Alumni Profiles:
Helping the next generation of entrepreneurs Kevin Bouley '80 (BUS)
Returning a nation's cultural heritage Narissa Ramdhani '90 M.A.
The art and science of making the sandwich Amy Phillips Alderton '02 Ph.D.

Also of Interest:
Making Dream Dinners  Kimberly Markey ’96 (CLAS) ’04 M.B.A.,
    Andrea Bellofiore ’95 (BUS), ’01 M.B.A.
Berube named Coach of the Year Carla Berube '97 (CLAS)
2007 Alumni & Faculty Award Ceremony  
Alumni honored by Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame  Chris Smith '92 (CLAS),
    Moira Buckley Blair '84 (ED), Tara Buckley O'Sullivan '84 (ED), '86 M.A.,
    Brian Usher '74 (ED), '86 M.A.
Reunions
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 by filling out the online News & Notes form.

Barbara Clapp Dayton Copeland ’49 (BUS) is enjoying her 22nd year of retirement zipping around southern Ohio in her new BMW Z4.

 Alumni News & Notes Menu

Lt. Col. Theodore Risch ’52 (CLAS) retired in 1977 from the U.S. Army to Tucson, Ariz., where he has been a successful professional speaker and freelance writer.

Marcel Angers ’53 (ED) retired from the Portland, Maine, school district in 1989. In 1994, he resumed his second career as the supervisor of in-school suspension at Biddeford High School in Biddeford, Maine.

Bill Koch ’55 (ENG) received the Elly Doyle Park Service Award from the Fairfax County (Va.) Park Authority for his 11 years of volunteer service at Burke Lake Park as its miniature train operator.

Margery (Gaylord) McBurney ’55 M.A. was selected as a 2006 Woman of Achievement for Ashland County, Ohio.

Walter Gooley ’57 (CANR), a consulting forester, was elected state senator for the 2007-2008 Maine State Legislature. He and his wife, Joanne Masellis Gooley ’58 (CANR), own a Christmas tree farm in Farmington, Maine, and have two children and four grandchildren.

Lawrence Morico ’58 (CLAS) reports that Texas Monthly magazine has named his son, Paul, a “Super Lawyer.” Paul is a partner with the law firm Baker Botts.

Theodore Davey ’59 (BUS) has retired.

Richard Brualdi ’60 (CLAS), professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, was the recipient of the first Distinguished Alumni Award of the UConn mathematics department.

William Howard ’60 (CLAS) retired after 35 years as a risk manager for several energy companies. He achieved his goal of playing more than 1,000 different golf courses prior to the end of the second millennium. He and his wife, Dolores, live in Chesterfield, Mo.

Sandra Roy Edmonston-Alvarez ’60 (CLAS) retired as a tenured professor from the business department of Ohlone College in Fremont, Calif. She is a host volunteer with the Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif., and was the recipient of the airport’s Volunteer of the Year award, in addition to receiving the Rose Award for Outstanding Volunteer in the city of San Jose.

Joel Mandell ’61 (CLAS), ’68 J.D. was named a Connecticut “Super Lawyer.” He and his wife, Ellen Solomon Mandell ’64 (CLAS), have four grandchildren.

Rita Putins Peters ’61 (CLAS) is an associate at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. She is teaching in the political science department at UMass Boston and is researching international politics of Baltic states. Her most recent published paper is titled “Politics of Ethnic Identity in Europe.”

William Tiernan ’61 (BUS), ’64 J.D. lives in Florida with his wife, Ann Keily Tiernan ’65 (CLAS), after retiring from his law practice in New Haven, Conn.

Sharna Chernoff ’62 (NUR) retired to Tucson, Ariz. She performs in two clarinet choirs, volunteers to walk dogs at the local animal shelter, and volunteers as an assistant instructor on using defibrillators.  She and her husband, Henry, have three children in Phoenix, Ariz., and South Carolina.

Kathryn (Zimmerman) Ryland ’62 (NUR) is enjoying retirement after 25 years as a school nurse, traveling with her husband of 42 years.

Barbara Holveck Daniels ’63 (CLAS) retired as a teacher in 1996. She is active in her church, the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Naugatuck (Conn.) Women’s Study Club, the Naugatuck Woman’s Club, and the Ecumenical Food Bank of Naugatuck.

Bonnie Jeffries ’65 (ED) retired as an art teacher for Saint Gabriel School in Windsor, Conn. She moved to Old Saybrook, Conn., and continues to exhibit watercolors and batiks. 

Carolyn Eaton ’67 (CLAS) was appointed by Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri to the State Advisory Commission for Historic Cemeteries.

Thomas Roberts ’67 M.A., professor emeritus at Northern Illinois University, published a book titled, Psychedelic Horizons.

Bob Cloutier ’68 (ENG) retired to sunny Rehoboth Beach, Del., with his wife, Val, after 37 years at the National Security Agency and five years teaching high school math in Baltimore, Md. He continues to teach math at Wilmington College to keep busy.

Vernon Frazer ’68 (CLAS) published a book, Improvisations, with Beneath the Underground Books. He is married and lives in South Florida.

