Alumni Profiles:
Protecting the nation's natural treasures Fran P. Mainella '65 (ED)
Behind the Lion King's curtain James Hammon '95 M.A.
Caretaker for canine Huskies Andrea Dennis-LaVigne '03 (BGS)
Other Items of Interest:
Reunions
In Memoriam
Call for nominations

Submit your class notes information online.

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; or by filling out the online News & Notes form.

Reunions Save the Date June 4 & 5, 2004 Reunion Weekend Classes of 1939, 1944, 1954, 1979 and Classic Mark your calendars! Reunion Weekend will take place on Friday and Saturday, June 4 & 5, 2004. Schedule includes tours of campus; keynote speakers, including Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway; classroom seminars; a dinner Friday evening where the Class of 1954 and 1979 gifts will be presented; and a New England Clambake and Greek Sing Contest on Saturday. Check your mail in April for registration information or check our website for program updates. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Lachut '90 at 860-486-2240 or toll-free at 888-UC-ALUM-1 or by email at kimberly.lachut@uconn.edu. Special Interest Reunions Interested in reconnecting with that special group of friends? Let the UConn Alumni Association help. If you have a specific group (i.e., dorm, student organization, fraternity, sorority, athletic or intramural team, etc.) that you would like to get together, contact Kim Lachut '90 at 860-486-2240 or toll-free at 888-UC-ALUM-1, and she can help you. She also can be contacted by e-mail at kimberly.lachut@uconn.edu.

John Blum '37 (CLAS), '39 M.S. retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the associate administrator of agriculture marketing service after 36 years. He lives in Sterling, Va., and plays violin in the McLean Symphony, Reston Chamber Orchestra and a string quartet at Falcon's Landing.

Albert Newby '49 (CANR) retired as natural resource manager of Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, N.J. He has been married to Joyce Dillon for 53 years. They have five grandchildren.

Edward Button '50 (CANR) worked for the Connecticut Department of Transportation until his retirement in 1988 and recently published Images and Fantasies, An Anthology at the age of 80. He and his wife, Kathryn, reside in Middletown, Conn.

George Saxton '50 (CLAS) is the author of DAX, a novel published by RoseDog Books. A retired Connecticut public school principal, he lives in Delray Beach, Fla., with his wife, Dorothy.

Jeremiah Wadsworth '50 (CANR) retired in 1994 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after serving in a variety of positions.

Thomas Kenny '54 (CANR) lives in the Friendship Terrace retirement community in Washington, D.C. He retired in 1987 from the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., after 32 years as a research technician and currently serves on the board of directors of the Potomac Area Council of Hostelling International.

Donald Maynard '54 (CANR) lives in Sarasota, Fla., and is emeritus professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida, where he was a faculty member and researcher for 24 years. He also spent 23 years at the University of Massachusetts. He was recognized by the Florida Seed Association with the Distinguishe d Service Award and Honorary Life Membership, and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association.

Eleanor (Savitsky) Rosen '54 (CLAS) retired as a teacher in New York City and lives in Boca Raton, Fla. She is married and has two children and five grandchildren.

Barbara Bender Dreher '55 (ED) retired as professor of speech and hearing disorders at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She currently trains staff and volunteers at long-term health facilities. Springer Publishing has just issued the second edition of her book Communication With the Elderly.

Thomas O'Connell '55 (BUS) was selected for induction into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004. His coaching career spans 40 years and includes tenures as baseball coach at Brandeis University and Princeton University.

Warren Clark '56 (CANR) retired as chief executive officer of American Dairy Products Institute in Chicago, Ill. He was with ADPI for 34 years, serving as CEO for 25 years.

Roger Shatanof '56 (CLAS) retired as a principal in 1995. He recently celebrated a 50th reunion of Bassick High School in Bridgeport, Conn. Roger and his wife, Barbara, who live in Coral Gables, Fla., recently welcomed their fourth grandchild.

Frank Bonneville '57 (CLAS) was ranked No. 4 in the world in the weight pentathlon (hammer, shot put, discus, javelin and weight throw) in the 70-74 age group of the Masters Track & Field rankings.

Joel Salberg '57 (CLAS) was elected president of the Lewiston/ Auburn Community Little Theatre. He retired in February 2002, as vice president of sales for GGS Information Services, after more than 40 successful years in the graphic arts field. He lives with his wife, Elisabeth, in Auburn, Maine.

Peter van Dernoot '57 (BUS) founded the Children's Treehouse Foundation, in Denver, Colo., in 2001. The foundation helps establish professional, ongoing support groups for the children of parents with cancer, at major cancer hospitals and cancer centers. He previously had a career in marketing communications and public relations.

Robert Sullivan '59 (BUS) lives in Asheville, N.C., and is retired after a career in marketing and property management.

George Creighton '60 (CLAS) served last year as the chairman of the Joint Veteran's Committee of Maryland. He now serves on a task force, appointed by the governor, studying the financial impact of military retirees on the state of Maryland.

Herb Oberlander '61 (CLAS) retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2001, where he served for many years as a research physiologist and center director. He was a pioneer in the use of tissue culture techniques to investigate the mode of action of environmentally compatible pesticides.

Dave Hills '60 (ED), '65 M.A. retired from teaching history and government at Mt. View High School in Thorndike, Maine. He is traveling and enjoying his grandchildren.

Peter Madden '60 (CANR) and Fran Hogan Madden '60 (CLAS) retired from teaching in Connecticut and have moved to Jacksonville, Vt., where they own the Candlelight Bed & Breakfast. She is the Windham County coordinator of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, and he volunteers for the local EMS system.

Joel Mandell '61 (CLAS), '86 J.D. was elected to his sixth consecutive term on the Simsbury Connecticut Board of Selectman and his third term as deputy first selectman.

Salvatore Fazzino '62 (ENG), '70 M.S. retired after serving as director of public works in Middletown, Conn., for 22 years. He plans to spend time with his 10 grandchildren and do volunteer work.

