Issue 34
Winter 2021
Staff and Contributors Executive Editor Kenneth DeLisa Editor Edward Osborn Associate Editor Michael Rouleau Designers Leigh Balducci | Kevin Paquin Contributors Dwight Bachman | Bobbi Brown | Meghan Carden Peter Dane | Joseph McGann | Robert Molta | Michael Stenko Illustrator Mekaila Stefano Photographer Tom Hurlbut Editor’s Note We encourage alumni and other readers to share their stories with us. Send us a Class Note. Tell us what you like and want more of in EASTERN Magazine. Share stories of your time at Eastern, or what you are doing now by emailing us at editor@easternct.edu 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.
The cover of this issue of EASTERN Magazine is a beautiful winter scene intended to inspire peaceful reflection for our readers. Winter is typically a time when each of us finds quiet moments to think about the New Year and what lies in the months ahead. At Eastern, we hope 2021 brings muchneeded relief from COVID-19 and the promise of new beginnings for our entire extended family. We had a successful fall semester at Eastern, due to the diligence of our faculty, students and staff. As the world awaits widespread distribution of a life-saving vaccine, we look forward to an equally successful spring semester. Even as we look ahead, several stories in this issue of the magazine showcase Eastern students, faculty and alumni who have successfully adapted to the pandemic — ranging from virtual performances by music students to alumni bravely teaching in K-12 school districts.
While we have adapted to the harsh realities of the virus, some “business as usual” has taken place without interruption at Eastern. For instance, this edition includes a story of several student entrepreneurs who have started their own businesses, while another story reports on successful alumni in the fields of public relations and advertising. This past year also saw the passing of Charles Webb, Eastern’s beloved president from 1970–88, who was known for his support of faculty and students and his love of music. I hope you enjoy the retrospective on his life and tenure at Eastern found in this issue. Another tribute to past Eastern leaders is the article on Juliette Burstermann, Eastern’s first African American professor. The year 2020 will be remembered as a time when the entire world community was challenged to survive. I believe history will record that Eastern met the challenge because of the caring, resilient and supportive people who make up our University community. The unity and goodwill I have witnessed throughout this time across our campus and beyond has been gratifying and humbling. I could not be prouder to be president of Eastern Connecticut State University. Let us look forward to 2021 with confidence, resolve and a commitment to working together for a better world. Thank you!
From the President’s Desk
Elsa M. Núñez
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 1
Charles Webb 1919-2020
Painting by Guy H. Gribe
‘A marvelously rewarding life’ Eastern’s fourth president Charles Webb passes at 101
By Michael Rouleau ’11
Charles Webb was preparing to settle back into his career as a history professor when he received a call that would forever change his life and the trajectory of what is now Eastern Connecticut State University. After fulfilling various administrative roles within the California State University system, Webb had just returned to the classroom — and his love of teaching — when he was asked to be Eastern’s fourth president. When the opportunity came knocking Webb decided to leave southern California for the challenge that awaited in rural southern New England. He arrived in 1970 at the age of 50, and served as president for 18 years until 1988, a period of unprecedented growth for what was then Eastern Connecticut State College. Webb passed away peacefully in his sleep this past October days after his 101st birthday, but his legacy lives on with a firm imprint on the University today.
Impact and Legacy Webb oversaw Eastern’s first building boom. The campus footprint nearly doubled in size with the development of the North Campus — from approximately 450,000 square feet to nearly 800,000. The number of buildings doubled to 30 with such recognizable structures as the original J. Eugene Smith Library (now Wood Support Services), the Sports Center, Student Center, Wickware Planetarium and others.
Campus Aerial 1980
Under Webb’s leadership, Eastern also expanded the scope of its academic mission, transforming from a teachers college to an institution with multiple majors that are rooted in the liberal arts. The Schools of Arts and Sciences, Professional Studies and Continuing Education were established and new majors such as history and social sciences, economics, environmental earth science, communication, computer science and more, were offered to students. This academic expansion earned Eastern the status of “university” in 1983, its fifth and final name change. During Webb’s tenure, the student body also grew in diversity and size — from approximately 1,200 to 4,000 — and the faculty doubled to approximately 400.
President Webb walks with Governor Ella Grasso at the 1978 Commencement Exercises.
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 3
Webb was a staunch supporter of NCAA Division III athletics, and instrumental in increasing Eastern’s varsity teams from four (all for men) to 11, including six for women. One of his first initiatives was launching construction of the $2.7 million Sports Center in February 1971. A national softball championship in 1981 was the beginning of nine national Division III championships in baseball and softball.
Left: President Webb spending time with Eastern students. Below: Webb performing with The Grooves of Academe.
Interests and Personality At the same time that Webb led one of Eastern’s major growth periods, he was also revered among students, faculty and staff for his personality and presence on campus. A fitness buff, he could be found swimming early morning laps in the Sports Center pool, playing a hearty game of tennis or attending an athletic event. Webb was also a music lover and hosted a weekly jazz show on the campus radio station. He was an accomplished pianist and vibraphonist, performing on campus with “The Grooves of Academe,” a jazz band of faculty and local musicians. He reportedly paid his way through college playing piano and nearly pursued a career in music. “My mother used to say that that I sang before I learned how to talk,” he told the Hartford Courant in a 1988 article about his retirement. When asked which instrument he’d want with him on a desert island, he quipped, “I’d choose the piano. But I suppose the vibes would last longer on a desert island than a piano would.” Webb was a humorous yet serious man who was at once quiet and outgoing; reserved and approachable; self-confident and humble. In the Courant article, he is described as having a wry sense of humor with an edge of self-deprecation.
President Emeritus Webb joined David Carter and President Núñez at Carter’s inauguration as CSU Chancellor in October 2006.
4 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
He took charge at Eastern during a time of social unrest and economic struggle as the nation grappled with the civil rights and women’s rights movements, controversy over the Vietnam War and stagflation — a term popularized in the 1970s to describe simultaneous economic stagnation and inflation.
President David Carter joined President Emeritus Webb and his wife Andrée to dedicate Webb Hall in 1999. CSU Chancellor William Cibes sits to the right.
Retirement With Eastern on solid footing and Webb approaching his 70s, he retired in 1988 and returned to California with his wife Andrée. “I want to get caught up on my reading, my writing and my music,” he told the Hartford Courant. President Webb welcomes Governor William O’Neill to Commencement.
In line with his humble and understated personality, Webb delayed his inauguration by two years. Sensitive to campus unrest over the Vietnam War, he said, “There was a lot of dissent and money problems and I felt that an inauguration was a waste of money.”
“It’s been difficult at times, but I never regretted it. It’s been a marvelously rewarding life.”
Among Webb’s accomplishments during retirement was the completion of his book “Andrée and the Education of a University President,” a tribute to his wife and life that was published in 2018 when he was 99 years old. Webb began his career in public higher education in 1958 after four years as a lieutenant commander in the Navy. He was a history professor at San Diego State University from 1958-70 and took his first administrative position in 1964 as dean of academic affairs at Stanislaus (California) State College, where he later served as acting president. He was named associate dean of academic planning for California State Colleges and Universities in 1967 and later named deputy state college dean of that system. He held a master’s degree in history from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in history from Harvard University. Webb is survived by his son Charles Richard Webb III, a landscape painter who goes by the name Richard Webb McDaniel. His wife Andrée preceded him in death in 2005.
Owen Peagler, former dean of the School of Continuing Education, joined President Webb to name legendary jazz musician Lionel Hampton (center) an honorary professor in 1984.
Anyone wishing to make a gift in Webb’s honor may donate to the Andrée and C.R. Webb Endowed Scholarship, created in 1999 for students in good academic standing with financial need. Gifts by credit card can be made on the ECSU Foundation website and checks should be made out to the ECSU Foundation and sent to the Development Office, 83 Windham Street, Willimantic, CT 06226. EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 5
Eastern alumni teach with caring and dedication during pandemic By Ed Osborn
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began a year ago, more than three million schoolteachers across the nation — from preschool to high school — pivoted to online learning in spring 2020 and then came back to school in the fall to teach in person. Several Eastern Connecticut State University alumni told EASTERN Magazine of their teaching experiences.
After remote teaching for the spring 2020 semester, teachers and children at Eastern’s on-campus Child and Family Development Resource Center (CFDRC) were happy to be reunited on ground this past fall, despite the pandemic. “Everyone is much quicker to adapt than we thought we could be,” said Heather (Oski) Standish ’15. “What surprised me most was how great relationships with families are despite not seeing them as much. Capturing photos to send daily and use in portfolios has reminded me just how important play is — children do amazing things if you just watch!” “The greatest reward to teaching in person is the ability to form a trusting and caring relationship with children and their families,” said Leisha (Russell) Flynn ’19. “Teaching during COVID has also proven to be a true testament to the resiliency of young children. They wear their masks and they wash their hands so many times a day without skipping a beat.”
6 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
“Teaching during COVID has been a challenge if only just for the logistics — we balance sanitizing and teaching throughout the day,” said Patricia (Gardner) McCarthy ’05. “I miss seeing their whole faces, and I miss the children being able to read my facial expressions as well. We have become very adept at communicating smiles and joy in other ways. I intentionally smile all the way up to my eyes all the time now, in addition to doing thumbs up, and making a heart with my hands.” teaches special education at John J. Moriarty Elementary School in Norwich. He has been at the school for three years, previously teaching in New London, Montville and Windsor Locks. Like most schools across the country, Moriarty School closed down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to online coursework by mid-April.
Alan Reichle ’11
This fall Reichle worked with a cohort of 16 first- and secondgrade students, with the children coming to school four days a week. “We closed for two weeks in October due to a spike, with the teachers continuing to come to school to deliver online instruction,” he explained. Since early November, students have been back at school receiving on-ground instruction. The new “normal” has meant Reichle has learned new technologies and teaching techniques, including using Google Suite for meetings, document sharing and other functions, embedding questions within PowerPoint, as well as using the “SeeSaw” classroom
app and Zoom. “My principals have been great in planning the year and supporting our teachers.” “I have really enjoyed the strong connection we have with our families,” continued Reichle, who has had some of his students since they were in kindergarten two years ago. With frequent cell phone conversaJennifer Frankel ’10 tions and the use of “Class Dojo,” another classroom app that connects teachers, students and parents, Reichle has learned “another side of the families.” During the pandemic, he has found that families feel isolated at home and sharing those challenges has come with tearful moments. “The bond I have with my families is amazing.” Class Dojo allows Reichle to share daily activities in real time with parents — “this is what we did today” — and gives students another way to use technology to stay connected. Reichle also takes time to talk to his young charges about their feelings. “The other day we talked about Christmas and the reality that they won’t be seeing many relatives this
season. They shared their sadness, and I told them I was also sad about the social distancing we all must follow. We had a little cry together, and knowing we were sharing the same experience helped them realize we will all be okay through this.” Jasmine Stakley ’12 teaches English at Brooklyn Preparatory High School in New York City. In addition to her teaching duties, she is the department head and leads weekly meetings. “In March, my role as a teacher suddenly switched from playful relationships, lively discussions and group poster projects to black screens and silence. My students became distant, and due to the lack of in-person interaction, our relationships suffered. Meanwhile, I would look out my window to see a city that supposedly never sleeps now slowly dying. The shops were closed, restaurants were boarded up and my students were trapped at home where I couldn’t reach them beyond my screen. It became hard to know which student needed me more as I was spread thin and pulled in many different directions.”
When schools reopened in the fall, Stakley stayed home. “Due to my asthma, I was fully remote from the beginning of the year, unlike many of my colleagues who went back to the building. Even though I wasn’t physically present, I still carried a lot of responsibility as the department lead, organizing and leading meetings twice a week.” In spite of her health challenges, the feelings of isolation her students have experienced, and the reality that New York City has been hit hard by COVID-19, Stakley has maintained a positive attitude. “Since the beginning of the shutdown, more than eight months have passed, and it is December. We are looking forward to a promising new year, a new vaccine and a new president. Stephen Hatch ’20 disinfects in the CFDRC during nap time EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 7
Patricia (Gardner) McCarthy ’05
Jasmine Stakley ’12
“We reinvented ourselves as teachers and recreated our classrooms.” Ana Carolina Fernandes ’14 “Despite the daunting mandates and the millions of unanswered questions, some personal good has come from this year. I was fortunate enough to enjoy time at home with my boyfriend and my dog. I’ve had the opportunity to test out new recipes and become a plant mom. I settled into a new normal while taking every opportunity to speak with my students about deeper issues like racial injustice and family life. I’ve especially been more intentional about how I spend my time with loved ones. Most importantly, I am even more thoughtful about taking time for myself in a way I have never done before.” Ana Carolina Fernandes ’14 returned to her homeland of Brazil in 2015 after receiving her M.S. in Early Childhood Education. Since then she has been working in an American School in Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais where she teaches threeand four-year-olds. After the school closed on March 17 due to COVID-19, “I was truly desperate! We had a short time to adjust our curriculum to online for my little ones. We are getting used to it and so are the students and the parents.”
During the fall semester, Fernandes used Zoom for meetings and posted activities to Seesaw. “My little ones usually need support from an adult or older sibling on how to use all the devices and platforms. We did it as a team — parents, teachers and children! During the semester, we reinvented ourselves as teachers and 8 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
recreated our classroom. We had online birthday parties and online games. Our students developed many new abilities and mastered others.” Fernandes credits Eastern and its focus on educational technology for preparing her for this experience. “I loved my program — it was one of the best experiences in my life.” Jennifer (Royals) Frankel ’10 described her unique experience at Alphabet Academy — four Reggio Emilia-inspired early learning centers in the greater New Haven area. “This past summer, school districts, teachers and families grappled with the decision of whether or not in-person learning was a safe choice. Our executive director proposed an incredible solution, to expand our existing kindergarten program to three classrooms and spend as much of the day outdoors as possible. I was offered the chance to be the teacher of one of those classrooms.
