Celebrating the Wolff family legacy
Les Payne honored by NABJ
Bringing home the gold
Alumni showcase art on campus
Alumni Traveler
Alumni Weekend
In Memoriam
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Let your fellow UConn alumni know about the milestones in your life. You can keep them up to date by sending information and, if possible, a photograph, to Alumni News & Notes, University of Connecticut Alumni Association, Alumni Drive, Storrs, CT 06269; by fax to 860-486-2849; by e-mail to alumni-news@uconn.edu; or log in to the Husky Alumni Network and submit your information.
Stay connected with the Husky Alumni Network!
Introducing the Husky Alumni Network, an expanded online community for UConn alumni.
Two new features of the Husky Alumni Network are permanent e-mail and the Career Network. Stay affiliated with your alma mater with your own UConn alumni e-mail address, and share your career experience and advice with fellow alumni and students.
Alumni can also submit class notes online through the Husky Alumni Network. For more information, visit UConnAlumni.com
In this issue of UCONN Magazine, we have highlighted 40 of our outstanding young alumni who have achieved success in their communities and their professions.
These 40 graduates were selected from a wide pool of accomplished young alumni, and they exemplify the impact of the 195,000 UConn alumni around the world.
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In September, I had the privilege of celebrating with this group of young graduates as they came back to campus to meet each other, connect with the campus community and see how much their University has changed in the short time they’ve been gone.
The most important part of their visit was the time they spent with current UConn students.
These “40 Under 40” met with students in small groups and classroom settings to share their experiences and talk about their life journey after UConn. They offered inspiration and guidance to those who want to follow in their footsteps.
As a proud UConn alum, you have a similar opportunity to give back to current students. The Alumni Association’s Husky Alumni Network, the expanded online community, now includes a Career Network through which alumni can volunteer to share career advice and develop professional relationships with students.
Whether you live in Canton, California, or Calcutta, each of you has something to contribute to the next generation of Huskies. I invite you to complete your profile in the Career Network today and be one step closer to making connections with students.
Simply go to uconnalumni.com and click on the Husky Alumni Network icon.
Let’s follow the lead of these 40 young alumni and build an alumni network of thousands ready to help a fellow Husky.
Lisa Lewis
Executive Director, UConn Alumni Association
SAVE THE DATES
June 5—6, 2009
Alumni volunteers are needed for the Alumni Weekend 2009 Planning Committee. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Kim Lachut ’90 at (888) 822-5861 or by e-mail at kimberly.lachut@uconn.edu.
Harvey Johnson ’52 (CLAS) received a kidney transplant in February 2008. He spends most of his time working with the Carolina Midlands Irrigation Society and lives in Aiken, S.C., with his wife of 49 years.
William Wollenberg ’53 (CLAS) and his wife, Doris, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 2007. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1986 with the rank of colonel.
Fay E. Edsall ’55 (SAH) was voted Female Volunteer of the Year at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., after nine years of volunteer work.
Lois Stone ’55 (ED), a writer and poet, contributed essays to both the spring and summer 2008 Chicken Soup for the Soul series books.
Ellen (Stevens) Brannigan ’56 (ED) and her husband, James Brannigan ’57 (BUS), celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren on a cruise to Baja California.
Otha N. Brown ’56 M.A., chairman of the second taxing district of the city of Norwalk, Conn., was recognized for his community service by the South Norwalk Branch Library, which named its building in his honor in April. He has served as director of the UConn campus in Waterbury and as president of the local chapter of the NAACP.
Peninnah Schram ’56 (CLAS), professor in the Speech and Drama Department at Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University, New York, N.Y., is the author of The Hungry Clothes and Other Jewish Folktales, published
by Sterling Publishing in March 2008.
Courtland Traver ’57 (CLAS) is retired and living in Williamsburg, Va., after his career as a lawyer and professor of law at The College of William and Mary.
William Pardus ’58 (ED), professor emeritus of music at Keene State College, received the Director’s Prize in the International Composers’ Competition sponsored by the Longfellow Chorus of Portland, Maine, for his composition “Three Songs of the Coast.” He also won the 2008 New Hampshire Music Teachers’ Association’s Commissioned Composer Award for a new work that will premiere in October 2008 in Manchester, N.H.
Paul A. Perregaux ’58 (CLAS), ’66 M.A. received the Daniel Beard Award from the Grand Lodge of Masons, St. James Lodge 102, in North Hampton, N.H., for dedicated service to the Boy Scouts of America. He and his wife, Shirley (Dimmock) ’63 (SFA), will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in December.
Nancy Mattoon Kline ’59 (SFS), ’61 M.S., ’94 Ph.D., retired UConn librarian, established the Mattoon-Kline Scholarship at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, where she earned her master of library science degree. The award was presented for the first time in April 2008.
Paul Magnarella ’59 (BUS) is the director of Peace and Justice Studies at Warren Wilson College, Asheville, N.C.
