International business expert to lead School
Choi named dean of Engineering
Experienced administrator to lead School of Nursing
Commencement 2007
Celebrating the memory of Devin Gaines
Serving the public interest
Professor’s story on the silver screen
Jazz master jams
Study: Reunited families a success
Third UConn soldier mourned
CSI Inventor
Fort Trumbull Reunion
Offering a helping hand to Ugandan hospital
School of Pharmacy establishes program in China
Using satellites to predict floods on Earth
Wal-Mart as a legal case study
Lobo honored for impact on women's sports
Then & Now: Marching in tune
What's that smell?
Bringing it all together
UConn Health Center one of nation's best
Bernstein leads the way
Psychology scholarship established by retired professor for research
Alumni establish scholarships for freshman engineers
Congressional papers donated to Dodd Center
Gift established pilot master's degree program
Degree completion program honored
Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame enshrined Huskies
Husky STATS - A bounty of titles, awards, and tourney play
Polo three-peat
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| P. Christopher Earley is named the new dean of the School of Business. |
| Photo by Peter Morenus |
P. Christopher Earley, an authority on working in multicultural business environments, has been named the new dean of the School of Business, effective January 2008.
Earley will arrive at UConn after leading business faculty in Europe and Asia for more than 20 years.
He currently serves as dean of the National University of Singapore, one of the top business schools in Asia, and previously was chair and professor of organizational behavior at the London Business School in England.
He has taught on the faculties of the National University of Singapore, London Business School, Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Minnesota and University of California, Irvine.
“The excitement at UConn is infectious, and there are tremendous opportunities for the School of Business to advance as a world-class leader in business education,” says Earley.
“Just as important, UConn is in a great position to become a national leader in business programs emphasizing entrepreneurship, technology and globalization.”
“With more corporate deals occurring on a global scale in today’s marketplace, it is increasingly important that business students get experience in worldwide business cultures.
Dean Earley’s expertise and global contacts will be valuable in increasing our students’ global opportunities,” says Mohamed Hussein, head of the accounting department, who served as interim dean during the search.
Earley is an authority on multinational work teams, cross-cultural differences of individual behavior in organizations and motivation systems across cultures.
His research has led him to travel and work in China, England, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore. Earley received his undergraduate degree from Knox College and graduate degrees in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In addition to his appointment as dean, he was awarded UConn’s new Auran J. Fox Chair in Business.
An internationally recognized scholar, Earley has written 10 books and more than 100 articles and book chapters on multinational work teams and managing in different cultures.
His experience extends beyond the classroom, having consulted for companies such as Deutsche Bank, Islamic Development Bank, General Motors, Unilever, and Eli Lilly.
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Mun Young Choi, a mechanical engineer who designed experiments for NASA that were conducted on the International Space Station, has been named the new dean of the School of Engineering, effective January 2008.
Choi comes to UConn after serving as associate dean for research and graduate studies at Drexel University’s College of Engineering in Philadelphia, where he also heads the department of mechanical engineering and mechanics.
In addition to his work for NASA, Choi’s research projects in the areas of combustion, energy, and experimental diagnostics have been funded by various federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy.
“During my interactions with University’s faculty and staff I sensed tremendous excitement about the opportunities for UConn and the School of Engineering,” Choi says.
“The school has excellent faculty members in each department who are internationally recognized for their scholarship and educational programs. I look forward to working with them to integrate multi-disciplinary research programs, inter-department collaboration, innovative educational programs, as well as conduct outreach to enhance diversity and instill positive feelings of camaraderie.”
Choi is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received his doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University.
He served as a National Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and as a faculty member in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Illinois at Chicago, prior to joining Drexel University in 2000.
“I believe that in Mun we have found an outstanding leader for the school,” says Provost Peter J. Nicholls.
“He will not only lead the School to the next level of excellence but has already shared with me many exciting possibilities for collaborations with other schools and colleges at UConn that will be to the great benefit of the entire University.”
Choi says that he sees there is strong commitment from the University and the state of Connecticut to elevate the School of Engineering to become one of the premier schools in the nation.
“The key elements are already in place for success,” he says.
“I want to create an environment that embraces the diverse perspectives of the faculty, staff and students of the School. I will strive to be an effective and caring advocate for the School.”
