 in the winter. All 17 of Eastern’s intercollegiate programs were represented on the All-Academic Team. To qualify for the team, a student-athlete must have achieved sophomore athletic and academic status, with a cumulative minimum grade-point average of 3.30.
Eastern’s 25 student-athletes on the swimming team achieved an aggregate grade-point average of 3.13 this past spring under 16-year head coach Maureen Fahey, whose teams have featured 25 selections to the Little East Conference All-Academic Team in the five-year history of the award, and 43 E-Club Scholar-Athlete Award recipients in 16 years.
Men’s basketball team completes successful season with an appearance in Sweet 16 tournament Men’s head basketball coach Bill Geitner was named Northeast District Coach-of-the-Year – the first such Eastern coach to receive the honor – after leading the Warriors to a season-record 24 victories, the team’s first Little East Conference tournament championship, and its first NCAA tournament title in 12 years. The team capped off its season with an appearance in the Sweet 16 sectional tournament, where it lost to fifth-ranked Cabrini College. Senior guard Nick Nedwick became the second player in program history to be selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Northeast District Team. A four-year starter, Nedwick led Eastern in scoring for the third straight year and finished as the all-time leading scorer in the program’s 72-year history with 1,657 points. E ASTERN
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes Golf tournament at Lake of Isles a rousing success The annual ECSU Foundation, Inc., Golf Tournament to benefit the Athletics Department and the University’s general scholarship fund was held under sunny skies on June 18 at Lake of Isles in North Stonington. The tournament generated $70,000, with a full field of 132 alumni, staff, and friends in attendance. Since moving to Lake of Isles in 2006, the tournament has grossed more than $560,000. Chartwells (from left): John Cyr, Chris Avtges, Jason Los, Greg Coady
Charter Business (from left): David Hovanec, Gary Driscoll, Jonathan Wanzer, Mark Goggin
As it has in the past, Chartwells served as the title sponsor, with Barnes & Noble College, First Niagara Private Client Services and Webster Financial Advisors serving as breakfast sponsors. Charter Business and Savings Institute Bank & Trust Company (SIBT) rounded out the list of lead sponsors.
A number of organizations have provided financial support for this key event for at least five consecutive years: Connecticut Orthopaedic and Hand Surgery Center (5 years); Blum Shapiro Foundation and CFM Construction (6 years); Walmart First Niagara Private Client Services (from left ): Michelle (7 years); First Niagara and Simplex Hagan, Ned Steiger, Mary Ellen Nichols, David Blume Grinnell (8 years); SIBT (9 years); Windham Hospital and Windham Pepsi (10 years); Charter Communications and Constitution Coach (11 years).
SIBT (from left): Edward Palomba, Rheo Brouillard, Michael Pallein, David Gilman
“It is very gratifying to have so many loyal supporters who have helped make this important fundraising event a wonderful success,” said Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. “We are particularly indebted to these organizations and to everyone who has made Eastern a priority by their participation.” This year’s winning foursome was the Walmart Supercenter team, led by captain Roger Noll, store manager of the North Windham supercenter.
Webster Financial Advisors (from left): Bob LeBreux, Chris Hock, Marshall Ruben, John Jezowski
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Barnes & Noble College (from left): Patrick Maloney, Bill Maloney, James Howarth, Hil Estock
Webster Financial Advisors (from left): Sam Lombardo, Stephen Bright, Dr. Fred Bogin
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes Distinguished Professor Emerita Marcia P. McGowan establishes scholarship for Women’s and Gender Studies
Professor Emerita of English Marcia P. McGowan has often affectionately been called one of Eastern’s “feminist founding mothers” for her role in helping to establish the University’s Women’s Center and the Women’s Studies Department. Her continued commitment to the historical factors that impact the status of gender in America, and the means by which women and other social groups have tried to achieve equality, have led her to endow the “Dr. Marcia P. McGowan Scholarship for Excellence in Women’s and Gender Studies.”
McGowan, who retired in 2011 after 31 years at Eastern, was instrumental in the creation and development of the University’s minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, which Eastern began offering in the early 1980s. This fall, thanks to the tireless efforts of McGowan and many others in the department over the past several years, the University now offers a new major in Women’s and Gender Studies. Eastern is the only public Connecticut college offering the degree, which analyzes how our lives are shaped by gender and other forms of identity, such as sex, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, nationality and location. The new scholarship will be awarded to Eastern students (both male and female) majoring or minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies who demonstrate substantial achievement through research or the practice of principles in which
this interdisciplinary subject is grounded. “There are many social issues — such as sexual harassment, gender equality, race, economic/income disparity — that have not been resolved and remain major concerns. Once you see things from a feminist perspective, it informs all of your subjects. It’s like a light coming on that makes you want to change those stereotypes,” said McGowan. “I am delighted that the scholarship is being announced, and I hope that people will contribute as a way of encouraging student excellence in issues of equity and diversity.” Anyone interested in contributing to the Dr. Marcia P. McGowan Scholarship for Excellence in Women’s and Gender Studies should contact the Development Office at (860) 465-0003.
ECSU Foundation, Inc. awards $450,000 in scholarships On April 12, nearly 300 Eastern students filled the Betty R. Tipton Room to attend the annual ECSU Foundation Competitive Scholarship reception. The ECSU Foundation awarded a record $450,000 in scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year. The competitive scholarship awards are based on merit and, in many cases, unmet financial need. The scholarship process is coordinated by the Office of Institutional Advancement in concert with the Office of Financial Aid. “The ECSU Foundation plays an important role in that it often provides financial support to our students for the last critical amount of money they need to continue their goal of obtaining a college degree,” said Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. “Our ability to respond in a positive way with this financial support, often to purchase required books, is possible due to the generosity of our donors and the strong relationship that we have with our students. They know they can reach out to us when they are confronted with financial problems.” Eastern President Elsa Núñez and several scholarship donors pose for a picture with scholarship recipients in the Student Center stairwell.
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athletics campus news philanthropy class notes Concert event is music to Eastern’s ears The “Music to Our Ears” fundraiser, held June 16 at the Mohegan Sun Arena, featured music legend Neil Diamond. The event was a huge success, generating more than $40,000 for scholarships. The event was the brainchild of Kenneth DeLisa, Eastern’s vice president for institutional advancement, and ECSU Foundation board member Kathy Regan-Pyne ’79, a Mohegan Sun Tribal Council member. The Mohegan Sun Tribal Council sky box created a perfect environment for 125 Eastern supporters to enjoy Diamond’s performance while sampling a first-rate buffet prepared by the casino’s caterers.