Lewis Turco ’59 (CLAS), emeritus professor of English writing arts at SUNY Oswego, received the Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award at the 2008 West Chester (Pa.) University Poetry Conference. SUNY Oswego established the Lewis Putnam Turco Formal Poetry Award to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its Creative Writing Program, founded by Turco in 1968. Two other poetry prizes in his name also will be established: the Windmill Poets’ Lewis Turco Award and the National Federation of State Poetry Societies Lewis Turco Prize.
Celebrating the Wolff family legacy
Among the many generations of fervent UConn fans, few have given back to as broad a range of University programs as alum Thomas J. Wolff (CLAS) ’56 and his family.
A man of extraordinary professional and personal success, Wolff has been a longtime benefactor, bestowing UConn with numerous examples of his family’s enduring support.
He and his wife of 60 years, Bette, along with their three children, two of whom are UConn alumni, have supported programs from the School of Business to the Division of Athletics.
The family has funded four swimming and basketball scholarships and were lead contributors to the 39,000-square-foot Wolff-Zackin Natatorium on the Storrs campus, where UConn’s athletes in swimming and diving compete.
The Wolff Family Program in Entrepreneurship sponsors an ongoing lecture series as well as an annual competition for UConn’s entrepreneurial MBA students.
In addition, the Wolffs have endowed the Thomas John and Bette Wolff Family Chair in Strategic Entrepreneurship, held by Michael H. Lubatkin, a professor of management at the School of Business. Wolff has also served for much of the past decade on the UConn Foundation Board of Directors.
In light of the Wolff family’s many significant contributions to the University, the Board of Trustees in 1998 named a park on the Storrs campus in their honor.
Adjacent to the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, the Thomas and Bette Wolff Family Park is home to a distinctive statue of Jonathan the Husky, UConn’s mascot.
Cast in bronze, the statue has become a source of tradition — students have taken to rubbing his nose for good luck, and many visitors and alumni stop to snap family photos by his side.
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| Photo by Sean Flynn |
A successful entrepreneur, salesman, publisher, lecturer, community activist, and recognized leader in insurance sales, Wolff credits much of his success in the business world to his UConn experience.
He also remains a devotee of UConn basketball, having held season tickets for more than 50 consecutive years.
“My feeling is that UConn owes me nothing,” he has said. “I owe — and my family owes — UConn everything.”
Graduating with a degree in economics in 1956, Wolff began his professional career by launching and serving as CEO of Wolff-Zackin & Associates, Inc., one of the state’s most successful insurance agencies.
He later founded a publishing company that became one of the leading providers of training material to the financial services industry. Recognized with many honors throughout his career, Wolff was the 22nd recipient of the UConn Founders’ Medal in 2004.
“UConn is extremely fortunate to have supporters as dedicated, as engaged, and as personable as the Wolffs,” says Jeffrey Hathaway, director of athletics.
“When you look at the range of programs they have supported, both in athletics and across the University, you can see that Tom has established a legacy of giving.”
Editor’s Note:
Wolff died on Oct. 27 at his home in Florida after a long illness. He was 80.
Dave Hills ’60 (ED), ’65 M.A., retired high school history teacher, is the author of Fishing With Whitewater and Other Memories (A Memoir) published by Little Letterpress in 2007.
John P. Rosazza ’62 (PHR), ’66 M.S., ’69 Ph.D., professor emeritus of pharmacy at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, received the College’s Honorary Alumnus Award. He maintains a research laboratory at the UI Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing.
Joel Hirschhorn ’64 (CLAS), attorney at Hirschhorn & Bieber, P.A. in Coral Gables, Fla., was included in the 2008 Florida Super Lawyers and the 2008 Best Lawyers in America and was listed as a top lawyer in South Florida in the 2008 South Florida Legal Guide.
Allan Neubauer ’64 (BUS) retired as North American procurement manager for maintenance and engineering services for BASF Corporation. He lives in Bastrop, Texas, with his wife of 34 years, Linda.
Todd Sorrow ’64 (BUS) retired after 24 years as a senior program master planner with Lockheed Martin Aerospace in Orlando, Fla.
Paul B. Phinney III ’68 (CLAS) completed a two-year term as president of the Rockland (N.Y.) County Magistrates Association and began his 23rd year as town justice in Orangetown, N.Y., becoming the longest-serving town justice in the town’s history. He has opened a specialized domestic violence division in his court and serves as instructor on traffic trials at the Rockland County Police Academy. His wife, Elizabeth (Thomas) ’68 (CLAS), works as the bookkeeper in his private law office.
Mark Rich ’68 (CLAS), ’74 M.A. retired after 10 years as director of Maymont Nature Center in Richmond, Va. He lives in Chester, Va., with his wife, Kathleen (Boyd) ’70 M.A., who retired this year from her career as a reading teacher.
Joseph Polisi ’69 (CLAS), president of The Juilliard School, is the author of William Schuman, American Muse: The Life and Times of William Schuman, scheduled for publication by Amadeus Press in October 2008.