UConn’s School of Engineering houses the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, a leading academic fuel cell research facility, and has more than 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students.
There are more than 100 full-time faculty members in the school and about 20,000 alumni.
to lead School of Nursing
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Anne Bavier, a nursing administrator with experience leading both academic and federal health care organizations, has been named dean of the School of Nursing.
“Dr. Bavier is an adept academic administrator with a proven talent for rapidly advancing institutions through strong, strategic initiatives,” says UConn Provost Peter J. Nicholls.
“Her extensive background in university settings and within federal health care agencies positions her well to help our nursing faculty maximize its engagement in scholarly research.”
“My approach at UConn’s School of Nursing will be to set forth a bold strategic plan for elevating the School’s research focus to the highest level, while enhancing its existing emphasis on teaching excellence,” Bavier says.
“UConn’s School of Nursing has a proud history as a national leader in nursing education. I intend to honor that legacy while ensuring the School remains relevant for the current time and into the future.”
Bavier served as dean of the School of Nursing at St. Xavier University in Chicago for the past three years.
She previously served as assistant dean for development, alumni and external relations and then assistant dean for planning and external relations at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, one of the leading schools of nursing in the country.
Bavier earned her bachelor’s degree from Duke University, her master’s from Emory University, and her doctorate from Duquesne University, all in nursing.
She also brings to UConn a dozen years of experience in leadership roles at federal health care agencies, including oversight of a $17.5 million budget as the deputy director of the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Research on Women’s Health.
Among her accomplishments as dean at St. Xavier, Bavier quadrupled faculty publications and scholarly presentations, increased the school’s grant funding by 50 percent, and dramatically expanded funding for disadvantaged undergraduate nursing students.
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| Lhamo Tsering ’07 D.M.D. is congratulated by her father, Dekyi Dolma, after commencement at the School of Dental Medicine. | Gia Barss ’07 (CANR) shows off her cap before the morning commencement procession along Fairfield Way across from Gampel Pavilion. |
| Photo by Al Ferreira | Photo by Peter Morenus |
| Provost Peter J. Nicholls, right, addresses undergraduate ceremonies at Gampel Pavilion. |  |
| Photo by Peter Morenus |
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When he graduated in May, Devin Gaines ’07 (CLAS), (ENG), (SFA) had completed a remarkable achievement. He had earned 276 credits in five years, enough to earn five degrees—computer science, theatre studies, linguistics/psychology, cognitive science, and an individualized major in cinema, culture, and cognition. He also had five minors. He accomplished this while maintaining a 3.2 grade point average. He had planned to continue his education by pursuing a master’s degree in educational communications technology. His remarkable story ended tragically when he died in a swimming accident on July 10. “Devin really embraced all aspects of University life,” says David G. Woods, dean of the School of Fine Arts. “He was a creative artist, had a mathematical mind, was witty, and he was caring. Those of us in fine arts enjoyed and cherished our friendship with him and will miss him and his many artistic talents.” |
| Photo by Peter Morenus |
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Salmun Kazerounian ’07 (CLAS) is one of six students nationwide to receive a William H. Gates Public Service Law Scholarship to the University of Washington School of Law, which requires a five-year commitment to working in the public service arena after completing law school.
The scholarship was established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Kazerounian served as the undergraduate student representative on the UConn Board of Trustees.
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Patton Oswalt, known for his role on The King of Queens television comedy, and Oscar nominee Mariel Hemingway, appear in a scene from Greetings from Earth, a short film adapted from a story written by Scott Bradfield, professor of English, who teaches creative writing and film writing in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The film had its premiere screening at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City this past spring.
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| Photo by Peter Morenus |
Jazz artist Chick Corea plays drums with Mike Knox ’08 (SFA), bassist of the UConn Jazz Sextet, during a master class earlier this year.
Corea offered insights and advice to a large audience of music students from UConn and area high schools through a collaboration between the School of Fine Arts and the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
Violinist Joshua Bell also conducted a class at von der Mehden Recital Hall as part of the 2007 master class sessions.
The Casey Family Services Reunification program is successfully helping children reunite with their families after having been separated by state child protective services, according to a five-year study led by researchers at the School of Social Work.
At the end of the study, researchers knew the case outcomes for 197 of the 254 children in the 135 families who received services from the program.