President Elsa Núñez and Kathleen Regan-Pyne ’79, Mohegan Tribal Council member
“With support from fellow members of the tribal council, Kathy was able to restore a very important fundraising event that came to an end in 2007, about the time of the economic downturn,” said DeLisa. “The reprisal of ‘Music to Our Ears’ is a welcome source of much-needed scholarship dollars for our students with financial need.” As an expression of gratitude for hosting the event, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will fund a special scholarship program for members of the Mohegan Tribe.
From left: current Eastern parent and host Robin Kallenbach; Heidi Bzdyra; James Bzdyra, senior vice president for First Niagara; and Tod Kallenbach, a current Eastern parent and vice president for the Dornenburg Group
Jeffrey N. Brown ’79, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Webster Bank; Jeffrey Klaus, regional president, Webster Bank; and Kenneth DeLisa, Eastern vice president for institutional advancement
Brian Hull, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Savings Institute Bank & Trust, with his wife, Catherine
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes
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Goldie (Narotsky) Liverant retired from teaching in 1989 and then spent many years as a student teacher supervisor at Eastern.
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David Flight and Elvira (McGovern) Flight ’52 are happily living in Middlebury, VT. In June they moved to Eastview, a local retirement community. Dolores (Kelley) Gallon and her husband recently celebrated 60 years of marriage. They have a great-grandson who is now 2 years old.
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Marie (Tedeschi) Crane is widowed after 52 years of marriage to Donald Crane, whom she met while they attended Willimantic State Teachers College. Three of their five children are Eastern graduates. Francesca (Macione) Dussault retired from the Glastonbury School System in 1991. She misses the children, but appreciates the time to explore and enjoy other adventures.
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Edward Requardt had a long career with the University of Cincinnati as the director of education in the Medical School for Child Psychologists.
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Jean (Farbman) Simons has a grandson who is now a student at Eastern. Elizabeth Bonturi Rodrigue moved to Las Vegas in October 2011 to be closer to her family. She lives in a gated over-55 community with activities, a pool, a gym and a computer room.
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Jean (Rose) Jamieson ’55/’82 M.S.
Jean (Rose) Jamieson ’55/’82 M.S. and her husband, Bob, keep busy with their bowling league, gardening and traveling. They traveled to Florida in July, where their son and family live.
Joyce (Gardner) Walker taught for 35 years before moving to Florida to be closer to her daughter and grandson.
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Ronald Murphy and Annette (Marino) Murphy ’57 met at Eastern in 1953, were married in 1957 and celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in August 2012. They have two sons, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Robert Spillane and Geraldine Spillane ’57 are now living in Pawcatuck, where they began their life together 55 years ago.
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Herbert Shedroff worked for 25 years as the principal of the Burns School in Hartford before retiring in 1994. After his retirement he worked as a supervisor of student teachers at the University of Hartford.
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Anna (Stankewich) Alfiero enjoyed working on her 50th class reunion, which was held in May. She especially liked making personal phone calls and e-mails to her fellow classmates.
Ann (Garrison) Bailey was a fixture at Eastern’s bookstore. She began as a cashier and later became a bookkeeper, watching the store grow from the basement of Shafer Hall to its current Ann (Garrison) Bailey ’62 location in the Student Center. Ann enjoyed helping the students and professors before retiring in 2002. Jacqueline (Jeffrey) Burgess and her husband, James, are enjoying retirement, which involves traveling and visiting with their children and eight grandchildren. Donald Cohen and Carol (Sexton) Cohen are happily retired and living the good life in Florida. Diana Cramer taught for 27 years in Norwich and also managed a small business. She was elected a representative town meeting member four times in Waterford and is presently a registrar of voters for the town. Diana also belongs to Rotary and is a member of the fire police for the Oswegatchie Fire Company. John Freudenstein retired after teaching mathematics for 26 years at E.O. Smith High School. Elizabeth (Kodym) Heckler retired in June 2010 after 40 years of teaching primary grades in Woodstock. She lives in West Woodstock with her husband, Norman Heckler ’59. They have three Elizabeth (Kodym) sons and three Heckler ’62 grandchildren and work together on Norman’s company, Norman C. Heckler & Co., which specializes in antique glass and art.
Arthur Mitchell celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Louise. Paul Songdahl and Donna (Holland) Songdahl ’70 have been married for 41 years. They have two sons and one grandson. Paul retired from the Waterford School System after teaching fifth, sixth and seventh grades for 35 years. Barbara (Chapel) Storrs and her husband, Harold, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December 2011. Patricia (Hartl) Tomkunas and her husband, Alex, moved to Florida in August 2010 from Cape Cod, MA. They’ve become familiar with the area beaches and activities and are busy with their family, which includes six grandchildren.
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Jane (Roosevelt) Gold held an art exhibition at the Norfolk Public Library during the month of May. Josephine (DiStasio) Rembish was Southington Public Library’s “Artist of the Month” for May.
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Elaine Dugas Shea has worked across the country with American Indian Tribes for the past 20 years, helping to support tribal Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Elaine is also a published poet and has lived in Montana for 40 years.
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June Haley retired after 40 years of teaching elementary school and children with learning disabilities. She remains active through volunteer work and her work for the Sarasota County (FL) Youth Development board. Marianne (Bosco) Meaney retired in 2004 from the San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento, CA, after 22 years of teaching grades one through four. Barbara (Hibbard) Schreier retired from the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services in 2003. She has three sons and two grandsons and enjoys volunteering for church and community activities. James Vitagliano is employed by the Manchester, NH, School District as a psychologist at Central High School and Bakersville Elementary School. He is also employed part time as a therapist with the Manchester Psychological Associates, a private practice. James is married and has four children.
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Candace (Crand) Aleks retired in 2010 after having worked as an elementary school teacher, a high school English teacher and a high school guidance counselor for 38 years. Candace is now working part time as the school-tocareer coordinator for the Adult Education Department in the Enfield School System.
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes Eastern Alumni Association Visits San Diego
Eastern was back in San Diego, CA, in February 2012 for a relaxing evening with alumni and friends. From left: Kenneth DeLisa, Eastern’s vice president for institutional advancement; Janice (Alessandra) VanDyke ’70; Christopher Melingonis ’99; Kevin Lemieux ’98; Mary Liu ’78; Erik Knutson; President Elsa Nunez; Cynthia Brandenburg; Judge Anthony Brandenburg ’75; David Baer; Marie (Karpinsky) Baer ’86; and Tyler Hewes ’02.
