Spring 2002 - UConn Magazine - - University of Connecticut

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~;y~11111 c.,.:J COlljerellee Center

At the University of Connecticut

T he University's main campus is nowhome to the Nathan Hale Inn &Conference Center, a [ull-seruice hotelfeaturing 100 guest rooms, a businesscenter, conferenceand meeting rooms,a Jacuzzi, a swimming pool anda fitness center. The five-story hotelalso includes the Blue Oak Cap,offering fine dining and cocktails.

Alumni, parents and other guests areinvited to visit the Nathan Hale Inn& Conference Center the next timetravel plans bring you to UConn'smain campus. Special discountedrates are available to members oftheUConn Alumni Association.

24Vision: 21st Century UConnThe success of UCONN 2000 propels the Universityof Connecticut to national prominence.By Leslie Virosteh

InsideFEATURES

UConn TraditionsVolume 3, Number 1Spring 2002

34, Patterns of communication

Kathleen Dudzinski '89 (ClAS) seeks to learn howdolphins communicate amongst themselves.

By Grace Gray

Sudhakar Shenoy has emerged as one of the most influentialhigh-tech leaders in the United States.By MatthewJennings

38In the right place,at the right time

DEPARTMENTS

2 A Message from the Editor

3 From the President

4 Guest Editorial

5 Around UConn

8 Investing in the Future

11 A Page from the Past

12 Schools & Colleges News

20 Report on Research

22 Spotlight on Students

41 Focus on Faculty

43 Creative Currents

44 Alumni News & Notes

55 The Alumni Traveler

56 The Last Word

A Message from the EditorUCONN

T RADITIONS

Volume 3, Number 1 • Spring 2002

SET MY COMPASS NORTH, I'VE GOT WINTER IN MY BLOOD

~_~ University of\.f.J' Connecticut

DIRECTOR Of ALUMNI RELAnONs

John A. Feudo

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Of UNIVERSITY COMMUNlunONS

John M. Barry '82 ((LAS), '84 M.A.

DIRECTOR Of UNIVIRSITY COMMUNlunONS

Scott Brohinsky '76j.D.

WRITIRS

David Bauman, Claudia G. Chamberlain,Sherry Fisher, GaryE. Frank, Grace Gray,

Matthew Jennings, Kim Colavito Markesich,Karen Paterno, Janice Palmer, Markj. Roy '74(ClAS), An Sorrentino, Allison Thompson,

Richard Veilleux, Leslie Virostek

MANAGER Of CUAnVESERVICES

Leonard P. Blanks Jr. '86 (SFA)

EDITOR

GaryE.Frank

SENIOR DESIGNER

John E. Bailey '84 (SFA)

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTlTUnONAL ADVANCEMENT

Edward 1. Allenby

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Edward 1. Allenby, Maribeth Amyot,Lorraine M.Aronson, Scott Brohinsky,

Kenneth M. Cutler, Michael Cutlip,John A. Feudo, Thomas G. Gutteridge,

Annette Lombardi '76 (CLAS),Erling Munha-Smith,

PatSheehan '67 (CLAS),Vicky L. Triponey,Jim Walter

MANAGER Of MARKETING SERVICES

David W Manel

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

PeterMorenus

DESIGNERS

Leonard P. Blanks Jr. '86 (SFA), Ritz Henton

PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Anderson, AI Ferreira, Paul Horton,Mark Lee , Shannon McAvoy '02 (SFA) ,

PeterMorenus, Lanny Nagler

EDITORIAL ASslSTAIlT

Tina Modzelewski

Wantto keep up with news and eventsat the University?Newsreleases, upcoming events and activities are postedon the WorldWideWebat www.uconn.edu.

UConn Traditions is produced three times a year inMarch.Julyand Novemberby UniversityCommunications.Universityof Connecticut.1266StorrsRoad,Unit 4'44,Storrs. CT 06269'4144.Phone:860'486'3530 Fax:860'486'2063E·mail: [email protected] the editor and other commentsarewelcome.

Sendaddresschangesto TheUniversityof ConnecticutFoundation,RecordsDepartment, Unit 3206. 2390AlumniDrive,Storrs. CT06269.

Farewell and good luck to you all . -Gary E. Frank

Letters to the editor

must be signed and should

be no more than 300 words.

They will be printed as space

allows and edited for style,

grammar, typographical

errors, content and length .

Send letters to:

E-mail: uconntraditions@

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UConn Traditions

1266 Storrs Road, Unit 4144

Storrs, CT 06269-4144

In the midst of a dreary, mostly snow-free February in south

ern New England, it's sometimes easy to forget that spring is

drawing nigh . There are more hours of daylight, but the sun

still seems to set too early. Baseball teams are heading

south for spring training, but basketball, hockey and the

Winter Olympics dominate the sports pages. Even a mild

winter has its tricks, alternately bedeviling us with bitterly

frigid nights and spring-like days. "Late February days; and

now, at last," declared the British writer William Morris,

"Might you have thought that Winter's woe was past; So fair

the sky was and so soft the air."

It is wholly appropriate for me to invoke February's sublimely unsettled nature

because this year it represents the eve before a significant passage of my life. When

you read these words, I will have resigned as editor of UConn Traditions to become

managing editor of university publications at Colgate University in Hamilton , N.Y.

I leave the University of Connecticut with acutely mixed feelings . On one hand, I am

excited about my new post, which will enable me to live closer to my family. But on the

other, this positive change comes at the cost of leaving an institution I have been proud

to serve and departing the company of colleagues who have ennobled me with the ir

support, compassion and professionalism. There are too many names to list here, but

a few people must be acknowledged. First, I want to thank Scott Brohinsky and John

Barry for giving me the opportunity to lead this publication through its evolution from

tabloid to magazine; John Bailey, Peter Morenus and Leonard Blanks for giving UConn

Traditions its distinctive appearance; and Michelle Parent for her administrative

wizardry. I want to extend my appreciation for the contributions of the magazine's

advisory committee and editorial working group; UConnAlumni Association; and the

UConn Foundation. Lastly, I wish to thank these

individuals for their encouragement dur ing the past

four years: jim H. Smith, Sam Pickering, Marilyn

Nelson, Robert Stephens, Susan Holmes, Bessy

Reyna, Allison Thompson, Janice Palmer, Mark Roy,

John Feudo, Leslie Wolfson, Karen Grava, Sherry

Fisher, David Bauman, Cat Dubuc, Tina Modzelewski,

Cathi Dunnack, Barbara Loser, David Martel, Betsy

Surprenant, Lauren Shea, Sean Flynn, Richard Veilleux

and Elizabeth Omara-Otunnu.

2 • UCONN TRADITIONS

FROM TH E

President

21st Century UConn proposal a source of pride, excitement

Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland and University President Philip E.Austi n showing some HuskyPride after the February announcement of the zrst Century UConn proposa l at the lodewickVisitors Center.

As you read this issue of UConnTraditions , Gov. John G. Rowland's

proposal for 21st Century UConn hasbeen discussed throughout Connecticutfor nearly two months . The excitementcontinues, as it should: the Governorsproposal promises not only to finish thegreat work initiated with UCONN 2000but also to meet compelling needs atthe Health Center and , in a larger sense,to provide one more great push as theUniversity moves to the top ranks ofpublic higher education .

That said, this is a good time to offera few thoughts that may be importantfor all of us irrthe weeks to come.

First, we must not assume thatapproval of 21st Century UConn is afait accompli. The final decision on thatbelongs to the General Assembly. Anyproposal of this magnitude will generateserious discussion and a number ofquestions. We are providing whateverinformation is requested, and all ofus at the University know that we havea compelling story to tell.

We are working with key constituentgroups-alumni , faculty, students,friends, and staff-to make sure thatevery legislator understands what wehave accomplished under UCONN2000, what that means for the statescitizens, and why it's so important thatthe transformation continues through21st Century UConn . (See specialcoverage beginning on page 24.)

Second, enthusiastic as we are aboutthe prospect of continuing programimprovements and infrastructureadvances, we must never stop emphasizing the fact that outstandingbuildings and beautiful campuses areimportant to academic quality, not fortheir own sake but because they helpus recruit exceptional faculty andambitious students and provide thesurroundings where they can do their

best work. It is important for all tounderstand that our facilities program isguided by a commitment to teaching,research and the quality of student life.

This brings me to a third point. By2015, the University will have engagedin nearly 20 years of comprehensiveinfrastructure improvement that will,when completed, have a direct impacton every department and program.No one at UConn will be housed oreducated in anything less than a facilityappropriate to a great states flagshippublic university. The timing of theseimprovements is a complex undertaking. We must implement a constructionprogram that continues to offer residential living, classroom space, andresearch facilities simultaneously withthe building process, thus enhanci ngthe University's ability to implement itsteaching and research program,enabling us to fulfill our mission ofservice to the state of Connecticut, andmaintaining and strengthening ourability to attract outstanding facultyand students to the University.

These points are offered not ascautions, but as context. The basicnews about 21st Centu ry UConn isso positive that it is hard not to feelintense excitement. As was the casewith UCONN 2000, if the GeneralAssembly sees fit to give its approval,in time the mood will transform fromeuphoria into an ongoing but no lessprofound sense of achievement as thework progresses.

Let us remember that this proposalis really about continuing theunprecedented transformation that isbringing forth a nationally recognizeduniversity worthy of our alumni,students, faculty and state. UCONN2000 and now, 21st Century UConn,are remarkable endeavors in which allof us can take justifiable pride.

SPRING 2002 • 3

Guest Editorial

This is an editorial by Chris Powell, managing editor of theJournal

Inquirer newspaperin Manchester, Conn., which appeared in theJournal Inquirer and the Providence Journal.

" ... a gleaming and eventhrilling place that is getting

noticed all over the world."

If you despair of gettingsomething for the ever-risingprice of state government,visit the University ofConnecticut at Storrs,especially if you haven't everbeen there or haven't beenthere in a long time. Thanksto the famous billion-dollarUCONN 2000 program ofstate bonding, the commitment of Gov. John G.Rowland and the Assembly,and the leadership ofUniversity President Philip E.Austin and other UConnofficials, the campus is beingrebuilt, renovated, and evenreconceived .

In just a few years, whathad sometimes given theimpression of a "cow" andcommuter college hiding itslights under a bushel in theboondocks has become agleaming and even thrillingplace that is getting noticedall over the world. The newbuildings are dramatic, likethe ubiquitously wiredSchool of Business, placed,maybe a bit too realistically,across the street fromGampel Pavilion, thecollege basketball capitalof the Northeast.

While it is I I years old,Gampel still looks new andis exciting even when empty.Then there are the beautifulvisitor and alumni centers ,brightly welcoming prospective students and formerstudents, respectively, if thelatter can get over havingbeen born too soon . Two


new parking garages nearGampel accommodate theuniversitys growth and keepcars off formerly crowdedcampus streets.

The outwardly traditionalbut inwardly glitteringWilbur Cross Building hasbeen redesigned throughoutto serve as the central officefor services for students,giving them one-stopshopping for nearly everything they need to arrange atcollege. The new AgriculturalBiotechnology Laboratoryhas made the old "cowcollege" high-tech. And atlast UConn has a hotel andconference center right oncampus , the Nathan Hale Inn.

Much more constructionis planned, including agreatly expanded StudentUnion, a new PharmacySchool building, and abiological sciences building.

But the most importantchanges at UConn mayinvolve the improvementof everyday life for students.Dormitories have beenrenovated and modemapartments have been built ,creating living quartersstudents take pride in. Nolonger are students stuckwith the dreadful dish of theday at their dormitory dininghall; they can eat at any ofthe 13 dining halls on campus and usually have a nicechoice of meals at each one.The old Greer Field Houseis now a modem fitness clubfor students. And while thecampus, which was large

and spread out even 30 yearsago, has almost doubled insize, shuttle buses make iteasy to get around withouta car. Indeed , pedestrianmalls are replacing roadson campus.

Attracting Connecticut'sbest students, building theirloyalty to the state, andinducing them to stickaround after graduating wasa big part of UCONN 2000,and there is evidenceof success.

Applications and enrollmentare growing, and it is especially encouraging that minorityenrollment, at about 18 percent of freshmen , has keptpace even as the average SATscore for freshmen has risen atfour times the national average rate of increase.

UConn's professors aredoing scientific research ofinternational consequenceand getting internationalpublicity. (Watch out forresearch that may becomecontroversial.)

Financial donations to theuniversity have increased 600percent in six years, reaching$50 million for the currentfiscal year.

U.S.News& World Report'sannual college survey, whileincreasingly questioned byacademics (especially by thosedisappointed by it), remainsa benchmark, and it nowranks UConn the best publicuniversity in New England ,

28th among all publicuniversities in America in thelatest ranking , jumping 20others in one year.

With UConns basketballteams starting another seasonwell and with a 40 ,000-seatstadium being built in EastHartford for the footballteam-and it is hard to overstate the recognition andsupport for the universitythat have been built bybasketball success-it ispossible to imagine UConn

becoming the best publicuniversity in the country.

The university doesn'thide its lights under a bushelanymore ; ithas a promotiondepartment that matchesits ambition . Like basketball,this is a necessity, not anything to be ashamed of. Andthat promotion is designedin part to draw all ofConnecticut to the universityfor one thing or anotherthe best public relations in ademocracy.

As suburbia, Connecticutcan never align itself entirelywith ew York or Boston,and as a democracy it cannever give itself to eliteinstitutions like Yale,Wesleyan, or Trinity. Itspublic university may be thebiggest thing Connecticutcan rally around, and itclearly has begun to do so.

AROUND

UConn

UConn lands first UNESCOhuman rights chair in U.S.

T he University of Connecticut has received the first and only UNESCOchair in human rights in the United States.

Amii Omara-Otunnu, executive director of the Institute of Comparative HumanRights, and executive director of the African National Congress-UConnPartnership , has been named the first holder of the chair.

"That UNESCO has selected the University of Connecticut to receive this chair,from among hundreds of prominent research universities , is a mark of distinctionfor the institution as a whole and particularly for the many members of ourcommunity whose work is focused in the area of human rights," says PresidentPhilip E. Austin.

The award of the chair was announced during the University's second annualComparative Human Rights Conference in October.

As the UNESCO chair in human rights, Omara-Otunnu will disseminate humanrights information to the university community and beyond. He will also developmodels and strategies for cross-national and cross-cultural dialogue on issues ofrace relations, democratic pluralism , and peace. Accompanying Omara-Otunnusappointment is his leadership of the new Institute of Comparative Human Rights,which is associated with the chair.

Historically, approaches to human rights have generally been developed fromthe standpoint of a particular nation or culture. Alternatively, comparative humanrights takes into account different perspectives while recognizing the fundamentalnotion of a common humanity, the idea that what the various peoples of theworld have in common is more significant than the differences.

"To recognize our common humanity is to recognize that all of us, regardlessof social background, nationalit y, gender, etc., are born with equal dignity andworth ," Omara-Otunnu says. "The concept of comparative human rights seeksboth to transcend the ethnocentrism of human rights dialogue and avoid thepitfalls of cultural relativism when we talk about human rights."

Omara-Otunnu's commitment to human rights began when he wasa student leader at Uganda's Makerere University, where he spoke outagainst human rights abuses committed by dictator Idi Amin. Becauseof his stand, Omara-Otunnu was twice forced into exile from Uganda .

Omara-Otunnu has led UConn 's growing relationship with SouthAfrica, a country that has rebuilt itself on the principles of socialjustice since the end of apartheid. In addition to directing theANC-UConn Partnership, Omara-Otunnu founded and directedUConn's Center for Contemporary African Studies and establishedthe University's linkage with the University of Fort Hare,South Africas oldest and mostillustrious historically blackinstitution of higher learning.

United NationsEducational.ScientificandCulturalOrpnlzatlon.

UNESCO's constitution was adoptedby the London Conference inNovember 1945 and entered intoeffect on November 4, 1946, when20 states had deposited instrumentsof acceptance.

The main objective of UNESCO is tocontribute to peace and security inthe world by promoting collaborationamong nations through education,science, culture and communicationin order to further universal respectfor justice, for the rule of law and forthe human rights and fundamentalfreedoms that are affirmed forthe peoples of the world, withoutdistinction of race, sex, languageor religion, by the Charter of theUnited Nations.

Amii Omara-Otunnu is the first holder of aUNESCO chair in human rights in the United

States. Omara-Otunnu is the founderand executive director of the

Institute of Comparative HumanRights at UConn and executivedirector of the ANC-UConnPartnership.

AROUND UCONN

Researchers at the UConnHealth Center have discovereda genethat causes adultonsetglaucoma-the most commonform of glaucoma andthesecond leadingcause ofblindness worldwide. MansoorSarfarazi, directorof the Molecular OpthalmicGenetics Laboratory andprofessor of human genetics,andgraduate assistant TayebehRezaie published a reportonthe discovery in the Feb. 8issue of Science.

A time not soon forgottenAs with other years, the 2001-02 academic year at UConn was intended to be aparticularly challenging and provocative time for the University communi ty, andthe aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, made it even more so. Thefall semester included Metanoia, a four-day period of reflection featuring lecturesand discussions on the terrorist attacks, and UConn's first Human Rights Semester,devoted to the study of human rights issues at home and abroad. There also weredrama tic new developments at the Health Center and the continuation of suchlight-h earted traditions as the Midnight Breakfast.

Hartford Courant photographer Jay Clendenin(above) speaks with students about hisexperiences photographing the aftermath ofthe terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

(right) President Philip E.Austin shares a laughanda plateof cookies with students at thebiannual MidnightBreakfast marking the endof each semester.


Husky soccer teams lead successful fall sports seasonUConn football tallies first win over a Big East foe

The 2001 fall sports season was highlighted by NCAA tournament appearancesby the UConn men's and wornens soccer teams and the football program's

first-ever victory over a Big East Conference opponent.The women's soccer team finished with an 18-6 record, advancing to the third

round of the 2001 Division I Women's College Cup. The squad concluded theregular season with a seven-game winning streak, and its 15-4 regular season recordwas the best regular season finish since 1998.

The mens soccer team finished with a 15-5-2 record and a 9-1 Big East mark,capturing its fourth straight Big East regular season championship. UConn earnedits fifth straight-and 22nd overall-invitation to the NCAA tournament, and afirst-round bye for the 2001 Men's College Cup. Reaching their eighth Big Easttournament championship game, the Huskies dropped a 1-0 decision to St. Johns.'UConns season ended with a 2-1 triple overtime loss to Rutgers in the second roundof the NCAA tournament.

The football team , in its second season of Division I-A competition, ended theyearwith a 2-9 record. The Huskies faced the most challenging schedule in schoolhistory, including Big East Conference opponents Virginia Tech, Temple and Rutgers .It was against Rutgers that the Huskies came away with a 20-19 come-from-behindwin, the Huskies' first against a Big East opponent.