Of these, more than 60 percent were reunited with their birth parents or the primary caretaker from whom they had been removed, says principal investigator Barbara Pine, professor emerita of social work.
The study, which was conducted in conjunction with researchers at the University of Maine, also found that children in the model program were reunited with their families on average seven weeks sooner than children in the study’s comparison group who received standard services.
For all permanent placements, including reunification, children were placed in some type of permanent home 22 weeks earlier than the children in the comparison group.
This is half the time of the national average for length of time to reach permanency for children in out-of-home care.
“These are families who are typical of those with children the child welfare system has removed from their home because of neglect or abuse and placed in foster care,” Pine says.
The Casey program, part of a private, non-profit child welfare agency, works with families to improve parenting skills and increase family safety and permanency for children.
Another key component of the program is coordinating with child protective services and other agencies working with the families involved.
“When parents participate at a high level in the program, their kids go home,” Pine says.
Researchers found that parents were using a wide range of supports and services since they left the program, including counseling services and parent training.
Pine says establishing stability in the lives of children separated from their families is important.
“Moves upset children terribly. They disrupt relationships and after a while children may not be able to make relationships work,” she says.
“This study, which showed that the children are returned home faster and have fewer moves while in care, has very positive findings.”
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U.S. Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman ’05 (CANR) was killed May 28 when the helicopter in which he was flying was shot down in the Diyala province northeast of Baghdad in Iraq.
He was a member of the Second Squadron, Sixth Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.
He was deployed to Iraq in December.
He was buried with full military honors and posthumously honored with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart that were presented to his parents.
Lt. Heidtman is the third member of the UConn community killed in Iraq. Army Capt. Jason Hamill ’98 (CLAS) died in November 2006, and Marine Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson ’09 died in August 2006.
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| Photo by Jordan Bender |
UConn researcher Jeffrey Schweitzer has helped invent and test a device that could significantly aid law enforcement in locating and identifying evidence at crime scenes.
The device, a hand-held x-ray fluorescence instrument, will enable police officers to quickly and clearly detect and analyze a variety of evidence from suspects and crime scenes, including gunshot residue, blood, and semen.
“The average police forensics lab can sometimes be backed up for a long time,” says Schweitzer, research professor in physics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, one of a group of researchers who developed the device.
“This will allow law enforcement to speed up the process of identifying evidence and allow them to see evidence that cannot otherwise be found.”
He says some analytical techniques can alter evidence, but the new device is non-destructive.
More significantly, evidence analysis at a crime scene allows the data to be used immediately for investigative purposes, to help identify possible suspects, or clear other individuals from investigation, he adds.
The instrument can identify specific compounds in the materials that are being examined, such as iron hemoglobin in blood, zinc in semen or barium and antimony in gunshot residue.
It also can be adjusted in its operating properties to provide maximum sensitivity for specific types of evidence.
Work on developing the device was funded by NASA and the National Institute of Justice as a dual-use technology that can be used both for forensics and on planetary missions.
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| Photo by Brian Evans |
About 40 alumni who attended classes at UConn’s Fort Trumbull campus between 1946 and 1950 after World War II renewed friendships during Reunion Weekend 2007 in early June.
They toured the campus, contributed memorabilia to the establishment of a Fort Trumbull Room at the Alumni Center, and recounted UConn memories during a session with historian Bruce Stave, director of the Center for Oral History.
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| Photo from Virika Hospital |
Jamie Kezis ’04 (NUR) works in Virika Hospital in Fort Portal, located in the Kabarole district of Uganda, where she cares for patients and provides instruction to Ugandan nursing students.
When UConn students in a public health nursing class learned of the hospital’s need for critical medical supplies last year, they organized a collection to send to Uganda.
During the past year they have sent 12 boxes of medical supplies to Uganda coordinated by Lisa-Marie Griffiths, UConn clinical nursing instructor and president of the local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society.
program in China
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| Robert McCarthy, dean of the School of Pharmacy, met in Beijing, China, with Junyi Liu, dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University. |
| Photo by Philip Hritcko |
Students in the School of Pharmacy will have the opportunity to study traditional Chinese medicine and learn the Mandarin language, while UConn faculty may collaborate on research projects under a sister-institution agreement with the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University in Beijing, China.