Richard Scappini ’68 (CLAS), ’71 J.D. retired as a captain from the U.S. Navy, Judge Advocate General Corps, after 24 years of service. He is a senior partner in the Waterbury, Conn., law firm St. John, Scappini, Lombard & Stevens. He lives in Waterbury with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Jennie and Jeffrey.

Walter Beckerman ’69 (CLAS) retired from the Department of Defense as a senior technical director and master cryptanalytic mathematician after 36 years of service. He started a second career with Argotek, Inc., ensuring the security of space telecommunications systems. He and his wife, Arlene (Donsky) Beckerman ’70 (CLAS), have two children and one grandchild.

Bill DeWalt ’69 (CLAS), ’75 Ph.D. is the founding president and director of Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) and the Museum of International Music in Phoenix, Ariz

 Alumni News & Notes Menu

Jamie Cohen ’71 J.D., a partner in the Derby, Conn., law firm Cohen & Thomas, received the Golden Seal Award, presented by the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his community service.

Richard Tavone ’71 M.S.W. was appointed a staff teaching professional with KZG Golf Equipment Company. He teaches golf in Rhode Island at Washington Village Golf Course and Eagle Quest Golf Dome.

Bobbie Ann Mason, ’72 Ph.D. published a book of fiction, Nancy Culpepper, with Random House, with linked stories that occur over 25 years.

Bob Fitzpatrick ’73 (ED) was named the Eastern District Physical Educator of the Year in Leicester, Mass., where he is a 33-year teaching veteran at the Leicester Primary School in Leicester. He and his wife, Christine, a first-grade teacher, have two children, Marisa, 27, and Kevin, 25.

Richard Giarniero ’73 M.F.A. was named a Connecticut “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics. He is a principal of The Giarniero Law Firm, LLC in Stratford, Conn.

Regina (Ferrara) Poltrack ’73 (CLAS) successfully completed the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) examination, which covers internal auditing and evaluates technical competence in related subject areas. She is a senior IT auditor with KPMG in Montvale, N.J.

Michael O’Connell ’74 M.B.A. is the executive director of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation in Johnston, R.I.

Philip Beachem ’75 (BUS) received the Francis Albert Sinatra Award from the Garden State Arts Center Foundation, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a dedication to improving the cultural life of residents of New Jersey.

Joseph Blansfield ’75 (NUR) was deployed to Iraq as an Army Reserve officer. He is co-author of the book Handbook of Clinical Trauma Care: The First Hour, published by Elsevier Publishing. 

Carol Ewing Garber ’75 (ED), ’83 M.A., ’90 Ph.D. is an associate professor in the department of biobehavioral sciences at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City. She was selected as a Fulbright Specialist to the health sciences faculty at the University of Balamand in Beirut, Lebanon.

Robert Kirschenbaum ’76 (CLAS), ’78 M.A., ’82 Ph.D. has a daughter who recently graduated from Washington State University and has gone to work for Enterprise Rental Company as a management trainee. He has a short essay appearing in NEA Today.

Carol (Parker) Presutti ’76 (CANR) is the president of the Farmington (Conn.) Chamber of Commerce. She is the broker and owner of Q Real Estate in Avon and Farmington. She lives in Farmington with her husband, Sal, and has three grown children: Corina, Alex and Jackie.

Bob Hyde ’77 (ENG) is the executive director for the Port of Anacortes, Wash. He lives in Anacortes with his wife, Jane, and their children: Patrick, Ryan and Christopher.

Ellen Alcarez ’78 (CLAS), ’86 (NUR) is the patient service manager for the maternal special care unit and the maternal fetal medicine practice sites at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Long Wharf, both in New Haven, Conn. She and her husband, A. Patrick Alcarez, have two children and live in Meriden.

Jeffrey Brickman ’78 (CLAS) is the system senior vice president and regional chief executive officer at Provena Health in Joliet, Ill.

Barbara Deptula ’78 (PHR), executive vice president for global business development at Shire Pharmaceuticals in Wayne, Pa., was named as one of Pennsylvania’s “50 Best Women in Business,” recognizing the state’s most dynamic and aspiring business leaders.

Pamela (Kurau) Hutson ’78 (SFA) appeared as a soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” with the Mansfield University Chorus and Orchestra. She is on the faculty at SUNY-Geneseo and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.

Vivian Seide Sternweiler ’78 (NUR) is the coordinator of the Wound Program at New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, Mass. She is a resident of Sharon, Mass.

Dan Ciaburri ’79 (CLAS), ’83 M.D. is senior vice president and chief medical officer for Kinetic Concepts, Inc., a global medical technology company based in San Antonio, Texas. Before joining KCI, he was attending cardiothoracic surgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Alan Curto ’79 (PHR), ’98 J.D. is a partner in the law firm Halloran & Sage LLP in Hartford, Conn.

Allen Honer ’79 (ED) is a department leader for special education at Old Lyme High School in Old Lyme, Conn. 

Kathleen Sullivan ’79 (CLAS) was recognized for outstanding service by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation, where she is a naturalist and an environmental educator. She lives in South Chester County, Pa.