“During the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic, open-air schools popped up to combat the spread of the illness in cramped classrooms. Why couldn’t we do the same thing? On Sept. 1, I set up a learning space in the middle of a sunny field and welcomed five wide-eyed kindergarteners whose families had taken a leap of faith at this unconventional idea.
Ana Fernandes ’14
Leisha (Russell) Flynn ’19
“Setbacks have been plentiful — a tornado three days before the start of the year; sweltering September weeks; a soggy October and the learning curve of how to keep paper from always being damp. Not to mention a mischievous raccoon who completely decimated a harvest display. “My students were not just learning their letters. They got firsthand experience in differentiating between hot weather and temperatures better described as comfortable. They teamed up and created tools to clear leafy debris out of a creek bed so a stream could form. They shrugged their shoulders, comforting each other and even me when that raccoon ruined our first attempt at bird feeders.
“As December and cold weather approaches, our time spent inside is increasing but outdoor time remains an integral part of our day. My students currently are collecting branches to make kid-sized stick nests like the ones that ospreys make. I go home every day sunburned, muddy, wet or chilled. But the payoff? As of writing this, we have had zero cases of COVID-19 across four schools since our reopening in June. Additionally, in 58 days of school, only one of my students has stayed home for a single day due to illness. I look forward to the day when COVID-19 is past us, not because I want things to go back to the way they were. I just want my students to be able to see the smile they put on my face each day we spend outside.”
Alan Reichle ’11
EASTERN • Winter 2021 •9
re ians perseve Eastern music r ying semeste through a tr g industry and a changin
Written by Michael Rouleau ’11 Illustrations by Mekaila Stefano ’20
The individual audio/video recordings — often captured with cellphones — were then mixed and mastered into a finished performance, produced by a company called Arts Laureate and uploaded to YouTube.
No industry has adapted to COVID-19 quite like the performing arts. With venues shuttered and musicians quarantined, an experience once universally live and in-person now streams virtually to a dispersed audience who watch via computer screens and cellphones. It’s been a dramatic turn of events, and as the Music Program at Eastern Connecticut State University demonstrated this past fall, the new performance “space” has tested the character of musicians and come with developments that will leave the industry changed forever. Despite restrictions in response to the pandemic, the Music Program was able to produce a robust slate of concerts and recitals — in some cases, to wider audiences than ever before. Music students continued their lessons through a mix of hybrid and on-ground classes and presented their work using a range of technological approaches. Performing arts faculty and staff also developed new systems that make their programs more resilient moving forward.
10 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
All of the Music Program’s 12 instrumental and vocal ensembles were active. The size of each ensemble determined whether the students could gather in person for rehearsal and performance. (For singers, horns and woodwinds, 12 feet — not six — is the recommended physical distancing guideline.) Smaller ensembles, such as the Jazz Combo and Percussion Ensemble, could gather synchronously, while larger groups like the Concert Band and Concert Chorale only conducted activities remotely. “As you can imagine, running ensembles in an asynchronous manner has been a real challenge, and not being able to showcase student work by way of public performance has caused us to innovate,” said professor David Belles, who directs the Concert Chorale and Eastern Chamber Singers. “We’ve had to be very creative and catch up on technology that we ordinarily don’t use in acoustic live performance.” For their performance of “I Carry Your Heart in Me” by composer David Dickau, the 38 vocalists in the Concert Chorale recorded their parts separately while following a guide track.
The instrumentalists in the 25-person Concert Band used the same approach for their performance of “A Song for Tomorrow” by composer Kevin Day. “This was perhaps the most non-traditional semester the Eastern Concert Band has seen in its 40 years of existence,” said ensemble director Kelly Watkins, “but through it all we found ways to learn, grow and make music.” The majority of the semester’s productions were produced in-house in collaboration with Media Services and staff in the Fine Arts Instructional Center (FAIC). Virtual performances were either presented via livestreaming or
“I will never take another
Concert Band
Concert Chorale (left) and David Belles
audio, I got to be creative and choose what video would play at certain points in the piece,” said Montalbano.
A Solitary Time prerecorded and premiered online, depending on the size of the ensemble and need for editing. The Music Program’s already robust YouTube channel served as the streaming platform of choice.
lecturer and accompanist David Ballena. “This pandemic has forced us to move in that direction in a much faster way. It’s been a steep learning curve for everyone, but a necessary one.” Ballena notes that the new virtual experience allows relatives and friends of out-of-state students to hear them perform, perhaps for the first time.
Throughout the semester Sheila RuJoub, FAIC events coordinator, monitored the YouTube channel’s viewership, “which has really been my barometer on whether or not our virtual events have been reaching our normal audience,” she said. “As the semester went on and we polished our format, not only did views rise, but we’ve had an overall boost in subscriber count by margins we haven’t seen before, so our audience is definitely adapting with us.”
This emphasis on video production and sound engineering is also resulting in new professional opportunities for students. Music and new media studies double major Christiana Montalbano ’21, who performs in several vocal and percussion ensembles, had an integral role in the video editing process for the majority of the percussion concerts.
Even when the pandemic subsides, these new capabilities will be important for the Music Program — and the industry at large — moving forward. “I think live broadcast is part of the future for all performing arts,” said
She set up the recording equipment, retrieved the video recordings from cell phones set at different angles, then used DaVinci Resolve software to sync the videos with the master audio. “Once the videos were synced with the mixed
The Music Program’s innovative and successful semester has not come without its toll on the musicians, as the need for social distancing has hampered the camaraderie and thrill of live performance across the entire performing arts industry. “Studying music can be a lonely endeavor at times,” said music major and trombonist Hannah Avena ’21. “You spend hours each day in a practice room and spend a lot of time with yourself. This can be great in teaching patience, discipline and other values. However, it can certainly be challenging in an already isolating COVID era.” Avena found solace in her daily visits to the FAIC, where she reserved a practice room through the building’s new online reservation system. “Just having somewhere to go, a place that isn’t your room, is a luxury that not everyone has. School felt more normal to me because I was still making that walk every day and seeing students and faculty around.”
live performance for granted.” -Hannah Avena ’21
11
Happy Together — While Apart Class of 1970 celebrates 50th jubilee reunion in virtual style
By Michael Stenko
“Happy Together,” The Turtle’s classic 1967 hit, opened a slide show of yearbook memories for 20 members of the Eastern Connecticut State College Class of 1970, who celebrated their 50th Jubilee Reunion on Nov. 20. The reunion was originally scheduled as part of the annual Eastern Celebrates Reunion Weekend in May, which was cancelled due to COVID-19. “We couldn’t let the entire year pass without doing something for the Class of 1970,” said Michael Stenko, director of alumni affairs, “so Alumni Affairs, the Development Office and the ECSU Foundation created a plan for a ‘virtual reunion.’”
“Through your loving dedication to our profession and the children it serves, you have touched the minds and hearts and spirit of men and women you do not even know. Indeed, your influence may reach well beyond this generation and touch the lives of those yet unborn. Walk proudly then, for you are part of a very great tradition and a wonderfully noble profession. You, my friend, are a teacher!”
Class president Tony Andrade ’70 and class treasurer and yearbook editor Fred Souza ’70 helped with the planning. “We were so disappointed when the May reunion was cancelled,” said Andrade. “When the Alumni Office called and said, ‘we have an idea,’ we didn’t know what to expect, especially for a virtual reunion. But it was really wonderful!” Eastern President Elsa Núñez greeted the class and highlighted Eastern’s expanded academic programs, new buildings and accolades the University has received. President Núñez also looked back at 1970 — a turbulent year in our nation’s history — noting that 1970 marked the first observance of Earth Day and the creation of PBS and the EPA. The year also saw the tragic shooting of four students at Kent State University, an event that nearly resulted in the cancellation of Eastern’s commencement.
Describing the challenges that have made 2020 so difficult, President Núñez expressed hope the year would also be remembered as a time when people came together and supported each other. Speaking directly to the class, she said, “For the Class of 1970, I want you to remember this year as a time when, despite the challenges, you reunited with your friends and your Eastern family to celebrate our shared connections, values and common commitment to making this a better world.”
(above) Step Singing prior to 1970 Commencement; (right) Men's basketball team
12 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
(author unknown; adapted by Ralph Yulo)
Prior to the reunion, class members received a gift package courtesy of the ECSU Foundation, Inc., including a bottle of sparkling wine with commemorative 50th Reunion glasses and Eastern’s traditional “Golden Diploma.” In his remarks, Andrade explained that the class had been through a lot together, and that whatever happened to each classmate after leaving Eastern was influenced by what had happened while they were on campus. As students, they supported one another, and they valued the relationships they had with each other and with the faculty. He made a toast “to all of us who helped one another through Eastern, for those who were there for us, and those who left us too early. We remember them.”
Following the toast, Andrade introduced special guest Ralph Yulo, senior class advisor in 1970. Yulo worked with Andrade and others to make sure commencement took place as planned that year.
Yulo shared a very moving tribute to teachers with the reunion class titled “Walk Proudly.”
The group then watched a slide show of candid photos from all four class yearbooks selected by Souza, and Music Professor David Belles live-hosted choral selections pre-recorded by the Eastern Chamber Singers. The Class of ’70 spent the remainder of the evening sharing updates about their families and careers, and remembering the people and events that shaped their lives. Even though the “Happy Together” Virtual Reunion was deemed a success by those who attended, the class will be invited back to campus at a future date to celebrate their reunion in person.
Thanksgiving 1969 "Group Therapy"
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 13
T
he global pandemic has decimated many industries, including the nonprofit and social services sectors that provide essential support to local communities. In today’s socially distanced world, how do traditional service-based institutions continue to lend a helping hand? The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at Eastern Connecticut State University tackled this dilemma this past fall by creating new ways to meet the needs of the Windham community. In a typical semester, the CCE deploys hundreds of student volunteers throughout the Windham area to perform thousands of hours of service through weekly programs and special events. Due to pandemic safety protocols, the CCE was forced to reduce its nearly 40 weekly programs to five socially distanced adaptations this past fall. A pandemic-inspired sixth program was also launched. In deciding which weekly programs to adapt, CCE staff first determined its com-
Jack Irvine
14 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
munity partners’ most vulnerable populations, and then determined how to safely offer support in this “new normal.” The residents at St. Joseph Senior Living Center in Windham were identified as some of the CCE’s most at-risk clientele. For one hour each week, six volunteers chatted with guests via FaceTime as St. Joseph staff circulated iPads among the center’s three residential wings. “These conversations help them to feel connected to people outside of the facility,” said CCE Associate Director Kemesha Wilmot, referring to the center’s restrictions on visitors due to COVID-19. “They look forward to the calls; sometimes they ask for help from the St. Joseph staff to have their makeup done in advance.” “Having led this program in previous semesters, I do miss having the face-toface contact with the residents, hanging out, coloring, playing bingo,” said senior Mayra Santos Acosta, who majors in
Zaira Hernandez
Camryn Tyson
health sciences. “Every time we FaceTime, they’re in awe that we can see and talk to each other through these ‘tiny devices.’ They just love talking with us and sharing their stories. And they never fail to mention how much they miss us and how much they would like for us to come to the center.” The program with the Douglas Manor nursing home in Windham has taken a refreshing approach to the remote mandates of the pandemic. Unable to enter the facility and opting out of a virtual component, this program’s seven volunteers have become pen pals with Douglas Manor residents. Senior Zaira Hernandez acts as the courier, delivering and retrieving letters to and from the facility. Some of her deliveries include care packages consisting of coloring materials, flowers and crossword puzzles, based on the interests described in the pen pals’ letters. “Many of our volunteers have never had a pen pal before, so this has been an exciting
Marya Santos Acosta
By Michael Rouleau By Michael Rouleau ’11
opportunity,” said Hernandez, a senior who majors in Spanish and criminology. One of the CCE’s most important community partners is Windham Public Schools. As a new project this past fall, CCE volunteers created and uploaded short educational videos to the CCE’s Facebook and YouTube pages. More than 20 Eastern students produced 23 videos spanning topics including mathematics and board game tutorials, story time, science experiments, arts and crafts, and more. Young children can learn how to play Battleship, create art using fallen leaves, make a pumpkin volcano, get study tips on how to do schoolwork at home and more. “This new program has given us a fun way to interact with the students in the school system,” said senior Jack Irvine, who majors in liberal studies. “The volunteers are engaged and love making the videos. You can see the tremendous amount of effort they put into each video.”
“Zoom” with St. Joseph Senior Living Center
Another first was the virtual pilot with Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters (NBBBS), which partners with Windham Middle School and Eastern to provide mentorship opportunities involving college students and middle schoolers. Seven Eastern volunteers, known as “bigs,” work with seven “littles” one hour each week via Zoom and Google Classroom on schoolwork, games and other activities. “Considering the circumstances, my volunteers are doing amazing work,” said junior Camryn Tyson, who double majors in elementary education and liberal studies. “Each activity is designed to create conversations and learning experiences between the big and little. It’s not easy to keep a child interested through a webcam, but I’ve witnessed our volunteers connect with their littles in many ways.” The CCE’s partnership with the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) in Windham is another long-
Tashieka Sangster
standing program that’s been adapted for the pandemic. Via WebEx, 12 volunteers sit in on all-recovery meetings and offer vocational support. Students participate in meetings four days a week, hearing the guests’ stories and sharing their own, while providing assistance with resume writing and job searching. “This has been a big change from how this program typically runs, but we’ve taken it on with enthusiasm and a positive attitude,” said senior and mathematics major Lexi Mastroianni, who co-runs the program with political science and criminology double major Tashieka Sangster, a sophomore. “The guests at the recovery center took some time adjusting to us being on the screen, but over the weeks, as they’ve grown more comfortable, there’s been more interaction, with guests coming up to us asking for support or just to chat.”