Mens cross country star Dan Wilson '01 (CLAS), competing as a redshirt senior,became only the second Husky to take the top spot at the Big East Championship.

. Wilson also finished first at the NCAA District I Qualifier, en route to earning a tripto the NCAA Championship, where he finished 14th and received All-Americahonors for the second time . The men's cross country team finished fifth overall atthe Big East Championship.

The wornens cross country team showed great improvement in 2001, includinga team title at the Central Connecticut State University Invitational and an eighth

place finish at the New England Championship. Sarah Casilli '04 (CLAS) earnedall-conference honors and became the first UConn womens cross countryrunner to qualify for the NCAA Championship since 1996.

The field hockey team finished with an 8-9 overall mark.The men's golf team took fourth place at the New EnglandChampionship with a combined score of 604. The team 'shighest placing of the season came at the Yale Invitational,

where the Huskies posted a combined score of 601 in arunner-up performance.

With a 21-7 record in 2001, the volleyball teamclaimed its fifth consecutive season with 20 wins or

more and advanced to the Big East Championship.UConn registered a 9-3 Big East record to garner

the fourth seed in the tournament, falling toeventual champion Notre Dame.

Three-time All-American Chris Gbandi '02 (CLAS),the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 MLS draft,selected by the Dallas Burn. Gbandi was the firstthree -time Big East Defensive Player of the Year

and the fi rst four-time All -Big East First Teamselect ion in men's soccer history in the conference.

Perry Mcintyre. Jr.

AROUND UCONN

SPRING 2002 • 7

INVESTING IN

the Future

Metropolitan Opera debuts partnership with UConnRaymond Sackler instrumental inforging historic collaboration

An evening view of the Metropolitan Opera at Manhattan's Lincoln Center. The Metropo litanOpera's academic partnership with the University of Connecticut is the fi rst of its kind in theopera company's history.

T he Metropolitan Opera and theUniversity of Connecticut have

commenced a new partnership that isproviding students with un rivaledaccess to the worlds most prestigiousopera company. Under the terms ofthe pilot program, stud ents from theSchool of Fine Arts are experienc ingthe behind-the-scenes world of the Metin New York City.

The overall objective of theMetropolitan Opera-University ofConnecticut collaboration , which is thefirst in-depth partnership involving theMet's artistic and production areas andan institution of higher learning, is toimprove the quality of opera instruction


in the United States. The projectencompasses mult iple activities, including production internships and auditingof rehearsals.

"We're opening a new window in theeducational arena," says Joseph Volpe,general manager of the Metropoli tanOpera. "This is the first time we'veparticipated in a university program ofthis scope, and we are looking forwardto working with the University ofConnecticut as our partner in thispioneering and unique und ertaking."

Raymond and Beverly Sackler,philanthropists and generous supportersof a range of UConn programs, wereinstrumental in forging the partnership.

"We are delighted to participate withthe Metropolitan Opera in this innovative program," says UConn PresidentPhilip E. Austin. "We are tremendouslygrateful to Raymond Sackler for hishelp in making this partnership a reality. This is one in a long list of areas inwhich Raymond and Beverly Sacklerhave enhanced Connecticut's flagshippublic university, and we are tremendously grateful for their support."

"It is gratifying to bring togethertwo outstanding institutions that I caredeeply about, especially when uniquebenefits will be derived by both partners ," says Raymond Sackler.

LlConns opera program has longbeen considered one of the country'sstrongest , attracting high-qualit y facultyand students . last year, when David G.Woods, dean of the School of Fine Arts,met with Raymond Sackler, an avidsupporter of both UConn and the Met,Sackler suggested that he bring representatives of the two entities togetherto discuss establishing a collaborativerelationship.

"Raymond Sackler is the cornerstoneof this partnership ," says Woods."Through his efforts and financialsupport, two of his 'Ioves'- the Metand the University of Connecticut-areforming a relationship through whichboth will be enhanced."

An incredible opportunityDuring the academic year, UConn

students involved in the collaborationwill visit the Met to observe therehearsals and preparatory work thatgo into the development of a stageproduction. Key guest and houseproduction staff will meet with studentsto answer questions and explain thefocus of specific produ ctions.Continued on page 10

UConn a great investment, says Moody's

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Bucking national trends during atime of economic uncertainty, the

University of Connecticut's bond ratinghas been upgraded by Moody's InvestorsService.

Moody's assigned the imp rovedrating- Aa3- in part , because ofincreased student demand to attendUConn. The higher rating meansrevenue bonds issued to fund newconstruction will carry a lower interestrate and consequently will save the

University money. Previously issuedbond s at higher inte rest rates canbe refinanced too, furth er increasingthe savings.

"What's particularly gratifying is thatMoody's focused on our educationalvalue and our financial stability becauseeveryone at this University has workedhard to achieve both ," says LorraineAronson, vice president for financialplanning and management . "Moody'scited the dramatic increase in student

GATES FOUNDATION AWARDS $2M GRANT

TO NEAG'SCHOOL

Grant supports professional development for Conn. educators

The Bill&: Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly $2 million to theNeag School of Education on behalf of a statewide education consortium.

The grant supports professional development for more than 1,600 superintendents and principals in Connecticut's public and private schools.

The Connecticut Consortium for Technology Integration in School Leadershipwas established to strengthen student learning across Connecticut by providingschool administrators with access to high-quality leadership development. Thegroup developed a three-year program for improving administrators' proficiencyin using technology to facilitate change , make informed data-driven decisions ,and enhance the quality of teaching and learning in participating schools .

"The Neag School of Education again has taken a leadership role in bringing asubstantial grant to the state, which will benefit our school leaders as well as ourteachers and students," says Gov. John G. Rowland. "Connecticut, a state knownfor its excellent schools, must remain in the forefront nationally and to do this, weneed strong, effective leadership to meet the challenges of the 21st century"

The Gates Foundation grant is part of the foundation 's State Challenge Grantsfor Leadership Development program, available to all states, which aims toprovide every principal and superintendent in public and private schoolswith access to quality leadership development focused on system change andtechnology integration by 2003.

Other members of the consortium include the Connecticut Departmentof Education Division of Schoo l Improvement, Connecticut Association of PublicSchool Superintendents, Connecticut Association of Schools, Alliance of RegionalEducation Centers, Connecticut Commission on Technology, and the ConnecticutDepartment of Information Techn ology.

The consortium members have matched the Gates Foundation grant withanother $2.8 million, brin ging the total committed to the project to just over$4.8 million.

Lorraine Aronson, vice president for financialplanning and management, says UConn's bondrati ng upgrade by Moody's Investors Servicesis "grat ifying" because the firm focused on theUniversity's "educat ional value and financialstability."

demand and how competitively pricedthe University is."

The new rating supports a $75million bond issue for construction ofnew housing on North Campus andthe Greek Village complex behindthe Towers Residence Halls.

The rating upgrade is in contrast todowngrades publi c and privateuniversities across the nation are facingas the recession continues and stategovernments pare university appropriations. Moody's recently changed itsoutlook for private universities from"positive" to "cautiously stable" and itsoutlook for publi c universities from"positive" to "stable."

"Moody's considers UConn a greatinvestment , partly because we're doing agood job with other investments thathave been made in the University,"Aronson says. "The state invested inUCONN 2000 and our campuses arebeing transformed. That drives individuals and corporations to contribute to theUniversity, which helps produ ce adramatic upturn in academics andresearch. Moody's is saying 'this is theplace you want to put your money.'"

SPRING 2002 • 9

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Met/SFA partnershipContinued from page 8

Timothy Noble, a baritone who hasperformed with opera companiesaround the world, made hisMetropolitan Opera debut in 1988 andhas performed with the companynumerous times. Currently a professorof voice at the Indiana UniversitySchool of Music, Noble says theMet-UConn partnership is aone-of-a-kind collaboration.

"To see how the premier opera company in North America operates is anincredible opportunity for the youngpeople in UConn's fine arts program ,"Noble says.

UConn's opera program has longattrac ted students from around the

world, many of whom have gone on tosuccessful careers in opera . Current andformer students are excited about theschool's new partnership and predict itwill create a wealth of opportunities forfuture music graduates.

Albert Lee '98 (SFA) is now performing with opera companies around thecountry.

"My undergraduate years at UConnwere four of the most wonderful yearsof my life, thanks in part to the individual attention, basic music knowledge,and wealth of performance opportunities I received," Lee says. "This partnership will give students a firsthand lookat the rehearsal process of a major operacompany and will cement UConn'splace as one of the best fine arts institutions in the country."

Under the terms of the landmarkprogram , John Froelich, a first-yeargraduate student in lighting design,is interning at the Met this semester.After working in the areas of lightingdesign, costume design, scenery andprodu ction management , he will chooseone area of concentration and willreturn to the Met in August to work inthat area. Froelich, who has a bachelor'sdegree in lighting and sound design andhas worked in the field, says theinternship will provide him with valuable experience . "This is going to meana tremendous amount to me," he says."Having experience with theMetropolitan Opera is not somethinganyone in my profession can ignore."- Allison Thompson

People's Bank pledges $500,000 to UConn

peopletlbank

People's Bank has pledged more than $500,000 to theUniversity, in a new effort to support secondary educa

tion initiatives and to develop a well trained workforce inthe state. It is the largest donation from a bank in the historyof the University and among the largest by People's Bank toany institution of higher learning.

"As Connecticut's bank . .. it's important to form apartnership with Connecticut's flagship university," says JohnA. Klein '71 (CLAS) '77 J.D., People's president and chief

executive officer."It's the duty ofbusiness to helpkeep the best and

brightest here in our state. Supporting UConn is supportingthe economic viability of our state."

Through a comprehensive effort called "A Partnershipto Nurture Connecticut's Future," People's is targeting severalareas that will have a positive impact on the strength ofConnec ticut's workforce. These contributions will supportprograms in the College of Liberal Arts &: Sciences, Schoolof Medicine, Neag School of Education , and the School ofBusiness. The bank's pledge will suppo rt a number ofinitiatives, including

10 • UCO NN TRADITIONS

• A program to pay students in the College, of LiberalArts &: Sciences a stipend for internships at non-profitand government agencies that cannot afford to compensatethem. This will allow students who could not forego asummer or semester of paid employment to gain experiencewhile providing additional assistance to these agencies andtheir clients.• The UConn Health Center's model program for introducing pre-college students from underrepresented groups tocareers in the health care professions. People's gift will helpelectronically link area schools with Health Center resourcesand provide summer research fellowships, allowingpromising students to work with distinguished scientists.• The nationally recognized , comprehensive school reformprogram at the Neag School of Education . People's supportwill bring this program to schools across the state, workingto improve education and touch the lives of thousandsof children.• The UConn Family Business Center will sponsor anannual award named for Louis H. Ulizio '58 (RHSA),'64 (BUS), '66 M.B.A., and People's Bank. Ulizio, a founderof the Family Business Center, recently retired as People'sexecutive vice president for commercial banki ng.

A P A G E F R OM

the Past

Little stone house pays tribute to Conn. agricultureA tie to UConn's roots as an agriculture school

I f you live in New England, its nothard to gather a collection of stones

in your backyard. Back in the 1930s ,Mr. A.P Marsh of New Britain, Conn .,had just such a collection. It was acollection that came notfrom his own backyard ,however; it came fromthe country's backyard .

Marsh had collectedstones from each ofConnecticut's eightcounties . He also hadcollected stones from each of the 48states that made up the United States atthat time. Lots of stones . Enough forthe retaining wall he planned to buildat his house .

But then Marsh began to think thatthe stones were too fine to put into awall and instead he donated thecollection to the Connecticut Grange,of which he was an active member.

The Grange, a national organizationof farmers, decided to use the stones for

1....__..... a tribute to agriculture by building ar

memorial on the campus of ConnecticutState College. The Grange had beenactive in supporting the creation of thecollege when it began in 1881 as StorrsAgricultural School and had continued

to support the institutionas it fought off variousproposals to limit itsenrollment, move itelsewhere , or shut itdown .

On May 16, 1937,nearly 3,000 members

of the Grange came to the college for thededication of what has been referred toover the years as "the stone shelter,""the stone pavilion," and-in recentyears-"the little stone house ." Theoccasion was the ninth annual GrangeSunday, and the guest speaker wasLouis I. Taber of Columbus, Ohio,master of the National Grange.

Following a service in nearby StorrsCongregational Church and whileGrangers ate their basket lunches on thelawn, Taber addressed the crowd, saying

the stone building was "to commemorate the service of Connecticut agriculture to the state and the nation."

Albert N. Jorgensen, just two yearsinto his 27-year tenure as president,responded on behalf of the college. Hesaid the building was also dedicated toConnecticut youth , adding his hopethat "this building will be used by thegood sons and daughters of GoodGrangers."

A bronze tablet identifies the stonesfrom the 48 states . Name plates wereadded in the 1960s, when stones fromAlaska and Hawaii were incorporatedinto the structure.

Today, secluded among the treesincluding an elm planted by the Classof 1905-the little stone house standson a rocky rise along North EaglevilleRoad, in front of the CongregationalChurch's Community House andacross from Swan Lake.- Mark]. Roy '74 (CIAS)

S C H O O L S & C O L L E G E S

News

School of Medicine

New cardiology chief named

Bruce 1. Liangs fascination with the inner workings of thehum an heart started more than 20 years ago when he wasa student at Harvard Medical School. Since then , he haseagerly pursued research initiatives to improve patient care,has amassed a formidable amount of research support(including 16 consecutive years of funding from theNational Institutes of Health), and continues a strongcommitment to translational research-research that goesbeyond the lab and brings improvements to patients withheart disease.

Liang has brought his research and clinical acumen toUConn as chief of the Division of Cardiology at the HealthCenter and as the Raymond Neag Distinguished Professorof Vascular Biology and Cardiovascular Medicine. Liang joinsthe School of Medicines faculty after 13 years at theUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He says heis thrilled about his new appointment because it allowshim to work in academic medicine and to further buildthe Health Center's cardiology research program.

"Advances in how we treat patients are always deeplyrooted in science," he says. "It comes from a betterund erstanding of the biology of the heart and of thehum an genome."

Liang is widely pub lished in scholarly journals, and hisresearch has produced five patents, with another five patentapplications pending.

Liang also plans to significantly increase the clinicalactivity within the Division of Cardiology. He is alreadyrecruiting new clinicians and intends to add one noninvasive cardiologist to the division this year and two morecardiac specialists within the next three years.

Teaching and interacting with medical stud ents andresidents is another high priority, Liang stresses. "I feel thatI can explain the science behind the clinical issues, and helpthem see the connec tions between the basic science thatthey've learned and the clinical problems they encounterduring medical school," he adds .


School of Allied Health

Eyewitness to history

When Ju lie Polito '02 (SAH) and Randi Klein '02 (SAH) begantheir respective internships last August, they expected to gainvaluable experience in physical therapy. On September 11,2001 , the two students found themselves closer to historyshaping events than they had ever dreamed possible.

When the World Trade Center was attacked and destroyed ,each stud ent was in the midst of the one of three full-timeinternships required of UConn physical therapy students:Klein at Christ Hospital in Jersey City, N.j., and Polito at SaintVincent's Hospital in lower Manhattan .

The closest hospital to Ground Zero, Saint Vincent's wasdesignated a Trauma 1 Center and all staff were required toremain on dut y. Because she is a student , Polito was allowedto leave, but she was unable to reach her family's home inChester, N.j. , because all bridges and tunnels into and outof Manhattan were closed. Polito returne d to Saint Vincent's .where she helped administer direct care to survivors of 'the attacks .

"Some people were crying, some people were screamingand I was among those whose jaws dropped open and just feltshock ," says Polito. "Then I got myself together, threw on mylab coat and just started working."

Like hospitals throu ghout the metropolitan New York area,Christ Hospital initiated emergency procedures. Klein was partof a team that set up a triage center in the hospitalparking lot to handl e the expected rush of injured survivors.

Polito and Klein both are saddened there weren't moresurvivors to treat but have taken solace in being able to helppeople in the wake of the attacks.

"I feel this was truly one of- if not the-hardest days of mylife," Polito says. "However, it made me appreciate being ina position to help people and in a profession that allows me to do so. Instead ofwatching everything unfold on television, I was able to help out, althougheveryone wished we could have seenmore people and done more."

"The experience made me feelgood about becoming a healthprofessional," Klein says,"because at least we wereable to do somethin g."

While serving as interns in theNew York City area, Randi Klein'02 (SAH), right, and Julie Polito'02 (SAH) found themselvesswept up in the events ofSeptember 11.

Peter Morenus

School of Family Studies

A pound of cure

The theory and practice of prevention is a rapidly emergingemphasis in the School of Family Studies, as demonstratedby a number of public seminars and a new interdisciplinary,graduate-level course.

"The prevention of human and societal problems is achallenging issue in many different disciplines, and it is ofnational significance because of the serious problems weface, such as AIDS, terrorism , child abuse, violence, povertyand racism," says Family Studies Professor James O'Neil."We want to stimulate dialogue about these problems andget more people involved in preventing them."

During ongoing symposia, the schools faculty and guestspeakers are addressing the importance of prevention,particularly as it relates to abuse and violence, and usingforgiveness to heal emotional and psychological wounds.The first presentation, held in February, touched on thevalue of prevention in stopping child abuse and neglect.

School of Fine Arts

Art professor receives twin honors

Bette Talvacchia is writing a book about Raphael, the notedItalian Renaissance painter, and exploring 15th- and 16thcentury religious art, thanks to two prestigious fellowshipsshe received in late 200 I.

Talvacchia, a professor of art history who has been atUConn since 1981, was awarded a Frese Senior Fellowshipto conduct research at the Center for Advanced Study in theVisual Arts at the National Gallery in Washington , D.C., andan Andrew W Mellon Fellowship at the Metropolitan Museumof Art to write a monograph on Raphael 0483-1529).

At the Center for Advanced Study, Talvacchia examined theuse of sexual imagery in religious paintings during theRenaissance. This research is an outgrowth of her 1999 book,Taking Positions: On the Erotic in Renaissance Culture, for whichshe studied prints that used vivid sexual depictions as theirsubject matter. She is examining how sexual motifs wereemployed suggestively, symbolically or metaphorically withinthe context of religious imagery.

In her research, Talvacchia says, she "came across bits ofinformation and particular objects that indicated that thiskind of imagery was used for religious works, and I foundthat fascinating. Now, I'm exploring the ways in whichcultures approach the use of the body as an image and what

SCHOOLS &: COLLEGES NEWS

The Family Violence Initiative, a group of Family Studiesfaculty concerned with understanding, preventing, andtreating the effects of violence, will lead two seminars inApril. The symposia will give participants a chance to assesswhether they have been victims of emotional or psychological abuse , provide counsel to those who believe they maybe abuse victims, and promote helping people heal throughforgiveness.