Jeannette Yeznach Wick ’79 (PHR) published the book Pharmacy Practice in Our Aging Society with Haworth Press.

Photo by Peter Morenus

As chief executive, Kevin Bouley ’80 (BUS) has a distinctive philosophy for Nerac, his global intellectual property and advisory research firm.

 “If you take care of your employees, then the employees will take care of the customers. It’s all part of our mission: help people, have fun, make money, and have a civic and social conscience too.”

The unassuming exterior of the Nerac building, located just north of UConn’s main campus, belies the beehive of activity inside.

Nerac’s primary focus is providing product innovation advice to companies and individuals who are inventing new technologies or products.

Yet the headquarters also includes a gym with a personal trainer/nutrition consultant, a massage therapist and acupuncturist.

Within Nerac there are four other start-up companies developing under the mentorship of the larger organization.

Xsellence creates winning sales strategies.

Control Station designs software that, for example, helps the Miller Brewing Company monitor the overflow of beer at its Texas facility, saving $1.8 million annually.

Flytrap Technologies helps companies simplify their information technology environment.

Digiwize designs Web sites and interactive marketing, including the UConn athletics Web site.

Nerac began in 1966 as a collaboration between UConn and NASA.

Bouley, who began working at the company in 1981, held various positions as he kept rising through the company, eventually buying the company in 1999.

Today he frequently returns to UConn as a guest lecturer, serves as a mentor for students, and is a sponsor of UConn’s Program for Sales Excellence.

His work on behalf of UConn will be recognized in October with the University Service Award from the UConn Alumni Association.

Nerac regularly trains interns from UConn’s School of Business and about 15 percent of its full-time employees are UConn alums.

“My UConn education opened the door to my first opportunity with Nerac and had me well prepared for the many challenges I faced in a small but growing organization,” Bouley says.

“I can envision high-tech growth along Route 195 stretching towards UConn, a magnet for entrepreneurial start-up activities, with a dozen or more companies growing here.

“That’s what happens when you put a bunch of brainiacs in one room. We are creating the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders, building a knowledge economy to replace the post-World War II military-industrial complex that previously fueled growth.”

 — Alix Boyle

Tony Catapano ’80 (ED) completed his 6th year degree in educational leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. He is a Spanish instructor and head football coach in Fairfield, Conn.

Mortimer Johnson ’80 Ph.D. retired from teaching in 1977. He lives inFlorida and spends his time singing and playing golf.

Houston Lowry ’80 M.B.A. was named a “Super Lawyer” in alternative dispute resolution, business litigation and international law by Connecticut Magazine.

Susan Carrano ’81 (CLAS), ’83 M.A. helped create the educational curriculum for the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Conn., last year. She also wrote the museum curriculum for “Fortune’s Story,” a museum exhibit about an African-American slave in Connecticut.

Richard Iuli ’81 (CANR), an assistant professor at Empire State College SUNY, was selected to participate in a training program led by former Vice President Al Gore to spread the message about global warming. He lives in Brighton, N.Y.

David Brajczewski ’82 (ENG) is the director of engineering for Motorola Embedded Communications Computing Group/Division.

Paula Crombie ’82 M.S.W. was named the 2007 Social Work Leader of the Year by the National Society of Social Work Leaders in Health Care. She is the director of social work at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn.

David Parsons ’82 (ED) is the director of the East Jefferson Family YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of Greater New Orleans.

Laura-Lynne Powell ’82 (CLAS) was awarded a writer’s residency at Hedgebrook, a non-profit writers’ retreat in Langley, Wash. For 15 years, she worked for newspapers in Connecticut and California. She now writes for an online publication covering the state capitol in California. She is writing a memoir on becoming a mother through open adoption.

Glenn Coté ’83 (CANR) is a member of Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Renewable Agriculture Energy Council.  He is the general manager of Laurel Valley Farms in Kennett Square, Pa., and lives in South Chester County.

Tom Hine ’83 (BUS), ’86 M.B.A., founder and managing member of Capital Wealth Management LLC, in Glastonbury, Conn., was selected 2006 Advisor of the Year by Boomer Market magazine. He has more than 15 years experience in the financial services industry.

Susan (Dunney) Holzmer ’83 (RHSA), ’88 (CANR) is a senior research scientist with Fort Dodge Animal Health in Princeton, N.J.  She is married to Joe Holzmer and lives in Ewing, N.J., with their two cats, Norman and Oswald.

Kevin Gordon ’84 (BUS) is the chief financial officer of Teleflex, Inc. in Limerick, Pa. He lives in Harleysville, Pa., with his wife, Lee and their daughters: Jessica, 17, Taylor, 12, and Paige, 7.

David Hancock ’84 (CLAS) is the litigation technology support manager for Fowler White Boggs Banker, P.A., a law firm in Florida with more than 250 lawyers. He lives in the Tampa Bay area.

Brian McKeon ’84 (BUS) is the chief financial officer for Iron Mountain, Inc. of Boston, Mass. He previously was vice president for finance of PepsiCo’s North America division.

Judith Pepin ’84 (PHR), ’87 Ph.D., a senior scientist with the scientific writing and editing section of Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, was named administrator of development for the American Medical Writers Association. She lives in Mason, Ohio.