Send Us Your News! Have you moved or married? Have you taken a new job or had an addition to your family? Have you had a “mini-reunion” with your former classmates? Please send your information and photos to: Michael Stenko, Director, Office of Alumni Affairs Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street, Willimantic, CT 06226 alumni@easternct.edu Visit www.easternct.edu/alumni for news about alumni receptions and networking events. Stay connected with other Eastern alumni through: Facebook – search “ECSU Alumni Association,” LinkedIn – search “Eastern Connecticut State University Alumni – ECSU” and Twitter – search “ECSU Alumni Assn.”
Kathleen (Brown) Fabian retired from her job as Eastern’s registrar on June 30, 2011, a position she held since 1989. Almyra (Tefft) Hornberger and her husband are happily retired in Maine after living in Connecticut, California and Kentucky. Almyra is actively involved in volunteer work at the local library and recreation center. Peter Morytko and his wife, Barbara, celebrated 40 years of marriage on April 8. They have a daughter, Erin, who is a high school history teacher. Janis (Suplicki) Sawicki has spent the last 40 years as an educator, 26 as a teacher and 14 as an administrator. She is also a proud wife, mother and grandmother with a wonderful family. Mary-Jane (Larson) Traska has been a literacy volunteer tutor since 1994 in East Hartford. She also volunteers at Our Lady of Calvary Retreat in Farmington and is the program chair of Country Gardeners of Glastonbury. Robert Valerio was married with two children when he attended Eastern. He has now been married for 47 years. He retired in 2006 after teaching middle school. He also taught adult education at East Hartford High School for 11 years.
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Paula (Honeyman) Weber operates a newcomer welcoming service called Neighbor-to-Neighbor. It promotes local businesses while informing newcomers about their town. Patricia Williams has been teaching for a number of years for the Connecticut Department of Correction at a juvenile facility.
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After graduating from Eastern, Jim Seaha pursued a master’s degree in educational psychology, taught in his hometown of Windsor Locks for a year, and then decided to make a move — nearly 10,000 miles away from Willimantic. For the past three decades, Jim has lived and worked in Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland on the southeastern coast of Australia.
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Barbara Candales was accepted as a Fellow with the Emotional Intelligence Training and Research Institute in Texas. In February she conducted a workshop in San Antonio at the Ninth Annual Institute for Emotional Intelligence (EI): Celebrating Relationships. She recently unveiled her professional coaching website at www.transformations.us.com. Barbara also contributed a short vignette to the recently published book, “Appreciative Inquiry in Higher
Education: A Transformative Force” by Jeanie Cockell and Joan McArthur-Blair. She wrote a piece, titled “Graciela Transforming,” about the transformation of a nontraditional Latina student using appreciative inquiry while providing personal coaching. To order a Barbara Candales ’74 copy, visit www.wiley. com or www.josseybass. com. Alexander Lazuk is in his 38th year of teaching at Norwich Free Academy.
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Janice Strollo is currently seeking a project manager position. She spent the last 15 years working as a program/project manager with Computer Sciences Corp.
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Robert Lowrey retired from Aetna and is now doing contractor work as a software programmer. He and his wife, Susan (Nowsch) Lowrey, are living in Connecticut and California and have three grandchildren. Louis Moscaritolo is a physical education teacher with the Winchester Board
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes of Education in Winsted. He is the proud parent of one daughter and three stepsons.
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Linda (Smith) Blinn is in her 34th year of teaching third grade at Willington Center School. Robert Carignan is a professional artist living in Denmark. He is the head of the Copenhagen International School Arts Department, which includes visual arts, theater arts and music. Jan (Piccolello) Cassella and Joseph Cassella were married in 1979. Joe is the principal of Wesley Elementary School in Middletown, while Jan is the financial officer of their family auto body business in Cromwell. The couple has two daughters. Denyse Totten and Richard Greenwood ’78 have been married for 31 years. They live in Concord, NH.
of the AFT Connecticut, an AFL-CIO union representing 28,000 teachers and other workers.
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Kenneth Healy completed his first career as a federal employee, ending with the United States Department of Health and Human Services. He is now the assistant director of student affairs at the University of Maryland University College in Adelphi, MD.
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David Gay was elected chairman of the Citizen’s Ethics Advisory Board for the State of Connecticut in 2011.
Alumni cheer on Eastern Warriors Bert Nussbaum ’63 and his wife, Judi, hosted a gathering of alumni and friends in Clermont, FL, in March. They cheered on Eastern’s nationally-ranked softball team to victories over Union College and Buffalo State College and then met for lunch at a local restaurant where they shared fond memories and planned to meet again next spring. In back, from left: John Freudenstein ’62, Bert Nussbaum ’63, Kevin Ruuskanen. Front, from left: Helen Wheeler, Judi Nussbaum, Barbara Candales ’74 and Ellen Gillen
Rosemary (Drennan) LoStocco is an English teacher at E.O. Smith High School and is completing a sixthyear degree in Educational Leadership at Sacred Heart University. She lives in Tolland with her husband of 25 years and their three daughters.
Richard Greenwood ’78 and Denyse Totten ’77
Patricia (Wise) White taught school in Niantic from 1973-1986. She then taught at Wahneta Elementary School in Winter Haven, FL, from 1990 until her retirement in 2003.
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Jeffrey Brown, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Webster Bank, was recognized along with other corporate executives by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for playing a role in preparing young people for a quality education.
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Reginald Bullock debuted his new documentary “Who is Devin Johnson?” at Club Comix at Foxwoods Resort Casino on April 28. The film highlights the rise and fall of a former Norwich drug dealer who now delivers a message of love and respect.
Maureen McCann retired from the Air National Guard in 2010 after 26 years of military service. She is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Kathleen Pyrdol is an electrician with the IBEW Local 90 in West Haven. Joanne (Hagar) Uhlinger marked her 30year anniversary of working for the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services in June. Terri (Knoblauch) Wilson is co-executive director of BEACON, a nonprofit trade association that works with the medical device industry in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. She is also president of the Avon Historical Society and assists her husband, Lee, with his business, Computers by Lee LLC.
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Kim Bushey was promoted to senior vice president and business banking executive for Connecticut and Western Massachusetts at Sovereign Bank. Sharon Palmer ’80 M.S. was appointed by Gov. Dannel Malloy to serve as the commissioner for Connecticut’s Department of Labor. Sharon serves on Waterford’s Representative Town Meeting and was formerly a teacher at Clark Lane Middle School. She is the president
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Sharon Palmer ’80 M.S.
