University of Connecticut ||
Spring 2009
Vol. 10, No. 1
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Alumni News & Notes
Select A Decade For Your Class Notes:
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The Alumni Association offers a number of helpful tools to help you expand your alumni network. Whether you are connecting to find old friends or make a new business contact, you will find fellow Huskies willing to help.
- Register for the Husky Alumni Network at UConnAlumni.com/HAN:
- Update your information so friends and colleagues can contact you.
- Connect with alumni in the Career Network and search by company, industry or job title to find another alum in your field who may be willing to give career advice.
- Sign up for a free, permanent UConn alumni e-mail address to use on a resumé.
- Search job opportunities and post your resumé.
- Contact one of our International Alumni Ambassadors if your career interests will take you abroad. You’ll find the full list at UConnAlumni.com/international.
- Get involved with your local chapter or school-based alumni society. You’ll find alumni with common interests. A full list of chapters and societies is available on our Web site under “Get Involved.”
- Attend alumni events to expand your circle of friends and colleagues. All our events are listed on our Web site.
The Alumni Association is able to offer these services because of the support of our loyal members. As we all face difficult economic times, I hope we can count on your ongoing support through membership. It is your support that enables us to build a stronger Husky Alumni Network.
Lisa Lewis
Executive Director, UConn Alumni Association
Connecting Alumni. Supporting Students. Strengthening UConn.
We want to hear from you!
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Let your fellow UConn alumni know about the milestones in your life. You can keep them up to date by sending information and, if possible, a photograph, to Alumni News & Notes, University of Connecticut Alumni Association, 2384 Alumni Drive, Unit 3053, Storrs, CT 06269; by fax to 860-486-2849; by e-mail to alumni-news@uconn.edu; or log onto the Husky Alumni Network and submit your information.
Membership Matters!
Did you know…
- The Alumni Association awards $100,000 annually in scholarships to deserving UConn students.
- The Alumni Association honors UConn faculty and alumni through our annual awards program.
- The Alumni Association keeps alumni and friends connected through events, networking opportunities and the Husky Alumni Network.
These are just a few of the ways that the Alumni Association promotes its mission of “connecting alumni,” “supporting students” and “strengthening UConn.” Revenue collected through membership dues
directly supports these and other programs that help us build a stronger alumni base.
Join today at UConnAlumni.com
Alumni Weekend
June 5—6, 2009
Come home for Alumni Weekend 2009! We invite you “back home” to a place where lifelong friendships began and special memories abound. Although the landscape of the campus has changed, “True Blue” pride remains everywhere.
An exciting schedule of events has been put together that includes family friendly activities, feature presentations and plenty of UConn traditions that can be shared by all generations of Huskies. On Friday evening, there will also be a special celebration for the Class of 1959.
Other Alumni Weekend activities include:
- “Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality,” by professor Ron Mallett
- “Behind the Scenes” tours of Gampel Pavilion and The Burton Family Football Complex and Mark R. Shenkman Training Center
- Painting “The Rock”
- Honoring M. Kevin Fahey’s 30 years of service to students
- BBQ lunch, featuring the One Ton Sundae
A full schedule of the weekend’s events can be found at UConnAlumni.com/alumniweekend.
1930s
David Baumstein '38 (CLAS) returned to West Hartford, Conn., after 35 years in Boca Raton, Fla. He received a master of social work from University of Pennsylvania, was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of London and an assistant commissioner for the State of New York.
John Gapen ’41 M.A., a retired country agriculture agent at Penn State University, judged the harvest of wool, hay, grains, corn and sunflowers, as he has done for almost 30 years at the Greene County (Pa.) Fair.
Jonathan Hutchinson ’43 (CLAS), ’65 6th Year enjoys gardening with his wife of 62 years, Betty, with whom he has seven children.
Malcolm Platt ’46 (ENG) is happily retired for 22 years after a career designing submarines with Electric Boat. He and his wife, Margaret, live in Lisbon, Conn.
Edmund Chrostowski ’49 (CLAS) retired after 47 years as a journalist and now is editor emeritus of the New Canaan Advertiser, for which he writes two weekly columns, “From the Crow’s Nest” and “Fifty Years Ago.” He lives in Ridgefield, Conn.
Lewis Greist ’49 (BUS) and his wife welcomed their 11th great-grandchild on July 4, 2008. The couple lives in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Stan Mattes ’49 (CLAS) is retired and enjoys playing golf, driving his 1961 M.B. 190 SL and watching his great nieces play soccer in Henderson, Nev.
Jeremiah Wadsworth ’50 (CANR), received the 2006 Book of Golden Deeds from the Farmington, Conn., Exchange Club, which is presented to individuals who exemplify community volunteerism. He celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with wife, Lois, in August 2007.
Fred Reid ’51 (CLAS) is retired and living in Santa Fe, N.M., after practicing there for 50 years as an optometric physician and engaging in local politics.
Camille Lavieri Forman ’55 (CLAS) is the editor of The Glen Ridge Gazette, a publication of the Glen Ridge Cooperative in Storrs, Conn.
Robert Lavoie ’55 (ENG), a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who was commissioned from the Air Force ROTC program at UConn in 1955, celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Jeanne.
Garland Reedy ’55 M.A. and his wife, Bev, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in April 2008 in Venice, Fla.
John DeFrancesco ’58 (CANR) is a full-time oil painter living in Monument, Colo.
Domenic Cicchetti ’59 (CLAS), ’60 M.A., ’65 Ph.D., senior research scientist and biostatistician at Yale University School of Medicine, is a Fellow in the American Statistical Association.
Breaking new ground in emerging markets
In the more than a dozen years since she returned to Taiwan from Storrs, Lih-Chyi Wen ’93 M.S., ’96 Ph.D. has established a career as an environmental economist who continues to break new ground in one of the world’s emerging regions.
Like the rest of the world, the island nation of Taiwan is wrestling with the economic, environmental and social impact of global climate change.
Wen, deputy director and research fellow in the International Division of the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the Taiwan World Trade Organization, is playing a crucial role in proposing new economic and environmental policies to aid her country.
This Center was established to coordinate interdisciplinary research in energy and environmental studies, including energy security, energy demand, resource recycling, climate change, water resources and sustainability development.
“Lih-Chyi has combined her economics training and her passion for environmental issues and used them to understand and improve environmental management in her home country of Taiwan, which faces numerous environmental challenges as its economy grows,” says Kathleen Segerson, Philip E. Austin Professor of Economics, who served as Wen’s advisor at UConn.
The respect is mutual. Wen says the key to her success at Storrs was the support she received from the faculty, particularly Segerson.
“She not only has a brilliant, analytical mind and great originality, which is evidenced throughout her teaching and research work, but she also takes care of graduate students as if they were her own kids,” Wen says.
“Global climate change and energy scarcity have become the important challenges for human beings in the 21st century,” says Wen, who heads a team of 40 researchers.
“We need to determine how we get balance between climate change, energy scarcity, economic growth and sustainable development.”
One way she is helping to find the answer to such important questions is serving as an organizer of the 4th East Asian Symposium on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, which was held in March 2009 in Taipei, Taiwan, and jointly sponsored by the Taiwan WTO and several universities and scholarly associations in East Asian nations.
The author of two books and dozens of commissioned articles on environmental policy as well as economic policy, Wen was named one of 2008’s Rising Stars in Taipei by the Central News Agency, selected by a 10-member panel of university presidents.
– Gary E. Frank
Donald Bottaro ’60 (BUS), volunteer at J.D. McArthur State Park and docent for Whitehall Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Fla., cruised the Bahamas for the past 10 years with his wife, Florence, on their sailboat. He retired from Pratt & Whitney as a procurement manager.
Ann-Marie Corbett ’60 (CLAS) teaches reading courses at Glendale and Overdale Community Colleges in Arizona.
Barbara Campbell ’61 (CLAS), ’77 Ph.D., an adjunct professor at the UConn Greater Hartford Campus, in June 2008 visited the U.N. Millennium Development Village at Mayange, Rwanda, which was established with the goal of eradicating extreme poverty.
