School of Graduate and Professional Studies newsletter, Spring 2023

The Hoot Spring 2023

Meet the SGPS Staff

Graduate Programs with a Purpose. The School of Graduate and Professional Studies’ (SGPS) mission is to promote excellence in all aspects of graduate education. SGPS strives to provide Southern students with ample resources and opportunities to support students during their graduate school journey. Don’t hesitate to come in. Our department staff is here to help!

SGPS staff front row (left to right): Teneka Mills, Dawn Grimes, Stefanie Ortiz, and Alexandria Simmons.

SGPS staff back row (left to right): George Messier, Jennifer Sparano, Lisa Galvin, Julia Irwin, Emma Hubbell, Anna De Simone, Jonathan Wharton, and Molly Aiudi.

A Message From the Acting Dean

Dear students and colleagues,

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty” – Maya Angelou

Thecover of the newsletter this semester features a butterfly, a symbol of transformation. Butterflies remind us that before the new can occur, we must go through a process of renewal and openness to change.

Engaging in graduate study exposes us to fresh perspectives, theories and evidence. Like a butterfly in a chrysalis, with patience and effort, we integrate these elements of learning to emerge as teachers, leaders, and professionals.

In Greek, the word for butterfly, “psyche”, translated means “soul.” The growth that you experience during graduate study is not just a superficial shift, but a dismantling and rebuilding of the way you see yourself and the world around you.

As the Acting Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) — while Dean Manohar Singh is on an American Council on Education (ACE) fellowship— I have had the opportunity to learn about

the impressive range of creative graduate programs and certificates across campus and see the impact that our graduate students and faculty have on our university and greater community.

Post-pandemic, we have put an emphasis on community (re)building through events over the past year, including: panels on graduate student and faculty perspectives on graduate school success, a workshop series on thesis writing and preparation, stress reduction events during finals, and much more. Please see our events page for information on the graduate school’s upcoming events.

Here at SGPS, we are so pleased that you chose Southern to be the home of your graduate school journey. We look forward to continuing to support you while you are here with us and as you enter the world, transformed.

With warm regards, Julia

Irwin, Ph.D.

Fighting For a Healthier Future

Highlighting SCSU’s PACD Program

Are you interested in promoting health and wellness? Do you find joy in helping others improve their overall quality of life through physical activity and healthy behaviors? If so, the Master’s of Science in Physical Activity and Chronic Disease program may be the right graduate program for you.

According to Dr. Kristie Rupp, SCSU Associate Professor and Co-Program Coordinator for the PACD program, “[PACD] uniquely prepares students for a career in physical activity, programming, and promotion–whether that is in corporate wellness, a community health [center], or nonprofit organizations.”

The program is an interdisciplinary program that is offered between the

departments of Public Health and Health and Movement Sciences. In terms of the two departments, Professor Elizabeth Schwartz, CoProgram Coordinator for the PACD program, said she thinks it is “the best of both worlds.”

“[There are] lots of different venues for where you can practice,” said Professor Schwartz “and it is a great way to impact long-term health.”

According to Dr. Rupp, the program—which is fully online—does not require any prerequisites to apply. She also added that the program only consists of 33 credits and is “certainly more flexible than the traditional [Master’s of Public Health (MPH)] path.”

“Physical Activity is one of the best things people can do to improve their health. It is vital for healthy aging and can reduce the burden of chronic diseases and prevent early death.

“Active people generally live longer and are at less risk for serious health problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some cancers. For people with chronic diseases, physical activity can help manage these conditions and complications.”

-CDC

“Some of the other programs are MPH programs –which are a bit more time and labor intensive,” said Dr. Rupp. “So, [students] are still getting the master’s degree, coursework and preparation, but they are getting it with fewer credits.”

SCSU is one of the only schools in New England that offers this type of program. Students from all over New England can qualify for discounted rates, making this program highly

accessible.

“Historically, the job opportunities that would be looking for these graduates have always looked for people with degrees in either public health, exercise science, nutrition, or related fields,” said Dr. Rupp,

According to Dr. Rupp, Physical Activity and Chronic Disease will be a growing field. She said community health workers are expected to have a 12 percent predicted job growth.