The graduate course being offered is called Prevention,Intervention and Policy. During the course, O'Neil andeight other professors (who have all published work onprevention) will discuss prevention initiatives they haveimplemented. The goal of the class is to train preventionistsand increase student involvement in prevention activities.

"Primary prevention is a hopeful, forward-lookingperspective and is consistent with the Schools emphasis ondevelopment and on social policy," says Charles M. Super,dean of the School of Family Studies. "For individuals andfor the community, and for taxpayers who so often paydearly to try and repair damaged humans, preventionneeds to be part of our future ."

they think of as appropria tefor works that deal with religious

subjects ."Talvacchia has also started research for the monograph on

Raphael, who is best known for his Madonna paintings andother works on exhibit in the Vatican. The book will be partof a series called Art and Ideas. Talvacchia says she welcomedthe opportunity to write the book because of her love forRenaissance art and because she wanted to raise recognitionof Raphael's work. Although many people have heard of him,"they really don 't have a sense of what his accomplish mentswere, in compariso n to his contemporary, Michelangelo,"Talvacchia says.

"I want to present Raphael in his historical context , andI think that will make his art much more interesting andexciting," says Talvacchia.

SPRING 2002 • 13

SCHOOLS& COLLEGES NEWS

Dan Flynn '62 J.D., and his wife, Barbara

School of Law

Flynn-Martin Fund forExcellence to benefit law school

Dan Flynn '62 J.D. knows from experience that the UConn School of Lawprovides a quality educa tion, attractingtop-notch faculty, students and legalscholars to its distinctive campus inHartford's West End. He also knows athin g or two about the importance ofinvesting for the future . Flynn ispresident of the Resource ManagementCorporation, an investment advisoryfirm based in Farmington . Since 1988he has also been head of the j ohn G.Martin Foundation, and it is throughthis trust that he and his wife, Barbara,have pledged $1 million to create the Flynn-Martin Fundfor Excellence at the School of Law.

The proceeds of this endowment-worth $1.5 millionthanks to the state matching endowment program-willprovide resources to advance the School of Laws nationalreputation, support a variety of academic pursuits of faculty,

School of Business

Robert Cizik '53 expands support for faculty

Robert Cizik '53 (BUS), recent ly donated $250,000 to createthe Robert Cizik Professorship in Manufacturing andTechnology Management in the School of Business. Thisrecent donation is Ciziks second notable investment inthe School. In 1997, he committed $500,000 to create anendowed chair of strategic technology management in theSchool of Business.

The new donation will enable the School to continuerecognizing faculty excellence in the manufacturing andtechnology field. The state's matching endowmentprogram boosts the total value of Ciziks two commitmentsto $1.025 million.

The chair and professorship will help foster the development of leaders and manufacturing professionals with solidengineering and business decision-making skills. The investment should also bring together faculty from a variety ofdisciplines and overlapping interests in manufacturing excellence to advance the state 's evolution as a leader in globalmanufacturing competitiveness, says Thomas Gutteridge,dean of the School of Business.


and bring national and internationallegal scholars to the law school to lectureon issues of importance to the nationallegal community.

"The activities funded by Dan Flynn'sgenerous gift will raise the school'snational profile and ultimately help usachieve our goal of becoming one ofthe top 10 public law schools in thecountry," says Nell jessup Newton ,dean of the School of Law.

Flynn has a long and distinguishedhistory as a benefactor to the University.A member of the Founders SocietyGold Club, he is a former presidentof the University of Connecticut Law

School Foundation Board of Trustees andserves as the chair for the Law School campaign.In 1997, Flynn and the Martin Foundation establishedthe Flynn-Martin International Law Fund to bring visitinginternational faculty to the Law School each year. He alsoreceived the Distinguished Graduate Award from the LawSchool Alumni Association in 1999.

"The on-going support of the Cizik family for facultyexcellence related to manufacturing and technology willallow the School to continue developing its strong focuson technology in business, " Gutteridge says.

Currently, Steve Floyd is the Robert Cizik Chair ofStrategic Management, Technology and Manufacturing,while jeff Rummel assumes the Robert Cizik Professorshipin Manufacturing and Technology Management.

Cizik, who retired in 1997 as chairman and chiefexecutive officer of Cooper Industries, a Houston-basedmanufacturer of electrical products, tools and hardware,and automotive products, and his wife, jane, have longbeen active philanthropists, supporting both the arts andacademic institutions.

"We've been very fortunate ," says Cizik, "and weboth realize how important education was to our success.We agreed long ago to do what we could to supportthe academic side of those institutions from whichwe benefited. "

To support strong academic programs , the Ciziks havechosen to invest in the development of faculty expertise atUConn . "Bricks and mortar are unquestionably important ,"says Cizik, "but we like to put our support behindhuman capital. "

School of Nursing

Basic Nursing Certificate program approvedThe School of Nursing has received approval from theConnecticut Department of Higher Educa tion and theConnecticut State Board of Nurse Examiners to introducea Basic Nursing Certificate program at the Storrs campus inJanuary 2003. The program is an intensive, 45-credit, oneyear program in general nursing tha t offers professionals inother fields an opportunity to enter the nursing profession .

The new program seeks to address Connecticuts-i-andthe nationS-growing shortage of nurses. The Basic Nurs ingCertificate program is already showing its potent ial to helpremedy the situation with the School of Nurs ing receivingmore than 100 inquiries last year, says Laura Dzurec, deanof the School of Nursing. "This program taps a population ofpeople who realize tha t nursing is an exciting professionwith a wide range of opportunities," says Dzurec.

Whos likely to take advantage of the fast-track program?There is no typical student. Among the first 100 people toinquire about the program are attorneys, people withadvanced degrees, and individuals currently working ina variety of fields. They range in age from their mid-20s totheir 50s . The thing they have in common, says Dzurec , isthat they are mature enough to see the potential offeredthrough a career in nursing."

Although the program for initial licensure is completedin 12 months, Dzurec stresses tha t the curriculum ischallenging . Participants must have a solid academicgrounding in anatomy and physio logy, chemistry, biology,genetics and microbiology before they can enroll. Afterthe first 12 months, students take the registered nursinglicensure examination for Connectic ut, Dzurec says.At that point, students can continue in the program fora master's degree, or choose towork as a registered nursebefore continuing theirnursing training.

SCHOOLS &: CO LLEGES NEWS

Pharmacy faculty face the camerasStand by, you're on! That's the cue to which several UConnpharmacists are now learning to respond.

Four School of Pharmacy faculty members are turning totelevision to reach an audience they rarely, if ever, haveaccess to. Working with NBC 30 News , a network affiliate inWest Hartford, Conn., the UConn team is presenting atwice-monthly segment on the 10 a.m. newscast called "Askthe Pharmacist."

Viewers are encouraged to submit questions throughe-mail and members of the pharmacy practice department,Marla Campbell, Jon Folstad, Michael White , and RobertMcCarthy, the pharmacy practice department head, taketurns responding. The questions are answered live on the air,with the responses also posted to the NBC 30 Web site .

"This kind of a commitment does two things," saysMcCarthy: "It provides community service, fulfilling the mission of the University, and it gives our pharmacists an opportunity to share their knowledge and insights fromtheir practice and research with a wider audience withinthe state."

When McCarthy arrived at UConn last August , one of hisgoals was to encourage his faculty to develop a partners~ip

with local media. With the help of the Office of UniversityCom munications, the partnership was formed with the localNBC affiliate.

"The important thing is that we now have an avenu e toreach thousands more people than we'd ever see face-to-faceand can answer questions from one person that apply tohundreds of others who may be watching the newscast ,"says Folstad. With nearly 3 million prescriptions being filledin the United States this year, it stands to reason that morepeo ple than ever before have questions about the medications they are taking.

McCarthy believes that by increasing the UConn pharm acists' visibility, "Ask the Pharmacist" will enable the viewersto get beyond the stereo typical image of a pharmacist as apill counte r, and realize the depth and breadth of knowledgeavailable at their local pharmacy.

SPRING 2002 • 15


College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesU.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro receivesfirst Storrs brothers award

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro was honored with the first Augustusand Charles Storrs Award during the College of Agricultureand Natural Resources' second annual Leaders Forum, heldlast November.

The award recognizes those who through their leadership ,generosity, and belief in the future of Connecticut support theCollege in its service to the state, region and nation .

DeLauro received the award for her work on behalf of theCollege, the Cooperative Extension System, and the StorrsAgricultural Experiment Station and for her support in manyareas related to the College's programs, says Kirklyn Kerr,dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

"Congresswoman DeLauro has been especially supportiveof programs at the University of Connecticut and ourCollege," says Kerr. "We wanted to give her appropriate recognition and let her know how proud we are of her and herwork on behalf of the people of Connecticut."

DeLauro is the only member of Connecticuts congressionaldelegation on the agriculture subcommittee of the HouseAppropriations Committee. She is in her sixth term representing Connecticut 's Third Congressional District.

As a member of the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee, DeLauro helps direct policy developm ent and

School of Social Work

Zachs and Konover families step forward againThe Zachs and Konover families, both long-time suppo rtersof the School of Social Work , have each pledged majorcontributions to enhance programs and facilities at theSchool.

A $300 ,000 gift from Judith and Henry Zachs funded theestablishment of the new Zachs Community Room at theSchool. "There existed a significant unmet need at theGreater Hartford campus for a gathering center for faculty,students and the community," says Judith Zachs '77 M.S.W"There was also a need to reach out to the community atlarge with this type of resource ."

The room, located in the School's former computer center,can be used for seminars , receptions, meetings , and otheractivities. The room is available for use by both theUniversity and local community.

The community room is the Zachs family's latest expression of support for the University. In 1999, Judith Zachs, aformer director of the UConn Foundation, committed $1


implementation of extension,education and researchprograms through partnerships between the federalgovernment and land-grantuniversities throughout thenation . She played a key rolein obtaining federal fundingfor the Colleges newAgricultural Biotechn ologyLaboratory, dedicated inspring 2001, and hassupported numerous research

u.s. Rep. Rosa DeLaura programs at the College.DeLauro says she is "very

proud" to be the first recipient of the Storrs Award . "Thisaward rightfully honors the generous gift of 17 acres and$6,000 given [by the Storrs broth ers] . . . in 1881 , whichhelped to make this remarkabl e land-grant university a reality," DeLauro says. "From its beginning, the College ofAgriculture and Natural Resources, the ConnecticutAgricultural Extension System, and the Storrs AgriculturalExperiment Station have served the state with distinction."

million to establish the Henry M. and Judith M. ZachsEndowed Chair for Doctoral Studies in Social Work.

Michael Konover, son of long-time benefactors Simonand Doris Konover, and his wife, Vicki Myers Konover '9 6

M.S.W, have pledged $100 ,000 to endow the Vicki andMichael Konover Graduate Fellowship in Social Work. Theendowment is intended to provide scholarships to outstanding doctora l students with a demonstrated financial needand who may be members of traditionally underrepresentedgroups from the Greater Hartford area. An additional$50,000 has been added to the Konovers latest gift throu ghthe state's matching endowment program .

As New England's only doctoral program in social workat a public university, interested students in Connecticutwill no longer have to travel outside the region to earn theirdoctora l degrees in social work , says Kay Davidson, deanof the School of Social Work. The program meets a growingdemand for social work scholars, researchers, and educatorsand provides new knowledge to support the profession,Davidson says, adding: "This doctoral program is extremelyimportant to the school, to the University and to the state."

--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - ------------


College of Continuing Studies School of Engineering

A simplified diagram showinghow a fuel cell produces energy

Anoda

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_ --,_ _ Protons passthroughthe

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Exhaust leavesas watervaporand heal

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Electronsforman --electric o.JlTent andIIlen lIowinto thocathode. wI1ara !haycombinewith theprotonsandoxygen.

SPRING 2002 • 17

Global fu el cell center established

Federal and state agencies, along with private industry, areinvesting $14 .5 million to create the Connecticut Global FuelCell Center, which will include six endowed chairs , twodonated fuel cell power plants, and a recently constructedstate-of-the-art facility at the main campus.

"In order to enhance .----- - - - - - ---- --.....

the existing foundationof fuel cell technology inConnecticut and help ourfuel cell companies moreeffectively compete in theglobal market, we mustattract and retain superiorscientific and engineeringtalent to Connecticut,"says Amir Faghri, deanof the School ofEngineering, who plansto attract world leaders infuel cell research and development to fill the six new chairs .

Fuel cells offer one of the best alternatives to conventionalelectrical power. They are quiet , efficient and virtuallypollution-free. They generate electricity and heat through achemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with theonly by-product being water vapor.

The multi-million dollar investments include a challengeendowment from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, thestate's renewable energy investment fund . The agreementprovides for a $3.5 million endowment from the fund, tobe matched by funding from private industry and theUniversity. In addition, Congress has earmarked $2.5 millionfor research at the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center.

The Center-built with a $2 million grant from the federalEconomic Development Administration and $670,000 inmatching funds from UCONN 2000-will bepowered by a fuel cell developed and manufactured byFuelCell Energy Inc. and underwritten by the ConnecticutClean Energy Fund at a cost of $1.25 million .

A second fuel cell worth about $1 million was donatedby Connecticut Natural Gas in December and is beinginstalled at the United Technologies Engineering Building.

The historic agreement establishing the center ofexcellence could not have come at a better time. The Bushadministration is expected to shift more funding into fuelcell research, including forming a partnership with Ll.S.automakers to accelerate the development of fuel cellpowered cars while moving away from support of hybridcars that run on gasoline and electricity.

New focus in occupational and environmentalsafety and health introduced

To meet a growing need for professionals with specializedtraining in safety and environmental regulation compliance,the College of Continu ing Studies has expanded itsCertificate Program in Occupational Safety and Healthinto a new focus area for Bachelor of General Studies(BGS) students.

A majority of workplaces in the United States are subjectto the regulations of the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA) and the Environm ental ProtectionAgency (EPA). "OSHA exists for the workers' protection ,and the EPA protects the environment and citizenry," saysCharles Reese, a professor at CCS who has developed andteaches courses in safety and health . "The goal is to haveworkers arrive at and leave from the workplace in the samecondition- safe and healthy-and to accomplish this in a waythat has a minimal impact on the environment."

Offered throu gh the School of Allied Health , theOccupational Safety and Health Certificate Program includescourses in safety and health 'management , industrial hygiene,accident prevention techniques, occupational safety andhealth regulations, and ergonomics. "Our students comefrom a wide range of industries and work settings," saysReese. "Ninety-two BGS students have elected to earn acertificate in occupational safety and health , and several havegone on to become safety and health specialists, engineers ,and compliance officers."

Many of Reese's BGS students expressed a desire foradditional course offerings, and it was this growing demandthat led to the creation of the new Occupational andEnvironmental Safety and Health focus. In addition to theAllied Health courses from the original certificate program,the new curriculum includes instruc tion on chemical andsafety hazards, environmental issues, and environ mentallaws and regulations. The focus also includes an onlinecomponent , with four courses offered via the Internet.

"The online format makes it easierfor our working students, " says

Reese. "We're glad to be ableto reach people who

wouldn't otherwise haveeasy access to a course.By educating studentson issues, we can

help make theworkp lace a safer,healthier place for

everybody."

f::Ecocc.~

'"


College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Enhancing interferon to countervirus resistance

Two researchers working at UConn 'sCenter for Excellence in VaccineResearch have discovered a procedure that can overcome virusresistance to the action of interferon , a naturally occurring proteinthat is the first line of defense usedby the body against viral infection .

"Although the interferon systemcan be highly effective as a defenseagainst viruses, it can fail because someviruses have evolved elaborate mechanisms tomask activation of interferon," say Professors Philip 1.Marcus and MargaretJ. Sekellick, virologists in theDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology.

Marcus and Sekellick report that body cellsrecognize the presence of a virus within minutes becausea virus produces a unique molecule known as doublestranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) within the cell.

The molecule consists of a twisted coil made up oftwo strands of RNA. The cell is exquisitely sensitive tothe presence of this coil of dsRNA. Some cells can detectas little as a single molecule of dsRNA and combat thevirus by producing a full yield of interferon .

Once detected by the infected cell, dsRNA triggers a seriesof reactions that lead to the activation of otherwise dormantinterferon genes.

Virus dsRNA plays two roles in the interferon system,the UConn researchers report : It induces the cell to produceinterferon, and it activates the antiviral action in interferontreated cells. Marcus and Sekellick knew that some virusesresisted the action of interferon because these viruses alsoproduced proteins that would absorb the viral dsRNA sothat the bod y cells remained dorm ant.

Marcus and Sekellick reasoned that it might be possibleto counter the virus defense mechanism if dsRNA wasdelivered to the cell in sufficient quanti ties to overwhelmwhat the virus could absorb. Using this technique, theUConn researchers report , when dsRNA is added tointerferon-treated cells that are unable to thwart the viralinfections, many viruses can no longer resist the actionof the interferon .

Marcus and Sekellick say that future research willdetermine whether interferon's ability to combat certaintypes of tumo rs may be enhanced using the combinedinterferon-dsRNA treatment.


New math, scie nce master's degrees introduced

Three new professional master's degree programsin science and mathematics are being developed

at UConn for students who want to pursuegraduate training in emerging fields thatrequire advanced education in the sciences.The New York-based Sloan Foundation hasawarded a $400,000 grant to UConn toinitiate three, two-year professional master's

degree programs in applied genomics, appliedfinancial mathematics and microbial systems

analysis to prepare students for careers in business or government. Each of theprograms will offer training in anemerging or interdisciplinary areaand will include internships and"cross-training" in business andcommunications.

During the past three years,the Sloan Foundation has helpedlaunch new master's of sciencedegrees at 30 universities withstrong graduate programs in thesciences and mathematics. Allhave been developed in concert

with industry and are designed to dovetail into present andfuture vocational opportunities.

The Sloan Founda tion and others are seeking to sparka national movement to incorporate these degrees intomainstream higher education, giving them the same cachetas an M.B.A. or a law degree.

The goal is to create a new type of degree for studentswith bachelor's degrees in the sciences, mathematics, orengineering that equips them to work in fields such asgenetics , pharmaceuticals, consulting, banking, insurance,research management and technology transfer.

"Until now these students have had nowhere to go,except directly into industry, where, as terminal bachelor'sdegree holders, they are housed in research labs as techies,'says Linda Straussbaugh, professor of molecular and cellbiology and co-director of the Sloan program at UConn .

The University expects to launch the programs next falland looks to have five to 10 students in each program.However, it must first win approval from the University'sboard of trustees and the State Board of Education. Initialreaction to the concept has been positive and approvalis expected.


Neag School of Education

APA endorses school psychology program

The Neag School of Education's graduate program in schoolpsychology has received accreditation from the AmericanPsychological Association-a prestigious seal of approva l inthe field of psychology.

Attaining the endorsement is a long, arduous process ,involving intensive self-study by the faculty and a site visit bya team of peers. Only 52 programs in the nation are currentlyaccredited with jus t two other APA-accredited programs inNew England .