Kenneth Gold ’61 (CLAS) received the Rotary International Paul Harris Award from the Wayne, N.J., Rotary in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the organization and embodiment of the Rotary’s ideal of “service above self.” He served for many years as communications director of Rotary District 7490.
Francis Dillon ’62 (BUS) is the author of The Photograph, a novel about Cold War memories, lost love and unsolved deaths, published in August 2008 by Booklocker.
Irene (Deikis) Zemaitaitis ’62 (CLAS) and her husband returned to the United States in Fall 2008 after living in their native Lithuania for 13 years.
Ted Haddad ’63 (CLAS) is the new chief acquisition officer for the U.S. General Services Administration after serving as senior advisor in the GSA.
Thomas J. Marchione ’63 (ENG), ’78 Ph.D. is an adjunct professor in the department of global and community health at George Mason University.
Judith Warren ’63 (CLAS), ’64 M.A. has retired as project manager from the Volpe Center in Cambridge, Mass.
Susan (Klasson) Zareski ’63 (NURS) retired as director of nursing at El Camino College after 39 years of teaching and administration. She lives in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., with her husband of 44 years, Norm Zareski ’61 (ENG).
Raymond Boyington ’64 (CLAS), ’69 M.S. retired after 42 years as a teacher in San Francisco, most recently at Lick-Wilmerding and San Francisco University High Schools.
Jerold Wanosky ’64 (CLAS), a retired school administrator, has been appointed to the Milford, Conn., Police Commission. He previously was chairman of the Milford Board of Education and served two terms as a member of the Board of Alderman.
Vincent Ciarpella ’65 (BUS), retired vice president of operations, Esco Corp., and retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, teaches in the professional degree program and at the School of International Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. He also teaches in Webster University’s international joint M.B.A. program at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China.
Jeffery Dorwart ’65 (CLAS) retired in December 2008 after 38 years as a history professor at Rutgers University. He is the author of Invasion and Insurrection: Security, Defense and War in the Delaware Valley 1621 – 1815, published by the University of Delaware Press in August 2008.
Janet Linley ’65 (CLAS) is a piano teacher at a local community arts center in Sanibel, Fla.
Francis Gwazdauskas ’66 (CANR), professor of dairy science at Virginia Tech, is the 2008 American Dairy Science Association Fellow, which recognizes members of the ADSA dairy foods and production divisions who have rendered distinguished service to the dairy industry for more than 20 years.
Richard DiPentima ’67 (CLAS), ’74 (NUR), recently retired after a career in public health, was elected in November as a state representative to the New Hampshire General Court, the state legislature. He lives in Portsmouth, N.H., with his wife, Catherine.
Jacqueline Dembar Greene ’67 (ED) is the author of the newly released picture book Nathan’s Hanukkah Bargain (Pelican). She has written more than 30 picture books for young readers, including historical novels, non-fiction books and short stories.
Robert Klancko ’67 (ENG) received a 2008 Honorary American Degree from the Future Farmers of America in recognition of his exceptional service to agriculture and agricultural education. The award was presented during the FFA national meeting in Indianapolis.
Christine (Lobeck) Lodewick ’67 M.A. received the “Spirit of Dr. King Ridgefield Community Service Award” in January during the Dr. Martin Luther King Day celebration in Ridgefield, Conn., recognizing her 22 years of service as a volunteer and board member with A Better Chance of Ridgefield, the local branch of a national organization that refers academically talented students entering grades 6 through 11 to some of the nation’s finest independent and public schools to be considered for placement and financial aid. The recognition also included her service to UConn as a member of the Women’s Leadership Council of the UConn Alumni Association.
Michael Scheinblum ’67 (BUS) received a 2008 President’s Call to Service Award from Volunteer Florida, recognizing his more than 15 years of service to the Miami-Dade community.
Jason Traiger ’67 M.A., senior technical writer at Eclipsys Corporation, is the creator of Wishes Houses Crafters and a member of the John Payne Music Center jazz ensemble.
Jack DeWitt ’68 M.A., ’73 Ph.D., professor of English at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, is the author of Almost Grown, released by Paper Kite Press, who was featured in the November issue of the American Poetry Review.
Carol Milardo Floriani ’68 (NUR) is a hospice nurse in Easley, S.C., after retiring from a career in nursing management.
Donald Hoffman ’68 (ED), former associate dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky and professor emeritus of art, is CEO of Help U Retire, a company dedicated to assisting mature adults through the downsizing process.
Roger Pressman ’69 (ENG), ’76 Ph.D. completed the seventh edition of Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach (McGraw-Hill), the world’s most widely used textbook in software engineering, and is the co-author of Web Engineering (McGraw-Hill). He lives with his wife, Barbara, in Boca Raton, Fla.
Keeping Popular Mechanics on track
in today's turbulent world of publishing
Bill Congdon ’75 (BUS) sits in the eye of the storm raging within the publishing industry, as print media continue to struggle finding advertising profitability in an increasingly online world. As the publisher of Popular Mechanics, Congdon leads a magazine whose purpose has not altered since it began in 1902.
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Photo by Peter Morenus |
“Our mission statement hasn’t changed – explaining, understanding and using technology,” he says in his midtown Manhattan office.
“Obviously the mix of technology has changed. In 1902, the thought was some day every home will have electricity. In 1996, it was that some day every home will have the Internet.”
After graduating with a marketing degree from UConn, Congdon worked briefly at a computer company before moving to an upstart boating publication, Offshore New England.
He earned an M.B.A. at Cornell University and spent six years in sales and marketing positions at Golf Digest and Tennis Magazine before joining Hearst Magazines in 1989, where he held a variety of sales and marketing positions for titles, including Motor Boating & Sailing and Esquire. In 1992, he moved to Popular Mechanics, where he held several posts before being named publisher in 2003.
Under Congdon’s leadership, Popular Mechanics remains one of the top 75 magazines in publishing, with a monthly audience of 1.2 million subscribers and newsstand sales that outpace other male audience magazines, including ESPN: The Magazine and Sports Illustrated. He says that a key to this success was the early move to integrate the print magazine with its online edition.
“We’ve been totally integrated online since 1995. We were one of the first magazines to have a Web site,” Congdon says.
“Popular Mechanics is a media brand. We embraced the Internet from the start. A lot of print people saw the Internet as a competitor, as a threat. The way we look at it is we’re content providers. We need to make sure we can distribute good content in ways people want it.”
Congdon relishes the challenge of keeping Popular Mechanics, which is published in 10 languages, a vital publication for its readers and its staff. He says the magazine is also establishing alliances with advertisers and cable television to create new content and programming on its Web site, with video links to products and technologies it covers.
“I think after the economy comes around all the media slices of the advertising pie will be a little leaner; it will be more competitive,” he says.
“If you can provide really good content that people need or want and an environment for an advertiser’s message, that’s going to be the key.”
— Kenneth Best
Tim Jerman ’70 (CLAS) was elected to a third term in the Vermont legislature in November. He retired from the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation in June after 31 years of service, most recently as director of human resources. He lives in Essex Junction, Vt., with his wife, Theresa, and stepson, Trevor.
Magdalena “Bessy” Reyna ’70 M.A., ’82 J.D. received the 2009 Outstanding Latina Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education in recognition of her contributions to literature and Latino culture at the organization’s conference in San Antonio in March.
Lance Olsen ’71 (SFS) lives in Missoula, Mont., where he co-founded and leads a listserv for climate researchers, wildlife researchers, wildlife conservation professionals and students in related specialties.
John Rossi ’71 M.S., ’76 Ph.D., president of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society and co-founder of Calando, was appointed as chair of the advisory board at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals.
Ron Edwards ’72 Ph.D. retired after 30 years as a professor of mathematics at Westfield State College in Massachusetts. He now is a sculptor in a studio he shares with his wife, painter Judy Edwards.
Susan (Ingardia) Gabriele ’72 (SFS) is the first female president of the Brookfield (Conn.) Lion’s Club and the recipient of the Lion’s Knight of the Blind Award, recognizing the organization’s work to raise funds to aid sight- or hearing-impaired individuals.
Richard D. Gray ’72 (CLAS) is the vice president and chief financial officer for the University of Connecticut. He previously was executive director of the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority for 12 years.
