UHart H Magazine Spring 2022

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2022 S PRI N G / M AGA ZI N E H ART F O RD O F U NI V ER S I T Y facebook.com/ UniversityofHartford

University of Hartford Magazine is published periodically for alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends.

Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment M O L LY P O L K Editor J O N AT H A N E A S T E R B R O O K ’ 87, M ’ 9 0 Design KRISTINA K ARLSON ’ 14 C H A R RY S A L M O N KEVIN SEPE ’99 Art Direction PAU L A R I B E I R O Contributors J E N N I F E R C A R R ’ 1 9 , P ’ 17, P ’ 2 1 KELLEY FREUND MEGHAN GOFF K AT Y H E N C H Y ’ 1 8 , M ’ 2 0 K AREN HUNTER M A RY I N G A R R A P ’ 2 0 , P ’ 2 2 B R AY D E N R A N S O M ’ 2 0 JOEL SAMBERG Photography N I CO L E B E DA R D R O G E R C A S TO N G UAY ’ 07 A N TO N I O C . E S P O S I TO WA LT J E DZ I N I A K TO N Y L U O N G K AT H A R I N E M A N N I N G ’ 1 5 J O N AT H A N O L S O N

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H, UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE Office of Marketing and Communication, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117 editor@hartford.edu O N T H E C OV E R : Sweet U Har t treats as baked b y D e a n n a F o r d (r i g h t) .

P h o t o g r a p hy by Monique Sourinho.

CONTENTS / VOL. 04 / ISSUE 01

F E ATU R E S

Welcome to our first themed issue of H, focused on food and drink. For many of us, food holds great memories of family, friends, and celebrations. It is part of our traditions, culture, and day-to-day lives. Food has also served as the impetus for many UHart graduates to establish satisfying and rewarding careers. We hope you will enjoy reading their stories and also learning how food has evolved on campus, from new sustainability initiatives to delectable desserts enticing students in the Commons. Read on… but hopefully not too close to lunch or dinner!

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One Scoop at a Time

Chantell Boissiere-Kelly M’05 builds community through her ice cream shop.

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Taste of UHart Alumni find their niche in the food and beverage industry.

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On Tap

We called upon alumna Kat Manning ’15 to help us visually tell the On Tap story through photography.

Alumni hold diverse roles in the nation’s craft beer craze.

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Sweet Dreams UHart Head Baker and Pastry Chef Deanna Ford brought our vision for the cover of this issue to life with a custom cake, cupcakes, and mini raspberry cheesecakes—yum!

Alumnae take different routes to unleash their food passions.

She shares some of her favorite recipes in Palate Pleasers.

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DE PA R TM E N TS

Meet women’s lacrosse head coach Jen Nardi

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0 2 O B S E R VAT I O N S Message from President Woodward

3 6 H AW K N AT I O N Inside athletics

0 4 YO U R V I E WS Readers speak out

40 MIXED MEDIA Books, movies, and music

07 UNOTES News from campus

41 WORDS OF WISDOM Expert advice

1 4 H AW K ’ S E Y E V I E W The big picture

42 ALUMNI NOTES News for and about alumni

16 FIRST CLASS Spotlight on faculty

56 FINAL COURSE Palate Pleasers

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PRESIDENT

A Strategic and Courageous Investment In UHart’s Future Gregory S. Woodward

Dear Friends, Each year brings the optimism and opportunity of a fresh start and a new, perhaps deeper, perspective. This academic year, the ever-evolving pandemic continues to dominate our experiences and has altered our individual and collective journeys, touching and shaping countless lives. UHart has carried on, rather valiantly, I believe, in moving our students onward in their growth and education. It has not been easy, but all of us should be proud of the successful but admittedly meandering journey we have taken together.

My personal journey has been difficult, but brightened by the support, understanding, and kindness shown to me and my family by so many people. My wife, Penny, remained strong and optimistic in her advancing and debilitating cancer over the past several years, and we are incredibly proud of the role she played in advancing research and treatment of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. My family and I were humbled by the support shown through the development of the Penelope Woodward Scholarship Fund at UHart as well as through many

heartfelt donations to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in her honor. Penny’s scholarship will be used to support future music educators, a career and mission that was so important to her.

Please accept my sincere gratitude to all of you.

The last few chaotic years have shown us that our health and wellness, and our opportunity to contribute to a communal movement towards safety and well-being, are all deeply connected to the lives of those around us, near and far. The care, commitment, and enthusiasm of our entire extended community has been present and impressive through these connections and contributions. We will need to seek and avail ourselves of this spirit and commitment to lift us up as the University moves through an important and exciting transitional phase.

The University stands in a reasonable but delicate position of strength, rooted in our core principles and character, grounded on the success achieved during more than six decades of growth. Still, we face the same societal and financial forces that now challenge all of higher education. UHart isn’t immune to these pressures, especially in the college-heavy Northeast, and we have therefore been focused on reviewing and adjusting our business model and offerings over the last several years.

Our mandate is clear: we must rededicate ourselves to a strategic and courageous investment in the future of UHart, move from a good position in

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the marketplace to a stronger one, and emerge having secured a distinct and sustainable niche in the new normal of higher education in America. It is our students—and their success—that will remain our first priority.

To accomplish these goals, we will draw on our mission, vision, values, and identity. We will remain uniquely UHart, a university with exceptionally broad and liberal areas of study and enviable depth in professional training. Our commitment to UHart’s promise, and the strength to judiciously invest in that promise, will solidify a sustainable and impactful future for our students and community. Recent strategic conversations with the campus and the Board of Regents have produced an initial array of needed investments in the University— now we must make them real and powerful. Physical campus changes, especially in our residence halls; a richer environment and reality for our faculty and staff; selected support options and practices for our students; and necessary and, in some cases, long-overdue investments in the University presence in the marketplace are all about to unfold.

I look forward to sharing all the components and dreams of our new strategic action plan that we created together— UHart Start—with our community, alumni, partners, and friends. It is an exciting time for the University and I am pleased to be on this journey with all of you. H

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OUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN: UHART START Through careful study and far-reaching dialogue, our University community has identified key requirements for success in strategic planning.

Our plan is: INCLUSIVE As the challenges we face affect all of us, our plan must incorporate the full spectrum of perspectives and needs represented within our community and must encompass all constituencies acting in concert to ensure successful and equitable implementation.

UHART START: 2025

SUSTAINABLE Our plan must confirm our enduring belief in the basic organization of our current University, which has been intentionally built in this shape to support a community with shared commitments to the UHart mission, vision, and values.

ACTIONABLE To ensure we meet our challenges with urgency, enthusiasm, and accountability, our plan must include agreed-upon actions, with clarity on the specific roles, responsibilities, timelines, targets, and metrics involved in determining our success.

FLEXIBLE While our plan must outline the steps necessary to build on an already strong academic enterprise, it must also include the flexibility to incorporate changes and new ideas as we evolve, with the possibility to alter timelines in response to new opportunities.

GOAL-DRIVEN After engaging in an inclusive process that builds on our identity and highlights needed actions with flexibility, most of all, our plan must retain a consistent focus on our desired outcome: to ensure excellence and sustain success for the University of Hartford.

hartford.edu/uhart-start

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04 / YOUR VIEWS / LETTERS

We Want to Hear from You! H welcomes comments and thoughts from readers and alumni, and while we can’t print or personally respond to each letter or email, we promise that we do read and appreciate them.

Comments published on this page express the views of the writers and not the University of Hartford or staff of H. Letters and emails are edited for clarity, space, and UHart style.

MAIL : H Editor, Office of Marketing and Communication,

200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117

EMAIL: editor@hartford.edu

I’m sending a Hartt-felt thank you for your excellent and nostalgic article in the Summer 2021 issue of the University of Hartford magazine. For this Hartt School grad, the article brought back all kinds of memories. The arrival of Gerald Mack in the mid-60s helped determine my life’s course: three years playing accordion in the White House Strolling Strings unit, a Fulbright Award to London, three years at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music conducing the glee clubs, 38 years and professor emeritus at the University of Texas at San Antonio, 16 years at University Presbyterian Church, 38 years and counting as director of the San Antonio Symphony Chorus. Your article brought back a whole cast of characters, and you caught a lot of their special traits. Thanks for helping me to remember how important and special those formative years were for me.

—Dr. John Silantien ’68 (Hartt) I am beyond humbled and sincerely grateful to be included on the cover of the Summer 2021 H Magazine. For more than a century, The Hartt School has been blessed with so many visionary and talented

teachers, students, and administrators. Thank you for such a rich and beautifully created cover and article. Thank you, Steve (Metcalf), for again capturing the essence of this special place. Your foreword for the One Hundred Years of Hartt book created the perfect foundation for the article and the many stories and visuals in the book.

Because so many of the images featured in the book were also on the magazine cover and in the article, I would also like to acknowledge the extremely important contributions of UHart staff and faculty.

Literally hundreds of hours were spent in the University Archives locating, researching, and selecting the book’s images, which are also featured on the cover and in the article. University Archivist Sean Parke provided exceptionally valuable time and expertise that was integral to this work.

Hartford Art School’s Professor John Nordyke also spent hours upon hours preparing the images, many that needed a great deal of sharpening and coloration to be publication ready, in addition to overseeing and contributing to the book’s layout and design. Sean, John, and I received no remuneration other than the satisfaction of knowing that we had created

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a beautiful commemorative publication for Hartt’s 100th anniversary. I hope that in any future publications or celebrations, we will recognize the significant contributions of all those at UHart who made it possible to recount the history of Hartt.

—Demaris (Dee) Hansen, D.M.A., Professor Emeritus, Music Education; The Hartt School I found the last issue of the University of Hartford’s magazine informative and most enjoyable.

The front-page montage of “Hartt associates” over the last 100 years was intriguing, creative, and memorable.

I realize the agony associated with choosing only 100 of Hartt’s finest, but two musical giants and decades-long alumni influencers certainly deserve an honored place in the Hartt pantheon of progress.

1. Vytautas Marijusious, international conductor extraordinaire and musical deity to many of us.

2. Arnold Franchetti, composer, theorist, pupil of Richard Strauss, and compositional pedagogue to generations of burgeoning international musicians.

Thank you for conjuring up such stimulating and fervent memories. Those of us who started our musical journey at The Hartt School on Broad Street were indeed blessed with a superb education, worldclass musicians, and probably the best musical maturation class of all: “Uncle Moshe’s (Paranov) Musicianship 101, Thursdays at 11 a.m., Auditorium. Don’t be late!”

—William “Bill” Iveson ’54 (Hartt) I want to congratulate everyone on a superb edition of H magazine. The article that impressed me the most was Steve Metcalf’s heartfelt reflections on The Hartt School.

I first entered the University in 1970, and Steve’s description of the atmosphere of Hartt at that time was also the atmosphere

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that I experienced throughout the entire University.

The environment was open, inviting, and informal.

But nearly every professor I had was not laid-back in terms of what he expected of you as a student. The professors engaged and challenged your mind so that you wanted to learn and to do your very best. I truly believe the atmosphere that Steve so well described became the style and unique culture of today’s University of Hartford. And every issue of H magazine reflects that culture in the most positive ways.

—Bob Ellis ’72 (A&S) After 31 years of public service teaching young people, this recognition (being included in the featured article) brought a tear to my eye and great satisfaction. The Hartt School has given me more than you could know.

—Ken Boucher ’90 (Hartt) This letter is to bring to you the highest praise possible for the Summer 2021 issue. What a stunning and elegant achievement it is! I started in 1964, shortly after the University was formed.

So, I was there when the campus was only a few buildings and that large tract of land with so much promise.

As the years went by, I watched, first from Hartford, and then via your magazine, as the University expanded and grew. What a thrilling time it has been—and it’s now more than 50 years later—to watch “my” school fulfill the promise of all those decades ago and become the premier institution it now is! I remember vividly my professors and instructors of that time—Dr. Cecilia Welna, Dr. Goldstein, Dr. Cervo, and so many more. They’re likely all gone now, and I, who graduated at age 27, am now almost 82; but the University of Hartford has remained my bulwark of knowledge and erudition all these years.

Your spectacular issue just brought back so much of the excellence I experienced then.

Thank you for this treasure, and thank you, U of H, for a lifetime of dedication to learning excellence.

—Stephen E. Backhus ’67 (A&S)

FOR TH E R ECO RD Summer 2021 issue

Lisa Borres ’11 is a graduate of the dance program. Her area of study was listed inaccurately in the profile heading on page 21.

On the photo key located on the Contents page listing names of those pictured on the cover, the numbers 19 and 28 were reversed. Samuel Berkman was number 19 and Peter Boyer was number 28.

In the same photo key listings, the great opera, drama, and stage production director pictured in space number 84 was Elemer Nagy. His first name was listed incorrectly.

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S OCI A L P OSTS F R OM T H E S P R I N G S E M EST E R

uhartdining This is Rida, our amazingly talented barista and artist. She is a senior at UHart and is studying Fine Arts. Her favorite drink is an Iced Chai with pumpkin cold foam and a shot of espresso. Stop by and check out her incredible boards! #whatsyourfavboard

#didyouknow green sorrel is especially high in vitamin C?!?

Come get a green sorrel smoothie at Commons right now with fresh sorrel from our @farmshelf #harvestedtoday Happy Valentine’s Day! You can #treatyoself to some chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered Oreos for sale today at Commons, GSU and the Village Market #vday

It wasn’t just an educational experience for me; it was a growth experience.

Amy Quigley ’93

The Princeton Review has included the Barney School of Business in its 2021 listing of Best Business Schools. In April, Stephen M. Mulready M’77 (right) was named Barney School dean, becoming the first alumnus to hold the position.

EMPOWER THE FUTURE. Make your plans today and secure the UHart experience for future generations of students.

Learn more and get started for free at HARTFORD.EDU/PLANNEDGIVING

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Nancy Pantirer ’77 donated one of her large-scale paintings, Radioactive, for display in the Francis X. and Nancy Hursey Center for Advanced Engineering and Health Professions.

She spent an afternoon on campus last fall to oversee the installation and meet the 2021–22 recipient of the Nancy Bergman Pantirer ’77 and Vivian Bergman Scholarship, Hartford Art School painting major Mya Conception ’22.

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Community Conversations UHART HOSTS TIMELY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE AND PLACE

Tom Condon (left) and Jason Rojas during the final session of The Two Connecticuts series.

With America writing the next chapter in its struggle with racism and racial justice, the University of Hartford’s Presidents’ College and the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement have collaborated with Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH) and the Connecticut Mirror to examine where color lines continue to segregate Connecticut.

In a series of four sessions held last fall and available online, The Two Connecticuts: Conversations About Race and Place explores, through 16 informed experts, how segregation in housing, education, and regionalism is depriving people of color of personal dignity, economic opportunity, and access to health care and safety while putting the state of Connecticut at a disadvantage.

Michele Troy, director of the Presidents’ College, UHart’s lifelong learning program, said the series, offered in person and online, was born of a desire in the community for a discussion about social change.

“David Barrett, who was head of [Hartford’s] West End Civic Association for many years, was part of a team at the Third Age Initiative

at Leadership Greater Hartford that wanted to do something on the Two Connecticuts,” Troy says. “They had their theme, but they didn’t have a home for it. He asked if the Presidents’ College would be willing to do a course."

When Troy agreed, the nine-member LGH team—David Barrett, Holly DeYoung, Harriet Winograd, Diana Evans, Ann Brandwein, Christie Davis, Robert Fishman, Greg DeFrancesco, and Tom Condon—worked with LGH’s Doe Hentschel, setting their sights high to curate the panels.

Troy immediately knew that she wanted to work with UHart’s Office of Diversity and Community Engagement on the project. “I’m so grateful because it turned out to be much bigger than we thought,” she notes, with 1,400 individuals registering for the series.

Christine Grant, executive director of diversity and community engagement, says, “What was really timely about the conversations was COVID, which has, as we all know, elevated and highlighted inequities related to people of color, Black people, Latinx groups.

The timeliness was important. It was another way we could, as an institution, say, ‘We’re relevant. We recognize

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what’s going on in our external world.’ …

This was also an awesome opportunity to reconnect with the community.”

The first session, “A House Divided,” set the stage for the enlightening series with panelists Dana Peterson, executive vice president and chief economist with the Conference Board; Connecticut Attorney General William Tong; and Jay Williams, president of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, sharing personal stories about their encounters with racism. Lucy Nalpathanchil, executive producer and host of WNPR’s morning talk show Where We Live, moderated the discussion that defined racism and examined how it alienates, isolates, and otherwise keeps people of color from reaching their potential.

The panel also took a close look at how racism negatively affects the United States economy.

The second session, “Housing,” featured panelists Sara Bronin, founder and lead organizer of Desegregate Connecticut; Karen DuBois-Walton, president of Elm City Communities/ Housing Authority of the City of New Haven; and Jim Perras, CEO of Connecticut’s Home Builders and Remodelers Association. Moderator Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, an investigative reporter with Connecticut Public’s Accountability Project, led the panelists and audience in a discussion of Connecticut’s exclusionary zoning as a significant element of systemic racism.

The third session, “Education,” examined efforts to improve educational equity, teaching, parental involvement, and other challenges with panelists Jack Dougherty, professor of educational studies at Trinity College; Claudia Tenaglia, social studies teacher at Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy; and Ruth-Terry Walden, literature teacher at Westhill High

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School. Bilal Sekou, associate professor of political science at UHart’s Hillyer College, moderated the session.

Regionalism was the topic of the final session, which included panelists the Rev. Trevor Beauford, senior pastor at Union Baptist Church in Hartford; Tom Condon, urban and regional issues reporter at the Connecticut Mirror; and Jason Rojas, majority leader in the State House of Representatives. John Dankosky, director of events at the Connecticut Mirror, moderated the session, which discussed city and town boundaries drawn hundreds of years ago that confer extraordinary privilege on the state’s more affluent residents.

Peterson, co-author of a 2020 Citibank study, “Closing the Racial Inequality Gaps: The Economic Cost of Black Inequality in the U.S.”, said in the opening session that being an economist on a diversity committee born in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death led her to remove emotions from the disparities equation and explore the gap between the races from an economic perspective.

“We looked at the hard data to come up with an estimate of how much money is being tossed away because we as a society are allowing gaps to persist,” Peterson explains. “We came up with a wild and incredible number. That was $16 trillion— the U.S. economy in any one year is close to $20 trillion—so that’s a lot of money that’s being left on the table because people are not aware of or not willing to do anything about the racial economic gaps. And this was just looking at gaps for the Black person. I imagine the amount would be even greater if we added on gaps for women and other ethnic groups.”

Troy and Grant say that they hope the conversations continue with a broader audience.