"We are enormously proud of this accomplishment ," saysSally Reis, head of the educational psychology department inthe Neag School of Education. "The APA accreditation isincredibly difficult to earn , and we could not have received itwithout support from the University and the Neag School."

The American Psychology Association's goal is to promoteexcellence in psychology training programs and provide professional and objective evaluation of them as a service to thepublic, prospective students and the profession.

"The school psychology program is one of the NeagSchool's strongest graduate programs and an area that ourstrategic plan has identified as a center of excellence," saysRichard Schwab, dean of the Neag School of Education.

Thomas Kehle heads the graduate program and led theaccreditation process. "APA accreditation clearly states thatour program, including our faculty, students, course work,practicum and internship placements, are of high quality,"says Kehle.

It is Kehle's experience that schools look up on the APAseal as an indicator that the graduates are well prepared topractice and offer high levels of professionalism. That is oneof the many advantages, he says. Students will also havemore options for internship placements . In addition ,involvement in APA conferences and committees will keepthe faculty in step with the newest developments in thefield-from legislation that affects practice to a variety of thescientifically based best methods in assessment and training.

One of the greatest anticipated benefits will be a widerpool of student applicants . Currently the program receives50 to 70 applications each year, but with the accreditation,Kehle expects upward of 150.

According to the u.s. Surgeon General, while 44million Americans lack medical insurance, about 108million lack dental insurance. Uninsured children are2.5 times less likely to receive dental care than insuredyoungsters, and three times as likely to have unmet dentalneeds than their insured peers.

"Eliminating some of the disparities in dental care is animportant mission for our dental school," says Robinson ."Byworking with the state on this pilot project, we hopeto develop a program that works well for Connecticut andcould serve as a model for the rest of the country:"

The dental school also operates fiveother dental clinics that are open tothe public : the Burgdorf Clinic andthe Connecticut Children's MedicalCenter in Hartford, the New BritainHospital for Special Care,Yale-New Haven Hospital,and Brooker MemorialClinic in Torrington.Treatment is providedsolely by UConn faculty,dental residents orfellows (dentistsseeking advancedtraining) .

School of Dental Medicine

Pilot project launched to serve needy children

The School of Dental Medicine has opened new dental officesfor needy children in West Haven and Newington, Conn .

The offices will serve as a pilot project to determine waysto improve dental care to the state's underserved populationof Medicaid youngsters . Dental school faculty staff the offices,with support from private dentists and dental hygiene students.

The two-year pilot project has been funded by theConnecticut General Assembly. The School of Dental Medicineis the primary provider of dental care to the state's Medicaidpopulation.

"Our goal is to look at ways to get more dental care todisadvantaged children throughout the state," says PeterRobinson, dean of the School of Dental Medicine. "This isa population with special needs, and the new dental officesprovide services that take these special needs into account. "

Private dentists help staff the offices on a rotating basis.They receive education and training from dental schoolfaculty on current techniques for providing dental services toyoungsters who may have behavioral problems . The officesalso have a care coordinator to help patients and theirfamilies with transportation and child care issues.

SPRING 2002 • 19

R E P O R T O N

Research

The little plant that couldUConn's Roberto Gaxiola leads effort to develop plants resistant to sodium and drought

A team of scientists led by UConnplant biologist Roberto Gaxiola has

genetically engineered a plant thatthrives in salty soil and can surviveextended drought conditions . Thisbreakthrough could lead to the reclamation of farmlands lost to the build upof salt in topsoil and lack of rainfall.

Using knowl edge gained from thegenome sequence of the must ard weedArabidopsis thaliana, the researchersengineered a genetic pump insidethe plant cells that sequesters ions-


including sodium (salt) ions-into largestorage spaces called vacuo les with inthe plant 's cells. In this manner,researchers were able to eliminate toxicions, such as sodium , from the plantsmain circulation, allowing norm al plantmetaboli sm to proceed . The enha ncedupt ake of ions into the vacuo les alsoimproves the transgenic plants ' waterretenti on , increas ing their resista nceto dro ught.

"Our resu lts suggest that this kindof genetic manipulation of economically

imp ortant crops could provide acrucia l avenue for crop imp rovement ,"says Gaxiola, an assistant professor ofplant science in the College of Agricultureand Natura l Resources who conductedthe study with colleagues at the HarvardMedical Schoo l, University of Californiaat San Diego and Massachusetts Instituteof Technology.

The teams discovery has commercialas well as scientific imp lications. TheWorld Bank predicts that continuedgrowth in world popul ation over the

REPO RT ON RESEARCH

Genetic manipulation ofeconomically vital crops could

provide an Important avenuefor crop improvement

next 30 years will require a 60 percentincrease in food produ ction in develop ing countries, which are the most affected by drought and salinity.

"The prospect of feeding humanityas we enter the new millennium isformidab le, and transgenic approacheslike ours will become crucial to tacklingthe agricultura l challenges faced bydevelopin g nations," says Gaxiola.

Charles Goodwin, director of technology licensing for UConn'sCenter for Science andTechnology Commercialization,says the Center, together withthe Whitehead Institute at MIT,has app lied for patents resultingfrom the team's findings.

"We expect this techn ique can beapplied to many- crop plant s," Goodwinsays. "We're lookin g for companiesinterested in commercializing thisapproach." Depending on the crop,Gaxiola says, it would take between twoand four years to engineer viable transgenic commercial crops.

"I decided to come to the Departmentof Plant Science because of the newlycreated emphasis of biotechn ologyresearch initiated by Dean [Kirklyn]Kerr and the department head , GeraldBerkowitz ," says Gaxiola, who worked atMIT before coming to UConn in January2000 . "This research direction is in linewith my overall research inte rests, and Iam optimistic that this new endeavorwill find continued sup port from boththe College of Agriculture and atu ralResources and the University."

Transforming wastelandsScientists have been trying to develop

drought-tolerant and salt-to lerant cropvarieties for decades to help farmers inarid regions around the globe . Forexample, in Gaxiola's native Mexico,many farmers depend on rainfall towater their crops. Under these conditions a week without rain often canmean the difference between successand failure. Other farm ers use irrigation

water to grow crops. Yet as the water110ws from its source in rivers andstreams, soluble minerals such assod ium are picked up and deposited infarmers ' fields . The gradual accumulation of salt in the topsoil can transformprod uctive farmlands into wastelands .

Plant cells are like balloons full ofwater un der pressure. Vacuoles makeup about 90 perce nt of a cell'svolume and are responsible for growth

and plant rigidity. Water moleculeseasily pass in and out of plantcells, yet the cells canno t control th ismovement. Instead, it is the concentration of dissolved substances such assodium ions in and outs ide plant cellsthat affects water movement . Asplants seek to equalize theconcentrations of solute insideand ou tside thei r cells, water110ws between the cells throughthe process known as osmos is.

Gaxiola and his teamwond ered wheth er the storagecapacity of plant vacuoles couldbe increased. They reasonedthat by increasi ng vacuo larstorage capacity to accumulate soluteconcentrations, a plants ' salt anddrought tolerance could be enhan ced .

To sequeste r salt into vacuo les, plantcells depend on electrochemical energygenera ted by two vacuolar pumps; then ,proteins that act as revolving doors usethis electrochemical energy to tran sportsodium into the vacuo les, Gaxiolaexplains. In principle, gene tically modifying the plant to increase the dosage ofeither of these pumps would increasethe vacuole's sto rage capac ity, he says.

Arabidopsis thalia na has becomean especially useful tool for plantresearchers because it is one of the

few laboratory plant s that has its entiregenome sequenced. Gaxiola and histeam took advantage of the fact thatone of the vacuolar pumps is encodedby a Single gene . By bio-engineeringlaboratory Arabidopsis plants tooverexpress the gene, the group wasable to confirm its hypoth esis that thevacuolar pump gene would boost thetolerance to sodium and drought.

Indeed , the salt ions stored inthe transgenic plant vacuo les weresignificantly higher than in wildspecimens used as control plants,Gaxiola says. Similarly, after beingdepri ved of water for six days, thewild spec imens died while thetransgenic plant s survived even

after ten days under identical conditions ."This is a result of the elevated

vacuo lar conte nt that allows for greaterwater retention, permi tting plants tosurv ive under conditions of low rainfall,"Gaxiola explains.

A wild specimen ofArabidopsis tholiana (left)andtwo genetically engineered specimens ofthe plant after recovery from 10 daysof droughtstress. The genetically engineered specimensare more robust because of their resistance tosalt and drought conditions.

He cautions , however, that if lowquality water was used to irrigate a newgenera tion of salt-tolerant crops , historywould repeat itself. "If this practic econtinues ," Gaxiola says, "it willeventually result in soils with enoughsalt to outs trip the protective mechanismenginee red in transgenic plant s."- David Bauman

SPRING 2002 • 21

SPO TLI GHT O N

Students

Focusing on family medicineA journey to Appalachia helped Becky Eleckfind her true path

Becky Eleck ' 0 3 (CLAS) spent 10 days volunteering at hospices and an orphanage in Haiti duringJanuary with a handful of fellow UConn students. She is planning to return to Appalach ia thissummer to conduct a study of area medical clinics.

She discoveredthings even the best

medical schoolscouldn't teach.

Becky Eleck '03 (ClAS) wants to pursue a career infamily medicine. During a three -week journey to visit

health clinics in the rugged mou ntains of eastern Kentuckylast summer, Eleck saw her future start to come into focus.

In a sleepy little town called Stinking Creek , Kentucky,she stayed with a midwife who has delivered babies in thearea for more than SO years. The woman, who is now in her70s, once lived in a house with mud floors and rode a horseto get from home to hom e.

"Their standards of the good life are different from ours ,"explains Eleck. Luxury items include a trailer with runningwater and electricity, avehicle with four-wheeldrive and a washingmachine.

"It was eye opening.The doctors I met were sowelcoming and insp iring.Everyplace I went , people [in the communities] offered me aplace to stay," notes Eleck. A $2,00 0 grant from UConnsundergradu ate summer research program helpedto finance the trip , which was initiatedand designed by Eleck.

A few years earlier, reading aboutMother Teresa had piqu ed Elecksinterest in becoming a physician in animpoverished area. Eleck also is drivenby a profound sense of compassion,something she began experiencing asa little girl under the guidance of hermoth er, Lisa Eleck '78 (NUR). Sherecalls visiting soup kitchens and making small gifts and cards for nursinghomes with her moth er, now a nursewith the Visiting Nurses Association .

When Eleck talks about her aspirations , her enthusiasm is contagious.But she doesn 't ju st talk about doingsomething that will make a difference.She has an action plan that cont inuesto unfold .

In Janu ary, she spent 10 days of hersemester break in Haiti with a hand fulof fellow UConn students. The tripincluded working at Mother Theresa's

House for the Dying, caring for youngs ters from a localorphanage , and visiting a home for AIDS patients .

This summer Eleck is heading back to Appalachia for sixweeks to cond uct an in-depth study of area medical clinicsthrough the University Scholars program. As part of hersenior research thesis , Eleck plans to author a pamphlet forlocal residents that outlines various health care programsand services available in their communities.

Eleck credits her father, Richard Eleck '76 (PHR), forher work ethic. "He works hard and hes not afraid of achallenge," she says of her father, who is a pharmacist atthe UConn Health Center.

"Becky shows a lot of unusual initiative," says Kath rynStrother Ratcliff, an assistant professor of sociology who isalso Elecks advisor. With Ratcliff's assistance, Eleck designedan individu alized major in health and poverty studies to

go along with her major in biology."Becky is not about doing just what is needed ," says

Ratcliff. "She is passionate about helping people, thinksthings th rough to their conclusion, and always devotes herene rgies to giving her best effort ."- Karen Paterno


SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

Making a stand against domestic violenceChallenging societal norms takes courage and patience

E rie Bulewich '02 (SFS) credits his father for guiding himtoward a career in counseling. "Hes been a great influence

in my life," Eric says. "My father was very understanding andopen. That reflects in my ability to listen ."

Two summers ago, Bulewich volunteere d to participate inthe Violence Against Women Prevent ion Program. Out of thatexperience, Bulewich and Orlando Wright '0 1 (SFS) laid thefoundation for a new program within the UConn Women'sCenter called Men Against Violence Against Women(MAVAW).

Through MAVAW, Bulewich and other trained volunteerfacilitators, along with a campus police officer, offer aninterac tive program through which partici pants increase theirunderstand ing about what cons titu tes sexual assault and howto prevent it. The program has been presented to residenti alcommunities, fraternities and athletic teams. Participants areasked to assess variou s scenarios and discuss perceptions indefining consensual sexual activity. Throughout the program ,participants discuss behaviors and misconceptionssur rounding typical dating scenarios.

Eric Bulew ich ' 0 2 (SFS) helped start a new program with inthe UConn's Women's Center, Men Against Violence AgainstWomen, and speaks about prevent ing domestic violence tostudent group s at UConn and at area colleges.

MAVAW has been well received by students and faculty.Says Bulewich , "They believe, as I do, that men playa veryimp ortant role in the prevention of violence against women."

The men who participat e in the program offer positivefeedba ck , Bulewich says, and many explain how the programhas made an imp act on their lives.

Last year, Bulewich was a spea ker at several violenceprevention programs, includ ing presentations at other areacolleges. "I am most impressed with Eries participationbecause the program really requires presente rs to challengetheir understanding of masculinity . . . challenging societalnorms is a very difficult thing to do ," says Lorraine Trippodi,former coordinator of the Violence Against Women Prevent ionProgram at UConn. "It requ ires a great deal of courage , selfconfidence and conviction ."

Encouraged by Kim Chambers, manager of the Instru ctionalResource Center, Bulewich became a peer mentor during his

sophomore year. Last year,Bulewich participated in theUConn Connects program asa peer counselor to studentson academic probation. This

year, as a senior, he is a resident assistant in Belden Hall inthe Alumn i Quadrangle.

"Eric shows great concern for his fellow students asevidenced by his working with them in various advisorycapacities," says Chambers. "He takes his responsibilities andhis relationships seriously and is making the best of his timeas a UConn undergraduate ."

What drives Bulewich to work with such difficult issues?"For me, it's on a personal level. I have a friend and severalacquaitances who have been sexually assaulted and I reallywant to try and make a difference . . . to use my advantage ofbeing a male in our society as my strength . I thin k most menare sensitive to the subject, but because they're not directlyaffected, there's no need for them to be aware."

Bulewich plans to attend graduate schoo l to earn a mastersdegree in social work. UConn is at the top of his list. "UConnis a great place to be," he says. "All the recent developmentson campus just add to the college experience."- Kim Colavito Markesich

SPRING 2002 • 23

we can't be the number one"There's no reason in the world

public university in this country. II

Parentsand undergraduates

are investing in UConn too-in

record numbers . No longer are

Connecticut's best and brightest

seeking educational opportunities

out of state. The " brain drain "

is fading into history. Freshman

enrollment at UConn's main cam

pus has increased 56 percent since

1995. During the same time peri

od, SAT scoresfor incoming fresh

men have risen nearly 30 points ,

freshman minority enrollment is up

62 percent, and 314 high school

valedictor ians and salutatorians

have joined the student body in

Storrs. Cybart saysUConn is no

longer considered a fallback opt ion:

"There are lots of high-achieving

seniors in my school right now

whose dream school is UConn."

"This visionary bui lding program

has been instrumental in reshaping

a very good university into one of

the most dynamic institutions of

higher education in the nation, "

saysUniversity President Philip E.

Austin . "During the past seven

years, we have sharpened our

academic focus, recruited out

standing scholars, and witnessed a

level of private giving unmatched

in our history. Thanks in great

measure to the commi tment of the

governor and General Assembly,

the support of Connecticu t's

citizens, and the dedication of our

own students, facu lty and staff ,

the University of Connecticut faces

a limitlessfuture ."

A spur to private investment

There is no question that the

state's investment in the

University has inspired the record

sett ing pace of individual and cor

porate investment in recent years.

Devisedwith a matching gift provi

sion, UCONN 2000 is a magnet for

individua l and corporate contribu

tions . The University's endowment

has grown from $50 million in

1995 to $210 million today. In

addition, the excellence of the

faculty and facili ties is attracting

significant increasesin research

funding from individ ual and corpo

rate sources, which servesto

expand and invigorate research at

the University.

years ago . The legislature then

put that conviction into action . It

adopted Public Act 95-230, known

as UCONN 2000, with nearly unan

imou s, bipartisan support and the

endor sement of an enthusiastic

Gov. Rowland .

"W hen we started UCONN

2000, we perceived it as a begin

ning, a launching pad. It is indeed a

remarkable experience for anyone

w ho comes to the University today

and sees the changes, " saysGov.

Rowland . "The key is to ensure

that no one thinks that there is

an end in sight as we create a

21st century UConn. The initial

1O-year-plan is now our founda

t ion as w e pursue the University

of Connecticut 's full potential to

stand out among all of the nation 's

public universities. Our focu s must

be on doing even more."

Simply put , UCONN 2000 is an

unprecedented investment that

created an extraordinary building

boom at the University 's main and

regiona l campuses. From new

showpiece academic buildings and

residences to state-of-the-art tech

nolog y to improved infrastructure,

including better signage and side

w alks, UCONN 2000 is creating an

environment w here breathtaking

form meets efficient function . But

the real beauty of UCONN 2000 is

that it has been a catalyst for other

kinds of investment throughout

the university-not the least of

w hich is the investment in human

capital. Attracted by the new state

of-the-art facilitie s, some of the

nation 's most prominent teachers

and promising researchers are

being drawn to pour the ir talents

into UConn.

If your image of the University of

Connecticut is of a public university

quietly doing its job in modest facil

ities on a humble campus, it's time

to hit your mind 's refresh button.

UCONN 2000 , the 10-year,

$1 billion inf rastructure renewal

program at the University of

Connecti cut has put UConn into

the natio nal spot light as a public

institution w hose quality programs

are backed up by some of the

finest academic, research, and

residential facilities anywh ere.

Period . Alena Cybart '96 ((LAS)

says, " We always knew that

UConn was a great school, but

the rest of the w orld couldn 't see

that. " A high school teacher in

Waterbu ry, Cybart says that w hen

her students visit Storrs, they find

the facilitie s to be so impressive

that " they have to pick their jaws

up off the ground."

UCONN 2000 has been so

successful in fact that Gov. John G.

Rowland recently proposed 21st

Century UConn , an 11-year, $1.3

billion dollar initiative that

w ill extend the landmark UCONN

2000 program through 2015.