Caleb Nichols ’73 J.D. practices law through the Law Offices of Caleb L. Nichols, based in Erie, Pa., and covering western Pennsylvania.
Regina Poltrack ’73 (CLAS) was promoted to manager, internal audit, at KPMG, an accounting and consulting firm in Montvale, N.J.
Nicholas Palermo ’74 (CLAS) marked his 22nd year as a trial lawyer and leader of the full-service firm, the Law Offices of Nicholas Palermo in downtown Boston. He lives with his wife, Grace, and their children in Sudbury, Mass.
Stephen Verchinski ’74 (CANR), program coordinator for boating safety and education for New Mexico State Parks, received the Directors Award for his continued outstanding work with the division. He is also the recipient of an award from the N.M. Zia Divers Club for rescuing a fellow scuba diver at Catalina Island.
Thomas Ingrassia ’75 M.A. is owner of Tom Ingrassia Productions, which was recognized by StartupNation as one of the top businesses in its annual Home-Based 100 competition.
Martin Burke ’76 (BUS) married Sandra Baird on May 31, 2008, in Montgomery, Vt.
Susan Glickstein ’76 (CLAS) is an officer in the international division of M&T Bank in Baltimore, Md.
Thomas Jeffrey ’76 (ENG), a senior engineering Fellow at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, is the author of Phased-Array Radar Design: Application of Radar Fundamentals, released in October 2008 by SciTech Publishing. He has been with Raytheon for 25 years.
Grant Berry ’77 Ph.D. retired as dean of development at Pennsylvania College of Technology, in Williamsport in January 2001.
Mark Gould ’77 (CLAS) is a Connecticut Superior Court judge assigned to the Meriden Superior Court through August 2009.
Arthur Koeller ’77 (CLAS) is a manager at Fluor Corporation in Greenville, S.C.
Susan Pearson ’77 (SFS) is a full-time homemaker in La Luz, N.M., where she lives with her husband and their five children.
Jo Ann Simons ’77 M.S.W. was appointed president and chief executive officer of the St. Coletta & Cardinal Cushing Schools of Massachusetts. She previously was executive director of the Arc of East Middlesex.
David Barnett ’78 (CANR) is the new president and CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass. He previously served as executive vice president at Mount Auburn.
Christopher Bates ’78 (CLAS) retired in 2008 after 30 years as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army, serving in a variety of positions throughout the world culminating with an assignment as the principal advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Counter-Terrorism in Baghdad, Iraq. He lives in Tampa, Fla.
Tom O’Flaherty ’78 M.A. retired to California after 25 years practicing criminal defense and appellate law in Iowa and federal courts.
Geoffrey Smith ’78 (CLAS) is vice president of risk management at Iron Mountain, Inc., a leader in records management and data storage, and serves as deacon at Old North Church in Boston.
Hope Toelken ’78 (CLAS) is a personal banking account executive in the retail lending team at Putnam Bank in Gales Ferry, Conn.
Cynthia Basil Howard ’79 (CLAS) was appointed director of development for the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools in Bloomfield, Conn.
Colleen Murphy Davis ’79 (SFS) was named senior litigation counsel in the Tampa Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. She has been an assistant U.S. Attorney with the Department of Justice since 1995 and previously served as a trial attorney in the Middle District of the Florida Violent Crimes Unit.
Debra (Fish) Kaye ’79 (NUR) was promoted to senior nurse case manager in the medical and specialty services department at Liberty Mutual in Wallingford, Conn.
Dawn Leger ’79 (CLAS), ’80 M.A. is director of community resources and also volunteers at Central Connecticut Senior Health Services, Inc., in Southington, Conn.
Tom Marshella ’79 (BUS) is managing director and co-team leader of Moody’s Corporate Finance Group in the Americas. He previously served as a team managing director for the diversified manufacturing, construction, home building, gaming, lodging and restaurant sectors. He has also led Moody’s leveraged finance efforts since late 1996.
Darryl (Campagna) McGrath ’79 (CLAS), a teacher in the journalism program at the State University of New York, Albany, is writing a book on New York State’s endangered bird populations.
Mike Tamborrino ’79 (BUS), ’88 M.B.A. specializes in federal sales for Owl Computing Technologies in Ridgefield, Conn. He ran his 31st half-marathon in October 2008.
Normandy, France
April 27 – May 5, 2009
The magnificent architecture, riveting history and stunning countryside of the Normandy region are yours to explore on this travel adventure that encompasses the beauty and culture of this fascinating region.
Graduating Senior Trip
May 14 – 24, 2009
Students have the opportunity to celebrate their UConn graduation by visiting Europe’s centuries-old landmarks in London, Rome and Paris.
Explore the Tuscan and Lazio Regions of Italy with Geno and
Kathy Auriemma
June 7 – 16, 2009
Spend four days exploring the wonders of Florence and the Tuscan countryside before enjoying four days in magnificent Rome.
Norway Fjordlands
July 28 – August 5, 2009
Stand along the fjords and contemplate the colossal glaciers that carved dramatic gorges and the sparkling, deep blue inlet waters that is the majestic, rugged beauty of Norway.
Classic China and the Yangtze
October 28 – November 11, 2009
This relaxed, well-paced journey combines monumental Beijing, a cruise on the fabled Yangtze, fascinating Xian and cosmopolitan Shanghai. You’ll meet local people and experience both ancient and modern China.
The Blue Voyage – Legendary Turkey and the Turquoise Coast
October 5 – 20, 2009
Starting in Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural and spiritual heart, you’ll travel south to the sacred battlefield of Gallipoli, ferry across the Dardanelles to Troy and explore the wealth of Greco-Roman ruins at ancient Pergamum.
After a full day at Ephesus, you’ll cruise for five days aboard your privately chartered gulet yacht throughout the exquisite Turquoise Coast before ending your journey in the beautiful seaside resort of Antalya, with side trips to ancient Perge and Aspendos.
For information on all UConn Alumni Association opportunities, call (888) 822-5861 or visit our Web site at UConnAlumni.com/travel.
James Countryman ’80 (ENG) has started several multiple sclerosis groups in Montpelier, Vt., where he lives with his fiancé. He previously worked for Perkin-Elmer and was recognized by Yale, where he completed a seven-year fellowship, for his exemplary research in geophysical fluid dynamics.
W. Brewster Earle ’80 (CLAS), president of Comfort Systems USA Energy Services in Windsor, Conn., was appointed the first chairman of the National Green Building Committee of Associated Builders and Contractors, the national trade association representing merit shop contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and related firms in the United States.
Lisa (Panella) Eells ’80 (ED) is principal of Gaffney Elementary School in New Britain, Conn., a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade school that showcases achievement through the arts.
Ed Springer ’80 (ENG) joined Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP of Woodbury, N.Y., as senior structural engineer.
Ron VandenDolder ’80 (CLAS), environmental, safety and security manager for Coca-Cola, was awarded three patents as well as certification as a safety professional, certified hazardous materials manager, and certified maintenance manager.
Jonathan Bagg ’81 (ENG), a certified Six Sigma black belt and quality auditor, was promoted to principal quality engineer at Medtronic in the diabetes division in Los Angeles.
Carmella Cassetta ’81 (BUS) is the senior vice president and chief information officer for Corinthian Colleges in Santa Ana, Calif., a company recently awarded the CIO 100 Innovation Award for its innovation in the use of technology to solve business projects.
Jim Condon ’81 (CLAS), executive director of the Vermont Association of Broadcasters, was re-elected to his third term representing the Town of Colchester in the Vermont House of Representatives, where he is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Christine Gedney ’81 (ED) a program manager for Spectrum, a Hampton, Va.-based defense consulting company, received an Annual Performer Award from the company. She previously served 22 years in the U.S. Air Force.
Del Gordon ’81 (CLAS), a senior software and systems engineer with Northrop Grumman Corporation in Sierra Vista, Ariz., received the 2008 Webmaster of the Year award from the Astronomical League, a national organization that promotes the science of astronomy.
Tom Kaiden ’81 (CLAS), chief operating officer at the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, is leading the Alliance’s new initiative, Engage 2020, to double regional cultural participation by the year 2020.