“[This program] is ahead of its time in a sense,” said Dr. Rupp. “So, this is a very future-focused program.”

For further information on the Physical Activity and Chronic Disease – M.S. program, please visit southernct.edu/physical-activity-andchronic-disease-ms

“Physical activity and chronic disease is a growing field. Community health workers are expected to have a 12 percent predicted job growth.”

-Dr. Rupp

Resources & Information Graduate Student Events

SGPS End Of Year Celebration

Pause for Paws & Cocoa and Cram

The School of Graduate and Professional Studies

SGPS held a finals stress reduction event last semester on December 6.

Sergeant Cynthia Torres’ police dog, Jules, gave much-needed puppy love to the graduate school community.

The event coincided with SGPS’s Cocoa and Cram in the Graduate Study Room, where students could study for finals with a treat from the hot cocoa and coffeee bar.

Students relaxed sipping hot beverages, chatted with friends, and petted Jules as he padded around the room.

On December 14, SGPS held an end of year celebration to reflect on the past year and celebrate the graduate school’s accomplishments. Attendees enjoyed food and each other’s company before the holidays.

The winners of the SGPS Owl Recognition Award who attended— Christopher J. Budnick, Ph.D. (faculty winner) and Karen Christian-Porteous (staff winner)—were recognized by Acting Dean Dr. Julia Irwin, amongst their friends, family, and colleagues.

School of Business & LJMU Launch International Experiential Education Program

The Southern School of Business and the Office of International Education welcomed students and faculty from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in the UK to campus from Monday, February 27 to Thursday, March 2.

This visit came as part of the strengthening collaboration between the two institutions in a quest to provide experiential education and research opportunities to our students and faculty.

The group will be participating in seminars, touring local businesses, visiting New York City, and local sights around New Haven.

Chat & Chili

It’s never too early to get a head start on a graduate degree. On January 25, SGPS held an information session and free chili bar for students to learn about Southern’s Accelerated Pathways Program.

In this program, undergraduate students at Southern can complete their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a combined five years in a variety of majors as part of a package of accelerated programs.

The pathway enables students to shave a full year off the time that it generally takes to finish, saving students a full year’s tuition and expenses. For more information go to southernct.edu/academics/ accelerated-pathway-programs.

Spring Graduate Open House

Interested in pursuing a graduate degree? Join us on Thursday, April 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center Ballroom to learn more about your program of interest and the next steps to apply.

Explore our 100+ nationally-ranked master’s, sixth year, doctorate, and post graduate programs.

Register at SouthernCT.edu/GradOpenHouse.

Graduate Student Research and Creativity Conference

SCSU’s Graduate Student Research and Creativity Conference will be held at the Michael J. Adanti Student Center (ASC) Ballroom on May 1 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The conference is a showcase of graduate student research, posters, papers, presentations, and more!

This conference was created to highlight graduate student research, help students gain professional development experience, and to form an interdisciplinary community among SCSU graduate students and faculty.

For more information go to southernct.edu/ creative-conference/.

Freeze Your Stress! Chill Out for Finals

On May 3, SGPS is collaborating with SCSU’s Wellbeing Center to hold a stress reduction event.

Stop by the Graduate Study Lounge (Buley Library 443) between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (or while supplies last) and enjoy a free ice cream sundae bar and meditation session.

This event is open only to graduate students.

Rockin’ The Business

Dean Jess Boronico’s First Year at SCSU

Fromlong-haired rock and roller to Dean of Southern’s School of Business, Dr. Jess Boronico shows the Southern community there is no need to conform to be successful.

The dean’s journey to business and higher education began with his lifelong love of rock and roll.

“Being in a band. . .I had to understand marketing,” he said, “in terms of how do you promote your band, how do you get people to want to show up where you play, how to build your brand. . .and it came to me that many of these are the types of things that you really learn by pursuing higher education.”

He realized that whether someone is an artist, businessperson, or sociologist, “business is a part of everything we do.”

Since stepping into his role as dean in June 2022, Dr. Boronico has found that working with Southern students, faculty, and staff has been “very rewarding.”