GOVERNOR JOHN G. ROWLAND

A launching pad

UConn 's remarkable transfor

mation began in 1995, w hen

the Connecti cut General Assembly

made a dramatic realization: If

the Constitution State's sons

and daughters are to succeed in

today 's econom y, they need to be

furnished w ith a diffe rent kind of

education than in years past

different even from the kind of

education that was available 20

Right now, the Connecticut General

Assembly is considering 21" Century

UConn, the $1.3 billion program that

will extend and expand the extraordi

narily successfulUCONN 2000 pro

gram through 2015. The historic new

initiative can proceed only if

approved by the Connecticut General

Assembly. UConn Advocates-a coali

tion of UConn alumni, parents, facul

ty, staff, and friends-is dedicated to

building legislative support for the

University of Connecticut. Alumni and

friends interested in expressing

their support for the 21" Century

UConn legislation are encouraged to

visit the UConn Advocates Web site at

www.uconna dvocates.org .

BY LESLIE V I ROSTEK Continued on page 33

Chemistry Build ing

Pedestrian-fr iendly pathways

High-Tech Classrooms

Fine Arts Complex

Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory

Inform ation Technologi es Engin eering Building

Nathan Hale Inn and Conference Center

UConn Co-op

-

Student Recreational Facility

South Campus Residence Community

School of Law Librar y School of Law Library

UConn Health Center

School of Dental Medi cine UConn Health Center Resea rch

Avery Point Campus Greater Hartford Campus

Stamford Campus

Football Stadium in East Hart ford

Torrington Campus

Waterbury Campus

What is the effect of all thi s

investment? UCONN 2000 is pro

pelling Connecticut's premier pub

lic university into the top ranks of

Amer ican public higher education .

Pat Sheehan '67 (CLAS), who par

t icipated in the development of

UCONN 2000, says that the pro

gram is really about helping the

University reach its full potential.

" People who look at UCONN 2000

as a building program have missed

the point ," he says. "The extraor

dinary impact of UCONN 2000 has

empowered the University to take

command of its future ."

What 's more, the state is reap

ing precisely the dividends it had

intended from a strengthened

University of Connecticut, w hich

supplies the economy wi th a well

educated workforce and w ith

research that turns ideas into jobs

and products.

An optimal environment

for research

Yo date UCONN 2000 can take

credit for more than 100 major

construct ion projects. One of the

most dramat ic of these successes is

the new Chemistry Building, whic h

was listed in the 2000 International

Architecture Yearbook as one of

the best-designed build ings in the

.world . "This is the best chemistry

building in the count ry, no ques

t ion, " says Robert Birge, the Harold

S. Schwenk Distinguished Chair in

Chemistry. " It gives us reasonable

expectation of being able to hire

the best faculty, recruit the bright

est students, and secure an impres

sive number of highly regarded

research grants."

All of the new buildings at

UConn are wired-really wi red.

This may be best exemplified by

the new School of Business

Building, wh ere technology has

become an essential learning tool.

For example, using the " breakout

rooms" w ith video capabilit ies, stu

dents can be videotaped as they

make oral presentations or sales

pitches or as they solve prob lems

as a group . Then, borrowing a

technique favored by UConn bas

ketball coaches Jim Calhoun and

Geno Auriemma, faculty members

and students can review and cri

t ique the tapes.

According to Christopher

Hatt ayer '02 (CLA S), president

of the Undergraduate Student

Government and a student mem

ber of the Board of Trustees, new

buildings profoundly enhance the

way students experience academic

life. " I've seen more pride in stu

dents, " he says. "When facilit ies

are built for you to learn, you feel

like you are valued and the work

you're doing is important. "

Moreover, the dorm is not the

norm anymore. Students have

more residential options than

ever, including the new South

Campus and Hilltop Suites and the

Hilltop Apartments. The renovated

Nort hwest residences include study

areas, meeting and recreational

space, as well as the newly con

structed Northwest Marketplace,

a 550-seat contem porary food

court- style dining commons .

A South Campus resident who

shares a suite with three other stu

dents, Hatt ayer says that UCONN

2000 is providing students with

better opportuni ties to " live, learn,

and grow." He says, "As a gradu

ating senior, I have not only experi

enced the construct ion but actually

reaped the benefit s of many new

projects. I also watch wi th envy as

they begin some of the most stu

dent -centered projects, such as the

new Student Union ."

University-wide renaissance

Uc onn's remarkable transfor

mation is not conf ined to the

Storrs campus. The Avery Point

campus on Long Island Sound,

for example, has in recent years

seen the renovation of the historic

Branford House, whic h houses

student services; the launching of

an oceanographic researchvessel,

the RN Connecticu t; and the

opening of the new Marine

Sciences Building. "This facility is

among the best in the nation for

conducting comprehensive

research in coastal areas, " says

Robert Wh itlach, interim head of

the Marine Sciences program . "We

are uniquely positioned to move

forward in new arenas of research,

education and outreach."

Improvements on the other

regional campuses include a new

computer center at the Greater

Hartford campus, featuring a high

tech lab and classroom; a new

Litchfield Count y Extension Center

at the Torrington campus, wh ich

offers a variety of research-based

educational opportunitie s; and a

new eye-catching contemporary

facility for UConn's Stamford cam

pus, whic h houses the Connecticut

Information Technology Inst itute

as well as the GE Capital edgelab,

a cutting-edge mult i-mi llion dollar

informa tion technology learn ing

facility. The construct ion of a

new, state-of-the-art downtown

Waterbury campus has com

menced. The campus, which is

expected to open in fall 2003 , has

been designed to enhance educa

t ional opportunit ies for Waterbury

area students and to invigorate the

Brass City 's revital ization efforts.

UCONN 2000 and other

affiliated capital projects have

engendered a University-wi de

renaissance that also encompasses

the University's schools of Law,

Medicine and Dental Medicine.

The School of Law boasts the

third-l argest academic law library

in the nation-an architectural

landmark dedicated in 1996. At

the UConn Health Center, w here

the schoo ls of Medici ne and

Dental Medicine are key to discov

ering new medical breakthroughs,

the University is reaping the fruits

of the new Academic Research

Building, w hich was dedicated in

Apr il 1999. The building increased

laboratory space at the Health

Center by 40 percent and has

become the locus for research in

immunology, genet ics, neuro

science, and vascular biology.

During the next two decades, the

research facility is projected to spur

$700 million in new government

and industry grants .

Intellect and ingenuity

Clearly the University of

Connecticut is emerging as

a national leader in pub lic higher

education . That's the good news.

The great news is that it's not over.

The Governor 's proposal for 21st

Century UConn includes $1 billion

for cont inued infrastructure

improvements modernizing many

facilit ies still in need at the main

campus in Storrs, the f ive regional

campuses, and the School of Law,

and $300 million to support inf ra

structure improvements at the

UConn Health Center, benefit ing

bot h education program s and

research activ ities of the medical

and dental schools. Enactment of

the 2151 Century UConn init iative is

an exceptiona l opportu nity for the

state's elected leadership to make

a bipartisan, long-term commit

ment to Connecticut's futu re.

And why shouldn't the flagship

University for Connecticut's sons

and daughters garner still more

investment? After all, in 1995,

UCONN 2000 was a carefully cal

culated risk. In 2002, the program

is a resounding success. The con

tinuation of UCONN 2000 provides

a proven investment opportunity

yielding rich returns.

The University of Connecticut's

fu ll vision is yet to be realized. Now

is the time to continue to invest in

the University, to build upon the

significant accomplishments of the

original UCONN 2000 program ,

and to press fo rward to fulfill the

University's potent ial to rank

among the nation's finest publi c

universities. Uniquely posit ioned to

serve the needs of its home state,

a strong University of Connectic ut

w ill educate a competiti ve,

creative, and commi tte d profes

sional workforce, stoking the

engine of Yankee intellect and

ingenuity and cont ributing migh tily

to Connecticut's long-term

econom ic vital ity. " UConn is

already the top publ ic university in

New England, " notes Governor

Row land. "There's no reason in the

wo rld we can't be the number-one

pub lic university in this country."

SPRING 2002 • 33

• •

adaRling an anatomical

•.. .

•

• •

•

.. ..

. I

Workin g with Bernd Wursig, her mentor at Texas A&M,and her father, an electrical engineer, Dudzinski developedthe underwater audio/visual recording equipment she need ed to study spotted dolphins off the coast of the Bahamas.She began her fieldw ork in 1991 , working with an eco-tourexpedition, where she traded her expertise in dolphinbeha vior for the boat transportation she needed to get tothe dolphins.

Dudzinski has worked with eco-tours ever since andbelieves this is an important way to combine research withpublic education about dolphins. "The most exciting part forme is when people come out of the water after observingdolphins," she says. "We can't manage wild animals, but wecan mana ge human behavior, and we can do th is by givingpeople a chance to learn about wild animals ."

For the next five years, Dudzinski observed individualdolphins off the Bahamas , identifying them by their spotpattern s. She watched and recorded their behaviors ,vocalizations, and gestures repeatedly and in differentcontexts. She began to associate certain types of vocaliza-

tion , gestures , and bod y postures with part icular social orbehavioral circumstances, such as greetin g, feeding, oraggression. She noticed how the dolphins used their pectoralfins-like humans using their hand s-to seemingly caressother dolphins. Her data showed that dolphin communication made use of a number of different features , includingvocalizations , gestures, and touch . Even more interesting,similar behaviors had different meanings in differentcontexts, such as during play or an aggressive encounter.Like humans, dolphins dep end on contex t to conveymeanin g.

After completing her doctorate in 1996 , Dudzinskirelocated to a small island off the coast of Japan whereconditions were ideal to study bott lenose dolphins.

1:ic.co

WIDER GOALS

Wh en Dudzinski start ed her graduate work,relatively little was known about dolphincommunication, although it had been clear fora long time that dolphins are among the mostintelligent animal s and, like humans, extremelysocial. To learn more, Dudzinski followed wilddo lphins into their own element.

Dudzinski teachin g twoeco-tou r volunteers aboutthe inner workings of herunderw ater camera system.


Dudzinsk ienters datafrom the day'sobversations asher underwate rcamera systemdries in theforeground .

nam ed a University Scholar-UConn's highest undergraduateacademic honor-during her junior year, which requiredthat she develop a senior thesis. The anatomical techniqueshe adapted became the basis of Dud zinski's thesis andwas published as an article in a scientifi c journal. She alsogarnered a prestigious National Science Foundation predoct oral fellowship to support her graduate work at TexasA&M University, where she continued with her true passion,the study of marin e mammals.

Neff, now a research engineer, is still close to Dudzinski."Kathleen was an out standing student ," says Neff. "Therewas a degree of optimism and non-competitiveness abouther that is quit e uncommon . It is possible to beproductive, energetic, and motivated withoutbein g aggressive and competitive . Kathleenwas, and is , like that."

In japan,Dudzi nskilearn ed j apaneseto work with localceo-tou r boa t captainsand other members of thecommunity. She worked hardto integrate her research activitieswith the interests of the local community,even publishing a quarterly newslette r for thecommunity so they could understand her mission andher progress. She lectured to student groups and spoke onjapanese radio . Dudz inski points out that involving thecommunity in ceo-tourism is crucial: "Whenever you haveceo-tourism, it is the local area that benefit s."

Between the Dolphins film, other media appea rances, andher educational outreach work , Dudzinski was beginningto realize her wider goal , enhancing the value that humansassociate with dolphins.

THE DOLPHIN COMMUNICATION PROJECT

Back in the United States , Dudzinski need ed a way tocont inue her work. "I want ed a way to raise funds for theprograms I wanted to pursue ," she says . "The DCP wasintend ed to found a collabo rative endeavor. It embraces twomain activities: research and education. These two should bemarried and work together. "

Dudzinski want s other scient ists wh o will eventually wor kwith the DCP to share her collabo rative vision . "There willbe three requirements for researchers working with us. First ,if they do a program through the OCr, their data must bemade available after they've had a first crack at publishing it.Second, if they do field work , they mu st have a high scho olor college inte rn working with them . Lastly, they will berequired to disseminate their resu lts to the scientific community and to the general population . There has to be a link toeducation programs."

Dudzinski , at least , is putting her data where her mouthis; she has mad e all the data she has collected since 1991available through the ocr "I'm passing it on. I want peopleto use it because everyone has a different take on the samedata," she exp lains , "Science goes forward at a faster ratewhen people work together."

Dudzinski continues to do research under the aegis of theOCr, collaboratively of course. Working with colleague s atthe University of Southern Mississippi (where Dudzinski isan adjunct professor) , she is developing a qu estionnaire andvideotape to send to dolphin trainers at aquariums across thecount ry, to help identi fy behaviors in captive dolphins thatare similar to behaviors seen in the wild. In another collaboration , with the Scripps Institut e, she is looking into whetherdolphins use special high-frequency sound bursts solely todetermine the location of an object , as is generally believed ,or wheth er they might also use these noises to communicate .

The DCP already has ongoing education programs, whichinclude ceo-tours, and oth er programs of varying lengths.There are bigger plans in the works, including an international prog ram for middle-school students from the UnitedStates , Cana da , and the Bahamas, who will, if funding can beobtained, meet in the Bahamas to learn about the sea, marin emamm als, and the different cultures of their classmates.

Although the DCP is still a very young, volunteer-runorganization, it has all of Dudzinski's drive behind it , andthat may well spell success. If it succ eeds, the DCP couldplaya major role in our understanding of both how do lphinscommunicate with one another and how humans canpromote the surv ival of these extraordinary animals.

"The more I learn about dolphins, the more I realize thedifferences between people and other animals is one ofdegree," says Dudz inski , "By understanding dolphins, webetter un derstand ourse lves."

(For more information on the Dolphin Communication Project,go to www.dolphincommunicationproject.org.)

SPRING 2002 • 37

Sudhakar Shenoyhas emerged as one

ofthe most influentialhigh-tech leaders

in the U.S.

Because UConn stressed both theoreti cal and practical matters , I couldn'thave been more prepared."

Growing up in India where manychildren roamed the streets becauseeducational opportunities were scarce,Shenoy says he has an extremely highregard for education and the opportunities it can afford . He sits on the Board ofAdvisors at UConn's Schoo l of Business,serves as the D.C. regional co-chair ofCampaign UConn , and has steered IMCinto the educational market, creating

multimedia elearning coursework for highereducation.

A graduate ofthe prestigiousIndia Instituteof Technology,

Shenoy nevertheless arrivedin the U.S. in 1970 with six dollars inhis pocket , barely enough to pay for thebus from New York to Hartford . He saysthat because others-UConn specifically-were so willing to help him whenhe was in need, he believes strongly ingiving back to deserving causes, aphilosophy he refers to repeatedly.When the Indian CEO High TechCouncil was formed in 1997, Shenoywas one of the Council's biggest drawing cards, but he felt it was importantfor younger entrepreneurs to be theCouncil 's public face (leading to theunintended consequence of beingdubbed the Council's godfather).

"Five billion dollars (the combinedrevenue of participating companies) isa lot of buying power, and we owed itto ourselves to harness that power sothat we could give back to thosestruggling to start out ," he says.Shenoy insisted on creating a coherentmission for the Council, which becamea program emphasizing political


involvement, charitable contributionsand entrepreneurship.

An exciting ventureShenoy exudes modesty, though,

and seems loath to talk about himself insuch lofty terms . Wha t excites him isthe work his company is doing. Thelatest venture that IMC is working onwill expedite research in the emergingfield of bioinformatics. Defined as thescience of managing and analyzingbiological data through advanced computing techniques, bioinformatics leadsto the collection and deciphering of thevast reservoir of genomic research data.

Because the software is not yetcompleted, Shenoy can only speak ingeneral terms about his product , buthe says the algorithms and technologyhis staff and partners are developing

will make powerful tools available toresearch scientis ts that will use existingdatabase technology and computingpower to facilitate better and fasterresearch in this area.

IMC has been working with TheSalk Institute for Biological Sciences toexamine gene expression profiling dataat a level of detail that wasn't previouslyfeasible. Although IMC was using database technology that is prevalent amongthe world's largest corporations , IMC isthe first company to apply it togenomics .

"The solution that IMC and NCRwere able to develop will allow us toperform our science much more rapidlyand give us the computational powerto make discoveries that would havebeen difficult, if not impossible, usingtraditio nal analytical approaches," saysDr. Carrolee Barlow, an associateprofessor at the Salk Institute.

Shenoy has been fascinated bytechnology, and his standing orders to

his compa ny, since its start two decadesago, are to push technology to its limits."If you look at the history of the world,what advances cultures and civilizationsis techn ology," he says. "Technology canchange people's lives as it always has."

Will Forrest Gump strike again?"Do you know about the cricket

match?" Shenoy bounds from behindhis desk to a table across the room. Hedigs around in a satchel and pulls out acopy of Washington Techway magazine.last summer, the Indian CEO Councildefeated the British Embassy in acricket match that raised more than$3,000 for relief efforts for earthquakevictims in India. Shenoy says he alreadyhas a match lined up between theCouncil and a group from Australiaand New Zealand. Again, proceeds willgo to the charity of the winner 's choice."See, we do good while we're havingfun," he exclaims.

Shenoy places a high priority onhaving fun, but he cares more aboutdoing good . As affable as he is ambitious, Shenoy uses the two traits todream about, and reach for, lofty goals,whether they are in the field of bioinformatics or an effort to raise reliefmoney for those in need . So it's nowonder the UConn Foundation tappedhim to co-chair the D.C. regional effortof Campaign UConn. He plans to hostseveral receptions at his home and atCongressional Country Club to talk toalumni and friends of the Universityabout the merits of helping UConn ,and he hopes that his passion for theUniversity will trigger similar reactionsamong those he meets . But just in case,a touch of serendipity couldn't hurteither. Remember, it was UConnPresident Philip Austin to whomShenoy revealed his Forrest Gump tendency to appear in the right place at theright time. Might Shenoy now worksome magic for the campaign? Helaughs . "If it is to work at any giventime, I hope now is the time," he says.

Fo c u s O N

Faculty

The good fightLaw profLaura Dickinson brings commitment, experience to the study of human rights

"There are a lot of students lookingfor the kind of meaningful human rights

experience I sought when I was a student."W ith tales of bu sin ess trips to places

such as Haiti and East Timor,Associate Law Professor Laura Dickinson

breath es life into lectures on jurisdiction ,transition al govern ments and othe r topics that don 't typicallyhave stude nts rapt with attent ion .

One of the newest faculty members at the School of Law,Dickinson has spent several years traveli ng and inves uga tinghuman rights abuses , first as a law student and the n as a

State Department official.Dickinson 's extens ive experience with and ent husiasm

about internationa l human right s law has students clamoringto take the introductory course she's teac hing on the top ic

this semester."There are a lot of stude nts looking for the kin d of

meaningful human right s exper ience I so ught whe n I was

a student, and l'm happy to provide op po rtunities forthem ," she says.

Dick inson first became inte rested in intern at ion al humanright s law whil e a law stude nt at Yale , where she worked inthe school's international human right s clini c.