Lexi Mastroianni EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 15
Back in the Day By Michael Stenko
June Bev 54 years later: Still more fun than housework! Freshman Year
On a warm summer morning in September 1966, approximately 150 people gathered on the lawn outside of Shafer Hall for the first day of freshman orientation at Willimantic State College. June Roma of Trumbull and Beverly Sanford from Gilead found themselves next to each other in a long line that made its way into Shafer Auditorium, and they introduced themselves.
Freshman Year
It was the first of many conversations that connected June (Roma) Machia ’70 and Beverly Sanford-Follis ’70 and made them best friends for life!
Sophomore Year
Junior Year 16 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
“When we got settled in, we didn’t know how to find each other,” said June. They were both in Burr Hall, but roommates were pre-assigned. Bev was in a converted study lounge with five other girls and June was in a regular room with three roommates. “We finally ran into each other in the dining room.” While most students went home on weekends, June and Bev always stayed on campus. It was too far for June to go home, and being around Bev was more fun, “so I stayed on campus every weekend.” Bev decided to stay on campus too. “It was a lot more fun to be with Bev than to go home and do housework,” June remembers.
Sophomore Year
Junior Year
Both moved their second semester, with June going just down the hall in Burr and Bev moving to what is now Winthrop Hall on the North Campus. June remembers all the restrictions at Burr. “We had to sign out and back in again whenever we left the building, along with where we were going and who we were with. We’d be locked out if we got back after curfew, but some nights the fire escape door could be found propped open to let late girls back in! Men were only allowed in the parlor on the main floor. When a man came on any of the floors he had to yell ‘man on the floor’ . . . even the janitor! But the worst part was when the college would mail our sign out sheets back home to our parents! They questioned everything!” Bev enjoyed life on the North Campus. “We had what was known as ‘Parietal Hours’ when men were briefly allowed to be in the building. And many of the girls living there were upperclassmen, so I felt pretty special.” The Student Union was in the same building and was where the action was, especially on weekends. “I worked at the snack bar, and I made every concoction imaginable that I thought would go with Coke.” When June joined the chorus, Bev wanted to as well, but she didn’t know she had to audition. “When my turn came and I saw Dr. (Eldon) Downing, I just lost my voice, and all I heard was Dr. Downing shouting ‘next.’” Bev joined the Outing Club and they went camping with Professor William Jahoda. They still remember James Lacey’s course “American Transcendentalism.” “June and I were half of the class! Dr. Lacey would pile all of us into his VW Beetle and we’d go to Concord, MA, for class. Our trip to Walden Pond was really special.” Bev took a Synchronized Swimming class at the YMCA for PE credit. “I still try some of the moves from that class!”
volunteering at her son’s school, he hired her as a part-time paraprofessional. She eventually worked as a full-time paraprofessional for 25 years. She is married and has a son and daughter and two granddaughters. “It’s so ironic that Bev and I are both at home now helping teach our grandchildren with their distance learning. It’s a lot of work, but we both love it!” Bev credits June with keeping their friendship going in the early years. “June always wrote to me, even though I wasn’t always very good at writing back.” June says that staying connected wasn’t always easy. “There was always a change of address. Bev moved 18 times, and even had to miss my wedding.” But when Bev was transferred to Washington, DC, June and her family went to visit. And when Bev retired and settled in Massachusetts, their friendship deepened. “June wanted to revisit the Big E, something that she did for the first time when my sisters and I took her in 1966.” A trip to the Finger Lakes followed when Bev’s daughter was studying at Ithaca College, and then a two-week, 2,500-mile tour of national parks. As soon as the pandemic is under control, they will have a rescheduled trip to Ireland and Northern France. They text nearly every week. They both agree that Eastern had a huge influence on their lives. June says, “Eastern gave me confidence to be a teacher. I had to student teach twice and was exposed to a diverse group of students under the watch of very good supervising teachers.”
Bev notes that Eastern really opened doors to the world for her. “I was painfully shy, but I developed a sense of advenIn 1968, Beverly Sanford-Follis ’70 (back) ture and an appreciation for and her friend June (Roma) Machia ’70 what we can learn from other (far right) welcome her visiting sisters cultures.” She mentions Pedro (front row) Ann (Sanford) Behfar ’87 (left) Rivas and his class “Societies and Cindy (Sanford) Taylor (center). in Transition.” “He took us to The friends took different paths after these tiny Puerto Rican resgraduation. Bev enlisted in the Air taurants on the side streets of Force and was among the first women Willimantic just so we could experience the food, the to complete the obstacle course at Lackland AFB in language and the culture.” Texas. She served numerous positions including as assistant professor of aerospace studies and historian Recalling the day they met, June says, “We just started at Systems Command, and retired as a full colonel a random conversation that morning while we were and command historian after 24 years of service. After waiting for orientation to start. We didn’t even realleaving the Air Force, she was a librarian for a public ize we were best friends until long after college, but I library, retiring seven years ago. She has two children guess it’s no surprise that here we are, 54 years later, and two grandchildren. still talking.” June started her career by returning to her hometown of Trumbull to teach for four years, but left for 10 years to raise her family. When the principal found her EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 17
d n a l a n o s r It’s pe usiness it’s b t n d e d u t stern s
English major Safiya Palmer ’22 runs Art by Safiya, where she sells prints of her original paintings. “My art incorporates Black women through portraits and body portraits to show the beauty of brown skin and add to the growing yet still underrepresented group of Black female artists and art works. Even before my website launched in November I’ve been doing commissioned paintings where I draw specific images for customers upon their request. Soon I will be selling other products with my art on them such as stickers, hoodies and mugs.”
What are the challenges of starting a business? “I have always wanted to sell my art, but I start-
ed actively trying to launch a website for well s Ea r u e n over a year now. It took a long time to choose e r p e s r t t n n a company to get high quality yet affordable e le a t r i prints made. I also had to do a lot of research e h t e s a on packaging and shipping artwork, since it’s more fragile c show than regular products. Even though I’ve been painting for By Bobbi Brown ’22 and Michael Rouleau ’11
Facebook, Dell computers, Google, Dropbox and Reddit were all started by college students in their dorm rooms. College students have formed their own businesses in fields ranging from gyms to coffee shops, custom cookies, jewelry, glowin-the-dark bicycles and landscaping companies. Eastern Connecticut State University is also home to entrepreneurs, students who are channeling their talents and self-initiative to create their own businesses.
a few years, it took me a while to come up with the types of paintings I wanted on my website. Once all my research and painting were done, I bought all the supplies, ordered samples of the prints and started designing my website on Shopify.”
What are your goals as an entrepreneur? “I want to not just be successful in my own right, but also inspire other creative people to pursue their passions and not be afraid of failing, just because they’re not traditional jobs.”
Art by Safiya
18 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
Sociology major Jean Rienzo ’21 runs Daisy Bee’s, which sells personally designed buttons with messages of inclusivity and empowerment. “Daisy Bee’s was inspired by my search for the perfect present for my best friend Afton. I wanted a feminist and funny button for her expansive collection but was disappointed by the selection and cost. It occurred to me that perhaps I could learn how they are made and do it myself! Through my research, I found that the startup costs were manageable, and decided to offer the designs I created with my friends and family for purchase on Etsy. The shop name is inspired by my daughter Daisy B.”
The challenges of running a business? “Probably the most striking issue with running a small business is the lack of clearly defined working hours. There is nothing to stop you from working through the night on a big order, or from slacking off on getting new listings done when you should. Flexibility sounds great but can really be an issue! It takes some time to gain traction and grow your visibility and sales. DependJordan Chenette ing on which platforms you use, many algorithms factor in prior sales and revenue in your placement in search results, which means bigger businesses are more likely to grow and smaller ones more likely to stay small. The first year is rough.” Secondary Education and English major Jordan Chenette ’22 runs A Matter of Taste, which specializes in handstitched koozies for iced coffee to absorb condensation.
“I’ve wanted to start my own business for years, but I was always too scared to actually go through with it. When everything locked down in March and I was stuck at home, I decided to take my hobby of crocheting and get more serious about it. I only knew the bare minimum and could only make things that were square and done with one type of stitch, but I watched a bunch of videos to learn different stitches and how to read patterns.”
What challenges have you faced? “The biggest challenge of running a small business is time. I’m a full-time college student and I also hold another part-time job at a community college, so I don’t have as much time as I would like to work on my shop. I’m very excited for winter break so I can catch up on some book-keeping and introduce some new products into my shop. I have so much that I want to do with it and not enough hours in the day!” Business Administration major Tyreice Woods ’23 coruns a clothing line called The Chasers Apparel, a brand founded by three young African American male entrepreneurs. “The Chasers represents the hardworking man striving to achieve his goals. My partners and I wanted to inspire the City of Hartford to be creative so we decided to start a clothing brand. Clothes are a unique way of being creative; I look at it as an art.”
Describe your journey as a small business owner.
Tyreice Woods
“Starting the business was easy — getting our LLC and tax registration. Then we had to find a vendor who could make our vision come to light. Dealing with vendors is
EASTERN • Winter 2021 •19
one of the challenges because they sometimes make mistakes on the clothes, such as sizing and destroyed items.” New Media Studies major Olivia Wronka ’22 runs DearDoniDesign, which melds her love of stickers with her talents as a digital artist. “As someone who enjoys customizing things and expressing themselves through art, stickers allow me to do both, and having the skills to create my own inspired me to open my very own sticker shop.”
What are the challenges? “One of the challenges of running a small business is filling the shoes of every role needed in making the business a success. I am the creative director, marketing team, designer and finance department. Another challenge is fulfilling these roles efficiently.” Business Administration major Keyarra Smith ’23 runs Handmade by Key, which sells handmade products like bracelets, lip gloss, keychains and more. “Before I started my business this past March, I was always interested in making and selling stuff. I used to sell bath bombs, lip scrubs and friendship bracelets in middle school and high school. I make everything by hand.”
Olivia Wronka
How have you expanded your business? “I’ve done all my advertising through social media. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook (@easternctphotos). Word of mouth is also a huge part of how we generate clients because a Megan Solensky big part of the brand is about the experience. I hope that when going through a photo session people gain more confidence in themselves and enjoy the experience as well as the final product.” Business Administration major Pranav Thaker ’22 coruns Unlimino LLC, a technology business that strives to “create products and services that deserve to be called innovative in a digital age.” Unlimino has been selected to partake in local start-up accelerator programs and consists of four friends from colleges across Connecticut; Thaker serves as the company’s marketing officer.
The challenges?
Psychology and Communication double major Megan Solensky ’23 runs Eastern CT Photos. “Through a seasonal job as a photographer at JCPenney Portraits, it became evident that people are extremely self-conscious and feel uncomfortable in situations like a photo session when the attention is solely on them. I was curious if there was a way to help people become more comfortable with themselves through photography, so I started my own photography group.” 20 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
“Because of COVID, we had to figure out how best to transition to online meetings while also juggling the new online format for our college classes. Further, COVID restricted our ability to attend an in-person fellowship program over the Pranav Thaker summer. Regardless, we persevered in growing our network and furthering our knowledge of the business world.”
EASTERN COMMUNICATION ALUMNI TELL IT LIKE IT IS In the age of social media and Google ads, the need for competent and ethical professionals in the public relations and advertising fields has never been greater. Today’s consumers deserve and demand accurate information and news. A number of Eastern Connecticut State University alumni in the mass communications field are using their Eastern education to keep the public informed of daily life in America while also promoting their clients’ goods and services in the marketplace.
Cecelia Hughes ’09 serves as senior manager of operations and CEO of communications at Cigna in California, where she is responsible for supporting operational and communication needs for Cigna’s president and CEO.
es Cecelia Hu gh
Hughes found a home in Eastern’s Communication Department when she moved to Connecticut from North Carolina. She said the most impactful experience she had during her tenure at Eastern was sitting on the national board of the Public Relations Student Society of America as the vice president of internships and jobs. After graduating from Eastern, Hughes received her M.A. in Media, Culture and Communications at New York University, with study abroad experiences at the London School of Economics and the University of Hong Kong. She later worked for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York and the Boston University School of Social Work and served as a regional crisis communications specialist for Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
By Dwight Bachman Hughes will soon celebrate five years with Cigna, which she says has been a remarkable and rewarding experience. “I’m beyond passionate about the work I do, and to this day, I still tell people that I received a better education at Eastern than any other place. Professors Ayeni, Gómez and Jahandarie sparked a fire in me that I’m not sure I would have ever found had I not made the decision to attend Eastern.”
le Gabrielle Litt
Gabrielle Little ’14 serves as a media relations specialist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., where she writes media advisories, op-eds and press releases about new research, events and important hospital announcements. She also develops and cultivates relationships with members of online media, print and broadcast outlets.
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 21
Little said the hole to squeeze a story into news or print is getting smaller, making it tough to get ink or airtime these days. But she has learned to think creatively about angles on a story to succeed in securing press coverage. She recalled her first national media hit. She had tried everything to get press coverage on a bone marrow donor, a Central Connecticut State University football player and his relationship with his donor recipient, a 2-year-old patient at the hospital. “For weeks, I pitched the story locally and no one picked it up. I was frustrated because I thought it was a perfect piece that would melt the hearts of the public, but my pitch was constantly ignored or declined.” Little realized she needed a different approach and learned the football player was flying down to Washington, D.C., to plan a surprise birthday party for his young friend. “I helped him plan the party at our hospital and re-pitched the story to local and national media outlets. This time local media outlets flooded my email with coverage requests. In addition, the story was picked up by national media including CNN’s Headline News. I will always remember this experience because it forced me to enhance my relationship building and storytelling skills and think strategically when pitching to the media.”
le Gabrielle Litt
Communicating effectively and thinking critically and strategically were crucial skills Little said Eastern’s liberal arts education taught her. “These skills are invaluable for a public relations practitioner and help me daily in my role.” Todd Buckholt ’12 is a senior copywriter for DraftKings in Boston. He creates ads and marketing communications for DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports, Sportsbook and Casino products across a range of channels — broadcast, digital web banners, social media, email and app notifications.
lt Todd Buckho
22 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
worked hard to introduce new products while keeping her teams motivated as they work remotely.