Because all four sessions are available and worthy of binge-watching online, they believe that many more people could benefit from listening to individual panels and discussing them in a group setting. "Churches could show a recording on a Friday evening to bring it out into the local community,” Troy suggests, brainstorming with Grant. “We were thinking of schools initially, but there are several different ways to bring that out.

And we think it would be important to do so."

Collaboration, Troy and Grant agree, is what made the Two Connecticuts series possible; collaboration is also exactly the force for good that they want to cultivate to keep these important conversations about race and place happening on our campus and in our communities alike.

Partnering with an Engineering Leader A first-of-its-kind program within the University’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) is providing life-changing opportunities for aspiring engineers while fostering diversity and inclusion in the field.

The Pratt & Whitney Scholars Program, established in 2019 with a $100,000 gift from the aircraft engine manufacturer, is a collaborative effort between the engineering giant and the University, designed to develop a talent pipeline for underrepresented students in engineering. Each scholar is awarded $10,000 in aid, as well as valuable opportunities for professional development and career advising. This year, the inclusion of a mentor program will continue to bridge the gap between the classroom and industry, pairing each cohort—comprising sophomore, junior, and senior mechanical engineering majors—with a Pratt & Whitney mentor, all of whom are UHart alumni themselves.

“To have a practicing engineer take the time to meet with students and talk about the vision, the technology, and the opportunities at a company like Pratt & Whitney—that’s very unique,” says CETA Dean Hisham Alnajjar.

The program builds on a long-standing partnership between the University and Pratt & Whitney, which includes student and faculty research conducted for the company at CETA’s Engineering Applications Center. Despite the growing number of UHart graduates who pursue careers close to home at Pratt & Whitney, it’s not just students who reap the benefits of a program like this, says Todd Schutte, program champion and chief engineer at Pratt & Whitney.

“These students have a unique blend of disciplines, ones that enable them to think more broadly when they come to us,” he says. “It’s a rare opportunity to be able to guide the next generation as they explore what it means to be an engineer, and this partnership allows us to do that.”

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The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has recognized UHart Computer Science Professor Ingrid Russell as a Distinguished Member for her Outstanding Educational Contributions to Computing.

ACM is the world’s largest computing society and is the premier global scientific and educational organization dedicated to advancing computing. A member of ACM for more than 20 years, Russell was acknowledged for her outstanding and innovative contributions to computer science education research and her expertise in developing curricular models for artificial intelligence and computer science education, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of these models. Russell joined UHart in 1985 and teaches a variety of courses in computer science that span first-year to senior-level courses, including upper-level courses in artificial intelligence, programming languages, and software engineering.

She says UHart’s small class sizes allow for a variety of teaching strategies to meet the students’ learning needs and enable her to develop relationships with students.

“Students come to UHart with mixed levels of ability and varying learning styles,” she says. “Helping these students move forward and seeing them succeed is both a challenge and a reward.”

Karla Loya, assistant professor of educational leadership in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, was featured on The Academic Minute on National Public Radio on Jan. 18. In her segment titled “Pandemic Teaching and Learning Should Be Inclusive and Supportive,” Loya discussed how to make sure no one gets left behind in the

Works by John Jude Palencar and Floyd Cooper were on display at the Joseloff Gallery this past winter.

Honoring the World’s Most Intriguing Artists Since its establishment as an endowment in 1988, the Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chair for the Visual Arts has honored some of the world’s most intriguing contemporary artists, has brought many of them into the University community as resident artists and teachers, and has featured their work on campus.

Although several new methods of visual expression are now regularly part of the art world—digital production most prominent among them—this year’s endowment focuses on one genre that has been around for hundreds of years and is not likely to disappear anytime soon: book illustration.

The two artists recognized by the 2021– 22 endowment are book illustrators John Jude Palencar and the late Floyd Cooper.

Palencar began showing his art while still an art student at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. An author and publisher named Byron Preiss

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saw some of his work displayed in New York City and contacted Palencar to ask him if he’d like to illustrate a book. It was a book of poetry published in 1982 called The Secret, which featured a dozen Preiss poems and a dozen Palencar paintings.

In tandem, the poems and illustrations guided readers to hidden treasures across North America, making it one of the most unique book projects of the time.

Since then, Palencar’s illustrations have adorned hundreds of book covers, for almost all the major American publishers, and also around the world. He has won many awards for painting and illustration, has taught at several art schools, and has been an honored guest speaker at many venues that hold exhibitions of his work.

Floyd Cooper had been scheduled to be a Koopman visiting artist prior to his untimely passing in the summer of 2021.

With the blessing of his widow, Velma, a memorial exhibition in his honor was endorsed.

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classroom. “My research highlights the importance of fostering inclusive college classrooms to ensure that all students are participants in the shared teaching and learning, in any modality,” she explained, and then talked about her work in more detail. The Academic Minute is broadcast on NPR stations around the country and can also be streamed online. The two-and-a-half-minute daily module features researchers from colleges and universities around the world discussing groundbreaking research and how it helps us better understand the world around us.

Leadership Greater Hartford recognized the Entrepreneurial Center and Women’s Business Center of the University of Hartford with its 2021 Polaris Award. The award comes following the decision last summer to institute a series of discussions on efforts to promote racial justice and apply new perspectives to the path to business ownership for women of color. The conversation series meets on a quarterly basis to consistently shine a light on efforts to create more opportunities for women-owned businesses. The Center focuses on serving women, minority-owned businesses, and other underserved constituents, specializing in turning ideas into viable businesses and break-even companies into sustainable, profitable, and scalable enterprises.

Cooper’s book illustrations hold a distinctive and very special place in American publishing.

Most of his work—more than a hundred books—chronicles African American history and heritage, including true stories that have been conspicuously absent from the nation’s classrooms.

In fact, the Tulsa, Oklahoma, native illustrated 2021’s Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, which details the story of the destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood in 1921. It posthumously earned Cooper the prestigious Caldecott Award, given annually by the Association for Library Services to Children to artists who distinguish themselves with picture books for youngsters. (The prize is named after Randolph Caldecott, a prominent 19th-century English illustrator.)

Another story Cooper illustrated concerns a youngster in 1955 Alabama trying to grasp the significance of a Black woman’s refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in which he was riding.

Thanks to the Georgette and Richard Koopman Distinguished Chair for the Visual Arts, works by John Jude Palencar and Floyd Cooper were on display at the Joseloff Gallery on the University of Hartford campus during February and March.

As podcasting continues to grow in popularity, UHart students and faculty can now learn how to create a podcast by training in the School of Communication’s new studio. Featuring the latest technology, UHart’s podcasting studio includes new microphones, computers, audio recording and chroma key software, video cameras, stage lighting, soundproofing, and a stand-alone audio booth for recording singers or voice-over artists.

Communication courses that meet in the studio include Introduction to Radio and Audio, Sports Broadcasting, and Sports Journalism, all taught

by Applied Associate Professor Abe Hefter. Dawn Ennis, who has overseen the production of hundreds of podcasts for Vox Media, is managing the studio. She is training students not only on how to use the equipment, but how to create and tell compelling stories that capture a listener’s imagination. “More and more, traditional podcasts are giving way to providing a video version on YouTube and other platforms,” Ennis says.

“For the most part, however, podcasting remains an audio experience.”

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Mission Fulfilled Center for Social Research to strengthen communities and people’s lives

Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Social Research Wesley Younts reviews data with criminal justice students.

The University of Hartford’s Center for Social Research is the recipient of a large contract, over five years, as part of the Connecticut Children’s North Hartford Ascend Pipeline (NHAP) project. Connecticut Children’s received the $30 million project grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods Program, and an additional $36 million in matching funds from state and community partners.

Connecticut Children’s will work with the Center for Social Research, the City of Hartford, and more than 20 other partners to implement the NHAP, a cradle-to-career effort to ensure children living in the North Hartford Promise Zone—the Clay Arsenal, Northeast, and Upper Albany neighborhoods—have the supports they need to reach their full potential.

This includes coordinating and integrating existing support services (e.g., state programs, nonprofits), local schools, and the community to build the NHAP and facilitate families’ access to a continuum of “prenatal-tocareer” services.

The Center for Social Research (CSR), located within UHart’s Department

of Sociology and Criminal Justice, will lead the evaluation of the NHAP project in collaboration with DataHaven and the Hartford Data Collaborative. A unique, primary goal of the Center’s work will be to ensure community ownership of the resulting data and data collection processes.

“The NHAP project is the ultimate realization of the Center’s mission—to strengthen communities through research in collaboration with those communities and the many organizations and individuals who work so hard on their behalf,” says Wes Younts, associate professor and director of the Center for Social Research. “Not only will this project support residents of some of the most marginalized and economically devastated communities in our region, but it will provide new opportunities for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students at the University to engage in meaningful, transformative research that has a direct impact on people’s lives.”

Under the leadership of Principal Investigator Younts and Lead Evaluator and Research Analyst Marcia Hughes, the Center will design and oversee the

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project’s research and data collection efforts. The Center’s work will include: • M apping the network of service providers, community-based organizations, and other assets in the Promise Zone neighborhoods, including their interconnections, overlap, and gaps in serving families; and assessing the success of the NHAP initiative in developing a comprehensive, integrated, prenatal-to-career pipeline • C ollecting data to track service utilization of children and families and linking this to child- and family-level outcomes (e.g., academic performance, protective factors such as social support and family resilience) that have longterm effects on how well children do through adulthood; conducting focus groups with families and agencies; and surveying service providers, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders to assess community well-being • C onducting data analysis to provide near-time access to evidence guiding systematic program improvement, testing innovations in program/service implementation, and outcome evaluations of the pipeline • P roviding training and technical support to service providers and community-based organizations included in the pipeline for ensuring data quality, facilitating the dissemination of results to the community, and ensuring responsiveness to communityidentified needs and assets To ensure accountability, local stakeholders will be included in the planning and implementation of the evaluation and dissemination of results to the broader community. In addition, two full-time community data coordinators will be recruited directly from the Promise Zone neighborhoods, trained and employed by CSR during the five-year award period, and then transitioned to employment with the Hartford Data Collaborative.

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Campus Dining Services Implements Environmentally Friendly Initiatives UHart Dining Services is hard at work decreasing the environmental impact of its operations and processes across campus. Working closely with its larger Aramark family, Dining Services is developing and implementing sustainable solutions using an environmental sustainability platform known as Green Thread.

Many years ago, campus was introduced to tray-less dining and recycling programs as well as energy mitigation. Then, in 2018, Aramark launched a sustainability plan that directly connects to its mission (named Be Well. Do Well.). The plan is focused on four priorities: source responsibly, operate efficiently, minimize food waste, and reduce packaging. This commitment only drove further change.

In 2019, Dining Services partnered with the Student Government Association and Blue Earth Composting. What started small with only back-of-house food waste has now grown to all food waste and most paper products. Last year, the UHart community composted a total of 29,400 pounds of waste, mitigating CO2 emissions equivalent to 16.4 thousand pounds of carbon dioxide, 840 gallons of gasoline burned, and 908 thousand smartphones charged. In total, more than 97,700 pounds of waste have been composted since the start of the program.

Dining Services has also partnered with Filta Fry in filtering all the fry oil used on campus. Filta uses proprietary filtering technology to extend the life of fry oil, in turn creating less food waste. To date this semester, the campus community has saved more than 3,400 pounds of fry oil and recycled 3,050 pounds to be used as alternative fuels.

According to Michael Pieksza, Aramark district manager, the sustainability work extends to what students, faculty, and staff are being served.

“We strive to purchase products from small-scale community-based producers that are independently or cooperatively owned enterprises,” Pieksza explains. For example, “through a partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, we ensure that our seafood is sourced sustainably from New England waters, that marine ecosystems are protected, and that local maritime labor is respected.”

The campus dining team is not resting on the current successes and has many goals to achieve moving forward, including a reduction of food waste and loss by 50 percent across all campus operations by 2030.

“As we continue to evaluate our program for constant process improvements, we are looking at expanding the use of smart indoor farming (Farmshelf), artificial intelligence recycling (Oscar), and electric-operated vehicles in our campus fleet, just to name a few,” Pieksza says.

SPRING 2022

Remembering Campus Legends

to work under four different UHart presidents (Archibald Woodruff, Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Humphrey Tonkin, and Walter Harrison) before retiring in 2007.

Initially hired by Woodruff to serve as associate provost, Condon’s legal knowledge and background

(two law degrees from Harvard) soon led to his appointment as general counsel and University secretary, the position he held upon retirement.

Condon remained involved on campus in subsequent years, serving as a special assistant to the president for five years. His impact on campus spanned many areas.

Condon was a founding member of the board of the van Rooy Center for Complexity and Conflict Analysis.

He was an integral member of the University’s annual Martin Luther King Day Planning Committee for more than a dozen years.

“Charles Condon had an enormous influence on the University of Hartford and on me personally,” recalls President Emeritus Harrison. “He was a trusted advisor and good friend.

He handled all of his assignments with grace and humility, both as legal counsel and as secretary of the University.”

President Emeritus Tonkin, who preceded Harrison, was also greatly influenced by Condon, describing him as “the ideal university counsel: careful and measured in his

Breit participated on panels in Europe and the United States. He delivered papers on the topics of displaced persons, routing out fascism, war and peace, and teaching political science, and was frequently interviewed by local and national media. His publications centered on war and morality, and military occupation as an instrument of national policy, and he served as president of the Northeastern Political Science Association. Breit received University of Hartford Coffin faculty grants, and fellowships from Yale University, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Army War

College. In 1963, he received a Fulbright grant for research in Germany.

When he wasn’t in the classroom, or in his office advising a student, Breit was deeply immersed in the complex process of governing the University. He was the first faculty member to hold the major offices of the Faculty Senate twice; served on and chaired nearly every college and University committee; and was a five-time University regent. Breit received the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Award for Service to the University in 1989.

In honor of his legacy, the University established an endowed Peter K. Breit Scholarship Fund.

Charles Condon Charles Condon, whose wisdom, institutional knowledge, and dedication to the University of Hartford touched the campus community for more than four decades, died last Dec. 13.

Condon began his tenure at the University in 1969 and would go on

Peter Breit Peter K. Breit, professor emeritus in the College of Arts and Sciences, died last Oct. 2.

He served the University of Hartford for 34 years, distinguishing himself as a teacher, a scholar, and a University citizen.

Breit joined the University in 1964, teaching in the Department of Politics and Government, and became the department chair in 1968. He was honored with the Roy E. Larsen Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1981.

A commentator on international relations, the Soviet Union, Germany, and strategic policies,

IN TRIBUTE

relationship with the law, loyal and creative in his relationship with higher education.

He and I worked together throughout my presidency. I depended heavily on his advice, his good sense, his coolheadedness, and his candor.”

Condon was a major champion of the John G. Martin and Marion A. Bills Scholarship, awarded to senior University of Hartford students to support two years of graduate study at Oxford University’s Hertford College. He worked with then-President Trachtenberg to create the scholarship and spent many years developing and maintaining strong relationships with Oxford representatives.

Condon became a member of the Emeriti Association—an organization he himself created 25 years earlier—in 2014 and one year later was part of its executive committee, a role he remained in until his passing.

Among the many contributions Condon made to campus, as described in the Fall 2021 edition of the Emeriti Association’s newsletter, was the donation he made of a ceremonial University mace—a subject that always brought a smile to his face. “Like a proud father, he always reminded University marshals about the proper handling (no fingerprints) of the mace during Commencement,” the newsletter stated.

His intolerance for imperfection, his demands made on intellectual prowess, his ruthlessly high expectations all assured every student, especially me, that we would “find the third side to a two-sided argument.”

Joe Olzacki ’85, ’86, M’94, D’01

Peter was a man of towering intellect, profound passion, and an instinctive sense of humor that made average punsters like me feel embarrassed to be in the same room. We didn’t always see eye to eye on University of Hartford matters— and went eyeball to eyeball on occasion—but invariably maintained mutual respect and deep friendship.

Harald Sandstrom, Emeritus Associate Professor of Politics and Government

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See full comments and stories remembering Charles Condon at hartford.edu/condon-memories

To hear about the disappearance of a friend that has been so much part of the history of the University is a shock…

Charles will remain forever in the history of this University of Hartford as one of its builders and will be remembered for his love of its faculty, staff, students, and leaders.

Jean Pierre van Rooy, Life Regent, Chairman of the Center for Complexity and Conflict Analysis

During University commencement ceremonies I have had the honor for many years to carry the University mace that Charles donated to the University. He was so proud of that Mace and explained to me the history on many occasions. And reminded me to never touch the silver!

Jane Horvath, Founding Director, van Rooy Center for Complexity and Conflict Analysis. Director, Minor in Complexity

We had a mutual love of dogs—the bigger the better. And the stories he’d tell about his pets were such fun to listen to.

Randi Ashton-Pritting, former Director of Harrison Libraries

With a twinkle in his eye, Charles’ quick wit and sense of humor sometimes disguised his very serious side that resulted in valuable, sage advice to those requesting it. Charles was extremely devoted to the University of Hartford and had a good understanding of its workings from its inception in 1957, right up to when he retired and beyond.

Paddy Cairns, former Executive Assistant to the President

I always knew where Charles stood on the often knotty issues that we had to deal with, but I was also always assured of his support. He knew the University of Hartford, and its history, like the back of his hand. So much of what I learned, I learned from him. I will miss him and his good sense.

Humphrey Tonkin, President Emeritus

Charles loved the University and its mission and frequently used this quote from Daniel Webster in the early 19th century, referring to Dartmouth College: “It is a small college, sir, but there are those who love it.” No one loved the University as much as Charles did.

Walter Harrison, President Emeritus

Peter was the quintessential professor, devoting himself to his students, his teaching, his scholarship, and his university. I served on the Senate while Peter was the chair and admired his calm and evenhanded leadership. Perhaps my most cherished memory is the incredible kindness he showed to me when I arrived on campus in 1985. I was not in his department or his college, but he went out of his way to make me feel welcome and show me the ropes.

Fred Sweitzer, University of Hartford Provost

>> All photos courtesy of the University of Hartford Archives and Special Collections

SPRING 2022

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SPOTLIGHT

ON

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SEA-ING IS BELIEVING ENHP’s Duffy Felmlee explores new frontiers in orthotics and prosthetics As a clinician and a researcher, Duffy Felmlee has a unique understanding of what it means to translate knowledge from the lab to day-to-day practice. Now, through his research with the Combat Wounded Veterans Challenge, he’s finding his ability to make an impact knows no bounds—even below sea level.

Felmlee, an associate professor of rehabilitation sciences at the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, has spent the last five years working with the organization on, admittedly, very niche research: studying the performance of people with lower-limb loss with and without their prostheses while scuba diving. Through their study design, which tracks and evaluates motion underwater along with other key factors, Felmlee and his research team hope to develop and institute clinical best practices for individuals with lower-limb loss to participate in scuba diving.