Scott Eliasson works as an IT manager for the Office of the Attorney General. He has been married to Donna (Colton) Eliasson ’84 for 26 years. The couple has a son who is in his second year at Yale.
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John Kelly is president of CTI Paper USA, a high-end paper company based in Sun Prairie, WI, specializing in the design and development of specialty papers engineered for a variety of uses including greeting cards, wine labels, automotive catalogs, annual reports, wedding invitations and other specialty paper products. John lives in Fond Du Lac, WI, with his wife, Kathleen Doyle-Kelly, a dentist, and their daughter and son.
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James Posada is the chief executive officer for Resolve Therapeutics, LLC.
John Ferreira is an engineer with the Aerospace Testing Lab in South Windsor. He also volunteers and is the event chairperson for Electronics Technology SkillsUSA. Deanne Gravino lives in Schroon Lake, NY, with her family. She has been employed at the Schroon Lake Public Library for the past five years. David Stone has joined Chelsea Groton Bank’s commercial lending department as vice president, commercial loan officer. He serves as a member of the Glastonbury and Windsor Chambers of Commerce, Windsor Rotary Club and National Youth Coaches Association.
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Kenneth Wolslegel was married in October 2009 by Eastern’s own Father Larry LaPointe. “He and many others from Eastern are friends for life!” said Kenneth.
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes David Kowolenko lives in Brooklyn and is currently a division vice president overseeing video, voice and data operations for the Northeast Division of Comcast (from Virginia to Maine to Pittsburgh), a Fortune-50 company. David and his wife, Penny Kowolenko M.S. ’93, have two daughters: Kailyn, who attends Gordon College; and Briana, a sophomore at Woodstock Academy.
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Janice Deskus was named vice president, global human resources at Covidien Surgical Solutions. Prior to this position she was vice president for global and corporate human resources at Aetna. Janice has a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of New Haven. She lives in Willington with her husband and two sons. Jeff Konin was appointed director of athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University in July 2012. See story on page 26. Joseph Haggan is a director for the Connecticut Department of Correction, overseeing the Parole and Community Services Division. He began his career working as a counselor with Community Addiction Services before becoming a parole officer. Since then he has served
as parole manager and deputy director before stepping into his role as director in 2009.
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Julie Senerth has worked for the Travelers for 34 years and is a manager in the Business Insurance Document Management Department. She volunteers as a tutor for Hartford students through the Travelers Tutoring Program and volunteers at the Travelers Championship every year. Julie has two children, Douglas and Olivia.
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Kathleen (Janas) Rokavec is the new medical director for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation West Hawaii Region. She began in September 2011 and her position is part of the hospital’s administration team. John Toolan volunteers his time with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and recently completed two half marathons with Team in Training, the fundraising arm of LLS.
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Katherine Cibulskas-Lane is an assistant principal at Rogers International School in Stamford, a K-8 school with more than 800 students. Katherine has 3-year-old triplets: Grace, Maggie and Michael.
Guy Drapeau is the comptroller at Trinity College, a position he has held since 2006. He resides in Rocky Hill with his wife and 5-year-old son. He is on the Rocky Hill Planning and Zoning Commission. Charlotte Georges volunteers for Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut. Ann (Pepin) Macht is a senior associate with Smith-Keon Jewelers in Willimantic. Amy (Crane) Sipuleski is a computer programmer at S&S Worldwide in Colchester.
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Donna Bickford is working as the associate director in the Office for Undergraduate Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jonathan Forcht is a certified EPIC software analyst working as a healthcare IT consultant. Much of his time is currently devoted to the support of clinical and non-clinical hospital staff. Michael Lavery and his wife, Virginia, welcomed their first child, Daniel James, into the world on June 22, 2011. Cindy (Parsons) Preslar lives in New Mexico, where she teaches fourth grade but hopes to get back to physical education after 12 years in other curriculum areas. She’s still happily married and has two
greetings from ken briggs, alumni association president My name is Kenneth M. Briggs, and it is truly an honor for me to greet you as the new president of the ECSU Alumni Association! Eastern has a very special place in my heart. I grew up in Harlem, and I was blessed to have parents who understood the value of education and encouraged me to achieve academic excellence. My path took me first to Three Rivers Community College in Norwich. After completing my associate’s degree, I transferred to Eastern and completed a B.A. in History. Several years later, I completed two master’s degrees, also at Eastern. I was fortunate to have worked at Eastern for more than 10 years in the Office of Financial Aid. My Eastern education and my experience on the staff had me wellprepared when a great career opportunity recently became available and brought me full circle — I am now working as the new Associate Director of Financial Aid at Three Rivers. As we look back over our own lives, we can all take note of the key people who influenced us, and who made us believe that a university education was not only possible, but expected. Today, Eastern is on the front lines in the effort to provide access to a quality liberal arts education to those who dream of a better life for themselves or for their children. As someone who has worked with both students and parents, I’ve seen how hard it can be for young people to overcome tremendous obstacles in order to meet and exceed the expectations of a demanding university curriculum. The success stories presented in this issue of EASTERN reflect not only the tremendous determination of our students and the commitment of their families, but also the generosity of many of you — my fellow Eastern alumni. Gifts to the Eastern Annual Fund not only support need-based scholarships, but they also enable the university to provide targeted academic support services that help our students achieve their full potential. Until the Achievement Gap is eliminated once and for all, Eastern has a special role to play. My thanks to each of you who are helping — through your Annual Fund gifts — to ensure educational opportunity and academic achievement to every student who invests in their future. Kenneth M. Briggs ’02/ M.S.’05/M.S.’10, President, ECSU Alumni Association Support the Eastern Annual Fund by contacting the Office of Alumni Affairs at 34 E ASTERN Fall 2012 (860) 465-5302, or give at www.easternct.edu/advancement/development/giving.htm
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Graduate degree program alumni gathering Alumni from Eastern’s graduate degree programs gathered to celebrate the commencement of their colleagues from the Class of ’12 and to learn more about Eastern’s Master of Science in Education and Master of Science in Organizational Management. Front row, from left: Kinson Perry M.S. ’11; Sara-Ann (Chaine) Bourque ’02/M.S. ’12; Vera Petranek; Gregory F. Petranek M.S. ’07; Karen Reale ’06/M.S. ’10; Kenneth M. Briggs ’02/ M.S. ’05/M.S. ’10; Edward Giard M.S. ’00; Karen Latman ’09; Neringa (Proskute) Coutu M.S. ’08; Shelley McEwan M.S. ’12. Back, from left: Linda Friedman M.S. ’11; Mark Connolly; Aryuna Andreyeva M.S. ’10; Debora Romano-Connors M.S. ’10; Robert Dollak; William Frey M.S. ’10; Brian Dunphy ’93/M.S. ’07. sons: Max, 8, and Ricky, 5. Cindy says, “I am still running as much as possible; just did the NYC marathon in November.” Anowar Shahjahan is the chief marketing officer for Peer365.com, as well as the CEO of VERTX Systems in Houston. Stephen Trimper completed his seventh season as head coach of the University of Maine baseball team. In 2011 his team won the America East Championship.