Frances (Tiller) Pilch '63 (CLAS) has been promoted to full professor at the United States Air Force Academy, where she is on the faculty of the department of political science. Her area of expertise is international law and human rights.

Paul Sorbo, Jr. '63 M.A. retired in 1988 as superintendent of schools for Windsor, Conn., the same day he joined the Capitol Region Education Council. He recently celebrated his 75th birthday.

Forrest Fleming '64 (ENG) retired after more than 38 years of federal service in the Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency. He was awarded the CIA's Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal for his many technical, operational and managerial accomplishments. He lives in Fairfax, Va., with his wife, Ann, and daughter, Erin.

George Breault '65 (BUS) has retired from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. His wife has appointed him "Director of Nothing" in retirement.

Protecting the nation's natural treasures
Peering out at the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon on a family vacation when she was 8 years old sparked an interest in Fran P. Mainella '65 (ED) that culminated in her presidential appointment as the first woman director of the National Park Service.

Photo: National Park Service

Mainella, a former summer playground supervisor from Groton, Conn., has responsibility for 388 sites, including Yellowstone National Park, historical monuments such as the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the Appalachian Trail and parks in Guam and Puerto Rico. She also oversees 22,000 employees, 125,000 volunteers and a $2.4 billion budget.

"I have the best job in the federal government," says Mainella, who was appointed to the post by President George W. Bush. "My biggest challenge has been addressing safety since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. We've had to focus on security more than ever before, and we have not yet opened up the Statue of Liberty."

She adds that most national parks are open, and staff and volunteers are being trained to notice possible terrorist threats. Park patrons are willing to be patient and go through security checks because, ultimately, it is for their benefit. Mainella's main focus is taking care of the nation's natural and cultural resources so that future generations can continue to enjoy them.

With more than 30 years' experience in park and recreation management, Mainella is well-qualified to be the 16th park director. After graduating from UConn, Mainella taught middle school, then earned a master's degree in school counseling.

She relocated to Florida in 1977 and held a variety of positions in the recreation field, culminating in the directorship of Florida's state parks.

"I credit UConn with giving me the leadership tools so that I was ready to take quantum leaps forward from the playground to the state of Florida's parks system to the federal government," Mainella says. "My education gave me the courage to go for the brass ring."

Mainella has seen 135 national parks, monuments and historic places in her more than two-year tenure as director. She visited 35 national parks before becoming head of the system. She hopes to eventually visit them all.
- Alix Boyle

Linda Carter '65 (ED) married Ralph Seymour on Nov. 19, 2003, at the Dwight Hall Chapel, on the old campus of Yale.

Jeanne L'Heureux Dursi '65 (CLAS), '69 M.A. is a board certified chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. She serves as a staff chaplain at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, La., where she is a member of the Comfort Care Team for palliative care at the end of life and a presenter for the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium.

Robert Merrer '65 (CLAS), '67 M.S., '70 Ph.D. is professor emeritus of chemistry at Western Connecticut State University, where he retired in 2003 after serving as the first full professor at the university. During his career he was a nationally recognized expert and consultant in laboratory information management systems and chromatography data systems.

Nelson Wikstrom '65 M.A., '69 Ph.D., professor of political science and public administration at the School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, is the author of the publication Council Manager Government in Henrico County, Virginia.

Maureen Cassidy '66 (SFA) is a marriage and family therapist in private practice and a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in Seymour, Conn. She lives in Waterbury and enjoys traveling, animal rescue and rehabilitation, as well as her seven grandchildren.

James Elias '66 (PHR) retired to Florida after 23 years as a clinical pharmacist at Rhode Island Hospital.

Dick Pirozzolo '67 (SFA) is the author of The Timberframe Way, his third book on timberframe and post and beam home design and construction.

Michael Scheinblum '67 (BUS) is a founder of the Miami Jewish Home & Hospital for the Aged in Miami, Fla., which has more than 700 residents. Now retired, he is the former director of risk management for R. J. Reynolds Industries and Carnival Cruise Lines.

William Upson '67 (BUS) is president of Strategic Management Group, an investment counseling, tax planning, and insurance advisory service. He has lived on the East Bay of California for 30 years.

Don LaCasse '68 (SFA) is director of the School of Theatre at Illinois State University and managing director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He retired as chair of the department of theatre at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., where he was named professor emeritus of theatre and chair emeritus.

Glen Larnerd '68 (ENG) retired from IBM in 2001 and returned to work for Hitachi in San Jose, Calif., in August 2003. He lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz., with his wife, Linda Loeffler Larnerd '69 (ED).

William Brustein '69 (CLAS) is director of the University Center for International Studies and professor of sociology, political science and history at the University of Pittsburgh. His book, Roots of Hate: Anti-Semitism in Europe Before the Holocaust, was published by Cambridge University Press.

Jerry Lieberman '69 (BUS) was promoted to chief operating officer and elected to the board of directors of Alliance Capital Management, a global investment research and management company. He and his wife, Eileen, live in Harrison, N.Y.

Beth Anne Scranton '69 (SFS) married Charles Payne in 2000. She retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2002 and is consulting for Medical Nutritional Therapists, Inc., of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Carole Sabol Blair '70 M.A. operates her own certified public accounting firm in Gainesville, Fla., which was honored by the local Chamber of Commerce as the business of the year in Alachua County in its size category.

John Passarini, '70 (ED), a teacher in the Wayland (Mass.) Public Schools, was named the Disney Hand Outstanding Teacher of the Year for 2003 by the Walt Disney Company.

Edwin Slade '70 (CLAS), '77 Ph.D. is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Bucks County, Pa., and is a member of the board of trustees of the American Association of Oral and Maxillo-facial Surgeons. He also was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Dentists.

Perry Zirkel '70 M.A., '72 J.D., '76 Ph.D., professor of education and law at Lehigh University, received the Bernice Baumgartner Memorial Award from the Pennsylvania Council for Exceptional Children.