“In the able-bodied community, we’re seeing an uptick in subsurface rehabilitative aquatic activities—not only because it’s fun, but because there is a lot to gain from being in a gravity-reduced environment,” he says. “This work opens the door for people with lower-extremity amputations to have those same experiences, along with the social and physiological benefits that diving provides these veterans.”

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One of the study’s primary goals, according to Felmlee, was to develop prostheses that could optimize the diver’s ability to transfer from land to water, then back to land. Surveying participating divers with lower-limb loss, their initial preference was to swim without their prostheses, he says. But, as the study evolved, Felmlee discovered that use of the prosthetics provided a level of autonomy for divers, allowing them to remain more actively engaged in preparation pre- and post- dive and maximize the subsurface dive experience.

While this specific study focused mostly on recreational diving, in 2020, the U.S. Army Special Forces came calling, hoping to utilize the team’s findings to properly equip one of its combat divers with a lower-limb amputation.

Photography: Norm Vexler, Far Out Photos

Senior researcher Michael McCauley observing buoyancy and propulsion of the Tail Assist Bilateral Elevator/Rudder (TABER) during pool trials.

“They did an open field search to see who was exploring underwater swim ergonomics, and our name popped up,” says Felmlee.

“It was really cool to be able to take what we had learned and put our expertise to work.

That’s putting research into application, and in a combat zone, there’s no room for failure.”

Felmlee’s research, while specialized in nature, underscores the University of Hartford’s commitment to provide students with training and opportunities to participate in evidence-based research.

Today’s students are encouraged to engage in research that aligns with their interests, and, as a mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, Felmlee sees the impact this type of work has already had.

“We’re teaching students to become intelligent consumers of research,” he says.

“They understand and can distill information in a way that they will bring back to their patient populations. When they take that ability into a clinic, that is what’s going to set them apart.”

As careers in orthotics and prosthetics grow and the application of research becomes more creative, Felmlee is proof that when it comes to this burgeoning field, the sky—or in this case, the sea—is the limit.

“There are so many avenues of impact, whether it’s research or education or business. Patient care extends beyond the clinical setting—even to scuba diving,” he says. “It’s hard to imagine until you see it firsthand.” H SPRING 2022

ONE SCOOP AT A

TIME Chantell Boissiere-Kelly M’05 Builds Community Through Her Ice Cream Shop Chantell Boissiere-Kelly sells more than inviting flavors of ice cream at her shop in Hartford. Even when the shop is closed, a passer-by can see dreams, courage, inspiration, and a deep love for community radiating from the whimsical storefront at 389 Capitol Avenue.

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When Capital Ice Cream is open, the love spills from behind the counter onto the beaming faces of people strolling along Capitol Avenue with frozen treats in hand. Many others with sunny smiles gather at a rainbow of patio tables outside the shop.

Adding joy and vibrance to an area of Hartford that is lifting itself out of decades of distress had been a dream of Boissiere-Kelly and her husband, Shane, since the couple moved to their Frog Hollow home 16 years ago. Before their family grew to include three children, Boissiere-Kelly says, “We would walk down this street with our dogs, and it was just a shallow place. We’d want ice cream, and we’d go to Baskin-Robbins in West Hartford. We thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have something in our neighborhood.

We didn’t know it was going to be ice cream at the time, but we knew this area had so much potential.”

Boissiere-Kelly feels that “Hartford gets a bad rap, but there are some special things that happen here that people just don’t know about. It’s been nice to be a part of the things that make Hartford special.”

The community agrees. Intermingled in the hundreds of four- and five-star social media reviews is a lot of appreciation for the “happy place in Hartford” and its friendly staff.

“This little ice cream shop is a gem in Hartford’s Frog Hollow neighborhood,” one reviewer wrote. “The owners are incredibly friendly and welcoming, the decor is fun and colorful, and best of all, the ice cream is delicious.”

Boissiere-Kelly admits the road to Capital Ice Cream has been circuitous. Following strong family ties to Connecticut after graduating from high school in New Orleans, she earned a degree in marketing from Central

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Connecticut State University, before graduating from the University of Hartford with a Master of Arts in Communication. Through a joint media relations program with Boston University, she took an internship in Los Angeles, working on shows like The Bold and the Beautiful and with MTV. After the internship, MTV offered her an assistant producer job. Eventually, she landed in New York.

“I was doing the New York commute from Connecticut, which was tough, getting up at 4 in the morning and then coming back every night. So, then I applied for a position at Adams & Knight in Avon, and they hired me.”

While working at the marketing agency on a campaign for United Way, BoissiereKelly discovered her passion.

“Working on the United Way campaign was a really rewarding time in my career,” she says. “I realized I needed to do something that mattered, something that was moving people’s lives.”

Because she was a nanny during college, Boissiere-Kelly knew she liked working with children. “My godchildren attended Montessori school. So, I started going to visit and observe. I was like, you know what? I want to be a teacher. Montessori felt like the right fit for me in terms of how they work with the children, not just academically, but emotionally and socially.”

Boissiere-Kelly returned to UHart for certification classes toward a teaching degree. “It was like coming home,” she says. UHart has “opened pathways to so many opportunities.”

Her diverse academic and work experience has fed her professional and personal development as a teacher and entrepreneur. She currently teaches pre-K and kindergarten at Annie Fisher Montessori in Hartford, where she’s been for 12 years.

“Teaching fulfills something completely different in me,” Boissiere-Kelly says. “Watching children come in with minimal knowledge and seeing them flourish and grow, you know what you’re doing is really making a difference.”

The ice cream shop, which opened in 2017, evolved from knowing what type of city Boissiere-Kelly and her husband wanted their children to grow up in, she

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“We’d like something,” Boissiere-Kelly says, “that’s owned by people who live in Hartford, who are invested in Hartford, who went to school in Hartford, who taught in Hartford, and who are of Hartford.” H

IT’S BEEN NICE TO BE A PART OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE HARTFORD SPECIAL.” explains. “I want to leave a legacy for my children in addition to leaving something for Hartford. Being part of something that people can look at for years to come, the kids growing up and seeing that.

That motivates me.”

Ultimately, the couple would like to have a larger location that offers more things—a community-type space bringing families together to spend quality time.

SPRING 2022

TASTE OF UHART MARSHALL EPSTEIN ’74 co-owner of Rosedale Farms & Vineyards rosedale1920.com

Marshall Epstein can remember growing up on his family’s farm when it was just 40 acres. The farm had a hen house, a vegetable plot, and a dairy herd, and the family ran a milk route throughout the local area of Simsbury, Connecticut.

But when Epstein and his wife, Lynn, took over in 1983, they began to change the farm’s business model. Over the years, they have added another 70 acres and a winery.

Today, the 102-year-old farm is known for high-quality produce such as sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes, and they offer everything from CSA subscriptions and farm-totable dinners, to corn mazes and spaces for weddings and corporate events.

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“We’re always trying to be very innovative,” Epstein says.

“We were one of 12 wineries in Connecticut when we opened ours. Now there are 65. There’s so much competition that you always have to be moving forward.”

In addition to his farming duties, Epstein teaches at American International College, where he incorporates lessons he has learned on the farm into his classes.

“There are a hundred restaurants but very few farms in our area,” Epstein says. “People don’t know where their food comes from, and our farm is a place where people can learn about that. We are a third-generation farm that has met all challenges successfully, and I’m looking forward to future generations upholding our tradition of serving the local community.”

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People don’t know where their food comes from, and our farm is a place where people can learn about that.”

Reprinted with permission of The Valley Book. Photography: Walt Jedziniak

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Their stories started in campus apartment kitchens, in Student Television Network studios, and through UHart’s Business Plan competition. They started at different times in their lives, but these University of Hartford alumni have found their niche in the food and beverage industry. Whether it’s making the food or writing about it, these alumni are living out their passions.

SAMANTHA BELOTTE ’06 creator and founder of Love Bites thelovebitesway.com | Instagram @chefsam_lovebite

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When Samantha Belotte began her studies at the University of Hartford, she was lucky enough to get housing accommodations in the townhomes at the Hartford College for Women. The townhomes were equipped with full kitchens, and on weekends, Belotte took advantage of this luxury by cooking meals to share with friends.

A few years ago, when she was considering leaving her corporate marketing job, a friend suggested Belotte do something with her cooking talents. So, in early 2017, she launched Love Bites, a boutique catering business.

“When I was thinking of a business name, I thought of our relationship with food,” Belotte says. “No matter who you’re with, whether it’s family or friends, whether it’s a date night or girls’ night, it’s an exchange and an experience.

You’re sharing that love.”

When I was thinking of a business name, I thought of our relationship with food.”

A Haitian American who grew up in the melting pot of Brooklyn, Belotte, or “Chef Sam,” has added her own twist on the food she knew as a kid. She leveraged her childhood memories to create a Caribbean-inspired menu to share with her customers, which includes staples like seafood dishes and mac ’n cheese. The Barney School of Business graduate looks forward to one day owning a Caribbean-style tapas bar in Brooklyn. But for now, she will continue to grow her brand, Love Bites, one plate at a time.

“Many of my clients are repeat customers celebrating milestones like proposals, baby showers, and birthdays,” Belotte explains. “Knowing that they trust me to be part of those experiences is amazing.”

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FRANK FINELLI ’15 founder of Doughwich cookiedoughwich.com

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I don’t call this a job because I don’t consider it work. This is my passion and what I love to do.”

As a kid, Frank Finelli was always in the kitchen making different ice cream concoctions, from a Cool Ranch Dorito-flavored ice cream to a “doughwich,” best described as ice cream sandwiched between edible cookie dough.

Thankfully, the Cool Ranch experiment didn’t last, but his ice cream sandwich did. And what was once being requested for family parties is now being sold in retail locations across the country.

Today, Doughwich’s three flavors—Dough’Nilla, Dough’Coco, and Dough’Candy—can be found on the UHart campus and in 140 stores across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. That number will increase as the product launches in Dallas, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The company uses high-quality ingredients to make its product, including a high-butterfat ice cream with a low overrun ratio that allows for less air. That means when a consumer bites into the bar, it doesn’t squish together— and that’s how Finelli came up with Doughwich’s tagline, “Take a bite of happiness.”

Finelli, who majored in Entrepreneurial Studies and was a two-time winner of UHart’s Business Plan Competition, says he gets much satisfaction in “making people happy. It puts a smile on my face. I don’t call this a job because I don’t consider it work. This is my passion and what I love to do.”

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Photos courtesy of Jean-Louis Chave

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When Suzie Hunter and Amanda Zwirn were working in media shortly after graduating from UHart, they found themselves daydreaming about what they considered to be the perfect job: traveling to different ballparks and producing a video series about the food. Finally, Zwirn said, “Why don’t we just do it?”

And Nacho Scout was born. Hunter and Zwirn have taste-tested everything from toasted grasshoppers at T-Mobile Park in Seattle to cheese-infused hotdogs at a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders game, filming their experiences and interviewing other sports fans. And they don’t cover just baseball. Nacho Scout produced a video about the tailgating community at Eagles games, and each year they create their own nacho dish based on that year’s Super Bowl matchup.

You don’t have to wait for your dream job.

You can make it happen on your terms.”

“We try to break the internet with some creative, possibly gross-looking nachos,” Zwirn says.

The videos have not only provided a creative outlet for Hunter and Zwirn—who initially met and became friends through their involvement with UHart’s Student Television Network—but also landed them both great jobs. When the video series first launched, Hunter was a newspaper reporter who wanted to be on TV. Nacho Scout videos proved her ability, and she went on to spend three years with Connecticut’s ABC affiliate, WTNH. In February, Zwirn was offered the job of marketing manager for Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, thanks to Nacho Scout videos she submitted regarding culture and food.

“The great thing about online content is that you don’t have to wait for your dream job,” Hunter says. “You can make it happen on your terms.” H

Photography: Zack Rubin

SUZIE HUNTER ’14 & AMANDA ZWIRN ’14 creators of Nacho Scout Instagram @nachoscout

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I N T H E N AT I O N ’ S CRAFT BEER CRAZE CRAFT: noun, an activity involving skill in making things by hand. Also, a beer movement.

Today, there are more than 8,000 breweries across the country that are focused on this concept of craft, taking the time, energy, and money to produce a high-quality, flavorful product made with local ingredients so you can enjoy a Friday night with friends.

But a lot goes into that pour that we might not realize—and it doesn’t just have to do with hops. Here, these UHart alumni—as brewery owners, beer chemists, artists, and marketers—are showing us exactly how beer gets into our hands.

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Starting a Brewery Brian Bugnacki ’05, Barney School of Business; Mike Larson, ’06, College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture Beer Gig: Founders of Alvarium Beer Company, New Britain, Connecticut UHart Experience: “We were attracted to the small community feel of UHart’s campus, where we wouldn’t feel like just a number and could have more personal interaction with professors. We wanted to be part of the school’s Greek life, but were looking for a fraternity that aligned more with their values and had more community involvement, so we founded the school’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi.” Chris Sayer ’15, Barney School of Business Beer Gig: Founder of Brewery Legitimus, New Hartford Connecticut UHart Experience: “I would go around the first night of classes each semester, and say, ‘I’m here to start a brewery; are you going to take me seriously?’” (They did!) “The projects I worked on were directly related to my business plan.”

After homebrewing for years, brothers-in-law Brian Bugnacki and Mike Larson wanted to take a risk: they decided to open a small craft brewery and taproom, and small was the key word. They wanted to minimize that risk as much as possible, so they planned their business out on paper for close to two years, revising, researching, and visiting other breweries. As for Chris Sayer, his time spent studying in Belgium and the Belgians’ appreciation for beer inspired him to start his own brewery. But before he did, he spent years working in the industry, first at Harpoon Brewing in Boston, then at Belgian beer company Duvel.

Brian Bugnacki ’05 and Mike Larson ’06

Sayer and his wife launched their brewery in 2016, while Bugnacki and Larson launched theirs a year later. The research, the raising of capital, and the buying of all the equipment needed to get these companies up and running is hard work and takes many years. But there’s another task that’s also arduous—the naming process.

“My challenge to people is to think of a brewery name and type it into Google,” Sayer says. “Somebody probably already has it.”

Picking a name seems easy enough, but if you want to trademark your brewery (which you will), there can’t be another brewery, winery, bar, or any kind of liquor with the same one.

“The umbrella is all alcohol, not just beer,” says Bugnacki. “I still have a note saved in my phone, a mile long with all these names we came up with.”

Latin words or phrases are more likely to be available, and that’s exactly what these UHart alumni chose for their breweries: Brewery Legitimus and Alvarium. Both names pay homage to the cities the breweries call home. Sayer’s Legitimus was what the Collins Ax Factory in New Hartford stamped

on their axes both to prevent counterfeiting and as a sign of quality. Larson came up with Alvarium, which means beehive.

New Britain, which Bugnacki and Larson describe as an industrial city that works hard and plays hard, has the motto “Industry fills the hive and enjoys the honey.”

Of course, once you pick a name and get your brewery up

Chris Sayer ’15

and running, you have to actually make beer. Both alumni breweries name New England IPAs as their bestsellers: Alvarium’s phresh and Brewery Legitimus’s Dr. Strangehaze. When the time comes to launch a new product, a lot of research goes into current market trends and what beer people are drinking or talking about. And Sayer says that when it comes to brewing, there is so much more science going on in the background than the customer realizes.

Everything from yeast health to water quality can affect the taste of beer.

“Customers don’t see us working out equations for the alpha acids and the beta acids, or looking at data sheets of the scientific analyses of the hops we’re using,” Sayer says. “That’s the difference between making a mediocre beer and a good beer.”

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The Science behind beer Nicole Steinhilber ’13, College of Arts and Sciences (Chemistry) Beer gig: Founder, Craft Solutions Consulting; Lab Manager, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. UHart Experience: “I hold the entire chemistry department in such high regard. They are brilliant individuals with so much to offer, and as students, we received a lot of hands-on attention.”

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Deciphering the science Nicole Steinhilber ’13 behind beer is where someone like Nicole Steinhilber comes into the picture. As a kid, Steinhilber would help cap her parents’ homebrew concoctions.

And the family had a friend who was a flavor chemist for Budweiser. Even so, working with beer wasn’t on her radar.

Instead, she took a job in the medical marijuana industry. But the discord between federal and state marijuana laws frustrated her, and she decided to move to Charleston, South Carolina, to find another job. It took a few years, but finally a unique opportunity came along to work as a lab manager at a brewery.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into, but I quickly realized there was so much to learn and it really inspired me,” Steinhilber says. “The explosion of the craft beer industry has opened more doors for people like me to find scientific purpose within the industry.”

Steinhilber served as a lab manager at Revelry Brewing Company in Charleston for two years. During that time, she built a relationship with the College of Charleston, which allowed her to utilize university lab spaces to run experiments and research projects with instrumentation

that she didn’t have access to at the brewery. After building an entire comprehensive quality control program, she saw there was a need for the type of research she was doing, so she created her

“ T H E E X P L O S I O N OF THE CRAFT BEER INDUSTRY HAS OPENED MORE DOORS FOR PEOPLE LIK E M E TO FIND SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE WITHIN T H E I N D U S T R Y. ” own company, Craft Solutions Consulting, where she helps breweries assess quality-related issues and produce better beer.

“Usually my relationships with a company start when there’s something going wrong,” Steinhilber says. “Once I start digging into the problem, it reveals many other areas that could be improved. I do a lot of troubleshooting, analysis of data, and actual testing. I also build comprehensive quality programs for breweries. I train their brewers to uphold different quality measures without having to have someone there full time in the lab.”

In addition to running her own business, Steinhilber has taken on another lab manager position with Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company in Charleston.

“I love how every day is different,” she says. “It’s hard to get stagnant in this role. There’s so much to learn, so much research that is untapped in this industry, and that’s something for me to look forward to.”

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branding the product Jessica Battista ’15, Hartford Art School Beer Gig: Freelance illustrator and graphic designer UHart Experience: “I remember in one class, we would have Skype calls with someone working in the industry. Those conversations prepared me for the realities of being a professional artist. It’s not just about drawing. If you want to make a living from this, you have to know how to do everything from catering to the clients to paying taxes.”

Bethany Levesque ’19, Hartford Art School Beer Gig: Freelance illustrator UHart Experience: “Unlike any of the other schools I applied to, the University of Hartford was an art school within a larger university, which opened up a lot of opportunities outside of art. While I was a student, I dug deep into art history and really loved that part of my experience, getting to know about the history of what I was doing. I also feel the education I received gave me a strong base, not only with artistic skills, but the ability to creatively problem solve. That’s huge no matter what you decide to do.”

Katharine Manning ’15, Hartford Art School Beer Gig: Social media and marketing content creator, Two Roads Brewing Company, Stratford, Conn.