Tracy Busch Buckholt is responsible for all copy written on DraftKings websites, apps and promotional landing pages. He develops and shapes the tone of voice for the DraftKings brand and ensures that it’s used consistently across all channels. After graduating with his master’s degree from Boston University, Buckholt was hired as a copywriter at PJA Advertising/Marketing agency in Cambridge, MA. He has been at DraftKings for the past three and a half years, a job that “combines my passion for sports and writing/advertising; it’s pretty much a dream job for me.” Buckhkolt says his Eastern education helped him pursue many areas outside of his comfort zone. “One of the most important things for copywriters is to be able to dig in and learn everything you can about the brands and clients you’re working on. And 99 percent of the time you don’t get to pick your clients. Being required to take classes I probably wouldn’t have taken otherwise while at Eastern forced me to hone my research skills, allowed me to learn new things and played a pivotal role in my career.” Tracy Busch ’16 serves as executive director and vice president for space150 New York, a New York City-based tech-driven creative agency. Her work spans social media marketing to ecommerce platform building to production and growth marketing. As executive director, Busch oversees operations, growth and client relations. This includes revenue forecasting, cost management, business development and organic growth. In addition, she is an executive sponsor for space150’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee’s Diverse Workforce subcommittee. During the pandemic, Busch has
Busch said she is also focusing attention on mental wellness. “It’s always been important to me that people take time for themselves, and now more than ever, people need to feel encouraged to take that time away from work to focus on their personal needs. In addition, in the wake of George Floyd’s death, there’s been increased focus on diversity and inclusion that has been needed for quite some time. Our industry is wildly unbalanced and inequitable. We simply must do better to recruit, nurture, promote and pay diverse talent.”
“My Eastern education armed me with transferrable skills that allowed me to shift away from traditional public relations and into social media marketing, a job that didn’t even exist formally until years after my education. I think this is important because today, research is telling us that more than 75 percent of high school students will hold jobs that don’t even exist yet.” -Tracy Busch
Prior to graduating, Melissa Walters ’13 served as president of the American Advertising Federation student club her junior and senior year. While working at her first job out of school, she took night classes and completed a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communications at New York University.
Melissa Walters
Her company was acquired by Solvay, a chemical giant based in Belgium, and she now combines her graphic design and social media skills in a new role. “Since the end of 2018, I’ve taken on a global manager position focused on social media — from social strategy development to listening to the conversations on our brand equity, social advertising on channels such as LinkedIn and Twitter, and consulting the global communications teams on their individual social strategies for their respective markets and brands.”
Nana Agyemang ’13 is leaving her mark across Africa as founder and campaign strategist for Arba Stature, a Namibia-based creative solution agency designed to help private and development sector businesses accelerate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Africa. “We offer African solutions to African problems.” After earning her Communication degree at Eastern, Agyemang earned her master’s degree in Global Marketing Communications and Advertising at Emerson College. Returning to Africa, she has worked for some of Africa’s biggest brands in roles ranging from marketing specialist to advertising account manager and strategist. This involves various industries, including luxury fashion and concierge, social impact, food and beverage and development communications. “Together, we have multiple years of crossindustry, international experience, having worked with clients in several countries, including Namibia, Ghana, South Africa, the United States, Botswana, Kenya and Zambia.
agency. These roles ranged from brand management, project management and strategy to campaign execution and experiential design.”
“(Eastern) was much more than a liberal arts education. It presented me a plethora of options when I started working, because — having learned so much about everything — I was well positioned among other job candidates. Eastern is an ecosystem that can catapult any student into a life and career of fulfilment and success.” -Nana Agyemang Stephen Russell ’06 serves as an account director at Wireside Communications, a Boston-based, award-winning strategic communications, marketing and public relations agency focused on the consumer and business-tobusiness technology sectors. Russell works with clients on day-to-day external and internal communications strategy and execution, messaging development, marketing strategy and external communications, to increase brand awareness and internal communications.
Nana Agyeman
“I made a conscious decision to work on both the client and agency sides, with jobs at a leading corporate bank, and then at an award-winning
g
After graduation, Russell worked for six years at Racepoint Global, a public relations agency in Boston, before joining Waltham, MA-based Constant Contact, working as a part of the external communications team.
ll Stephen Russe “Each of those roles provided me with new experiences, enhancing my skill set beyond external communications to include internal communications, customer marketing and content marketing. I feel very fortunate to have had those experiences and take them to my current role at Wireside, where we have expanded our capabilities and team to offer a complete set of services mapping to what brands most need today – communications strategy based on a deep understanding of technology, consumer trends and the influencer landscape.” “I actually started my journey at Eastern thinking I was going to go into radio or television broadcasting. About a year and a half into taking those classes, I realized that field wasn’t for me. To be honest, I didn’t know where to go from there… I think back at conversations with professors in the Communication Department and they really helped guide me, suggesting that I take a class or two on public relations. What was great is that the suggestion didn’t come out of the blue. It came because they knew me, my personality and what field could be a great fit for me.”
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 23
a pioneer and a standard bearer Remembering New England’s first African American professor By Meghan Carden
W
ith a handkerchief in hand, Juliette Burstermann cut a striking figure in front of the classroom. Tall and exacting, she expected a lot of her students. “She demanded respect in the classroom,” said former student Bunny Lescoe ’64. “She wanted your best.” Another former student, Ruth Swift ’64, agreed. “She was strict. She wanted you to get what she was teaching.” Born in 1903, Burstermann grew up in Baltimore, MD, and Charlotte, NC. She earned her B.S. from Winston-Salem State University in 1929 and taught for seven years in North Carolina. She then went on to receive her M.A. from Teachers College at Columbia University in 1933 and her Ph.D. from New York University in 1948. Her appointment to Eastern’s faculty in 1948 made her the first African American professor in higher education in New England. Hired as an assistant professor, Burstermann was offered an annual salary of $4,602, minus $323.40 for dormitory accommodations. In her work as assistant professor, she was the supervising teacher in the middle grades of the campus laboratory school. As a house mother in Burr Hall, Burstermann was required to be on duty one evening a week and every third weekend.
“I did not entertain the thought that because I was a Negro I would not be favorably received. Instead, I was fortified with the conviction that I was highly qualified for the position and that my approach would be positive, unbiased and indeed enthusiastic.” 24 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
“We would knock on her door if we needed help with her class. We only did that three or four times a year,” said Lescoe, whose room on the third floor of Burr was down the hall from Burstermann. “Our group liked to listen to music and dance. She let us be unless we got too rambunctious.” When that happened, Burstermann’s hand would appear inside the door before opening it to ask, “Are we studying yet?” Then Lescoe and her friends knew it was time to get to work. In 1951, Burstermann was promoted to associate professor and in 1959 she was named professor. She remained at Eastern for 26 years and taught introductory courses in education, history and philosophy of education, and the teaching of mathematics. While at Eastern, Burstermann also served as chairperson of the Department of Elementary Education and on numerous college, community and state committees. In 1970 she was named by Connecticut’s governor to the White House Conference on Children and Youth and served as state chairman on the committee on education. Louis Burstermann and Juliette Phifer, April 27, 1954 As her first decade in Willimantic was coming to a close, Burstermann reflected on her time at what was then Willimantic State Teachers College. “On leaving for the interview I did not entertain the thought that because I was a Negro I would not be favorably received.
“Instead, I was fortified with the conviction that I was highly qualified for the position and that my approach would be positive, unbiased and indeed enthusiastic,” she wrote. “Fortunately, to my delight, the same atmosphere was apparent among my interviewers.” Burstermann was offered the position on the spot and found a welcoming atmosphere among her colleagues. “I was frequently invited to some of their homes for teas, meals, discussion groups and parties for faculty. In faculty meetings I found that my opinions, like my white colleagues, were always entertained and often accepted.” Burstermann was twice granted educational leaves of absence while at Eastern. During one leave, she served as a visiting professor at both Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina and Brooklyn College in New York City. She also took this time to serve as a consultant in elementary education at New York University.
Graduation from Winston-Salem State University, 1929
During another leave in 1968, Burstermann worked as professor of education with the Ford Foundation program for the development of teacher education on the Virgin Islands. The program, which took place at the College of the Virgin Islands, was a six-week federally financed institute for teachers of disadvantaged youth. Burstermann taught two courses and directed the program. Classroom learning was reinforced through instructional work with individual children or small groups, as well as 10 hours per week in daycare centers or youth shelters. This was Burstermann’s second educational project in the Virgin Islands, having assisted in establishing the islands’ first in-service teacher training program in 1953.
Burstermann’s accomplishments and accolades were many. She dedicated her life to education, teaching future educators, influencing Observing students at Newtown Friends School in Pennsylvania, 1980 policy, publishing books and scholarly articles, and speaking at conferences. She received many awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from Eastern’s Alumni Association in 1977, three years after her retirement. She passed away in 1991. Her former students recall her as a woman who was quite strict but also very caring, someone you could talk to whenever you needed. “I called her once to tell her that I would have to miss class because I didn’t have a babysitter for my five-year-old daughter,” said Swift. “She told me to bring her. When we got to class Dr. Burstermann had toys set up in the back for her.” Swift never forgot this act of kindness, and neither did her daughter. “She remembered and often asked about her. She still brings it up.” To donate to the Dr. Juliette Burstermann Scholarship contact the Development Office at (860) 465-4514. President Webb's note to Juliette at retirement
Years before Tasheenah Brown ’12 and Jordan Kallenbach ’13 met, fate was busy working to bring them together. Their story began when the two strangers shared a dance at an off-campus party. They later sat on opposite ends of their “International Advertising and Public Relations” class in Goddard Hall. In the course they learned about global marketing techniques, explored different consumer demographic profiles and took a two-week study trip to London, England and Paris, France. Jordan and Tasheenah never really spoke until the two were waiting to board a flight to London. It was Tasheenah’s first time flying, and Jordan offered to sit next to her during the long flight. Throughout their Eurotrip, Jordan and Tasheenah connected over their love for food, music and art.
Matches Christina (Martinez) ’04 and Kevin Brown ’04 didn’t meet until their sophomore year at Eastern, but a Political Science Club-sponsored trip to Washington, DC, changed their lives forever. The couple has been together ever since, marrying in Norwich, CT, on June 23, 2007. Their wedding was attended by many friends from Eastern — including former president David Carter — and several members of their wedding party still live within minutes of them today. Kevin started at Eastern as a Communication major and planned to become a journalist. He comes from a civically engaged family and realized he liked the workings of government, so he switched his major to Public Policy and Government. Supporting that move was Kevin’s work as an officer of the Student Government Association and later as an intern for the Connecticut General Assembly. After graduation, he worked for the state Democratic Party for a short time before he and Christina moved to Houston, TX, after she landed a teaching job. A first-generation college student, Christina also majored in Public Policy and Government. She also did an internship in the Connecticut legislature, but while politics interested Kevin, Christina decided she wanted to make a difference in the classroom, not in legislative chambers. She was also active on campus as an RA and the senior class president.
26 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
The two Eastern alumni married on Sept. 22, 2019. With more than eight years’ worth of memories and counting, Jordan and Tasheenah share their love for discovering new places, like spending long weekends in Seattle, WA, searching for the Fremont Troll or exploring Mayan ruins in Mexico. What started off as
two students on a college trip abroad has blossomed into a deep connection filled with love, respect and balance. Now, Jordan and Tasheenah share their home in Connecticut with their cats Noah Garrison and Morris Walnut Weasley.
Made at Eastern After getting her teaching certificate and teaching early elementary school students in Houston for three years — “we learned a lot about ourselves while we were in Texas” — Christina earned her M.S. in special education at the University of St. Joseph when the couple returned to Connecticut. Christina now teaches at the CREC Glastonbury-East Hartford Magnet School and is working on her Sixth-Year Certification to become an administrator. “I want to be part of the movement to make education more equitable.” Kevin also decided he wanted to work with young people and earned his master’s degree in education at the University of Bridgeport. He works at CREC’s Civic Leadership High School in Enfield, where he enjoys teaching citizenship skills and the importance of civic engagement to his students. Kevin is also on the Board of Education in Vernon where the couple lives. The Browns are also busy at home, with Jacob, age 10, and Emilie, age 6, keeping them on their toes. “Jacob is an avid reader and wants to change the world. He has his sights set on going to Harvard
some day,” said Christina. Emilie is a “spitfire,” and wants to go to Julliard in New York City when she grows up. “We love traveling with the kids,” adds Christina, who mentions trips to Disney World, Amelia Island in Florida, Albuquerque, NM, Houston and elsewhere as memorable family vacations. “Eastern has been such an integral part of every aspect of our lives,” said Kevin. “I met my wife there and I still get together with friends I met on campus. Going to Eastern was the best decision I ever made.” EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 27
The Eastern Connecticut State University men’s soccer program reached the ‘pinnacle of success’ in the 2018-19 academic year when it shared the United Soccer Coaches’ Team Pinnacle Award with one other men’s program. The award was presented for the first time that year to recognize on-field success, sportsmanship and academic excellence. In 2019-20, the Warriors repeated their achievement, but this time they stand alone. While nine college programs qualified for the Pinnacle Award, eight were women’s teams; Eastern was the only men’s team to receive the award, which honors teams at the Division I, II and III levels. “The Team Pinnacle Award is aptly named, as it recognizes elite soccer teams achieving at the highest
level in academics, sportsmanship and competitive success,” noted Lori Runksmeier, Eastern’s director of athletics. “The men’s soccer team, led by Coach Greg DeVito, embodies excellence. Receiving the Team Pinnacle Award is a deserved recognition of that success. Coach DeVito has tirelessly built an exceptional program with a national reputation. We are so proud of the team’s accomplishments.” To qualify for the Team Pinnacle Award, soccer programs must have received the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award, based upon the percentage of yellow cards received during the year; achieved recognition in the classroom as a recipient of the Team Academic Award (minimum team GPA of 3.00); and recorded a winning percentage of at least .750.