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David Poulin, an adapted physical education specialist who lives and teaches in Anchorage, AK, has invented and patented new designs for a multi-sport wheelchair and a physical eduDavid Poulin ’93 cation sit-ski for cross-country skiing. He donated both pieces of equipment to Eastern’s HPE Department for educational purposes. Dennis Savage, a filmmaker, is in postproduction of a men’s health documentary titled “I Am Not Stubborn.” Donald Shubert has been the president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association since 2008. After graduating from Eastern he went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law and is admitted to the Bar in state and federal courts in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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Ronald Tyrrell retired from IBM two years ago where he worked as an IT Systems Architect. He is now enjoying volunteer work at the local senior center delivering Meals-on-Wheels.
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Paulette Haines began Creative Nonprofit Solutions, LLC in 2007. She is also an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics. Paulette and her husband, Larry, have two grown children and recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Paulette serves on the Board of Directors of the ECSU Alumni Association.
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Joanne (Miceli) Casteel lives with her 13-year-old daughter and their two dogs in New London. She is working at Electric Boat as a program representative in the Integrated Logistics Support department. In her spare time Joanne works on their 1890 Victorian home. June (Crane) Morrone ’95 M.S. is one of the founders of the Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich. Jonathan Alpert, a licensed psychotherapist and advice columnist, released his book “BE FEARLESS: Change Your Life in 28 Days” in April. The book teaches readers how to get past the fear standing between them and happiness,
success and love. Jonathan also writes a popular column, “No More Drama,” which appears in Metro newspapers in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. His insight is regularly tapped by major national and international media outlets, including television, print, radio and online, and he has appeared on such nationally televised shows as “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” CNN, FOX and NBC’s “Nightly News.”
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Robert Kanehl ’96 M.S. recently published his first e-book, “Hannah’s Ghost,” through Write World, Inc. The book is available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. He is also the author of “Murder in the Newsroom.”
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Daniel Canavan was elected chairperson of Operation Fuel’s board of directors. Dan serves on the Board of Directors of the ECSU Alumni Association. Alan Crane is a principal analyst at United Illuminating. Tracey Ebner is a special education teacher at Torringford Elementary School in Torrington. She finished her sixth-year advanced program in Special Education Administration at Southern Connecticut State University in 2007. Greg Klebart received a degree in surgical technology from Manchester Community College in 2007. He now works as a senior distributed systems analyst at Hartford Hospital.
Jonathan Alpert ’95
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes
Rugby Club hosts reunion game A good time was had by all this past April as Eastern Connecticut Rugby hosted its Annual Rugby Alumni game. Back row, from left: Brandon “Shank” Schingh ’08, Saul Rodriguez ’08, Joe Ramones, Dan “Eskimo” Romero ’09, Tony Ricks, Tommy White, Joe Kwasnieski, Jeremiah Blankenbaker ’12, Jared McGrath ’06 (club founder), Byran Freeland, Zack Taylor ’10, Justin Wilkie ’10, Ryan Frolich, Mike Scanlon ’07, Phil Cyphers ’11 and Coach Ray Aramini. Front row, from left: Kyle Dynia ’11, Scott Lonardelli ’12, Brian Turner, Dan Soda ’09, Mike “Flounder” Schwarz ’07, Ed “SMBB” Charamut, Calvin Gee, Ryan “OMG” Garrity ’12, Dan Malicki, and Jay “Wiggs”Beebe. Paul Provost, who led The (Norwich) Bulletin for the past few years as publisher, has started a new career with Digital First Media as regional vice president for the Eastern Region. Salvatore Vernali has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for 11 years. They have two children, ages 7 and 3. Salvatore works at ESPN.
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Christian Drouin is a senior system architect at Travelers. He lives in Glastonbury with his wife, Dawn, and their daughters, Emma and Isabella. Glenn Lungarini began his new job as principal of Seymour High School on July 1. Prior to this appointment he was the assistant principal/athletic director for Oxford High School. Justin Murphy is now a partner with Kahan, Kerensky and Capossela, LLP. He lives in Coventry with his wife, Lauren, and their 1-year-old daughter, Dylan. Justin is vice president of the Board of Directors of the ECSU Foundation, Inc. Omar Rodriguez is the residence director at Stonehill College. Phil Stevens was named principal of Center Elementary School in Willington in September 2011, after serving as assistant principal in Tolland for three years. He received a master’s degree from Kent State University in 2000. Carol Sweet was married over the summer and moved to southern Illinois.
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Jessica Ciparelli worked at WINY 1360 AM in Putnam and then the Reminder News in Vernon after graduating from Eastern. Four years ago she
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took a job with the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, where she is currently employed. Christopher Cote is working for Navy contractor Mikel, Inc. in Newport, RI, developing training software at the Navy Undersea Warfare Center. Erin (Flanigan) Wolf has been married to her husband, Ken, for more than five years. They have a 3-year-old son, Daniel. Erin has worked at Fox-CT for 12 years in the newsroom and is on-air during their 4 p.m. newscast.
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Melissa (Giannino) DeMaio has two young children, Mia and Guy.
Juston Manville works in the field of geographic information systems. In 2010 he was selected as a recipient of the “Special Achievement in GIS” award by industry peers for his work with the GIS office in Henrico County, VA. Sandra (Heller) Potter has worked at WTNH-TV in New Haven for 11 years as a marketing/special projects writer, producer and editor.
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Sheri Cyr joined the real estate team at RE/MAX EDGE in South Windsor. She has 15 years of banking experience including mortgages, loans, sales and operations. Andrew Levin is working as a promotion producer for WFSB Channel 3.