UHart Experience: “The school provided a great diversity of education. I was dabbling in so many different subjects and classes, and those experiences in different areas helped build a background to be able to talk about things in different ways and different contexts.”

Jessica Battista ’15

The brewery has a name. The beer is made, and, thanks to some science, it tastes good. But how does a beer company convince you it tastes good? Marketing is key, and that marketing includes everything from a label design to a well-captioned Instagram post. It requires a special talent to manifest a company’s

brand and mission through such channels. But three Hartford Art School grads are up for the task.

It was a class project designing a wine label in a UHart illustration class that first piqued Bethany Levesque’s interest in doing work for beer companies. She spent the January before graduation

Bethany Levesque ’19 artwork

researching breweries in New England and cold emailing them.

While there were a lot of “no” responses, some expressed interest.

Levesque’s first client was Island Dog Brewing in South Portland, Maine, and since then, she has gone on to create labels for two other Maine breweries, Bissell Brothers Brewing Company and Bath Ale Works. Her work with breweries has been a nice side hustle while completing a 10-month intensive graduate program at Maine College of Art. She will graduate in May with a master’s degree in art education and hopes to work for a public school system while continuing to do freelance illustration work on the side.

As for Jessica Battista, she began creating the occasional logo for local businesses while working at a mosaic manufacturing company on the eastern shore of Virginia.

Those freelance projects led to a partnership with Black Narrows Brewing Company. After designing their growlers, Battista worked with the brewery on a beer festival, creating logos and illustrations in addition to designing marketing materials. Since moving back to Connecticut in the spring of 2018, Battista has become a full-time freelance graphic designer and illustrator, mostly working with beer companies like Connecticut Valley Brewing Company, Thimble

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STUDENTS HELP LOCAL BREWERY WITH ACOUSTICS What do you get when you take a festive atmosphere filled with conversation and music and put it in a room made of cement walls, concrete floors, and metal ceilings?

A lot of noise.

Confusion might also be an accurate word, for when those elements are combined, it creates a recipe for acoustic disaster. That’s a recipe with which the owners of the Back East Brewery of Bloomfield, Conn., were not pleased. When summer arrives, Back East, which recently expanded into a 20,000-square-foot combination brewery and taproom, plans to bring back live music events for the enjoyment of its Friday night and Saturday afternoon patrons. The room accommodates up to 250 people.

But that kind of enjoyment isn’t possible in a taproom with terrible audio quality.

As chance had it, a camaraderie that developed a while back between Back East’s Tony Karlowicz and UHart’s Shane Ciccarelli ’00, M’04, through a mutual friend of theirs in Windsor, led to what everyone now expects to be a sound solution. Karlowicz is co-founder of Back East Brewery with his cousin Ed Sabrycki, and Ciccarelli is an associate dean of admission at the University of Hartford.

As Karlowicz explains, “One day Ed, Shane, and I were hanging out at our place with some friends. I began to express my frustration that when we have live music, no one is able to hear it because of all the crazy echoes.”

Ciccarelli told them about UHart’s acoustical engineering program, and a plan was made for students to come by to assess the situation.

The University of Hartford has two programs that offer students a way to incorporate acoustics into an undergraduate engineering degree—the only accredited university program of its kind in the country. A small group of students from the program visited the taproom a number of times to evaluate everything from its size and construction components to its configuration and occupancy capability. They’ll combine all that with their knowledge of how sound is produced, how it travels and bounces, and how our own auditory systems respond, and then make recommendations that the owners can use to improve the acoustics of the taproom.

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“These students are receiving the equivalent of a real internship,” notes Christopher Jasinski ’12, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Acoustical Engineering at UHart’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA). “Not only is the practical experience invaluable, but it will be quite a bonus for their résumés once they leave school.”

Jasinski himself took full advantage of the academic synergies that come together at the University, earning bachelor’s degrees in both acoustical engineering and classical percussion performance during his undergraduate studies. Now, he is helping today’s students get valuable experience in the field—all while helping an area business.

They’ll combine all that with their knowledge of how sound is produced, how it travels and bounces, and how our own auditory systems respond, and then make recommendations that the owners can use to improve the acoustics of the taproom.

Karlowicz remembers one of the first visits. “The students were popping balloons,” he recalls, “which had something to do with the measurement of sound. It was very interesting. This is a terrific opportunity both for them and for us.”

Some acoustics students at CETA already have some practical experience, having assessed a conference room at the town hall in Sharon, Connecticut, and a multipurpose room in Auerbach Hall on the UHart campus. But this is the program’s first taproom.

Before long, Karlowicz and Sabrycki will hear more than just balloons popping. Between patrons laughing, glasses clinking, singers crooning, and instruments wailing, Back East Brewery’s live music plans will soon be ready to rock and roll once again.

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Island Brewing Company, and Norbook Farm Brewery.

“It’s important for me to try to be a style chameleon,” Battista says. “I want to make sure that each client is getting a unique look and a specialty product. For me, it’s nice to have that variety. It’s almost like I have this collection of part-time jobs. I can work on something for a couple hours then switch over to something else. Working with many different visual looks or brand guidelines is much more engaging.”

BEER AND COMMUNITY Alvarium is no longer just the small craft brewery and taproom Bugnacki and Larson envisioned; it’s now the largest self-distributed brewery in Connecticut, and they’ve added other craft beverages to their lineup, such as hard ciders and seltzers.

“The opportunities kept coming along and we just kept going with them,” says Larson. “That concept of ‘craft’ is important, and it’s important because of the localness of it. There’s a stronger meaning behind something that is crafted locally. People are purchasing things made in our state, sourced with local ingredients. Our company is creating local jobs, and we are supporting our community.”

In fact, the opportunity to support the local community is one of the things Sayer, Larson, and Bugnacki enjoy most about owning their businesses. In 2021, Brewery Legitimus raised more than $50,000

for New Hartford organizations.

And recently Alvarium worked with the New Haven Pride Center to create a pride beer, Bee Fierce, in order to bring awareness to equality and inclusiveness. (Alvarium’s community involvement also extends to the UHart alumni community; the brewery often hosts alumni events.)

Bugnacki believes craft breweries like Brewery Legitimus and Alvarium have become the new neighborhood bar: a place to gather for good conversation and a fun atmosphere, while consuming a product produced by people who truly care about how it’s made.

“But this can go further than the beer drinker,” Bugnacki says. “So many people are getting enjoyment out of our company in different ways. They come here for the beer, but also for the vibe or atmosphere or to connect with an event we’re doing. I think that’s neat.” H

Kat Manning ’15

Katharine (Kat) Manning has also done freelance illustration work for businesses like WeHa Brewing and New England Cider Company. But her main gig is social media and content creator for Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Conn. Manning runs anything that can be seen online for the beer company, which includes all images, videos, graphics, and copy for the company’s four social media channels, website, and email marketing.

“I like that my job is creative,” Manning says. “Every day is different, a new challenge on how to promote a product in a fun way that doesn’t feel like marketing.”

Brewery Legitimus

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ALUMNAE TAKE DIFFERENT ROUTES TO UNLEASH THEIR FOOD PASSIONS For Naima Craft ’07, D’10, baking allowed her to connect with her Trinidadian culture, and childhood memories of her grandmother. For Toni Moshen ’07, it was a way to daydream with her sister and remember her aunt, who loved to bake cakes. And for Sara Mellas ’14, cooking provided much-needed stress relief during graduate school.

For these three alumnae, cooking and baking were an important part of their lives. But when

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they headed off to the University of Hartford, they had an idea of what their careers would look like— and it didn’t involve cake.

It would be years later, when they were settled into those other careers, that opportunities to break out their mixers, icing, and knack for developing recipes presented themselves. Today, through artisan breads, creative cakes, and perfectly styled creations, these alumnae are proof that it’s never too late to change your dream.

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Toni Moshen ’07 HARTFORD ART SCHOOL

When Toni Moshen would bring in homemade cookies on critique days in her illustration classes at the University of Hartford, her professor always commented that she needed to do something with her baking talents.

But Moshen, as an illustration and graphic design major, pictured herself not baking, but illustrating children’s books. She wrote a children’s book while a student at UHart, and ironically, it was about baking, which Moshen took up as a hobby when she was about seven years old. With the help of her aunt’s old cake decorating magazines, she taught herself to make roses with icing, and she and her sister had dreamed about opening an ice cream store.

After graduation, Moshen went on to work as a graphic designer, but that love of baking remained. She was a frequent viewer of the reality baking show Ace of Cakes, and when a friend asked her to make a wedding cake, she took the opportunity, studying YouTube videos on how to make fondant. From that wedding, she got another cake order.

“Graphic design was fun, but it wasn’t anything like designing cakes,” Moshen says. “I found designing cakes to be more hands-on and creative, and more enjoyable seeing the process through to the end product. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. And the second I fell in love with cake making, I knew I was opening a bakery.”

But Moshen had never even worked in a bakery, so she set out to gain some experience. She moved to New York for a possible internship with a well-known cake artist, but ended up making a random visit to Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, where she showed owner Buddy Valastro photos of the cakes she designed. He ended up hiring her, and that’s how Moshen ended up on the first two seasons of TLC’s Cake Boss.

In 2011, Moshen and her sister opened Sweet T’s Bakeshop in Haddonfield, N.J. The bakery offers items such as cupcakes, cakepops, and cookies, but is mostly known for its outside-the-box, artistic, custom cakes for weddings, birthdays, and other special occasions.

“I don’t do too much of the actual baking anymore, but my eyes are still on everything, making sure it’s top-notch,” says Moshen. “I create all of the recipes used at the bakery, and design and decorate most of the cakes.”

In that way, Moshen says she still uses all the illustration skills she learned at the University of Hartford—she just puts them to use on cakes instead of paper and uses edible materials.

“I love that I get to do art every day, and it makes people happy,” Moshen says.

When she’s not baking, Moshen can be found with her husband and three children. She also runs and still likes to paint. And one day she hopes to publish that children’s book she wrote at the University of Hartford.

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Naima Craft ’07 D’10 COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS Naima Craft started her first baking business as a teenager growing up in Trinidad, when her grandmother bought Craft her first handheld mixer. The two would bake cakes together throughout the week, which Craft’s mom would sell by the slice at her office building.

Today, she’s the owner of The Craft, a bakery in East Granby, Conn., offering everything from croissants and bagels to cinnamon rolls, turnovers, and bread, in addition to a variety of baking classes.

Despite that extra spending cash she earned as a kid, baking as a real career wasn’t always on Craft’s radar. Instead, she headed to the University of Hartford to study physical therapy. Following graduation, she worked in a skilled nursing facility before joining the staff at Hartford Hospital, where she worked her way up to the position of quality safety officer within the home-care division.

“I formed great bonds there, but what I missed was interacting with the community,” Craft says. “I was behind a desk, and I missed that human interaction.”

To scratch that itch, she began to bring in baked treats for her work community, who often told her she should start a bakery.

“And my response was always, ‘Heck no!

I’m not opening up a bakery! Do you know how much work that’s going to be?’”

But while she was resistant to the bakery idea at first, Craft was not resistant to showing her co-workers how to bake. She began inviting colleagues to her home, providing wine and charcuterie, and teaching them how to make goodies like croissants and bagels.

“I loved it,” Craft says. “I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’”

The Craft was born. Craft’s plan was to teach baking classes while maintaining parttime hours at the hospital. But when COVID hit, shutting down activities like the ones she offered, she had to pivot. Instead, Craft became one of the only bakeries in Connecticut delivering baked goods, and business boomed— so much so that she could focus on her business

full time. After eight months, The Craft moved to the Swift Factory, a former gold leafing facility in Hartford that was being transformed into an incubator space. In December 2021, Craft moved her business again, to its current location in East Granby.

“We take pride in having everything as handmade as possible and as fresh as possible,” says Craft. “If you come in when we first open at 7, or if you come in at 11, there’s a chance something just came out of the oven five minutes ago.”

Craft says she loves her job because she loves to eat, but also because baking fascinates her.

“It’s such a science,” she says. “Especially bread, which is such a breathing, living organism. I don’t run the bakery; the bread runs the bakery. It intimidates me a little bit, but I’m up for the challenge. I want to continue to learn everything I can about breads, and hopefully be recognized one day as a stop within Connecticut for good, local bread.”

While she strives for that, Craft hopes she can serve as an example to others to follow their passion.

“Just because you start off on a certain path, doesn’t mean that you can’t veer off and pursue your ultimate dream,” Craft says. “There can be a lot of fear and anxiety, but there’s also a lot of joy and celebration when you’re in pursuit. Enjoy that journey."

Pastry by Naima Craft H / UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE

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Sara Mellas ’14 Sara Mellas remembers being three years old and asking her mom to take down the Betty Crocker cookbook from the shelf so they could make something. While she would go on to study music history and vocal performance at the University of Hartford, an intense graduate program in music education at Holy Names University brought her love of creating in the kitchen back into focus.

“I had always baked and cooked, but in grad school, it became an insatiable hobby,” Mellas says. “It was something I could do that didn’t cost a lot of money, didn’t take a lot of extra time, and blocked out the stress of grad school.”

After earning her graduate degree, Mellas began working as the director of music at a church in San Francisco and as an elementary school music teacher before transitioning to become conductor of the San Francisco Boys Chorus. In the Bay area, she met friends who worked for a company called Yummly, a recipe app recently acquired by Whirlpool Appliances. The company was launching a new feature to the app, providing consumers with guided recipe videos that connected to Whirlpool appliances.

When the company went looking for someone to develop those recipes, Mellas’s friends recommended her, and she was hired at the beginning of 2018.

THE HARTT SCHOOL

Later that year, Mellas won the Kellogg’s Holiday Baking Championship with her creation of a pear berry tart, using Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal. The win got her thinking about her career options.

"BEING A FOOD STYLIST IS BEING AN ARTIST." As Mellas continued her recipe development work, she realized that commercial food styling could be lucrative, as well as creative and fun. She began honing her skills as a stylist and now has her own business styling for commercial and digital advertising, e-commerce, and editorials.

Over the past few years, her clients have included Williams-Sonoma, Carl’s Jr., Josh Cellars, and Sam’s Club. Mellas gave her first TED Talk last summer, in which she shed light on the nature of her work.

“Being a food stylist is being an artist,” Mellas says. “What’s interesting about food styling is that most food stylists can do other types of styling, like prop styling. But other stylists can’t always do food styling.

You need that technical background—you need to know how to cook. With food styling, you have to be able to make anything, and you need to know all the tools and tricks to make art with food.”

Mellas has also published three cookbooks in the past few years for Rockridge Press: The Easy Baked Donut Cookbook, The One-Pot Casserole Cookbook, and the Quick & Easy Breakfast Cookbook.

Having enjoyed the writing process, at the end of last year, she began writing for online publications such as Gastro Obscura and TASTE—and has upcoming pieces for outlets outside of the culinary space.

“I’m always looking to expand and grow,” Mellas says. “I’ve started taking more work beyond food, styling props, and wardrobe.

Also, music and performing is my first love, and this has been an unexpected route around that. I’d like to figure out how to integrate everything moving forward.” H

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Haleemot Adeyanju ’22

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UP FRONT

Track & Field Sets Multiple Milestones Nicholas O’Brien, graduate student

in the event back at the 2020 America East Championships, Adeyanju broke her own record on two separate occasions in back-to-back meets this past year.

Anthony Clavette ’23 had an outstanding indoor campaign, capping off the winter season with a silver medal finish in the men’s high jump, earning All-Conference accolades at the America East Championships.

Clavette was also recognized by the conference, earning America Anthony Clavette ’23 East Field Performer of the Week honors after his winning high jump performance at the Brown It was an indoor season to remember Invitational. for the men’s and women’s track & field teams. Throughout the season, the Hawks Keith May ’23 had a strong season recorded numerous all-time program on the track, being a member of three top-10 marks and times, set nine school All-Time relay teams while also breaking records, and had 10 student-athletes earn a record that seemed unbeatable. May all-conference accolades. originally broke Evan Jaworski’s 1000meter record at the New England Among the individual accomplishments: Championships, yet in the final race of the season at the America East Championship Graduate student Nicholas O’Brien had meet, he broke his own record. a stellar season on the track finishing in Hartford’s all-time record books Joseph Stephenson ’25 led the Hawks in multiple events. O’Brien finished throwers on the men’s side. In his first his indoor season at the America East ever appearance as a Hawk, he shattered Championship meet smashing the the school-record mark in the weight 10-year-old school record in the mile. throw. Stephenson then broke his own record in back-to-back meets.

Brianna Harris ’22 owned the sprinting events for the Hawks this season. Setting Kaden Leonard ’25 became the fastest three top-10 all-time marks in program male in Hartford indoor track and history, she also broke her own 300-meter field history at the Yale Season Opener. dash record at back-to-back meets.

Leonard crossed the line in the 60-meter dash in a blazing time that broke Charles Haleemot Adeyanju ’22 blazed around the track in the 800 meters all season.

Tankeh’s record from 2017.

After setting the standard for the Hawks

Photography: Steve McLaughlin

New Track and Field to Be Added A new track and field on campus is scheduled to open in 2023. The outdoor facility is expected to cost approximately $7.5 million and will serve not only UHart student-athletes and programs, but provide access for club sports, recreation activities, and a safe walking and running location for the entire campus community.

This new resource will allow the University’s track & field and cross country athletics programs to increase their enrollment of high-achieving students.

Brianna Harris ’22

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IN THE COACHING BOX

Jen Nardi Has High Hopes for Women’s Lacrosse As a standout goalkeeper at the University of Massachusetts, Jen Nardi led the nation in save percentage her junior year and was an All-America candidate. Now, more than two decades later, she looks to steer the University of Hartford’s women’s lacrosse program into unchartered waters.

With a deep passion for the sport of lacrosse, and an unwavering commitment to the overall studentathlete experience, Nardi stands ready to guide one of the Hawks’ newest programs through its infancy and make it competitive on a national scale.

Last September, Nardi was named Hawks’ head women’s lacrosse coach— the second in the program’s fouryear history. The fact that Nardi has established a career centered around sports is not surprising. She played lacrosse, basketball, field hockey, and several other sports throughout her childhood in Nyack, New York, with her father serving as coach for many teams—as well as for those times when she and her friends simply enjoyed themselves on neighborhood streets.

“I grew up playing pretty much every sport that you can think of,” says Nardi, who received a master’s degree in sport management from Southern New Hampshire University in 2013. “To be honest, I didn’t know for sure as a kid if sports would be the center of my career, but surely I could not ever imagine it not being a big part of my life.”