On the field in the fall of 2019, Eastern won 17 of 20 games (85 percent) and repeated as the LEC regular-season champion. As it has virtually every season under DeVito, the Warriors were the leastpenalized team — by a wide margin — in the Little East. In 2019, Eastern was awarded the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award for the sixth time in the last eight years. In the classroom, the Warriors qualified for a USC Team Academic Award for the eighth straight year. “My philosophy is to develop our guys to be the best athletes, students and, most importantly, people that they can be,” said DeVito. “This award exemplifies the commitment to hard work and integrity that our players possess.”
Cross-Country Teams Run to Top Honors The Eastern men’s and women’s teams captured the Little East Conference’s 2020 Virtual Cross-Country Invitational this fall with outstanding team and individual performances. Each team ran a 5,000-meter course of its choice over a two-week period, with Eastern runners primarily using nearby Hop River Trail on Oct. 23. Led by individual winner Ryan Escoda of Newtown, CT, the men featured the three fastest times in a field of 42 runners to pile up a 19-point victory over runner-up University of Southern Maine.
Behind senior Lauren Bresson of Roxbury, CT, and sophomore Kelsey Zator of Scotland, CT, who shared third place in a field of 37, the women were 15 points better than runner-up Rhode Island College. Despite returning only four of 13 competitors from last year’s LEC race — losing their top six finishers — the women again took top honors this year after claiming the “conventional title” in two of the previous three years. Pictured left to right: Kelsey Zator, Lauren Bresson and Ryan Escoda
Runksmeier Assumes National Leadership Role Following two years as vice president, Eastern’s Director of Athletics Lori Runksmeier began a two-year term this past fall as president of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA). “I want to thank Keri Luchowski, who has provided me an excellent springboard to carry on her leadership and serve the membership of NADIIIAA,” noted Runksmeier, a 30-year veteran of athletic administration who joined Eastern in fall 2015 following 16 years at New England College. In five years under Runksmeier, Eastern has won the Little East Conference’s Presidents’ Cup for academic excellence three times and has also claimed the Commissioner’s Cup for LEC athletic supremacy in each of the past four years. Under Runksmeier, Eastern also has expanded its intercollegiate athletics offerings from 17 to 19 sports, with the addition of men’s swimming and men’s golf. Prior to working at New England College, Runksmeier previously held athletic administrative positions at College of Saint Benedict, St. Cloud State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato. A native of Ledyard, Iowa, Runksmeier holds a B.S. Degree in Physical Education and English and an M.A. degree in Athletic Administration from Mankato.
Golfers Ace in Their First Season Eastern’s men’s golf team celebrated its return to varsity competition after a 38-year layoff by winning the 2020 Little East Conference Virtual Men’s Golf Invitational on Oct. 17. Freshmen Ashton Lewis (right) of Fairfield, CT, and Jonah Dupuis of Hampton, CT, finished first and second to power the Warriors to the title. All five participating teams played at their respective home courses; Eastern’s team played at The Windham Club. The University’s top four golfers finished a combined six-over-par — good enough for a nine-stroke win over runner-up University of Southern Maine. Golfers from Rhode Island College, Castleton University, and Western Connecticut State University also competed. On the par-72, 6,435-yard layout, Lewis was five-under-par 67 to secure medalist honors, with Dupuis two strokes back at three-under-par 69. They were two of only three players in the 29-person field to break par and two of only three freshmen among the top 10. In all, Eastern featured five of the top 16 scorers. With the coronavirus wiping out the fall season, which included the Little East Championship and New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championship, Coach Chris Wojcik hopes to resume competition during the spring 2021 season, which would conclude with the NCAA Division III national championships in May.
Inclusion: A First-Hand Account Tristan Kijak ’21 was captain of the Eastern Connecticut State University women’s lacrosse program in 2020. A biology major with a minor in Spanish, she is considering graduate school opportunities to prepare for a career as an oncology pediatric nurse practitioner. One of Kijak’s passions — in addition to nursing, her family, soccer and lacrosse — is raising awareness about racial equality and social justice. “I had the privilege of growing up in Windsor, CT, where less
than half of my high school colleagues were White. I always had friends who were African American, Hispanic, Indian and Chinese. Living in a diverse town really influenced my mindset into thinking that the world always accepted anyone of any race. I loved growing up around people with different backgrounds, because it taught me so much about the world around me. I have also been fascinated by different cultures, and different outlooks on what’s going on in the world. “One of my best friends since I was four years old is African American, and it’s interesting and insightful to hear her opinions and views, especially with what’s going on in our country right now. I am always amazed at the audacity and ignorance some people have when it comes to racism. I have often been in situations with my friends of color who have received racist comments right in front of my eyes, and they have always handled the situation with grace.
“One of the best experiences that I had at my previous college was living in the study dorm on campus with international students. One of my neighbors was from China, and we would have late-night chats about the differences in school systems, cultures and family dynamics. We would have stimulating conversations about our differences and I learned so much about the world and about people who were different from me. Regularly my friends in the dorm would cook different types of food to share — Jamaican, Indian, Chinese and Dominican. “How can college students make a change? We are all figuring out our paths and preparing for careers that we hope will last a lifetime. To this end, we must bring an open, diverse and inclusive mind into that workplace. We must influence people in a positive way and show that everyone — regardless of how they look, the language they speak, or their economic background — is important and should always be respected.” EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 29
A Legacy of Peace
Remembering Dr. Charles Prewitt By Michael Rouleau ’11
The Eastern Connecticut State University community lost one of its most ardent supporters on Jan. 8, when professor emeritus Charles Prewitt passed away at the age of 102. A member of the faculty for more than 60 years and one of the University’s most loyal donors, Prewitt’s long life was defined by his commitment to peace and human rights and his love for his wife, Virginia.
Charlie and his wife established the Virginia and Charles Prewitt Peace and Human Rights Studies Endowment in 2002 to support students who are active in the community and demonstrate an interest in peace and human rights. In 2004, the Prewitts received the Herman Beckert Friends of the University Award for their contributions to Eastern and the cause of peace.
The catalyst for Prewitt’s mission for peace began during World War II. While studying for his doctorate at Louisiana State University, Prewitt was recruited by the U.S. government in 1941 as a chemist for the Manhattan Project, which would ultimately develop the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.
Charles and Virginia worked with Philosophy Professor Hope Fitz and others to establish a peace and human rights minor. Approved in 2005, Charlie Prewitt called the minor the high point of his time at Eastern. When Charlie received the ECSU Foundation Faculty/Staff Donor Award in fall 2015, he said, “That (minor) and today’s award are reminders of the importance of peace and human rights in education and that the goal of world peace is possible.”
Disillusioned about America’s nuclear program, Prewitt reluctantly continued on the project after receiving military orders and threat of imprisonment. When the bombs were dropped, Prewitt underwent a transformation that would lead to a partnership for peace with his wife. The day after the war ended, “we quit.” Following the war and the completion of his degrees, Prewitt was hired in 1952 by Willimantic State Teachers College, where he remained until retiring in 1979. Prewitt continued as a part-time faculty member until 2013, teaching peace and human rights courses. Throughout Prewitt’s adventures, his beloved Virginia — who passed away in 2007 — was by his side. In a Hartford Courant interview remembering his late wife, Prewitt said, “If I had married someone who had the same attitude as me and supported me, I probably would have that same attitude today. I’d be racist and conservative. But Virginia, slowly and gently, over 65 years, changed me.” After an academic career dedicated to the advancement of peace and human rights, (first row, left to right) David Prewitt ’75, Charlie Prewitt and Charlie Prewitt Jr. ’72; (second row) niece Alice Matthews, great-grandson Walker Reifschneider, granddaughter Gina Prewitt, great granddaughter Lexi Wilton, grandson-in-law Heath Wilton, daughter-in-law Carol Prewitt and granddaughter Tamara Wilton 30 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
In 2011, Eastern dedicated the Virginia and Charles Prewitt Peace and Human Rights Conference Room, located in the J. Eugene Smith Library. On the plaque beside the door is a quote by Prewitt: “If you don’t have a dream, how can your dream come true?” To donate to the Virginia and Charles Prewitt Peace and Human Rights Studies Endowment Fund, contact the Development Office at (860) 465-4514.
CLASS NOTES 52 Elizabeth (Ashton) Levey turned 90 in April and moved into assisted living in May. After graduating from Eastern, Betty earned her master’s degree in Special Education from East Carolina University, and her doctorate in Learning Disabilities from the University of Virginia. Widowed in 1961 when her husband was killed in a military plane crash, Betty completed her advanced degrees while raising two children. She retired after teaching for many years at East Carolina University in the College of Education.
54 Ada Corn Roth wrote to say how much she enjoys EASTERN Magazine. After graduation she moved to New Jersey to get married. She lost touch with her classmates but is always happy to get mail from the alumni office. “At the time we all graduated as teachers, and this became a big part of my life.” She taught in New Jersey for more than 30 years with a break of seven years to stay home with her children. She has been retired for more than 20 years.
turned out to be ancestors and some of the students she taught in fifth grade at Hunting Lodge Road School turned out to be her cousins. Cathy now lives in Hurricane, Utah, and continues to work on genealogy. “Perhaps there is a student attending Eastern now who is a relative of mine!”
70 After graduation, June (Roma) Machia taught grades one and two in her hometown of Trumbull, CT, for four years, marrying her husband Ed in 1972. She left teaching in 1974 for 10 years to have a family. June returned to the education field in 1984, and worked as a paraprofessional for 25 years, retiring in 2010. She babysits her granddaughters (ages 11 and 7) and has been teaching them remotely since March. She and Ed like traveling, and have visited Alaska, Hawaii and numerous national parks, in addition to enjoying a trip to Italy in February 2019. Fred Souza bought a shirt 10 years ago at his 40th reunion for his grandson. It now fits his granddaughter Ella, and Fred’s daughter and son-in-law sent in a photo of Ella with the caption “Future Freshman.” “If that happens, it will be the first time in 50+ years that anyone in the family has gone to a state school with in-state tuition.” Fred’s four years at Eastern cost about $6,000, “including the cost of a VW bug so I could commute senior year.”
66 Jack LaPlante taught for 40 years in the Hartford public school system, and coached football and track at Hartford Public High School for 25 of those years. He also coached football and basketball at Glastonbury High School. Jack and his wife Pat have 18 grandchildren.
69 While a graduate student at Willimantic State College, Cathy Overkamp wrote her thesis on the history of Mansfield, CT. “I put in years of research and wrote in triplicate on an old typewriter while eight months pregnant with a toddler playing under my desk before I was 30.” Many of the people in Cathy’s research
Fred Souza's ’70 grandaughter Ella
Scott Rhoades ’73 was recently elected as a member of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, a Signature Member of Arts Center East and an Elected Member of the Academic Artists Association. He has participated in several virtual art exhibitions and shows, including the Academic Artists Association’s 70th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, where he received the Jack Richeson Merchandise Award for his painting “Locked.” See more at scotterhoadesart.com.
75 Barbara (Halchek) Dion is winding down a 45-year teaching career by substituting two days a week in the Tolland school system. She also babysits two of her grandsons and does some elder care. She said that by next year she and husband David will have five grandsons and a granddaughter.
77 Utah State University President Noelle Cockett has named Laurens “Larry” Smith vice president of statewide campuses, removing the “interim” label he’s had since taking the position in spring 2019. Larry oversees the operation of more than 30 campuses and smaller learning centers and academic facilities in the Utah State system — all but the flagship campus in Logan. He has served Utah State in several high-level administrative positions for more than a decade. Larry was inducted as an Eastern Fellow in fall 2019.
74
78
Charles Iadaresta sent a note along with a donation to the Andree & C.R. Webb Endowed Scholarship in memory of President Webb. “I saw him a couple of times ‘in concert’ and enjoyed it back in ’72-’74.”
Jim Grieco volunteers with the American Red Cross as co-lead of the Home Fire Campaign, which installs free smoke alarms in people’s homes. “It’s very satisfying work, and the Red Cross is an amazing organization.” Jim welcomed his 11th grandchild and ninth granddaughter in August 2020. EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 31
Stephen Kania, professor and director of the Immunology Service Laboratory in the Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named the college’s assistant dean of research and graduate studies. As director of the Comparative and Experimental Medicine Graduate Program, Stephen has overseen a revitalization of the graduate program and initiated program changes that included the addition of DVM/Ph.D. and concurrent master’s/Ph.D. options.
81 Liz Augustine served her country as a vocalist with the U.S. Air Force Band. She has managed and owned an art gallery, and taught art to children at a science and art museum in Bridgeport. She authored the initial proposal for a women's center at Housatonic Community College and served as co-chair for eight years. She received her MFA in Visual Art in 2019 from Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. "Education has been a lifelong process for me."