Dean Robert McCarthy led a delegation from UConn to China in the spring to meet with officials at Peking University and signed a memorandum of understanding for the educational exchange program for up to 20 students to begin as early as the summer of 2008.
The group included Diane Burgess, professor of pharmaceutical sciences; Philip Hritcko, assistant clinical professor of pharmacy practice; and Ross Lewin, executive program director of study abroad programs.
“Many pharmacy faculty in China were trained in the United States and speak English, so they have the ability to teach our students,” Hritcko says.
“We visited a university hospital in Beijing and saw that they combine traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.”
Traditional Chinese medicine is based on a holistic approach to treating patients by directing care for the entire body, not just the afflicted part, he says, with natural herbal supplements.
Pharmaceutical research in China focuses on learning how herbal medicines actually work, following the more familiar scientific method of testing new drugs in the United States and elsewhere in the western world, Hritcko adds.
The exchange program likely could begin with a group of UConn pharmacy students taking a course in traditional Chinese medicine during the summer intersession next year while also taking a class to learn Mandarin Chinese, he says.
Eventually, students could elect to spend part of their required pharmacy practice rotation in China.
There is also discussion about developing a fall conference on pharmaceutical research at Peking University.
Hritcko says UConn hopes to use this partnership to explore the possibility of agreements with other Chinese pharmacy schools.
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Two researchers in the School of Engineering hope to improve the prediction of floods with satellite data under a three-year, $433,000 grant from NASA.
Emmanouil Anagnostou and Amvrossios Bagtzoglou, associate professors of civil and environmental engineering, are trying to bridge the gap between satellite precipitation data, which provides meteorological information on a gross scale, and local Earth-based systems, to develop prediction methods that offer greater accuracy and span geographic and political barriers.
“We plan to assess the potential for improving flood/water cycling predictability on the basis of current and future precipitation capabilities from space,” says Anagnostou.
The researchers say they hope to target the Nile River in Africa for their study because it spans nine countries and flows through diverse terrain and climates, from tropical southern locales to deserts in the north.
Anagnostou says water use is a source of friction among the nations through which the Nile passes, with Egypt consuming the largest volume, noting that weather data collected at the local or national level is not coordinated or communicated among other nations.
The researchers believe a satellite-based precipitation collection system can be used to effectively predict floods without reliance on local equipment and political interference.
Satellites can provide a consistent data set and be operated by one institution that subsequently disseminates the data to all nations, says Anagnostou.
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Students in the School of Law gained a unique perspective on business law last fall through a course devoted to a single corporation — Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest retailer.
During a conversation about a lawsuit filed against the retail giant, three UConn Law School professors — Jon Bauer, Alexandra Lahav, and Kaaryn Gustafson — began to discuss the possibility of designing a unique course that would focus on a single company.
A series of brainstorming sessions held over several months resulted in a course proposal that would address many different areas of law as they relate to Wal-Mart as well as look at the company through materials drawn from journalism, business, economics, and sociology.
“Wal-Mart is important in itself because of its huge scale, pervasive influence, and trends in the global economy that it exemplifies,” says Bauer. “It serves as the frame for studying many different areas of legal doctrine and getting at some broad and very important issues.”
“What was innovative about the Wal-Mart class is that it used the corporate entity, rather than specific areas of law, as the organizing principle for a law school class,” says Lahav.
“This allowed the students to learn about a variety of areas of law and hopefully to be inspired to pursue some of these areas further.”
The class examined the positive and negative effects of a single power retailer on consumers, manufacturers, workers, the economy, and the culture and what role legal regulation might play in controlling those factors.
Critical components of the course included segments on anti-trust, zoning, health care and public benefits, employment discrimination, labor rights, international trade, and corporate and banking law.
The course also inspired a two-day seminar held at the law school last October called “Wal-Mart Matters” that featured scores of panelists discussing various aspects of the massive company.
“The conference was a tremendous success,” says Bauer. “The panel discussions were excellent, with speakers drawn both from academia and the world of practice.
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| Rebecca Lobo ’95 (CLAS), center, was honored during a basketball game for having a significant impact on UConn women’s sports with a presentation by Jeffrey Hathaway, UConn director of athletics, and Pat Babcock, associate director of athletics and senior women’s administrator. |
| Photo by Stephen Slade |
Rebecca Lobo ’95 (CLAS), a member of the UConn Board of Trustees, was honored for having a significant impact on UConn women’s sports during National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) in February at Gampel Pavilion.