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Katie (Pilat) Berube is in her fifth season as an account executive with the Connecticut Sun, Mohegan Sun’s WNBA team. She is responsible for selling, servicing and promoting tickets sales to organizations, corporations and individuals.
Christine Guarnieri is a student development specialist in the advising center at Eastern and is honored to be an alumna working for the University. She has seven grandchildren. Jennifer (Dotolo) Lindquist was promoted to the position of administrative program coordinator for Organizational Excellence at the UConn Health Center.
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Diane Flewelling is a director at Christian Life Assembly in Willimantic. She received her master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty Theological Seminary in 2009. Teresa George is working as the public safety monitor room officer for the Mohegan Tribe. She is also writing a novel. Joe Serfass is a physical education teacher, head baseball coach and assistant athletic director at South Windsor High School. He played professional baseball with the New York Mets from 2004-08. Corey Sipe is a marketing representative at Foxwoods Resort Casino. He started writing for Patch.com in September 2011 and has been a member of the Yahoo Contributor Network since June 2006.
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Allison (Hood) Mahon, who married Michael Mahon in December 2011, recently started a position in Process Improvement at The Hospital of Central Connecticut. She was also elected to serve as chairperson on Donate Life Connecticut’s board of directors for 2012-14.
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John Beck is the hall director for Eastern’s Mead Hall.
Elizabeth (Canterbury) Corbin ’06/’08 M.S. married Lucas Corbin in April 2009. The couple, who live in Middletown, bought their first home two years ago.
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes Eastern Has a Successful Launch of “Online” Giving Donors give to Eastern Connecticut State University for a variety of reasons. Some give to support an endowed scholarship to honor a former professor, while others make a scholarship gift because they want to help students with unmet financial need. For still others, it is about giving to athletics because they have an affinity for a particular sport. A vast number of alumni supporters donate as a way to simply say “thank you” to a University that provided them with an unforgettable academic experience. Regardless of the reason why, individuals who are philanthropic are always looking for the most efficient way to contribute. This past spring the Office of Institutional Advancement launched its new “online” giving link. In the short time since, nearly 100 Eastern alumni opted to give in this manner during fiscal year 2012, representing five percent of the record 1,850 alumni donors. “Considering we only had the online option for one quarter of fiscal year 2012, I was pleased that so many alumni took advantage of this annual giving option,” said Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. “We want to make the process of giving to Eastern as simple as possible for all donors and this online giving link is clearly a step in the right direction.” If you would like to join our growing list of online donors, you can do so by using the following link: www.easternct.edu/advancement/development/onlinegiving.htm. Gregory Hartzell created the website www.theportraitofatown.com, a photo and digital media project exploring the story of Willimantic. Preston Hyer is teaching social studies at the Eastconn/ACT arts magnet school in Willimantic. Brendan McAvoy is the coordinator of ballpark operations for Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. As coordinator, “I work with all the trades (plumbers, carpenters, electricians and engineers) to Brandon McAvoy ’06 keep Citi Field up and running properly. I also work closely with the hospitality department for non-baseball events that we have at the ballpark. In short, our department handles anything that has to do with the physical building itself or anything inside it. As a lifelong diehard Mets fan, I can’t really think of a job I’d rather have that doesn’t involve me wearing a Mets uniform!” Erin (Drew) Pelletier and her husband welcomed their first child, Natalie, on Sept. 5, 2011. Erin is employed at Care New England as a program manager, overseeing the business intelligence and development teams. She received her MBA from the University of New Haven in 2009.
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Jared Pittelli is a teacher in the business department of Hewlett High School in Long Island. During the 2010-11 school year he was named a Gold Star teacher and was the winner of the Julian A. Milkes Award by the New York State Business Teachers Association.
James Lincoln received his second bachelor’s degree (in philosophy) from the University of Illinois at Springfield. He is currently pursuing master’s degrees in philosophy from Boston University and in project management from Lasell College. He was married in August 2012.
Melissa Sanford is the program manager on site for Volt Consulting at Sikorsky Aircraft.
Andrew Morry spent the past four seasons working for the Providence Bruins, where he was a former intern. Andrew lives in Pawcatuck with his wife.
Ami Sarfati moved to Los Angeles in 2008. She has appeared on “Glee,” “1,000 Ways to Die” and in numerous commercials, and has worked with Jane Lynch, Tony Todd and Phil Lamarr. Brian Whitehead received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Connecticut in 2011 and is now an assistant professor in Eastern’s math department.
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Gina Bullard, who works for WCAX Channel 3 in Burlington, VT, was honored with an Edward R. Murrow Award in the investigative reporting category for her pieces revealing homeless Gina Bullard ’07 encampments hidden in the Burlington area. Jennifer Ciotto is a sales administration senior analyst at Cigna. Chelsea (Adams) Craig is the operations manager at the Expeditionary Learning Academy at Moylan School in Hartford.
Cory Thompson is working as a mathematics teacher at the Academy of the Holy Family High School in Baltic.
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Betsy Barrett was selected as the new city clerk for Norwich in 2011. Betsy previously served as the Lisbon town clerk for 18 years. Andrea Brown received her master’s degree in education from Old Dominion University in Virginia. She currently lives in Florida and works with the Orlando Magic basketball team as a season ticket account services representative. Patrick Bushnell is the advertising specialist at AutoTrader.com. Christopher Bussett has been working as an account executive for Fox CT since August 2011. Eric Grundfast spent the past two seasons working for the Providence Bruins. Prior to joining the Bruins, he spent four years in the American Hockey League with the Albany Devils and Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes Sarah (Barber) Grundfast works for Medport LLC as a graphic designer. Jennifer Kuhn published an e-book of short stories for Kindle, titled “The Green Boots and Other Awkward Short Stories.” Derek Miles has been working at Rentschler Field for the past five years. He started with an internship through Eastern’s Sport and Leisure Management program, was hired, and is now in a full-time position. Derek is the supervisor of all seasonal interns and has other various responsibilities running the stadium. “If it weren’t for Eastern’s SLM program, I never would have found this opportunity. It’s all about getting your foot in the door in sports and taking the opportunities you get and running with them.” Robert Riendeau is an account manager with the Eastman Kodak Company. He returns to campus twice each semester to guest lecture in a business class. Amy Lampe is in her fifth year working in the Athletics Department at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. Last year, she was promoted to athletics business and operations manager, which has allowed her Amy Lampe ’08 to oversee all aspects of varsity game and tournament management as well as maintain all business functions within the department including such things as budgeting and accounting. Amy graduated from Endicott College with a Master of Education in Athletic Administration in December 2011. She is currently enrolled in a Master of Business Administration degree program at Babson. Steven Rolfe is the environmental manager at AGC Flat Glass North America. Brian Sullivan graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in May 2011. He is married to Marisa (Esposito) Sullivan. The couple had their first child, Neil Jefferson, on Feb. 7, 2012.