80
Tony Ross ’80
After earning his Ph.D. at Stony Brook University and doing postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University and the University of Massachusetts, Tony Ross joined the faculty at the University of Bridgeport in 1996 to teach anatomy, physiology and microbiology at the Chiropractic School. He did a three year stint as associate dean in the school of naturopathic medicine from 1999 to 2002, and then became an instructor and later senior lecturer, equivalent to full professor, as his primary appointment for nearly two decades.
85 Roy Rovazzo writes “I am starting to write a book about the radio show I hosted at Eastern — ‘Musical Myriad’ — and jazz, at the suggestion of a ‘Myriad’ fan who has notable ties to Eastern, professor emerita Claudia Wid32 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
diss. I am also working on a new group of paintings.”
88 Dianne Bilyak is a Pushcart-prize nominated writer, graduate of the Yale Divinity School and Connecticut disability rights advocate. Her new book, “Nothing Special: the mostly true, sometimes funny tales of two sisters,” will be published by Wesleyan University Press on March 2, 2021. Her book of poems “Against the Turning” was published by Amherst Writers & Artists Press in 2011, and her poetry has also been featured in Meat for Tea, Freshwater, Drunken Boat, The Massachusetts Review and The Tampa Review.
89 Catherine Poulin is founder/president of Pitch Perfect Consulting, LLC, a marketing and public relations firm she launched in Essex in 2019. She previously worked as public relations/ outreach director for Bob’s Discount Furniture for 18 years, and was the company’s television spokesperson for several years. In her Nov. 4 University Hour presentation called “Six Voices in Women’s Suffrage,” Bev York related the stories of six leaders of the Women’s Suffrage movement and the roles they played securing women’s right to vote through passage of the 19th Amendment 100 years ago.
90 Travis Sirrine has served as highway superintendent for the Town of Putnam since July 2018. He previously worked for the Highway Department in Killingly. Rob Szarka became an assistant teaching professor in Managerial Economics at the University of Kansas in August. Rob earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Connecticut in 2017.
91
Steve Boskus, a member of Eastern’s Athletic Hall-of-Fame, is completing his 17th year as a guidance counselor at Nauset Regional High School in Massachusetts. He has fond memories of
pitching for Coach Bill Holowaty on the 1990 national championship team. His academic mentor was Dan Switchenko. “I still have the dried sweat from sitting in the first row of his exercise physiology class,” said Steve. He and his wife, Christie, are the proud parents of Josi, a 10th grader, and Jacob, an 8th grader. Roger DelGiorno became vice president-processing and wholesale relationship manager for Liberty Bank in Middletown in October 2019. Prior to being hired by Liberty he had been with Simsbury Bank for six years.
94 David Evans is assistant executive director of the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors in Raleigh, NC. He has been with the board for 23 years. Exeltis, a global pharmaceutical and medical device company, promoted Sean Holbrook to senior executive territory manager in July. Sean has been with Exeltis since 2000.
95 Roger Boucher Jr. has been a pathologist’s assistant in Roanoke, VA, for nearly 20 years, but he has also served in the reserves in the Army and Navy over the years. He recently completed a six-month stint on active duty as an Army captain serving as a pathologist’s assistant in Hawaii “helping to combat the current pandemic within the Pacific theatre of operations.” Scott Dauphinee started a new position in August as senior director of supplier quality with Smith+Nephew, a company based in England that develops, manufactures and distributes medical devices specializing in wound care, orthopedics and sports medicine. Scott is responsible for managing purchasing controls globally to ensure compliance with local and international regulations. He and his wife Alicia live in Rhode Island with their two teenage daughters. Scott is active in youth soccer and teaching catechism classes in his church. Conrad Paquette joined the Boston Business Journal as senior advertising account manager in August. Elizabeth Wik became media buyer/ planner with the advertising firm Mintz + Hoke in October 2019. She worked at The Bushnell for more than 19 years and was the performance hall’s director of marketing her last five years there.
96 Debra Hartley is a retired social worker who has been volunteering with Norwich Human Services to alleviate pressure on the organization brought on by the pandemic. Since September, she’s volunteered on a weekly basis, answering phones, filing, directing people to services and assisting with applications. Nathan Suver was promoted to principal software engineer with MatrixCare in Southington in October 2019. He has been with the company for 13 years. In 2020 Nathan earned a master’s degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Software Design from Southern Connecticut State University.
Thomas Gibson ’96 has forged a career of increasingly responsible positions in higher education since graduating from Eastern. He was recently appointed by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents as the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, which enrolls nearly 8,000 undergraduate students and approximately 500 graduate students. Gibson began his position on Jan. 1, 2021. “Dr. Gibson is a fantastic fit for UW-Stevens Point,” said Tommy Thompson, UW System President and former Wisconsin governor. “I am confident his background in student affairs coupled with his high-energy engagement with everyone he connects with will build an even better university for the entire region and our great state.” “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve as the 15th chancellor at UW-Stevens Point,” Gibson said. “UW-Stevens Point has a rich history and culture, and dedicated students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community leaders that I am looking forward to joining.” Gibson had been serving as vice president for student affairs and vice provost at Bowling Green State University, and prior to that held student affairs positions at Ball State University and at York College of the City University of New York. Gibson received his B.A. in Communication from Eastern, a master’s degree in education from the University of New Haven and a doctorate in higher education administration from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.
Princess Ventura has been regional director in New South Wales, Australia, for the Australian firm Urbis since July 2019. Urbis is a company dedicated to shaping better futures for Australian cities and communities through urban planning, policy, design, heritage and other aspects of community character. Princess has been with Urbis for more than 12 years.
97 Duane Mitchell MBA, DBA started a new position as a real estate appraiser and executive director at Beer School of Real Estate. Pfizer promoted Arlene Waugh to senior manager, global regulatory affairs strategy and operations, in February 2020. Arlene earned an MBA in Pharmaceutical Economics from the University of Rhode Island in 2018.
00 Lt. Col. Mark Katz, a career Army officer, became the commanding officer of a headquarters battalion at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio in June. Mark’s administrative battalion supports a joint force land component command with an area of responsibility including the Caribbean and Central and South America. Mark earned his commission by going through the University of Connecticut ROTC program while he was at Eastern. His military occupational specialty (MOS) is Military Police.
98 Jonathan Daly became trade review principal at Voya Financial in January 2020. He had previously been with Citizens Financial Group for more than five years.
99 Vincent Bellante joined Outset Medical in March 2020 as clinical sales manager and was promoted to market director six months later. The company is headquartered in California, but he works remotely from his Florida home. Vincent’s wife Sloane Bellante is also a 1999 Eastern graduate. Shepard Boucher has carved out a career as a television writer and producer in Los Angeles. His most recent ventures were as a writer and co-producer on Upload for Amazon, and Space Load for Netflix. Shepard, a Communication major and English minor at Eastern, credits the late English professor Howard Coughlin for inspiring his writing career. He said Coughlin could make stuffy and dense books fun to read and discuss. Jeffrey Wolf was promoted to senior vice president with Merrill Lynch in West Hartford in November 2019. He has been with the firm since 2015.
Lt. Col. Mark Katz ’00
Kevin Webster became a licensed master social worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Las Vegas area in October 2019. Kevin, who has master’s degrees from Salve Regina and Arizona State universities, has also been teaching as an adjunct at four colleges and universities in the Southwest in recent years. Chad West has been promoted to contracts negotiator, staff at Lockheed Martin. He joined Lockheed Martin in 2015.
01 Jake Johnson has been strategic account executive-emerging enterprise (promotion) since February 2020 for BitSight in Raleigh, NC. BitSight, headquartered in Boston, is an internet security risk assessment company serving businesses.
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 33
02 Jamey Carroll has been the human resources manager for Vistra Energy since July 2019. Vistra is a Fortune 300 power generation company based in Irving, TX, that provides residential energy in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Jamey holds M.S. degrees in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from California University of Pennsylvania and in Management from Texas A&M-Commerce. He spent 18 years in the Army, leaving as a captain and armor officer to focus on his civilian career. Luke Feder became an Upper School History Teacher at The Browning School, a boy’s school in Manhattan, NY, in September 2020. He had a similar position at the Lawrence Woodmere Academy in Woodmere, NY, for the prior three years. Luke earned his master’s degree and doctorate in History at Stony Brook University.
03
Joanna White ’03
Marc DiGiovanni, one of the top scorers in the history of Eastern’s lacrosse program, was inducted into the Little East Conference Hall of Fame Class of 2020, a year after he was inducted into Eastern’s Hall of Fame. He was selected for the All-LEC first team all three years he played and twice was named a second team All American in lacrosse. Mike Eagle became head football coach for Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham, CT, in March 2020. He has been a physical education, health and wellness teacher at Catherine M. McGee Middle School in Berlin since 2003. He was previously head coach at Guilford High School for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Anthony LaPia has been named senior manager, global lead, strategic accounts, LinkedIn Learning Solutions at LinkedIn. Manchester Community College has honored Joanna White as the recipient of its 2020 Educational Excellence and Community Service Award. Joanna is an assistant professor and program coordinator for human and social services, overseeing the Social Service, Social Work, Early Childhood Education, Therapeutic Recreation and the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counselor programs.
34 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
Her innovative initiatives have helped increase retention and graduation, including increasing fall to spring retention rates in the Therapeutic Recreation Program by double digits. Singer-songwriter Jim Wolf released a new single “I’m Here for You” and a music video “Wild Heart” during the fall. The title track “Forever Sunday” from a June release hit 210,000 plays in a month and a half from all streaming services. “Music continues to be my therapy through these tough times and I hope this new stuff brings you some comfort and joy.”
Jim Wolf ’03
04 Lisa (Carrozza) Catano is the author of “Pickles and Mayonnaise,” a humorous middle grade novel about two fifth-grade boys who are in constant competition with one another until they learn to embrace their differences and work together. Christopher Davis became deputy chief of the East Hartford Police Department in September 2018, following a 25-year career in the Manchester Police Department, where he retired as a captain. He has also been teaching courses in Criminal Justice at Eastern as an adjunct in recent years. Chris earned his master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University in 2006. Stephanie Skiba has been vice principal of Lincoln Bassett Community School in New Haven since August 2019. She has also been director of operations for the school since August 2014. Stephanie holds master’s degrees in Developmental/Remedial English K-12 and Educational Leadership and Administration, K-12 from the University of Bridgeport. Justin Wengrzynek became global procurement manager for Pitney Bowes in April 2019. His position involves ongoing efforts to effect cost savings and logistical efficiencies on both the procurement and the marketing and distribution sides of the company’s operations. He works from the compa-
ny’s Shelton office and his nearby home. Justin enjoyed a similar role with Unilever for more than a decade before moving to his current position. He is married to classmate Thuy Dao-Wengrzynek, and the couple has two children.
05 Daniel Carter has worked at MedHOK, Inc., formerly Continuum Performance Systems, for 18 years. He is currently lead developer designing and creating web APIs using .NET Core for a MarketProminence web migration project. In May 2020, Benjamin DeMagistris became an executive sales agent for New York Life Securities in Rhode Island. After graduating with his Eastern degree in Physical Education, he earned a Master of Arts in Student Affairs, Administration and Leadership from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, in 2007. Employee Family Protection in Glastonbury promoted Ashley Fraser to senior marketing communications specialist in July. She has been with the employee benefits services company for six years. Ashley earned an M.S. in Interactive Communication from Quinnipiac University. Eric Hendricksen has been cyber product manager with the insurance company Hartford Steam Boiler since January 2019. His undergraduate degree is in History and Social Science, and he also earned his Master of Science in Organizational Management at Eastern in 2012. Milton Jackson has been promoted to assistant vice president, design and user experience at The Hartford. He and his family celebrated the birth of their second son in April 2020 and they are now living in Bethany. Dwayne Robertson became a diversity and inclusion manager for YPO, a global leadership association of chief executives, in March 2020. To join YPO a leader must be less than 45 years old and serve as a president, CEO, or managing director of a company that has at least 50 employees. Dwayne works with member-led chapters in more than 142 countries, and internally with other YPO management associates, to promote the importance of Dwayne Robertson ’05 factoring diversity and inclusiveness in members' journeys. Dwayne earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Albany School of Public Health in 2007.
Warriors Give Virtually
The fifth annual #WarriorsGive campaign generated $98,195 over a four-day period that concluded on Nov. 16. This total included $38,900 from two matching gifts by the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation and an anonymous donor. In all, 327 donors contributed to the online campaign; 83 percent of them were Eastern alumni. Darrell Stock Jr. ’80, a pharmacist from California, made the largest gift of $20,000. Mr. Stock is in the process of establishing an endowed scholarship.
06 Padraic Hagan became senior analyst, energy management for CVS Health in Woonsocket, RI, in September 2019. He is responsible for effecting energy efficiencies and managing the programs that accomplish them for all CVS facilities nationally except retail stores. His areas of oversight include energy engineering and project management, management of sustainability programs including a solar fleet, and budgeting, forecasting and spending analysis. Padraic handled similar duties for smaller companies in two prior positions.
07 Garrett Dukette has been named the new principal of the Dr. Helen Baldwin
Middle School in Canterbury. He is also working on completing his doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Connecticut. Anna Gerhart has been a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Newington, CT, since September 2019. She has also been in the Air National Guard since 2010. Anna earned a master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Springfield College in 2015. Chelsea Halpine-Berger works as an attorney for Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies in California, in the area of workers’ compensation. Her position involves coordinating claims handling among lawyers, medical professionals, investigators and claimants and conducting investigations into claims, determining compensation, and in some cases investigating potential fraud. Chelsea earned her J.D. from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, cum laude, in 2013. James Lincoln earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Kentucky in 2020 and is now a senior instructor in Philosophy at the University of Louisville. Between Eastern and Kentucky, James also earned a B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Illinois-Springfield, an M.S. in Project Management at Lasell University and an M.A. in Philosophy at Boston University. Philip Lohman is starting a new position as counselor III/case manager at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.