NGWSD is celebrated in all 50 states with community-based events, award ceremonies, and activities honoring the achievements and encouraging participation of girls and women in sports.
As part of the celebration, each Big East Conference school honored an individual that has made a significant impact on women’s sports at its institution.
Lobo helped lead the Huskies to their first NCAA women’s basketball title in 1995, won the Naismith and College Basketball Player of the Year awards and joined the WNBA for its inaugural season in 1997.
Today, she is a sideline reporter and color analyst for the WNBA and for college basketball on ESPN.
Marching in tune
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| Photo from University Archives |
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| Photo by Peter Morenus |
The roots of the University of Connecticut Marching Band (UCMB) go back to 1904 with a band formed by military cadets.
The cadet band continued as the ROTC Band and a separate marching band was organized in 1935 by Herbert France, the first director of music.
From performances at home and away football games, the UCMB has in recent years traveled to Europe and performed at the World Series in Yankee Stadium, and at the Motor City Bowl in 2004.
Today the UCMB has 280 members under the direction of David Mills, professor of music in the School of Fine Arts, who has led the band since 1990.
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More than 5,000 visitors arrived in mid-May at UConn’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Conservatory in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to experience the blooming of the titan arum, or corpse flower, and its mighty stench akin to old socks, dead fish and rotten vegetables.
A second flowering occurred three weeks later in early June.
Another double flowering could take place in 2010, says Clint Morse, plant growth facilities manager.
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| Matthew Dieringer ’08 (ENG), left, and Daniel Sadlon ’08 (ENG) demonstrate a part-sorting device, one of the design projects on display during Senior Design Day in the School of Engineering, which brings together academic concepts and principles that are applied to construction of a final project. |
| Photo by Peter Morenus |
one of nation's best
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For the third consecutive year, the UConn Health Center was named one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals, according to the 2006 Solucient 100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarks for Success.
A ranking in the Solucient report is considered one of the industry’s most prestigious honors.
The UConn Health Center is one of only 15 hospitals nationwide recognized in the major teaching hospital category.
Solucient uses a scorecard based on objective statistical measurement of performance in critical areas, including clinical outcomes, patient safety, operational efficiency, and growth in patient volume.
Selected hospitals display an ability to provide sustainable and reliable health care services to their communities.
“This honor reflects the extraordinary hard work and complete commitment of our physicians, nurses, and other medical staff to be the very best when it comes to patient care, quality, and medical innovation,” says Peter J. Deckers, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.
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| Melissa Bernstein and Doug Bernstein ’85 (CLAS), founders of the Melissa & Doug toy company. |
| Photo by Peter Morenus |
Business and government leaders often begin their leadership training as students involved with campus organizations.
When Douglas A. Bernstein ’85 (CLAS) was a UConn student, he joined the Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG) and eventually became its president; he served on the Board of Directors of the UConn Co-op, and was named student representative to the state Board of Governors for Higher Education.
Today, he leads more than 1,000 employees worldwide at Melissa & Doug, a toy company he founded with his wife, Melissa, that is the leading maker of educational toys in the world.
“Our business would not have been possible if not for the education I received at UConn,” he says, “especially the education I received by being a student leader.”
To help more students follow in his footsteps, Bernstein and his wife donated $100,000 to establish the Douglas A. Bernstein Legacy Retreat and Summit, the kick-off event for a new UConn leadership program — the Connecticut Leadership Legacy Experience.
The leadership program was created after the Student Leader Alumni Program was launched in 2002, when a group of former student leaders joined together to organize the effort.
“Doug was an outstanding student leader. His gift reflects an understanding of the importance of training future leaders, and we are thrilled that his generosity will help us provide an incredible opportunity for our students,” says Kevin Fahey, senior associate director of campus activities.
“We hope the program will help refine the students’ leadership skills, hone them, and help them think about how to broaden their skills in the wider world,” says Joe Briody, associate director for leadership development.
“The program will bring a bit of prestige to the students who are part of it. They’re among the best of the best.”
