South African exploration

This past spring, 16 UConn students spent three intense weeks living and learning in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. Led by Professors Morty Ortega and Elizabeth Jockusch, the UConn students were joined in South Africa by faculty and students from the University of Fort Hare.

The students lived on the Great Fish River Reserve, a 100,000-acre nature and game reserve complex surrounded by commercial farms and poor rural communities. Through lectures, field trips, and time spent conducting research on the reserve, the students learned about ecological systems in southern Africa.

"Working and living with South Africans was amazing," says graduate student Eric Mosher. "The overall experience was so much more than learning about plants and animals. It was really about gaining perspective on another culture."

A three-credit ecology class in South Africa provided a unique learning experience for 16 UConn students who spent three weeks with students and faculty from the University of Fort Hare.

"The purpose of the trip was to expose students to South Africa," says Ortega. "By talking to Fort Hare students both in the field and on campus, and by visiting a rural community, where they learned how South Africans manage their land and live in such an arid environment, UConn students learned a great deal about the culture of South Africa."

According to Peter Lent, an associate professor of animal science at Fort Hare and one of the organizers of the course, the UConn students in turn helped open the eyes of the students and professors they encountered.

"The Fort Hare students certainly appreciated the enthusiasm of the American students as well as the intense interest and intellectual curiosity UConn students and professors displayed," says Lent.

Prior to the three-credit ecology class abroad, the UConn students, all of whom had previously taken ecology and wildlife management classes, met several times for guest lectures in preparation for the trip. Once they arrived in South Africa, each student conducted an original research project, with topics ranging from examining vegetation on the reserve to studying insects and animals.

The course, which will be taught again in the spring, is the first such collaborative effort under the UConn-University of Fort Hare linkage, which is partially funded by the United Negro College Fund.

Exercise and genetics may be linked

Each spring, when the masses commit to getting in shape for summer, some people seem to have an easier time of it than others. As it turns out, the difference may be attributable to genetics.

UConn's School of Allied Health is one of 10 institutions selected to conduct an in-depth study assessing which genes influence a person's response to resistance training. With a four-year, $430,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Linda Pescatello, an assistant professor and exercise physiologist, is leading the UConn research team.

"This is the first systematic study of the interaction between genetic variation and the response to environmental stimuli in normal humans," says Pescatello. "Can we identify through genetic makeup for whom exercise would work best? If so, could someone more readily adapt to the training if they were told up-front how effective it would be? And would a person be more likely to stick to it if they knew it was going to pay off for them? These are some of the questions we will be seeking to address."

Pescatello's team includes three graduate students, two from allied health and one from kinesiology, as well as several undergraduates. The research team is recruiting 200 participants who will undergo 12 weeks of supervised exercise involving their non-dominant arm. If a subject is left-handed, he or she will exercise the right arm, twice a week for 30 minutes. The goal is to build up the biceps and triceps while determining muscle strength and size and evaluating the person's genetic composition. The findings, says Pescatello, will have implications for health, in terms of sports performance, and for disease, such as the muscle deterioration that occurs during aging.

"Since adherence and compliance to diet and exercise are often the greatest roadblocks to maintaining or attaining fitness, we hope to use this information as a tool for identifying for whom exercise works best," Pescatello explains.

CIBER grant fosters global perspective

The School of Business will continue serving as a national resource for excellence in global technology competitiveness with the recent renewal of a U.S. Department of Education CIBER grant. Awarded $1.4 million over the next four years, UConn's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) received the distinction following a highly competitive application process. One of only 30 schools in the nation recognized with this grant, UConn offers a program emphasizing global initiatives in research, teaching and academic outreach.

The CIBER program was established by Congress in 1988 in an effort to increase and promote the nation's understanding of international business conditions and economic enterprise. UConn's CIBER, which celebrates its third successful grant renewal

since 1995, provides interdisciplinary educational opportunities for students with a focus on worldwide business and technology; professional development and research opportunities for faculty of global technology management; as well as technological competitiveness information, and research and training programs for businesses, government, and professional organizations.

A part of the CIBER program, the School of Business works closely with the School of Engineering, the Division of International Affairs, and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Remarking upon the impact of the program, interim Dean C. F. Sirmans notes that UConn's CIBER "enhances the global perspective of business people, students and teachers at all levels."