Jamie Morton ’81 (BUS) teaches part time at a Sacramento, Calif., college and has worked at a homeless shelter for almost seven years.
Paul Tortland ’81 (CLAS), ’84 M.A., president of the Connecticut Osteopathic Medical Society and an athletics team physician at the University of Hartford, was elected to the board of directors of the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine. A private practice physician in sports medicine, he also served as team physician for the U.S. figure skating team at the international Junior Grand Prix event in Courchevel, France, last August.
Michael Drabik ’82 (CANR) is a regional sales manager for Optronics and his wife, Linda (Romine) ’82 (SFS), is a mechanical engineer for Bose. They celebrated 25 years of marriage with their daughter Maya, family and friends.
Helen Bennett Harvey ’82 (CLAS), ’83 (CLAS), adjunct professor at Southern Connecticut State University, is the city and state editor at The New Haven Register. She lives in Orange, Conn., with her husband, Peter, and their children.
James Hupp ’82 M.D. is the founding dean of the School of Dentistry at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. He previously served as dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Mississippi.
Susan Jewell ’82 M.S. is the author of Gators, Gourdheads, and Pufflings: A Biologist Slogs, Climbs, and Wings Her Way to Save Wildlife, her third book, released in November 2008 by Infinity Publishing. She
freelances as an environmental writer while working as a biologist on national endangered species issues for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington, D.C.
Ruth (Miller) Parish ’82 (SFA) was selected to participate in Digital ’08: Imagination on Behalf of Our Planet, Art & Science Collaborations, Inc.’s, 10th International Competition and Exhibition of Digital Prints. The show opened at the New York Hall of Science on Oct. 4, 2008, and ran through Jan. 25, 2009.
Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner ’82 M.B.A., ’07 LL.M., a consultant and chair of the board of directors of the Lyme Disease Foundation, was the speaker at Muskingum College’s graduate commencement and received an honorary doctorate from the college in recognition of her 20 years of volunteer service and law education in health care and insurance.
Peter Cavaliere ’83 (BUS), a freelance television producer and director, joined Fox Business Network in Manhattan. He won a Sports Emmy Award for his work with NBC Sports Olympic Unit and currently lives in Secaucus, N.J.
Lisa Davis ’83 (NUR) received the 2008 Annual Collaborative Spirit Award from the Northern Connecticut Black Nurses Association, which recognizes individuals who support the efforts of the association through quality health care services and education to the community.
Tracey Flynn ’83 (CLAS), ’85 M.A., associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., received a 2008 Excellence in Teaching and Service to Students Award from Quinnipiac.
Michelle (Reineke) Mann ’83 (CLAS) and her husband, Craig, announce the birth of a son, Craig Michael, on Sept. 27, 2006.
Victor Milione ’83 (CLAS), partner and practice group leader for the Financial Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group at Nixon Peabody LLP, has been named co-chair of the Commercial Finance Committee of the Bankruptcy and Business Law Sections of the Boston Bar Association.
Rafael Santiago ’83 J.D., ’83 M.B.A., the managing member of the Santiago Law Group, LLC, in Hartford, Conn., and a former president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, received the University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association’s Public Service Award.
Mark Barra ’84 (BUS) is the president of Global Financial Consulting LLC, a global financial consulting firm helping banks manage their troubled loan portfolios, which recently opened a domestic division to assist Connecticut Banks.
Rosemary Keating Leitz ’84 (BUS) was promoted to senior counsel in the federal regulatory practice of Northeast Utilities, providing legal support to the company’s electric transmission businesses. She lives in West Hartford, Conn., with her husband, Jeffrey Leitz ’83 (CLAS), CEO of Walbridge Capital Advisors, and their son, Desmond.
Jamie Meyers ’84 (CLAS), ’93 M.B.A. is vice president and chief Medicare actuary at Humana in Louisville, Ky.
Melissa (Anderson) Piurkowski ’84 (BUS) married Stanley Piurkowski in April 2007. She is an associate finance manager at Unilever US in Trumbull, Conn.
Michèle Singh-Roy Chaplick ’85 (CLAS) received a master of arts in teaching from Sacred Heart University in August 2008 and is a graduate of the legal studies program at the University of Hartford. She has 18 years experience as a corporate paralegal, specializing in intellectual property and corporate law, and lives with her family in Westport, Conn.
Andrew Rose ’85 (ENG), ’86 M.S., associate professor of civil engineering technology at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, received the University’s President’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
Mark D. Rubino ’85 (BUS) joined KPMG as an associate general counsel, supervising internal investigations, after 15 years as a federal prosecutor.
Ellen (Wallace) Calderone ’86 (NUR), a critical care nurse at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain., received a 2008 Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing.
James Purcell ’86 (ENG) is senior vice president and branch manager of Medina Consultants, P.C., in Hamilton, N.J., a civil engineering and land surveying firm with offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Connecticut. He is active in the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers, the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Highway Engineers. He lives in Lawrenceville, N.J., with his wife, Cheryl, and their two children.
Emeka Nwadiora ’87 M.S.W., a member of Anita Gordon Bell and Associates, a small psychological group practice in Philadelphia, teaches human behavior graduate courses at Temple University’s School of Social Administration and hosts the talk radio program “The Pan Africa Show” in Philadelphia.
Marie (Charette) Winiarski ’88 (CLAS), a manager for SendOutCards, based in Salt Lake City, lives in Simsbury, Conn., with her husband and two sons.
Pam (Montanaro) Kendrick ’89 (ED), an English teacher at North Haven (Conn.) Middle School, was named 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year in North Haven and was a finalist for the 2008 Connecticut Teacher of the Year. She lives in North Branford with her husband, Dave, and their children, Andy, 8, and Alyssa, 5.
Kimberly McClure ’89 (CANR) married Will Brinton in July 2007 and welcomed their first child, Anna Theresa, in May 2008. She owns the veterinary practice Country Companions in Bethany, Conn., where one of her colleagues is Sarah Murray ’00 (CANR).
John Terwilliger ’89 (ENG) was promoted to senior geophysicist at Brigham Oil & Gas, L.P., in Austin, Texas.
Deborah Wolf ’89 6th Year serves as advisor to the director of special education in the Ministry of Education located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after retiring from her position as elementary principal at Howell Public Schools in Howell, Mich.
Holowaty is No. 1 on Division III diamond
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Bill Holowaty ’67 (ED), ’69 M.S., ranks first among all active NCAA Division III baseball coaches as he enters his 41st season as head baseball coach at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Conn.
He has won four national championships (1982, 1990, 1998 and 2002) and is one of only 45 coaches to win as many as 1,000 games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
A professor of health and physical education at Eastern, he has led his teams to 1,249 wins, averaging 37 wins per year.