08 Patrick Bushnell has a new position as enterprise sales director at DealerSocket. Holly Butler was named Outstanding Mentor by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. Holly is a mental health worker and mentor at Natchaug Hospital. Daniel Routhier became assistant principal at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport in July 2019. He has been at the school for more than six years and was dean of students before his promotion to assistant principal. Daniel earned a master’s degree in Secondary Education, Educational Technology and his Sixth Year Administration certification, both from Sacred Heart University. Since graduating from Eastern, Melissa Ziogas became a registered nurse at Maria College in Albany, NY, in 2012, earned a B.S. in Nursing at Jacksonville University in 2013, and earned a Master of Science in Nursing at Simmons Uni-
versity in Boston in 2020. Melissa has been a post-anesthesia care nurse at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL, since December 2019.
09 The Connecticut Association of Adult and Continuing Education named Shelby Adams one of its three teachers of the year for 2020 for their work in teaching adults. A teacher at City Hall Middle School in Naugatuck since 2009, where she teaches seventh-grade Language Arts, Shelby added adult education to her duties more than three years ago. She teaches English and civics to adults in Naugatuck. Shelby earned her master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Bridgeport. Luke Boyd became director of education and public programs for Historic Richmond Town in New York in February 2020. Historic Richmond Town is a central Staten Island town and farm museum that portrays life from the colonial period to the present. Luke earned his M.A. in Public History at Central Connecticut State University in 2013. Since graduating from Eastern cum laude, Kelsey Bushkoff has earned two master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, with a concentration in aerospace in 2018 and thermal and fluid dynamics in 2020. Kelsey has worked as an engineer for Pratt & Whitney since June 2018. Vincent DeLuca became manager, digital marketing for Charter Communications in Stamford in February 2020. Neil Frutuoso has been promoted to director, customer experience at Rebel Interactive Group, a digital marketing agency based in Southington. “I have been focusing my energy working within our higher education practice.” He and his wife Nicole are expecting the birth of their first child. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal recently visited Andrew Gutt at his Willimantic restaurant Stone Row Kitchen. The senator was there to learn about the unique challenges faced by the restaurant industry during the pandemic, as well as the possibility of an extension of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). Kelly (Mastrianna) McCarthy has been an individual therapist at Newport Academy since October 2019. The private Bethlehem, CT, academy is a mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation facility for adolescents that also provides classroom instruction. Kelly has a client caseload of six to eight, and she is currently working with boys. She EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 35
earned a master’s degree in Art Therapy from Albertus Magnus College in 2012. Alexis Safo-Agyeman launched CT Hart Cheer, an organization to teach and promote the sport of cheerleading through clinics, camps and performance team opportunities for athletes from age five to adults, in June 2018. An experienced cheerleader and cheerleading coach, Alexis is assisted by two other cheerleading coaches. Her company is also committed to community service through charitable donations and service projects. Alexis also works as a community and parent liaison for the Capital Region Education Council. Summer (Spellman) Sivetz was promoted to manager, philanthropic events at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. She got married in 2017, and she and her husband welcomed their first child Everly in August 2019.
10 Timothy Cooper became a physical education teacher with Ledyard Public Schools in July 2020. After earning his Eastern degree in Business Administration in 2010, Timothy earned a second bachelor’s degree in Physical Education with a minor in Health in 2015. He was a physical education teacher with Thompson Public Schools for four years before taking the Ledyard position. Christine Dascanio is an English language arts teacher at the Leigh H. Kellogg School in Falls Village in the Region One School District. Region One encompasses Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon in Litchfield County — Falls Village is part of Canaan. Christine previously taught in grades four to eight in Norwich. She graduated from Eastern with a degree in English and earned a Master of Education degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Haven. Patrick O'Sullivan started a new position as brand manager, e-commerce at The Topps Company. Michael Palladini is starting a new position as accountant II at Symetra, a financial services company offering annuities, life insurance and employee benefits. Katherine Patnaude has been elected as a member at large of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants Board of Directors for 2020-21. Katherine is a senior manager with PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP in Wethersfield. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from Eastern and an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Connecticut. She 36 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
has served the CTCPA as chair of the Governmental Accounting and Auditing Committee and Accounting Scholarship Foundation, as well as a member of the Advisory Council, Audit Committee, and New and Young Professionals Cabinet. Justin Sorel CPA has been promoted to director of finance at Ximedica. Jennifer Succi MPH is the new chief financial officer at Root Center for Advanced Recovery, a private, non-profit, behavioral healthcare organization providing mental health and substance abuse treatment, prevention, community health services and research. Masio Williams has been a college success counselor with Achievement First since June 2019. Achievement First began with the 1999 launch of Amistad High School, a charter school in New Haven, and now operates 37 elementary, middle and high school level charter schools in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. Masio earned an M.S. in Organizational Management and Leadership at Springfield College in 2014.
11 Mariana Torres became associate director of the undergraduate colleges at Stony Brook University in February 2020. In that position, Mariana works with faculty, administrators and academic advisors to develop curriculum, advising and experiential learning opportunities for first-year students. She also earned her M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Stony Brook. Mariana’s Eastern degree is in History. She was elected to the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society and served as its president.
12 Operation Fuel promoted Tasheenah Brown to deputy executive director in January 2020. She had joined the Hartford nonprofit as director of energy programs in September 2018. Operation Fuel partners with local government and community-based organizations throughout Connecticut to ensure that people in need have access to yearround energy assistance, and can connect with other agencies for assistance with food, clothing, health services and more. In July Lauren Daddona began a new position as lifeset specialist at Youth Villages in West Springfield, MA. In December she became compliance
specialist for the same agency. “Starting during a pandemic was definitely a different experience for sure!” She will also be pursuing her social work license. Maria Garahan was promoted to director of research, senior investment officer with the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management (MassPRIM) in January 2020. A magna cum laude Economics graduate of Eastern, Maria also holds an M.A. in Applied Economics from Northeastern University. Carolina Galvez became a junior art director with Bob’s Discount Furniture in September 2019. She joined the company more than six years ago as a graphic designer. Carolina’s Eastern degree is in Visual Arts, with a concentration in Graphic Art and Design. Carolyn Guzzo is graphic design coordinator in the Richmond, VA, office of the national law firm Troutman Sanders LLP. Carolyn graduated summa cum laude as an Honor Scholar with an Eastern degree in Visual Arts, a Concentration in Graphic Art and Design and a minor in Art History. Bryan Jorge became senior accountant, financial reporting and analysis with Aetna in January 2020. Bryan graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Political Science from Eastern, and has since earned a Master of Public Administration degree in Public Financial Management from the University of Connecticut in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Central Connecticut State University in 2016. Colchester Public Schools named Linda Lane Teacher of the Year for Jack Jackter Intermediate School in Colchester for 2020. Linda said she found out about her selection when the assistant principal showed up at her house to congratulate her. She has taught third and fifth grade in the past and has been a reading intervention teacher for the past five years. She earned her M.S. in Reading and Language Arts from Eastern. Scott Nolan earned his degree in Political Science from Eastern with an eye toward eventually getting involved with politics or local government. After graduation, he stayed at Eastern in roles including residence hall director for four years, while earning his M.S. in Counselor Education, Student Development in Higher Education at Central Connecticut State University in 2017. Last fall Scott was named assistant town clerk for his hometown of Windsor Locks. In July 2020 the Windsor Locks Board of Selectmen unanimously selected him to take over as town clerk following the retirement of longtime town clerk William Hamel.
Broderick Sawyer, who earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Louisville in 2018 and was a graduate research assistant there, is now a self-employed clinical psychologist. An expert on racial trauma and stress, he participated in a virtual University Hour in December on race-based trauma. Broderick, who was a starter on Eastern’s men’s basketball team his final two years, earned a master’s degree in Psychology at Central Connecticut State University in 2013. Elise Zarcaro has been human resources manager for Provincetown, MA, since August 2019. She graduated with a double major in Elementary Education and Mathematics from Eastern and was on the field hockey and track teams.
13 Kaysee Berryman works for Trinity Health Senior Communities as therapeutic recreation director at St. Mary Home in West Hartford. Her Eastern degree is in Sociology. Arielle Cooper was appointed interim head softball coach at the Coast Guard Academy in New London in October. She has been an assistant coach there since 2018. Arielle was an All American third baseman at Eastern. Carlos Corona became a program director for Chula Vista Community Collaborative in April 2020. Chula Vista is a city of more than 250,000 bordering San Diego to the south. Carlos joined the organization in October 2019 as service coordinator. He is responsible for supervision and training of staff with a focus on home health programs. Carlos graduated from Eastern with a degree in Sociology with minors in Criminology and Spanish, and was active with several campus organizations. Kyle Droniak is a new business development representative at Nexthink, a global leader in digital employee experience. Kyle is also a seventh-grade soccer referee. In August, Norwich Free Academy named English teacher Rebecca Holdridge its Teacher of the Year for 2020-21. Arriving at NFA in 2015, Rebecca teaches English to freshmen as part of a unit that supports new NFA students. She also teaches in the Step-Up summer program for incoming freshmen and in the night school. She earned her master’s degree in Secondary Education at the University of New Haven
in 2014. Rebecca graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English and was elected to the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership society at Eastern. Jordan Kallenbach is starting a new position as data processing manager at Paragon Insurance Holdings in Avon, CT. Jordan married Tasheenah Brown ’12 in September 2019. They met at Eastern while taking the same International Advertising and Public Relations class together. Joseph Kwasniewski is a partner and chief commercial officer at Cadilus, Inc. Based in Stamford, Cadilus is launching a new SaaS platform, DataPAx, a revolutionary business performance management platform for companies looking to unlock the power of data. Kaitlin Lessard was hired in 2020 as a counselor at Jonathan Law High School in her hometown of Milford. She had previously interned at the high school while earning her M.S. in School Counseling at Southern Connecticut State University. Kaitlin graduated cum laude from Eastern with a degree in Psychology and minors in Health and Psychology of Children and Youth. Jessica (Roessler) Onderdonk was named supervisor of engineering services at General Dynamics Electric Boat. She has been at Electric Boat since 2013, when she was hired as a buyer. Ashley Smith became a social worker for Hartford Public Schools in October 2019. Her Eastern degree is in Sociology. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut in 2017. Emily Whetstone became a program therapist at Butler Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Providence, RI, in February 2020. She works alongside psychiatrists and other hospital staff with a caseload of about seven patients who need intermediate care. Emily sees her patients on a daily basis over a period of one to two weeks, generally in groups. Emily earned her Eastern degree cum laude with a major in Visual Arts and a minor in Psychology, and received a master’s degree in Counseling and Art Therapy at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2018.
14 AJ Audet III has a new position as facilities coordinator at JLL, a professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. AJ earned a M.S. in Exercise Physiology
and Physical Education from Central Connecticut State University, and was most recently assistant athletic director for facilities and operations at American International College. Stephen Bailey is the new boys’ basketball coach at Lyman Memorial High School. Jordan Clark has started a new position as senior financial analyst-enterprise capital management at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He celebrated five years with BoA over the summer. Jordan is married to the former Kaitlin Poresky ’14, and they are the proud parents of two-year-old daughter Lennon. Stephanie Conway joined Stripes, a media marketing agency in Dallas, TX, in January 2020 and became digital account strategist for the firm in July. Her Eastern degree is in Political Science. Kelsey Hallock has been a school social worker for Griswold Public Schools since September 2018, having earned her MSW from the University of Connecticut that year. She majored in Sociology with a minor in Criminology at Eastern. In October 2020, Mike King joined E*Trade in Boston to work on “Gradifi,” a product offered to E*Trade clients’ employees that helps them pay down student loans faster with the help of their employers, while also providing 529 savings options. As a UX designer, Mike helps users through his work on design and business changes to Gradifi. Kaleigh Kurpiewski has been an assistant graphic designer at Yale University since May 2019. She graduated summa cum laude from Eastern with a Visual Arts major and Communication minor. Josh Stark has a new position as international property underwriter at Swiss Re. Alexis Vatteroni is director of programming at the Copper Beech Institute, a West Hartford nonprofit mindfulness retreat center focused on meditation practice and helping to heal the world. She joined the organization in 2018 and was elevated to her current position in 2019. Alexis graduated cum laude from Eastern with a degree in Sociology. Laura Walberg became a staff pharmacist at Beacon Prescriptions in New Britain in December 2019. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Saint Joseph earlier that year. Laura majored in Biochemistry at Eastern.
Rebecca Holdridge ’13
EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 37
15 Jonathan Blejewski is an audit senior with the accounting firm BlumShapiro, and a C.P.A. He graduated from Eastern magna cum laude with a double major in Accounting and Business Information systems. Benn Dubois is the new account associate for the Town of Manchester, CT. Matt Hicks has been assistant director of orientation and new student programs in the University of Maryland Office of Orientation since September 2019. Matt earned his M.S. in College Student Personnel at the University of Tennessee in 2017. His Eastern degree is in Political Science, cum laude, with minors in Pre-Law and History. Shannon McCourt has been sales manager for Made U Look Promotions, a marketing firm in Glastonbury, since September 2019. She had started with the company as a sales representative in 2016. Made U Look specializes in attention-grabbing displays for automobile dealerships in the eastern United States. Shannon’s degree is in Physical Education with a minor in Health. Renae St. John is an administrative assistant and continuing professional development coordinator at Framingham State University. Tania Vives is working at Rushford in Meriden as a care coordinator. She is engaged to Jimmy Lamothe and is expecting their first child.
