35 minute read
Alumni Notes
Mimi Gonzalez (A’15, ’17, M’18)
PHOTO BY RONNI NEWTON, WE-HA.COM
Mimi Gonzalez (A’15, ’17, M’18) organized a peaceful but powerful protest in West Hartford on June 2. A diverse crowd estimated at 2,000 joined together to demand social justice. Gonzalez is a recent graduate of the Obama Foundation Leadership Corps.
—Daniel Aldrich, The Washington Post, Dec. 9, 2015
DEAR ALUMNI COMMUNITY,
Our world is being redefined by our experiences as we navigate our daily lives during a pandemic and witness mass demonstrations demanding an end to systemic racism. Despite the tragedy and anxiety brought on by events, so many people around the globe, and right here in our University of Hartford family, are actively and creatively working to spread hope, love, and support.
We are learning that it is not only the physical campus that offers reminders of how exceptional the University of Hartford is for so many people. It is also the virtual alumni gatherings, the outpouring of support for the Class of 2020, and the far-reaching impact of acts of kindness from alumni near and far.
I am grateful that we have the chance to reimagine the way we connect with each other, thanks to technology. I am proud to be part of a community that teaches the science, innovation, and critical thinking that will help us overcome challenges, and the fine art and music that sustain and unite us through difficult times. I look forward to creating more spaces for alumni to reminisce and reconnect. I welcome your stories, your questions, and your willingness to get involved—you can reach out to me directly at ctrinh@hartford.edu.
Caitlin Trinh Senior Director of Alumni Engagement
FOLLOW THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION:
facebook.com/UHartfordAlumni instagram.com/UHartAlumni twitter.com/UHartfordAlumni
DEGREE KEY
A Associate Degree
AD Artist Diploma
C Sixth-Year Certificate
D DoctorateGPD Graduate Professional Diploma
M Master’s Degree
No letter designation before a year indicates abachelor’s degree (or last year attended).P indicates the parent of a student or alumna/us.
Contribute a Note!
The University of Hartford alumni network is vast, with a diverse community of over 88,000 strong throughout the U.S. and around the globe. UHart alumni are making their marks everywhere—in the arts, in business, in STEM, as professional athletes, and more—and have incredible stories to tell. You were once students, and now you’re alumni for life. Keep those bonds strong and stay connected.
Class notes are posted throughout the year online. Notes submitted between January and November 2019 are included in this issue.
MAIL: Class Notes Editor, Office of Alumni Engagement, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117
ONLINE: hartford.edu/submit-note
1963
Jon Ryan (Barney) of Coronado, Calif., was recently recognized as the USS Midway Museum Volunteer of the Year. He has amassed over 8,000 volunteer hours the last 11 years.
1966
Lynn Davis (A A&S) of Clinton, Conn., see recently published book, p. 40.
1967
Walter Bailey (HAS) of Detroit, Mich., received the 2019 African & African American Achievement Award from the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit at a February gala celebrating Black History Month. The award recognizes the achievements of those who make a difference in the Detroit community.
1968
The short story “Anna in the Night,” penned by John Mueter (Hartt) of Kansas City, Mo., has been published in the anthology The Corona Book of Ghost Stories. The story is one of 16 chosen from over 850 submissions. In addition, his poetry collection, Forgotten Voices of Anundur, was published in the online journal The Bombay Literary Magazine.
1969
Jim Purnell (A Hillyer, P’02) of Vernon, Conn., has retired from the bench after 19 years as Judge of Probate for the Ellington, Conn., Probate District. He will continue as a part-time attorney in Vernon and Bloomfield. Purnell will also
remain on the executive committee of the National College of Probate Judges.
Arthur Sharp (A&S) of Sun City Center, Fla., see recently released books, p. 40.
1972
Michael Crystal (A&S) of Wilton, Connecticut, received the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his career longevity and excellence in the field of human resources and organizational development.
1973
Bill McDougal (HAS) of Lebanon, Conn., was named an Arts Hero by the Connecticut Office of the Arts. He was recognized for drawing caricatures at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center the past 22 years. He accepted the honor at a ceremony on May 1.
1974
Richard L. Clarke (M Hartt) of Vernon, Conn., is in his 18th year as music director of the Hartford Sängerbund, one the oldest German singing societies in the United States. The Sängerbund has had a continuous, unbroken tradition of German cultural singing since its founding in 1858.
1977
Professional conductor, composer, playwright, actor, arts advocate, and educator David L. Katz (Hartt, AD’84 Hartt, M’89 Hartt) of Danbury, Conn., was selected as the Hartt School Alumni Award winner in 2019. In part, he was recognized for creating and sustaining The American Prize national nonprofit competitions in the performing arts. [6]
David L. Katz ’77
Stephen (Barney) and Lori Wilcox ’79 (ENHP) of Allen, Texas, celebrated 40 years of marriage this past September 15. They met at UHart and worked in the student cafeteria together.
1978
Steve Curylo (Hartt) of Chicopee, Mass., sang the role of Germont in La Traviata with Panopera, a company in Northampton, Mass. He regularly sings recitals and concerts in the Springfield, Mass., area.
1979
Marvin Kelly (Barney) of Austin, Texas, was profiled by the CPU Society on its website in celebration of the organization’s 75th anniversary. He is executive director of the Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association. The CPU Society is a nonprofit membership association that supports risk management and insurance professionals.
Lori Wilcox (ENHP). See Stephen Wilcox, 1977
Event-in-a-Box
Interested in planning an alumni event in your area? We want to help. Event-ina-Box will provide you with…
• The assistance of a UHart Alumni Engagement staff liaison
• Communications support to handle email invitations and social media
• Event registration support
• SWAG items
To learn more, log on to hartford.edu/EventBox.