Margaret Watkins ’84 (BUS) is a senior vice president at Citizens Bank in Providence, R.I. She lives in North Smithfield, R.I. 

Gail Fraser ’85 (BUS) will be publishing three novels in the Lumby series under Penguin Group’s imprint, NAL. The Lumby Lines was published in May 2007, followed by Stealing Lumby in September 2007, and Lumby’s Bounty in January 2008.

Susan Cossette Eng ’86 (CLAS), ’92 M.A. is the director of financial development for the New Canaan (Conn.) YMCA. She lives in Darien with her husband, Jeffrey, and their son, John, 9.

Norm DePeau ’86 (ENG) is the vice president of sales and marketing for Zero Manufacturing of North Salt Lake, Utah. He lives in Derry, N.H.

Dennis Piotrowski ’86 (CLAS), ’90 M.A., and his wife, Marifrances Trivelli ’90 M.A., announce the birth of their daughter, Catherine, on Jan. 6, 2007.

Mark Boxer ’87 (BUS) is the president and CEO of WellPoint, Inc.’s Operations, Technology and Government Services Business unit in Indianapolis, Ind.

Teresa Boyd-Cowles ’87 (CLAS), ’03 Ph.D. is the strategic planning, institutional research, market research and analysis officer for the Connecticut State University System.

Rex Burr ’87 (BUS) is the vice president of business services at Cox Target Media, Inc. in Largo, Fla. He lives in Palm Harbor, Fla., with his wife, Alicia, and children, Chadwick and Caroline.

Paul Calli ’89 (CLAS), an attorney with Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, has been elected Of Counsel to the firm, where his practice focuses on the defense of white collar grand jury investigations and prosecutions.

Kelley Hangos-Carrano ’89 (SFA) has returned to Connecticut with her husband and their 3-year-old son after moving to North Carolina in 1996. She has also moved her graphic design business, Kellgraphics.

John Sterpka ’89 (CLAS), ’97 M.S. is serving in Iraq as a first sergeant of a headquarters supply company.  He is a research associate in the department of Internal Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.

Eric Stockman ’89 (CLAS), ’94 J.D. was named a “Super Lawyer” by Connecticut Magazine. He lives in Monroe, Conn. with his wife, Jennifer, and their twin daughters, Cailinn and Sian.

Alumni News & Notes Menu

Photo from Ifa Lethu Foundation

When she left South Africa more than 20 years ago to escape apartheid, Narissa Ramdhani ’90 M.A. did not know under what circumstances she would return home.

What she could not imagine is that her return in 1993 would coincide with the establishment of democratic elections and an invitation from the African National Congress (ANC) to study and help to locate, repatriate and organize its archival material that was strewn across the globe in 33 countries.

Today, as the chief executive officer of the Ifa Lethu Foundation, Ramdhani is leading the nonprofit organization’s effort to return apartheid-era art and art objects to South Africa and to reclaim a cultural heritage that previously was removed from the country.

“Culture and heritage are usually low on the priorities of government,” says Ramdhani, who helped establish the UConn-ANC-Fort Hare partnership in South Africa.

“We’re in a fortunate position in South Africa of having a corporate and government sector that is highly supportive of cultural heritage and related initiatives because of their alignment to the national agenda for nation-building.

The apartheid state used culture as a weapon to oppress the nation. The liberation organizations such as the ANC used cultural heritage as a weapon of struggle. What we’re trying to do now is use cultural heritage as a method of empowering our nation.”

Ramdhani, who earned her UConn master’s degree in history, says art works created in townships by struggling black artists were purchased by foreign diplomats and executives, such as those in U.S. corporations, as a way to support the nation’s artists, even as their own government ignored their works, many of which depicted the horrors of apartheid.

After a New York Times story about Ifa Lethu’s efforts was published in 2006, many diplomats and U.S. corporate executives contacted the foundation and donated paintings, sculptures, sketches and other works, with nearly 200 works returned to South Africa in the past year, she says.

The foundation is also launching a mobile gallery that will travel to remote areas of South Africa, bringing South Africa’s lost heritage to its people who otherwise would not be able to travel to urban centers to see such material.

While visiting the United States recently, Ramdhani met with officials at the African American Museum in Philadelphia to discuss South African works in its collection, as well as the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which is building museums in other nations.

She also found time to renew friendships in Storrs while visiting her daughter, Shahista Ramanand, a junior in the pre-pharmacy program. 

— Kenneth Best

 Alumni News & Notes Menu

Kristin (Lamb) Caruso ’90 (ED), ’00 M.A. was named head women’s basketball coach at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. She previously was associate head coach at the University of Hartford, head coach at Marist College, and assistant coach at UConn from 1990-93.

Lawrence Davis ’90 (CLAS), ’01 Ph.D., an assistant professor of history at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Mass., received the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Award from the University of Texas-Austin for excellence in teaching.

Chantel (Antonini) DiPronio ’90 (SFS) and her husband, Nicholas, announce the birth of a daughter, Marissa Jane, on Feb. 7, 2007. She joins a 3-year-old sister, Mia Isabella. The family lives in Stratford, Conn.