16 Cigna promoted Kayla Croft to business analytics advisor in its global data and analytics section in December 2019. Kayla has been with Cigna since shortly after graduating from Eastern with a degree in Mathematics. Penn State University hired Jessica DeFelice as a human resources technologist in January 2020. The job involves participant outreach, recruitment, data collection and related duties for a university research center, as well as helping to train and monitor undergraduate and graduate student research assistants. Jessica graduated magna cum laude from Eastern and was an Honors Scholar as a double major in Economics and Political Science. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Oregon State University in 2019. Jysean Duncan is a behavioral health technician at Adlebrook. 38 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
Garland Mann-Lamb ’16
Garland Mann-Lamb was promoted to director of campus life at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Worcester in September. In that role, she oversees clubs and organizations, the student government association, the orientation program and mentors, and campus-wide programming. She had been area coordinator there since 2018, responsible for the operation of residence halls and crisis intervention among other duties. Garland earned a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of Connecticut in 2018. Kelsey Nixon became a full-time English teacher at Griswold High School at the start of the 2020-21 school year. She had taught eighth-grade English at Killingly Intermediate School the previous two years. Kelsey, who was on the track and cross-country teams at Eastern, is also the cross-country coach and one of two head track coaches. She graduated from Eastern magna cum laude, majoring in English with minors in Writing and Health. Kelsey earned a master’s degree in Teaching at Sacred Heart University in 2018.
17 Shawn Batchelder became a social studies teacher in the Plainfield Public Schools system for the 2020 school year after earning his M.Ed. in Secondary Education and Teaching from Central Connecticut State University. Shawn earned his Eastern degree in History. Nicole Biele has been a mathematics teacher at Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford since August 2019. She earned her M.S. in Secondary Education, Mathematics from the University of Bridgeport in 2019. Her Eastern degree is in Mathematics, cum laude. Allison Kazlauskas has been a constituent engagement coordinator for House Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly since January 2020. She addresses constituent requests and concerns, coordinates events, helps legislators manage their schedules, and assists them with research and writing in support of their legislative initiatives.
A Political Science major at Eastern, Allie earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Connecticut in 2019. Michael Lisitano is pursuing a law degree at Quinnipiac University School of Law. He was a legal intern with Robinson+Cole and began working with their Health Law Group in May 2019. Upon passing the bar exam, he will transition from his role as law clerk to that of associate. At Eastern, Michael earned his B.A. in History with minors in Asian Studies and Pre-Law. Alejandro Tobon recently Michael Lisiano ’17 earned his doctorate in Physical Therapy and is a physical therapist at Hartford Hospital. He is also the founder of a golf league called “The Millennial Slicers of Greater Hartford” at Keney Park Golf Course with one of his childhood friends, Sadie Martinez. The league caters to young professionals of all skill levels and has attracted more than 60 players from 18 different Connecticut towns. The recent league championship raised more than $500 for the group’s designated charity, The First Tee of CT. Alexandra Tynan teaches seventh grade at St. Joseph School in New London. She graduated cum laude from Eastern with a degree in History and also earned her 7th to 12th grade certification.
18 In preparation for a career as a physical therapist, Carissa (Finney) Caban is pursuing her doctorate degree at Methodist University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Science at Eastern, followed by her master’s degree in Mental Health at Grand Canyon University. After three years of anchoring overnight news, Morgan Cunningham is excited to start his new role as WTIC NewsTalk 1080’s afternoon/evening drive news anchor. Morgan can be heard on 1080 AM, WTIC.com, and RADIO.com. For 10 years, he was the host and programmer of “Morgan Cunningham's Classic Hits” on WECS 90.1 FM. Matthew Daddio joined Community Solutions as a human service worker in 2018, and he has been a case manager since April 2019. His job involves assisting formerly incarcerated individuals reentering the community. His Eastern degree is in Criminology. Maggie Disbrow has been a legal administrative assistant with the
Consoli Bartolan Law Group in Hartford since February 2020. She earned her certification as a paralegal at Boston University in 2018. Maggie’s Eastern degree is in Criminology, with a minor in Psychology. Anna Stevens is a VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) case manager for United Services, Inc. in northeastern Connecticut. Her job is to assist individuals and families who have been victims of crime, connecting them with services and helping them navigate the court system, through funding provided by the federal government. Anna earned her Eastern degree in Criminology.
19 Ahmed Al-aqel is a logistics coordinator for Echochlor, Inc., a water treatment technology supplier in North Haven, and is a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard. He earned his commission by going through the ROTC program at the University of Connecticut while at Eastern. Ahmed’s Eastern degree is in Criminology. Taylor Danielczuk is Capstone Search Group recruiter at Barton Associates. Kimberly Griffin is a case manager for United Services, Inc. She graduated from Eastern with a double major in Criminology and Psychology, and a concentration in Mental Health Counseling.
Jennifer Porpora has a new position as referral coordinator at VCA Shoreline Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Shelton, CT. In August, Juanita Wilbur became executive director of Writer’s Block Ink, a New London nonprofit that seeks to develop confidence and leadership skills in area youth through writing and involvement in the performing arts. Juanita is also a product of Writer’s Block Ink, having joined it in 2007 at age 12 and moved up in progressively responsible leadership roles since. Her Eastern degree is in English.
20 Melat Assefa is studying for her Master of Science degree in Applied Quantitative Finance and is a graduate assistant in the School of Accountancy at University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. Anthony Choronzy has a new position as marketing associate at Philadelphia Insurance Companies. He recently passed his producer license for Property and Causality. Abby DeMarkey is a M.Ed. candidate at Salem State University in Higher Education and Student Affairs. She is serving an assistantship at Tufts where she is a graduate assistant for operations, and has an internship with The Placement Exchange as an ambassador.
Katherine Hunt is the new mathematics teacher for grades six and seven at North Canaan Elementary School. She graduated from Eastern with a double major in Elementary Education and Liberal Studies. She enjoys arts and crafts (especially painting), reading and traveling. The Plainfield Police Department hired Julie Jordan as a police officer in September. Julie graduated from Eastern with a double major in Criminology and Sociology. She was working three jobs when she was hired, one as a part-time dispatcher with the department. Katelyn Kuegler has a new position as client success specialist at Evexia Diagnostics. Katie will be working with and managing data for doctors, dietitians and nutritionists who need to access specialty diagnostic testing services. Jake LeFevre is a mechanical assembler at Amazon Robotics. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and was a four-year member of Eastern’s baseball team. Julia Medina is one of 19 members of the first cohort of college graduates selected by the Connecticut Governor's Innovation Fellowship (CTGIF) program. She double majored in Computer Science and Political Science. The fellowship places Connecticut’s most promising college graduates in positions at some of the top companies in the state. She will begin her career in information technology procurement at Sema4, a predictive health company and leader in diagnostic testing.
IN MEMORIAM Janice (Colton) Ellison ’54, 88 Ivoryton, CT, July 5, 2020
Enid (Jones) Thomas ’71, 93 Norwich, CT, Oct. 3, 2020
Stephen E. Bresciano M ’08, 49 Tolland, CT, Oct. 17, 2020
James Keenan ’54 Old Lyme, CT, May 11, 2019
Kathleen (Constine) Dinan, ’72, 70 Mansfield Center, CT, Nov. 4, 2020
Tyler G. LaMontagne ’12, 29 Middletown, CT, Aug. 1, 2020
Mary (Pedace) Mahler ’56 Mystic, CT, Dec. 28, 2018
Evelyn S. Albert ’76, 83 North Conway, NH, Feb. 20, 2019
Lenore (Shlien) Zagoren ’56 Revere, MA, April 21, 2020
William W. Brainard ’76, 66 Willimantic, CT, Aug. 29, 2020
Richard J. Reynolds Professor Emeritus, 81 Windham, CT, Sept. 19, 2020
Mary (Vacca) Gamache ’59, 83 Windham, CT, Aug. 9, 2020
Merrill Thoresen M ’78 Big Sky, MT, Feb. 8, 2018
Sandra Viens ’63 Center Conway, NH, Dec. 16, 2018
Margaret B. Pryor ’79, M ’80, 99 Storrs/Mansfield, CT, June 21, 2020
Charles Senteio ’64, 82 Manchester, CT, and Osterville, MA Nov. 12, 2020
Madeleine (Tarrant) Moran ’80 Vineyard Haven, MA, April 1, 2018
Jane (Rondeau) King ’69, M ’73 Claremore, OK, Oct. 16, 2019 Margaret (Byrnes) Schaltegger ’70, 72 Bluffton, SC, Nov. 5, 2020
Judith Vezina ’81, 79 Columbia, CT, Nov. 25, 2020 Susan C. Taylor ’90, 64 Palmer, MA, Oct. 12, 2020 Gail H. Green ’91, 77 Dayville, CT, Sept. 12, 2020
Charles R. Webb President Emeritus, 101 Santa Rosa, CA, Oct. 8, 2020 John L. St. Onge Professor Emeritus, 86 Mansfield Center, CT, Oct. 21, 2020 Winifred E. Bennett, friend, 85 Hartford, CT, Oct. 30, 2020 Harry Singh, university assistant, 46 Willimantic, CT, Nov. 20, 2020 Charles Prewitt Professor Emeritus, 102 Mansfield, CT, Jan. 8, 2021 EASTERN • Winter 2021 • 39
Final Thoughts As I hope you have seen in this issue of EASTERN Magazine, the University community has responded to the global pandemic over the past year with ingenuity, grit and tenacity — traits Eastern has often demonstrated over the decades. It has been heartwarming to see the determination and perseverance demonstrated by students, faculty, staff and alumni in responding to a world crisis not seen before in our lifetimes. Based on the forecasts of healthcare professionals, the world community will continue to grapple with COVID-19 for months to come. While the promise of broad immunization is on the horizon, the virus has caused significant harm to many Eastern students. Some have lost family and friends. Others have found their studies interrupted by the stress of this new normal. Many students, already dependent on financial aid to support their educations, have found themselves in even more difficult circumstances. For some, family members who were providing financial support are now unemployed. Other students have seen their own jobs suspended. Rent, tuition, textbooks and other living expenses must still be managed. Supporting students with scholarships, emergency funds and other assistance has never been more important. In these times, financial contributions to our unrestricted fund can also allow the ECSU Foundation the flexibility to address unanticipated student and University needs. The good news is that Eastern donors have responded to these unprecedented times with renewed philanthropic spirit and a commitment to the students and families who have put their faith in us. A recent example was the very successful #WarriorsGive fundraising appeal that took place in November, when more than 325 donors stepped up in support of students with unmet needs. Another example of the support we continue to receive is the generosity of our major donors, who collectively have given the University more than $600,000 in the current fiscal year. In these extraordinary times, we were especially grateful to the Polly Bogue ’77 estate, Herbert and Nell Singer Foundation, Nellie Mae Foundation, SBM Foundation, Paul Joubert, Darrell Stock ’80, and Theresa ’70 and Raymond Kalber, for making gifts of $20,000 or more. Whether large gifts or smaller donations, the charitable contributions of our supporters are providing hundreds of Eastern students with critical financial assistance in a time of great need. I thank all the alumni and other supporters who have answered the call. I am truly grateful for your support, as we move into 2021 with a commitment to making Eastern an even stronger university. With your continued help, I am confident about the future of Eastern and the well-being of our students.
40 • Winter 2021 • EASTERN
Kenneth J. DeLisa Vice President for Institutional Advancement Chief Human Resources Officer
dziubas make major gift to ees by Peter Dane
In April 2010, President Núñez announced the Founders of EES Scholarship with (left to right) donors Tim White ’81 and Fred Johnson ’78, Professor Emeritus Henry Snider, EES Professor Drew Hyatt, Professor Emeritus Sherman Clebnik and Dean Carmen Cid
Shortly after Eastern launched the Founders of Environmental Earth Science (EES) Endowed Fund about 11 years ago to assist EES majors doing advanced work in the major, Jim Dziuba ’79 made a generous four-year commitment to the new fund. He has continued to support the fund, and over the past two and a half years has become its top donor. Now retired in Washington State, Jim and his wife Judy recently made a six-figure provision for EES in their estate plan. After graduating from Eastern, Jim earned a master’s degree in Water Resources Management at the University of Wisconsin, then returned to Connecticut to work in the Department of Environmental Protection. After three years, he moved on to a management role at Groundwater Inc. in Middletown, a firm that later became Marin Environmental in Haddam, where he worked from 1987 to 2001. In 2002, he became a senior manager at GeoInsight, working on landfill and site development projects for public and commercial clients. Jim also taught a few courses for his old department at Eastern,
as well as foundation courses in Earth and Environmental Science at Manchester Community College. He retired from GeoInsight in 2010 and from teaching in 2014, and he and Judy moved to Washington. The fund Jim supports is named after professors Ray Smith, Henry Snider and Sherman Clebnik, who launched a pioneering new major that was a blend of geology, environmental science and the physical sciences. Smith and Snider are deceased, but Clebnik, who was Jim’s academic advisor and friend, remains in Connecticut and regularly supports the fund. Jim is a grateful alumnus. He wants to see the department thrive and see students charting successful career paths. He appreciates the important role his Eastern education had in giving him a productive life, and how well the EES faculty taught and guided him. “To me it is obvious that my Eastern experience, specifically with the Earth Science department, provided me invaluable opportunities. The professors, who guided me quite well, opened the path for the positive experience I had in the working world.”
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Willimantic, CT Permit No. 12
EASTERN IS THE #1 RANKED PUBLIC REGIONAL UNIVERSITY IN NEW ENGLAND TWO YEARS IN A ROW! (U.S. News and World Report’s “2021 Best Colleges Guide”) Fine Arts Instructional Center