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Christina Amato was recently appointed as the new director of recreation and chair of physical education at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. She spent the past year as the director of Colgate’s Trudy Fitness Center, where she managed all the recreational fitness programs, personal training services and group fitness classes, and served as the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s squash club teams.
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A star is born — at Eastern! Connecticut’s newest star is Tulin Karasay ’12, the winner of the MyTV9 Star competition. As the MyTV9 Star, Karasay will serve as the spokesperson for MyTV9 on-air, online and at events throughout the state, for the next year. A native of Westbrook, Kasaray graduated from Eastern with a degree in communication and a minor in business administration. “Eastern has a great television production program and is equipped with a full studio, control room, and editing room so it was definitely really convenient and enjoyable to learn in the classroom,” she said. During her time at Eastern, Karasay also interned at CTV14 in North Windham, where she was able to take a hands-on approach to learning the field and gained valuable experience. Christina earned her master’s degree in exercise and sport science with a concentration in exercise physiology from East Carolina University in 2011. Luke Boyd is a principal performer/producer with Historical Character Presentations. He is also an interpretation intern at the Student Conservation Association. Justin Brown is a Ph.D. student in the Division of Clinical Epidemiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. A certified strength and conditioning specialist and active cancer researcher, he received his master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Connecticut. He joined the University of Pennsylvania as a cancer energetics fellow in 2011. His responsibilities include providing physical rehabilitative training, as well as providing consultations to cancer survivors interested in starting physical rehabilitation. Maura Collins is living in Hollywood while working as a visual designer for a digital agency based out of Brooklyn. Kerin (Jaros-Dressler) Griffin is the assistant treasurer of the Windham Theatre Guild and is working toward certification as a technology specialist. She is married to Tyler Griffin ’10. Drew Mizak was presented with the Richard Aieta Award, given to an outstanding social studies educator who is new to the profession. Drew teaches
economics, American history and global studies at Ellis Technical High School in Danielson. Andrew Powaleny was featured in the Capitol Hill publication “Roll Call” in December 2011 for his work with the LGBT Congressional Staff Association. Jessica Smith is working for Connolly, Inc., as a human resources coordinator.
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Stephanie Boccanfuso is attending Norwalk Community College to become a registered nurse. Alexandra Garry is a fourth-grade teacher in Southington. Emily Gresh is a sales representative with Verizon Wireless in Waterford. Delthia Ishmael is working toward her master’s degree in special education at St. Joseph College. She has received graduate certificates in autism spectrum disorders and applied behavioral analysis. Stephen Moker is a freelance web designer creating business and personal websites using WordPress CMS. Ian Watson, a political science major at Eastern, is studying at Johns Hopkins University in the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is living in Washington, D.C., taking economics courses (crediting Eastern’s Economics Department for his preparation in that subject area), and says, “It is so important for Eastern students to realize that if
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philanthropy athletics campus news class notes you do well there (at Eastern), you can literally go anywhere in the world and do anything with your life.” Jennifer Succi is an employment specialist at BHcare, a provider of mental health, addiction/prevention and domestic violence services. Julie Sweeney is a corporate accounts manager at Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center in Sturbridge, MA.
Kimika Hunter is a customer service coordinator for Jenny Craig. Olivia Puckett is a legislative clerk at the Connecticut General Assembly.
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Tim Dilweg is working as an elementary physical education teacher in Norwich.
Amelinda Vazquez is the hall director at Eastern’s Nutmeg Hall.
Jon Fontaine was recently hired as a physical education teacher at River Street School in Windsor. Jon is one of two full-time adapted physical educators.
Kelsey Watson teaches physical education at Veterans Memorial and Mahan Elementary Schools in Norwich.
Casey McCarvey is working at an internship with the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer organization.
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Jade Pinson was accepted by the Master in Sports and Leisure Management program at the Université Paris X Nanterre-La Défense in Paris, France, where she began her studies this fall.
Kaitlin Butler was married on Nov. 12, 2011.
Nhat Trung Phuoc Duong is working for VSI Media Services in Southington. Max Fantl is living in Manchester, England, working for English Lacrosse. He teaches physical education, with an emphasis on lacrosse, from the primary level to the high school level during the day, coaches in the afternoon, and plays lacrosse on the weekends.
Audriana White works for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a special event logistic specialist.
Marriages Laira Hanka ’01 to Matthew Rehbein ’00
Sara Grzejszczak is attending Assumption College for her master’s degree in counseling psychology. She is also working full time at the Institute of Living as a teaching assistant at the Grace Webb School, where she interned while a student at Eastern.
Jake St. John ’04 to Colleen Keenan on Dec. 10, 2011
Ethan Harris is a project administrator at Travelers.
Tiffany Jablonski ’08 to Nicholas Marrara on July 9, 2011
Erica Holloway is a behavioral interventionist with Achievement First Hartford Elementary Academy.
Frederick Strout ’09 to Marin Trebing on July 23, 2011.