With the renewed funding, UConn's CIBER plans a number of new initiatives. It will sponsor a faculty development seminar in India, open to all U.S. professors, promoting the teaching of international business. Continuing to support study abroad programs and MBA travel to London, Paris, Mexico, China, and India, CIBER will enhance efforts to incorporate a global focus into many of UConn's business courses. And in the wake of the events of September 11, the program plans to facilitate a conference addressing homeland security and its effect on the global business community.

The BGS yields 25 years of success

Denise Brown '98 was a high school graduate working at a fast-food restaurant. She had always wanted to become a dentist. She is now in dental school, at the top of her class. Carolyn Scruse Hall '93, a former paralegal, now has her own law practice.

Michael Bradford '98 went from a job at Electric Boat to a position as assistant professor of dramatic arts at UConn's Avery Point campus.

They are among the thousands of graduates of UConn's Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program, which offers non-traditional students the chance to earn a degree.

Designed for working adults, the BGS program began in 1977 with 27 students. By 1981, the program had expanded to UConn's regional campuses. This year the program celebrates its silver anniversary with more than 1,000 students and 3,700 accomplished graduates. Althoughtheir life experiences and courses of study are incredibly varied, all BGS graduates maintain the fundamental thread of pursuing a degree that meets their individual needs to achieve their goals.

Legislative leader Denise Merrill '88 chose the BGS program because "I was able to structure coursework so that I could work, raise three children, and still take classes of my choice at a variety of campuses on my own timetable."

Mary Gates '93 enrolled in the BGS program because "I wanted to go to the UConn School of Social Work to pursue a master's degree," she says. "BGS gave me a well-rounded education, and all my previous credits were accepted."

Gates pursued a joint major with the UConn School of Social Work and the Yale School of Divinity. She earned a Master's in Social Work in 1996 and a Master's in Divinity in 1997. Ordained in 1999, Gates is an Episcopal priest in Waterbury, Conn., and a psychotherapist in private practice.

After completing the BGS, Barry Harrison '89, '92 J.D. continued his education at the UConn School of Law. Today he's lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, Harrison is the staff judge advocate for the rear admiral, official Japanese court observer, and a magistrate for the military's grand jury process.

"I took a constitutional law course, and the professor told me I had an aptitude for legal studies," says Harrison. "It was a BGS professor that started the ball rolling toward law school."

Just as the success stories of BGS graduates goes on and on, so does the success and growth of the UConn BGS program.

Symposium sparks interest in academic dentistry

Today, faculty teaching in dental schools across the nation are probably the best prepared, most qualified and most accomplished of any dental school faculty cadre ever. The students they educate are the most skilled dental practitioners in history. Unfortunately, more than 400 faculty positions in U.S. dental schools are currently vacant, and the average age of dental faculty is creeping into the mid-50s.

One of the nation's premier institutions for dental education, the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, recently, sponsored the "Skeletal, Craniofacial & Oral Biology Symposium," which provided a national forum to explore important issues in this area of dentistry and to promote interest in academic dentistry.

The symposium, funded by a five-year, multimillion dollar training grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, brought together about 70 faculty members, government officials, dentists, dental fellows, residents and scientists from across the country interested in oral and maxillofacial dental research. While bone biology provided the focal point for the symposium, an oft-stated theme was the advantages and satisfaction of pursuing a career in academic dentistry.

"The feedback was gratifying," said William Upholt, UConn professor of biostructure and function and symposium co-organizer. "Large numbers of the participants said it was useful to have sessions that looked at career opportunities and explored planning, training and how to be successful in research."

"There is an urgent need in our nation's dental schools," said Alan Lurie, UConn professor of oral diagnosis and symposium co-organizer. "The purpose of the event was to help develop future dental faculty. The response was overwhelmingly positive."

Out of the heat

The topic has remained in the spotlight following the tragic death in 2001 of Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer. This past summer, Casa, who is director of UConn's athletic training program, has been interviewed by journalists across the country about a report he co-authored for the National Athletic Trainers Association that provides new recommendations on the treatment of heat illnesses brought on by physical exertion.

"These new guidelines should go a long way in preventing needless tragedies," says Casa. "These recommendations are based on the very latest research we have on how optimally to prevent, recognize and treat exertional heat illnesses."