In fact, prior to her decision to make sports the foundation of her professional life, Nardi studied hospitality and tourism management at UMass. Meanwhile, on the lacrosse field, her four years were so stellar minding

Jen Nardi brings to UHart a passion for lacrosse and a commitment to developing the total student-athlete.

the nets that her senior-year media profile acclaimed that Nardi “will leave UMass as one of the top goalies in NCAA history,” a statement that is backed up by statistics. A goalie from 1998 to 2001, she graduated as the program’s all-time leader in saves—a record that still stands—and finished with a stellar 7.91 goals-against average and .624 save percentage over 55 career games.

In 2000, Nardi was named an Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association All-Northeast Region First Team honoree, helping pilot UMass to an Atlantic 10 Championship.

“I now feel fortunate that lacrosse provided me with the opportunity to make a living,” Nardi readily adds. “After all, sports is at the core of who I am.”

While not officially competing this season, the Hawks, with Nardi at the helm, are using the time on and off the field to adapt as UHart makes the transition to an NCAA Division III athletics model.

“My goal is to eventually have a program that is highly competitive on a national basis,” Nardi says, “and I see

SPORTS First-Team accolades in men’s basketball.

H / U NTIIC V KE E RR: S I TAustin Y O F Williams H A R T F’22 O Rearns D MA G A Z I N E All-Conference

that prospect with a transition to DIII. It’s a very good opportunity.”

She is quick to point out that such an opportunity is also a challenging one, particularly since no other women’s lacrosse program has gone through this specific change. But, at the same time, it is a very sensible adjustment.

“It’s between a rebuilding effort and a restarting effort,” she explains. It’s a step in the right direction simply because it allows us to be more competitive, and ultimately, more successful.”

To be sure, however, it’s not all about the results on the scoreboard.

“What I do as a coach is educate,” she explains. “In addition to competitive skills, coaches also teach life lessons.

Everything our student-athletes do, on or off the field, is important to us.”

Nardi is vitally interested in how her players develop as people and as productive members of society—and as good representatives of their school and their communities. “Ultimately, that’s more important than wins and losses,” she concludes.

Assistant Soccer Coach and former Hawk standout

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It’s not exactly a new philosophy that Nardi has adopted, for she has been coaching ever since graduating from UMass in 2001. She has served as an assistant coach at UMass, the University of Vermont, Long Island University, and the University of California; as head coach at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts; and as interim head coach at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Nardi most recently served as head coach for four years at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York.

Each position during her impressive career track was marked by notable statistics, several records, and a number of honors. In her first season at Smith, Nardi led the Pioneers to the New England finals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships. She was also named the college’s Coach of the Year, with the most wins in a single season. Her 2018 Manhattanville team scored a school-record 258 goals and finished in a three-way tie for first place in its conference.

Outside of the college environment, Nardi spent time as the executive director of a youth group known as the Brooklyn Crescents, where she oversaw all lacrosse activities on behalf of 600 young athletes.

Her tenure at UHart is still less than a year old, but Nardi has made a concerted effort to get to know her players and is truly enjoying that process day after day. “They are a remarkable group of young people,” she notes proudly. “They want to see the UHart lacrosse program be as successful as I do.”

All told, what Jen Nardi has accomplished in the past, and what she is endeavoring to accomplish in her new post at UHart, continues to prove to her what she and her players and colleagues knew all along: professionally speaking, she is doing not only what she’s destined to do, but also what she truly loves to do.

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NEW ATHLETICS MODEL TAKES HOLISTIC APPROACH TO BENEFIT ALL STUDENTS The NCAA has approved the transition of the University of Hartford’s athletics program to Division III.

HAWKS EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM (from fall 2021 semester)

3.46 Combined GPA for student-athletes

80.2 Percentage of student-athletes with a 3.0 or above GPA

31 Number of consecutive semesters studentathletes have recorded at least a 3.0 combined GPA

3.82 Volleyball team’s combined GPA, tops among all sports

George Kostelis ’93 inducted into Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame.

UHart will formally move forward in the NCAA reclassification process in preparation for active membership no later than September 1, 2025.

“Our future athletics model will continue to support a competitive intercollegiate athletics program, in addition to a holistic approach inclusive of health, recreation, and wellness components for all students,” says Dr. Sharon Beverly, acting vice president of athletics and recreation.

The University is engaged in encouraging conversations with competitive DIII athletic conferences and intends to share updates on provisional conference membership in the coming months.

“We are dedicated to building a future structure for intercollegiate athletics that equitably and sustainably supports transformative athletic and academic educational experiences for our students— contributing to the bright future of the University of Hartford,” Beverly adds.

The Department of Athletics, with input from the campus community, will build out a new athletics strategic plan that demonstrates a strong commitment to Hartford Athletics; a vision of excellence for the Department and student-athletes; and a plan for a vibrant recreation program for the entire campus community.

An overview of the four beginning goals: GOAL 1: ATHLETICS LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND ENGAGEMENT Our vision is to create a transformational experience that prepares student-athletes to be forward thinkers and leaders in society. Our student-athletes will have the opportunity to grow in and beyond their sport through ongoing academic support and achievement, internships, study abroad, leadership development initiatives, and community service. Holistic wellness, with an emphasis on mental health, will be one of our top priorities for our student-athletes.

GOAL 2: COMPETITIVE SUCCESS We will maintain the competitive drive our programs are already known for and we will strive for championships. We look forward to establishing new rivalries with other DIII schools in our region with the support of the full campus community. As we are provisionally accepted to a new conference during our transition, we will begin exploring the addition of new sports and facility enhancements.

Tennis, ice hockey, and field hockey are just a few of the possibilities.

The construction of a new track and field for our student-athletes and the entire campus community is planned for 2023.

GOAL 3: BUILDING THE NEW MODEL To achieve and maintain success, we are creating a new model for athletics that fully integrates the Department into University culture.

We will recruit and retain an athletics staff that reflects our world by establishing hiring and training programs with a focus on diversity.

We will encourage our coaches and other employees to seek out leadership opportunities, including on NCAA committees. The Department will work with the University to prioritize expenses and investments critical to our success.

GOAL 4: CREATING A ROBUST RECREATION PROGRAM A key piece of our new model is a vibrant recreation program that fosters community fitness and a lifelong approach to health and wellness for everyone at the University. We will be revamping and expanding our club sports and intramurals to encourage greater student participation and to create new leadership opportunities.

Women’s soccer defender Kelly Severini ’24 earns four major conference and SPR I N regional G 2 0 2 2honors.

40 / MIXED MEDIA / BOOKS,

MOVIES,

AND

MUSIC

JUST RELEASED

Alan Gertner ’72 (A&S) had his new book, Auditory Disorders in the Classroom: A Guide for Speech Language Pathologists, Audiologists and Educators, published in February 2021. Gertner is a professor in the School of Communication Disorders and Deafness, Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Kean University in Union, N.J. He is also the attending audiologist at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J. and is the team audiologist for the Monmouth Medical Center’s Regional Cleft Palate Team. He was also awarded the 2020–2021 Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award from the New Jersey Speech Language and Hearing Association.

Barbara Bergren M’86, (Barney) wrote Witness for My Father: A World War II Story of Loss, Hope, and Discovery about her father’s experience during the Holocaust. The book was published in 2020 and has won awards from the National Indie Excellence Awards and the Florida Writers Association.

Shannon Dass ’15 (ENHP) published a book titled Charlie’s Journey. The book aims to help people understand students with special needs. Dass is a high school teacher and helps with special education students who need assistance with English classes. She drew on her experiences in the classroom to write the book.

Share your newly released book, album, or film with the UHart community. Email editor@hartford.edu.

Sundeep R. Muppidi, professor of communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, published his fourth book, COVID-19, Racism and Politicization: Media in the Midst of a Pandemic. The co-edited volume explores the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of national and international media and governments in the initial coverage of the developing crisis. The chapters highlight various issues specific to individual countries, such as racism, conspiracy theories, Sinophobia, stigmatization of victims, media bias, and othering.

LISTEN UP

“Blissful and beautifully arranged; compressed sunshine to brighten a miserable year,” The Guardian’s John Lewis says about Force Majeure, a recently released album

by Dezron Douglas ’05 (Hartt) and Brandee Younger ’06 (Hartt). It features 11 pieces that were self-recorded from their living room with a single microphone.

The album was born from weekly livestream performances the duo started at the beginning of the pandemic to create a sense of community during a dark time.

Jolie Rocke ’89 (Hartt) recently released the production Remembering Juneteenth, a historical account of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans through the narratives and spirituals of former slaves from Texas. Rocke also wrote and produced a performance titled Triumphant Over Triple Negative, which premiered last October. The performance is an autobiographical fragment of her life and demonstrates the healing power of music and the importance of a supportive community.

H / UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE

WORDS OF WISDOM / EXPERT

UHart Alumni and Coffee: The Perfect Blend Recently, two alumni who own coffee shops, Andréa Hawkins M’08 and John Simonian ’87, were part of a webinar hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement as part of the Hawks Soar Alumni Career Webinar Series.

Hawkins and Doug Barber, owners of Berkins Blend in Glastonbury, Conn., and Berkins on Oak in Hartford, Conn., discussed the impact of coffee and small businesses on the community; and John Simonian ’87, owner of Beanstock Coffee in Eastham, Mass., gave a virtual tour of roasting equipment and the roasting process.

ADVICE

/ 41

Tips for waking up and smelling the opportunities Andréa Hawkins (AH) had no idea she’d love the coffee business—neither did John Simonian (JS). They just followed the signs.

AH: Eleven months after I started dating the man I’d

eventually marry, he lost his job, and later that week, I lost mine. But I’ve always believed you’re right where you’re supposed to be. He was convinced he wanted nothing more to do with corporate America, so I said, “Okay, but whatever you pick, make sure it’s something you love.” He settled on opening a coffee shop. He built the store and I handled the paperwork. We opened our second successful shop two years ago.

JS: I didn’t go to school for anything related to coffee.

But years ago, a couple of friends started a coffee shop.

It was popular, with homemade bakery goods and a small roaster. But they were travelers who needed to keep traveling, so they decided to sell. They wanted to find someone to grow the company. I loved what they had been doing and knew it had great potential, so I was in! It was part serendipity and part love of coffee.

AH: My husband’s last name is Barber and mine is

Hawkins. We blended them into the name of the shops— Berkins. We also blended our families—his children and mine. All this blending, with two coffee shops in the mix, seems to me like a little bit of kismet at work.

JS: As I found out, in the coffee roasting business, there

are so many details and processes to learn. But things don’t have to be absolutely perfect when you start something new. At some point, you just have to jump in. What’s most important is that you really love what you’re doing.

AH: What’s funny is that I don’t even drink coffee. But

having shops like ours satisfies my husband’s love of coffee and my love of serving the community. If you find something that feels like your niche, like we did, just do it. And have fun while you’re doing it.

JS: One nice thing about this business is that it’s like a

family. There’s a lot of crossover support between shops.

Other people invite you to their places. Plus, the actual roasting and the tasting are cool things to do. After all, it’s been 20 years, and I’m still doing it.

SPRING 2022

/CLASS

NOTES

/

WEDDINGS

/

BIRTHS

/

EVENTS

/

ALUMNI NOTES Latanya Farrell ’97 performed with her band at the Hawktober favorite Jazz Brunch in October 2021.

Save the date for Hawktober 2022— October 14–16.

ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

HEL LO, F E L LOW H AWKS !

As I wrap up my time as president of the Alumni Board, I want to thank and acknowledge all the dedicated alumni— past, present, and future—whose stories have woven together to create the powerful tapestry we have today as an alumni community.

This edition of H magazine is packed with more unique alumni stories that will undoubtedly make you smile, laugh, cry, and brim with pride. Together, these stories have the power to connect us, inspire us, and unite us as we continue to do better for our community and the world around us.

As you peruse these pages, I invite you to see yourself in the stories you read here—and consider reaching out to us to share your story, too. We’d all love to hear from you.

Maureen Leathers ’05 President, Alumni Board

FOLLOW THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION: facebook.com/UHartfordAlumni Instagram.com/UHartAlumni twitter.com/UHartfordAlumni

DE GR E E K E Y A Associate Degree AD Artist Diploma C Sixth-Year Certificate D Doctorate GPD Graduate Professional Diploma M Master’s Degree No letter designation before a year indicates a bachelor’s degree (or last year attended).

P indicates the parent of a student or alumna/us. indicates photo.

/ 43

The University of Hartford alumni network is vast, with a diverse community of more than 93,000 strong throughout the United States and around the globe.

UHart alumni are making their marks everywhere—in the arts, in business, in STEM, in government, 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. A selection of notes submitted during the 2021 calendar year is included in this issue.

M AI L : Class Notes Editor, Development and Alumni Affairs,

200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117

ONL I N E : hartford.edu/submit-note

1960

1973

an article by On The Water. Reneson creates watercolor and acrylics paintings focused on fishing and hunting scenes from his own outdoor experiences.

the 2021 Woman of Distinction for the 29th Senate District in New York, an award that highlights outstanding women living and working in New York State whose contributions enrich the quality of life in their communities.

Hersh is the president of the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association.

Terrance Salman (M Barney) was appointed to the Order of Canada—one of Canada’s highest civilian honors.

Salman was selected as a member for his contributions to mining exploration, and for his generous philanthropy and community activism.

Chet Reneson (C HAS) was featured in

Paul Cheng Jr. (A Hillyer) was featured

UHart’s alumni website highlights alumni who are impacting the world in meaningful and interesting ways. Have a story to tell? Access spotlights at hartford.edu/alumni-spotlights.

ALUMS

Contribute a Note!

1969 B E I N TH E S POTLIG HT

FROM

on NY1.com—as a sophomore at UHart, he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, where he served as an Army sergeant and medic. Cheng was awarded a Purple Heart, an honor shared by his father and both of his grandfathers who received Purple Hearts for their service in World War II. He is proud to come from an Asian American family that has served in the U.S. military.

Diane Nathanson (Hartt, M’79 Hartt)

and daughter Desiree Nathanson were featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times in an article about their shared love of physical fitness. Before COVID-19, Nathanson was a member of the ATL Silver Classix Crew, the over-50 dance crew for the Atlanta Hawks, and has sung the national anthem twice at a Hawks game.

1972

Alan Gertner (A&S), see recently

published book, p. 40.

After 40 years at Barnes & Noble, Greg Oviatt (A&S) started Milton Creek Digital Services in 2013 to develop public domain classics for publishers and retailers. Oviatt is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and lives in Bucks County, Pa.

Wendy Hersh (A&S) has been named

1974

Lynn Visgusin Gotler (A&S) has happily retired from her career in nursing. She is now traveling, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.

1976

The nonprofit Kids Read Now launched its Click! CaptionsON initiative, which aims to have the caption function turned on for kids on their TVs, phones, and tablets. Leib Lurie (Barney, M’81 Barney) is the co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit and its new initiative. Lurie plans to build the program in Ohio and then go national.

1977

Nancy Pantirer (HAS) was featured in PAPER magazine. The article highlights Pantirer’s work that was used as the backdrop for a PAPER fashion shoot with photographer Kimber Capriotti. 9

SPRING 2022

44 / ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

FROM

1978

Jodie Katzman (A&S) is an awardwinning event professional who has produced and managed just about every type of event, exhibit, and production imaginable, from large-scale events and immersive experiences with tens of thousands of attendees; to television, film, and theatrical productions; to intimate meetings with a handful of guests.

In 2020, she embarked on a journey to educate herself on the challenges the pandemic poses within the events space and become a thought leader in the areas of COVID-19 compliance and safety.

She is one of the most highly decorated COVID-19 compliance leaders in the country and holds 20 COVID-19 health and safety certifications.

1979

Bob Kaufman (C Ward) was interviewed

by the Connecticut Post. Kaufman is the owner of Bob’s Discount Furniture, which turned 30 this year.

David Nord (Barney) has been nominated to the board of directors of Jeld-Wen Holding, Inc. Nord is the executive chairman of Hubbell Incorporated. From June 2019 until his retirement in October 2020, he served as the company’s chair and chief executive officer, and from May 2014 to June 2019, he served as chair, president, and CEO.

1980

Margaret “Peg” Larson (Barney) is the president of the Partners of Wisconsin Hospital Association, a statewide network of health-care volunteers. In 2019, the network—made up of 8,800 people— donated $1.7 million to their hospitals and communities, awarded 339 scholarships, and gave their communities more than 894,000 hours of service. The group has found innovative ways to support their health-care institutions throughout the pandemic—including sharing of strategies to continue to support health-care workers.

Andrew Pakula (Barney) was interviewed on the The Net OGs podcast. In the podcast, Pakula discusses his career and how he played an integral part in the early days of Internet marketing and advertising. Pakula is currently the CEO of WiOffer.

ALUMS

Patrick Roye (ENHP) has been recognized by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association for 25 years of athletic coaching. Roye is a four-time Coach of the Year in boys and girls basketball in New Hampshire. He is currently in his 32nd year of teaching special education.

1982

John Elsesser (M Barney) was a guest

speaker at the Connecticut Green Bank 2021 Earth Day Conversation webinar, where he spoke about the green projects and initiatives for the town of Coventry, Conn. Elsesser has served as the town manager of Coventry since 1988.

1983

Museum—Connecticut’s oldest children’s museum. In the role, Buxton will oversee day-to-day operations, fundraising, marketing, and community engagement.

1987

Vish Govindasamy (CETA, M’89 Barney)

has been selected as the chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, one of the oldest business chambers in Sri Lanka, during its 182nd Annual General Meeting. Govindasamy is the managing director of Sunshine Holdings PLC.

1988

Gregory Banaszak (Hartt) is the recip-

ed to director of technology development at the Arthur G. Russell Co., Inc., a growing automation engineering and technology company in Connecticut.

ient of the 2021 Hartt Alumni Award.

Banaszak is a leading saxophonist and one of the few saxophonists active in both the classical and jazz mediums, and has performed as a soloist at concert halls throughout the United States and the world.

1985

1989

featured in a Bangkok Post article that chronicles her business successes.

Chirathivat is the deputy chief executive officer of Central Pattana Plc., a SET-listed retail and property under the Central Group of companies. Read more about Chirathivat in the March 15, 2021 issue of the Bangkok Post.

productions, p. 40.

Brian Romano (CETA) has been promot-

Wallaya Chirathivat (M Barney) was

1986

Don Allan (Barney) has been named

president and CFO at Stanley Black & Decker. Allan joined the company in 1999 as the director of financial planning before being appointed senior vice president and CFO in 2008, and most recently serving as executive vice president and CFO. Allan is chairman of the board for United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and also serves on the boards of several nonprofits, including Junior Achievement of Southwest New England and Boy Scouts Connecticut Rivers Council.

Barbara Bergren (M Barney), see recently published book, p. 40.

Patricia Buxton (ENHP, M’89 ENHP, D’16 ENHP) has been named execu-

tive director of the Lutz Children’s

H / UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE

Jolie Rocke (Hartt), see recently released

1990

David Cappellina (M Barney) has joined Grant Thorton LLP as a fraud and forensics managing director. Cappellina has more than three decades of experience as a forensic accountant and compliance professional. He has worked with Fortune 100 companies in a multitude of industries as well as with federal and state regulators.