Richard Tavone '71 (SSW) started a student-athlete golf education program for 60 youngsters from Coventry, Conn., and West Warwick, R.I. He also developed an adult mentor plan to support the program.

James Belmont '72 (CLAS) returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he participated in the attack on Baghdad with the 3rd Infantry Division (Mech.) He retired from the military on Jan. 31, 2004, and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Gwendolyn Harris '72 (CLAS), New Jersey's Department of Human Services Commissioner, received the 2003 Leadership New Jersey Professional Development Award from the Leadership New Jersey Graduate Organization.

Michael Morosky '72 (CLAS), '76 M.D. was recently selected as section chief of obstetrics and gynecology and chairman of the department of surgery at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, Conn.

D. Wesley Slate, Jr. '72 (CLAS) returned to sales with AT&T Government Solutions as a client business manager on the U.S. Air Force account team in Woburn, Mass. His wife, Georgia Leigh Bills '79 M.A., is in her 29th year of teaching, including 10 as director of Fine Arts at Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Farms, Mass.

John Abercrombie '73 M.B.A. retired from Xerox in 1991 and has since bought and sold a Minuteman Press Franchise.

Alan Barth '73 (CLAS) was inducted as an advocate and member of the Israel Bar in a ceremony in Jerusalem, Israel, in 2003. He is concentrating on trademark law and international commercial law with the offices of Dr. Mark Friedman Ltd., in Tel Aviv.

Kenneth Berg '73 (ENG) is vice president, engineering and project sales, for American Grating, LLC, in City of Industry, Calif. A registered professional engineer in 22 states and British Columbia, Canada, he also serves on the board of directors of the American Composites Manufacturers Association.

Stephen Fournier '73 (CLAS), '78 J.D. and Ruth Tomasko Fournier '72 (CLAS) recently celebrated the first anniversary of their downtown Hartford, Conn., restaurant, Café Verdi.

Jeffrey Heidtman '73 (CLAS), the CEO of Fuss and O'Neill, in Manchester, Conn., was elected to the board of the Manchester Community College Foundation.

David Marnicki '73 (ENG) was elected to a four-year term on the Vestal, N.Y., town council. He has an engineering and land surveying business located in Vestal.

Rodney Pakus '73 (CLAS), the boys' tennis coach at Haddam-Killingworth High School, was named High School Coach of the Year by USA Tennis-New England. He lives with his wife, Karen, and their two children, Rebecca and David, in Higganum, Conn.

Duncan Rowles '73 M.B.A. was elected area president for Connecticut for the Navy League of the United States. A retired commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and formerly the president of the Hartford Council, NLUS, he is president of the Granby, Conn., Library Association, the principal and managing member of POND Associates, LLC, and an account manager for PROMO Marketing.

Daniel Tedone '73 (CLAS), '80 M.B.A. is co-founder and managing director of Capital Catalysts LLC, a transition advisory firm helping business owners plan and implement major change.

Robert Wendel '73 (SFA), '76 M.F.A. released several holiday music arrangements for symphony orchestra on the Telarc label, recorded by the Owensboro Symphony, the Atlanta Youth Symphony, the Houston Symphony, and Erich Kunzel with the Cincinnati Pops. In early 2004, his composition Commemoration, recorded by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, will be released on ABC Classics.

Gilbert Bissell '74 (CLAS) received the Great Chief Award from the Kalispell, Mont., Chamber of Commerce, which honors a lifetime of civic and volunteer spirit.

Theresa Bischoff '75 (BUS) chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Greater New York, was named to the board of directors of DOV Pharmaceutial, Inc.

Devon Ann Conover '75 (CLAS) received the Governor's Management Advisory Council's 2003 Distinguished Manager of the Year award for achievement as a regulator and child advocate. She is acting director of the Division of Community Based Regulation, Child Day Care and Youth Camp Licensing for the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Nancy Rudner Lugo '75 (CLAS) teaches administration and health policy in the School of Nursing at the University of Central Florida and is a health care consultant, specializing in primary care management, health writing and program evaluation. She lives in Orlando, Fla., with her husband and two daughters.

Irving Schneider '75 M.S., '82 Ph.D. is president of the Providence campus of Johnson & Wales University. He has been associated with the university for 33 years.

Karen Waggoner '75 M.A. has recently published her memoirs, On My Honor, A Navy Wife's Vietnam War, after retiring from teaching in Manchester, Conn. She has been a member of the Connecticut Writing Project since 1985.

Howard Weinstein '75 (CLAS) is a writer and dog trainer in Elkridge, Md., whose most recent book is Puppy Kisses Are Good for the Soul. His biography of Mickey Mantle will be published in 2004.

Robert Bellantone '76 (PHR), '92 Ph.D. was recently promoted with tenure to associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy at Long Island University, Brooklyn campus. He was honored in 2001 with the Frederick D. Simon Award for best paper published in the PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology.

Lisa Feld '76 (CLAS) was promoted to vice president in the Greenwich, Conn., office of Merrill Lynch. An administrative manager, she has been with the company for 25 years.

Diane Mallory '76 (ED), director of human resources at Otis Elevator Company, has been named to the Academy of Women Achievers by the YWCA of the City of New York. She has worked for Otis and its parent company, United Technologies, since 1979.

Carol Montana '76 M.A. is a special publications editor for the Times Herald-Record, a newspaper in Middleton, N.Y. She edits real estate and auto publications, among others.

Cynthia Chernecky '77 (NUR) has published her 13th textbook, IV Therapy, with the Saunders Book Company. She also published three other nursing books in the Real World Nursing series, including Drug Calculations & Drug Administration, Fluids & Electrolytes, and ECG's & the Heart.

Drew Crandall '77 (CLAS), owner and founder of the marketing and media business Keep In Touch, in Rockville, Conn., received a 2003 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics from the Better Business Bureau. It is the BBB's highest award for firms with proven, track records of integrity.