Les Payne honored by NABJ
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| Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Les Payne ’64 (CLAS) was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame in July by NABJ president Barbara Ciara. He is a founder of NABJ and one of the nation’s pioneering journalists as a reporter, associate editor and columnist for New York Newsday for 35 years. Payne is a tireless champion for newsroom diversity and international journalism and an outspoken critic of racism. He is writing a biography of Malcolm X. |
| Photo by NABJ |
Woody Anderson ’70 (CLAS), former Hartford Courant sportswriter, won the 2008 Arthur B. McGinley Award for meritorious service to the Connecticut Sports Writer’s Alliance.
Robert Connolly ’71 M.S.W. retired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in March 2008 and has joined the Catholic University of America National School of Social Service to assist in geriatric research and planning. His wife, Mavis (McPhillips) ’71 M.S.W., retired from CMS in 2006 and now is a consultant on hospice and home health issues.
Philip Daley ’71 (ED), ’73 M.A. works for the architectural team at AutoCAD in Hillsborough, N.H. His wife, Barbara (Landeen) ’71 (CLAS), ’73 M.S., is a piano teacher, church organist and youth groups director.
Bruce Mastracchio ’71 (ED) retired after 36 years as a teacher and coach in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Nevada and Georgia. He was enshrined in the East Greenwich (R.I.) Athletic Hall of Fame and was recognized during the 2008 CT-RI Governor’s Cup, the all-star football game between Connecticut and Rhode Island high school players.
Beverly Rainforth ’71 (SAH), ’79 M.A., professor of special education at Binghamton University in Binghamton, N.Y., was named a distinguished teaching professor, a tenured ranking that is conferred for consistently extraordinary accomplishment.
Richard Tavone ’71 M.S.W., a U.S.G.A. First Tee staff instructor, established a clinical golf school at Washington Village Golf Course in Coventry, R.I., using sports psychology and golf skills for students of all ages, including special needs children and adults.
Rodney Gilbert ’72 (CANR), instructor of animal science and manager of the instructional livestock units at Delaware Valley College, received the 2008 NACTA Eastern Regional Outstanding Teacher Award at the Annual Conference of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture held at Utah State University.
David McGowan ’72 Ph.D. is semi-retired after a four-decade career of direct patient care and administration and management in hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation centers. He is licensed as a soccer and ice hockey referee and officiates minor league games and senior amateur games in the U.S. and Europe.
Harry Nichols ’72 (BUS) is vice president of human resources at CVR Energy Inc. in Sugarland, Texas. He previously worked as vice president of human resources at Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP.
Melville Stewart ’72 M.A., professor of philosophy emeritus and adjunct at Bethel University in Minnesota, has taught at universities in Russia, China, and the United Kingdom and is the author and editor of several books on philosophy and religion topics, including volumes in Russian and Chinese.
Noah Zecher ’72 (CLAS) is the CEO of Compass Brokerage, Inc., in Birmingham, Ala., which won the 2007 Bank Insurance and Securities Association Award as Outstanding Brokerage Firm among large financial institutions.
Jeff Davidson ’73 (BUS), ’75 M.B.A. has had his book, The Sixty Second Organizer, published by Adams Media Corporation, translated into Arabic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Turkish. The second edition of the book was published in June 2008.
Robert Wendel ’73 (SFA), ’76 M.M., composer, arranger and conductor, was commissioned by the Cincinnati Pops to create a new arrangement of “Chariots of Fire,” which was performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Joseph Wocoski ’73 (CLAS) is mission assurance manager in charge of quality assurance for software and systems engineering projects within the defense mission systems division of Northrop Grumman Corp. He lives with his wife, Gayle, in the Washington, D.C., area.
Ronald Eig ’74 (SAH) became a certified performance coach, with a focus on medical and health professionals and families in transition, after 34 years as a practicing physical therapist in Florida.
Ralph Esposito ’74 (SFA), professor of art at Carroll College in Helena, Mont., has been awarded a 2008 Fulbright-Hayes Summer Seminar Abroad. He will explore Greece and Bulgaria for six weeks in a cultural immersion experience that will culminate in an independent curriculum project from each participant after completion of the trip.
Joanne Geise ’74 (NUR), a cardiac care nurse at Battle Creek Health System in Michigan, is among 43 nurses recognized by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for 30 years of continuous service.
Kristin (Stout) Graham ’74 M.F.A. teaches acting and theater history at Southern Connecticut State University. She starred in Home for the Holidays at Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport, directed by her husband, Mark Graham ’74 M.F.A.
Bonnie Myers Pachesa ’74 (ED) is the principal of Edgewood Magnet K-8 school in New Haven.
Persis Williams ’74 (ED) moved to Blue Hills, Maine, after retiring from his positions as rector of St. Mary’s Church, Springfield Center, N.Y., and vicar of Grace Church, Cherry Valley, N.Y.
Karen Bussolini ’75 (SFA) is the co-author of The Homeowners Complete Tree and Shrub Handbook, published by Storey Publishing, and the co-author of Elegant Silvers: Striking Plants for Every Garden, from Timber Press.