Selette Jones-Jemison (Barney)

successfully defended her doctoral dissertation and received a doctoral of business administration in finance degree from Sacred Heart University in August 2021. 5 PL AN FOR TH E F UTU R E

Make your plans for the people and causes you care about. Through our partnership with FreeWill, you can even get started for free.

Scan to start planning today or go to: FreeWill.com/ UniversityofHartford

ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

1991

Col. Alexander Jones (Barney) was appointed the new police chief of Arlington, Texas. Jones is a 25-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department, most recently serving as the police department’s Community Relations Bureau chief for Baltimore County—an area that has been long recognized for its progressive developments in community-based policing.

Frank Wolak (M Barney) has been named president and chief executive officer of The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), a national association representing more than 60 leading companies and organizations. Wolak previously was the senior vice president for government affairs and marketing development at FuelCell Energy, Inc., an FCHEA member, and previously served as FCHEA’s board chair.

1993

Kristie Mayes Borges (A&S) recently left the television industry. She was a news producer for 28 years. Borges worked in Boston, Providence, Baltimore, and Hartford TV markets. Borges is now a senior associate at CJ Public Relations in Southington, Conn. She is also a member of UHart’s Alumni Board.

Joan Brothers (M Barney) was presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who. Brothers has nearly 30 years of experience in the real estate industry and is the founding partner of Manhattan Boutique Real Estate, a full-service firm in New York City.

Debra Volz (Hartt) has joined Appell Center for the Performing Arts in York, Pa., as the director of marketing, following a 20-year tenure as senior director of creative services at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. She hopes to get back to campus to visit the old stomping grounds, and also to visit her niece who just started at The Hartt School. 3

1994

Jay Sheldon (A&S) has been appointed general manager at the Equinox Golf Resort and Spa in Manchester, Vt. Sheldon brings more than 25 years of luxury brand experience to this new position. He has previously held

FROM

ALUMS

/ 45

Lessons for a Lifetime Decades later, many students still have fond memories of their favorite or most influential professor. In each issue of H, we will look back at a past UHart professor who impacted multiple generations of students.

Edward Friedman, Professor of Electrical Engineering “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” —H. Jackson Brown Jr. Edward Louis Friedman’s career at the University of Hartford spanned nearly four decades. A professor of electrical engineering, Friedman upheld only the highest standard of pedagogy, unequivocally dedicated to his students and the University, approaching each day on campus with honor and great responsibility.

Friedman had an impeccable character with unwavering commitment to his core principles and beliefs. His family, his colleagues, his students, and his mentors could all share stories of this strong and selfless human being who touched the lives of so many over the decades.

Known to be a “tough” professor, Friedman always demanded excellence from every student. Yet the relationships he built with each of them softened that tough exterior, and his unique methods to motivate and inspire were profound. He had a way of presenting course material—sometimes in a manner that appeared so daunting, and sometimes with a bit of humor—while engaging and challenging every individual. Beyond generous with his time and attention, he was wholeheartedly committed to sharing his passion, and in a manner that forever impacted the lives of all who listened.

Friedman’s son Barry shares, “I don’t know whether I have ever worked with anyone who would have behaved in the selfless way my father did. I was a university faculty member for 34 years (retired last summer from the University of North Georgia) and, throughout that time, have done my level best to emulate the principles that my father taught me during his service-oriented career as a member of UHart’s faculty.”

Friedman’s son Cary shared much of the same deep admiration for his father. “I have

positions as a general manager of the Omni Richmond Hotel in Richmond, Va., hotel manager for the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, and various roles for Ritz-Carlton resorts.

several cute stories about him and some memorable quotes from his former students, even decades later: ‘I don’t know if you remember me or not. I was one of your students in the 1960s (courses included statics, dynamics, electronics, and advanced engineering math). You were one of the best teachers and human beings that I ever met. Please accept an almost 40-year-old thank you.’”

Friedman’s overall commitment extended well beyond his tenure in the classroom. He lived the University’s mission every day, having served on various boards and standing committees, and played a vital role in new course and program development.

For many, one of the most cherished acts

by Professor Friedman was to establish a scholarship, the Professor Edward L. Friedman Endowed Scholarship (formerly the Isidore Friedman Memorial Scholarship in memory of his father, renamed in 2014

by Esia Friedman). This scholarship has since helped more than 45 students who study math or engineering in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, and it will continue to benefit students each academic year in perpetuity.

Upon announcing his retirement in 1992, Friedman said, “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spend most of my professional life doing what I enjoyed most, with people who were like family. It was a truly glorious 38 years.”

Edward Friedman passed away in 2014.

Special thanks to the Friedman family— his wife, Esia Baran Friedman (A’54, ’62, M’66, C’72, P’76); and his sons Barry D. Friedman, PhD (A’73, ’76) and Rabbi Cary A. Friedman (A’82, ’84)—for allowing us to share this story.

1995

Ginne-Ray Clay (M Barney) has been selected as the inaugural executive director of the state Social Equity Council, which will have a large role in approving cannabis business licenses in

U PDATE YOU R I N FO at hartford.edu/alumni-update to stay connected with the UHart network.

SPRING 2022

46 / ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

FROM

ALUMS

SNAPSHOTS

2

3

1 4

6 5 1 Ryan Speedo Green ’08 (Hartt) 2 Kaitlin Walsh (A&S, M’04 A&S) 3 Debra Volz ’93 (Hartt) 4 Maureen Leathers ’05 (Barney) 5 Selette Jones-Jemison Phd ’90 (Barney) 6 Bryson Owens (A&S, M’20 A&S) 7 Alex Robertson ’20 (Hartt) 8 Jeffrey Severino ’19 (CETA) 9 Nancy Pantirer ’77 (HAS) 7

8 9

H / UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE

ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

Connecticut. Clay is the president of the Greater Waterbury NAACP and president of Executive Solutions.

David Cordani (M Barney) became the chair of the board at Cigna starting Jan. 1, 2022. Cordani is also the president and chief executive officer at Cigna and has been part of the company for 30 years.

named chief financial officer at Arctaris Impact Investors, LLC, a Boston-based impact investment firm. Garcia joins Arctaris after 13 years at Thomas H. Lee Partners, where he served as co-chief financial officer.

has joined Chimera Investment Corporation as chief financial officer and principal financial officer. Viswanathan previously served as the managing director and chief operating officer at Global Mortgages and Securitized Products since 2012.

appointed secretary-general of the Office Governing Vatican City State— making her the first female secretarygeneral of Vatican City State, the highest-ranking woman at the Vatican, and the second-ranking position in the government of the Vatican City State. In this role, she will oversee a diverse range of departments, such as the Vatican’s museums, post office, department of health, and police force.

Sharon White (A&S) has joined Rock Creek Energy Group, LLP, as a partner.

White is an attorney specializing in hydropower and electric regulatory issues.

Vivian Almario (ENHP) and her son Leonardo Marquez were featured in an article in CT Latino News on their work to educate and build trust among the Latino community in the fight against COVID-19. Almario is a nurse with the Infectious Disease Unit at Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, Conn.

The West Hartford Commission on the Arts has launched a new initiative, the Artist Job Bank, to help provide support for artists, a group that has been particularly hard-hit since the start of COVID-19. Latanya Farrell (ENHP) and Javier Colon ’00 (Hartt), who are on the Commission and chair the Commission’s Artist Outreach Committee, were interviewed by We-Ha.com about the project.

Nelba Márquez-Greene (Hartt), founder of The Ana Grace Project, was the commencement speaker during two separate fall commencement ceremonies on Dec. 5. Márquez-Greene founded The Ana Grace Project in 2013 as a response to the school shooting in Sandy Hook, Conn., in 2012, which took the life of her daughter, Ana Grace MárquezGreene. Márquez-Greene received a Distinguished Alumna Award as part of UHart’s 2020 Anchor Awards, which recognize alumni who have distinguished themselves through their achievements professionally and in the community.

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Mark Garcia (M Barney) has been

2001

1997

ALUMS

2000

1996

Subramaniam Viswanathan (M Barney)

FROM

Raffaella Petrini (M Barney) has been

2002

Kaitlin Walsh (A&S, M’04 A&S), received

the 2021 President’s Team Recognition Award for Inspiring Staff Excellence at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ). She is an instructional designer and program coordinator for the Digital Media major at USJ, promoted recently to assistant dean of academic affairs at USJ. 2

2003

Tasha Jackson (Barney) was recently hired as chief financial and administrative officer at STRIVE, a nonprofit focused on ending chronic unemployment in New York City. Jackson has more than 10 years of experience working at nonprofit organizations. She has previously held leadership roles in finance and accounting at Urban Resources Institute and Girl Scouts of Connecticut.

2004

Cheri Eleazer (Hartt) has been named

SUNY Maritime College’s women’s basketball head coach. Eleazer most recently was an assistant coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore College, where

University of Hartford 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 team at alumni@hartford.edu.

she assisted with strength conditioning and guard coaching.

2005

Dezron Douglas (Hartt) has joined the

Trey Anastasio Band, an off shoot of the band Phish, as a jazz bassist. Douglas has been playing with the band since September 2021.

Dezron Douglas and Brandee Younger ’06, see recently released album, p. 40.

Maureen Leathers (Barney) has joined Travelers Insurance as senior director of operations communications. Leathers has held various marketing and communication roles in insurance, wealth management, and health services. 4

2006

Emma Asante (M A&S) was the 2021

Humanitarian Honoree at the 27th Annual Women of Achievement awards dinner. Asante is vice president, special projects and community relations at NBC 5, Telemundo Chicago, NBC Sports Chicago.

Ryan Bauer-Walsh (Hartt) conceived of and helped write the music for the world’s first LGBTQ lullaby album, The Rainbow Lullaby. Bauer-Walsh is a New York-based writer, composer, artist, and community activist.

SPRING 2022

48 / ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

FROM

ALUMS

More Than a Love Story In each issue, H looks at lifelong bonds and friendships formed at UHart that continue strong today.

Lorna Woodsum Riley ’71 and Dan Riley ’69 both came to UHart looking to get an education, expand their worldview, and of course, meet great friends. What they didn’t expect was finding their life partner. “I’m a very fortunate person because what I value most out of my four years at UHart is Dan…I didn’t go there looking for a boyfriend.

I went to study piano pedagogy seriously,” remembers Lorna. But within the first few months of her first year, Lorna met Dan and they have been by each other’s side ever since. Their story isn’t just a love story—it is so much more. It is two people standing up for their beliefs, facing their fears, and continuing to grow in their communities—getting into some good trouble, as the saying goes.

The pair met during Lorna’s Orientation week at an event held by the Leadership Development Commission, of which Dan was the co-chair. Both were active on campus. The duo worked together with the University’s classic film series—Dan working as the projectionist and Lorna as his assistant.

Lorna was in The Hartt School’s piano pedagogy program, which consumed much of her time with practice. Dan spent most of his time working on The Cauldron, the school newspaper, where he served as editor.

Although there was a political divide on campus during their years at UHart, Dan remembers the power of music and its ability to unify the student body. “One of the things I remember vividly, one of our dearest friends, John Robinson ’68, M’72, was always the first one with the new vinyl. I remember there were three times when he walked in with Beatles albums and that entire cafeteria flocked around just to look at the cover.

There was no record player to play it, but we got to hold the album in our hands and pass it around. This was one of the amazing bonding moments, because at that time, the political divide was taking shape, but the music culture—especially the Beatles—was such a unifying force,” says Dan. Life after the University of Hartford held even more adventures for the Rileys as they ventured on their joint journey into the world. Dan became a teacher, but eventually found his way to becoming a writer. “I was helped by the confidence and experience I gained by being named editor of a campus paper at an early stage in my college career,” says Dan. As Lorna would say, her career had “more twists and turns than a plate of linguini.” She used her Hartt experience and taught piano for a while, then moved on to a myriad of other careers, including first-grade teacher, marketing, sales, advertising, and even as a digital font specialist. After being laid off twice in one year, Lorna decided not to look to others for a job or security but rather decided to challenge herself on her own. “I decided to do the hardest thing that I could think of—and that was public speaking.

I mustered up all of what I had learned out of all these different careers and decided to go face my biggest fear, and that really liberated me,” says Lorna. She isn’t finished with her career, she says, “I’m not done. I’ve been combining learning with technology to help people transform their lives.

I now have two companies that I started with my two partners, working with people half my age and twice the energy. It’s really exciting to be a part of purposeful work that has no end point, building companies that will have a huge impact long after I’m gone.”

Lorna’s advice for current and young alumni is, “Do the thing you fear the most and that will free you. Take on goals or tasks that you think are too big or too high. You are every bit big enough. Approach people you think are out of your league. You never know where love will blossom.

Never stop learning and try to leave something worthwhile behind.

Loving, learning, and leaving a legacy is a life well-lived.”

H / UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGAZINE

Ethan Nash (M Hartt, D’07 Hartt) has been named Glastonbury’s Teacher of the Year. Nash is a music teacher and director of choirs at Glastonbury High School. He conducts the concert choir, treble choir, chorus, men’s choir, and madrigals.

2007

Gregg Katzman (A&S) has been promot-

ed to director of marketing and publicity at Valiant Entertainment. Katzman joined the company in 2018 as a marketing coordinator, then was promoted to marketing manager, and most recently, served as marketing and publicity manager. In this new role, Katzman will help shape the future of the Valiant Universe in announcement strategies and stories.

Jeffrey Welsh (Hartt) was interviewed

by StupidDope on his passion for music and his legal career in the cannabis and entertainment industry. Welsh is a partner at Vicente Sederberg LLP and focuses his practice on advising companies and brands on how to navigate the California cannabis market.

2008

Ryan Speedo Green (Hartt), Grammy Award-winning artist, who was a part of the cast of The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess that won the 2021 Grammy Award for best opera recording and best producer, recently became a member of the University of Hartford Board of Regents. 1

2011

Maret Bondorew (HAS) and her team

at Toad and Frog Press found a way to be creative and make a positive impact on their community—raising more than $64,000 for the Rhode Island Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund with their designs.

UHart to Hartford

Abe Hefter from the School of Communication catches up with alumni to talk about their experiences at UHart and how it led them to where they are now. Hear their stories at hartford.edu/alumnipodcast.

ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

Tangie Davis McDougald (A&S) has been on a mission to close the inequality gaps in health care, which has culminated in the Community Matters Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic for Children. The clinic is an extension of Community Matters, LLC, which McDougald founded in 2017.

Corey Pane (HAS) participated in the WEHA Bear Fair in West Hartford, Conn. The project’s goal was to bring joy to the West Hartford community and support local businesses and nonprofits.

2012

Katherine Trainer (Hartt, M’16 Hartt) has

been named Coginchaug Regional High School’s new assistant principal. Trainer was previously the director of bands and dean of students at North Branford High School as well as the K–12 music department leader for the North Branford school district.

2013

Paul Krause (A&S) was promoted to

lieutenant at the Sikorsky Aircraft Fire Department in March 2020. With the promotion happening just a few weeks before the lockdowns, Krause has worked through the pandemic and gained a whole different level of experience as a leader.

2014

Kalena Bovell (M Hartt, GPD’15 Hartt)

had her conducting debut at BBC Proms, a classical music festival held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The BBC Proms is one of the largest and most prestigious classical musical festivals in the world.

Justin Wilcox (M Barney) has been named to the Hartford Business Journal 2021 40 Under 40 list. Wilcox is the youngest partner at the accounting firm FML, one of the largest accounting firms in Connecticut.

Chen Yi (Barney) was one of two distinguished guest composers for the 2021 Mizzou International Composers Festival. As a distinguished guest, Yi gave individual composition lessons, gave presentations on her music, and consulted with the ensembles that performed her works. Yi is a professor of composition at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

2015

FROM

ALUMS

/ 49

Parkville Sounds in Hartford, Conn., was featured in an article in the Hartford Courant. Within the article, co-founder Stephen Cusano (Hartt) was interviewed on the impact of the pandemic on the music industry and what Parkville Sounds has done to help musicians.

Shannon Dass (ENHP), see recently published book, p. 40.

Jeffrey Severino (CETA) was featured on the latest episode of Houston We Have a Podcast, the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center from Houston, Texas, home of NASA’s astronauts and Mission Control Center.

Severino joined other fellow NASA interns on the episode to discuss his journey to working in the acoustics branch at NASA and how he found inspiration through his experience at UHart. 8

2016

2020

the Connecticut Magazine 2021 Class of 40 Under 40 list. Carillo is an urban pop artist and graphic designer and also teaches art, computer science, and graphic arts in several Hartford-area schools. Carillo’s work can also be seen on the cover of the summer 2020 issue of H magazine.

featured in the Washington Post’s Video Game Section “Launcher” for an article on 10 video game franchises they want “raised from the dead.”

Sabrina Rivera (A&S, M’21 A&S) has joined McDowell Communications Group (MCG) as their director of digital media. Rivera previously oversaw digital and social media for Connecticut’s Department of Health during its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. In this new position, Rivera will oversee social media for clients, develop digital content, and manage MCG’s online presence.

Alex Robertson (Hartt) has been named associate producer for the New York City premiere of Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas at the New Victory Theater. 7

Lindaluz Carillo (HAS) was named to

2018

Crystal Gonzalez (M Barney) has been named to the Hartford Business Journal 2021 40 Under 40 list. Gonzalez leads Small Commercial at U.S. Arch Insurance. She is the board president for Prospanica Connecticut and serves on the advisory council for Connecticut College’s Hale Center for Career Development.

Bryson Owens (A&S, M’20 A&S) has been promoted to creative coordinator at Showtime Networks. Previously, Owens was a production assistant at Showtime Networks, where he worked on creative marketing campaigns for shows like The Chi, Vice, and Couples Therapy. Owens has worked at Newsweek, NBC Universal Media, iHeartMedia, and Live Nation Entertainment. 6

2019

Emily Qualmann (Hartt) starred as one of

the principal roles, Tammy, in the Escape to Margaritaville Broadway national tour.

SAVE THE DATE

Hawktober 2022

October 14–16, 2022 Reconnect with friends, new and old, at UHart’s largest reunion of the year!

Once a Hawk, always a Hawk! More info coming soon.

Stay tuned.

Hannah Francis (HAS) had illustrations

2021

Traci Carter (M A&S) was featured in Al Dia News about his nonprofit organization, Anchors Camp. Carter tragically lost his younger brother Semaj to gun violence in July 2020 when Semaj was walking home after playing basketball with friends. Wanting to make a difference and give Philadelphia youth hopes for a brighter future, Carter and his business partner, Jimmy Newfrock, founded Anchors Camp in honor of Semaj. At Anchors Camp, young men have opportunities to gain confidence and develop professional and life skills in a camp atmosphere outside of the city.