Kevin Cassidy ’91 (CLAS) won the John Marshall Award, the highest award given to attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice, for prosecuting violations of the Clean Water Act.

Joseph Coppola ’91 (CLAS) is the adjunct fire instructor for the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks, Conn.

David Cholak ’91 (BUS) and Carie (Monstello) Cholak ’92 (CLAS) announce the birth of a son, Darren Andrew, on Jan. 16, 2007.  David earned an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1996 and is the vice president of financial planning and analysis for MTM Technologies in Stamford, Conn. Carie is a radiation therapist at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn. The family lives in Bethel, Conn.

Stacey Fuller ’91 (CLAS) is a partner in the law firm Gawthrop Greenwood in West Chester, Pa., where she concentrates her practice in municipal and land use law as well as education and special education law.

Karen (Ortisi) Lutkus ’91 (CLAS) and her husband, Greg, were married in Nov. 2006 in Plantsville, Conn. They live in East Hampton, Conn. Karen teaches at Portland Middle School in Portland, Conn.

Julie Spiers ’91 (CLAS) married Christopher Donahue on Sept. 3, 2005. The couple announces the birth of a daughter, Katherine Amelia, on Jan. 3, 2007. The family lives in Norwalk, Conn.

Neil Ayers ’92 (CLAS), ’95 M.P.A. and Hedy (Klein) Ayers ’95 M.P.A. announce the birth of a son, Charles Leland, on May 14, 2006.  He joins a brother, Jack.  The family lives in West Simsbury, Conn.

Julianne Brilliant Cardoni ’92 (CLAS) and her husband, Jay, announce the birth of a daughter, Isabella Sofia, on Feb. 2, 2007.  She joins a 3-year-old sister, Ava Joella. Julianne is a search engine marketing executive, working on international accounts. The family lives in Baltimore, Md.

Eleanor (Burke) Day ’92 (CLAS) and her husband, Patrick, announce the birth of a daughter, Charlotte Jenkins Nordling, on Jan. 10, 2007.  She joins sisters Madeleine, 7, and Alexandra, 4. The family lives in New London, Conn.

John Ho ’92  (CLAS) has been named a partner of the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC. He works in the firm’s Manhattan office in the labor and employment law department.

Heather (Anderson) Kauffman ’92 (CLAS) and her husband, Keith, announce the birth of a daughter, Cameron Elizabeth, on Feb. 15, 2007. The family lives in Oceanside, Calif.

Nicholas Mancuso ’92 (CLAS) formed the law firm Mancuso & Logan LLC in Wethersfield, Conn. He focuses his practice on commercial and residential real estate law, business law, bankruptcy and foreclosure matters, and immigration law.

Jennifer Garcia ’93 (BUS) is president of Eat Your Heart Out, Inc., a food service company that owns and operates Dream Dinners meal-assembly stores in western Connecticut. Jennifer resides in Oxford, Conn., with her husband, Stephen Brown ’92 (SFS), ’00 M.S.W., and daughter, Alexandra.

Steve Kaplan ’93 (ED) practices physical therapy throughout the Columbia River Gorge and lives in Hood River, Ore. He married Debbie in July 2003, and had a son, Jacob, in 2004. Jacob joins siblings Ashlyn and Andrew.

Dan Parzych ’93 (CLAS) and Meredith Trotta ’92 (CLAS) announce the birth of a son, George Trotta, on Sept. 13, 2006. George joins his sisters, Grace, 6, and Lily, 3. The family lives in Ridgefield, Conn.

Caryn (Kalner) Czarnecki ’94 (SFS) and her husband, Kevin, announce the birth of a daughter, Camryn.

Christine (Colby) Eaton ’94 and her husband, Scott, announce the birth of a girl, Reese Colby, born on Sept. 26, 2006. She joins a brother, Harrison.

Julie (Bartley) Holzworth ’94 (SFS) and Jay Holzworth ’94 (CLAS) announce the birth of a son, Jack (John Robert), on Oct. 26, 2006. He joins his 3-year-old sister, Avery. The family lives in Oakdale, Conn.

N. Kane Bennett ’94 (CLAS) is a partner in the law firm Halloran & Sage LLP of Hartford, Conn.

Melissa (Hamilton) Lopes ’94 (CLAS) and her husband, Manny Lopes, Jr. ’92 (CLAS), announce the birth of a daughter, Katelin Jeanette, on Feb. 10, 2007. She joins brothers Matthew and Alexander. The family lives in Falls Village, Conn.

Jordan Manos ’94 (ENG) and his wife, Kristin, announce the birth of a daughter, Olivia Jane. He is a regional engineering manager with 84 Lumber Company. The family lives in Frederick, Md.

Arne (Serravezza) Montana ’94 (CLAS) and her husband, Matthew, announce the birth of a daughter, Sidney Ann, on April 5, 2006. Sidney joins her 2-year-old brother, John.

Jamie Asbedian ’95 (BUS) and Amy (Ferson) Asbedian ’01 D.M.D. announce the birth of a daughter, Grace Ani, on Jan. 7, 2007. She joins a brother, Will. Jamie is a solutions engineer at SAP and Amy is practicing dentistry. The family lives in Massachusetts.