“I have found that this is a school with a faculty and students,” he said, “and other participants that are motivated to improve, like to think ahead, are excited about the idea of excelling and servicing the world in new ways.”

According to Dr. Boronico, Southern’s students are “exceptional.”

“They’re wonderful,” said Dr.

Boronico. “They’re engaged—and when we provide opportunities for them to immerse themselves in things, they show up, they participate.”

In less than a year the new dean has pushed the Business School to new heights:

• Completed the work towards securing initial AACSB accreditation, which we anticipate will be ratified in April 2023.

• Created stronger student-centric initiatives, including the creation of a Student Advisory Board.

• Launched numerous community initiatives, including collaboration with the entrepreneurial. community in Fair Haven.

• Created a distributed leadership model in the Business School, where a diverse leadership team of over 25 people, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community and business members take responsibility for collaborating and driving missionadvancing elements and activities that will help transform the School of Business ‘Vision’ of today into the ‘Reality’ of tomorrow.

In addition, Dr. Boronico discussed his hopes to “engage all stakeholders in ways that allow them to make progress toward their personal ambition and goals.”

“In general, I hope that I can create an environment,” he stated, “where everyone feels that they have been able to move forward in their life—

individually, in groups and collectively as a whole. I think that really is the role of a dean—or the role of a leader—is [to] think last about yourself and to think first about the contribution you can make to the life of those you were fortunate enough to touch.”

The most important piece of advice that the dean received is advice he also shares with students: stay true to yourself.

“Respect yourself. Honor yourself. Be confident,” said Dr. Boronico. “Present yourself honestly and present your integrity.”

Jess Boronico, Ph.D. Dean of the School of Business

Earn While You Learn

Graduate Assistantships and Internships

Why Work On Campus?

“Graduate positions on campus including internships, assistantships, research opportunities, and others are truly invaluable experiences for professional development.

“In addition to these opportunities usually providing financial assistance, they may also become crucial in helping to shape a students career path and broadening their network.”

-Aimee O’Shea, Interim Director Office of Career & Professional Development

Student Affairs Graduate Intern Opportunities

The Student Affairs Graduate Internship program prepares graduate students for a wide range of career opportunities in student services at the post-secondary level.

For more information about payment, waivers, and application deadlines go to inside.southernct.edu/dean-of-students/internships.

Academic Department Graduate Assistantship

Graduate Assistants are appointed by the dean of the school in which the graduate assistant (GA) is to be employed upon recommendation of the department chair where the GA is to be employed.

For more information on eligibility, payment, renewals, and waivers go to catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/financial-aid-policies.html.

SCSU Sustainability Internships

The Office of Sustainability offers a variety of internships throughout the year, and can include work during summer and winter breaks.

For more information go to inside.southernct.edu/sustainability/ internships.

Graduate School Graduate Assistantships

GSGAs are non-need-based awards administered through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS). This year, the awards are being opened to incoming students as well as to matriculated students.

The faculty mentor awarded the GSGA position may recommend by Friday, April 28, 2023, a matriculated student for the position.

According to the Interim Associate Dean of SGPS, Dr. Jonathan Wharton, “Becoming a GSGA is a great opportunity to work directly with a faculty member, typically in terms of research initiatives such as lab work, data analysis, and academic writing.

“The unique opportunity of the GSGA is to give the student insight into a faculty member’s position and what it means to work in higher education.”

Students awarded a GSGA must maintain a 3.5 GPA in the fall semester in order to be eligible for an award in the spring semester.

For more information on eligibility, payment, and waivers go to catalog. southernct.edu/graduate/financial-aidpolicies.html.

Evolving Paths and Journeys

We asked graduate students how their goals and ambitions evolved throughout their time at Southern. Here’s what students said:

My ambitions dramatically evolved throughout my graduate program at Southern Connecticut State University. My undergraduate Elementary Education program at Southern taught me the foundations of becoming a strong, organized, and well-educated classroom teacher.

When I entered my graduate program, I was educated on how to bring equity and justice into my classroom, school, and community. So far, I have learned and relearned so many valuable aspects of curriculum and learning, which includes how to differentiate all lesson plan and how to support students from all backgrounds.

