UMass Dartmouth Alumni Newsletter - June 2019

June 2019

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Inside

Newsletter

Building for the future:

Construction begins on $134M residence hall and dining complex

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Students take service trip to Puerto Rico

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UMassD leads creation of Blue Economy Corridor Commencement 2019

For the first time in almost 15 years, the UMass Dartmouth community will watch the campus transform during the construction of a new firstyear student residence and dining complex that will enhance the student living and learning experience. The $134-million complex will open in fall 2020.

The 267,500-square-foot residence halls for first-year students will occupy two buildings in the complex with a total of 1,210 beds. Besides the actual living areas, the facilities will include general academic classrooms, multimedia and study lounges, a demonstration kitchen, and recreation spaces. The buildings will also offer technology-equipped maker spaces where students will be able to work on group projects, soundproof music practice spaces, and two computer learning commons. The new housing will replace four residence halls—Elmwood, Maple Ridge, Chestnut, and Roberts—that opened between 1972 and 1976.

“This complex builds a community for first-year students,” said Lucinda Poudrier-Aaronson, associate dean of students/director of University Housing and Dining. “Its design creates opportunities to draw students out into common spaces for dining, socializing, and academic engagement.”

A 38,000-square-foot student dining commons within the complex will feature a marketplace -style design with expanded food options.

Lounging and study areas located on the second floor of the dining commons create a home-like

Rendering of residence and dining complex, courtesy of DiMella Shaffer

atmosphere where first-year students develop their UMassD connections.

in the residence halls or hold office hours to make academic support more accessible for students.

“When I think about what makes our personal homes feel like ‘home,’ gathering around food and friends come to mind,” Poudrier-Aaronson said. “Bringing all these features together in this complex helps our first-year students come to know UMassD as their home.”

Located within Ring Road, the complex brings student life closer to the center of campus and creates an energy that the entire UMassD community will feel.

Two faculty-in-residence apartments will foster mentoring and advising, a first for UMassD residence halls. This arrangement allows connections to be built between faculty and students as they engage outside of the classroom in the dining or common spaces. Faculty-inresidence may develop programming for students

“The construction of this residence complex is a visible sign of what’s to come and sets the tone for the future of UMassD,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shannon Finning, Ph.D. “Our students deserve to have spaces that afford them the kind of learning that we know already happens on campus.”

“When we drive around Ring Road and see cranes and building equipment, this tells us that UMassD is not just surviving—we’re thriving,” Finning said.

“Our students and our region will benefit from these investments in quality living and learning facilities that will prepare them to succeed in a rapidly changing, highly competitive global economy,” Chancellor Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. said. “When combined with our first-rate faculty, these facilities will guarantee our students the private college educational experience and public university value they so deserve.” continued on page 8

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Rendering of interior dining complex, courtesy of DiMella Shaffer

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Students broaden their worldviews during service trip to Puerto Rico Interacting with another culture makes you realize you are a citizen of a global community.”

were able to overcome language barriers by teaching the local students step dancing.

MBA student Suthida Frank appreciated how the experience provided her with a new worldview: “Interacting with another culture makes you realize you are a citizen of a global community.”

Photo courtesy of service trip participants

Led by Crime & Justice Studies professors Katie Krafft and Heather Turcotte, 12 students spent part of their winter break on a service-learning trip to Plenitud, an educational and service-based farm in the western mountains of Puerto Rico.

practices that were essential to the community post-Hurricane Maria. When the municipal water supply went out during their trip, the group experienced firsthand how important it was for the local community to work together.

Sending them to Puerto Rico was a collaborative effort—they received funding from groups across the university including the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, Office of Student Affairs, Frederick Douglass Unity House, Student Government Association, Graduate Student Senate, and United Latino Society.

“The work ethic there is really different. They have to work together in order to survive, and it was a really beautiful thing to be part of that community and learn from their culture,” said Bailey Sweet ’20, psychology.

On the Plenitud farm, the students learned about permaculture and the water filtration

In addition to their work at Plenitud, the students volunteered at three other locations including a rehabilitative farm and a high school where they taught gardening and yoga. They

When a snow storm at home in Massachusetts unexpectedly extended their stay, the students were able to put that mindset into practice. After the initial panic wore off, they realized they could rely on each other. Their canceled flight was a blessing in disguise. During their extra time in Puerto Rico, the students were able to view a blood moon and visit a private waterfall.