Robert Kravchuk '77 (BUS) (CLAS), an associate professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University received a Trustee's Teaching Award in 2003.

Kevin Murphy '77 (CLAS), managing director in the Los Angeles office of Marsh, Inc., has been named the firm's national health care practice leader, responsible for development of best practices and the growth of risk and insurance services to the health care industry in the United States.

William Andrzeicik '78 (BUS) is vice president and senior corporate banker of the corporate banking development group of Sovereign Bank. He previously served as vice president and relationship manager for Sovereign's Greater Boston and middle market lending team in Woburn, Mass.

Robert Cannity '78 (CANR) was promoted to director of residential mortgage underwriting for FleetBoston Financial, supervising a staff of 50 working on first mortgage applications. He lives with his partner of six years, in Warwick, R.I.

J.R. Hardenburgh '78 (BUS), after a 23-year career with AT&T, has joined Centech Solutions of Providence, R.I., as vice president of contact center consulting. He, his wife Cricket, and their three daughters live in Franklin, Mass.

Robert Remez '78 Ph.D., Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Psychology at Barnard College, was elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association for 2004.

Ruth (Fieghn) Sipple '78 (ED) is the coordinator/learning disabilities specialist of the Disabled Students Center at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif. She is married to Russ Sipple and has two boys, ages 6 and 10.

Robert Cotton '79 (ENG) was promoted to director of application engineering for Honeywell's aerospace electronics business in Phoenix, Ariz.

Judy Donnelly '79 M.S., professor of physics at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Conn., received the 2003 International Society for Optical Engineering Educator Award, presented for advancing the field of photonics education in Connecticut and throughout New England.

William Hover '79 (ENG) is district office manager of the flagship office of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., in Norwood, Mass. The company is one of the largest environmental and geotechnical consulting firms in the New England area.

Saul Kassin '79 Ph.D., professor of psychology at Williams College, was elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association for 2004.

Patricia Murray '79 D.M.D. has joined Martin's Point Health Care in Portland, Maine, as a primary care physician specializing in internal medicine. She also practices and has a special interest in osteopathic manipulative therapy.

Martin Pazzani '79 (CLAS) (BUS), '81 M.B.A. is chief marketing officer for Bally Total Fitness North, responsible for the fitness company's global branding efforts as well as overseeing all consumer, enterprise and partnership marketing initiatives.

Patrick Evans '80 (CANR) is district conservationist in Minidoka County, Idaho, for the Natural Resource Conservation Service, responsible for administering $3.5 million to improve the environment of southern Idaho.

Lee Schweninger '80 M.A., professor of English at UNC-Wilmington, received a Fulbright Foreign Scholar award to teach in Skopje, Macedonia, for the spring 2004 semester.

Raymond Tiezzi '81 6th year retired as Amesbury ( Mass.) middle school principal in 2002 after having served the Amesbury school district as an administrator for 22 years. He lives in West Newbury, Mass., with his wife, Diane.

Jonathan Zarkower '82 (BUS) is director of product management at Colubris Networks, Inc., a manufacturer of wireless networking equipment located in Waltham, Mass. He lives in Framingham, Mass., with his wife and two daughters.

David Minicozzi '83 (CLAS) was named a 2003 Volunteer of the Year by the Branford, Conn., Chamber of Commerce.

Raymond Nuzzo '83 (ENG) opened his own law firm specializing in patent, trademark and copyright law.

Carole-Lynn (DeNigris) Saros '83 (CLAS), '89 M.B.A. has just completed work on an investing book with her partner, Jeff McClure, The Personal Wealth Coach. She started her own financial planning and C.P.A. practice three years ago.

Michael Grey '84 Ph.D. was named to a physician panel by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to review claims of Department of Energy contractor employees and survivors for state workers' compensation benefits.

Eda Fuccella Moroney '84 6th year and her husband, John, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 30, 2003. She is a retired elementary school teacher from the Torrington, Conn., schools. The couple lives in Milford, Conn.

Richard Piacentini '84 M.S. was elected president of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, at the association which represents more than 475 public gardens and 1,500 individual members in Canada and the United States. He married Dr. Jan Steckel on July 31, 2003.

Chatschik Bisdikian '85 M.S., '89 Ph.D. was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., for 2004 in recognition of contributions to the development, modeling and analysis of communication protocols and wireless personal area networks.

Tom Cole '85 (SAH) is area director of rehabilitation with Progressive Step Rehab Services, Inc., for the Ohio/West Virginia region.

Pete Denoia '85 (BUS) is senior director of customer logistics for the northeastern U.S. for Nabisco, a division of Kraft Foods. He lives in Falmouth, Maine, with his wife, Maura, and daughters, Katie and Caroline.

Pam Lehman '85 (SAH), '91 M.A. and her partner, Marianne Daly, announce the birth of their twins, Matthew James and Thayer Grace, on July 7, 2003.

Scott Wolpin '85 (CLAS) was awarded Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner at the 2003 Maryland Rural Summit. He is the dental director of a rural community health center on the eastern shore of Maryland. He also is a firefighter/emergency medical technician.

Celeste Bossler Duhamel '86 (SFA) and her husband, David, announce the birth of Colby Joseph, Sept. 26, 2003.

Huw Thomas '86 Ph.D. is the dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was a faculty member at the UConn Health Center for 12 years before taking the chairmanship of the department of pediatric dentistry at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, in 1992.

Sylvina (Wasniewski) Rollins '86 (CANR) is an engineering technician with the town of Glastonbury, Conn. She and her husband, Kevin Rollins, enjoy fine arts and antiques. She also is a fine artist who exhibits her paintings in oils throughout the region.

James Miller '87 (SFA) and Lisbeth Miller announce the birth of their second son, Garrett, born Oct. 31, 2003. James is a creative director of interactive marketing with Trilegiant Corporation in Norwalk, Conn. The family lives in Stamford.