1981
The art of Marya Triandafellos (HAS) of New York, N.Y., was featured in the show Chroma 2.0 that ran for two weeks at the Artfront Galleries in Newark, N.J., in April. It featured four pieces of her artwork, 24-inch squares printed on archival HD metal that “floated” off the wall.
1982
Steve Brown (A’80 Ward, Ward) of Bloomfield, Conn., celebrated 37 years of employment with the Hewlett-Packard Enterprise in June 2019.
The prestigious Legal 500 recommended Rivkin Radler Partner Michael A. Troisi (A&S) of Plainview, N.Y., in the “industry focus: insurance advice to insurers” category. He handles a wide range of first-party and property insurance issues. Before Rivkin Radler, Troisi was a prosecutor in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, N.Y.
1983
UHY Advisors, Inc. and UHY LLP announced the promotion of Shelly Romano (Barney) of Columbia, Md., to principal. She has 35 years of experience providing accounting and tax services to a variety of clients, including auto dealerships, commercial real estate partnerships, manufacturing and distribution companies, and family-owned businesses.
1985
After undertaking a six-month research and exploration process to learn more about the climate crisis, Mark Smith (A&S) of Hoboken, N.J., is sharing his findings on climateherolife. org. He speaks to the many tools and resources he discovered in the course of his research to better understand the issue at hand.
1986
Artist Mark Dion (HAS, Hon.’02) of Copake, N.Y., was recognized by The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation as one of its 2019 fellows in the field of fine arts. The distinction was appointed on the basis of prior achievement and exceptional promise. He also opened an exhibition of eight outdoor works at the Storm King Sculpture Center in New Windsor, N.Y., in May. It is the first exhibition to unite Dion’s signature folly works into a major survey.
1988
Judith McElhone (HAS, M’94 HAS) of Torrington, Conn., executive director of the Five Points Gallery in Torrington, Conn., was named an “Arts Hero” by the Connecticut Office of the Arts for her extraordinary work in the arts in the State. The honorees were celebrated at Infinity Music Hall in Hartford in May. [8]
Judith McElhone ’88
After a career working in some of the most prominent libraries in the world, including Harvard Library and the New York Public Library, Matthew Sheehy (Hartt) of Ashland, Mass., is now the Brandeis National Committee University Librarian at Brandeis University.
1989
John Houlihan (A&S) of Studio City, Calif., is senior vice president at Fox Music in Los Angeles. He oversees the score and source music for many films as well as in-house music supervision and soundtrack production/music marketing. Houlihan worked on the music for the Oscar-winning film Bohemian Rhapsody.
Ken Kadet (A&S) of Minnetonka, Minn., is now director of global communications at Entrust Datacard in Minneapolis, Minn. Entrust is a leader in technology for trusted identify and secure transactions. Previously, he was director of public relations with the company.
The Augusta Chronicle profiled Lauri Orth (Hartt) of Evans, Ga., and her efforts in developing the Rocket Recorder, a supplemental workbook that contains music pieces that help students learn to read music while engaging them with space themes and pictures from the NASA website. Her use of STEM to teach music was the focus of the article.
1990
Jeffrey Astrachan (A&S) of York, Pa., was sworn in as a police chaplain with the New York City Police Department. He is the first Jewish chaplain to serve in the department’s history.
Lauren Bernofsky (Hartt) of Bloomington, Ind., was composer in residence at the 2019 Sound Waves Festival at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Additionally, her trumpet concerto was performed by John Rommel with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, directed by Charlies Latshaw. Bernofsky’s young-audience opera Mooch the Magnificent was performed more than 20 times during the 2019–20 season by Reimagining Opera for Kids. [12]
Lauren Bernofsky ’90
Steven Chase (M Barney) of Middleburg, Va., was named executive director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center. NCTC provides training to more than 12,000 conservation professionals each year. Chase has worked with the FWS for 29 years.
Michael Mongillo (HAS) of Meriden, Conn., see recently released film, p. 40.
1991
Andrew Golden (A’88 Hillyer, A&S, M’95) of New Canaan, Conn., principal/owner of the ARG Group, PLLC, announced the expansion of his private practice in New Canaan, Conn., to a new office in Stamford, Conn. He has over 23 years of experience in the field of psychology and psychotherapy and has been in private practice the past 11 years.
1992
Sidney A. Murray (A’89 Hillyer, A&S) of New Bedford, Mass., graduated from the Reserve Basic Academy in Massachusetts. Also a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law, he is with the litigation unit of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
1993
The Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) awarded composer Peter Boyer (M Hartt), (D’95 Hartt) of Altadena, Calif., a 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May. The Medals are presented annually to a select group whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to the nation are cause for celebration. EIHS cited his work Ellis Island: The Dream of America.
Debra Volz (Hartt) of Kenilworth, N.J., is celebrating her 20th anniversary in the marketing department at the Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J. Currently the senior director of creative services, she leads a design and production team in the creation of thousands of marketing and sales projects for about 400 events each season. [4]
1995
David Cordani (M Barney) of Simsbury, Conn., see recently published book, p. 40.
1996
Genevieve Monks (D A&S), a.k.a G.M. Monks, of Fairfield, Calif., see recently published book, p. 40.
2000
Season-one winner on The Voice and recording artist Javier Colon (Hartt) of West Hartford, Conn., sang the national anthem at the January 2019 inauguration of Connecticut governor Ned Lamont.
2002
MedTech Association, a membership-based trade association for the bioscience and medical technology industry in New York State, has appointed Jeffrey Champagne (HAS, M’06 Barney) of Acton, Mass., as vice chair of its board of directors. He is the director of business development at MPR Associates.