The difficult hike to the waterfall was one of the more memorable moments for Kyle Pacheco ’19, biology. “People were carrying each other, which I think is a metaphor for life. We need to rely on people and work together as a community.

At the end, we saw something that was really beautiful. Even though everything was rough leading up to that, we were able to get to the end goal.”

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University research initiative seeks enhanced community partnerships UMass Dartmouth has a strong tradition of community engagement, with our students performing nearly 260,000 hours of service, valued at $8 million last year. Through the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, mentoring programs bring an emphasis on service learning to our classrooms.

Now, UMass Dartmouth is taking intentional steps to leverage its status as a Tier 1 national research university to build bridges between our existing community engagement initiatives and its $26 million research enterprise.

An initiative combining community research and partnerships spearheaded by Dr. Alex Fowler, associate provost for research and economic development, aims to elevate the level and impact of UMassD’s community-engaged research.

“By working with the community, our faculty researchers can significantly benefit the region as it works to address challenges and identify opportunities in health care, education, and other quality of life issues,” Fowler said.

The community research and partnership initiative will link research and service by connecting funded researchers with community stakeholders in longterm collaborations. In these collaborations, the university and community will act as equal partners, working together to strengthen the socioeconomic fabric of the community.

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“We see this as an opportunity for our faculty and students to learn from people and organizations working on the front lines to improve their communities,” Fowler said. “Our goal is to understand the longstanding and emerging issues that communities consider most important, and then work with those communities to create solutions.”

This initiative will not only aid and promote community-engaged faculty research and scholarship, but student research as well. Part of the plan includes an interdisciplinary student-led research group that will formulate a research

This initiative will not only aid and promote communityengaged faculty research and scholarship, but student research as well. question and then ask professors to “apply” to work with the students. The student group will then work with the professor and a community partner to do the research, develop a report, and present their findings.

Grants bring new foods and awareness to campus director for Chartwells. “College students are receptive to new foods and are more likely to try something new when it’s combined with something they are already familiar with,” she said. “We have a large fish-eating population here.”

The second grant will introduce students to kelp in recipes and meals.

The same partner institutions aim to broaden consumer knowledge and increase demand for this vitamin-rich New England sea vegetable.

The Kendall Foundation prize encourages educating students about these initiatives. An intern from the School for Marine Science & Technology will help with developing the program.

Tastings and kitchen demos have introduced students to new types of fish, while a visit to a local kelp farm will explain how kelp can be included in recipes. Students will also visit the Heritage Fishing Center in New Bedford to learn more about the fishing industry.

Chefs Kevin Gibbons (left) and Arthur Dill (far right) with students before a Teaching Kitchen demonstration.

Dogfish, anyone? Or how about some monkfish tacos? Kelp noodles?

UMass Dartmouth students and staff will see some changes to the daily campus menu options, thanks to the Kendall Foundation.

Last fall, UMass Dartmouth was part of two teams that were each awarded a $250,000 Kendall Foundation Food Vision Prize. The prizes will fund educational opportunities for students to learn about the importance of using local, sustainable food as well as kelp farming, and increase the use of local offerings.

UMassD, Northeastern University, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Eastern Connecticut State University will join forces with Chartwells, the campus food service provider, and local seafood companies. The collaboration will focus on serving more fish with an emphasis on underutilized and abundant species, like dogfish and monkfish. UMassD and its institutional partners have pledged that 75 percent of all fish served on each campus will be locally sourced by 2020.

The initiative makes sense for a campus located just 15 minutes from New Bedford, the nation’s largest fishing port, said Kirby Roberts, marketing

UMassD’s Dining Services continues to educate students about sustainability while supporting local farms and organizations. Coffee grounds are donated to Sid Wainer, a local purveyor in New Bedford, and food waste is donated to nearby Silverbrook Farm for compost. Leftover food is donated to the Salvation Army while leftover meals are donated to Arnie’s Cupboard, the food pantry on campus. The Green Navigators, a group of 25 students, encourage on- and off-campus sustainability among their campus peers through activities and events.

These activities subscribe to three tenets of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social justice, said Jaime Jacquart, assistant director of the Office of Campus Sustainability & Residential Initiatives.