Emeka Nwadiora '87 M.S.W. was promoted with tenure to associate professor at Temple University's School of Social Administration in 1996. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches African languages culture and religion.

Kevin Condon '88 (CLAS) and his wife, Judy, announce the birth of their son, Braden, who turned 1 on July 9, 2003.

Joan DeMarle-Oberlin '88 M.A. is the author of Soul Language: Recognizing the Voice in My Heart, an inspirational book about her conversations with God, published in October 2003 by PublishAmerica.

Kim (Ingalls) Esposito '88 (CANR) and Michael Esposito '86 (CLAS), '92 M.B.A. announce the birth of their daughter Isabelle Marie, born June 22, 2003. Isabelle joins her brother, Zachary, 5 and sister, Alyssa, 3.

Mark Glatzhofer '88 (BUS), Sonja (Fasciano) Glatzhofer '88 (CLAS), and big sister Brooke announce the births of Colton Alex and Kate Elizabeth on Oct. 30, 2003. The family lives in Stamford, Conn., where Mark is the vice president/ general manger of Media Networks, Inc.

Leslie (Farrow) Hutchinson '88 (BUS) and her husband, David, announce the birth of their son, Garrett Travis, born Aug. 20, 2003. He joins his 3-year-old twin brothers, Kyle and Timothy. The family lives in Herndon, Va.

Reginald Mayo '88 Ph.D. is the superintendent of schools in New Haven, Conn., and was named Connecticut 2004 Superintendent of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. He is one of four finalists for the 2004 National Superintendent of the Year Award from the American Association of School Administrators.

Mike Small '88 (BUS) and his wife, Amy, announce the arrival of their fourth child, Emma Sarah Small, born Aug. 5, 2003.

Lynne Smith '88 (CLAS) is deputy assistant commissioner, Office of Training and Development, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, with responsibility including oversight for training more than 40,000 employees.

Heather Parker '89 (CLAS) received the U.S. Coast Guard's highest award that can be given to a civilian, the Distinguished Public Service Award, for excellence in her scientific support on oil spill responses, planning, preparedness and training for the Coast Guard 11th District in California.

Dominick Santoro '89 (BUS) and Amy (Grady) Santoro '90 (CLAS) announce the arrival of their son, Luke Dominick, born Aug. 26, 2003.

John Schiess '89 (CLAS) is the director of sales and services for regulatory compliance of publicly traded companies for e-Onehundred Group, based in Southington, Conn.

David Vest '89 (CLAS) is a sports reporter for the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, Ariz., and works as a correspondent for the local NBC television affiliate, KPNX Channel 12.

Timothy Bartlett '90 (ED), director of membership growth and services for the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, recently graduated from the Institute of Organization Management, a four-year professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Kevin Downer '90 M.B.A. is a student at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas, working toward a master of divinity and ordination in the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches.

John Dower '91 (CLAS), '92 (BUS) and his wife, Lisa, announce the birth of their daughter, Grace Alexandra, on July 12, 2003. He is a vice president at Stern Stewart & Co., a corporate finance consulting firm. He and his family live in Manhattan.

Karen Ortisi '91 (SFS) became certified as a family consumer science teacher and teaches home economics at Windham Middle School in Willimantic, Conn.

Laura (Rossi) Totten '91 (CLAS) and Randolph Barton Totten announce the births of their twin daughter and son, Julia Nancy and Matthew Philip, born on Jan. 19, 2003.

Grace (Lim) Baccay '92 (CLAS) and her husband, Francis, celebrated the birth of their first child, Wesley Francis Lim Baccay, on April 15, 2003. The family lives in New York City.

Maj. Mike Cornell '92 (CLAS), '01 J.D. returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, where he served as an intelligence officer assigned to Headquarters, Combined Joint Task Force 180. A member of the Massachusetts National Guard, he is a business litigation attorney in the Boston office of Pepe & Hazard LLP.

Catherine (Conway) Crowe '92 (CLAS), a social studies teacher at Litchfield (Conn.) High School, was named district teacher of the year for the school system.

Edward Hill '92 (ENG), '94 M.S. began a post-doctoral position at MIT for the MITgcm project, which is designed to simulate flow and transport phenomena in the atmosphere and oceans.

Chris Murphy '92 (CLAS) and his wife, Lisa, announce the birth of twins, Matthew Howard and Emily Grace, born Nov. 12, 2003. They join big sister, Meaghan Rose, born Aug. 25, 2002. The family lives in Middletown, Conn.

Robert Pohlmann '92 (ENG) joined Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems in Nov. 2003 as a systems engineer in Falls Church, Va.

Dennis Weinstein '92 (CLAS) is a chiropractic doctor in Glendale, Ariz., and is starting a new practice in Lansing, Mich.

Ellen Barrett '93 (CLAS) and Steve Inglese '93 (BUS) are engaged to be married in 2004. She is the founder of buffgirlfitness.com and is also director of fitness for Reebok in New York City. He is a commercial broker in New Haven, Conn.

Kimberly Bishop-Stevens '93 (SFS) is the statewide substance abuse coordinator in Massachusetts and a newly named fellow in the Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse program for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

James Chambers II '93 (BUS) and his wife, Veronica, welcomed a baby boy, Carter Joseph, on Jan. 17, 2003, who joins big sister, Alexandra, 3. He is vice president of investment for UBS in New London, Conn. The family lives in East Lyme.

Beth Lindsay Chapman '93 (BUS) and Mark Chapman '93 (CLAS) welcomed a new son, Mark Alexander, on July 21, 2003, who joins his sister, Lindsay, 3.

Danielle Christiana '93 (BUS) is volunteering at Intercommunity Mental Health Group in East Hartford, Conn.

Alison Fine '93 (CLAS) married Lance Berks in Old Saybrook, Conn., on July 6, 2003. The couple lives in Sydney, Australia, where she is teaching fourth and fifth grade at the American International School.