ALUMNI
Shirley Robison ’33
Louise Johnson ’36, ’52
Isaac Blonder ’38
Kenneth Hungerford ’40
Richard W. Michaels ’43
Margaret A. MacKenzie ’44
Helen Molloy ’44
Frank Rogers ’45
Gordon King ’46, ’48
Michael Hourigan ’48
Edmond Barrieau ’49
Eugene R. Solon ’49
Henry T. Mazon ’50
Donald Molchan ’50
Joseph Spalla ’50
Alan B. Taylor ’50
Henry Kardys ’51
Stanley Barall ’52, ’57
William Lampe ’52
Raymond Castoldi ’53
Frederick Cook ’53
Francis Fisher ’53, ’55, ’62
Ellen Hoyt ’53
Wilbur Stratton ’53
Conrad Eaton ’54
Jean Grady ’54
Joseph Scrivano Jr. ’54
Peter A. Bonee ’55, ’55
John Carenza ’55
Matthew K. Garvey ’55
George Kalinowski ’55
Margery McBurney ’55, ’63
Jane I. Pacelli ’55
Charles Rohde ’55
Gerard Roy ’55
Richard O. Walsh ’55
Henry Ask ’56
Adelaide Dollin ’56, ’60
Frederick O. Newman ’56
John Valli ’56
Marilyn DeGroff ’57
William Scully ’57
Lester Charles Albee ’58
John Fahey ’58
Anthony J. Lynch ’58
Michael Tobin ’58, ’64
Irene Sweeney ’59
George Magrath ’60
Paul Morrison ’60
ALUMNI (continued)
Felix Berardo ’61
Paul Madden ’61
William Polowy Sr. ’61
Elvira Testa ’61
Albert Lindia ’62, ’72
Judith Godfrey ’63
Suzanne Juros ’63
Stephen Stabach ’63, ’68
Thomas J. Sullivan ’63
Julius Watstein ’63
William Campbell ’64
Joseph Berube ’65
Bernard Blum ’67
Oscar Poriss ’67
Hester Bakewell ’69
William Hogerty Jr. ’69
Edward Neumann ’70
Stephen Ruskin ’70
Abigail Bogie ’72
A. E. Ericksen ’73
David McDonald ’73
Robert Steinberg ’73
John R. Anderson ’74
Etty Schreiber ’74
Louise Marquis ’75
Karen Bonavita ’79
Steven Zetye ’79
Mark Bucheri ’80
Lt. Christopher D. Caron ’80
Alicia M. Harrington ’81
Kathleen Leiner ’81
Peter Vannucci ’82
Nicholas Fedorka ’83
Wendell Piehler ’85
Lois Przech ’85
Peter Celona ’86
Simon Attle ’87, ’91, ’96
Karen Best-Parrish ’90
Robert Pare ’92
Jennifer B. Tomasello ’93
Andy Duzy ’02
Walter Coady ’03
Donald Thomas Restivo Jr. ’04
STUDENTS
Mark Peters ’09
Bertozzi Mposo ’12
Kenneth Broder ’90 (CLAS) and his wife, Melissa, announce the birth of a daughter, Mia Julianna, who joins sister, Sarah Isabella. He is a dentist who lives and practices in Stamford, Conn.
Susan Dunton ’90 Ph.D. is the new provost at Fisher College in Boston, with almost 25 years of experience in higher education administration, most recently as associate dean at Lesley University in Boston.
Tanya Geerken-Mattson ’90 (CLAS) and Mark Mattson were married on Feb. 29, 2008. The couple lives in Erie, Pa.
Brett Lipeles ’90 (BUS), founder of Exhibit and Display Consultants in Providence, R.I., is the author of Professional Exhibit Manager’s Handbook, published by Aardvark Global. It is a comprehensive guide to planning trade show exhibits.
Janice Miller Potter ’90 Ph.D. is the author of Psalms in Time, a collection of poetry published by Finishing Line Press in December 2008.
Anne (Halloran) Tortora ’90 (ED), ’90 (SFA) is director of bands at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md.
Stanley Bator ’91 (BGS) married Phuong Nguyen on June 21, 2008. The couple lives in Stratford, Conn.
John Casey ’91 (CLAS), land use attorney with Robinson & Cole, was elected to the board of directors of Connecticut Legal Services, a non-profit civil law firm. He is involved in various philanthropies, including Lawyers for Children America, the Connecticut Cruise Ship Task Force and the New London Education Foundation. He lives in Groton with his wife and two children.
Donald Costello ’91 (CLAS) was promoted to lead optometrist at the West Bank facility of Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. He lives in New Orleans with his wife, Courtney.
Julie (Spiers) Donahue ’91 (CLAS) and her husband, Chris, announce the birth of a daughter, Margaret Rose, on Sept. 30, 2008, who joins sister, Katie.
Kristin Edmonds ’91 M.A. is a winner of the 2008 IdeaBounce, a collaborative environment that helps to bring ideas to the marketplace at the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies of Washington University. She operates Mindfullgames.com, which sells research-based vocabulary training games.
Judith Jacques ’91 (CLAS), ’92 M.S., molecular biologist at Dyax Corp. and head of the Cooperative Education Program with Northeastern University, was named as one of the Who’s Who in Cambridge, Mass., among executives, professionals and entrepreneurs.
Erin (Flaherty) Mancuso ’91 (CLAS) and her husband, Nicholas Mancuso ’92 (CLAS), announce the birth of a son, Zachary Heron, on Oct. 22, 2008. He joins big sisters Emma, 4, and Maya, 2. The family lives in Colchester, Conn.
Chris Melillo ’91 (ED) is the principal at Shepherd Glen Elementary School in Hamden, Conn. He lives in Milford, Conn., with his wife and two children.
Lori (Stephens) Mulligan ’91 (ED) and her husband, Chuck, announce the birth of a daughter, Anna Charlotte, born April 15, 2008. She joins a sister, Blair. The family lives in Stamford, Conn.
Charles Pickett ’91 (CLAS) took a two-year break from his Boston-based freelance editing and copywriting company, PickettMedia, to enlist in the U.S. Army. He recently completed a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 814th Multi-Role Bridging Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
Michele (Obman) Soulek ’91 (BUS) and her husband, Scott, announce the birth of their son, Oliver, on March 4, 2008. The family lives in Casper, Wyo.
Rene St. George ’91 (BGS) retired from his career as a detective with the Bristol (Conn.) Police and now lives in Savannah, Ga.
Mark Ulrich ’91 (CLAS), ’05 M.A. was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces on July 1, 2008. He is stationed in Fort Wentworth, Kan.
Laura (Dameron) Wilson ’91 (SFS) married Chris Wilson on August 16, 2008. The couple lives in Gahanna, Ohio.
Phil Almquist ’92 M.B.A. recently joined Clement Pappas in Carneys Point, N.J., as a marketing associate.
Grace (Lim) Baccay ’92 (CLAS) and her husband, Francis, announce the birth of a daughter, Natalie Ann, on June 27, 2008. Natalie joins brothers, Wesley, 5, and Oliver, 2, at their home in Chappaqua, N.Y.
Thaddeus Chrzanowski ’92 (BUS), ’03 M.B.A. is vice president at Paulson Training Programs, a provider of educational software for the plastics industry in Chester, Conn.
Tricia Dinneen Priebe ’92 (CLAS) is co-owner of Innovate & Organize LLC, a legislative grassroots, association management and issues management company. She lives in North Haven, Conn., with her husband and two children.
Kitty Foord ’92 M.A., associate professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and coordinator of graduate programs and professional development in teaching and learning, is the co-author of Professional Learning Communities: An Implementation Guide and Toolkit, published by Eye on Education.
Karen (Lagasse) Schumann ’92 (NUR) and Michael Schumann announce the birth of a daughter, Sarah Grace, born April 9, 2008. She joins brother, Aidan John, 6, and sister, Elizabeth Rose, 4. The family lives in Milford, Conn.
Shanyelle (Hawkins) Young ’92 (CLAS) received the Top Producer Award in sales, commission and number of transactions by Gillette Real Estate in Windsor, Conn.
Beth Taylor Mack ’93 (ED) announces the birth of a son, Jason Andrew Mack, on Aug. 7, 2008, who joins brother, Ryan, 3.
Kara (Heller) McDonald ’93 (BUS) and her husband, Michael, announce the birth of a son, Jack Ronan, on March 3, 2008. He joins sister, Ava. The family lives in Dublin, Ireland.
Jon Pedersen Sr. ’93 (BUS) was recently named senior vice president and controller for Warner Music Group in New York City.
Kevin Ryan ’93 (CLAS) is director of Web and interactive marketing at the University of South Carolina Beaufort in Bluffton, S.C. He previously was co-owner of Low-G Marketing, a Web design and search engine optimization firm.
Bob Sartoris ’93 (CLAS), ’95 M.A., assistant principal at Cheney Tech in Manchester, Conn., for the past six years, was named Assistant Principal of the Year for the Connecticut technical high school system. He lives in South Windsor with his wife, Meaghan, son, Graeden, and twin daughters, Sarah and Kellie.
Gavin Blawie ’94 M.B.A., senior vice president and senior director at BBDO New York City, was named lead on the worldwide Monster.com account, directing agency teams in New York, Amsterdam and Hong Kong in creating integrated marketing communications in over 25 countries.
Jennifer (Toelke) Bourret ’94 (BUS) was promoted to director of risk at Constitution Corporate Federal Credit Union in Wallingford, Conn.
Jonathan Hayes ’94 (BUS) is senior vice president of Bank of America’s Corporate Treasury Finance department. He lives with his wife, Kristen, and their son, Ryan, in Huntersville, N.C.