The office is working with NORESCO, a national energy servicing company, to reduce students’ energy consumption. Among their many recommendations are the “Be Bold, Go Cold” initiative encouraging students to use cold water when washing clothes while “Reduce the Juice” reminds them to unplug appliances.

“If we approach people to do the right thing and explain why, we are more likely to get people to change over a longer period of time,” Jacquart said.

“If we can get students to change their routine here on campus, hopefully they can do it throughout their lives.”

Waves of a Blue Economy rush into UMassD Before the predecessor institutions of UMass Dartmouth began educating the SouthCoast’s workforce in 1895, the region’s economy and culture were driven by the coastline. Today, the area is poised to re-emerge as a hub for marine-based industries, with UMassD leading the charge in bringing together the region’s assets.

Marine-related industries dot more than 40 miles of coastline from Rhode Island to Cape Cod. Commercial fishing, research, marine technology companies, offshore wind energy, and educational institutions create a corridor of innovative, jobcreating economic opportunities and resources.

In the center is UMass Dartmouth, a Tier 1 national research university, with partnerships, relevant academic programs, and research activities.

By combining student and faculty research from each of the university’s seven colleges and schools, UMassD is poised to contribute to emerging fields of innovative research and entrepreneurship.

UMassD is the catalyst for joining higher education and research institutions, businesses, civic organizations, and the region’s unique assets to develop a Blue Economy—the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, coastal resiliency, and ocean ecosystem health—to fuel a revitalization of the SouthCoast economy.

UMassD sparked the conversation at a symposium hosted with the Council on Competitiveness last

spring, where 100 government, industry, and higher education leaders discussed innovation and collaboration across industries and borders.

Industry Academic Institutions

Textron

Brown University

UMass Dartmouth

Boston Engineering

“The challenge is to build on these valuable assets and accelerate their job-creating power,” said Chancellor Robert E. Johnson.

Massasoit Community College

General Dynammics

XYLem/YSI Powerdocks Battleship Cove

Lockheed Martin

Bristol Community College

Imtra Corp.

UMassD Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Mass Maritime Academy Teledyne

UMass Law SeaVision

Btech

Hydroid, Inc. UMassD School for Marine Science & Technology

General Dynamics

New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal

University of Rhode Island

Nation’s Top Fishing Port

Falmouth Scientific

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

“This region owns the maritime economy…we need to protect what we have, leverage what we have, UMassD sits at the center of the Blue Economy Corridor. and grow what we have,” said Massachusetts Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Together with the UMassD-based SouthCoast Development. “The maritime sector continues Development Partnership, the Blue Economy has to play a vital role in Massachusetts’ economy, become a strategic priority, and funding has been and presents great potential for innovation and secured to support the development of the corridor. growth,” said former Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. In September 2018, UMassD was awarded $600,000 from the U.S. Department of “These investments will allow us to bring together Commerce Economic Development Administration business, civic, and educational leaders to design (EDA) to encourage collaboration to attract marine and build a new Blue Economy driven by innovation technology companies, talent, and research and collaboration,” said Johnson. “The history funding. “This grant will allow the SouthCoast to of our region’s economy has been driven by its maximize the potential of its burgeoning Blue proximity to the sea. Now, with the nation’s top Economy and will spur growth in the region by fishing port, an emerging offshore wind industry, strategic investment in the marine science sector,” and a growing marine technology sector, the said Congressman William R. Keating. potential for economic growth along Interstate 195 is great.”

Following the EDA grant, UMassD was awarded a three-year $300,000 state investment from Mikel

URI School of Oceanography

Naval Undersea Warfare Center

MA/RI Offshore Wind Hub

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Cape Cod Community College

Commence Undergraduate student speakers Silavong Phimmasone, a management leadership major from Springfield, MA; Nneoma Ugwu, a civil engineering major from Nigeria; graduate student speaker Kebeh Sando, a clinical psychology major who immigrated to the United States from West Africa; and UMass Law student speaker Casey Shannon from Taunton, MA.

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Commencement speakers: Chancellor Robert E. Johnson Undergraduate Ceremony I – Ellen M. Zane Undergraduate Ceremony II – Congressman William R. Keating Law School Ceremony – Justice Elspeth B. Cypher Graduate Ceremony – Travis McCready

2019

ement 2019

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Duyen Pham BS, biochemistry/chemistry

Gabriel Casabona MS, physics

Casabona pursued research to advance the understanding of stellar explosions.