Late in her first year, Dickinson went to the Caribbea non a fact-fin ding mission abo ut the condition of Haitianrefugees. The govern ments of seve ral Caribbea n nation swe re sending sco res of Haitian refugees who had fled totheir countries back to Hait i, whe re they would likely

face persecuti on ."It changed my perspective abo ut what the law is and

what it can do ," Dickinson says of the trip . "It showed mehow the law can make a profound change in individuals'

lives.Dickinson conti nue d to work with the legal clini c

th rough out law school, at one point br inging a case agains tthe federal gove rn ment on behalf of Cuba n refugees.

After graduating from law school, Dickinson worked as alaw clerk for the u.s. Court of Appeals for the Nint h Circuitand then for u.s. Supreme Court associate jus tices Har ryBlackmun and Step hen Breyer. After a year as an appellatelitigation fellow at the Georgetown Unive rsity Law Center,

Dick inso n beca me a sen ior policy advisor to Harold Hon gjuKoh , assis tant secretary of sta te for de mocracy, human right sand labor dur ing the Clinton adminis tra tion . It was in thatrole that Dickinson traveled to places such as East Timor,whi ch she visited after the Ind on esian gove rn ment pull edout, leaving wides pread destruction in its wake . Dickinson

was struc k theeuphoria of the

East Timoreseat th e pro spectof freedom.

"It was an interesting mom ent to be th ere and to try to

figure out wha t role our gove rn ment ought to be playing topro mo te accountab ility and reconciliation for human righ tsab uses ," she says .

Though inte rnational human rights law has recentl ycome to the forefron t in the after ma th of the events ofSeptember 11 , Dickinson doesn't plan to spe nd all of her

time wo rking in that area . She 's also taking adva ntage ofthe freedom acade mia affords to do research on the FirstAmen dment, the ove rlap betwee n law and society, andwhat legal rights mean to the average citizen .

"I dec ided to go to law school beca use I wanted to do

work th at would have a positive influ en ce ," Dickinsonnotes. "Th roughout my career, [ have been able to makea difference, and [ see my position at the Law School as

ano the r way to have a positive impact on the future ."

- Allison Thompson

SPRING 2002 • 41

FOCUS ON FACULTY

Champion of the new literacyDonald Leu believes new communications technologies demand a redef inition of literacy

Donald Leu, the John and Marie Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology,believes that even if students grow up using compute rs there is no guarantee theyare learning the necessary literacy skills for emerging technologies.

"There's a growingvision here of whatthis institution canaccomplish"

W hen it comes to literacy, Donald Leu neverhides his passion for the subject. Now this

passion is focu sed on the new forms of reading andwriting made possible by emerging communicationstechn ologies.

"I seek to broaden our definition of literacyinstruction in school classrooms to include these newliteracies," says Leu , the Joh n and Marie NeagEndow ed Chair in Literacy and Technology at theNeag Schoo l of Edu cation.

"We need only to consider the exper ience ofstudents who graduate from seconda ry schoo l thisyear to see how literacy is changing ," says Leu ."Students began their schoo l career being taught

the literacies ofpap er, pencil,and book technologies. Manyfinish secondaryschoo l familia rwith the new

literacies demanded by a wide variety of informa tionand communication technologies: word processors ,CD-ROMs, Web browsers , e-mail, instant messaging,and many others unimagined at the beginning oftheir schoo l career."

New technologies require new skills to effectivelyuse them for readin g, writing, and communication ,Leu explains .

"It's not tha t we're thro wing out the baby with thebath water. We're buil din g up on the traditi onal formsof reading and writing," he says. "The basics have stayedpretty stagnant for about 500 years. With the increasingimpo rtance of information technologies, the challenge is tode termine which of the new literacies are the most important ,how these are different from tradit ional read ing and writingskills, and how to prepa re teachers in these techn ologies."

"Dr. Leu 's work is ground breaking in that it integratestechn ology with literacy," says Richard Schwab, dean of theNeag School of Education . "We are extremely fortu nate tohave him on our team ."

Altho ugh a majority of schools have computers within theclassroom, many technologies are used ineffectively. "Evenif students grow up with computers , there is no guara nteethey're learn ing the necessary skills ," declares Leu . "Thechallenge is in staff development and teacher education."

To that end, Leu is one of four directors in a $5.5 millionNational Science Foundation research project uti lizingInternet technology to enhance literacy learn ing.

Leu became familiar with the potent ial of informationsystems while a doctora l student at Berkeley. 'J ust as newwriting skills were requ ired to exploit the word processingnetw ork at Berkeley, new readin g skills were required withthe newly emerging Internet browsers," he says. "That's whenI began to focus all of my energy on understanding the newliteracies these new technologies genera ted ."

Completing his second year at UConn, Leu finds theatmosph ere at the University very supportive to his work."There's a growing vision here of wha t th is institution canaccomplish ," Leu says. "There are high expectations andaspira tions. I like tha t vision ." - Kim Colavito Markesich


Creative Currents

Recent works by alumni and faculty ALSO OF INTEREST

" TIO" "UDU""O«"," The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & BehaviorChris Elp hick an d David Sibley(Alfred A. Knopf)

David Sibley and Chris Elphick had seen allthe bird books before, and each had collab orated on or contribu ted to several. But non ewas the type of volume people could sitdown an d read, like a good novel. Thus was

born The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & BehaVior, a thi ck volumethat no t on ly identifies bi rd types , habit ats, sizes and shapesbut also explains their habits, ritua ls, tenden cies and evenlove lives . "We wanted to explain their behav ior in thefield-how they move, how they feed ," says Elphick , aresea rch scientis t in eco logy and evolutionary biology atUConn and one of the book's ed itors, with Sibley and j ohnDunning. The trio have develop ed a volume that explainswhy ch icka dees take only one seed at a tim e from bird feeders (they 're stor ing the seeds for winter) , how cardinals cansurvive New England summe rs and winters (they fluff theirfeathers for hea t in winter, and pull them close to th eirbodies to rem ain coo l in the summer), and why cormo rantsassume a Star Wars-like pose after they dive for fish (they aredrying off) . The book is filled with beau tiful avian drawingsby Sibley, whom Elphick calls "one of the best bird arti sts inthe world," and 80 chapters of essays and discussion, one oneach bird family-from loons to old world sparro ws .

The Lost Diaries of Iris WeedJanice Law(Forge Books)

Janice Trecker, a lon gtime lecturer in the.>,* English Department in th e College of Liberal

Arts and Sciences, has published her l Othmystery novel, The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed,

under her pen name , janice Law. "A case from a few yearsago at a college in Connecticu t was the germ for th is book ,although the characters turned out to have very differentfates and personalities," says Trecker. The Lost Diaries of IrisWeed revolves aro und two main characters: jason "Lars"Larso n is a professor of Victorian literature at a prestigiou sConnecticut university, who pays dea rly for his one romanticfailure . Iris Weed, one of his students, is a young wri ter wholives in her pickup tru ck and lon gs to have an inte restingand complicated life. Publishers Weekly praised th e novel,saying, "Law sucker-punches her readers with th is supe rblywritten thriller." Trecker has published 14 books, includingnine other mystery novels. She has worked at UCo nn formore than 10 years and current ly teach es magazinepublishing in the English Department.

The inside story ofthe Actors Studio

The Actor s Studio, a secludedworkshop in midtown Manhatt an ,has for decad es influenced th eworlds of stage and screen . UConnprofessor She lly Frome unravels itsmystery in his new book , TheActors Studio: A History (McFarland& Co., ln c.).

"Over th e years, there has beenmu ch misinform ation abo ut the nature and

mission of the Acto rs Stu dio," says From e, anassoc iate professor of dramatic arts at UConn's Waterburycampus, wh o was a professional actor during the Studio'sheyday in the 1950s.

He decided to writ e the book after watching the cabletelevision show ;'Inside the Actors Studio ."

"It was up setting and mislead ing. Many of the personalities wh o appea red on the sho w were never even assoc iatedwith the Studio ," From e says . "The host worships thecelebr ity culture, which is total ana the ma to the originalspirit of Elia Kazan 's creation ."

The book traces the Actors Stu dio from its beginn ings,when Cons tantin Stanislavsky's Moscow Art th eatre cameto the United States in 1923 , to the legendary days of theGroup Thea ter, the achievements of Elia Kazan , LeeStrasberg and Method acting , and to the present.

Frome says the Actors Studio is not a place whe re actingis taught. "It is a worksho p, a refuge away from acting as acommo dity, a place where you can grow. In its early years , ifyou were one of the chose n few, you could drop in if youneeded to and someo ne like Strasberg would watch youwork." Actors had to audition , and it was an hon or to beaccepted. According to From e, 2,000 peopl e audi tioned oneyear and only two were acce pted : Martin Landau and thelate Steve McQu een .

Nowa days, the Studio is affi liated with an MFA program ,where, after spending $20 ,000 a year for th ree years , you getan official pass to the Actors Studio- hardly what Elia Kazanhad in mind , From e says.

Reflecting on what he learned while wr iting the book ,From e says , "It do esn 't matter whether you are a member ofthe Studio or no t, who you are, or how you got there-it'swhat you're trying to do. What matters are those powerfulmoments that transp ort both th e acto r and audience. If thathappens, we have atta ined communion." - Sheri}' Fisher

SPRING 2002 • 43

AL UM NI

News Notes

Herbert Oberlander '61(CLAS) retired from the

AgricultureResearchService ofthe U.S.Departmentof Agriculturein December200 1. Herb

was director of the Centerfor Medical, Agricultura l,

Alan G. Proudman '59 (BUS)retired in 1997 from AGProud man Company. He livesin Scotrun, Pa., in the summerand in Green Valley, Ariz.,during the winter.

M.A. - Master of ArtsM.S.- Master of ScienceM.D.S.- Master of Dental ScienceM.B.A. - Master of BusinessAdministrationM.F.A. - Master of Fine ArtsM.M. - Master of MusicM.P.A. - Master of Public AffairsM.P.H. - Master of Public HealthM.S.W. - Master of Social WorkM.S.P.T. - Master of Sciencein Physical TherapyPharm.D. - Doctor of PharmacyPh.D.- Doctor of PhilosophyD.M.A. - Doctor of Musical ArtsJ.D. - Juris DoctorM.D. - Doctor of MedicineD.M.D. - Doctor of Dental Medicine6th year - Sixth-year certificate

Douglas E Watson '56 (SAH)has been awarded life membership in the American PhysicalTherapy Association. Douglas isa licensed physical therapist inFlorida and Connecticut.

Roy T. Jo hnson '58 (BUS) istreasurer of Pittsburgh VisionServices, an agency for theblind and vision impaired .

Bernard R. Berson '57 (ENG )was recentl y appointed chairman of the private prac tice division of the Nationa l Security ofProfessional Engineers and isalso a vice preside nt of NSPE.Bernard resides in Perrineville,N.j. , where he is self-employedas a forensic engineer.

Burton Hendel '5 1 (BUS) hasretired after 34 years in theretail toy business.

Bernard Misek '56 Ph.D.retired in 1990 as researchdirector at Smith kline BeechamConsumer He;l1thcare . Bernardnow resides in Raleigh , N.C.

CANR - College of Agricultureand Natural ResourcesSAH - School of Allied Health(LAS - College of liberal Artsand SciencesBUS - School of BusinessSFA- School of Fine ArtsED- Neag School of EducationENG - School of EngineeringSFS- School of Family StudiesBGS- General StudiesNUR- School of NursingPHR- School of PharmacyRHSA- Ratcliffe Hicks Schoolof AgricultureSSW - School of Social Work

Dick Marsh '55 (BUS) hasmarried Audrey Tierney. Thecouple hon eymooned at theGrand Canyon. They residein Roxbury, Conn.

Albert M. White '48 (PHR),'52 M.S. has been namedhonorary president of theAmerican Association ofColleges of Pharma cy for hislongtime cont ributio ns to thefield of pharmacy and itsstudents . Albert is associatedean emeritus and professoremeri tus at the Albany Collegeof Pharmacy, where he beganteachin g in 1952 .

1950 5

Henry H. Katten '53 (BUS)was hon ored with a certificate

of appreciationfor his out standing serviceto the WestHavenCommunityHouse. Henry

L- --' is also vice

president of the Greater NewHaven UConn Alumni Chapterand a memb er of the UConnAlumni Council.

William Tribou '42 (CLAS )won the 800 - and 1500-meterraces in the 80 and olderage group at the NationalMasters USA Track andField Championships inBaton Rouge, La.

1940 5

Edwa rd Zielinski '42 (C LAS)and his wife, Mary, celebratedtheir 57th wedding anniversaryon November 25, 2001.

day. It is a weekend you cannotafford to miss' Invitations willbe sent in April.

• Classic Classes ReunionFor those of you who have alreadycelebrated your 50th reunion, joinus for a day of reminiscing onSaturday, June 1, 2002, for theClassic Classes Reunion. JoinUConn historian Mark j. Roy,author of The College HistolYSeries: University of Connecticut,at the Classic Classes luncheonalong with many more plannedactivities. Invitations will besent in April.

For more details call Kim Lachut orJulie Sweeney at the AlumniAssociation at (888)UC-ALUM-lor (860)486-2240 or by email [email protected] [email protected] can alsocheck the Web site atwww.uconnalumnLcom

L. Maeve McPeek Ward '48(CLAS) is the co-producer ofthe award-winning video"Newton Goes Green, Part 1:SayNo to Pesticides," which wasprodu ced for the Green DecadeCoalition of Newton, Mass.

WaIter Morgan '46 (CAN R),'53 Ph.D. married Zhaa YanZhen (loan) in Febru ary 200 Iin Mesa, Ariz.

WEWANT TO HEAR FROM YOUILet 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 ConnecticutAlumni Association, Alumni Drive, Storrs, CT 06269; by fax to860-486-2849; or bye-mall to alumn [email protected]

H. Seymour Barnes '30 (ENG )has retired at age 89 and is nowliving in Des Moines, Iowa.

Morton N. Katz '39 (CLAS) ,'5 1 J .D, received the Dedicated

Public ServiceAward fromConnecticutSecretary of theState SusanBysiewicz forhis service astown moderator

in Avon, Conn. Morton is aJudicial Department Magistratein eight geographical areacourts presidin g over civil(small claims) and infractioncases. He is vice-chairmanof the Connecticut PublicTransportation Commission andis general counsel tothe Sphinx Shrine Templ ein Newington, Conn.

• Class of 1952: Welcome Home!The class of 1952 will be holdingits 50th class reunion the weekend of May 31 & June 1, 2002.This is a great time to celebrateyour connection to the Universityand visit with friends and classmates. The weekend will includea luncheon with UConn footballcoach Randy Edsall, school andcollege gatherings, reunion collegeseminars, bus tours of campusand much more! On Saturdayyou will be joined by the "ClassicClasses" alumni, graduates of 51years and beyond who will sharein the activities throughout the

19305


ALUMNI NEWS &: NOTES

PROFILE

Ahappy championof heralma mater

She's a peppy octogenar ianwho tools about Storrs in aVolvo, delivering herself toprojects and causes withvitality and passion.

Meet Louise TeichJohnson '36 (SFS), '52 M.A.,who for nearly 70 years hassurrendered her heart toUConn, first as a student,then as a faculty memberand volunteer.

"Louise has a wonderfulcapacity to engage insomething new and that'sinspiring in a person of herage," says Irene Q. Brown,associate professor in theSchool of Family Studies.

johnson's allegiance to UConnsprings not only from her ownexperiences but also through those of her father, Frederick C.Teich,the architect of several University buildings, including thejorgensen Center for the Performing Arts and the former HomeEconomics building, which now houses the School of Family Studies.

The 88-year-old dynamo's love for UConn is also connected tothe love of her life, her late husband, Reuben "Ben" Johnson Jr.'36 «(LAS), whom she met when he sketched her picture during aclass their freshman year. An Army veteran of World War /I and theKorean War, Ben johnson went on to serve the University as deanof men, chief veterans counselor and, later, as director of theUConn Alumni Association .

Since retiring in 1976, johnson has devoted time and energy toa variety of University organizations, most notably the School ofFamily Studies and the Alumni Association . She was honored withthe Alumni Association's University Service Award in 1987 andshared the University Medal with her husband in 1990.

These days, johnson is content to have experienced life as ateacher, homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend . Her son, Reuben johnson /II, and daughter, jilllohnson -Rourke, feel inspired by their mother's full and active life ."My mother is optimistic, intellectually curious and always wantsto be involved," says Reuben johnson.

lohnson -Rourke says mother "can feel good about the legacyshe's leaving behind."

That legacy now includes a new creative outlet-writing poetry.In one poem, "Eternity Now," johnson writes: "Rewards are ourfriends /our pleasure resource/ A brief time with some/with othersmuch longer /With frequent encounters, friendships grewstronger/Though many have traveled out of our reach/In allmemories, we feel the breach."

For Louise Teich johnson the memories are grand. She continueson life's highway and is always ready for new encounters.- Claudia G. Chamberlain

Joel Hirschorn'64 (Cl AS) ispresident-electof the AmericanBoard ofCriminallawyers.

David Shack '66 (ED), '72Ph .D. is a full partner atGeriatric Mental HealthSpecialists, which providesservices to patients in long-termcare facilities throughoutConnecticut.

Julia n received the College ofPharmacy's DistinguishedService Award in May 2001 .

Sta nley J. Kavan '67 (Cl AS)is a senior vice president atZurich Insurance Services inJacksonville, Fla.

John N. O'Shaughnessy '66(SFA) is an insurance agentwith Farm Family Insurnace inEllington, Conn., and his wife,Ellen Hodgson O'Shaughness y'66 (SFA), '7 1 M.A., is a mathteacher at Tolland Midd leSchool in Tolland, Conn .

Edward ]. Mazur '64 (ENG)has been reappo inted to theGovernmental Account ingStandards Board (GASB) by theFinancial AccountingFoundation in Norwalk, Conn.The GASB is the independ ent ,non-profi t organiza tion thatestablished and improvesfinancial accounting andreporting standards for stateand local governments.

athaniel l. Simms '65M.5.W has retired from theCalifornia Youth Authority andis in private practice as alicensed clinical social workerand marriage-fam ily therapist.

Eric R. Swanson , Jr. '67 (BUS)retired from Electric Boat inGroton, Conn., in 1995 afterserving as an industrial engineerand administrato r.

James P. O'Sullivan '64 M.A.,'70 Ph .D. is associate generalcounsel in the United StatesOffice of Government Ethics inWashington, D.C.

Dani el S. Firestone '63(BUS) hasbeen appointedchair of thememberbenefits committee of theConnecticutSociety of

Certified Public Accountants.

Carol Hagen '63 (ED), '72M.A. retired in 1999 afterteaching for 39 years and hastraveled around the world .Carol plans on retu rning toSweden in 2003 for the 4-HInternational World Conference.

William . Farmen '62 (BUS)is senior vice president andgroup director of the FederalGroup at VSE, a firm providingdiversified services and products to the engineering, energy,environment, informationtechnology, postal and defenseservices markets. Williamretired from the U.S. Army in1996 as a major general.