Kathryn Calibey ’75 (CLAS), a partner at the Hartford, Conn., law firm of RisCassi and Davis, was elected president of the Hartford County Bar Association.
Joan Reiss ’75 (CLAS) is senior development research officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She previously served as director of prospect research at California Institute of the Arts.
Karen Locke Thoms ’75 (ED), is director of ReStores of Habitat for Humanity in Orange County in Santa Ana, Calif., where new and gently used building products are sold to fund construction for Habitat homes. She previously worked for 23 years at Weyerhaeuser.
Vladimir Wozniuk ’75 (CLAS) is the author of Enemies from the East? V.S. Soloviev on Paganism, Asian Civilizations, and Islam from Northwestern University Press and Freedom, Faith, and Dogma: Essays by V.S. Soloviev on Christianity and Judaism, published in August by SUNY Press.
Jennifer Dorn ’77 M.P.H., president and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration, was listed in the 2008 booklet from the Council of Graduate Schools, “Making a Difference: A Selection of Graduate Degree Holders and Their Contributions to the Public Good.”
Kimberly Dumouchel ’77 (ED) received a master of science in technology education from Central Connecticut State University in December 2005.
Richard Forsberg ’77 (CLAS) is assistant vice president at Kaman Corp. in Bloomfield, Conn. He lives with his wife, Tina, and their son in Hebron, Conn.
Wladyslaw Andrew Noakowski IV ’77 (ENG), ’79 M.S. retired from the city engineer’s office in Clarksville, Tenn., in June 2008, and moved back to his native Poland to join his wife, Anna, whom he married on Sept. 1, 2007.
Jay Rheingold ’77 Ph.D. is vice president of chemistry manufacturing and controls at Tobira Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to the research and product discovery against life-threatening and life-altering infectious diseases. He previously was vice president at Barrier Pharmaceuticals.
John Stekla ’77 M.B.A. is director of ethylene studies at Chemical Market Associates, Inc., responsible for ethylene market coverage for the Americas and contributing to the Monomers Consulting Service.
William Doherty ’78 Ph.D., professor and director of the marriage and family therapy program at the University of Minnesota, was listed in the 2008 booklet from the Council of Graduate Schools, “Making a Difference: A Selection of Graduate Degree Holders and Their Contributions to the Public Good.”
William Luddy ’78 J.D., clinical professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and legal advisor to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was appointed special legal counsel to the World Customs Organization.
Lars Edgren ’79 (BUS), vice president, commercial mortgage lending with TD Banknorth, NA, was named
a 2008 MS Corporate Achiever by the Connecticut chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Alumni Traveler
January 3–10, 2009 January 25–February 5, 2009 February 1–9, 2009 February 2–25, 2009 February 18–28, 2009 March 27–April 3, 2009 April 27–May 5, 2009 May 14–24, 2009 May 28–June 8, 2009 June 7–16, 2009
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For information on all UConn travel opportunities, call 888-822-5861 or visit our web site at www.uconnalumni.com/travel. |
Benita Rose ’80 (SFA) and her husband, Tony Gibbs ’03 M.M., won third prize in the 2008 International Chamber Music and Ensembles Competition as the Rose-Gibbs Duo. Benita is active as a concert pianist, organist and piano teacher, and Tony teaches music at Captain Nathan Hale School in Coventry, Conn.
John Carroll ’81 (BUS), ’83 M.B.A. is CEO of Hain Celestial United States, a leading natural and organic food and personal-care products company. He lives in Long Island with his wife, Karen (Kauffman) ’81 (CLAS), and their three children.
Robert Hoffer ’81 (CLAS) is the pitching coach for the Westwood (Mass.) High School baseball team, which won its first state title in more than 43 years this past spring.
Bill Keena ’81 (CLAS) and Kelly Keena announce the birth of a son, John Wyeth, born Nov. 15, 2007.
Michael Splain ’81 (ENG) is executive vice president of the microelectrics group at Sun Microsystems, Inc. , serving as chief engineer and as CTO for the firm’s systems group.
Peter Sparzo ’82 (BUS) is director of global business and marketing for Microsoft Financing and a member
of its global leadership team. He previously was
director of worldwide sales for Microsoft.
De-Ping Yang ’82 M.S., ’88 Ph.D. was promoted to the rank of professor in the physics department of the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.
Connie (Egan) Perrine ’83 (BUS) is president of Omni National Bank after serving as chief financial officer. She lives in Roswell, Ga., with her husband, Tom Perrine ’83 (BUS), and their two children.
Michael Antonini ’84 (BUS) and his wife, Amy, announce the birth of their first child, John Edward, on March 31, 2008. Michael recently partnered with Michael Rosato ’84 (CLAS) at Lexpress International, an international translation and global naming company in Norwalk, Conn.
Scott Bayles ’84 (ENG) is principal engineer at The MITRE Corporation, located in McLean, Va. He previously was a senior technical manager at America Online.