Chistopher Davis (Barney) of Van Nuys, Calif., is vice president for television at Echo Lake Entertainment. The company recently sold a show to Hulu about Catherine the Great. It will star actress Elle Fanning, whom they manage, and a full season of episodes have been ordered.
Ian Quinn (Hartt) of Tallahassee, Fla., has been promoted to associate professor of organ and coordinator of sacred music at Florida State University. His recent recordings have included the complete organ sonatas of Paul Hindemith at Pacific Lutheran University for Guild Records and Haydn Organ concertos with Jonathan Cohen for Chandos Records.
BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Spotlights, regular features on the University’s Alumni Association website, highlight alumni who are impacting the world in meaningful and interesting ways. Have a story to tell? Access Spotlights at hartford.edu/ alumni-spotlights.
2003
Chad Austein (A&S) of Monmouth Junction, N.J., was appointed chief enrollment management officer at Yeshiva University. Prior to that, he served in an enrollment management role at Kean University (N.J.).
Mike Feldman (Hartt) of Los Angeles, Calif., is the owner of Studio43, a recording studio in Los Angeles. He also plays keyboards in his wife’s band, the Evangenitals. The band was featured on a cruise for Melissa Etheredge fans where they performed along with the artist.
Deena Kimiatek (ENHP, M’05 ENHP) of Jersey City, N.J., participated in a special segment that appeared on The Today Show this spring. She was a treating physical therapist during the piece, which focued on postpartum women’s health and pelvic floor issues. Deanna works as a PT at 5 Point Physical Therapy in New York.
2004
Longtime Berlin (Conn.) High School Teacher David Bosso (M ENHP) of Berlin, Conn., was inducted into the National Teachers’ Hall of Fame for his contribution to statewide policy, mentorship of younger teachers, and sharing his experiences from around the globe with students. A social studies teacher, he was one of five recognized from across the country.
Bokani Mtengi (CETA) of Pitsane, Botswana, returned to her home country to work as an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Telecommunications Engineering at Botswana International University of Science and Technology. [5]
Bokani Mtengi ’04
2005
Kyle Rodri (Hartt) of West Hollywood, Calif., is the creative advertising director at The Walt Disney Studios. He is responsible for development, creation and execution of creative A/V marketing materials for theatrically released live-action Disney films & Disney+ Originals. Rodri has been with The Walt Disney Studios since December 2009.
2006
Emily Cervone (A&S) of North Weymouth, Mass., was awarded the 2019 Saul Gilman Award (sales rep of the year) by the New England Independent Booksellers Association. The award was decided by booksellers from around the region. She currently works for Chronicle Books as the New England independent bookseller representative. Renderings, the work of artist Sam Ekwurtzel (HAS) of Granby, Conn., was exhibited at the Simone Subal Gallery in New York City this past fall, and was reviewed in the highly respected Artforum magazine. [11]
Sam Ekwurtzel ’06
2007
Scott Bakal (M HAS) of West Roxbury, Mass., was commissioned by the United States State Department to create the 2019 Earth Day poster “Preserve the Earth.” It was sent to United States embassies around the world to use for their environmental programs. This year’s focus was on pollinators. [9]
Scott Bakal ’07
Brian Cutino (Barney, A&S) of Windsor, Conn., was elected board chairperson of the nonprofit InterCommunity, Inc., based in East Hartford, Conn. He has worked at The Hartford since 2007 and is currently an IT delivery manager. He has experience in project management, HR management, technology consulting, and financial management.
Joshua Feldman (A&S) of Fanwood, N.J., has joined Pearl Capital as a relationship manager after spending more than four years working for Fora Financial.
Shanta Lee Gander (M Barney) of Brattleboro, Vt., see recently published book, p. 40
Artforum International, a highly regarded art magazine, included the work of Sam McKinnis (HAS) of Kensington, Conn., in an inside article on his art by Gary Indiana and with a piece of his artwork featured on its cover. The cover art, titled Star Bangled Banner, was an image of Whitney Houston.
2008
After a 20-year career in nursing leadership, Teresa Calendrillo Fuller (M ENHP) of Riverton, Conn., was promoted to vice president, patient care services at Hartford Healthcare, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Conn. She had previously worked in a number of nursing leadership and quality leadership positions in the same organization.
Jonathan C. Silver (CETA) of Bnei Brak, Israel, joined with other volunteers to plant trees for a new forest in memory of Amiad Yisrael Ish-Ron. Amiad was born to his mother who was shot during a terrorist attack and rendered in critical condition. While the baby did not survive, the mother did and was at the plantings. [10]
Jonathan C. Silver ’08
2009
Christopher Bruno (Barney) of Hoboken, N.J., director of strategic products for Aon’s cyber solution’s group, hosted a video distributed on ocial media promoting the benefits of the company’s most recent product, CyQu, a cyber security assessment tool. He has been with Aon for two years, and was with the Deluxe and NCR corporations before that.
Burak Konuk (M Barney, M CETA) of Tampa, Fla., is now senior traffic and ITS engineer with Kisinger Campo & Associates. In his new position, he will participate in strategic planning and business development activities to support achievement of the firm’s growth besides managing traffic and ITS projects.
Greg Newbold (M HAS) of Salt Lake City, Utah, illustrated the children’s book If Monet Painted a Monster. It is the third book in the popular children’s art series that explores how 16 famous artists might have painted a monster. The others in the series so far are If Picasso Painted a Snowman and If DiVinci Painted a Dinosaur.
University of Hartford New Alumni Book Club
Are you a book lover who would like to participate in a book club with other alumni? Do you have ideas or recommendations for books or genres? We want to hear from you! To share your thoughts or learn more, e-mail the alumni engagement office at alumni@ hartford.edu.