Tiffany Grego ’05 to Timothy Golas ’05 on Sept.10, 2010 Eric Grundfast ’08 to Sarah Barber ’08 on May 19, 2012
In Memoriam Barbara M. (Schaefer) Rich ‘27 Estelle A. (Novack) Konesni ‘34 Jack Selavka ‘46 Lydia (Cohen) Tolkin ‘46 Ruth R. Rosiene ‘55 David Hall ‘59 Margery E. Jahoda ‘61 Nancy (Ferrigno) Buckley ‘64 Gloria P. Bigenski ‘68 Judith P. (Connor) Kapilotis ‘70 Sgt. Orest Bishko ‘71 Thomas Kriwacki ‘75 Alice M. Habelman ‘76 Stephen A. Wright ‘79 James J. Mercier ‘80 Doula (Fongemie) Michaud ‘84 Walter J. Swistak ‘85 David R. Dlugos ‘86 Sara Jane Esborn ‘87 M.S. Michael G. Lapierre ‘88 Lorraine F. Perry ‘90 Dana M. (Santos) Todd ‘90 Suzanne Warner ‘90 Amy E. Merrick ‘91 Richard J. Franas Jr. ‘94 David B. Collier ‘99 Carmen Claudio, student Richard G. Ganoe, former athletic equipment manager Oliver Hayes, former director of Library Services Nathan Shapiro, former professor of biology J. Nicholas Welchman, former librarian
Eastern loses a dear friend Joe Zaring, donor of the Church Farm property in Ashford with his wife, Dorothy Church Zaring, passed away on Sept. 17, 2012, in Washington, D.C. of natural causes. A retired National Intelligence Officer, Zaring was an Idaho native who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Idaho and received his master’s degree in public administration in 1943 from Harvard University. Following service in World War II, Zaring joined the Central Intelligence Agency. In his nearly 30 years at the CIA, he headed the regional and organizations branch of the Office of Current Intelligence, Chief of the West European Division, and was a member of the Senior Review Panel. When he retired in 1981, he was National Intelligence Officer for Western Europe and a member of the National Intelligence Council. In 1954, Zaring married Dorothy Jane Church, a fellow analyst and specialist on Italian affairs — a
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union that lasted until his passing. After both had retired, the Zarings devoted their energies to preserving and finding an effective use for their 100-acre historic farm in Ashford, CT, which Mrs. Zaring had inherited in 1967. In 2007, the Zarings gifted the farm to Eastern Connecticut State University, which renamed it the Church Farm Center for the Arts and Sciences. For their conservation efforts the Zarings received the Green Circle Award given by the State of Connecticut. “The generous gift of the Church Farm has been transformational in the life of our University,” said Kenneth DeLisa, vice president of institutional advancement. “We are eternally indebted to the Zarings for this wonderful addition to our teaching facilities.” E ASTERN
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final thoughts
This edition of EASTERN has addressed an issue of utmost importance to our community, our state and our nation. The “Achievement Gap” not only means that a large group of our citizens is facing a lifetime of unfulfi lled dreams and aspirations, it also diminishes the capacity of our workforce and our nation’s long-term economic viability. Whether it is the impact on individuals who seek a college education, or the employers whose businesses suffer from the lack of an adequately prepared workforce, this issue is one that all Americans — educators, parents, business people, government officials and others — must focus on. As the stories in this edition of EASTERN have illustrated, the University is doing all that it can to make a difference in increasing educational access and improving the success rates of students who attend our campus. Helping to finance these students’ education remains one of the University’s top priorities. We continue to seek balance in the cost of attending college, using modest increases in tuition so that we can keep the costs of higher education affordable and a college degree accessible to our citizens. At the same time, it is clear that traditional budget sources are not available at levels necessary to keep up with rising costs related to energy, technology and textbooks. This means that the scholarship support provided by the ECSU Foundation, Inc., has never been more important to assisting students with limited resources and unmet financial need. This is why I was especially pleased this past April when Eastern’s faithful donors stepped to the fore to provide a record $450,000 in scholarship funds to 300 deserving students. Without this support, many of these students would simply not be able to go to school. In looking ahead, the ECSU Foundation, Inc., and our Development staff will continue to seek grants, corporate donations and other private philanthropic support so that we can continue to assist students with the greatest fi nancial need. Your own generosity in this ongoing fundraising campaign is critical to achieving our goals, and is much appreciated. With the support of more than 3,000 donors, we continue to see growth in our annual giving. Our philanthropic efforts in 2011–12 generated $3.5 million. Such faith in our students is heart-warming, and reminds me of what a strong commitment the Eastern community has had over the years to help each new generation of students. With your generous giving, Eastern can continue to work towards its goal of being a premier liberal arts university that brings educational opportunity to all sectors of our society. Thank you again for being part of this effort, and in doing so, helping to make Eastern part of the solution.
Kenneth J. DeLisa Vice President for Institutional Advancement
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Philanthropy spans all generations An avid cyclist for many years, Robert Polito ’86 couldn’t help but notice that there were a few crazy drivers on the road. This prompted him to contact his lawyer to create a living will. While meeting with the lawyer, Robert and his wife, Lori (Alborghetti) Polito ’85, were encouraged to put together their estate plan. The couple began to think about what had made the greatest impact on their lives — and Eastern quickly came to mind. They agreed to make the University that shaped their lives a part of their will. Robert met Lori during his sophomore year and the couple have been together ever since. They often look back on their time at Eastern and the positive effect that it had on them. “Whenever you meet your spouse at an institution, you are going to have a soft spot for that place,” Robert said. He fondly remembers living in Crandall Hall and Low Rise Apartments and the camaraderie between the students and faculty.
Today Robert is a vice president with Webster Bank and is pleased that his college education allows him to give back and be a productive member of society. Lori teaches second grade in Old Saybrook, and has combined her Eastern education with a natural gift for teaching to become a highly respected educator. Robert will always be connected to Eastern, not only through the memories that he and his wife share, but through many family members. He has two cousins and an aunt who graduated from Eastern’s teacher education program, and his uncle, Ralph Yulo, is an emeriti professor. With such strong connections to Eastern, and knowing how lucky they are to have attended college, Robert and Lori are excited to be giving back. “Eastern is a special place for my wife and me,” said Robert. By including Eastern in their estate plan, Robert envisions that they will be helping future Eastern graduates for generations to come.
There are many creative ways to support Eastern. To find out more, visit www.legacy.vg/easternct/giving/1.html FALL 2012 Back.indd 41
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Willimantic, CT Permit No. 12
Reunion Save the Date May 10-11, 2013 PLan now to Be a PaRt of eaSteRn CeLeBRateS!
! S e t a R CeLeB
It’s Eastern’s annual grand celebration of our graduating seniors, alumni, faculty and staff, family and friends! A bigger and better “Bash for the Past” party at Blarney’s for alumni from the Classes of 2000-2012 will kick off the weekend on May 10. The following day, Eastern’s Class of 2013 will be welcomed into the alumni family, while the Willimantic State College Class of 1963 will be honored on the 50th anniversary of its commencement. Stay tuned for more information, or contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (860) 465-5302 or at alumni@easternct.edu.
Kissed by the Adriatic sun…Visit hilltop towns perched above the aquamarine sea… Sample simple, but exquisite cuisine, seafood, meats, olive oil, pastas and wine…See Apulia’s architectural treasures…Join Eastern Connecticut State University Alumni and see why this sun-bleached land has been contended for since time immemorial! September 3-11, 2013
Visit our website at www.easternct.edu.ahitravel.com or call (800) 373-7373. From $2,395 per person, plus airfare and V.A.T., based on double occupancy. Limited to 36 travelers.
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