A group of 13 students selected to participate in the program’s inaugural year in 2006 were among UConn’s most active students.
They include SUBOG members, peer leaders, Husky Ambassadors, FYE mentors, merit scholars, and volunteers.
The program aligns each student with an alumni mentor and a faculty or staff mentor, each of whom meets with the students periodically during the year they are involved in the program.
The mentors are experienced leaders with whom the students can speak about their time at UConn, reflect on how to handle situations that may arise during the year, and discuss how they can apply their leadership skills upon graduation.
The students also are required to attend six or more leadership workshops and lectures throughout the year.
Samantha Sherwood ’08 (CLAS), who is majoring in human development and family studies with a concentration in public policy, has already benefited from the program.
“It has exceeded all my expectations,” she says.
“The camaraderie within the group, my mentors, they’ve all been great. I’m getting to know people and I’ve been involved in things I never would have experienced without the program.”
Psychology scholarship established
by retired professor for research
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Psychology scholarship established by retired professor for research Maurice L. Farber, professor emeritus in psychology, has established a trust to help financially needy students in his former department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The $2 million program will benefit undergraduate psychology majors and establish graduate fellowships in psychology.
Farber, 95, was a social and clinical psychologist – “an ideal mentor for students in both areas,” says Charles Lowe, professor of psychology and department head, who joined the faculty five years before Farber retired in 1977.
Through a family friend, Farber says he wanted to help today’s students, “particularly in light of the growing costs of a college education.”
When Farber joined the faculty in 1948, the psychology department had 10 faculty members and many of its students were veterans attending UConn on the GI bill.
Today, the department has 55 faculty members, including some of the most active researchers on campus.
The department recently was ranked fifth in the nation for attracting federal research funding for psychology.
There are more than 1,200 undergraduate majors and 150 grad students and annually more than 8,000 undergraduates from across the University who take psychology courses.
Farber wrote a well-received book, Theory of Suicide (1968), and was also interested in the social psychology of political groups.
He wrote many articles from a psychoanalytical viewpoint about national character and political behavior
Farber was known as a caring teacher, says Lowe, who, like Farber, was trained as both a clinical and social psychologist.
Alumni establish scholarships
for freshman engineers
A scholarship fund to support freshmen enrolled in the School of Engineering who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need was established by an alumni couple serving on the school’s advisory board.
Joel ’77 (ENG) and Heidi ’77 (CLAS) Douglas created the Joel S. and Heidi S. Douglas Engineering Scholarship, which will give preference to female students who graduate from eastern Connecticut high schools.
“Helping others is an important part of the human experience,” says Joel, who was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers by the School of Engineering in 2005.
“This scholarship is an investment in smart, capable students who will go on to build successful careers.”
“We are also passionate about the need for more young people to pursue careers in science and engineering in order to maintain our country’s technology leadership,” says Heidi.
“We feel very fortunate to be able to ‘pay forward’ the help that we’ve had in our lives.”
Joel holds 70 U.S. patents, 29 FDA product clearances, and numerous foreign patents.
In 2004, he was named one of the 100 Notable People in the Medical Device Industry by Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine.
Heidi has held management positions at Pfizer and Syntex, served as partner at Deloitte Consulting and was named a 2006 finalist for the Women of Innovation Award presented by the Connecticut Technology Council.
The couple founded and now runs MysticMD, based in Groton, Conn., which develops coating solutions based on proprietary carbon nanotube formulations for a variety of commercial and defense industry applications.
Congressional papers donated to Dodd Center
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| Photo by Alex Bothell |
Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, center, examines documents donated to the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center from her 25-year career in Congress with Tom Wilsted, director of the Dodd Center, and Betsy Pitman, curator for political collections.
Johnson represented the 6th Congressional District and the reapportioned 5th District, which includes UConn’s campuses in Torrington and Waterbury.
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons also donated papers to the Dodd Center from his six years representing the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes UConn’s main campus and the regional campus at Avery Point.
Gift establishes pilot master's degree program
A master’s degree program in synthetic organic chemistry will be piloted over three years through a partnership between UConn and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Ridgefield, Conn.
Boehringer has committed $180,000 to support six research assistantships for master’s degree candidates enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ chemistry department.