Kevin Cunningham ’84 M.B.A. is president of Bank of America in Connecticut, responsible for the integrated delivery of commercial lending and treasury services for middle market and business banking clients throughout the Northeast.
Richard Della Corte ’84 (BUS) and his wife, Melissa, announce the birth of a daughter, Addison Faith, who joins sister Arianna and brother Aidan. Richard is a partner with Kahan, Steiger & Co., a certified public accounting firm. The family lives in Newtown, Conn.
John Jurczyk ’84 (PHR) is vice president of ambulatory care services at Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Mass. He lives in East Greenwich, R.I., with his wife, Karla, and son, Christopher.
Marcia Marien ’84 (BUS), managing partner of Marien & Company, LLC, of Norwich, Conn., was elected by the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants to serve as treasurer for 2008-2009.
Paula Brinkman ’86 (SFA) is the founder of Spirit Dolls by Paula, a retailer of unique, handmade dolls.
Lawrence Carboni ’86 (BUS), a partner in the New Haven office of McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, was appointed to the advisory council of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2008-2009.
David Mulhall ’86 (BUS), a financial advisor with LPL Financial Services in Naugatuck, was appointed to the advisory council of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2008-2009.
M. Estrella Cibriero-Couce ’87 M.A., ’92 Ph.D. was promoted to the rank of professor in the modern languages and literatures department at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.
Carolyn Hebert ’87 (CLAS) is the director of marketing and public relations for Charter Oak State College. She previously was the director of marketing and sales for the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts in Hartford, Conn.
Allen Jones, Jr. ’87 (SAH), owner of Dominion Physical Therapy & Associates, Inc., was
appointed to the Virginia Port Authority by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.
Eric Judge ’87 (BUS), ’92 M.B.A., director of product strategy in the retirement plans group of The Hartford, was appointed to the Connecticut Teachers Retirement Board.
Patricia (Pehr) Fay ’88 (CLAS) is assistant vice president and actuary at MassMutual, responsible for pricing and product development.
Alison (Clarke) McCarthy ’89 (BUS) is principal at InSight Small Business Consulting, LLC, a management consulting firm located in Ridgefield, Conn.
Donna Roseman ’89 (BUS), senior gift planning officer for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, was appointed to the advisory council of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2008-2009.
Ayal Vogel ’89 (CLAS) was appointed executive vice president of global sales at Identica Corp. in Tampa, Fla., a provider of next-generation biometric security solutions. He previously was president and CEO of Barantec, Inc.
Jennifer Cox ’90 (CLAS), ’93 J.D., chairperson of the board, attorney and partner at Cox & Osowiecki, LLC, was named a 2008 MS Corporate Achiever by the Connecticut chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Debra Holcomb ’90 (CLAS) is director of alumni relations and services for the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She completed Leadership San Francisco in 2006, a program that provides community leaders with resources to address and improve the quality of life for all city residents.
Gwendolyn Winston-Parris ’90 (SFS) is an attorney with the New York State Insurance Funds.
James DiReda ’91 M.S.W. is director of counseling services at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., where he has been a member of the adjunct faculty since completing his doctoral studies at Boston University in 2003.
Stacey Fuller ’91 (CLAS), shareholder and attorney at Gawthrop Greenwood in West Chester, Pa., has been named chair of the West Chester Area YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley.
William Kenyon ’91 (SFA) received a grant of tenure and promotion to professor at Penn State University.
Gayle Villani ’91 (CLAS) was named vice president of programs at PENCIL, a nonprofit organization that creates and supports customized partnerships between business leaders and principals to inspire innovation and transform New York City public schools.
Erica Desroches ’92 M.A., ’99 Ph.D. joined Knowledge Networks in New York as vice president. She previously was vice president and director at InsightExpress.
Christine Frydenborg ’92 (CLAS) is president and founder of Best Foot Forward Productions, a community educational theater group, and School House Players, a professional theater group in Bedford, N.H.
Paul Victor ’92 (BUS) is director of agency real estate at MassMutual Financial Group. He lives in Holden, Mass., with his wife, Tracey Sullivan-Victor ’94 (SFS), and their son, Connor, 4.
Rick Baran ’93 J.D., ’93 M.B.A. was named executive vice president and chief financial officer of CBS Television stations. He previously was with Tyco International as chief financial officer of Earth Tech, an infrastructure and consulting business focused on environmental, facilities, transportation and water markets.
Charles J. Croce ’93 (ENG) is a registered professional engineer with Tighe & Bond, Inc., in Middletown, Conn.
Victoria (Newman) Clark ’93 (CLAS) is managing broker of the Tolland County
office of Connecticut Commercial Realty and Select Homes, a commercial and residential real estate brokerage. She lives in Stafford Springs, Conn., with her husband, Tom, and two daughters.
David Garr ’93 (CLAS) and his barbeque cooking team, the Ques Brothers, won third place in pork shoulder at the “Memphis in May” World Championship Barbeque Cooking Contest.