The illnesses include heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke--potentially the most dangerous of the conditions. Research shows that subtle signs and symptoms are often overlooked. The new guidelines include recommendations to educate athletes and coaches about heat illness and hydration, allow athletes more time to adapt to climate changes, and monitor closely an athlete's fluid intake and losses.

Casa has more than just a professional interest in the issue. When he was a teenager running in the Empire State Games in New York, he suffered a heat stroke and went into a coma for several hours. Had it not been for the superb, immediate treatment he received by athletic trainers and emergency personnel, Casa says he might not have survived. So for the past 16 years, Casa has been studying and researching the hydration process as well as exertional heat illnesses. A survivor of the life threatening effects of heat illness, Casa is passionately committed to educating professionals on the proper care of today's athletes.

The mathematics of flight

The next time you are on an airplane, look out at the wing and think of UConn Professor Thomas Peters. For two decades, Peters has been developing the mathematics and algorithms needed to ensure the durability and strength of the intersection where the wing connects to the fuselage.

That joint--a geometric intersection--presents a recurring design problem Peters, an associate professor of computer science and engineering, has been asked to resolve for automotive and aerospace manufacturers each time a new product with complex intersections is under development. Now, with a $715,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Peters and his research team will develop new solutions that could solve the problem, with potential savings to both industries of more than $1 billion annually.

Peters is leading a group of scientists that includes researchers from Purdue, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boeing who are creating an efficient and precise way of designing intersection algorithms. Additionally, three UConn students, one graduate and two undergraduates, will be working with Peters and his team.

"For decades, engineers employing computer-aided design have relied on outdated mathematical computations--algorithms developed primarily for linear construction--that are not adequate for the complex surface intersections common in modern industrial design," explains Peters, who holds a joint appointment in mathematics.

Computer-aided design was originally used to help people visualize an object, replacing the traditional engineering design paradigm of draftsmen using pencil and paper. This software has continued to evolve over the years but, as Peters points out, the mathematics used for the underlying algorithms did not keep up with the technology.

"While the design may look perfect on the computer, it is impossible to detect tiny cracks with the naked eye. So the aerospace industry and others have had to resort to costly and time-consuming physical stress tests," says Peters.

"By making the geometry better to begin with," he says, "we could avoid the tedious test and repair cycle." One of his goals is to have the geometry and stress analysis achieve a level of accuracy such that costly destructive tests are no longer needed or required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A father's love

Researchers who look to mothers exclusively to understand a child's development are getting only half the story, says Ronald Rohner, emeritus professor and director of UConn's Center for the Study of Parental Acceptance and Rejection.

A father's love--or lack thereof--is a critical yet understudied consideration in child development, according to recent research by Rohner and his colleague. "What we find is that a father's love is just as important as, and sometimes more important than, a mother's love," Rohner says.

Fathers are identified more readily than mothers in issues such as psychological maladjustment, substance abuse, depression, and conduct problems, says Rohner. On the positive side, a father's love provides a buffer against the development of these difficulties and can contribute to a child's good physical health.

Rohner and his colleague examined nearly 100 studies spanning more than 50 years that explore the effect of parenting on children's behavior. In the early studies, Rohner noted: "At the very most, fathers were thought to be peripheral to the job of parenting because children spent most of their time with their mother. Some even argued that fathers have no biological aptitude for childcare, though women were said to be genetically endowed for it."

Because mothers were assumed to be so important in child development, researchers tended to study mothers' behavior. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers gradually turned their attention to the importance of fathers. Some of the studies yielded results that were surprising at the time. Rohner explains: Many of these studies found that a "father's love is the sole significant predictor of specific child outcomes."

Although the numerous studies spanning 50+ years did offer some mixed conclusions about the importance of fathers, the mere fact that fathers are now being examined with more frequency is crucial. "Widespread recognition of fathers' influence may help motivate many men to become more involved in nurturing childcare," says Rohner.

Nothing but Treblemakers!

Listen to most children's CDs, and you'll notice many of them feature professional adult singers. Mary Ellen Junda, a UConn faculty member and nationally recognized child development vocal specialist, has released a CD of children's folk songs that challenges this convention by relying exclusively on the voices of children. The result is a CD that is both greatly appealing to children and highly professional.