Bani Mallick ’94 M.S., professor of statistics at Texas A & M University, was named a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics for his contributions to Bayesian classification and regression, nonparametric hierarchical modeling, survival analysis, spatial statistics and
time-series modeling.
Denise (Plante) Terry ’94 (CLAS) is acting associate pastor at Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ in Sanibel, Fla.
John Auchterlonie ’95 (CLAS), ’02 M.S. is a vice president of accounting at SAC Capital Advisors in Stamford, Conn. He and his wife, Maria (Vicino) ’95 (CLAS), announce the birth of a son, Michael Anthony, in May. He joins brothers John, 4, and Joseph, 2.
Carol Jeanne Coombs ’95 M.S.W. opened a new private psychotherapy practice in Worcester, Mass., which treats children, adolescents and adults.
Daphnie (Mercado) Deleo ’95 (CLAS) and her husband, Jim, announce the birth of a daughter, Claudia, who joins sister Raquel.
Jennifer (Galvin) Fitting ’95 (CLAS) and Todd Fitting announce the birth of a daughter, Hailey Elizabeth, on May 2, 2008, who joins brother Ryan Benjamin, 2. Jennifer completed her master’s degree in school counseling in 2005 and is a counselor at Guilford High School in Guilford, Conn.
Beth (Hatterman) Gillin ’95 (CLAS) and her husband, Brian, announce the birth of their son, Cal Vincent, on Aug. 26, 2008. The family lives in Stamford, Conn.
Rick Greenberg ’95 (CLAS) and Jessica (Tottenham) ’95 (SAH) announce the birth of their third son, Jordan Jeffrey, on Jan. 4, 2008, who joins his brothers Jayson, 4, and Justin, 2. The family lives in Branford, Conn.
Lara Herscovitch ’95 (M.S.W.) is the 2009-10 Connecticut State Troubadour, who serves as an ambassador of music and song to encourage cultural literacy and promote the State of Connecticut. She is completing work on her fourth album, which will be released later this year.
Jennifer (Tracy) Humes ’95 (BUS) and Michael Humes announce the birth of a son, Griffin Tracy Humes, on July 16, 2008. Griffin joins brother, Carter David, 2.
Maggie (Conway) McGillicuddy ’95 (CANR) and her husband, Michael, announce the birth of their daughter, Madeline Grace, on July 16, 2008, who joins brother, M.J., and sister, Katie. Maggie teaches science at Torrington High School.
Brad Southwell ’95 (CLAS) is a sales engineer with discover-e Legal, LLC in Portland, Ore., a provider of electronic data discovery software and services to law firms and corporations.
Mike Tortora ’95 (BUS) is director of international compliance and control at the Pepsi Bottling Group in Aliso Veijo, Calif.
Christopher Bieszczad ’96 (CLAS) is senior product analyst, catastrophe management, at Travelers in Hartford, Conn. He received his M.B.A. from Albertus Magnus College on June 24, 2008.
Jessica (Ryan) Burn ’96 (CLAS) married Gray Burn on Aug. 30, 2008. She is manager of tech industry advisory consulting at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass.
Deborah Gabinelle ’96 M.B.A. started a professional organizing business, Insightful Solutions, in West Hartford, Conn., which specializes in designing and implementing organizing solutions for corporations, small businesses and home-based entrepreneurs.
Sujit Ghosh ’96 Ph.D. worked as a statistician for the XXIX Olympics sailing boat event with a team from North Carolina State University and in collaboration with the Qingdao Metrological Bureau in China. His main task was to predict wind speed, which is critical in deciding whether to hold the sailing event on a given day.
Curtis Grundler ’96 M.B.A. is vice president of finance, Asia Pacific, for Targus, located in Hong Kong. He previously was senior director of North America at eBay.
Sarah Jones ’96 (ED), director of student activities at Manchester High School in Manchester, Conn., is executive director of the Connecticut Association of Student Councils and serves as Connecticut’s representative to the National Association of State Student Council Executive Directors.
Jacqueline Pennino Scheib ’96 J.D., partner at Robinson & Cole specializing in intellectual property and technology law, joined the board of trustees at The Children’s Museum in West Hartford, Conn.
Wayne Bragg ’97 M.B.A. is a full- time in-residence instructor for the University of Connecticut M.B.A. program.
Lisa Casper ’97 M.B.A. was promoted to senior vice president, group financial officer, at Webster Bank in Waterbury, Conn. She was previously vice president, business unit financial officer.
Deborah (Mooney) DiNicola ’97 B.F.A., ’04 M.B.A. and her husband, Eric DiNicola ’02 M.B.A., announce the birth of their daughter, Lindsey Margaret, on Nov. 14, 2007. The family lives in Brookfield, Conn.
Heather (Traverse) Esposito ’97 (NUR) and Andrew Esposito announce the birth of a son, Andrew Joseph, on July 27, 2008 in Concord, N.C. He joins brothers Dylan, 6, and Derek, 1, and sisters Madison, 5, and Hailey, 3. Heather is an RN at CMC-Northeast in Concord, N.C., where the family lives.
Andrea McGrath ’97 M.B.A. recently became the director of the Center for Applied Philanthropy/The Fund for Sustainability in Boston, after graduating with an M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Brian McQuide ’97 M.A. is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Idaho after receiving his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois.
Alyse (Colombo) Moore ’97 (BUS) and her husband, Daniel, announce the birth of a daughter, Cora Mackenzie, on April 18, 2008. Cora joins a sister, Lily, 2. The family lives in White Plains, N.Y.
Jennifer (Kim) Morenus ’97 (SFA), and her husband, Peter Morenus Jr., announce the birth of a daughter, Grace, on Oct. 5, who joins big brother, Petey. She is assistant to the vice provost at UConn and her husband is photo editor of UCONN Magazine.
Kathy Patterson ’97 (NUR), owner of Yanceyville Primary Care, her solo nurse-practitioner practice, received the Eleanor K. Gill Outstanding Alumni Award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing on Oct. 17, 2008.
Nikole (Hansen) Ruddy ’97 (BUS) and her husband, Mike Ruddy ’97 (SFA), announce the birth of a daughter, Julia Marie, on Jan. 27, 2007, in Manchester, Conn.
Pam (Gruchacz) Wingren ’97 (SAH) and her husband announce the birth of their son, William Samuel, on March 21, 2008.
Robin (Aronson) Carr ’98 M.F.A. is an associate professor of voice and acting in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as a member of the Actors’ Equity Association and the Lessac Training and Research Institute. She lives in Hattiesburg, Miss., with her husband, Matt.
John Dutchover ’98 (BUS) and Lisa Dutchover announce the birth of a daughter, Lillian Rose, on July 13, 2008, in New York, N.Y.
Jane Ellen Gauthier ’98 (BGS) is director of dental education programs at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Mass.
Keith Hirokawa ’98 J.D., ’03 M.A. is in his second year as an associate professor at Texas Wesleyan School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas, after receiving an L.L.M. from Lewis & Clark Law School and practicing environmental and land use law for several years at Erikson & Hirokawa PLLC, in Vancouver, Wash.
Nader Jalili ’98 Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering at Clemson University, received the 2008 Murray Stokley Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest distinction awarded to faculty in Clemson’s College of Engineering and Science.
Nicole (Burilla) Joslin ’98 (NUR), ’03 M.S. and her husband, Troy, announce the birth of a daughter, Gianna Rose, on Sept. 27, 2007. Nicole is an adult nurse practitioner at Somerset Health Care in Glastonbury, Conn. The family lives in Tolland, Conn.
Jennifer (Skillen) Megna ’98 (PHR) and her husband, Damian, announce the birth of a son, Cameron Phillip, born July 18, 2008, who joins sister, Julia, 3. The family lives in Framingham, Mass.
Kit Moya ’98 M.A., ’03 6th Year and his wife, Holly, announce the birth of a son, Luke Alejandro, on Oct. 5, 2007, in Glastonbury, Conn. Luke joins a brother, Logan, 8.
Richard Nizker ’98 (BUS) works as systems engineer for Home Depot in Atlanta, where he lives with his wife of three years.