2010
Elisa Haveles (M Hartt) of Manchester, Conn., presented a session at the Connecticut Music Educators Association in-service conference in April titled Developing an Elementary Choral Music Program for All Singers. She has taught in the Coventry and Manchester public schools. [7]
Elisa Haveles ’10
The law firm Halloran and Sage has added Kelly Wall (A&S) of Hartford, Conn. to its Hartford office. She practices insurance defense, and focuses primarily on personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, and premises matters. Wall majored in international studies while at UHart.
Roommates
While college roommates often lose contact through the years for many reasons, most notably career, family, and geographical distance, there are many friendships formed on campus decades ago that continue strong today. In each issue, H will tell the story of onetime roommates who have never lost touch.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more successful group of friends than Barney School of Business alumni Hemant Apte (M ’91), Shashank Laud (M ’91, M ’92), Tushar Pradhan (M ’92), and Girish Rishi (M ’92). All four MBA recipients have become established business leaders. Apte is CEO of 3Gen Consulting; Laud serves as head of strategic and emerging market solutions for Tata Consultancy Services; Pradhan is chief investment officer at HSBC Asset Management; and Rishi is CEO of Blue Yonder, a supply chain and retail management provider. Yet their collective résumés don’t show their early struggles, or the bond that formed during their time as college students in India— and strengthened during their years at the University of Hartford.
Apte and Laud arrived at UHart first. The following year, when Pradhan and Rishi were considering where to earn advanced degrees in the United States, their decision was made easier knowing they had friends on campus who were having a good experience.
“In India, we went to a big college, but we knew each other,” says Rishi. “Then as it happens with immigrants, we coalesced together in a new place.”
“Hemant and Shashank were very instrumental in getting us settled,” explains Pradhan. “They housed us until we found our own apartment and coached us in the ways of the U.S.—getting drivers’ licenses, buying cars, telling us how to get work and how to support ourselves financially.”
Apte, Laud, Pradhan, and Rishi all belonged to affluent families back home, but they were unable to receive financial help because India was a closed economy at the time. They supported themselves with part-time jobs on campus while taking full-time graduate course loads. They supported each other by sharing meals, studying together, and recommending what classes to take. They also had help from others at UHart.
“The welcoming attitude of staff and faculty at the Barney School and the University of Hartford was a major part in my progress,” says Pradhan. “It was a strange land, much colder than my native India, and with strange customs. Accepting the sudden responsibility of being in charge of one’s own life was a major task. As we grew, I realized that this was a great adventure and the formative parts of this journey clearly were thanks to UHart.”
From Arizona to India, the four went their separate ways after earning their MBAs. They are all busy with their successful careers, but they still find time to connect. Conversations over WhatsApp have replaced talking over meals in their apartments. And amidst reminiscing about their time as young people, they talk about their own children.
“We were teenagers, striving young immigrants,” says Rishi. “We made our living different ways and went different places. But we know each other’s kids and have attended each other’s weddings. I recently celebrated a milestone birthday, and the three friends came to my party. Trust, empathy, and fun keep us together.” Pradhan agrees.
“The warmth of friendships made here were very critical in my achievements so far in life, and I am thankful.”
Far left: Tushar Pradhan (M ’92); center: Girish Rishi (M ’92); second from right: Hemant Apte (M ’91)
2011
Michael Goemans (ENHP, M’13 ENHP) of New Britain, Conn., and Sean O’Donovan ’14 (A&S) of East Hartford, Conn., have new roles at the University in the newly formed Division of Student Success. Goemans, formerly a certification officer in ENHP, is an assistant director. He will also lead the Student Success Collaborative. O’Donovan, formerly the office coordinator in the Center for Reading and Writing, is a first-year advisor and success coach.
Artist Corey Pane (HAS) of West Hartford, Conn., was recognized in local media for painting a mural celebrating the life of Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was killed this spring. The mural appears on a wall at Heaven Skate Park in Hartford. Pane is also known for painting cleats for NFL players (see spring 2018 issue of H).
2012
Jim Mello (D ENHP) of Steubenville, Ohio, executive director of institutional effectiveness at Franciscan University, was part of a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the North East Association for Institutional Research held in November 2018. The panel was titled Data-Informed Decision Making: Challenges, Strategies and Lessons Learned.
2013
Illustrator Dave Szalay (M HAS) of Richfield, Ohio, earned 14 ADDY awards at the AAF-Akron annual American Advertising Awards held in February. After a decades-long career in advertising and graphic design, he has focused on illustration in recent years. Szalay illustrated the children’s book The Superlative A. Lincoln earlier this year. [1]
Dave Szalay ’13
2014
A musician, composer, and teacher, John DelVento (Hartt) of Rockville, Conn., has provided musical content for a variety of films, TV shows, advertising campaigns, video games, educational literature, and world music. Recently, he composed music featured in The Bachelor
as well as a beer commercial that premiered during the Super Bowl.
Sean O’Donovan (A&S). See Michael Goemans, 2011
2015
Saxophonist Mike Casey (Hartt) of Storrs, Conn., was interviewed in an article on musically.com on the growth of jazz as a streaming option. He was also quoted on the same subject on Forbes.com. The artist released his second album, Stay Surprising Live at the Side Door.
Rachel Cisto (A&S) of Weare, N.H., see recently published book, p. 40.