Both Treblemakers discs are available at the UConn Co-op or www.cdbaby.com

"I wanted people to realize that children are capable of singing artistically and in tune," says Junda, director of Treblemakers, an associate professor of music and associate dean of the School of Fine Arts.

Earlier this year, Junda released the CD Singing with Treblemakers: Our Favorite Folk Songs, featuring nine young performers singing 23 folk songs. The singers, between 11 and 14 years old, were all members of Treblemakers, a choir Junda created at the College of Continuing Studies Community School of the Arts. Four UConn students were among those who provided instrumental accompaniment on the CD.

Junda says the CD provides children aged 5 to 10 with age-appropriate songs and vocals that fit their singing range. The recording features an eclectic selection of folk songs from a wide range of musical traditions, including African, British and Native American.

Junda selected nine singers from the 35-member choir to perform on the CD. "These children definitely had both maturity and musical skill," she says. It took a strong blend of both to handle the rigors of producing a professionally recorded disc, which took a year to complete and required the singers to make frequent trips to the recording studio.

Junda says the performers exhibited true professionalism. "Their ears were as good as their voices, if not better," she says, noting that the singers sometimes asked to redo a song if they thought they could do better: "They were more critical than I."

This is the second Treblemakers CD Junda has produced. In 1998, she released Singing with Treblemakers: Songs for Young Singers, which received a coveted Gold Award from the Parents' Choice Foundation. Junda plans to begin working on a third CD next year.

Demand for Indian law expertise

Left to right, Professor Richard Pomp, Dean Nell Jessup Newton, and Professor Bethany Berger.

There were no lazy days of summer for the School of Law as calls streamed in from people looking for expert interpretations of a recent federal government ruling.

In late June, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced its decision to recognize Connecticut's Eastern Pequot tribe. With the School establishing itself as a national authority on Indian law, countless reporters and others called for insight into the decision. The immediate result: Several UConn professors and the dean appeared extensively in numerous articles explaining the legal rationale underlying the decision and its implications, and The New York Times ran a feature about the Law School's growing Indian law program. The underlying significance: UConn's School of Law is emerging as a national leader in the evolving and sometimes controversial area of Indian law--perhaps a natural fit in Connecticut, also home to the thriving Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes.

Professor Colin Tait taught the School of Law's first introductory course on Indian law in 1998, but it is Dean Nell Jessup Newton's recent arrival that has raised the School's profile in the Indian law community. Newton, considered one of the country's premier authorities on Indian law, is currently overseeing the revision of the Handbook of Federal Indian Law, the primary resource that lawyers and judges across the country reference when seeking information about this complex subject.

Further adding to the School's rising reputation, research professor of Indian law Bethany Berger, who previously lived and worked on the Hopi and Navajo reservations, has recently joined the Law School faculty to assist in the efforts to elevate the Indian law program and to collaborate with Newton on the handbook revision. The new edition of the handbook, which hasn't been revised since 1982, is due out in January 2004. Additionally, Professor Richard Pomp, who also has extensive expertise in Indian law, is planning to publish the first-ever textbook on taxation of American Indians next year.

Nature-nurture research celebrated

Last summer nearly 100 scholars convened to pay tribute to the UConn psychology professor considered one of the founders and leaders of modern behavior genetics. During "Nurturing the Genome: A Festschrift for Benson E. Ginsburg," participants discussed the emeritus professor's influence on their research and the field of genetics.

Benson Ginsberg, left, emeritus professor of behavior genetics, with Charles Lowe, professor and department head of psychology.

Throughout his career, Ginsburg has studied the intersection between genes and the environment for mice, dogs, wolves and humans. "This research has contributed to the knowledge that behavior has analyzable genetic bases involving the interactions of multiple genes that may be triggered by environmental events acting at particular times during development," says Ginsburg.

Ginsburg came to UConn in 1968 and founded the University's biobehavioral sciences program, a multi-disciplinary department devoted to research on the brain and behavior that has served as a national model.

"That program put UConn in a leadership role," says Ross Buck, a communication sciences professor and conference co-organizer. "At that point, it was very unusual to have a department that covered material relevant to areas ranging from biology to social psychology."