The company also will work with UConn faculty to co-develop and teach a new experiential course in pharmaceutical research and host six-month capstone internships to provide real-world training for future employment.
“The ultimate goal of this program is to demonstrate the benefit of having an industry/academic collaboration and eventually train more highly skilled scientists,” says Chris Senanayake, vice president, chemical development department at Boehringer.
“We believe that UConn is well-equipped to pilot such an exciting program.”
Degree completion program honored
Former student-athletes return to earn their diplomas
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| Rod Sellers ‘06 (CLAS) completed his degree through the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletics. |
| Photo by Bob Stowell |
Rod Sellers ’06 (CLAS) was discussing a new job when the interviewer noted his recently completed degree from UConn, which he earned after retiring from playing professional basketball in Europe for 14 years.
“It sounded so good to hear a mention of my degree,” says Sellers, who completed the nine credits he needed for his degree in communication sciences after leaving UConn in 1992.
“I didn’t feel complete without it. I live in Atlanta and I’m married with kids. I was able to take the courses I needed over the Internet.”
Sellers, now working for an insurance company, is one of many former student-athletes who are taking advantage of UConn’s Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletics (CPIA).
UConn was recognized earlier this year by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) for the success of its degree completion and community service programs that bring former student athletes back to earn final credits for their undergraduate degree.
The program is funded by the Division of Athletics, which offers tuition assistance in exchange for community service.
While student-athletes may be able to take some online courses, on campus classes are required to complete most degree requirements.
UConn’s Division of Athletics was one of only 21 universities to be included on both the degree completion and community service recognition rosters for activities that covered the 2005-06 academic year.
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| Shannon Connolly ’06 (ED), ‘07 M.A. finished undergraduate degree requirements through CPIA last year. |
| Photo by Stephen Slade |
It was the second consecutive year UConn was recognized on the NCAS Honor Roll for both programs.
“The primary mission of UConn’s Division of Athletics is for our student-athletes to earn their undergraduate degree,” says Jeff Hathaway, director of athletics.
“The NCAS program is a great asset in helping to achieve that goal, and we are very pleased to be recognized for this important educational initiative.
In addition, we are also firm believers that community service is a key part of the learning experience for our student-athletes.”
Bruce Cohen, director of CPIA, says the program is expanding each year as former student-athletes learn about the opportunity to complete their degree.
“Initially we identified student-athletes close to graduation and encouraged them to come back. Now they’re contacting us,” he says. “It’s taken on a life of its own. It’s exponentially growing.”
Among those who completed their UConn degrees last year are Jeff Hourigan ’06 (CLAS) of baseball, Kevin Freeman ’06 (CLAS) and Rashamel Jones ’06 (CLAS) of men’s basketball, Roy Hopkins ’06 (CLAS) and Tavaar Closs ’06 (CLAS) of football, Shannon Connolly of women’s ice hockey, Cassie Novak ’06 (CLAS) of women’s swimming and diving, and April Garner ’06 (ED) of women’s track and field.
Completing degree requirements appears to inspire new educational goals, as well. Sellers fulfilled his community service obligation working with children.
“I get such a kick out of helping kids,” he says.
“Now I want to get a master’s degree in social work.”
Connecticut Soccer Hall of
Fame enshrines Huskies
Three former Husky soccer players are a part of the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2007 inductees, joining 15 current and former players and coaches from UConn.
John Blomstrann ’76 (CLAS), Carlos M. Carlos ’83 (ENG) and Thomas Nevers 1974-78 were inducted in ceremonies earlier this year.
Blomstrann has served as the head boy’s soccer coach at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs for the last 26 years.
He holds an overall record of 415-68-27 (.840) with five CIAC LL championships to his credit.
Carlos was the starting center midfielder for Joe Morrone’s 1981 national championship squad that went 20-3-2.
He signed with the New York Cosmos in 1982 as a first-round draft pick and went on to capture the 1982 Soccer Bowl in San Diego.
Today, he coaches premier soccer with Academica Futebol Club in Cheshire, Conn.
Nevers, 12th in the all-time UConn scoring ranks, played professional soccer for four years in the North American and Major Indoor Soccer Leagues, participating in over 100 league and international competitions.
He also was named a high school All-American during his career at E.O. Smith.
He joins his father, Thomas Nevers, Sr., a member of the CSHOF Class of 2001.