Ashley Croce (Hartt) of Peabody Mass., was an assistant director on the production A Period Piece that also featured Dominique Rose ’18 (Hartt) of West Suffield, Conn., as one of its principal characters. The play was a celebration of female empowerment and was staged at Matthew Corozine Studio Theatre in New York last summer. It was produced by The Shrill Collective of which Croce is a co-founder. [2]
Dominique Rose ’18
Katie Luke (Hartt) of New York, N.Y., was the recipient of the Syracuse Area Live Theater (SALT) award for Best Actress in a Musical for playing the lead in the musical Newsies at the Cortland Repertory Theatre.
2016
Orice Jenkins (Hartt) of East Hartford, Conn., see recently released album, p. 40. [3]
Orice Jenkins ’16
Alexa Keener (Barney, M’18 Barney) of Torrington, Conn., was part of the 43rd class of Quest, a program for high-performing mid-career professionals. The 10-month program provides training on advanced leadership practices and is supported by Leadership Greater Hartford. She is an HR consultant at Aetna.
2017
The Manchester Symphony and Chorale in Manchester, Conn., appointed Luca Antonucci (M Hartt) of Watertown, Mass., as its orchestra artistic director. He made his official debut as director at MSOC’s final concert of the 2018–19 season.
Bennett Szames (Barney) of Cincinnati, Ohio, has joined Mitchell & Ness, a sports clothing company located in Philadelphia, as an apparel production assistant.
2018
Catherine Gleason (A&S) of West Suffield, Conn., is teaching English in South Korea at an all-boys middle school. She is chronicling the experience on her blog, catherineinkorea.home.
Dominique Rose (Hartt). See Ashley Croce, 2015 !
THE GOLDEN 50CELEBRATING HAWKS CLASS OF 1970
I’m growing to be a HAWK
PROUD TO BE A HAWK Getting married? Having a baby? Show your UHart pride by requesting a UHart pennant or onesie for your future Hawk at hartford.edu/uhart-gear. We’ll help you celebrate by sharing your news as a Class Note—online and in a future issue of H.
We Congratulate & Welcome...
WEDDINGS Brian Tilley ’08 (Barney) and Emily Reynolds of West Hartford, Conn. were married April 27, 2019, at St. Alphonsus Liguori Church in Pittsford, Vt. The reception was held at Mountain Top Inn and Resort in Crittenden, Vt. Tilley is a former lacrosse player at Hartford, and is currently an admission representative at a local vocational school. [1]
Brian Tilley ’08 (Barney) and Emily Reynolds
Abigail Winter Weiner ’10 (A&S) and Larissa Weiner ’11 (A&S) of Attleboro, Mass., were married April 14, 2019, at their temple in Sharon, Mass. Abigail is working in IT at Brown University, while Larissa is at home taking care of their son. [2]
Abigail Winter Weiner ’10 (A&S) and Larissa Weiner ’11 (A&S)
Hannah Abbruzzese ’11 (HAS) and Robert Machuga ’11 (HAS) of Astoria, N.Y., were married July 13, 2019, at the Swan Club in Roslyn, N.Y. The bride works as a product development manager for Anne Klein, while the groom is a senior graphic designer with the National Football League. [3]
Hannah Abbruzzese ’11 (HAS) and Robert Machuga ’11 (HAS)
Jenna Daly ’12 (CETA) and Jasmine Dumas ’12 (CETA) of Glastonbury, Conn., were married in their home on September 22, 2018. Jasmine is a senior data scientist at Fastly, while Jenna is a freelance data scientist and engineer. Nine UHart alumni and staff were among the guests at the wedding. [4]
Jenna Daly ’12 (CETA) and Jasmine Dumas ’12 (CETA)
Christopher Roggi ’12 (University Studies) and Michelle Stockman ’12 (Hartt) of New York, N.Y., were married May 4, 2019, at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish—Holy Angels Church in Plaistow, N.H. The reception was held at Birch Wood Vineyards in Derry, N.H. Michelle is freelancing with NYC orchestras, teaching private flute and working at a human services nonprofit called Good Shepherd Services. Christopher is a software engineer at Mirror. [5]
Christopher Roggi ’12 (University Studies) and Michelle Stockman ’12 (Hartt)
Sabrina Amaral ’13 (A&S) and Frank Piechotta ’13 (Barney) of Norwalk, Conn., were married May 18 in Lisbon, Portugal. There were 27 alumni in attendance. Frank manages the Advertising Client Services department at Altice USA, while Sabrina is an embryologist. [6]
Sabrina Amaral ’13 (A&S) and Frank Piechotta ’13 (Barney)
Amanda Beaulieu (C’14 ENHP, ’14 ENHP) and Brenden DiSanto ’14 (ENHP) of Bristol, Conn., were married Aug. 10, 2019, at The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Hamden, Conn. They met in high school and attended UHart together enrolling in the RT program. Amanda performs ultrasounds at Central Connecticut Ob/GYN, while Brenden performs CT scans for UConn Health. [7]
Amanda Beaulieu (C’14 ENHP, ’14 ENHP) and Brenden DiSanto ’14 (ENHP)
Eric Floum ’13 (Barney) and Erika Ferrucci ’14 (ENHP) of Clinton, Mass., were married May 25, 2019, at The Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden, Mass. The bride teaches in Upton, Mass., while the groom is working at Education First in Cambridge, Mass. [8]
Eric Floum ’13 (Barney) and Erika Ferrucci ’14 (ENHP)
Kristen Powell ’14 (Hartt), M’16 (Hartt) and Kevin Zheng ’15 (CETA) of Colchester, Conn., were married at the Rock Island Lake Club in Sparta, N.J., on Oct. 13, 2019. Kristen is a freelance bassoonist while Kevin is a senior engineer at General Dynamic Electric Boat. [9]
Kristen Powell ’14 (Hartt), M’16 (Hartt) and Kevin Zheng ’15 (CETA)
Samantha Cormier ’15 (Barney), M’18 (Barney) and Christopher Camasso of West Hartford, Conn., were married June 13, 2019, in Southington, Conn. The bride works in finance at The Travelers. [10]
Samantha Cormier ’15 (Barney), M’18 (Barney) and Christopher Camasso
HATCHLINGS Brian Wood ’95 (Barney) and his wife, Raquel, of Bristol, Conn., welcomed their first child, Hudson William Wood, on February 19, 2019. Brian is a former UHart baseball player and has worked at ESPN the past 22 years. He is the manager of the stats and information group (SIG). [11]
Hudson William Wood
Jamie Rogers ’96 (Barney) of Chestnut Hill, Mass., welcomed a boy, Matthew Ray Rogers, on July 20, 2018.