Lorraine Garrity Shea '93 (NUR) and her husband, Scott Shea '89 (BUS), announce the birth of their son, Ryan Thurman, born Nov. 27, 2002.

Julie Goodwin Gallo '93 (CLAS) married Michael Gallo Nov. 8, 2003. She is a research assistant in UConn's psychology department and lives in East Lyme, Conn.

Ryan King '93 (CLAS) and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their first child, Sarah Evelyn, on Sept. 25, 2003.

Jason Krafchik '93 (CLAS) is a juvenile probation officer serving the New Britain Superior Court. He married Sara Barron on New Year's Eve 1998. They live in Rocky Hill, Conn., with their two children, Skylar Corrin, 3, and Justin Gabriel, 2.

Kathleen (Szewczyk) Kenney '93 (ED) and Daniel Kenney '91 (CLAS) announce the birth of their son, Daniel Robert, on May 8, 2003, who joins a sister, Kylie Nicole, 2. Daniel is self-employed in the bar/restaurant business, and Kathleen is a health and physical education teacher/ athletic trainer.

Julie (Cummings) Mullen '93 M.B.A. and Kevin Mullen '92 M.B.A. live in Burlington, Conn., and stay busy keeping up with their Mullen gals, Molly, 6, Katherine, 4, and Maeve, 1. He is an economist with the Treasury Department and she now is at home full-time.

Joe Rodgers '93 (BUS) was named a partner in the firm of Carney, Roy & Gerrol, P.C. located in Rocky Hill, Conn. He and Nancy Martel '95 (BGS) reside in Manchester, Conn., with their three children, Joey, Lindsey and Hailey.

Kristin (Borodezt) St. Germain '93 (CLAS) and husband, Stephen St. Germain '88 (PHR), welcomed their first child, Michael Aaron, on Aug. 1, 2003.

Suzanne Woods '93 (ED), '94 M.A. and Ricardo Ruiz '01 (CLAS) announce the birth of their first child, Zachary James Ruiz, on June 24, 2003. The family lives in Madison, Conn. She is a fourth grade teacher at Wesley Elementary School in Middletown, and he works at Principal Financial Group in Middletown.

Stephen Balkaran '94 (CLAS), '96 M.A. was named a research assistant for Kathleen Cleaver, professor of law and Afro American Studies at Yale University. He is also on the faculty of Teikyo Post University, where he teaches politics and law. Prior to lecturing, he worked for the African National Congress, was a research associate for the United Nations in New York, consulting on projects for the World Bank, and was a former aide to the secretary of state of Connecticut.

Becca (Torns) Barker '94 (CLAS) married Jeremy Barker on July 19, 2003, in Gloucester, Mass., where they scuba dive. They live in Acton, Mass., where she is a technical writer and is studying massage therapy.

Joseph Canas '94 (ENG) and his wife, Shelley, announce the arrival of their second child, Anna Emily, on Jan. 19, 2003, who joins her brother Owen, 3, at home in Beacon Falls, Conn.

Jennifer Colangelo Fricke '94 (SFS) and Richard Fricke '95 (CLAS) had their second child, Richard Joseph (RJ), on Oct. 24, 2003. RJ joins his big sister, Charlotte Grace, 2, and the family lives in Farmington, Conn.

Tejal Desai '94 (PHR) won a 2003 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Christine (Colby) Eaton '94 (CLAS) and her husband, Scott, announce the birth of their son, Harrison, on June 3, 2003. The family lives in Norton, Mass.

Scott Goldberg '94 (ED) is director of development at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He and his wife, Amy, recently welcomed a daughter, Keeley, born July 19, 2002.

Julie (Bartley) Holzworth '94 (SFS) and Jay Holzworth '94 (CLAS) welcomed the birth of their daughter, Avery Sophia, on June 11, 2003. The family lives in Groton, Conn.

Karen Poulin '94 (CLAS) married Stephen Bresciano '97 (BGS) in October 2002. She is assistant dean of students at UConn, and he is a police officer in Manchester, Conn.

Victoria Rowley Higley '94 (SFA), widow of Robert Higley '94 (CLAS), who died in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, has two children, Amanda Nicole, 6, and Robyn Elizabeth, 2. She recently remarried to Richard Pratt. The family lives in Danbury, Conn.

Behind the Lion King's curtain
For puppet master James Hammond '95 M.A., working with the national touring company of the hit musical The Lion King is the culmination of a childhood dream: escaping the ice and snow in Hoosick Falls, N.Y., to live in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Fla., working for Disney and practicing the art of puppetry at the highest level.

Indeed, it is what one would expect of a graduate of the nation's premier puppetry program. Hammond earned a master's degree in theater arts, puppetry production from UConn, in 1995, studying under Bart P. Roccoberton Jr., the current director of the program.

Photo: Grier

"People describe the Lion King puppet shop as a cross between an emergency room, a veterinary clinic and Geppetto's workshop," Hammond says. "We might be doing something as mundane as cleaning an actor's make-up off a puppet or something as challenging as repairing the broken backbone of Pumba, the warthog puppet, in 22 minutes."

Hammond is one of three people in the Disney puppetry department traveling with The Lion King whose job it is to maintain the 230 puppets that actors will inhabit during the show. The puppets range from the signature lion mask of Simba to the gigantic Bertha, a full-size African elephant that walks down the theater aisle at the beginning of the show, operated by four actors.

Hammond got his start putting on puppet shows for the neighborhood kids when he was 8. From there, he moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in high school and worked summers as a puppeteer doing 21 shows a day at the Great Escape theme park. After earning a degree in costume design and performance in 1991, he went on the road with Das Puppenspiel, a well-respected puppet theater, before arriving at UConn to earn his degree in puppetry.

"At UConn, I not only got a broad understanding of the world art of puppetry but I also learned the specific skills that I use in my job today," Hammond says.