Joelisoa Ratsirarson ’93 Ph.D., chief of staff to the president of Madagascar and dean of the School of Agronomy at the Université d’Antananarivo, was listed in the 2008 booklet from the Council of Graduate Schools, “Making a Difference: A Selection of Graduate Degree Holders and Their Contributions to the Public Good.”
Suzanne (Gouzie) Roberts ’93 (CLAS), ’95 M.P.A. and her husband, Paul Roberts, announce the birth of their first child, daughter Margaret Helen, on Sept. 30, 2007. Suzanne is a senior project manager in Web channel development at Fidelity Investments in Marlborough, Mass.
Michael Crossley ’94 M.B.A. works in Afghanistan for the USAID Capacity Development Program, which assists in the development of a professional accounting association in the country. He previously was a senior advisor to the Da Afghanistan Bank.
Christopher Chapin ’95 M.B.A. joined the Los Angeles office of Private Banking USA as part of a leading team of relationship managers from Goldman Sachs, a full-service global investment banking and securities firm.
Matthew Corry ’95 (CLAS) was a member of the Ireland Men’s National Team that competed in the 2008 European Lacrosse Championships in Finland from August 6-16.
Kristen (Frattarola) Ingarra ’95 (SFS), a kindergarten teacher at The Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn., and her husband, Frank, announce the birth of Frank Warren “Trey” Ingarra on March 15, 2008, who joins big sister, Courtney Marie. The family lives in Riverside, Conn.
Dori (Perkins) Peruccio ’95 (NUR) and her husband, Anthony, announce the birth of their daughter, Isabella Christine, on Oct. 26, 2007. Dori is a nurse case manager for Connecticare in Farmington, Conn.
Daniel Doherty ’96 (CLAS) and Jia Doherty announce the birth of a son, Connor Daniel, on May 23, 2008, in Fairfax, Va.
Merry Pure ’96 (CLAS) and Ted Green announce the birth of a son, Easton Davis, on Dec. 13, 2007, in Naples, Fla.
James G. Tillen ’96 (CLAS) and his wife, Nicole, announce the birth of their first child, a son, Connor Makepeace Tillen, on April 3, 2008. James was recently elected partner at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Miller & Chevalier, where he advises clients on compliance with anti-corruption laws. The family lives in Arlington, Va.
Lawrence Walters ’96 M.B.A. is chief executive officer and president of Relia-Serve, a franchise company that licenses business coaches dedicated to working with home improvement contractors and home service providers. He previously served as general council at KX Technologies LP.
Ram Aberasturia ’97 (CLAS) was honored on April 15 by the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition for making valuable contributions to the community. He is programs and services coordinator for the state Labor Department and serves as secretary for the East Hartford Board of Education.
Gary Borla ’97 M.P.H. participated in a rotation with the Environmental Medicine/Border Health program sponsored by the department of Family and Community Medicine of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio designed to help physicians and other health professionals become more aware of environmental factors influencing health.
Maria Gaccione ’97 (ED) married Vincent Abbatiello of Nutley, N.J., in June 2008. She is the head athletic trainer at Hasbrouck Heights (N.J.) High School.
Carrie (Lasar) Green ’97 (SFS) and Kevin Green ’96 (BUS) announce the adoption of their son, Jackson Davis Green, born Jan. 28, 2008.
Kevin Murphy ’97 (CLAS) received his doctorate of psychology in Fall 2007 from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Diego. He is director of the Psychology Emergency Team at Alvarado Parkway Institute in San Diego.
Keith Tomlinson ’97 (CLAS), ’05 6th Year and Kathryn (Polemeni) Tomlinson ’00 (ED), ’01 M.A. announce the birth of a daughter, Julianne Marie, born May 24.
Rachel (Howd) Axler ’98 (SFS), ’02 M.S.W. and her husband, Edward, announce the birth of a son in 2007. She previously worked as a care manager for a home care program, as a nursing home social worker and as a director of a memory impairment program for a local assisted living facility.
Christine Costantino ’98 (CLAS) received her M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in May 2008, after spending nine months in Milan, Italy, studying Italian and working as an informatics research fellow at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research.
Brian Kelleher ’98 (BUS), senior manager, assurance and advisory services for the Glastonbury firm of Fiondella, Milone, & LaSaracina LLP, was appointed to the advisory council of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2008-2009.
Marc Petruzzi ’98 (CLAS) and his wife, Kathryn, announce the birth of a daughter, Kathleen Michelle, on Oct. 12, 2007.
Jessica Ruth Slawski ’98 (CLAS), ’99 (CLAS) completed her graduate work in archaeology at the University of Bradford in England and is a museum assistant at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University in New Haven.
Heather (Klein) Cross ’99 (CLAS) and her husband, Dan, announce the birth of a daughter, Claire Elizabeth, born Sept. 2, 2007.
Ruth Gorlin ’99 (NUR) received her M.S. in nursing from Grand Canyon University and is now a nursing education specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Ariz.