The last three Husky head coaches: Ray Reid (1997-present), Morrone (1969-96), and John Squires (1937-68) are in the hall.
A bounty of titles, awards, and tourney play
BASEBALL
The Huskies completed a 34-27 record, made a late run in the Big East Tournament and advanced to the championship game. As the No. 8 seed, the team dropped its opening game and then won four straight, highlighted by a walk-off home run by infielder Matt Untiet ’08 (CLAS) that capped a dramatic come-from-behind win over the top-seeded St. John’s to qualify for the title game.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Forward Jeff Adrien ’09 (CLAS) was named All-Big East, Second Team, and center Hasheem Thabeet ’10 (CLAS) and guard Jerome Dyson ’10 (CLAS) named to the Big East All-Rookie Team.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Center Tina Charles ’10 (NUR) was named Big East Rookie of the Year and guard Renee Montgomery ’09 (BUS) was named All-Big East, First Team, in leading the team to a 32-4 record, winning the Big East regular season championship and advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight. Charles, forward Charde Houston ’08 (CLAS) and guard Kalana Greene ’09 (BUS) were named to the All-Big East, Second Team, while center Kaili McLaren ’10 (CLAS) joined Charles on the Big East All-Rookie Team.
GOLF
Jason Parajeckas ’07 (CLAS) won theindividual title at the Yale Spring Open.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Forward Trevor Stewart ’07 (CLAS) won the Atlantic Hockey Best Defensive Forward Award in leading the Huskies to the semifinals of the league tournament. Forward Matt Scherer ’07 (ED) was named All-Atlantic Hockey, Second Team, and defensemen Sean Erickson ’09 (CLAS) named to the league’s Third Team.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Goaltender Brittany Wilson ’09 (ED) and defenseman Natalie Vibert ’07 (CLAS) were named to the All-Hockey East, First Team, in leading the Huskies to the semifinals of the Hockey East championship. Junior forward Jaclyn Hawkins ’08 (CLAS) was named to the All-Hockey East, Second Team and forward Dominique Thibault ’10 (CLAS) was named to the All-Rookie Team.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Shannon Burke ’07 (CLAS) was named an IWLCA All-America, Second Team, after being recognized as Big East Midfielder of the Year, and All-Big East, First Team. Senior midfielder Kristin Link ’07 (CLAS) was named All-Big East, Second Team.
ROWING
Junior Olga Solovyova ’08 (ED) was named to the Collegiate Rowers Coaching Association All-New England Second Team.
SOFTBALL
Outfielder Micah Truax ’09 (ED) was named to the Easton All-America, Third Team, was Big East Player of the Year, and joined infielder Jillian Ortega ’09 (ED) on the All-Big East, First Team, in qualifying the team for the league tournament. Catcher Allie Gendron ’08 (ED) was named All-Big East, Second Team, and infielder Holly Calcagno ’07 (BUS) was named Third Team. Ortega was also named All-Northeast, First Team, and Traux was named All-Northeast, Second Team.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The Huskies earned a spot in the Big East Championship for the second year in a row.
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Head coach Greg Roy was named New England Coach of the Year in leading the team to its second straight New England Indoor Championship, third place at the Big East Indoor
Championships and second place at the Big East Outdoor Championship. Nine individuals qualified for NCAA outdoor regional competition.
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Head coach Bill Morgan was the New England and Northeast Coach of the Year as the team won the New England Indoor and ECAC championships and finished third at the Big East. Tamara Highsmith ’09 (BUS) qualified in the pentathlon at the NCAA Championship. During the outdoor season, the team was fourth at the Big East and had
three qualifiers for the NCAA nationals: Jessi Foreman ’09 (CLAS) in the 100- meter dash, Carin Knight ’10 (CLAS) in the high jump, and Jillian Sullivan ’07 (NUR) in the steeplechase.
Polo three-peat
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| Elizabeth Rockwell ’08 (CANR) helped the women’s polo club team to win its third consecutive national championship against the University of Virginia in Lexington, Ky. The team won the national title despite widespread sickness among UConn’s horses, which almost forced the season to be canceled. Riding borrowed mounts, the UConn team played its matches on the road and competed on horses owned by their opponents. |
| Photo by Tom Hopkins Studio |