As an aspiring educator, I value these conversations, class assignments, and readings because I see them as steppingstones to become a great teacher. Aside from academics, my interactions with fellow graduate students have grounded my ambitions to hear other people and to become a teacher who is devoted to ensuring equity and justice in schools. I am excited, proud, and determined to do better.

When I submitted my application for the graduate program in history, it read, “I have always had an urge to need to know the background story of things, people, or places,” and now it has evolved.

I do not just want to complete my MA in History; I also want to add to it. I want to go right into my 6th year in art. I figure since I am going for what I want and completing it, I might as well go for my hobbies too and make them into something.

Going all in, I submitted my placement test in Italian and received a message that they recommended Italian IV. To me, education means going all in and never giving up, not even when the struggles get the best of you; ignore them and keep going.

I am a third-year doctoral student in the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. I am also an educator, parent, and life partner. My ambitions and goals have not changed since the program started but my circumstances have.

I applied to the program before the pandemic hit, interviewed in April 2020—that odd time when some of us thought the pandemic would only be a few more weeks—and have been working hard toward my goal of researching and writing about leadership development in higher education.

Yevgeniya Rivers Ed.D.

It has been challenging to navigate the remote/hybrid coursework situation, but it has also been a transformative learning experience. I am grateful to my incredible cohort for keeping each other in good spirits, and my wonderful professors who inspire me to push the boundaries of my abilities.

When I applied to Southern’s graduate program to get my master’s degree in special education, I intended to further my career as a teacher in an elementary classroom.

I have since shifted career paths and have started a new and fulfilling job working with adults with disabilities as their job coach through a non-profit organization.

I am utilizing the skills that I have learned through my program in ways that I never expected! I am very excited to graduate this May and continue my career in education.

Melissa Tkacs-Soli M.S. Special Education

Krishna Soni M.S. Curriculum and Instruction

Elizabeth Bermudez-Pinto MA History

Educational Leadership

SGPS Employee Spotlight

Meet Dawn Grimes

About Me

I am the department Secretary for SGPS and have been employed at Southern since 1992—over 31 years!

The Scoop

Where were you at in your life before you came to Southern? What made you want to work at Southern?

Before I started working for Southern, I was a mother of a 2-year-old and was employed part-time for Special Revenue (State Agencies) and Yale New Haven Heath.

In 1992, when the state closed the Off-Tracking Betting Agencies, I started looking for jobs that were in the secretary field—which I had studied in high school and at Gateway Community College. I applied for Southern and I have been here ever since!

How long have you been at Southern? Did you start in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies?

I started working for Southern in 1992 and I always have been employed in Graduate Admissions—now called The School of Graduate and Professional Studies.

What has been the most rewarding part of your career at Southern?

My position has given me the ability to work with students one-on-one regarding the application process.

The rewarding part of the job is seeing past students approach me and thank me for helping them get through some difficult times in their college years.

Are you working anywhere outside of Southern?

Yes, I have worked in the Radiology department at Yale New Haven Health since 1990, receiving and mailing out patient exams to their home or doctor’s office.

SGPS Waives Application Fee for Veterans

To alleviate some of the financial burden of graduate school, The School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) is pleased to announce an application fee waiver for veterans.

“We, in the SGPS, value our veterans and the sacrifices they have made,” said Dr. Lisa Galvin, Associate Dean of Graduate Enrollment Management. “And, in this small way, we want to show a token of appreciation.”

Starting fall 2023, upon a quick verification process through the SCSU Office of Veteran Services, veterans will be granted an application fee waiver to apply to a graduate program of their choice.

Upon completion of their graduate program, veterans will be awarded with a special challenge coin as a memento for the experience, growth, and accomplishments that resulted from their graduate school journey at Southern.

“When I retire, I would like to be remembered for helping students get one step closer to living their dreams for a future in their career.”

Is there anything else that you would like us to know?

It doesn’t matter what position you have on campus, your job is important and you do make a difference in someone’s life.

Fun Fact

I enjoy crafting and dancing!