Julie (Shea) Moore ’99 (SFS) and Michael Moore ’97 (CLAS), ’99 M.P.H. announce the birth of a daughter, Shea Elizabeth, on June 25, 2007. She joins a brother, Mitchell, 3. The family lives in Danbury, Conn.
ALUMNI
Henry Hierl ’36
Michael Cimino Sr. ’40
A. Clayton Burnham ’41
Robert Wheaton ’41
Gerard Brunnquell ’42
Rose Costa ’43
Robert Barnes Blackman ’45
Norma Conley ’46
Walter Morgan ’46, ’53
Allen Pike ’47, ’60
Arthur Carlson ’48
Marshall Feingold ’48
Francis O’Brien ’48
Alexandra Pike ’48
Margaret Powning ’48
Hilda Rosenman ’49
Stanley Butler ’50
Robert Calkins ’50
Robert Ehrhardt ’50
Jean Osber ’50
Mary Ann Rozbicki ’50
Rudolph Vecoli ’50
Wilbur Williams ’50
Arnold Packer ’51
Joseph Fitzgerald ’52
Robert Meschke ’52
Clifford Whitham Jr. ’52
Robert Billin ’53
Ralph Cosseboom ’53
John Filchak ’53
William Klein ’53
Mario Latina ’53
Allen W. Smith, ’53, ’60
Lee Yosha ’53
Jack Cutler ’54
William Davidson ’55
Robert Lieberum ’55
Alvin Wiener ’55
Clare Albom ’56
Dean Petow ’56
Glenn Baker ’57
Leonard Clymer ’57
Harlan Nye ’58
Edward Sluzenski ’58
Eugene Demmler ’59
David Yost ’59
Maurice Burrows, Jr. ’60
Gerald Kokoszka ’60
Samuel Kalmanowitz ’61
Richard Wamester ’61
Peter Kennedy ’62
Elery Clark ’63
Russell Harrington ’63
Frank Kress ’63, ’66
Carl Nienstedt ’63
Albert Pryor ’63
Lucille Ring ’63
William E. Michel ’64
Anthony Guglielmi ’65
Geraldine Lewis ’65
Kenneth Lynch ’65
Stanley Chesnas ’66
Theresa Connell ’66
Peter Roesing ’66
Alfred Lerz ’67
Joan Meyer ’73
Burton Stafford ’67
Robert Bletchman ’68
Robert Cipu ’68
Robert Dodge ’68
Helen Geiger ’68
Edythe Goldberg ’68
Carol McMahon ’68, ’95
George Rogers ’68
Walter Skorupski ’68
Wilson Tilley ’69
Robert Cass ’71
Leonie Abbood ’72, ’80
Sandra Lopes ’73
David Martinelli ’73
James Retter ’73
Daniel Tedone ’73, ’80
Richard Rosen ’75
Francis Cucurullo ’76
David Felt ’76
Richard Tolisano ’77
Robert Skowronek ’78
Robert Taylor’ 78
Raymond Kelly ’80
Dudley Balcom ’82
David Reider ’85
Joseph Rieger ’85
Jill Zimmerman ’85
Thomas Gersz, Jr. ’86
Richard Goldman ’86
Pamela Raposa ’86
Brian O’Connell ’87
Eleanor Papineau ’88
Marjorie Tierney ’89
Brenda Redpath ’91
William Tanski ’94
Denise Gross ’97
Keith Landesman ’97
Matthew McConaghy ’97
Brian Ross ’03
STUDENTS
Natalie Rangasammy ’10
Vladimir Voinov ’09
FACULTY
Hans Turley
James R. Johnson
Bringing home the gold
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| Sue Bird ’02 (CLAS), left, and Diana Taurasi ’05 (CLAS) won gold medals as members of the United States Women’s Basketball Team during the Beijing Summer Olympics Games in August. The United States earned the 2008 gold with a 92-65 win over Australia in the final game. It was the second gold medal for both players, who also represented the U.S. in 2004. Svetlana Abrosimova ’01 (CLAS) won a bronze medal playing for her native Russia during the Beijing Games, before returning to Connecticut, where she joined the roster of the WNBA Connecticut Sun. |
| Photo by NBAE/Getty Images |
Vikki (Thompson) Hampton ’00 (CLAS) and her husband, Mike, announce the birth of a daughter, Amira Susan.
Michael Magarian ’00 M.B.A. served as the chairman of the 2008 St. Cecilia Golf & Tennis Classic, a fund-raising event benefitting St. Cecilia Elementary School, in Stamford, Conn.
Tracy (Poppe)
Montalbano ’00 (CLAS), ’03 J.D. joined the law
firm of Halloran & Sage in its Hartford, Conn., office as an associate, focusing on insurance, litigation and appellate advocacy.
Michael Sobolewski ’00 (BUS), ’01 M.S. is a senior manager in the National Professional Services Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, located in Florham Park, N.J. The group focuses on international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and performs technical consulting services, internal and external training, financial statement reviews and thought leadership as it relates to IFRS.