Colin Whitehill (CETA) went to the Tokyo Olympics as an audio technician for NBC Sports Group. Whitehill was stationed in the International Broadcast Center (IBC) under NBC’s temporary headquarters in Tokyo. The IBC is also where the Primetime NBC Olympics Program is produced.

SPRING 2022

50 / ALUMNI NOTES / IN

MEMORIAM

We Remember...

Kenneth C. Lamson A’59, ’63 (A&S) Pahrump, Nev., 12.4.2021

1940s

Raymond A. McGugan A’46, ’63, M’67 (ENHP) Manchester, Conn., 6.3.2021

Wendell R. Loso ’66 (Barney) Essex Junction, Vt., 3.13.2021 Ralph J. Marone ’66 (Barney Newington, Conn., 1.26.2021 Catherine A. Mazalas ’66 (A&S) Wethersfield, Conn., 1.4.2021

Norma Brundage Marshall A’44 (HCW) Bethel, Maine, 12.12.2021

Michael Mazzone Art Dipl ’54, ’56, M’78 (HAS) Westerly, R.I., 1.17.2021

Michael A. Rossetti M’60 (ENHP) Old Saybrook, Conn., 5.30.2021

Marilyn Zimmerman C’45 (Barney) Ormond Beach, Fla., 7.23.2021

Marilyn Hunter Ross A’56 (HCW) Selinsgrove, Pa., 5.11.2021

Dirck Spicer ’60 (Hartt) Durham, Conn., 8.11.2021

Robert A. Story ’63 (Barney) Kensington, Conn., 12.31.2021

Ronald S. Mocaldo M’66 (ENHP) Vernon Rockville, Conn., 2.9.2021

Francis Dimarco C’48 (HAS) Manchester, Conn., 10.29.2021

William H. Beckham ’57 (Hartt) Hartford, Conn., 2.1.2021

Ronald R. Vitarelli Sr. ’60, M’63 (ENHP) Middlebury, Conn., 12.8.2021

Almeda Duke Tabatsky M’63 (ENHP) Latham, N.Y., 2.6.2021

Barbara Hobbs Oman ’66 (ENHP) East Hartford, Conn., 9.3.2021

John C. Bloomquist A’49 (Hillyer) West Hartford, Conn., 2.22.2021

Clifford Espeseth A’52, ’57 (Barney) Fort McCoy, Fla., 2.20.2021

Phillip J. Bourque ’61, M’62, C’75 (ENHP) Granby, Conn., 1.10.2021

Clifford W. Burkhart A’60, ’64 (Barney) Waterbury, Conn., 10.8.2021

John L. Pratt A’58, ’66 (CETA) Trumbull, Conn., 2.3.2021

Susan Dermargosian A’49 (Barney) Wilbraham, Mass., 11.18.2021

Frederick B. Glanovsky ’57 (CETA) Naples, Fla., 6.9.2021

Ernest P. Cermola M’61 (ENHP) West Hartford, Conn., 4.8.2021

Garry V. Crosson ’64, A’67 (Barney) Windsor, Conn., 5.8.2021

Alice Avakian Norsigian A’49 (Hillyer) Wethersfield, Conn., 4.15.2021

Andrew Hall ’57 (CETA) South Windsor, Conn., 6.28.2021

Carolyn Storm Pendel A’49 (HCW) West Hartford, Conn., 2.17.2021 1950s William J. Lasley C’50 (Hartt) Fullerton, Calif., 7.22.2021 William A. Manierre Sr. A’50 (Hillyer) Columbus, Ohio, 2.9.2021 John W. Otterbein A’50 (CETA) Manchester, Conn., 7.8.2021 Melvin S. Silverstein A’48, ’50, M’56 (Hillyer) Blackstone, Mass., 5.18.2021 John J. Kemish A’49, ’51 (Hillyer) Boca Raton, Fla., 4.25.2021 John R. Abraham Jr. ’52 (Barney) Pittsburgh, Pa., 2.13.2021 Henry L. Gotta A’52 (Barney) Newington, Conn., 10.6.2021 Jane E. Haraden Art Dipl ’52 (HAS) Bar Harbor, Maine, 7.24.2021 Barbara Fuller Morkan A’52 (HCW) Simsbury, Conn., 12.29.2021 Peter F. Kelly ’53 (Hillyer) Manchester, Conn., 9.27.2021 Thomas H. Abraham A’52, ’54 (Hillyer) Panama City, Fla., 12.14.2021 Edwina Lynch Bosco ’56 (Hillyer) West Hartford, Conn., 8.25.2021 Michael J. Boyle ’56 (Hillyer) Vernon Rockville, Conn., 12.8.2021 Patricia LaBrie Cardone A’56 (Barney) Manhattan Beach, Calif., 7.28.2021 Anthony J. Krawczyk M’56 (ENHP) Port St. Lucie, Fla., 8.16.2021

Robert L. Howard A’57 (Barney) Charlton, Mass., 8.1.2021 Joseph M. Lemke ’57 (Barney) Simsbury, Conn., 2.28.2021 Thomas N. Ribadeneyra ’57 (CETA) Marlborough, Mass., 1.27.2021 Ronald E. Edmondson M’58 (ENHP) Coventry, Conn., 7.29.2021 William S. Larson ’58 (CETA) Toms River, N.J., 5.30.2021 Edward W. White C’58 (Ward) Northborough, Mass., 8.29.2021 Edward M. Kirby M’59 (Hillyer) Sharon, Conn., 2.1.2021 Leonard J. Martini ’59, M’67 (Hartt) Fairfield, Conn., 6.6.2021 Millard H. Mason M’59 (ENHP) Wethersfield, Conn., 9.8.2021 Martha B. Pettengill M’59 (ENHP) Newington, Conn., 5.4.2021 Robert A. Smith ’59 (Barney) New Britain, Conn., 9.22.2021 1960s Alan R. Blankenburg ’60 (Hartt) Newington, Conn., 12.28.2021 Riva Dunn A’60 (Barney) Saunderstown, R.I., 5.7.2021 Chester Jasenski ’60 (A&S) East Hampton, Conn., 2.27.2021 Lucille G. Killiany M’60, C’65 (ENHP) Thomaston, Conn., 10.24.2021 Catherine C. Konefal M’60 (ENHP) Hebron, Conn., 3.1.2021 Casimir P. Kovalski M’60 (ENHP) Cromwell, Conn., 2.7.2021 Elroy J. Michaud ’60 (Ward) Lake Santeetlah, N.C., 1.2.2021

Stuart N. Coleman M’61 (ENHP) Wallingford, Conn., 8.10.2021 Justine R. Dennis ’61 (ENHP) Southport, Conn., 8.3.2021 Algimantas R. Giedraitis A’57, ’61 (CETA) Idaho Falls, Idaho, 9.19.2021

Charles Pennella ’63 (Barney) Bradenton, Fla., 12.6.20

Robert A. Francolini ’64 (A&S) West Granby, Conn., 7.29.2021 Ed (Edward) L. Godbout ’64, M’66, C’74 (ENHP) Manchester, Conn., 11.18.2021

John W. Krisak M’61 (ENHP) Stamford, Conn., 5.1.2021

Dr. Kenneth C. Lanoue ’64 (ENHP) Lafayette, La., 12.13.2021

Francis J. Pacocha Jr. ’61 (Hartt) Cedar Park, Texas, 7.24.2021

Gloria Cannilla Larsen ’64, M’72 (HAS) Hartford, Conn., 5.2.2021

Leonard M. Skinger M’58, ’61 (ENHP) Wethersfield, Conn., 12.29.2021

Robert J. Tyszka M’64 (ENHP) Wilmington, Mass., 12.19.2021

George E. Bryenton M’62 (ENHP) Newington, Conn., 1.22.2021

Sandra Lasky Zawacki A’64 (Barney) Ocala, Fla., 10.27.2021

Hubert J. Santos ’66 (A&S) West Hartford, Conn., 6.21.2021 Theodore T. Stankiewicz ’66 (CETA) East Hampton, Conn., 8.26.2021 James W. Tilley ’66 (Barney) Amston, Conn., 2.11.2021 Hedda W. von Goeben ’66 (A&S) Granville, Ohio, 10.8.2021 Andre A. Coutu A’62, ’67 (Barney) Penfield, N.Y., 11.20.2021 Edmund E. Dery A’49, ’67 (Barney) Fort Mill, S.C., 7.30.2021 Daniel H. Driscoll ’67, M’75 (A&S) New London, Conn., 12.5.2021

Donald A. Cascio C’65 (Ward) Hamden, Conn., 11.7.2021

Thomas W. Fay A’64, ’67 (CETA) Fraser, Mich., 5.21.2021

Robert M. Chapman A’62, ’65 (CETA) Chapel Hill, N.C., 1.11.2021

Dennis D. Sheehan ’67 (Barney) East Orleans, Mass., 6.5.2021

Richard D. Covini ’65 (A&S) Berlin, Conn., 4.14.2021

Bruno S. Smilgys ’67 (CETA) West Suffield, Conn., 7.7.2021

Raymond Gromko C’62 (Ward) Jewett City, Conn., 11.28.2021

Michael F. Hayes M’65 (ENHP) Avon, Mass., 11.23.2021

David B. Smith A’67 (Barney) Hudson, Mass., 11.29.2021

James A. Hayes C’62 (Ward) East Hartland, Conn., 5.1.2021

Alexander M. Kulesa Jr. ’65 (A&S) Auburn, Mass., 4.18.2021

Betty J. Willis ’67 (ENHP) Simsbury, Conn., 12.23.2021

Joan L. Chernauskas M’62 (ENHP) Southbury, Conn., 9.1.2021 Norman E. Gordon M’62 (ENHP) Windham, Maine, 11.26.2021

Leah Maskowsky Kaplan M’62 (ENHP) West Hartford, Conn., 12.22.2021

John H. Miller Jr. A’65 (Ward) Unionville, Conn., 7.19.2021

Roger L. Atkins ’68 (Hartt) Winsted, Conn., 4.17.2021

Grace Dunn Price A’62 (HCW) Brewster, Mass., 10.22.2021

Dominick P. Musso ’65 (CETA) Suffield, Conn., 7.24.2021

Lance Q. Johnson C’62, ’68 (ENHP) East Hampton, Conn., 3.18.2021

Valentino T. Raimondi A’62 (Barney) Hartford, Conn., 8.15.2021

Grace E. Price ’65 (A&S) Brewster, Mass., 10.22.2021

Judith M. Kerr M’68 (Barney) Hobe Sound, Fla., 5.16.2021

Esther D. Scuderi M’65 (ENHP) Marco Island, Fla., 10.14.2021

Reginald J. Lavoie ’68 (A&S) Windsor, Conn., 8.17.2021

Theodore V. Warzecha Jr. ’65 (Barney) Westerly, R.I., 6.11.2021

Philip H. Statlender ’68 (HAS) Brookline, Mass., 12.24.2021

Thomas P. Battista ’63 (Hartt) Springfield, Vt., 5.10.2021 Frederick E. Chalker Jr. C’63 (Ward) Atlantis, Fla., 3.12.2021 Richard T. Healy M’63, P’90 (ENHP) Litchfield, Conn., 10.1.2021 Clinton M. Hurlbut ’63 (CETA) Tolland, Conn., 5.3.2021 Janet C. Johnson ’63 (A&S) Concord, Mass., 9.14.2021 Daniel I. Konover ’63 (A&S) Avon, Conn., 9.6.2021

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD

Gerard A. Boucher ’66(Barney Longmeadow, Mass., 11.11.2021 Michael F. Brescia M’66 (ENHP) Hartford, Conn., 7.5.2021 Michael R. Corrado ’66 (A&S) Old Saybrook, Conn., 11.13.2021 Morgan B. Daniels ’66 (ENHP) Durham, Conn., 9.30.2021 Robert N. Keating ’66 (A&S) East Hartford, Conn., 11.2.2021

Donald M. Barnard Sr. A’69 (Ward) East Hartford, Conn., 4.1.2021 Eleanor D. Controvillas M’69 (ENHP) Burlington, Conn., 11.21.2021 Dr. Barbara Allen Dalrymple ’69 (A&S) Macon, Ga., 4.4.2021 Lucy Gryszkiewicz Drozd ’69 (A&S) New Britain, Conn., 9.16.2021

William A. Karmen M’69 (Barney) Morristown, N.J., 6.15.2021

Ed (Edward) B. Quinlan M’71 (ENHP) West Hartford, Conn., 12.2.2021

Philip M. Keenan ’69 (CETA) West Hartford, Conn., 1.23.2021

Pasquale J. Suppe M’71 (Barney) Southington, Conn., 4.1.2021

Elinor K. Kniffin M’69 (ENHP) Ripon, Calif., 4.3.2021 Louis R. Malizia A’69 (A&S) Berlin, Conn., 10.3.2021 Ronald C. McReavy M’69 (ENHP) Cheshire, Conn., 1.5.2021 Robert C. Palen ’69 (A&S) Windsor, Conn., 3.23.2021 Roxanne Richards Stringer ’69, M’72 (A&S) Meriden, Conn., 7.10.2021 Alan G. White ’69, M’83 (Barney) Vernon Rockville, Conn., 12.17.2021 1970s Augustus P. Boi A’64, ’70 (Barney) Bristol, Conn., 1.8.2021 Louis T. Devito C’68, A’70 (Ward) Cromwell, Conn., 4.3.2021 Dr. Michael R. Durham ’70 (A&S) Globe, Ariz., 10.5.2021 Elaine Gianopoulos Greene ’70 (A&S) Leominster, Mass., 11.23.2021 Gregory F. Haber ’70 (A&S) Arlington, Va., 5.19.2021 Richard J. Hanson M’70 (Barney) Brewster, Mass., 8.14.2021 Frank R. Mancini ’70 (A&S) Delray Beach, Fla., 11.6.2021 Robert F. Manning M’70 (HAS) Danville, Vt., 1.16.2021 Henry A. Peyton M’70 (Barney) Mystic, Conn., 8.15.2021 Olive La Montegne Santavenere ’70, M’82 (ENHP) Seymour, Conn., 7.17.2021 Arthur B. Shattuck M’70 (Barney) Newport, R.I., 9.16.2021 Gwen E. Sibley ’70 (A&S) Bloomfield, Conn., 3.15.2021 Teresa Szczapa Stewart ’70 (Hartt) Berlin, Conn., 12.1.2021 James D. Crocker Jr. ’71 (Barney) The Villages, Fla., 4.8.2021 Patricia Bodreau Fargnoli A’71 (HCW) Walpole, N.H., 2.18.2021 Glenn R. Gerber ’71 (HAS) Tariffville, Conn., 2.19.2021 Veronica Morgan Hunter A’71 (HCW) Burlington, N.C., 4.1.2021 John P. Morris ’71 (CETA) West Hartford, Conn., 1.22.2021

Phillip R. Bucchi M’72 (Barney) Wethersfield, Conn., 1.1.2021 Willie C. Fuqua M’72 (ENHP) Portland, Conn., 5.1.2021 Richard H. Wheeler ’72 (Hartt) Middlebury, Vt., 11.1.2021 Capt. Julia Yastishock Dyckman ’73 (A&S) Harrisburg, Pa., 10.24.2021 Henry R. Hague Jr. M’73 (Barney) Plymouth, Mass., 8.19.2021 Mary S. Harper M’73 (HAS) Storrs Mansfield, Conn., 11.29.2021 Jimmie L. Hill M’73, C’75 (ENHP) Hartford, Conn., 10.7.2021 Alfred P. Malpa ’73 (Hartt) Chester, Conn., 2.6.2021 Marshall W. Payne ’73 (A&S) South Hadley, Mass., 3.10.2021 Mark A. Peterson ’73 (Barney) South Windsor, Conn., 4.9.2021 Carolyn M. Skahill ’73 (A&S) Rutland, Vt., 4.29.2021 Eleanor T. Wade M’73 (ENHP) Vero Beach, Fla., 2.14.2021 Arthur P. Yoaps ’73 (A&S) Rocky Hill, Conn., 12.8.2021 Sandra B. Gershman M’74 (ENHP) West Hartford, Conn., 2.4.2021 Giorgio Ottaviani ’74, P’16, ’17 (CETA) Berlin, Conn., 10.13.2021 Christopher M. Pond ’74 (A&S) Jacksonville, Fla., 10.18.2021 Sheryl Lillyman Renne A’74 (HCW) Ridgefield, Conn., 9.20.2021 Mery Seeman Sokal ’74 (A&S) Albany, N.Y., 7.9.2021 Philip M. Carpenter M’75 (Barney) Bloomfield, Conn., 3.9.2021 Patricia Steffens Clark C’75 (ENHP) Cambridge, Mass., 4.25.2021 Ed (Edward) J. Lang M’75 (Barney) Rumford, R.I., 9.9.2021 Peter K. Mulligan ’75 (Barney) Vernon, Conn., 11.14.2021 Pamela Conover Stigliano ’75 (HAS) Roseland, N.J., 2.18.2021 Anne C. Buell A’76 (HCW) Chamberlain, Maine, 11.23.2021 Frank A. Chiaravalloti ’76 (A&S) Swampscott, Mass., 2.10.2021 John H. Judd ’76 (Barney) Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 7.18.2021

David J. Kennedy ’76 (CETA) Berlin, Conn., 9.15.2021

Gary S. Landau A’81 (Ward) Marietta, Ga., 8.8.2021

Shelley Nohowel ’76 (HAS) Doylestown, Pa., 4.30.2021

Tom O. Coker M’82 (Barney) Windsor, Conn., 9.5.2021

Doris R. Scott ’76 (ENHP) Bristol, Conn., 6.2.2021

Patricia Draper M’82, G’20 (Barney) Newtown, Conn., 6.13.2021

Lee A. Gagnon M’77 (Barney) Charlestown, R.I., 8.1.2021 Scott G. Stibitz M’77 (Barney) Shakopee, Minn., 12.7.2021 Jeraldine D. Wilson ’77, M’79 (ENHP) Watertown, Conn., 7.16.2021 Anna B. Bigazzi ’78 (A&S) Farmington, Conn., 6.7.2021 David B. Castaldi ’78 (A&S) Hamden, Conn., 6.6.2021 Steve Curylo ’78 (Hartt) Chicopee, Mass., 10.3.2021 Carol Stevens Eno ’78, M’80 (A&S) Darien, Conn., 11.10.2021 Michael Iskra M’78 (Barney) Newington, Conn., 3.17.2021 Joseph G. Meny Jr. M’78 (Barney) West Hartford, Conn., 8.22.2021 Douglas P. Raineault A’72, ’78 (CETA) Middletown, Conn., 12.26.2021 Anthony J. Zilinsky M’78 (Barney) Navarre, Fla., 11.13.2021 Kendall H. Brautigam ’79 (Barney) Riverhead, N.Y., 1.19.2021 Daniel J. Decker ’79 (Barney) Enfield, Conn., 7.5.2021 Carol P. Gadd ’79 (ENHP) Newington, Conn., 10.12.2021 Dezso S. Haracsy A’76, ’79 (Barney) Ellington, Conn., 10.5.2021 Robert E. Phelps ’79 (Barney) Enfield, Conn., 4.23.2021 Cheryl Zinker ’79 (A&S) Manchester, Conn., 4.14.2021 1980s Maureen H. Buckmiller M’80 (A&S) Hartford, Conn., 10.30.2021 Chester A. Kuras M’80, P’84, P’86, P’88 (Barney) West Suffield, Conn., 9.8.2021 Eleanor J. Saunders M’80 (ENHP) Leominster, Mass., 10.8.2021 Edwin M. Waterschoot ’80 (CETA) Fayetteville, N.Y., 5.24.2021 Emily Snyder Williams ’80 (A&S) Old Lyme, Conn., 5.8.2021 Robert J. Delisa M’81, P’04 (Barney) Old Saybrook, Conn., 8.15.2021 Neil B. Gillespie A’77, ’81 (Barney) Windsor, Conn., 10.16.2021