SGPS will be awarding veterans with a challenge coin at the end of their graduate program.

Student Spotlight

A Conversation With Jacqueline Brown

Everyone’s journey at Southern is unique. For Jacqueline Brown, a current doctoral graduate student, her collegiate journey began in 2012, and is still continuing.

After joining the U.S. Navy in 2007, Brown chose to separate herself from the military to pursue another lifelong passion: her education. “I knew before going into the military that I wanted to go to school,” she said

Upon moving to Connecticut, Brown heard about the benefits and support Southern provides for veterans. “I went to campus to look around,” she said, “and I thought it was a great campus because there was a lot of diversity.”

While her initial focus was on general psychology, she later realized her interest in research while taking a psychology course taught by Dr. Julia Irwin. She was interested in Dr. Irwin’s work in speech perception and language development.

Brown currently holds three degrees from Southern: Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2014), Master of Arts in Psychology (2018), and a Master of Science in Communication Disorders (2018). She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership at Southern.

This accomplished student has utilized her degrees to understand the psychology behind speech pathology. “Being in psychology initially,” she said, “had given me a huge [background]—in terms of cognitive processes.

“And I can tell you that my

definitions of those different aspects of cognition are much more robust than my colleagues in the field of communication disorders.”

One of the reasons why Brown decided to receive all her degrees from Southern was due to the campus diversity.

“I love Southern,” she said. “I always felt a strong sense of community from the people I got to know there. . .I was always able to find people who look like me and people who understood me.”

As the daughter of immigrants from El Salvador, Brown only spoke Spanish as a child. “I didn’t start speaking English fluently until I was in the second grade,” she said.

Brown spent her primary school years moving back and forth between the U.S. and El Salvador. With all the travel, her primary schooling was nontraditional. According to Brown, the professors at Southern were supportive and helped fill in the gaps in her education.

“Even the professors who didn’t share my cultural background were still sensitive and understanding,” she said.

Throughout her time in the Educational Leadership program at Southern, Brown worked two different jobs and “pivoted many times within the degree.” Despite the shifts, she found that the faculty in the program have been “super supportive.”

Along with her doctoral program at Southern, she is juggling her role as the Director of the Speech-Language Pathology Program at the University

Jacqueline Brown

SCSU degrees:

Educational Leadership - Ed.D. (In progress)

Communication Disorders - M.S. (2018)

Psychology - M.A. (2015)

Psychology - B.S. (2014)

of New Haven—a new program at the university. Regarding her future, Brown plans to continue in academia.

“I feel a strong sense of responsibility and sharing the hunger for knowledge,” she said. “I think learning is the only way we really improve ourselves.”

For fellow graduate students attempting to find a work-life balance, Brown advises to reflect on what they want to accomplish through their job that will bring them fulfillment.

“Fulfillment is what is going to bring you the balance in life that you’re really looking for,” said Brown, “and allow you to do the things that will make you happy.”

“I feel a strong sense of responsibility to share the hunger for knowledge. I think learning is the only way we really improve ourselves.”

-Jacqueline Brown

Graduate Commencement

Commencement is an opportunity for guests and graduates to celebrate the remarkable achievements of a student’s academic career at Southern.

Southern will hold its spring Commencement ceremonies for students receiving master’s degrees, sixth year professional diplomas, and doctoral degrees on Thursday, May 18 at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts.

Below is a checklist to prepare you for Commencement:

1. Ensure all program requirements are completed in your degree evaluation. If you have any questions, set up an appointment with your advisor.

2. Reach out to the Financial Literacy and Advising office to discuss loan repayment information and life after college financial resources.

3. Attend the Ticket Pick-Up Fair on Tuesday May 2 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the ASC Ballroom to pick up your tickets, sign up for extra tickets, receive your grad gift, and pay for/pick up your regalia.

4. Keep an eye out for any emails from SGPS with updates on Commencement.

2022-2023 Year in a Glance

The Hoot Spring 2023

Writers & Editors

Anna De Simone & Molly Aiudi

Supervisors

Stefanie Ortiz & Dawn Grimes

Designer Molly Aiudi