Shannon (Cholewa) Stevenson ’00 (ED), ’00 (SFA) and her husband, Brian Stevenson ’01(ED), ’01 (SFA), announce the birth of their third child, Grace, on April 22, 2008.
Michael P. Jordan ’01 (BUS), ’02 M.S., tax manager for Blum Shapiro in West Hartford, was appointed to the advisory council of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2008-2009.
Summer (Hartford) Cookson ’02 (ED), ’03 M.A. and Christopher Cookson ’01 (CLAS) announce the birth of their first child, Lillian Rose, born Feb. 28, 2008.
James Corso ’02 (BUS) has been appointed to managing director at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in
Westport, Conn.
Andrew Greenstein ’02 (CLAS) married Catherine Hazelton on June 30, 2007, in Berkeley, Calif. He finished his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley in December 2007 and is a researcher in anti-viral drugs at Gilead Sciences.
Jennifer Paradee ’02 (CLAS), ’07 J.D. is an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General in Hartford, Conn. She was previously an associate at Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels, LLP.
Paul Scott ’02 (ENG) was promoted from senior engineer to engineering specialist at Electric Boat and
is serving as the lead project engineer for a trainer to support U.S.S. Jimmy Carter ship operations.
Morey Burnham ’03 (CLAS) spent the summer as a fellow with the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Erica Flamand ’03 (SFA), in-house graphic designer and art director for Tribble Creative Group of Charlotte, N.C., received a 2008 Communicator Award from the International Academy of
Visual Arts and a 2008 Events In Excellence Award for Best Graphic Design from the International Special Events Society.
Mathew Jasinski ’03 (CLAS), ’06 J.D. and Valerie Spitler were married on May 17, 2008, at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, Conn. The best man was the groom’s Buckley Hall roommate, Benjamin H. Fuller ’04 (SFA), and Emily J. Dean ’06 J.D. was a bridesmaid. The couple resides in Hartford.
Stephanie (Petrakis) Matarese ’03 (CLAS) received a master of arts in school psychology from Marist College on May 16, 2008.
Sarah Phillips ’03 (CLAS) and Tue Nielsen Gilbe announce the birth of a son, Samuel Lars, born Aug. 8, 2007, in Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Lauren Woody ’03 (SFA), ’05 M.M. is a winner of the 2008 Career Bridges Grant Competition
Award in New York, receiving a grant which enables her to continue on her path towards becoming a professional opera singer.
Allison Cantor ’04 (CLAS), a first- year law student at the UConn School of Law, worked as a summer associate for the law firm of Halloran & Sage LLP.
Joy (Krauss) Geraci ’04 M.S.W. and her husband announce the birth of their first child, daughter Gianna Cecelia, on March 7, 2008. Joy is a school social worker for Region 14 in Connecticut.
Bob Ross ’04 M.P.A., first selectman of Salem, Conn., received the 2008 Young Distinguished Alumni Award from the UConn public policy department, which recognizes an alumnus who has demonstrated excellence in his or her field of study within 10 years of graduation.
Paul Slawski ’04 (CANR) is an environmental scientist at Triton Environmental, Inc., in Guilford, Conn.
Theo Borgovan ’05 (CLAS) is a graduate student in biological sciences at Columbia University and works with patients in a clinical trial cancer program at the Columbia University Medical Center. He also coaches collegiate-level rugby in New York.
Lawrence Posner ’05 M.A., a general partner at Vedanta Capital in New York City, was appointed to the board of directors of NOXXON Pharma AG, a developer of mirror image oligonucleotide therapeutics based in Berlin, Germany.
Kristy Seyfert ’05 (CLAS) is a loan analyst for the Community Preservation Corp., a non-profit specializing in affordable housing, located in New York City.
Robert Kleinschmidt ’06 (BGS) is a sales engineer in the field sales department of DYMAX Corporation of Elkhart, Ind., a manufacturer of advanced light-curing adhesives, coatings and curing equipment.
Kate Slomkowski ’06 (CANR) started Kato Productions, LLC, a videography service company, after receiving a master of journalism degree from the University of Tasmania in November 2007.
Surendranath Suman ’06 M.S., ’06 Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the department of animal and food sciences of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.
Michael Tortora ’07 6th Year is the new principal of Orchard Hill Elementary School in South Windsor, Conn. He previously worked as vice principal at Oliver Ellsworth Elementary in Windsor, Conn.
Alumni showcase art on campus
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| Colin McMullan, ’05 M.F.A., left, known as Emcee C.M., speaks with Richard Klein, curator of the UConn Alumni Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery in the School of Fine Arts, in front of his art work “Pulling Together: The Legends of Willimantic,” created with Ted Efremoff ‘06 M.F.A. Other alumni who participated in the exhibit include Ari Tabei ’07 M.F.A., Rebecca Parker ’07 M.F.A., Afarin Rahmanifar ’96 M.F.A. and Apirat Infahsaeng ’03 (SFA). |
| Photo by Peter Morenus |
Alumni News & Notes compiled by Emily Rosenkrans ’09 (CLAS) and Tina Modzelewski.