Jamie is working in finance and in practice with her father at Wells Fargo Advisors in Waltham. Mass. [12]
Matthew Ray Rogers
Lillianna Pereira ’02 (HAS) and her husband, Robert, of Leverett, Mass., welcomed their first child, Lucia Wren Piotrowski, on August 12, 2019. [13]
Lucia Wren Piotrowski
Ben Yin ’04 (Barney, University Studies) and his wife, Rumi Yin, welcomed a boy, Justin Aikumi Yin, on Aug. 13, 2019. Ben is a member of the Barney School Board of Visitors and works in U.S. Enterprise and Strategy Solutions at Cigna. [14]
Justin Aikumi Yin
Latasha Raineault ’08 (ENHP), D’10 (ENHP) and Jordan Raineault of West Hartford, Conn., welcomed their second child, Sydney Hayes Raineault, on January, 27, 2019. She joins her big sister, Maya. Latasha, a former student-athlete at UHart, is the site director at the Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation Network. Jordan is a school counselor working for the Manchester Public Schools. [15]
Sydney Hayes Raineault
Mallory Duncan ’09 (A&S) of Stewart Manor, N.Y., announced the birth of her son, Daniel Grayson Zgaljardic, on May 8, 2019. [16]
Daniel Grayson Zgaljardic
John Jaramillo (M’09 A&S, M’15 Barney) and his wife, Jennifer, of Plainville, Conn., welcomed their second son, Jonah Alvaro Jaramillo, on March 2 , 2019. John is a leadership coach and development consultant. [17]
Jonah Alvaro Jaramillo
Abigail ’10 (A&S) and Larissa Weiner ’11 (A&S) of Attleboro, Mass., announced the birth of twins Ezra Jacob and Jeremy Michael Weiner on May 18, 2019. Unfortunately, Jeremy passed after 34 minutes. His survivor twin spent 94 days in the NICU before coming home. [18]
Ezra Jacob Weiner
Nicole Knauth ’11 (A&S) and her husband, Pat Knauth ’13 (Barney), of Seymour, Conn, welcome their second child, a girl, Kinsley Jane Knauth, on Aug. 11, 2019. She joins her big sister, Skylar, in the Knauth family. Nicole is an operating room registered nurse at Bridgeport Hospital, while Pat works in reinsurance solutions at AON. [19]
Kinsley Jane Knauth
Warren Lane ’11 (Barney) and his wife, Lauren, of Millis, Mass., welcomed their first child, Charlotte Grace Lane, on May 21, 2019. A former UHart student-athlete, Warren is a research analyst with the firm IDC in Framingham, Mass. [20]
Charlotte Grace Lane
Lindsay Nunamacher ’11 (ENHP), D’14 (ENHP) and her husband, Rory Nunamacher ’13 (Barney), of West Hartford, Conn., welcomed a boy, Noah Donald Nunamacher, on July 11, 2019. Lindsay is a PT for Hartford Healthcare while Rory works in sales for Tennant Company. [21]
Left: Noah Donald Nunamacher, Right: Jack Burke
Ashley (C’13, C’14, ’14 ENHP) and Stephen ’13 (CETA) Burke of Wethersfield, Conn., announced the birth of their son, Jack Burke, on May 19, 2019. Ashley works as an ultrasonographer at Hartford Hospital, and as the clinical instructor for the SONO program at UHart. Stephen works for the State of Connecticut as a project manager in construction services. [22]
See more class notes and photos online at hartford.edu/class-notes
We Remember...