Melissa (Ross) Silberberg ’98 (ED), ’99 M.A. and Matthew Silberberg ’97 (SAH) announce the birth of a daughter, Emily Barbara, born April 20, 2008. Emily joins sister, Sarah, 4, and brother, Ryan, 2. The family lives in Manchester, Conn.
Jonathan Zupnik ’98 (BUS) is divisional merchandise manager for television, audio and video for Sears Holdings Corporation, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Alicia (Heffernan) Almeida ’99 (CANR), ’06 D.M.D. and her husband Roberto Almeida ’98 (BUS) announce the birth of their first child, Alexander John, on June 12, 2008.
Karen Dahl ’99 (CLAS) and Brian Reich announce the birth of a son, Henry, on Nov. 16, 2007, in Boston.
Agustin Margary ’99 (CANR) married Irene Checchin ’00 (CANR) on July 20, 2008. Agustin is a property agent for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Irene is a seventh-grade science teacher at Dodd Middle School in Cheshire, Conn. The couple lives in Waterbury, Conn.
Melissa (Koerner) Reeve ’99 (SFS) and Jason Reeve ’97 (ENG) announce the birth of Morrison Alice, on July 26, 2008. Morrison joins brother, Cooper, 2. The family lives in Marlton, N.J.
Kerry Riek ’99 (ENG) is a project controls engineer with PBM, a manufacturer of private label infant formula in Georgia, Vt.
Shannon (Browne) Robke ’99 (CLAS) and her husband Jeff Robke ’99 (ENG) announce the birth of their first child, Emma Shannon Robke, on Oct. 11, 2008. The family lives in Apex, N.C.
Jennifer Suozzo ’99 (CLAS) is senior producer for MSNBC/NBC News, producing two hours of live, daily news coverage, including “MSNBC Live” hosted by Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent. She lives in New York City.
Financing the business of television
Rick Baran ’93 J.D./M.B.A. will you tell you that his combined degrees from the University of Connecticut suit him perfectly.
“My UConn J.D./M.B.A. was definitely a steroid for my career – the opportunities it created and the doors that have opened have been huge,” says Baran.
Last year, Baran’s education and experience caught the attention of the CBS Corporation. CBS named him executive vice president and chief financial officer of CBS Television Stations, which owns 29 local stations nationwide. It is Baran’s first job in the communications industry.
“The absolute best part of my new job is I’m learning something new all the time,” he says.
“Applying solutions to complex issues is a skill that was fostered at UConn. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t, but being able to apply past experiences and fast-action plans to the unprecedented legal and business landscapes we’re faced with now is just a blast.”
Before joining CBS, Baran used his eclectic mixture of fiscal and legal experience for five and a half years at Tyco International, where he served as its first-ever corporate ombudsman and, later, as chief financial officer for its global infrastructure and environmental consulting business, Earth Tech.
Prior to that, he served for more than a dozen years at General Electric in a wide range of leadership roles, most notably as global chief financial officer of GE’s Hydro Electric and Power Turbine installation businesses.
While juggling a job and a growing family early in his career, Baran decided to pursue the UConn dual-degree program. Baran originally wanted to pursue a path in contract law; he found the first-year contracts course taught by Richard S. Kay, the Wallace Stevens Professor of Law, particularly helpful.
“Professor Kay made that one hour in class seem like five minutes,” Baran says.
“It was all I’d hoped it would be when I signed up for the four-year program.”
Baran also found Glen Chu-Richardson, former M.B.A. program director in Hartford and now director of UConn’s Tri-Campus program, valuable to his success in the program.
“He was somebody I could go to for advice and he’d say, ‘OK, here’s the straightest path between where you are and where you need to go,’” says Baran. “My time at UConn was a lot of work, but also tremendously rewarding!”
— Gary E. Frank
Chenoa (Kristof) Anderson ’00 (CLAS) and her husband, David, announce the birth of their first child, daughter, Riley Noel, on March 21, 2008. Chenoa received her master’s degree in special education in 2008 from Southern Connecticut State University.
Amy (Weber) Doucet ’00 (ED), ’07 M.B.A. and Michael Doucet announce the birth of a daughter, Olivia Katherine, on June 20, 2008, in Danbury, Conn.
Peter Karp ’00 (BUS), a corporate training consultant for Aetna in Middletown, Conn., married Jocelyn Warmoth on July 26, 2008. The couple lives in Cromwell, Conn.
Scott Lafferty ’00 (CLAS) was promoted to senior case manager in the quality assurance department of The Law Offices of James Sokolove in Boston.
Christy (Luysterborghs) Lindsay ’00 (CLAS) and Bruce Lindsay ’97 (CANR) announce the birth of their first child, son, Burke Franklin, on Feb. 4, 2008.
Jeff Boisvert ’01 (BUS) and Kim (Carlucci) Boisvert ’01 (BUS) announce the birth of their daughter, Megan Anne, on Aug. 13, 2008. The family lives in Stratford, Conn.
Kevin Chamberlin ’01 (PHR), ’03 Pharm.D. and Annik (Carrier) Chamberlin ’02 (PHR), ’04 Pharm.D. announce the birth of a son, Gavin William, on Sept. 12, 2008, who joins sister, Grace Ann.
Patrick Laros ’01 (CLAS) and his wife, Marisa, announce the birth of a son, Dominic Louis Laros, on July 23, 2008. He joins brother, Benjamin, 2.
Keri Marchitto ’01 (CLAS) married George Blanco in November 2008. She recently earned a master’s degree in animal science from North Carolina State University.
Jason Rojas ’01 (CLAS) and Sarah (Gaudreau) ’00 (BUS) announce the birth of their second child, Stella Genoveva, on Aug. 31, 2008, who joins sister, Addison, 2. Jason is director of community relations for Trinity College in Hartford and was recently elected state representative for the 9th Assembly District. Sarah is pursuing a master’s degree in school counseling at Central Connecticut State University.
Matthew Ross ’01 (CLAS), ’07 M.A. and Chalise (Nettleton) ’02 (CLAS), ’03 (ED), ’04 M.A. announce the birth of a son, Nathaniel Alden, on April 22, 2008.
Trevor Sykes ’01 (CLAS) married Sara (Hauser) ’02 (CLAS) in October 2007. He is a chiropractor at Living Health Chiropractic in Annapolis, Md., and she works for Women for Women International in Washington, D.C. The couple lives in Annapolis.
Lisa (Racanello) Bergner ’02 (BUS), ’03 M.S. married Justin Bergner on Aug. 23, 2008, in East Norwalk, Conn. She is an accountant at GE Energy Financial Services. The couple lives in Stamford, Conn.
Christopher Collibee ’02 (CLAS), assignment editor for Channel 3 Eyewitness News, married Kimberly Gaughan on June 7, 2008. The couple lives in East Hartford, Conn.
Jocelyn Fillian ’02 (CLAS) married Stephen Doré ’05 6th Year on April 12, 2008. She is an audiologist in Danbury, Conn., and he is a sixth-grade math teacher in Wilton, Conn. The couple lives in Danbury, Conn.
Chris Giannos ’02 (CLAS), a chiropractic physician, opened his practice in Norwalk, Conn., in August 2008.
Maurice Headley ’02 (BUS), ’07 J.D. is an associate with Shipman & Good LLP in Hartford, Conn., after serving as a law clerk at the Connecticut Superior Court.
Scott Bores ’03 (BUS) was promoted to manager of accounting research and policy at Mirant Corporation in Atlanta.
Dan Brooks ’03 (BGS) joined the Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets as the IT help desk manager in New York City.
Franz Kellermanns ’03 Ph.D. was promoted to associate professor of management and named Henry Family Notable Scholar at Mississippi State University.
Michael Lenkowski ’03 M.S., a certified public accountant, was promoted to accounting and audit manager at Blum Shapiro, an accounting and business consulting firm in West Hartford, Conn.
Jennifer Stimets ’03 (SFS) married Robert Randall on Aug. 2, 2008, at YMCA Camp Shepard in Smithfield, R.I. The couple lives in Cumberland, R.I.