He was named one of 25 recipients of the U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship, and will pursue doctoral studies at Northwestern University.

cvpa

Mary Brown BS, nursing

nursing

Academically the top chemistry student in the Class of 2019, Pham worked as a research assistant in the synthetic inorganic chemistry research lab, published three academic papers, and has submitted a fourth paper for review.

She hopes to attend medical school after attaining a master’s degree in chemistry.

Najlis was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study painting and calligraphy in China.

He followed an interdisciplinary model of learning at UMassD, studying music and coding computer software that allowed music and sound to accompany his paintings.

Brown was field hockey team captain, a Chancellor’s List scholar, and an honors program student. She developed a preference for emergency nursing during her senior mentorship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Robert Najlis MFA, painting

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engineering

arts&sciences

Commencement spotlights

law

Bellantoni completed an honors thesis in marketing, an internship at Raytheon, and served as a lead admissions ambassador.

Upon graduation, she will continue to work with Raytheon as a full-time project management liaison under International Automation.

business

Rachel Bellantoni BS, marketing and management

Venckauskas was the recipient of the Rappaport and Public Interest Law fellowships. She served as editor-in-chief of UMass Law Review, on the Student Bar Association, and on the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

smast

Kayla Venckauskas JD, UMass Law

Commencement 2019 returns to campus

UMass Dartmouth’s Commencement ceremonies returned to campus for the first time in two years on May 10 and 13 at Cressy Field and in the Main Auditorium. The Class of 2019 hailed from more than 33 countries, 34 states, and 257 Massachusetts communities.

“This is your time to seek out and build a better world that is grounded in civil discourse, civility, mutual respect, and a strong sense of humanity,” Chancellor Robert E. Johnson said. “I now charge you, the Class of 2019, to take your collective genius and go forth with a strong sense of humanity and an unyielding faith to transform the world as a global citizen.”

“I am the first president to graduate from UMass and I know what a UMass education means firsthand. I also know what a UMass Dartmouth education does and the impact it will have on your life. You have the tools, you got the education, now you can set out and accomplish anything in your careers,” said UMass President Marty Meehan.

Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies conferred 1,450 bachelor’s degrees and awarded an honorary degree to Ellen M. Zane, Chief Executive Officer & President Emeritus of Tufts Medical Center. Congressman William R. Keating received the Chancellor’s Medal. At the graduate student ceremony, speaker Travis McCready, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal for his contributions to the Commonwealth’s rapid progress in creating an innovative science and technology environment. Nearly 500 graduate degrees were awarded, including 32 doctoral degrees.

UMass Law conferred juris doctorate degrees on the 48 members of the Class of 2019. Justice Elspeth B. Cypher of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court was the Commencement speaker and received an honorary Doctor of Law. The ceremony was the culmination of an exciting year for UMass Law, during which the school recorded the third highest first-time bar pass rate in the state.

Nishchitha Silva MS, marine science and technology Silva’s passion for marine science developed as a child in his native country of Sri Lanka. At SMAST, he studied the Gulf Stream’s Warm Core Rings. In the fall, Silva will begin doctoral studies at Boston University.

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A national champion and all-conference honors highlight the year for Corsair Athletics

Nakira Examond ’19 It was a memorable year for Corsair Athletics that saw significant achievements in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.

Jordan Entwistle ’20 captured the overall individual national championship in the javelin at the 2019 NCAA Championships, becoming the 12th overall individual national champion in UMass Dartmouth history and the LEC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Entwistle’s championship performance capped an amazing year for the program, which also saw George Papoulis ’20 earn All-America accolades in both the indoor and outdoor 800-meters after being named as the LEC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. The duo was joined at the championships by Joao Baptista ’19 (indoor high jump) and Steve Tencati ’19 (outdoor javelin).

Nearly 50 student-athletes earned respective all-conference honors from both the Little East

and MASCAC. Nakira Examond ’19 earned Little East Player of the Year and D3hoops.com All-America honors for the second time in three seasons, while Antonio Mitjans ’19 became the Corsairs’ second straight New England Football Writers’ All-New England selection. A total of 15 student-athletes were named to all-New England and all-regional teams in five different sports.

Examond’s performance enabled women’s basketball to raise its second straight Little East regular season championship banner. In softball, the Corsair squad captured the program’s first-ever conference regular season crown and hosted the league tournament.

conference standout Kayla Loycano ’19 and women’s swimming conference champion Sarah Murphy ’20, were all named to their respective Google Cloud Academic All-District teams as selected by CoSIDA.