While working in Florida, where he is still based, one of Hammond's clients flew him to New York to see Julie Taymor's production of The Lion King on Broadway. He was so thrilled by the show that he vowed to be a part of it one day. After aggressively marketing himself, Hammond was hired in 2001.

"Before The Lion King, the puppet was seen as a trite educational tool," Hammond says. "Julie Taymor has shone the spotlight on the true art of puppetry and uplifted it.

I'm proud to be a part of something bigger than myself."
- Alix Boyle

Kathleen Binkowski '95 Ph.D. married Patrick Murray in 1997 and became superintendent of schools for Plainville, Conn., in July 2001.

Lan Cameron '95 (CLAS) and his wife, Laura (Stowe) Cameron '93 (CLAS), announce the birth of their son, Alexander Scott, on July 8, 2003. She is an attorney in Rhode Island, and he is a doctoral student at Boston College.

Julie Carr '95 (CLAS) and her husband, Christopher Cole, celebrated the birth of their son, Jason Forrest Cole, on July 25, 2003. She earned her J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. The family lives in Fountain Hills, Ariz.

David Cassenti '95 (CLAS), '97 M.S. was married to Lisa Glanvill on Aug. 29, 1998. Their daughter, Sarah, was born on July 19, 2002. He is a math and science teacher at The Franklin Academy, a school for students with nonverbal learning differences in East Haddam, Conn.

Lisa (Bald) Laakso '95 (BUS) and Erik Laakso '94 (ENG) announce the birth of their daughter, Mia Grace, born Sept. 15, 2003.

Peter Larkin '95 (ENG) and Jennifer Robella Larkin '96 (CLAS) of South Glastonbury, Conn., announce the birth of their first child, Quinn Patrick, on Sept. 30, 2003.

Caryn Bello '96 (CLAS) announces her engagement to Seth Levine. She is a clinical psychologist at Harvard University. The wedding is planned for September 2004.

Jennifer Dorau '96 (CLAS) married William Souhrada '96 (BUS) on July 19, 2003. He is a team leader/network engineer for IBM in Southbury, Conn., and she works as an online affiliate marketing coordinator for 4sure.com in Trumbull. The couple lives in Shelton.

David Price '96 (BUS) and Kristin (Filippi) Price '96 (BUS) celebrated the birth of their son, Branden David, on Jan. 29, 2004. David is the northeast regional manager for Floorserve Inc., and Kristin served as an account supervisor for MGH Advertising before her son was born. The family lives in Baltimore, Md.

Tracie Sannicandro '96 (PHR) and David Osgood announce their engagement. An April wedding is planned in Charleston, S.C.

David Schuman '96 (BUS), '98 M.B.A. started Schuman's Speed Center in 2003. Schuman's Speed Center focuses on speed, quickness, and agility training for athletes. There are over 10 training areas nationwide.

Eric Chamberlain '97 (CANR) is a plant and quarantine officer covering Connecticut for the USDA. Some of his previous work stations included Hawaii and California.

Harold Daniel, Jr. '97 Ph.D. was promoted with tenure to associate professor in marketing at the University of Maine Business School, Orono, Maine.

Deborah (Mooney) DiNicola '97 (SFA) married Eric DiNicola on Sept. 27, 2003. She is a senior art director with Scholastic in Danbury, Conn., where the couple lives.

Karen (Hoffman) Fox '97 (SAH) wed Jonathan Fox '97 (CLAS) on Dec. 15, 2001.

Catherine (Connolly) Horkan '97 (CLAS) and Marty Horkan '96 (CLAS) welcomed the birth of their son, Liam, on Aug. 29, 2003. She is a school adjustment counselor in Peabody public schools and he is a biology teacher at Malden Catholic High School. The family lives in the Boston, Mass., area.

Daniel Montgomery '97 (BUS) was promoted to northeast operations manager for Lexmark International, a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of printing solutions. He lives and works in New York City with his wife, Angela Montgomery '98 (CLAS).

Sam Pierre-Louis '97 (ENG) and Nernante (Moise) Pierre-Louis '97 (SFS) are celebrating the birth of their first child, Alexi Brianne. The family lives in Alabama where Sam is the data security officer for UAB Health System.

Michael Savino '97 (CLAS) married Kelly Dunton '99 (BUS) on Oct. 26, 2002 in Newtown, Conn. The couple lives in West Hartford, Conn., where he is a territory manager for Johnson & Johnson and she is a business analyst for Carters Children's Clothing.

Jennifer Schilt '97 (BUS) was married to Christopher Perfetti in Bayside, N.Y., where she is an IT/Management consultant for IBM's business consulting services.

Kerri Allison Smith '97 (SFA) has been teaching dance for 10 years, and acting for six. She is the co-director and choreographer of Kids Company for Arts in Motion in Willimantic, Conn., and has taught at many private dance schools. She is working on her master's in English and modern studies, and will teach in the public schools.

David Berman '98 (BUS) married Renee Caggiano '99 (CLAS) on Sept. 14, 2003 in Boston, Mass. He is a financial consultant/manager at Simione Consultants in Hamden, Conn., and she is an associate attorney at Nuzzo & Roberts in Chesire, Conn. They live in Hamden.

Curt Leng '98 (CLAS) was elected councilman-at-large in Hamden, Conn., and is the manager of monitoring and evaluation for the city of Bridgeport's Housing and Development Department.

Ponn Mahayosnand Sabra '98 (SAH), of Toledo, Ohio, has been selected to be included in a biographical directory published by Marquis Who's Who, the leading biographical reference publisher of the highest achievers and contributors from across the country and around the world.

Jennifer Reed '98 (CLAS) married Michael King on Dec. 28, 2002. She is a human resources manager at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Conn. They live in Wallingford.

Heidi Winsor '98 (CLAS) married Charles Darling on Oct. 11, 2003. They live in St. Louis, Mo.