1940s
Elizabeth Rockwell Allen A’45 (HCW), M’71 (HCW) Bloomfield, Conn., 4.20.2019
Nancy Goldenthal Max A’45 (HCW) Delray Beach, Fla., 4.9.2019
Katherine Popko Dossin A’46 (Barney) North Andover, Mass., 2.23.2019
Eleanor J. Hamm ’47 (Hartt) Camp Hill, Pa., 3.11.2019
Ralph F. Beyea Jr. C’48, AD’49 (HAS) Hartford, Conn., 3.15.2019
Mary Jane Converse ’49 (HAS) West Hartford, Conn., 3.31.2019
1950s
Benedict U. Feole A’48, ’50 (Barney) Pittsboro, N.C., 1.18.2019
Joan Z. Mandell A’50 (Barney) Simsbury, Conn., 11.29.2019
Geraldine F. Shea A’50 (Barney) Wethersfield, Conn., 10.24.2019
Jennie Vincenzo A’50 (Hillyer) Manchester, Conn., 7.4.2019
Joan O’Toole Cook A’51, P’83 (Barney) West Hartford, Conn., 5.22.2019
Evelyn Muller Dahl A’51 (HCW) Colonia, N.J., 1.12.2019
Barbara Bair Kosty A’52 (HCW) Henderson, Nev., 5.4.2019
James F. Argiro AD’53 (HAS) Meriden, Conn., 6.19.2019
Elsie Cocco Easterbrook ’53 (Hartt) Seabrook Island, S.C., 7.13.2019
Robert A. Flaxman ’53 (Hillyer) Boca Raton, Fla., 7.18.2019
Marie A. Le Van M’53 (ENHP) Meriden, Conn., 8.2019
Thomas M. Murphy A’51, ’53 (Hillyer) Glastonbury, Conn., 2.27.2019
Raymond H. Tanguay ’53 (Hartt) Suffield, Conn., 2.11.2019
Joseph J. Briganti M’55 (Hillyer) Jensen Beach, Fla., 6.22.2019
Joseph W. Busky M’55 (Hillyer) Manchester, Conn., 2.3.2019
Helen T. Molloy M’55 (ENHP) West Hartford, Conn., 3.2.2019
Lois Ryder Reed A’55 (HCW) Springfield, Mass., 4.18.2019
Jack H. Vining Sr. ’55, P’82 (Hillyer) Columbia, Conn., 2.2.2019
Patrick J. Duffy C’56 (WARD) Danbury, Conn., 2.28.2019
Ross Epstein ’56 (Hartt) Vero Beach, Fla., 3.29.2019
Morgan S. Hill A’52, ’56 (Barney) Avon, Conn., 2.4.2019
Elizabeth M. Mayo M’57 (ENHP) Farmington, Conn., 3.13.2019
Frederick C. Schneider M’57, C’59 (ENHP) Hartford, Conn., 6.29.2019
Anne English Travaglini A’57 (HCW) (HCW) Marlborough, Conn., 12.23.2019
Francis X. Vasile M’57 (ENHP) Southington, Conn., 7.27.2019
Robert Brooks M’58, C’60 (ENHP) Pembroke Pines, Fla., 2.16.2019
Teresa M. DiBenedetto M’58 (ENHP) Hartford, Conn., 2.17.2019
Lee Weinstein M’58 (ENHP) Aurora, Ill., 6.5.2019
John J. Mastrandrea A’59 (Barney) West Hartford, Conn., 10.10.2019
Carl J. Ruggiero A’59 (A&S) East Hartford, Conn., 11.2.2019
John W. Bliss A’58, ’60 (A&S) East Hampton, Conn., 5.5.2019
1960s
Joseph J. Mucciaro Jr. ’60 (A&S) New Britain, Conn., 5.28.2019
Barry M. Weinbaum ’60 (A&S) New London, Conn., 7.13.2019
Ronald T. Miecznikowski M’61 (ENHP) Bristol, Conn., 10.22.2019
Daniel V. Orza Sr. ’61 (Hartt) Okla. City, Okla., 2.6.2019
Dr. Alexander M. Rudewicz A’58, ’61 (A&S) Leesburg, Fla., 10.6.2019
Joseph E. Interlandi ’62 (CETA) Newington, Conn., 6.5.2019
Catherine M. Kernan A’60, ’62 (ENHP) Rockville, Conn., 9.18.2019
Alice Seamon Vale ’62 (ENHP) South Windsor, Conn., 7.24.2019
Louise Nichol Clarke M’64 (ENHP) Rocky Hill, Conn., 5.13.2019
James A. Farrow ’65 (A&S) Windsor, Conn., 1.28.2019
Loretta Blake Fish (ENHP) Williamsburg, Va., 3.5.2019
Carl R. Venditto C’65 (ENHP) Southington, Conn., 4.15.2019
Anthony R. DiPaola ’66 (Barney) Shelton, Conn., 1.19.2019
Robert L. Ellis ’66 (A&S) Magnolia, Texas, 6.24.2019
Dominic Fulco Jr. ’66, P’81 (Barney) West Hartford, Conn., 10.20.2019
Michael F. Gelinas M’66 (ENHP) Longmeadow, Mass., 7.12.2019
Michael R. Koplowitz ’67 (Barney) Farmington, Conn., 1.26.2019
Charles B. Weis Jr. ’67 (Barney) South Windsor, Conn., 3.24.2019
Leroy E. Dyer C’68 (ENHP) Middletown, Conn., 7.19.2019
Martha Hunt Littlefield ’68 (ENHP) Billings, Mont., 3.17.2019
Dr. Roger A. Loiseau M’68 (ENHP) West Haven, Conn., 3.16.2019
Anna-Marie A. Michaels M’68 (ENHP) Kensington, Conn., 1.12.2019
John W. Spaeth III ’68 (Barney) Middletown, Conn., 4.15.2019
Elisabeth Sheldon Aschman M’69 (ENHP) Wakefield, R.I., 8.8.2019
Joseph Degrandi ’69, M’73, C’86 (A&S) Hartford, Conn., 5.9.2019
Robert D. Herdling ’69, M’74 (Barney) Montpelier, Vt., 10.9.2019
1970s
Eileen N. Cooney ’70 (ENHP) Groton, Conn., 12.18.2019
Rosalind Bobrow Hahn ’70 (ENHP) West Hartford, Conn., 5.26.2019
Paul Rowean ’70, M’74 (Barney) Portland, Conn., 7.3.2019
Anne Sherrerd Scanlon M’70 (ENHP) East Granby, Conn., 10.19.2019
Jeanne N. Spencer M’70 (ENHP) South Windsor, Conn., 3.31.2019
James A. Stidfole M’70 (A&S) New London, Conn., 1.2.2019
John A. Wolkowski ’70 (Barney) Jewett City, Conn., 2.7.2019
Mary E. Donahue A’71 (HCW) Manchester, Conn., 10.19.2019
Marjorie W. Ellis M’71 (ENHP) Winsted, Conn., 3.14.2019