Olivia Van der Meer ’19 capped her stellar equestrian career by being named the Cacchione Cup champion as the Zone 1 top rider at the prestigious international Longines Cup Invitational. Tom Sheran ’19 won the GNAC men’s golf individual title for the second time in his career, as he helped UMass Dartmouth to a runner-up team finish in the championships.

Three coaches earned respective LEC Coach of the Year honors: Matt Ducharme ’00 (women’s basketball), Cathy Motta ’91 (women’s swimming and diving), and Amy Sasin (softball).

UMassD’s men’s cross country team joined both the indoor and outdoor track and field squads in posting runner-up finishes at the Little East Championships, while the Corsair baseball team advanced to the conference championship round for the second time in three years.

The men’s basketball team posted its highest single-season win total in eight years and, along with men’s lacrosse, women’s tennis, and men’s tennis, earned a spot in their respective league semifinal rounds.

The Corsair Student-Athlete Advisory Committee received national recognition for its work with Special Olympics of Southeastern Massachusetts, as UMass Dartmouth student-athletes continue to make a difference through various community outreach programs.

Sophomore Jacob Burkhead became the school’s first male Google Cloud Academic All-America honoree when he earned second team accolades on the national Division III football team, and is just the second Corsair in school history to claim the prestigious award.

Burkhead, along with women’s soccer all-

Jordan Entwistle ’20

Building the future

Puerto Rico service trip

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As competition for prospective students increases, providing high-quality learning environments is essential to sustaining enrollment growth and retention. This year, UMassD saw a 7.7 percent increase in enrollment among first-year students.

“This complex is an investment in UMassD’s future and in the future of our students,” said Bob Andrea, associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Management. “The features of the facility appeal to incoming students and will create the type of living and learning community that positions them for success at UMassD.” Ground broke on construction in November 2018. Currently, footing walls and steel frames are being erected, and the elevator shaft of the north pod rises above the construction area.

The exterior building structures are expected to be up by late fall, so interior work can begin.

Construction Project Manager Peter Geldemacher said that the complex will deliver a new look and vibrancy to campus. “This will be the largest building on campus in square footage.

It will be quite distinct, especially with the dining hall’s glass exterior, and will add color to our landscape.”

The residence halls are built through a publicprivate partnership between the university and Greystar, one of the largest and most experienced collegiate housing developers and managers in the country. The partnership allows

the building of the new housing without any state taxpayer funds and will not add to the debt burden for the university. The project construction is led by Suffolk, which has built nine residential facilities on campus, including the 800-bed Pine Dale and Oak Glen halls, which opened in 2003, and the 1,200-bed Woodland apartment complex, which opened in 2005. The project is being financed via the UMass Building Authority and designed

by DiMella Shaffer.

All of the students have found ways to incorporate what they learned in Puerto Rico into their daily lives once they returned home, from starting their own gardens to making plans to study abroad.

For illustration major Grechel Rosado ’20, the trip was an opportunity to return to her homeland, which she left in her early childhood. “I felt so disconnected from my roots. Being able to go back and immerse myself in my own culture was something I needed to do to understand myself and how I can be a better person.”

This project is part of the first phase of Chancellor Johnson’s plan to focus on capital investment.

The last state-funded building project on campus was the Claire T. Carney Library renovation in 1980. Future initiatives include renovation and modernization of academic buildings, the campus center, road infrastructure, and athletic facilities.

Rosado received the Swain School of Design Alumni Scholarship this year, which she plans to use to help further her studies in art and social justice. She worked on a series of prints related to Puerto Rico and identity after returning home, and she plans to incorporate service learning into her senior thesis.

Newsletter Staff Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Jennifer Chrisler Design and Production University Marketing Contributing Writers Anthony Arrigo Christine Allen Kristle Blais Debra Hazian Marissa Matton ’14, MA ’16 Ryan Merrill Jim Seavey Adrienne Wartts

Photographers Tailyn Clark ’19 D3photography.com DiMella Shaffer Karl Dominey Dennis Fox ’20 Cachelle Johnson-Lewis ’21 Tye Melendez UMassD Athletics Communication Dan Ye ’21 Please direct all inquiries to editor@umassd.edu.

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