Joseph J. Guimento Sr. ’82 (Barney) Yonkers, N.Y., 3.24.2021 Emily Vaughan Melendez ’82 (A&S) Ledyard, Conn., 12.12.2021 Bonnie A. Norton M’82 (Barney) Venice, Fla., 4.5.2021 Gilles J. Page ’82 (CETA) Wellford, S.C., 1.15.2021 Thomas M. Wingate A’80, ’82 (Ward) Westfield, Mass., 8.1.2021 Walter A. Debboli M’83 (ENHP) Southington, Conn., 2.6.2021 George M. Hallarin M’83 (Barney) Columbia, Conn., 6.28.2021 Daria E. Fanelli A’84 (HCW) Milldale, Conn., 1.31.2021 Thomas R. Fleckenstein A’84 (Barney) Wernersville, Pa., 9.18.2021 Donald B. Himes M’84 (Barney) West Hartford, Conn., 11.10.2021 Donal Levitt M’84 (Barney) Raleigh, N.C., 2.23.2021

Judith A. Breitenbach M’89 (Barney) Powell, Ohio, 5.1.2021 Michelle L. Desmangles A’89 (HCW) N.Y., N.Y., 5.25.2021 Joel A. Weinstein A’88, ’89 (Barney) Avon, Colo., 3.8.2021 1990s Vanessa E. Binder ’91 (A&S) Old Saybrook, Conn., 3.1.2021 Wilhelmina E. Campbell ’91 (A&S) Concord, N.C., 9.26.2021 John Chicoski M’91 (Barney) Wallingford, Conn., 11.15.2021 Calvin L. Kaiser Jr. M’95 (Barney) Newington, Conn., 10.10.2021 Sheila A. Kerrigan ’95 (A&S) Los Angeles, Calif., 6.3.2021 Lisa A. Sullivan C’95 (HCW) Cromwell, Conn., 1.6.2021 Scott B. Bean ’96, M’99 (Hartt) New Haven, Conn., 2.11.2021 Paul E. Berard M’96, P’01 (Barney) Terryville, Conn., 8.19.2021 Charlotte A. Engelke ’96 (ENHP) East Granby, Conn., 2.1.2021 Rachael Fox ’97 (Hartt) Los Angeles, Calif., 7.12.2021

Cynthia P. Bazzano ’85 (A&S) Eastham, Mass., 11.3.2021

Ed (Edward) T. Samul M’97 (Barney) Uncasville, Conn., 9.16.2021

Todd W. Doten M’85 (Barney) Wethersfield, Conn., 7.13.2021

Grace P. Collies ’98, P’96 (HAS) East Granby, Conn., 9.23.2021

Laurence J. O’Connor ’85 (ENHP) Springfield, Mass., 6.11.2021

Mark E. Parent M’99 (Barney) Avon, Conn., 9.20.2021

Brad M. Ragaglia ’85 (A&S) Plainville, Conn., 1.11.2021 Christine Antonecchia Amanna ’86 (ENHP) Somers, N.Y., 6.29.2021 Timothy A. Hanson ’86 (Hartt) Brookline, Mass., 12.2.2021 Dale A. Homme A’70, ’87 (HAS) Turners Falls, Mass., 8.18.2021 Daniel J. King ’87 (CETA) Elko New Market, Minn., 12.4.2021 Michelle P. Thomas ’87 (Barney) Fredericksburg, Va., 2.16.2021 Stephen F. Thompson M’87 (Barney) La Grange, Ky., 9.6.2021 Lori A. Baranowski ’88, M’94 (ENHP) Bristol, Conn., 4.29.2021 John W. Chrostowsky ’88, M’98 (Barney) Vernon, Conn., 11.24.2021

Eric R. Rodriguez ’99 (HAS) Middleboro, Mass., 12.29.2021 2000s Linda A. Kology M’00 (Barney) Broad Brook, Conn., 3.1.2021 Theodore A. Herbst ’01 (ENHP) Boca Raton, Fla., 2.11.2021 Deborah A. Palmeri M’02 (ENHP) Shelburne Falls, Mass., 4.14.2021 Kenneth E. Matuszewski ’04 (Barney) Manchester, N.H., 11.1.2021 Robert B. Walker ’05 (A&S) Darien, Conn., 5.17.2021 Tiffany A. Hightower ’06 (A&S) Rockville, Md., 6.9.2021 2010s Thomas J. Milligan M’18 (Hartt) Hartford, Conn., 12.14.2021 Carolee N. Garvey ’19 (ENHP) Griswold, Conn., 7.27.2021 Sasha A. Stopanjac ’20 (A&S) Middle Village, N.Y., 2.21.2021

Debra R. Perrone ’88 (ENHP) Vernon, Conn., 6.13.2021

SPRING 2022

52 / ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

FROM

ALUMS

PROUD TO BE A HAWK

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.

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We Congratulate & Welcome...

WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS David Daye ’06 (Barney) and Natalie Daye were married on July 10, 2021.

[1] Katelyn (Murphy) Centore ’10 (A&S) and Matthew Centore were married on Oct. 11, 2020, in Bedford, N.H., after changing venues and their guest limit multiple times during the pandemic. Katelyn is a police officer and Matthew is a gas worker both in Malden, Mass. They currently reside in Melrose, Mass. [2] Shealagh Begley A’11 (Hillyer), ’13 (A&S) and Trevor Glasgow were married in September 2020. Their wedding was featured in WeHa.com.

[3] Ilana Weinberger ’11 (A&S) and Jason Mittleman ’15 (Hillyer) were married on Aug. 8, 2021, in Tintin Falls, N.J. [4] Allison Litera ’12 (HAS) wedded Nicholas Billeter in a small ceremony on Oct. 30, 2020, at Hazardville United Methodist Church in Enfield, Conn.

Allison is a digital content analyst at UMass Medical School-Baystate in Springfield, Mass., and Nicholas is a staff accountant at Cerrone, Graham, and Shepherd in Worcester, Mass.

The two originally met as children and were reintroduced as adults in 2013. [5] Lana Kessell ’13 (A&S) married Gary Vasas on July 4, 2021, at the Woodwinds in Branford, Conn. While at UHart, Lana majored in secondary mathematics education. She is currently a math teacher at Manchester High School. She was involved in many groups during her undergraduate years, including Phi Mu Fraternity, RHA, and RFA. [6] Amber Sorensen Van Cleave ’13 (CETA) and Christopher Hallenbrook married on June 12, 2021, in Massachusetts. They met in grad school in 2015 in Davis, Calif. They now live in Long Beach, Calif., where Amber works as a biomedical engineer and Chris is a political science professor.

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Kristina Karlson (HAS ’14) and Jason Pelletier were married on Sept. 4, 2021 on Lake Bomoseen in Bomoseen, Vermont. [10] Matt Kavulich ’14 (Hartt) and Kelsey Kavulich were married on Aug. 14 in Stratford, Conn. [11] Amanda (Ernest) Lusteg ’14 (A&S) and Matthew Lusteg had a miniwedding during the pandemic on May 23, 2020. Close friend and fellow alumnus, Max Seinfeld ’14 (HAS), served as their officiant. Amanda currently works at the Hartford Art School and Matthew is a self-employed artist. They currently reside in Westfield, Mass. [8] Kelsey (Cruikshank) Yantovsky ’14 (CETA) and Ilya Yantovsky ’15 (Barney) were married in August 2020 and celebrated the union in June 2021 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. [13] Rachel Kauczka ’15 (ENHP) and Alex Rodrigues ’16 (CETA) were married on May 30, 2021. [14] Corinne Horanzy ’17 (ENHP) and Ben Roberts ’14 (ENHP) were married on Sept. 18, 2021, at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingston, R.I. [15] Arynn Rosenstein Kelly ’17, M’19 (ENHP) and Mike Kelly ’18 (A&S) were married at Disney World on Nov. 19, 2021. [17] Nicole (Demars) Hannable ’18 (A&S), M’20 (A&S) and Mark Hannable were married on Sept. 24, 2021. [9] Astrid Mangual ’18 (CETA), M’20 (Barney) and Joe Colossale announced their engagement on Aug. 1, 2021. They are looking forward to planning a wedding in 2022. [12] Katie Schaffer ’18 (ENHP) and Jared Cormier ’18 (CETA) announced their engagement in December 2019.

Katie is a special education teacher.

Jared is an estimator with an architecture firm in Glastonbury, Conn. A July 2022 wedding is planned. [16]

HATCHLINGS Kacey (Wilson) Foulkes ’03 (Barney) and John Foulkes welcomed Emmett Conner on June 11, 2021. [18] Candice DeRiso (Beckmann) ’05 (Hartt) welcomed a sweet baby boy, Vincent Michael DeRiso, into the world on September 7, 2020. [19] Jillian (Ziman) Pollock ’07 (ENHP) and Steven Pollock welcomed a baby girl, Audrey Marie, on May 17, 2021.

She joins her big brother, Adam, who is four. [20] Jason Krane ’10 (A&S) and Renee Sandler Krane ’10 (A&S) welcomed their son, Carson, in April 2020. [21] Georgia Elizabeth was born August 23, 2020, to Merideth Adams ’11 (HAS) and Jeffrey Rulli of Bristol, Conn. She joins older brother Jackson Robert. [22] Christa (Tubach) Yung ’11 (HAS) and her husband, Curtis Yung, welcomed a son, Eugene Oliver Yung, on May 18, 2021. [23] Samantha Dermirdijan (Mayotte) ’13 (ENHP) and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their second child, Amelia Mae, in July 2020. [25] Laura Gouin (Squires) ’13 (ENHP) and Alex Gouin ’14 (Barney) welcomed Lianna Grace Gouin in June 2020. [24] Sophia Olsen Ponichtera M’16 (A&S) and Jason Ponichtera welcomed a baby girl, Athena, on Aug. 9, 2021. [26]

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See more class notes and photos online at hartford.edu/class-notes

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Aleksandr Verbetsky Photography.

I’m ing grow a to be

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Photo: Justin Schwalbsa

ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

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ALUMNI NOTES / NEWS

The University of Hartford honored 10 of its top alumni during its annual Anchor Awards ceremony last Hawktober. The Anchor Awards recognize alumni who have distinguished themselves by achieving the highest levels of professional and community accomplishments.

Distinguished Alum Award

Vincent “Vin” Baker ’93 (Hillyer, A&S) received the Distinguished Alum Award, awarded annually to an alum who embodies the highest caliber of personal and professional accomplishments, strength of character, and representation of our University values.

Baker is assistant coach of the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. To date, he remains the greatest men’s basketball player in the University of Hartford’s history. Baker began at the University’s Hillyer College before advancing to the College of Arts and Sciences to major in communication. He was drafted into the NBA as the eighth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1993 and played for seven teams in his 13-year NBA career and was a four-time All-Star. He was also a member of the gold medal-winning 2000 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team.

In 2018, Baker founded Bouncing Back: The Vin Baker Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the impact of addiction and promoting sobriety. The foundation’s mission is to treat, educate, and motivate those who are most endangered by addiction with life-saving work that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

The University of Hartford has always been a special, special place to me. I learned so much about life and so much about myself. I learned about courage, I learned about success, I learned about failures, and I learned how to embrace all of them … all these things gave me the ability to compete, participate, survive, and thrive in the world.

Vin Baker ’93 Distinguished Alum Anchor Award Recipient

Meet the Other Award Recipients Outstanding Alum: Impact on Social Responsibility/Civic Engagement Steve Collins ’89 (Hartt) has served as the executive director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra since 2016. Collins previously served as the orchestra’s director of artistic operations and administration, helping guide the organization through a radically changing cultural environment, financial landscape, and role as a leading regional arts organization.

Senator Sonya Halpern M’90 (Barney) was elected in 2020 and is currently serving her first term in the Georgia State Senate.

Representing neighborhoods in the five cities of Atlanta, City of South Fulton, College Park, East Point, and Union City, District 39 is one of the most socio-economically diverse in the state. With a passion for the arts, politics, and education, Halpern has dedicated her civic and philanthropic engagement in these areas over the past two decades.

Outstanding Alum: Exceptional Early Career Professional

Lauren Fleming ’13 (CETA) is a rising star in the architecture industry. For the last six years, she has been an architect at Minneapolis-based Miller Dunwiddie, working closely with the project team, consultants, and contractors, collaborating closely to meet each project’s design and technical goals. Most notably, she has worked on several projects at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Outstanding Alum: Exceptional Professional Success

Ryan Gardner ’01 (Barney) is a founding partner of Fiducient Advisors, an investment consulting firm and registered investment advisor. Since the firm’s inception in 2006, Gardner has played a key role in its growth and development, serving as managing partner, head of defined contribution, and member of the firm’s executive committee.

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Nicole Hughey M’99 (Barney) is vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion at SiriusXM. With more than 25 years of corporate experience, the majority focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts, she previously served as a senior D&I leader at Mass General Brigham, New England’s largest health-care organization; and Travelers Insurance Company. In these roles, she played an integral part in developing and executing diversity strategies that impacted more than 75,000 and 30,000 employees, respectively.

Aymsley Mahoney ’06 (A&S) is the executive director at Alliance Health at Braintree, a not-for-profit corporation that provides nursing and rehabilitation services to a primarily geriatric population. The facility holds 101 residents and employs approximately 200 health-care personnel. Mahoney began her career there in 2011 as a licensed clinical social worker before completing the Federal Nursing Home Administrators Board exam and taking on her current role as executive director.

Steven Minkler ’86, M’00, D’08 (A&S, ENHP) is chief executive officer of Middlesex Community College in Middletown, Connecticut. He leads an institution with nearly 5,000 students enrolled in associate degree, certificate, and workforce development programs offered at its main campus, a satellite location in Meriden, manufacturing centers at two technical high schools, online, and at numerous dual-enrollment, clinical, and internships sites. Minkler’s impressive career in higher education spans 35 years at three of Connecticut’s community colleges.

Outstanding Alum: Impact on the University of Hartford

Alexa Keener ’16, M’18 (Barney) serves as a human resources business partner at CVS Health, a position she took on after the acquisition of Aetna by CVS Health. Keener served in a variety of roles at Aetna, including human resources consultant and financial analyst, and was a founder of the Aetna Hartford Alliance, which has helped grow the University’s alumni network at Aetna. Outside of the University, Keener lends her skills to multiple local organizations. In 2020, she became vice chair of the Torrington Democratic Town Committee, a position she still holds today.

Watch for the selection of our 2022 Anchor Award recipients to be honored on Oct. 13.

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Palate Pleasers The on-campus Park River Bakery was founded in 2014 as part of an enhanced dining experience resulting from renovations to the University Commons. The desire was to place a scratch bakery on campus, and ever since, the baked goods have become a hit—not just at the Commons, but at many other campus and alumni events, during the holidays, and everything in between.

Head baker and pastry chef Deanna Ford shares four of the more popular desserts that students, faculty, and staff request.

CHOCOLATE CHI P COOKI ES At Park River Bakery, we take our chocolate chip cookies seriously.

Always a crowd pleaser, our chocolate chip cookies are made from scratch, with real butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and baked to ooey gooey perfection. Want to know the secret to making the best chocolate chip cookies? It’s all about using salted butter, kosher salt, and quality chocolate.

SAMOA CUP CA KES A play on the classic Girl Scout cookie, our Samoa cupcakes are an original staple at the bakery. These are one of the first items we made at the bakery. Chocolate cupcakes are topped with a salted caramel buttercream, dipped in toasted coconut, and drizzled with chocolate.

The combination is out of this world.

S ’ MO R E S B A R S Buttery, gooey, soft, and chewy. Need I say more? Our S’mores Bars are one of our most popular items at the bakery and for good reason. The S’mores Bars made an appearance a few years back and have flown off the shelves ever since. To create our S’mores Bars, you’ll layer graham cracker cookie dough, spread on a generous layer of marshmallow fluff and chocolate chips, and top them with another layer of graham cracker cookie dough. The key to these bar cookies is to underbake them so they stay soft and chewy.

ABOUT DEANNA Deanna Ford came to UHart eight years ago, after graduating with a degree in baking and pastry from Johnson & Wales University (Rhode Island). In addition, she spent three months at a pastry school in France to learn new techniques. She is a Certified Pastry Chef through The American Culinary Federation. See Deanna in action making her favorite desserts at hartford.edu/h-mag-56.

S AYS D E A N N A :

P EA N UT BUTTER BA R S Our take on a Reese’s Cup, our peanut butter bars are rich, buttery, nutty, and smooth. We take melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and chocolate to make these delectable treats. If you’re a peanut butter lover, these are a must-try!

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Since the very beginning, I’ve brought all my innovation and passion to this role and haven’t stopped since.

Starting at the bakery when I was just 20 years old really gave me an advantage when it came to tailoring our menus and products for college-age students, because, well, I was one! I created items that I know I would want to eat myself and I based our entire program on student feedback. We have tweaked items that needed improvement, pulled off items that didn’t sell well, and have continuously added new items for innovation, excitement, and customer experience. I have loved being able to make students smile with something as simple as dessert, and I have loved being a part of the culture on campus.

HAWK ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP

WE WANT OUR HAWKS TO CONTINUE TO SOAR...

That is why we have created a scholarship for alumni to attend UHart for their graduate studies.

We want to be a continued destination in your educational journey!

The Hawk Alumni Scholarship provides a scholarship equivalent to a 25% tuition discount for UHart alumni entering select graduate degree programs.

HARTFORD.EDU/ALUMNI-SCHOLARSHIP

SUMMER 2021

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