Stephen Maxson, a psychology professor and conference co-organizer, proposed the honorary event as a way to bring together people who had been influenced by Ginsburg and recognize his far-reaching impact. "We wanted to bring people together who had been influenced by his contributions," Maxson says. "The people who presented at the festschrift began to see how deeply rooted their research was in their collaborations with Ginsburg. Reflecting on our own work, we can appreciate many of the things he did and how they've influenced us in our scholarly pursuits."

Next year the American Psychological Association, which supported the event, will publish a volume describing the research presented at the festschrift.

An unwritten chapter in American history

An 1850s daguerreotype image of Amos Haskins, a Native American whaling captain. Photo courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

Associate professor of history Nancy Shoemaker is coupling her passion for Native American history with her desire to learn more about New England's past. The recipient of a highly selective National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, Shoemaker is researching American Indians in the New England whaling industry for an upcoming book. She is tracing the history of American Indian involvement in whaling and breaking ground in its examination by combing through ships' logs, whalers' memoirs and newspapers found in archives throughout New England. While interest in the history of Indian whaling is widespread, there are few written accounts. Indeed, there are currently no comprehensive 19th- century histories of Indian whalers, when the industry reached its peak with more than 700 whaleships regularly setting sail from 23 ports along the coast from Maine to New Jersey.

Garnering one of the most prestigious awards available to humanities scholars, Shoemaker will find an eager audience among those curious about the history of whaling at a time when federal recognition of New England tribes is of profound interest.

Because whaling became the predominant occupation for Native American men in coastal New England, its immense social and cultural impact on Indian communities attracted Shoemaker's attention. "Native Americans, whose hunt for whales once solely encompassed scouring the carcasses of those that washed ashore, adapted to an industry that drew them on voyages that spanned months or even years," explains Shoemaker. "All would agree that history has long ignored what is an important period in the evolution of the American Indian."

Having authored and edited several books about Native Americans, Shoemaker is a recognized authority in the field. As UConn's American Indian historian, she teaches both an undergraduate course and a graduate seminar on the subject. In addition to her current research, Shoemaker is developing a workshop-style course in Native American whaling.

New Ambulatory Surgery Center,
Musculoskeletal Institute

Plans are underway at the UConn Health Center to construct a new 100,000 square foot facility to house an ambulatory surgery center and a new Musculoskeletal Institute.

The majority of the building--more than 60,000 square feet--will be devoted to the Musculoskeletal Institute, a Health Center signature program that will incorporate clinical, research and academic programs in musculoskeletal health. The ambulatory surgery center will include five operating rooms, space for pre- and post-anesthesia care and room for administrative and business offices.

"This facility will expand our research in bone biology, biomaterials, biomechanics, arthritis and orthopedics, including sports medicine and joint replacement," says Peter Deckers, dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president for health affairs. "The new Musculoskeletal Institute will help us directly link our research with our clinical programs so we can take the discoveries we make in the lab and use them for treating patients," adds Deckers.

The ambulatory surgery center will make it possible for the Health Center to upgrade its operating rooms and increase space. The Health Center's John Dempsey Hospital is already running its current operating facilities at full capacity and needs to expand.

"We foresee a continuing increase in the need for ambulatory surgery because of demographics and the changing nature of medicine," says Steven Strongwater, associate dean for clinical affairs and director of John Dempsey Hospital. "We wanted to improve our surgery facilities, but we didn't want to reduce our current level of service to the community."

The new ambulatory center and Musculoskeletal Institute is a joint project of the UConn Health Center and Health Resources International. University President Philip E. Austin calls this new collaborative initiative "vital" to the University's academic mission.

"If we are going to continue to grow as a center of intellect and ingenuity, we must also explore new and innovative partnerships that can help us achieve our goals with greater speed and with less reliance on government funding," he says.

The building is scheduled to open in March 2004.

High-tech prescrition for seniors

The University's School of Nursing has written a high-tech prescription that is helping senior citizens avoid common and dangerous drug interactions.

Using a touch screen computer system, older adults are learning about potential problems that may arise when combining prescription and over-the-counter medications.

An easy-to-use touch screen can help senior citizens avoid potentially dangerous drug interactions.