Barbara Holveck Dani els '63(Cl AS) is a new member ofthe board of education inNaugatuck, Conn. A retiredelementary teacher, Barbara isalso a member of theNaugatuck Historical Society.

and Veterinary Entomologyin Gainesville, Fla. Herb is afellow of the EntomologicalSociety of America and receiveda "Meritorious Executive" Awardfrom President Bill Clinton in1998.

Mario n Mischel '62 (Cl AS)has retired from l os Angeles

Unified SchoolDistrict afterteaching for 39years. Marionhas been selected for WhosWho AmongAmericas

Teachers. She resides inSherman Oaks , Calif., and has areal estate practice in the SanFernando Valley.

Julian H. Fincher '64 Ph.D .retired in December 2000 fromUniversity of South CarolinaCollege of Pharmacy.

SPRING 2002 • 45

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

Carol Milardo Floriani '68 list of 250 best financial Brenda, live in Newington, professor of English at Marshall(NU R) is director of profession- advisors in the country for Conn. University in Hunt ington , WVa.al services at Heartland the fifth time.Hospice, West Covina, Calif. Paul Lachanc e '70 (PHR) has Gregory Beamon '72 (ENG)Carol also works as an indepen-

1970 5been named lead consultant won gold and silver medals in

dent consultant in health ser- and assistant manager of the senior free pistol classifica-vices. Carol and her husband , Kindred Pharmacy Services of tion at the USAShootingRobert , live in Corona, Calif. Calvin L. Blinder '70 (CLAS) Portland , Me., a provider of National Championships held

received his 20-year pin at pharmaceut ical services to in Atlanta, Ga.Chris Donovan '69 (SFA) Constellation Energy Group in long-term care facilities.directed the American Teachers Baltimore, Md., in May 200 1. Gwendo lyn Cooke '72 Ph.D .Awards on the Lifetime televi- Calvin is principal accounting Karen Harrington '71 (SSW) , has published a book, Keys tosion network. Chris also direct- analyst of corporate accounting '75 M.S.W was named director Success for Urban Schooled the 2002 Golden Globe at Constellation. of the studen t Principals. Gwendolyn's bookAwards on CBS in j anuary and continuity prac- details seven keys for successfulthe Independent Film Spirit Angelo L. dos Santos '70 tice at the and effective school leadershipAwards on Bravo in March . (ED), '73 J. D. became a University of in any setting: control, caring,

Connecticut Superior Court Connecticut change, charisma, communica-Ronald P. Guilbea ult '69 judge in 2001. Angelo resides School of tions, curriculum and courage.(CLAS) has started his second in Cromwell, Conn., with his Medicine. Thecareer as a member of the wife, Linda dos Santos '73 SCP program John A. Ramadei '72 (BUS)United Nations Next Steps (CANR) , and their daughter. provides stude nts with patient is chief financial officer forCommittee, which planned a

Joseph W Dubin '70 (CLAS)care experience during their the Connecticut Lottery

UN energy conference in first year of medical school. Corporatio n in New Britain,February Ronald is an account is a commissioner in the East Karen resides in West Hartford , Conn.executive for Consolidated Hartford , Conn., office of the Conn., with her husband , LeoEdison Company of New Federal Mediation and Harrington '7 1 (C LAS), '77 Charlene G. Reagan '72 (ED)York , Inc. Conciliation Service. j oseph has M.S.W was named the Outstanding

appeared in Whos Who in Family and Consumer ScienceMargery Lynn Kabat '69 America, Whos Who in Fi nance Chris tina Murphy '7 1 Ph.D. Educato r of the Year by the(SFS) , '75 M.A. has been and Industry, and Whos Who in has been appoi nted dean of New York State Association ofnamed to the Worth Magazine the World. j oseph and his wife, the College of Liberal Arts and Family and Consumer Science

PROFILE

The man whotalks with computers

Kevin Dowd '81 «(LAS)wants to be a latter-day Dr. Dolittleand talk with computers.

"It's the ultimate interface," says Dowd. "Humans are===;;==everywhere. Computers ar everywhere. But we speak different

languages. My goal is a computer that you can talk to."Toward that end, Dowd founded Brainhat Corp., a software

start-up in East Hartford, Conn. Brainhat's goal is to bridgethe language gap between human and machine by helpingcomputers learn to understand the spoken word, not unlikethe HAL9000 computer in Arthur C.Clarke's novel "2001:

A Space Odyssey."Although it's not yet possible to conduct a conversation with

your desktop computer, some progress has been made inprogramming computers to hear spoken words. Voice recognitionsoftware, for example, already allows people to dictate text andissue simple verbal commands to personal computers. But Dowdbelieves much more is possible.

"Typing away at a computer keyboard might be familiar to us,but it's certainly more inefficient and time consuming in certaincases than being able to talk directly to your computer and haveit understand what you're saying," says Dowd. "The one thingthat still isn't solved is how do you represent knowledge andmanipulate it so that you can talk to computers and have a conversation with them?"

That question has fascinated Dowd since he was a UConn


student. In the yearssince, he has worked inthe nuclear power industry, in information technology departments atseveral companies, andbuilt his own technologybusiness, which he soldin 1999. Dowd also haswritten two books, HighPerformance Computing(a college textbook stillin use), and GettingConnected to theInternet at S6K.

Brainhat has madeconsiderable progress in a short time. Last year, the companyintroduced a natural language operating system that can beprogrammed in English and a voice/Web server based on theoperating system that interprets natural language requests.

Dowd believes the possibilities are seemingly endless if acomputer could be made to understand spoken English."Imagine a computer that could manage household tasks andprovide information in response to normal speech. What time isit? What's the weather going to be like tomorrow? What's in thefridge? What was my credit card bill last month," he says.-Gary E. Frank

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

Department of Agriculture inBeltsville, Md. Morse receivedboth the Nationa l AmericanSociety of Animal ScienceResearch Scientist Award and aU.S. Depart ment of AgricultureAward in 2001.

w. Scott Argraves '78 (CLAS),'85 Ph.D. has been promoted toprofessor in the Department ofCell Biology and Anato my atthe Medical University of SouthCarolina in Charleston, S.c.Scott resides in Charleston withhis wife, Kelley, and theirdaught er, j enna .

Anthony Cronin '78 (CLAS)is a marketing communicationsmanager at Phoenix InvestmentPartners in Hartford , Conn.Anthony was previously deputymanaging edito r at The Day , adaily newspaper in NewLondo n, Conn .

Larry]. Smotroff, '78 M.A.,'96 Ph.D., received the 200 1Northeast Regional LeadershipAward by the National Councilfor Continuing Education andTraining during the organization's conference in November2001. Larry, who is dean ofContinuing Education ,Economic and CommunityDevelopm ent at NaugatuckValley Community College inWaterbu ry, Conn., also waselected Northeast RegionalDirector for the NCCET.

Eric ]. Ulsh '78 (CLAS) andhis wife, Patricia, announcethe birth of their son, LiamEricsson, on june 19, 2001.Liam joins his older sisters,Diana, Catherine and Rachel.Eric is a vice president anddistrict marketing manager atthe Herndon, Va., office ofParsons Brincke rhoff, an infrastructure planning , engineering,and construction managementfirm . The Ulsh family reside inCentreville, Va.

Carla Mond Bradford '79(C LAS), '83 M.A. and herhusband , Paul, are proud toannounce the adoption of theirfirst child, Megan Sarah, bornNovember 29 , 2000 . Carla iscurre nt ly a homemaker and

John Malfettone '77 (BUS)has been named executive vicepresident and chief financial

officer ofMacDermid ,Inc. Prior tojoiningMacDermid ,john wasmanagingdirecto r of

GE Equity. john, his wife, andtheir five child ren reside inTrumbull, Conn.

Sherry Ballow Hanson '77(CLAS) is a health writer for

magazines,newspapers,newsletters andonline publications. She hasbeen named acorres pondent

'--''--'IL--L_--' for drkoop.com,a Web site founded by formeru.s. Surgeon General C. EverettKoop. Sherry lives in Brunswick,Me. with her husband , Harry.

Career Development Office atthe Yale Law School.

David Goett '77 (BUS) is thesenior cont ract negotiator atLawrence Livermore NationalLaboratory in Livermore, Calif.David is also owner andoperator of an Internet spo rtsmemo rabilia business,www.tvballcards .com.

Cathryn E. DeCesare '76(SFS) is a senior admi nistratorfor the YM.C.A. of SouthCounty, a branch of the YM.CA.of Greater Providence, R.l.

J an ice Roy Jordan '77 M.S.Wis president of ResourceManagement , a firm specializingin govern ment cont ract development and marke ting inEverett , Wa. j anice and herfamily reside in Mill Creek, Wa.

Morse B. Solomon '77 (CLAS)is research leader of the FoodTechnology and SafetyLaboratory of the u.s.

Henry Von Koh orn '76 M.B.A.has been named chairmanemeri tus of Response RewardSystems, L.L.c. in Vero Beach ,Fla.

Murray "Bob" Hersh '7 5 M.A.is the director of Masters ofFine Art, an organizationof professional and advancedamateur artists in the Tampa,Fla., area.

Pamela Sherwill '75 (ED) isa librarian on the faculty of theUniversity of Florida College ofNursing.

Richard T. Minoff '75 (C LAS)is executive vice president anddirector of client services atInterlink Healthcare Communications, Laurenville, N.j.

John Braccio '76 (CLAS), '80M.S. recently moved fromYarmouth , Me. to Guilford ,Conn ., to open a branch officefor his company, Wright-Pierce ,in Middletown, Conn . john is avice president at Wright-Pierce,an environmental/civil engineering firm. johns wife, The resaBryan t '78 (ED), is an attorneyworking as director of the

Gloria H. Giroux '75 (CLAS)is a project manager in globalfinancial services at AmericanExpress, where she has workedfor more than 12 years.

Robert Tudor '75 M.S. isdeputy executive director ofthe Delaware River BasinCommission, an interstatefederal agency responsible formanaging water resourceswithin the 13,539 -square-mileDelaware River Watershed.

Edward P. Don ovan '75 M.S.is the science laboratory andREACH (gifted and talented)teacher at Berry SchoalsIntermediate School inDuncan, S.c.

Richard ] , Zarbo '74 (CLAS),'78 (D.M.D.) , '81 (M.D.) has

been appointedchairman ofpathology atHenry FordHospital andMedical Groupand senior vice

L-_--.~_--' president forpathology and laboratorymedicine of the Henry FordHealth System in Detroit, Mich.

Francis ]. Gibo ns '74 (CLAS)has been named chief of theAntiterrorism AssessmentDivision, Defense ThreatReduction Agency at the u.s.Department of Defense. Francisis a colonel in the U.s . Air Force.

Alan B. Igdalsky '74 (C LAS)has beenappointed chairof the PeerReviewCommittee ofthe ConnecticutSociety ofCertified Public

Accountants for 2001-02.

Rachel Pride Sherman '73M.A. has been named to theConnecticut Children'sBehavioral Health Commi ttee.Rachel has been an advocate atthe Connecticut Office ofProtection and Advocacy forPersons with Disabilities for 12years.

Ellery E. Plotkin '74 (BUS)has been elected majori ty leaderof the Fairfield, Conn .,Representative Town Meeting.Ellery lives in Fairfield with hiswife, Gail, and their children,Andrew and Rachel.

Mary Ann Bowersock '74(ED) is a veteran employmentand workforce servicerepresen tative for the VirginiaEmployment Commission.Mary Ann is retired from theu.s. Navy.

Educators. Charlene teacheshome and career skills at theHommocks Middle School inLarchmont , N.Y.

Peter Rubino '74 (E G) isresearch and developmentmanager, integrated businesssystems for Intel Corporationin Chandler, Ariz.

James Milliga n '73 M.A. isdean of admissions at ColumbiaUniversity School of Law.

Joan Winters '74 (SAH) hasbeen a colonel in the U.s . AirForce Reserves since June 1999.

SPRING 2002 • 47


Leigh Ann Curl '85 (CLAS)has comp leted her secondseason as the team orthopedistfor the Baltimore Ravens. LeighAnn is the only female teamphysician in the NFL and is alsothe head physician for theUniversity of Maryland's sportsmedicine program.

Dan a Manner '83 (BUS) isdirector of finance for theLennar Partners division of LNRProperty Corp . a real estate andcom mercial mortgage-backedsecurities investment firm inMiami, Fla. Dana and his wifeannounce the birt h of theirtwins, Tyler and Lauren , inApril 2000.

Michael K. Kinn ey '85 (ENG)is an associate in the intellectuallaw prac tice of the firm ofWiggin &: Dana LLP in NewHaven, Conn . A graduate ofQuinnipiac University School ofLaw, Michael is a registeredpatent lawyer.

Gloria Wolk '83 M.S.W isan internationally acclaimedconsumer advocate and experton viatical settleme nts, the newindustry that buys the deathbenefits of life insurance fromterminally ill people. Glorialives in Orange County, Calif.

Tho mas P. Glori a '85 (ENG)and his wife, Andrea Roman,announce the birth of theirthird child , Isabelle, on March22,2001. Thomas has earneda M.S. in hazardous materialsmanagement and a Ph.D. inenvironmental engineering fromTufts University.

Teren ce Devine '85 (CLAS)and his wife, Ann, announcethe birth of their twin sons,Patrick Thomas and Brenda nLouis, on October 25,2001.The twins join their older sister,Emily. Terence is a treasurymanager at GE Capita l inStamford . The family reside inFairfield, Conn.

J ohn E DaRin '84 (BUS), '89M.B.A. has been named vicepresident and regional managerin Peoples Bank in People'sBridgeport Commercial Lendingregion .

Barb ar a Lan e Giaco me lli '83(PHR) is vice president ofdiagnostic and therapeuticservices at Lankenau Hospitalin Lynnewood , Pa.

J oseph W Langella, Jr. '83(CAN R) is direc tor of institutional sales for CDC IXIS AssetManagement, North America.Joe and his and wife, Donna ,announce the birth of theirsecond daughter, Maura Rose,on October 16, 2001. Maurajoins her older sister, ClaudiaElizabeth . The family residein Philadelphia, Pa.

Chris tine Frick '83 (SAH), '88M.S. and her husba nd ,Nicholas Vucelic, announce thebirth of their twin boys, GabrielJames and Jakob Andres, onMay 6, 2001.

Laurel, N.j.

Robert J . Hagerty '82 (BUS)has been named chair of ther---~----, labor and

emp loymentdepartment andenvironmental/OSHA groupfor Capehart &:Scatchard, a lawfirm in Mt.

Julie Lise Baird '83 (SFS) isbusiness office director forNorth Florida Regional MedicalCenter in Gainesville , Fla. Juliealso announces the birth of herdaughter, Kathryn BairdHempfield , on Ju ly 1, 2000 .

(Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).Mark is a professor of educationand a Distinguished ResearchFellow at Texas A&:M University.

Silvio Albino '82 (C LAS) ismanager of com mu nicationsand DIALOG administ ratorat Otis Elevator Company inFarmington, Conn. Silvio supports internal communicationsand media relations and manages DIALOG, a confidentialemployee-to-executive communications system . Silvio andhis wife, Sheree , reside inWethersfie ld, Conn., with theirson, Michael.

James P. Brennan '8 1 (BUS)completed his first season asa member of the Big EastConference football officiatingstaff in the fall of 2001. Jim is aproject accounting supervisor atBayer Corporation in WestHaven, Conn., and resides inOrange , Conn. with his wife,Sue, and thei r children .

Sco tt P. Peters '8 1 (BUS) andhis wife, Karin, announce thebirth of their son , Alexander ,on June 15,2001.

Edward Sypniewski '80 (PHR)is associate director of scientificaffairs in the pharmaceuticaldivision of Bayer Corp ., wherehe has worked for six years .Edwa rd and his family reside inRichm ond , Va.

Richard H. Mich ael s '8 1(BUS) and his wife, Laurie,announce the birth of a son ,Jarrett , on May 6, 2001. Jarrettjoins a sister, Bryce, and abrother, Justin. Richard is president of Michaels Jewelers, andchairman of the MichaelsJewelers Foundation , which hasfunded eight scho larships toUConn stude nts.

Mark Sadoski '8 1 Ph .D. hasco-authored a book titledImagery and Text: A Dual CodingTheory of Reading and Writing

Kathryn Senie '80 (C LAS) hasbeen named director of grantsand strategic planning atNorwalk (Conn.) CommunityCollege.

James Kenned y '80 (BUS) isvice president of the Dole FoodCompany, Inc. in WestlakeVillage, Calif.

Mark S. Ca ta lina '8 1 (SFA)had a one-man exhibitio n ofr-- --=oo;;o-----, his art at Real

Art Ways inHartford,

. Conn. , inJanuary. Mark

. has been anadjunctfaculty member

in the graph ic design depa rtment at Tunxis CommunityCollege since 1995.

Debra Fis h Kaye '79 (NU R) isa nurse case manager in theWallingford , Conn., office ofLiberty Mutual Life Assurance.Debra also has earned nationalcertification as a case manager(CCM). Debra resides inWallingford , Conn ., with herhusband, David , and theirdaughter.

Steve Gro sso '80 (BUS) is amember of the board of trustees

at St. MaryMedical CenterFoundation inLanghorne, Pa.Steve is president and chiefexecutive officerof De Lage

Landen Financial Services, inWayne , Pa.

David W High et '79 (PHR)was recently promoted to vicepresident and chief intellectualproperty counsel for Becton,Dickinson and Company.

part-time graduate student inlibrary sciences . The Bradfordsreside in Bedford , Mass.

Dale J. Fiore '80 (CANR) hasbeen appointed vice president

of theConnec ticutCemeteryAssociation .Dale is thesuperintendentof EvergreenCemetery and

Crematory in New Haven,Conn., where he has workedsince 1986.

Thomas Ce lla '79 (CLAS)is board certified as a trialadvoca te by the National Boardof Trial Advocacy (NBTA).

Joel M. Kosovsky '79 (BUS)has been appointed chair of theConnecticut Society of CertifiedPublic Accountants PersonalFinancial Planning Commi tteefor 2001-02.


PROFILE

Awordsmith's life

Forsomeone whose job is ruled by deadlines, it's ironic that areprieve from a missed deadline helped determine the courseof Patricia (Brown) Weitz's career.

Larry Bowman, a UConnprofessor of political science, hadurged Weitz to apply for an internship with The Nation, theNew York City-based progressive political and cultural journal.

"He [Bowman] knew that my political leanings were veryliberal, and The Nation is about as far left as you can get,"says Weitz, a 1995 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts andSciences. "I had already missed the deadline but applied anyway.They invited me in for an interview and before I knew it,they were telling me they'd like me to come to New York."

That internship as a fact checker for The Nation led tosubsequent editorial posts at publications such as House andGarden, The New Yorker and, since November 2000, to Weitz'scurrent post as assistant editor of the Sunday Opinion section ofthe Los Angeles Times.