Jeff Valentino ’03 (CLAS) is the business development manager for Web.com in Jacksonville, Fla. He and his wife, Natalie, announce the birth of twin girls, Ella and Ava, in November 2007.
Justin Fink ’04 (CLAS), owner of Charter Oak Renovations in Glastonbury, Conn., is the new products editor for Fine Homebuilding. He also teaches adult education at Manchester Community College and is crew leader with the Middlesex, Conn., chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Michael Harrington ’04 (CLAS) is in his second year as director of the Tulane Athletics Fund at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Naveed Khan ’04 (CLAS) and his wife, Hajera Qureshi, announce the birth of their first child, Yusut Ahmed Khan, on March 28, 2008. The family lives in Stamford, Conn.
Doreen Stanco ’04 (SFS) is a speech-language pathologist at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J., after earning a master of science degree from William Paterson University.
Martha Kirk Swartz ’04 Ph.D., professor and associate dean for clinical and community affairs at Yale University School of Nursing, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as a Fellow on Nov. 8, 2008.
Kymberly (Moran) Sylvestre ’04 (SAH) is a science teacher at Weymouth High School. Her husband, Ross Sylvestre ’04 (CLAS), is an assistant vice president with Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC in Boston. The couple lives in Sharon, Mass.
Diana Norma Szokolyai ’04 (CLAS), ’07 M.A., a poet, dancer and visual artist, is the co-director of the Cambridge Writer’s Workshop and the co-founder of Sounds in Bloom, a poetry, music and dance collaborative that gives workshops as well as performances.
Frank Vitucci ’04 (BGS) is a district manager in New England and New York Metro regions for Emerson Process Management, which helps process industries to better manage plants through automation systems, consulting and industry expertise.
Amanda (Burgess) Cannada ’05 (CLAS) married Ronall Cannada ’05 (ED), ’06 M.A. on June 28, 2008. She is the assistant for UConn’s H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center and he is a social studies teacher at Windsor High School in Windsor, Conn.
Julie Daly ’05 (SFS), program manager for Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs, was named one of the 2008 Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty.” She serves on the advisory boards for the Connecticut Forum, Hartford Stage Springboard and InternHere.com, and is the Entertainment Committee Chair for the American Cancer Society’s 2009 Hartford Relay for Life.
Brad Ellis ’05 M.B.A. is vice president at Venture Banker in New York City after serving previously as vice president of sales at GE Capital, Life Science Finance.
Lauren Fogarty ’05 (SFS) is director of extended learning time at the Gardner Pilot Academy in Boston after graduating in 2008 from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
Saulius Polteraitis ’05 J.D. is an associate attorney at Foley, Baron & Metzger in Detroit, focusing on medical malpractice claims, general negligence and premises liability matters. He previously was an associate with McKeen & Associates, a personal injury firm in Detroit.
Jacqueline Rossi ’05 (BUS) and her husband, Christopher Spiers, announce the birth of their son, Jason Hubbard Spiers, on March 19, 2008. Jacqueline is the business manager of Fields of Dreams, Inc., in North Stonington, Conn.
John Albanese ’06 M.B.A. was promoted to master sergeant with the Connecticut State Police, where he has worked for 17 years. He also is executive officer for Troop H in Hartford, Conn.
Emily Croce Bihl ’06 (CLAS) and Anthony Bihl ’06 (BUS) were married on Aug. 16, 2008, at Corpus Christi Church in Wethersfield, Conn.
Aaron Burton ’06 (PHR), ’08 Ph.D. and Katie (Costanzo) Burton ’06 (CLAS), ’08 M.A. were married on May 16, 2008 in Wallingford, Conn. Members of the wedding party included Chris Antoszek ’06 (PHR), ’08 Ph.D., Ryan Matte ’06 (ENG) and Alyssa Montauti ’06 (NUR).
Amy Bytell ’06 (BUS) was promoted to manager of media at the Law Offices of James Sokolove in Newton, Mass.
Edith Carson ’06 (CLAS), an intern with the marine mammal center in Petersburg, Alaska, spent the past year in Nahant, Mass., Moorea, French Polynesia, and Santa Catalina, Calif., in Northeastern University’s Three Seas program, where she is currently working on a master’s in marine biology.
Luke Thompson ’06 (CLAS) is a process engineer at ATI Casting Service in LaPorte, Ind., which produces gray and ductile iron castings used for locomotive engine blocks and rotor hubs for wind energy.
Rena (Owens) Way ’06 M.S.W. is the founder of the non-profit organization C.A.D.E.S. (Christian Adult Day and Evening Services), which helps people transition back into the community after incarceration by offering substance abuse counseling, housing and employment assistance, food and clothing.
Alexandra (Pilarczyk) Whatton ’06 (CLAS) married James Whatton on Sept. 9, 2007, at UConn’s campus at Avery Point. She is the coordinator in the admissions office at Eugene Lang College in New York City.
Brian DeMarco ’07 (BUS) joined Barnum Financial Group as a financial services representative in Shelton, Conn.
Veronica Gilbertie ’07 (CANR) is a clinical dietician at Health Central, a hospital in Ocoee, Fla., and at Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla.
Kent Golden ’07 M.A., owner and lead designer of Golden Multimedia in Hamden, Conn., recently created interactive touch screen kiosks at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History about the famous “Zallinger” dinosaur mural. He is a full-time faculty member in the media production department at Quinnipiac University.
Jill M. O’Connor ’07 M.S. is a licensed certified public accountant working in the auditing and tax divisions of Marien and Company in Norwich, Conn.
Kenneth Seder ’07 (CLAS) received his master’s degree in mathematics education from the University of Bridgeport, Conn., and is pursuing a career as a teacher.
Tiffany (Jordan) Wika ’07 M.M. and Norman Wika ’04 M.M., ’07 D.M.A. were married on July 12, 2008, at the Key West Garden Club in Key West, Fla. The couple lives in Tahlequah, Okla.
Jeremy Curtis ’08 (BUS) joined Barnum Financial Group, an office of MetLife, as a financial services representative in Wethersfield, Conn.
Michelle Dann ’08 (CLAS) began 10 months of full-time service with the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program, on Nov. 3, 2008.
Michael Eiben ’08 (CLAS) joined Barnum Financial Group, an office of MetLife, as a financial services representative.
Kathryn Ann Hoffmann ’08 (CANR) is an environmental scientist at GeoInsights in Middletown, Conn.
James Lefebvre ’08 (BGS) was promoted to production supervisor at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Rouses Point, N.Y., after working at Wyeth in various positions for 17 years and completing his degree at UConn in May.
Lauren Moldoff ’08 (HDFS) is pursuing her master’s degree in school psychology at Marist College.
Alyssa Moss ’08 (CLAS) began 10 months of full-time service with the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program, on Nov. 3, 2008.
Charlene Perez ’08 (BGS) received the 2008 Outstanding Continuing Education Student Award from the Northeast Region of the University Continuing Education Association. She was promoted to community school director for the Village for Families & Children within weeks of obtaining her degree.
William Purcell ’08 (CANR) is a soil conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service in Norwich, Conn.
Beth Wesalo ’08 (CLAS) is a research supervisor at Bruno & Ridgway in Lawrenceville, N.J., which ranks among the top 100 market research firms in the United States, conducting research studies for a range of businesses, including pharmaceutical and medical device companies, consumer products and retail companies, law firms and professional associations.Growing Success in the Family Garden
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Photo by Sean Flynn |
Hart’s Greenhouse and Florist is not only a successful family business, but it is also a UConn family story. The Harts – Dave ’78 (RHSA) and Joyce (Burr) ’79 (RHSA), ’82 (ED) – opened their garden center in 1986 in Canterbury, Conn.
Specializing in locally grown products, Hart’s Greenhouse and Florist spread across eastern Connecticut with additional locations in Norwich and Brooklyn.
The Hart family also grew with Jessica ’05 (CANR) and Christopher ’05 (CANR), who each pursued horticultural studies at UConn before going to work full time in the business.
From left: Dave, Jessica, Christopher and Joyce in their Canterbury greenhouse as they prepare for the 2009 growing season.
Alumni News & Notes compiled by Emily Rosenkrans ’09 (CLAS) and Tina Modzelewski.