Carey Beyor ’95 (CLAS) started her own private psychotherapy practice, Transitions Counseling Center, LLC, in Glastonbury, Conn. 

Scott Erardi ’95 (CLAS), ’97 M.A. is the director of media services at Central Connecticut State University. 

David Faiman ’95 (BUS) is the senior vice president of finance and accounting for Thomson Learning in Stamford, Conn. He lives in Weston, Conn., with his wife, Elana, and their daughter, Kaylin.

Joseph Krocheski ’95 M.B.A. is a security analyst at Turner Investment Management of Hartford, Conn.

Sherry (Colombaro) Lawrence ’95 (CLAS) and her husband, Stephen, announce the birth of a son, Peter Robert, on March 24, 2007.

Christine Sedensky Fioritto ’95 (CANR) and her husband, Chris, announce the birth of a son, Christopher, on Feb. 15, 2007. He joins brothers James, 4, and Sean, 1.

Kathryn (Maxwell) Talty ’95 (CANR) and her husband, Jon, announce the birth of a daughter, Greer, on June 14, 2006. She joins a sister, Jane.

 Alumni News & Notes Menu

Making Dream Dinners

Photo by Peter Morenus

Kimberly Markey ’96 (CLAS) ’04 M.B.A., left, and Andrea Bellofiore ’95 (BUS), ’01 M.B.A.  discussed their experience opening a Dream Dinners franchise store in Manchester, Conn., with the Student Entrepreneurial Organization in the UConn School of Business. Dream Dinners offers recipes for meals made from uncooked ingredients purchased at the store which are taken home and frozen for later use. Markey and Bellofiore will open two other locations in West Hartford and Glastonbury later this year. Another alumna, Jennifer Garcia ’93 (BUS), operates Dream Dinners stores in Brookfield and Middlebury.

Alison Caldwell ’96 (CLAS) and Steve Bagadinski ’98 (CLAS) were married in Sept. 2006. Alison is a federal agent for the Naval Criminal Investigation Service. Steve is pursuing a second degree in civil engineering. The couple lives in California.

Michael Carlon ’96 (CLAS) is the vice president of strategic insights in the New York office for Los Angeles-based OTX Research. He lives in Stamford, Conn., with his wife, Nicole Carlon ’94 (CLAS), and their triplets, Grace, Patrick and Maggie.

David Christiano ’96 (CLAS) and his wife, Susan, announce the birth of a daughter, Kaela Anne, on March 17, 2007.  The family lives in Monroe, Conn.

David DeBisschop ’96 (BUS) is the director of technical services and underwriting at The Arlen Group in San Francisco, Calif.

Karol Krahel ’96 (BUS) is the executive vice president of Pierogi Farms’ Sauerkraut Division.

Sarah Lucas ’96 (CLAS) received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in June 2006.

Jacqueline (Ahnert) Meislitzer ’96 (SFS) and her husband, Andrew, announce the birth of a daughter, Ava Lauren, on May 21, 2006.  She joins a 4-year-old brother, Aiden Glenn.

Stephen J. Nelson ’96  Ph.D., assistant professor of educational leadership at Bridgewater State College, is the author of Leaders in the Labyrinth: College Presidents and the Battleground of Creeds and Convictions, published by Praeger Press. He also is a senior scholar in the Leadership Alliance at Brown University.

Kim (Vozzo) Nickolenko ’96 (CLAS), ’98 M.A. and her husband, Brian Nickolenko ’97 (BUS), announce the birth of a son, Tyler Thomas, on Nov. 9, 2006. He joins 3-year-old sister, Grace. Kim is the assistant dean of students at Fairfield University, and Brian is the assistant director of retirement plan services at The Hartford. The family lives in Hamden, Conn.

Henry Thompson ’96 (SFA), vice president, corporate affairs and economic opportunity for Family Health Center, Inc., of Miami, Fla., received the 2006 Jessie Trice Outstanding Leadership Award presented by the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.

Carolyn Tremblay ’96 (CLAS) married Daryl Jones in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. She is an instructor with Orlando Culinary Academy and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

 Alumni News & Notes Menu

Photo from Tufts University Carla Berube ’97 (CLAS), head women’s basketball coach at Tufts University, was named 2006-07 Coach of the Year for the New England Small College Athletic Conference, an NCAA Division III conference. Now in her fifth season as head coach, Berube led Tufts to a career-best 18-8 record. Berube was a member of UConn’s 1995 NCAA championship squad, which also included Jennifer Rizzotti ’96 (CLAS), the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Hartford, who was 2006-07 Coach of the Year in the America East Conference for the second consecutive year.

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Kelly Bowler ’97 (CLAS), ’98 M.S. married Patrick Hennigan ’92 M.B.A. in May 2006.

Heather (Traverse) Esposito ’97 (NUR) and her husband, Andrew, announce the birth of a son, Derek Alexander, on Feb. 26, 2007. He joins brother Dylan, 5, and sisters, Madison, 3, and Hailey, 1.