"It's designed to be as easy as ordering coleslaw in a deli," says Patricia Neafsey, a pharmacologist and UConn professor of nursing. "Considerable research went into the software as to word choice and visual design for the animations. We try to avoid using medical terms in favor of words that real people say, such as blood thinners or blood pressure pills."

"The touch screen system has been well received by seniors," says Zoe Strickler, a visual communication designer and coordinator of multidisciplinary research in the University's Center for Health/ HIV Intervention and Prevention.

When asked what they like about the program, patients say it readily explains what their medications do and that the system's animations facilitate comprehension and better recall of the warnings. "The program is easier to understand than medicine labels," says one senior citizen.

The project, now in its initial rollout at sites throughout Connecticut, California and Pennsylvania, is being carried out under the School of Nursing's Center for Health Communication Research and Design. Says Neafsey: "We're using the touch screen technology that many voters see at the ballot box. Our system isn't going to be foreign. The timing is right."

What's the next prescription? The Center has applied for a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop an online patient information system to be used in a doctor's waiting room, taking more of the burden off the patient, regardless of age, who traditionally fills out a questionnaire on a clipboard.

According to Neafsey and Strickler, as the nation's population ages, it becomes increasingly important that health information be presented in ways that older adults can learn from and best respond to. The two researchers are optimistic that the new technologies being developed will enable older individuals to manage their health and, ultimately, live longer independently in their homes.

Gaining practical experience

Students in UConn's School of Pharmacy value practical experience, and they are better trained because of it. With 10 residents and fellows this academic year, UConn's School of Pharmacy now boasts the largest practicing team of students of any school of pharmacy in New England and hosts Connecticut's first community pharmacy and geriatrics pharmacy residents.

"This accomplishment exemplifies our mission, and we're excited about the opportunities it affords our students, our program and the state," explains Robert McCarthy, interim dean of the School of Pharmacy.

Those seeking a Doctor of Pharmacy degree typically complete UConn's program over a six-year span comprising four years of undergraduate study followed by two years of graduate training. In their final two years, residents and fellows hone crucial practice and research skills within cooperative pharmacy settings such as hospitals and clinics. Made possible by funding partnerships with the School of Pharmacy and the host sites, internships provide future pharmacists valuable exposure to all aspects of the health care environment.

The UConn professors, who mentor the residents and fellows, benefit as well. Having an intern allows them to devote additional time to meaningful research projects.

"Essentially, it is like having a post doc in the office," says Sean Jeffery, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy. "Utilizing the talents of a highly qualified student resident allows me to extend the scope of my work."

As a group, these interns will have a far-reaching impact. "They will increase our exposure on the national level as evidence that UConn is in the business of training some of the country's premier pharmacy practitioners," adds McCarthy. "Many will stay in Connecticut after finishing their training and provide state residents with the finest pharmaceutical care available."

Social awakening in Armenia

The shattered lives of Armenian street children are now being restored thanks to the emergence of social work in this new democracy that reached out to UConn's School of Social Work for help getting started.

It's been a dozen years since Armenia separated from the Soviet Republic and UConn joined hands with the country's Yerevan State University to develop a viable social work program.

The result: Social work has become a shining stronghold in this small landlocked country of nearly four million--located east of Turkey and north of Iran.

"We've been consistently there for the past 12 years," says Nancy A. Humphreys, professor of social work and the School's former dean, who launched the Armenian Social Work Project. "They had the daunting task of establishing a new social structure," she says. "We respected their views and greatly helped the progression of social work into their culture."

Today, Armenia has some 400 trained social workers, and programs have been successfully integrated into hospitals, community-based health clinics, schools, prisons, and veteran and geriatric services, with women's services on the horizon.

"Social work has become the fastest growing child service," says Humphreys. "A program has been developed for street children; and disabled children, who were once isolated and hidden in homes, are attending school and have become part of their communities."

The international collaboration has resulted in the establishment of both a four-year bachelor's degree program in social work and a one-year master's program at Yerevan State University. The collaboration has also led to the development of more than 30 field training sites.

UConn graduate students have also benefited from this international partnership, making connections with their peers at Yerevan State University and working on an array of research projects. During the past three years, UConn students have traveled to Armenia to study, research and gain a greater understanding of this country and its people during this remarkable period of change.