Joseph F. Mulready Jr. M’71 (Hartt) West Hartford, Conn., 4.2.2019
Richard Whinnem Jr. ’71 (Barney) Newington, Conn., 12.21.2019
Ellen M. Holmes ’72 (Barney) Glastonbury, Conn., 10.28.2019
John H. Pearson Jr. ’72 (A&S) Wells, Maine, 4.7.2019
Edward G. Stupcenski A’70, ’72 (Barney) Manchester, Conn., 10.4.2019
Anthony T. Mauro ’73 (CETA) Chester, Va., 1.24.2019
Salvatore N. Fulco M’74 (Barney) Larchmont, N.Y., 12.11.2019
Charles Kepner Jr. C’74 (ENHP) Mystic, Conn., 12.22.2019
Peter M. Ragaisis II A’74 (WARD) Burlington, Conn., 9.5.2019
Joseph P. Caliendo Jr. ’75 (Barney) Windsor, Conn., 1.19.2019
Mary J. Crosson A’75 (HCW), P’80, ’81 (HCW) Bloomfield, Conn., 11.30.2019
John W. Helm A’49, M’75 (Barney) West Hartford, Conn., 4.7.2019
Cecilia Stevens Calhoun ’76 (HAS) Bloomfield, Conn., 1.4.2019
Roberta S. Cosby ’76 (Barney) Bloomfield, Conn., 9.14.2019
Charlene Fox Foley ’76 (ENHP) Rocky Hill, Conn., 2.3.2019
Charles H. Lounsbury III M’77 (Barney) Danielson, Conn., 3.18.2019
John A. Lutocka Jr. ’77 (Barney) Largo, Fla., 3.31.2019
Elizabeth Brad Noel C’77, P’86 (ENHP) Bloomfield, Conn., 1.23.2019
Paul J. Giangrave C’78 (ENHP) Old Lyme, Conn., 6.7.2019
Brian J. Mahoney A’75, ’78 (Barney) Glastonbury, Conn., 7.6.2019
Nicholas Torneo ’78 (A&S) Cromwell, Conn., 9.21.2019
Stephen D. Wenrich ’78 (Hartt) Bellingham, Wash., 3.18.2019
Florence Ransom Schroeter ’79 (A&S) East Hartford, Conn., 3.19.2019
1980s
Walter R. Derouin M’80 (Barney) Southington, Conn., 11.16.2019
Kathryn L. McNulty ’80 (Hartt) Cromwell, Conn., 6.28.2019
Carol Griswold Stenman M’80 (ENHP) Glastonbury, Conn., 5.19.2019
Trevor M. French ’82 (A&S) East Granby, Conn., 2.12.2019
Donald R. Young ’82, M’84 (Barney) Cantonment, Fla., 6.11.2019
Gwendolyn D. Smith Iloani M’83 (Barney) Farmington, Conn., 12.31.2019
Craig Viturale A’82, ’84 (WARD) Manchester, Conn., 10.6.2019
Deborah B. Tait M’85 (HAS) Montpelier, Vt., 2.8.2019
Kenneth W. Crawford ’86 (Barney) Wethersfield, Conn., 2.5.2019
Margaret R. Philbin A’89 (Hillyer) Moorestown, N.J., 5.24.2019
1990s
Tara C. Wash. ’95, M’08 (Barney) Hartford, Conn., 10.11.2019
Omar M. Morrison ’96 (Barney) Hartford, Conn., 2.11.2019
John L. Halsell ’97 (Barney) Bloomfield, N.J., 4.25.2019
Woodney L. Christophe ’99 (CETA) Clifton, N.J., 2.28.2019
2010s
Tami D. Fagan D’15 (ENHP) Manchester, Conn., 10.5.2019
Ebony L. Claxton ’16 (A&S) Stratford, Conn., 9.2.2019
Kyle Wucherpfennig ’18 (Barney) Glastonbury, Conn., 1.2.2019
ALUMNI EVENTS
Alumni events at local breweries continue to be a fun way for former classmates and new friends to connect, including during this event at Milford Point Brewing in Milford, Conn.
Milford Point Brewing in Milford, Conn.
The Anchor Award is the most prestigious honor presented by the University of Hartford Alumni Association. Eight accomplished individuals were honored this past fall at the 2019 Anchors Awards celebration held during Hawktober Weekend.
The recipients were (from left): Barbara (Hartt) and Leib ’76 (Barney), M’81 (Barney) Lurie of Troy, Ohio; Dartray Belk ’07 (A&S) of Saint Albans, N.Y.; Maria Tackett D’10 (ENHP) of East Hampton, Conn.; DeLois Lindsey M’88 (ENHP), P’04, P’13 of Torrington, Conn.; Papa Asante ’11 (CETA) of New Rochelle, N.Y.; Janet Arms ’81 (Hartt) of Ardsley, N.Y.; and Christiana Lang ’12 (A&S) of Frederick, Md.
The annual UHart Legacy Family Ice Cream Social, welcoming incoming students who have alumni relatives, took place last fall at the Hawk’s Nest.
Seventeen families were represented, including the family of Helen Newman ’23 (lower left).
Alumni show off their UHart pride during an event at the Labyrinth Brewing Company in Manchester, Conn.
Alumni at the Labyrinth Brewing Company in Manchester
Alumni fans enjoyed a variety of professional baseball games last season, including at the home stadiums of the Hartford Yard Goats, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.
Alumni gathered in Hartford, New York City, and Boston on the eve of the 2020 Founders Day Challenge to kick off UHart’s annual day of giving.
UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION
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JOIN US!
UHart and the Alumni Association sponsor events and programs in Greater Hartford and across the country. Grow professionally, be social, and give back to the community while reuniting with classmates and fellow alumni. To learn more, visit hartford. edu/alumni-events.