Patricia (Majchrzak) Lafayllve ’97 (CLAS) published her first book, Freyja, Lady, Vanadis: An Introduction to the Goddess, in September 2006.

Jennifer (Kim) Morenus ’97 (SFA), and her husband, Peter Morenus Jr., announce the birth of a son, Peter Arland Morenus III, on March 28. She is assistant to the vice provost at UConn and her husband is photo editor of UCONN magazine.

Cynthia (Prager) Parenteau ’97 (PHR) and her husband, Joshua ’96 (BUS), announce the birth of a son, Lucas Lee, born on March 12, 2007.

Lynn Patarini ’97 (BGS) served as volunteer marketing coordinator for Angel Ride 2007, a 130-mile, two-day charitable cycling event held annually on Memorial Day weekend.

Kathy Patterson ’97 (NUR) is the owner of Yanceyville Primary Care, a solo nurse practitioner practice in Yanceyville, N.C.

Karen Faiman ’98 (ED), ’99 M.A., ’04 6th year is the assistant principal at Betances Elementary School in Hartford, Conn. She lives in Cromwell, Conn.

Jonathan Foltz ’98 M.B.A. is executive vice president for Delcath Systems, Inc., a developer of medical technology. He previously was president of Os Technology, a women’s health medical device company that he co-founded.

Christina (Bertolino) Honcz ’98 (BUS) and Joseph Honcz ’98 (PHR) announce the birth of a daughter, Emma Paulina, on July 20, 2006.  She joins a 2-year-old brother, Joseph Neil. Joe is a product management director with Wellpoint (Anthem BCBS), Inc., in North Haven, Conn. The family lives in Milford, Conn.

James Long III ’98 (ENG) is the regional manager of Collins Engineers, Inc., in Newport News, Va. He joined Collins as senior bridge design engineer in 2006 and has over 14 years of structural engineering experience.

Jamie Mierzejewski ’98 (SFS) married John DiPasquale III in April 2005. The couple announces the birth of a daughter, Jailynn Elizabeth, in February 2006.

Meaghan (McGeowan) Decker ’99 (CLAS) and Chris Decker ’95 (CLAS) announce the birth of a son, Noah James, born on Dec. 18, 2006. He joins 4-year-old brother, Jackson. Chris is a high school history teacher in Beacon Falls, Conn., and Meaghan works at her family’s business, Arrow Fence, in East Hampton, Conn.

Kelsey (Hollister) McMullen ’99 (CANR), ’00 M.A. and Brendan McMullen ’99 (CANR) announce the birth of a son, Caleb Ryan, on Jan. 7, 2007. He joins siblings Meghyn and Aiden. Brendan works for the Tufts Veterinary School Ambulatory Unit. The family lives in Woodstock, Conn.

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Photo from Subway

Making a good sandwich is considered an art, but for Amy Phillips Alderton ’02 Ph.D. sandwich making is also a science.

As the senior food scientist for new product development at Subway, Alderton’s efforts to create tasty new sandwiches is enjoyed by millions of people in 27,000 Subway restaurants across 86 nations.

“I never envisioned myself working at a franchise company,” Alderton says, sitting in Subway’s headquarters lobby in Milford, Conn.

“I probably would have pictured myself at one of the suppliers formulating ingredients. This side is very exciting. It moves quickly — getting products out in front of the customers very fast.”

After completing her doctorate in animal science, Alderton decided to pursue her joint interest in teaching and research at the University of Kentucky, where she conducted studies and served as a consultant to companies in the food industry, such as Yum! Brands and Pierre Foods.

She found that she enjoyed the faster pace of the business world.

 “A food scientist takes all aspects of science ­— chemistry, microbiology and physics — and applies it to food,” says Alderton, who joined Subway last year.

“You apply all this science to something that’s fun.”

She says that developing new sandwiches begins with identifying emerging food trends that often originate in major city restaurants.

One of the latest trends is Asian-fusion, which features flavors such as lemongrass, peanut, and cilantro.

Creating a new sandwich translates into spicing up prepared beef, chicken or fish products with topical seasonings and sauces that can be prepared simply and quickly.

After helping Subway’s executive chef to develop a new product, Alderton works with food suppliers to develop the proper specifications to ensure that when a customer orders a sandwich at the Subway on campus in Storrs, it will taste the same as it does in Chicago. 

Alderton also works to improve Subway’s commitment to offer customers healthful eating options such as salads and reduced-fat menu items.

Anticipating the current trend, earlier this year she led Subway’s effort to eliminate added trans-fats from its menu.

Reducing sodium from Subway products is another goal this year, along with using more natural, less processed food products.

— Kenneth Best

Michelle Burnham ’00 (ENG) is a design engineer for Standard-Knapp of Portland, Conn. She lives in Vernon, Conn.

Gina-Marie (Cappola) Della Porta ’00 (CLAS) and her husband, Alfonso, announce the birth of a daughter, Sofia Nunzia Della Porta, born on Dec. 5, 2006. The family lives in Cheshire, Conn.

Peter Karp ’00 (BUS) will marry Jocelyn Warmoth in the summer of 2008. He is a corporate training consultant for Aetna in Middletown, Conn. They live in Cromwell.