Karen Dahl '99 (CLAS) married Brian Reich on Oct. 19, 2003 in Brookline, Mass. She earned her M.Ed. from Harvard in 2003, and is national operations coordinator for Jumpstart for Young Children, a nonprofit based in Boston. They live in Cambridge, Mass.

Melissa (Moeckel) Ellenberger '99 (SFA), '99 (ED) and Staff Sergeant Reed Ellenberger, U.S. Army, announce the birth of their daughter, Kathleen Ann, born on July 17, 2003.

Danielle Mayoros '99 (CLAS) is director of planning for North Beach Engineering, Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla. She also is an elected member of the board of directors for the First Coast Chapter of the Florida Planning and Zoning Association.

Erin O Brien '99 (CLAS) is pursuing a master's degree at Central Connecticut State University in criminal justice. She lives in Barkhamsted, Conn., with her two weimeraners, Tom and Mel.

In Memoriam

ALUMNI
Lisa Marie Banks '83
Bryant Bullock '77
Pauline Fairservice '94 M.S.W.
Mitchell Gardner '60 J.D.
Robert Giacomi '73
Deborah (Horowitz)
Greenberg '91
John Kearney '49
John Magee '56 Ph.D.
Christopher D. Meehan '92
Kenneth Pitney '49
John Popkins '79
Basil Tsakonas '49
Edward White '56, '69 6th year

FACULTY
Stanley Wedberg

Lucia Perfetti '00 (CLAS) received an M.A. in criminal justice in 2001 from S.U.N.Y. at Albany. She married Timothy Clark in June 2003. They live in Albany, where she works as a criminal justice research scientist.

Mary Ellen San Juan '00 (SAH) is engaged to Jeff Miller '00 (SAH). She is a cytogenetic technologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and he is a medical technologist at Clinical Laboratory Partners, based in Newington and Hartford, Conn.

Shelly Seney '00 (SFS) graduated with an M.S. in counseling from Shippensburg University in December 2003 and anticipates working with students transitioning in and out of college.

Wendy Sewach '00 (CLAS) is an academic athletic coordinator at the University of Virginia in Charlottsville, Va., where she will assist student-athletes in competing in Olympic sports.

Melissa Hatteyer '01 (SFA), '02 M.A. is engaged to John Korduner '99 (CLAS). They plan a June 2004 wedding in Connecticut. They live in California, where he serves as a captain in the Air Force and she is a resident director.

Andrew Kuether '01 (ENG) earned an M.S. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is with Opus Architects and Engineers of Minneapolis, Minn.

Stephen Lima '01 M.B.A. and his wife, Jennifer, announce the birth of their daughter, Delaney MacKenzie, born on June 22, 2003. He is a communication development manager for CIGNA (Prudential) in Hartford, Conn. They live in Colchester, Conn.

Erica Watson '01 (BGS) is teaching at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School in Waterford, Conn., and will be applying to medical schools next year.

Sue Bird '02 (CLAS) has been named to the women's U.S. Olympic basketball team that will compete during the 2004 Olympic Games this summer in Greece. She is a two-time All-Star for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.

Natalie Crosdale '02 (CLAS) is the assistant registrar in the division of student affairs at Manchester Community College in Manchester, Conn.

Tiffany Silver '02 (CLAS) was awarded a C. Clyde Ferguson scholarship for academic excellence at the Rutgers University School of Law at Camden for the 2003-04 academic year.

Lynn Gatehouse '03 M.A. received the San Francisco Bay Area Gifted and Talented Education Distinguished Service Award from the California Association for the Gifted during the organization's annual meeting in February. She is a teacher at the Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton, Calif.

Peter Soteropoulos '03 (BUS) has been named to the Greek national baseball team that will compete during the 2004 Olympic Games this summer in Athens. He is eligible to represent Greece because his grandparents were born there.

Caretaker for canine Huskies

One of a veterinarian's biggest difficulties relates to doctor-patient communication. Andrea Dennis-LaVigne, '03 (BGS) owner of the Bloomfield Animal Hospital and host of the Pet Talk radio show on Hartford's WTIC 1080, says, "My patients don't speak, and that is constantly a challenge."

Photo: Peter Morenus

Elected last September to represent alumni on the UConn Board of Trustees, Dennis-LaVigne hopes her constituents will be more forthcoming. This is because she firmly believes that yesterday's students have a role to play in the future of the University of Connecticut. "Alumni participation strengthens the University," says Dennis-LaVigne. "The stronger we make this University, the better it will be to provide an education to our own children."

Dennis-LaVigne's past contributions to UConn include serving as president of the Alumni Association and being a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, the UConn Foundation Board of Directors, the President's Athletic Advisory Committee, and the President's Task Force on Diversity. All while juggling work and family. Her business partner is husband Randy LaVigne '79 (BUS), who was a member of the 1975-79 baseball and basketball teams.

What's behind this kind of commitment? "I do appreciate the education that I received at the University of Connecticut," says Dennis-LaVigne. Enrolling at UConn in the late 1970s, she received her degree in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee University before returning to UConn to earn a Bachelor of General Studies degree. "What I got from UConn was of great value." At the same time, she says, "We have the opportunity to take something that's very good and make it even better."

When she visits the campus today, she is proud of the tremendous physical improvements brought about by the state legislature's historic investment in the UCONN 2000 initiative, as well as the strides made in such areas as diversity. Dennis-LaVigne, who has chaired the Alumni Association's Committee on Diversity and Opportunity, notes, "We are growing and improving on so many levels. Increasing the diversity of our student population has to be a part of the success story."

In her role on the UConn Board of Trustees, she says she will be doing a lot of listening and learning, especially in the early part of her four-year term. "My goal," she says, "is not just to help the University of Connecticut remain the top public university in New England but one of the top public universities in the nation."
- Leslie Virostek

Alumni News & Notes compiled by Brian Evans and Tina Modzelewski