Dana McCreesh ’00 M.B.A. and her husband, Mike, have raised $850,000 for childhood cancer research under TeamBrent, an organization named in honor of their 5-year-old son, Brent, who is fighting cancer.

Martha Summerville ’00 Ph.D. was selected to receive the Outstanding Professional Award from the UConn Neag School of Education Alumni Society.

Brian Archibald ’01 (CLAS) and his wife, Holly, announce the birth of a son, Sean Ryan. The family lives in Trumbull, Conn.

Kylene Fredrick ’01 (CLAS) is a consultant for Murtha Cullina LLP in the firm’s Government Affairs Group.

Seth Kurpiel ’01 (CLAS) married Morgan Seinfeld on June 25, 2006.  The couple lives in Astoria, N.Y.

Teresa LaBarbera ’01 (CLAS) is a reporter at WFSB 3 in Hartford, Conn.

Patrick Laros ’01 (CLAS) and his wife, Marise, announce the birth of a son, Benjamin Patrick, on Nov. 13, 2006. The family lives in Stratford, Conn.

Curtis Wong ’01 (CLAS) is working as a freelance journalist and teaching English as a second language in Prague, Czech Republic.

Amy Buchs ’02 (SFS) married Patrick Brintle ’02 (SFS) in July 2006. Both have completed sixth-year degrees from the University of Hartford. Amy is a school counselor at McGee Middle School in Berlin, Conn., and Patrick is a school counselor at Litchfield High School in Litchfield, Conn.

Jonathan McMurry ’02 Ph.D., an assistant professor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, has received a Cottrell Science Award, a national award for significant research that contributes to the advancement of science.

Arnaz Rustomji ’02 (ENG) married Michael Faiella on May 18, 2007.  The couple lives in Medford, Mass.

Aarti Bellara ’03 (CLAS) was accepted to the education research evaluation and measurement doctoral program at the University of South Florida. She completed her master’s degree from Sacred Heart University in elementary teaching and curriculum in 2005.

Erika Wohlke ’03 (CLAS) is engaged to marry Peter Higgins in August 2007. She is an account services associate for Deloitte Services LP in Stamford, Conn.

Katrina Armando ’04 (SFA), ’04 M.M. is engaged to marry Christian T. Potts in May 2008. She lives in a suburb of Boston and teaches music in Duxbury, Mass.

Laurel Jay Carpenter ’04 (SFA) presented a new performance work, “First, Kiss,” at the International Festival of Dance and Live Art at the 52nd Venice Biennale in June 2007.

Alan Lanz ’04 (NUR) is a psychiatric nurse at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Conn.

Daniela Maron ’04 (BUS) is a senior auditor at Perkins and Company, P.C. in Portland, Ore. She lives in Hillsboro, Ore.

Katharine (Swetz) Schreiber ’04 (CLAS) married David Schreiber ’03 (SFA) on Oct. 14, 2006. The couple lives in Cheshire, Conn.

Joshua Weinshank ’04 (CLAS) and Jared Spilka ’06 (CANR) are raising money and awareness for research on leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma through Coast-to-Coast for a Cure. They biked across the United States in an effort to raise $50,000 for the research at the UConn Health Center in Farmington and Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research.

Martha Ellis ’05 (CLAS) co-authored a paper accepted in the Journal of Applied Ecology titled “Using a stochastic model to examine the ecological, economic and ethical consequences of population control in a charismatic invasive species, mute swans in North America.”

Marisa Kushner ’05 (CLAS) received an M.A. from Emerson College in integrated marketing communication.

Tammi Stanley ’05 (BGS) and her husband, Scott, announce the birth of twin boys, Jackson and William, on April 3, 2006. 

Henry Villanueva ’05 (CANR) is a nutritionist for WIC in Florida. He is currently a candidate for a master’s degree in human nutrition.

Jason Wesalo ’05 (CLAS) is an associate producer at ABC News Radio for “Good Morning America,” responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of the program. He previously had a variety of production roles for ABC News Radio and ABC Radio Sports. Before joining ABC, he was a reporter/anchor at WGHT Radio in Pompton Lakes, N.J.

Michael Butterworth ’06 (BUS) married Jessica Ruiz ’06 (ED), ’07 M.A. on July 27, 2007

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Alumni honored by Fairfield Country
Sports Hall of Fame

The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame, located at UConn’s campus in Stamford, recognizes the achievements of UConn student-athletes from southwestern Connecticut. The inaugural class of former Huskies included (L-R): Chris Smith ’92 (CLAS) of Bridgeport, the Huskies’ all-time leading scorer in men’s basketball; twin sisters Moira Buckley Blair ’84 (ED) and Tara Buckley O’Sullivan ’84 (ED), ’86 M.A. of Trumbull, who were named as soccer All-Americans seven times between them; and Brian Usher ’74 (ED) ’86 (M.A.) of Stamford, a linebacker on the 1973 Yankee Conference championship team, who also served as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator for eight years and as head coach at Rippowam High School in Stamford, and who today is associate director of admissions at UConn.

Photo by Jim Lipay

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Alumni News & Notes compiled by Brian Evans and Tina Modzelewski