"It's a great section," Weitz says. "It's filled with pieces thatare well thought out, very provocative, and fun to work with."

Her duties at the Times afford Weitz time to work as a freelance writer, although at the cost of squeezing a week's worth ofwork into three days. Although she has written articles for thephotography publication Photo District News, these days Weitz's

primary creative priority isa novel set atUConn. "Iguess youcould say it's acoming-of-agestory, althougha rather darkone," saysWeitz, whorecently married writerdirector Paul

Weitz of "American Pie" fame. "I'm using UConnas the setting.As with most fiction, the story is inspired, in part, by personalexperience. The rest is inspired by fantasy."

Working on the opinion section of a major newspaper took on aspecial resonance, Weitz says, in the aftermath of the events ofSeptember 11, 2001. "Most of us were trying to process the disaster and figure out just how we felt about it," says the Brooklyn,Conn., native. "It was helpful to read all these articles each weekby all sorts of people commenting on what had happened. Ithelped me sort out my own feelings at that time."- Gary E. Frank

And y Morrissey '85 (CLAS),'88 J.D . has been certified as aspecialist in workers compensation law by the ConnecticutBar Association. Andy is apartner in the firm of Morrissey&: Morrissey, located inNaugatuck , Conn .

Laurie (Friel) Robinson '85(BUS), '87 M.A. and HaroldRobinson '85 (CLAS), '89M.S., '90 Ph.D. announce thebirth of their son , Elijah Aaron,on November I, 2001. Elijahjoins his eight-year-old sister,Madeleine, and five-year-oldbrother, Jonathan. Laurie is acurriculum developer withClGNA HealthCare , and Haroldis a physicist with the NAVSEAUndersea Warfare Center. Theyreside in Colchester, Conn.

Patricia Lynch Knapp '86(BUS) and ] ohn P. Knapp '87(BUS) announce the birth oftheir third child , Erin Kathryn,on March 3, 2001. Erin joinsher sisters, Sarah and Lauren.John is the director of businesssystems at Prudential RealEstate &: Relocation in Shelton ,Conn . The family reside inTrumbull, Conn.

Karen Marchetti '86 (C LAS)announces the birth of herdaughter, Victoria Katerina, onMarch 7, 2001 . Victoria joinsher brothers, Lorenzo andGiorgio.

Shelby Strano Mura ski '86(CLAS) was voted Realtor of

the Year2000-2001 bythe Tri-CountyBoard ofRealtors. A coowner of RealtyExecutives inManchester ,

Conn ., Shelby is currentlypresident of the Tri-CountyBoard. She resides inManchester with her husband,Kenny, and their twin daughters, Adele and Jessica.

Dennis Piotrowski '86(CLAS), '90 M.A. is thearchivist and assistant curator atthe Fort MacArthur Museum inSan Pedro, Calif. Dennis is alsoa freelance columnist. His wife,Marifrances Trivelli '90 M.A.,is the curator of the Los AngelesMaritime Museum, also in SanPedro.

Pamela Reichert '86 (SAH) isthe co-author of a chapter oneating disorders in the tenthedition of Krause's Food,Nutrition & Diet Therapy .

Betsy Sherr '86 (BUS) and herhusband , Evan, announce thebirth of their son, CameronElliot, on March 15,2001.Betsy is a studio manager forHelmick and Schechter Studios .The family reside in Ashland ,Mass.

Dar yl Aiken '87 (CLAS) ispresident of Unity HealthServices, Inc. of Fairfield, N.].Daryl is also owner and chiefexecutive officer of IntegratedBenefits Solutions , LLC inRandolph, N.].

Matthew K. Beatman '87(ENG), '90 J.D . and his wife,Debra, announce the birth of ason, Jared Corey, on August 9,200 1. Jared joins his sister, CalliAliza. Matthew is a partner inthe law firm of Zeisler &:Zeisler, PC, in Bridgeport ,Conn . The family reside inKensington , Conn .

Steven Friedman '87 (BGS) isthe author of Golden Memories

of the SanFrancisco BayArea (ArcadiaTempus), whichrecently had itssecond printing.Steven is a stay

_lo.....:~__ at-home father

and an oral histo rian, helpingfamilies preserve their histories.Steven, his wife, Verna, andson, Miguel, live in San Rafael,Calif.

Marcia McMahon '87 (ED)and Bill Chambers '88 (ENG)announce the birth of theirthird son , Matthew, onSeptember I, 2000 .

Harvey B. Polansky '87 Ph.D .has edited a textbook on schoollaw. Harvey has served assuperintendent of schools inSouthington, Conn ., since July2000 . He has been an adjunctprofessor at the University ofConnecticut since 1990. Harveyand his family reside inTrumbull, Conn .

SPRING 2002 • 49

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

RECONNECTIAre you interested in gettingreconnected with that specialgroup of friends? Let the UConnAlumni Association help. If youhave a specific group (i.e. dorm,fraterni ty, sorori ty, studentorganization , athletic team,intra mura l team, etc.) that youwould like to get together atHomecoming 2002, to be heldon October 19, contact KimLachut at 860-486-2240 ortoll free at 888-UC-ALUM-I ,and she can help you. She canalso be contacted by e-mail [email protected].

Michael R. Song '87 (BUS) hasbeen indu cted into the SouthCentra l Connecticut Alzheimer'sAssociation Hall of Fame.Michael also received the 2001Multiple Sclerosis Society'sCorporate Achiever Award. Heis a regional account managerfor Pfizer and resides inGuilford , Conn., with his wife,Kristin, and their two children,Emily and Evan.

Dawn Card-Kaplan '88(CLAS) and Jonathan Kaplan'89 (CLAS) announce the birthof their second child, RachelElizabeth, on March 3, 2000.Rachel joins her brother,Benjamin. The family reside inCheshire, Conn., where Dawnworks for Athena Health Care

Systems and Jonathan works forEdward Jones Investments.

Edelyn Cintron '88 (NUR)recently started a new homebased business, Soaps &Candles Galore, and launcheda new Web site, www.soapsandcandlesgalore.com. Edelyn alsoworks part time with mentallyill child ren as a registerednurse . She lives in Portland ,Conn., with her husband , Ted,and their daughter, Alexis.

Jennifer Kennedy '88 (CLAS),'95 M.A. is the head women'ssoccer coach at Utah StateUniversity in Logan, Utah .

Steve Kirschner '88 (ED)has been promo ted to associatedirector of athletic communications at the University of NorthCarolina in Chape l Hill, N.e.Steve is in his 13th yearat UNe.

Michael Murray '88 (CLAS)and his wife, Karin, announcethe birth of their first child,Kayla Denise, on July 8, 2001.

Diane Levine Thierauf '88(SAH) received her M.S. inmedical laboratory science fromNortheastern University in1992. She is a software developer with Renal Care Group ,Inc. in Nashville, Tenn. Dianemarried David Thierauf in

2001. The couple and their sonreside in Hermitage, Tenn.

Amy Modi Anderson '89(CLAS) and her husband ,Greg, announce the birth oftheir daughter, Sarah Florence,on April 6, 2001. Sarah joinsher brother, Jacob Oscar. Thefamily live in Southington,Conn .

E. Michael Brennan '89(CLAS) and his wife, Karen,announce the birth of theirdaughter, Ellison (Ellie)Margaret , on June 6, 200 1. Thefamily reside in Darien, Conn.

Mark Dante '89 (CLAS).,.....-.._--....... has been

promoted togeneral salesmanager forKMEX-TV,Channel 34 ,in Los Angeles,Calif., the

leading Spanish-languagetelevision station in theUnited States.

Bessie Tsakonas DeBassio '89(PHR) and her husband , Peter,announce the birth of their son ,Peter Douglas, on December 26,2000.

Margaret Chrabolowski '89(BUS) is the marketing manager at People's Bank inBridgeport, Conn. Margaretannounces the birth of her

daughter, Karina Clare, in April2001. Karina joins her sister,Delaney.

Karen Davidson Footit '89(NUR) and her husband , Bruce,anno unce the birth of their second child, Jacob Adam, onFebruary 16, 200 1. Jacob waswelcomed home by his olderbrother, Jackson . Karen and herfamily reside in Fairbanks ,Alaska.

Dennis Maron ey '89 (CLAS)and his wife, Holly, announcethe birth of their second daughter, Cassandra Quinn, onFebruary 12, 2001. Cassie joinsher sister, Becca. The familyreside in Darien, Conn .

Heather A. Parker '89 (CLAS)and her husband, ChristopherHall, announce the birth oftheir daughter, Taylor SierraRose, on October 1, 2000 . Thefamily reside in Alameda , Calif.

Elizabe th Blake Polzello '89(SFS) and her husband, Rick,annou nce the birth of their son,Joseph Rockwell, on April 15,2001 . He joins his sister, Sarah,and his brother, Owen.

Glenn R. Sarn o '89 (CLAS)has been elected a partner ofthe law firm of Simpson ,Thacher & Bartlett. Glenn andhis wife, Grace, live in NewYork City.

A Life-Income Gift HelpsYOU ...and UConn TooA charitable trust or other plann ed gift may enable you toreceive income for life and at the same time support theUniversity of Connecticut. Benefits to you also includea charitable income tax deduction and a possible reduction ordeferral of capital gains tax.

For more informotion , contoct Nancy Schroeder at The Universityof Connecticut Foundation , Inc. Telephone : 800.269 .9965 or860 .486.6216. E-ma il: nschroeder@foundation .uconn .edu .

The University of Connecticut Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt corporation dedicated exclusively to benefit the University.



Bruce Sill '92 (PHR) and hiswife, Linda, anno un ce the birthof their daughter, ElizabethAnne , on October 21, 2000.

Pamela Rothfuss Switzer '92(CLAS) and Peter Switzerannounce the birth of theirfirst child, Wyatt Peter, onJu ly 20,2001.

Mark Erlichson'92 (BUS) hasbeen promo tedto director ofresearch andscheduling forthe NationalHockey League.

Ted Chrzanowski '92 (BUS) isthe sales manage r at PaulsonTraining Programs Inc., locatedin Chester, Conn . Ted is alsoenro lled in the Executive MBAprogram at the UConn Schoolof Business.

Brian Perruccio '92 (CLAS)and Jennifer Rogers announcethe birth of the ir son, DavisAnthony, on May 29, 200 1.The family reside in Morrisville,N.C.

Roger H. Spea r '92 (BGS) hasbeen elected treasurer of theConnecticut Valley chap ter ofthe Risk &: InsuranceManagement Society for the200 1- 2002 year.

Joelle Rhodes Lapsley '92(CLAS) and Frank Lapsleyanno unce the birth of their firstson, Declan James, in June2000 . The family reside inNaples , Fla.

Karen Gardiner '92 (CLAS)was married to Brenda n Kenneyon June 22, 2001, in Duxbury,Mass. Karen is a producer atArnold Worldwide in Boston ,Mass. The couple reside inBrookline, Mass.

Michell e Grant '92 (BUS) andher husband announce thebirth of their second child,Alicia Dorothy on October 19,200 I. Alicia joins her olderbro ther, Alexander Michael.The family reside in Colchester,Conn.

Donald Joseph Cos te llo '91(CLAS) is working as anoptometrist at the OchsnerClinic in New Orleans, La.

Laura Chapman Rubbo '9 1(C LAS) is senior programmanager for the human rightsprogram of Business for SocialResponsibility (www.bsr.org)in San Francisco , Calif. BSRis a business membershiporganization whose mission isto advance leadership inresponsible ways that respectethical values, people , communities and the environment.Her husband, Antonio Rubb o'93 (ENG) , is a partner atDegenko lb Engineers , a structural engineering consu ltingfirm in San Francisco .

Michele Obman '9 1 (BUS)and Scott Soulek were marriedAugust 4, 2001 , in Denver,Colo.

Mary Brandow Valino tt i '91(CLAS), 92 M.A. and herhusband, Michael, announcethe birth of their daughter,Danielle Alexis, on April27 ,2000.

Kathleen M. Nevins '9 1(CLAS), '96 ].D. announcesthe opening of a new law firm,Nevins &: Nevins LLPof EastHartford , where Kathleen ismanaging partner, and heruncle Albert E. evins Jr. ispartner.

Anthony G. Emerson '91(ENG) is a senior manager,resident engineering forDaimler Chrysler Corporationin Mexico.

Pamela Bellm ore Gardner '9 1(CLAS) has received the

Milken FamilyFoundationNationa lEducatorAward . Pam isa teacher at theGuilford High

~--~~ School. She isa member of the New HavenChapter of the UConn AlumniAssociation , and is also on theUConn Alumni AssociationBoard of Directors.

Maria Luna Bolinao '91 (CLAS)earned a M.S. from San JoseState University in May 2001.

Gregory Spadavecch ia '90M.A. com pleted the BostonMarathon in April 200 1 in3 hours, 4 minutes. Gregory isdistribution sales manager forVision Tek, a manufacturer ofPC peripherals.

Lisa Spoo ner '90 (CLAS) andPatrick Caruso '89 (CLAS)announce the birth of their second child , Thomas Richard, onApril 28 , 2001 . Thomas joinshis brother, Michael. The familyreside in East Haven, Conn .

Ellen Silk Perry '90 (SFA) andKeith Perry announce the birthof their daughter, Harleigh onJanuary 1,2001.

Kevin O'Neill '90 (CLAS) isdeputy director of the Institutefor Science and InternationalSecurity (ISIS), a non-profitresearch organization inWashingto n, D.C., that focuseson stopping the spread ofnuclear weapons.

Marga ret Teodosio '90 (CLAS)and David Boulos were marriedin October 7, 2000 , at theAssumption Church in Ansonia ,Conn . The wedding partyinclude d Jennifer Fric kePensiero '90 (C LAS) and Jo yMoeller '90 (CLAS). Margaretis a speech pathologist atJupi ter Medical Center inJupiter, Fla. The couple residein West Palm Beach, Fla.

Karen Stackpo le '90 (RHSA) isan environmental consultant for

EnvironmentalBusinessSolutions, Inc.in San Diego,Calif., joiningthe company inJanuary 2001

L-__~_-' after workingfor the National Parks Servicein the U.S. Virgin Island s. Karenspent seven days in August2001 bicycling 575 milesthrough Montana to raisemoney for AIDS research.

Lawrenc e H. Davis '90 M.A.,'01 Ph.D. and his wife, Donna,announce the birth of their son,Harrison , on August 4, 200 1.

Stuart Ungar '89 (CLAS) andhis wife, Laura, are happy toannounce the birth of theirdaughter, Eden Elyse, onDecember 26, 200 I. Laura joinsher older brother, Aaron. TheUngars reside in Newark, Del.

Ernesto Call egari '90 (PHR)and Susan Baile y Call egari '89(CANR) announce the birth oftheir son, Brian James, onMarch 8, 2001. Brian was welcomed home by his sisters ,Marina Lynn and Amanda Rose.The family reside in East Lyme,Conn.

Dave Berardis '90 (ENG) andhis wife, Joyce, announce thebirth of their daughter,Kimberley Rose, on September22, 2001. Kim joins her olderbrothers, David Joseph andMichael John. The family residein Northford , Conn . Dave is anengineering manager at FennManufacturing in Newington,Conn .

Gregory Burton '90 Ph.D. andhis wife, Marybeth, announcethe birth of their daughter,Elisabeth Marian, in September2001. Gregory has beenappointed associate dean of Artsand Sciences at Seton HallUniversity.

199°5

Stephen Hill '90 (ENG), '96M.B.A. and Ann e Rivard Hill'90 (CLAS), '92 M.A.announce the birth of son ,Coleman Sumner, on August16, 2001. Anne is a programcoordinator for UniversityEvents at UConn, and Stephenis a financial manager for Pratt&: Whitney in Cheshire, Conn .The Hills live in Tolland , Conn .

Julie Wilson '89 (BUS) andher husband, Len, announcethe birth of their daughter,Abigail, on February 26, 2001.Abigail joins her sisters, Jennieand Jessica. The Wilsons livein Morris Plains, N.j.

SPRING 2002 • 51

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

Jeffrey M. Stanton '94 M.A.,'97 Ph .D. is an assis tant profes sor in the School of InformationStudies at Syracuse University.

Lara Dufault '95 (CLAS) andStephen P. Nangle announce thebirth of a daughter, HannahIlisabe th Nangle , in 2000. Shejoins her older brother, SeanPatrick Nang le.

Jennifer Toelke '94 (BUS) andDarrin Bourret were married onAugust 4, 200 1, in Arling ton ,Mass. , at St. Paul LutheranChurch. The couple reside inMedford, Mass. The weddingparty included KatherineFuller '95 (CLAS).

Mark Trotochaud '94 (CANR)and Cristina CapiciTrotochaud '93 (CANR)anno unce the birth of their second child, Melani e Rae, onOctober 5, 200 1. The familyreside in Oakdale, Conn .

Darsi Cocozza '95 (CLAS) andJason Baer were married in Jul y2000. The couple reside inRidgefie ld, Conn .

Carey A. Beyor '95 (CLAS)has earne d an M.A. in marriageand family therapy at Ant iochNew Englan d Graduate Schoo l.Carey is pri mary thera pist toadolescents at Joshua Center atNatchaug Hospital in MansfieldCenter, Conn.

Monika Campe '95 (CA R)and Matthew Hamilton weremarried October 6, 2001.

Eric J. Baumann '95 (CLAS)and jaclyn N. Gills were married on August 4, 200 I, inColumbus, Ohio. The couplereside in Hilliard , Ohio .

James M. Dub reuil '95 (SAH) ,'97 M.B.A. and Nicole LeeRubertinno-Dubreuil '95 (SAH)announce the birth of their firstchild, James Marc jr. , on Apri l25,2001. Jim is a plan ma nagerat ConnectiCare in Farm ingto n,Conn., and Nicole is a med icaltechnologist at Yale New HavenHospi tal in New Haven , Conn.The family reside in Stratford,Conn.

Helen Petrovick Scanlon'9 4 (CLAS) is coordinator

of voluntee rservices atWindhamHospital in

I Willimantic,Conn., and isactive at WHUSradio, hosting a

monthly pet care and animalawareness show, "Pet Time. "

Gregg A. Paolini '94 (CLAS)and his wife, Melissa, announcethe birth of their first child,Jack Alan , on April 13 , 2001.Gregg is the director of tennisfor the Long Ridge Club inStamford , Conn. The familyresides in Fairfield, Conn.

Mary Anne Clark '94 M.A.announces the birth of herdaughter, Mary Beth , on August1l ,2001.

Momar Ndiaye '93 M.A., '9 4Ph.D. is director of international programs and associate professor of political science atIllinois State University.

Jennifer Perry '93 (ENG) andMark Zm ijewski '94 (C LAS)were married September 1999.Jennifer and Mark announcethe birth of their daughter,Haley Madison, on September20 ,2000.

Vernon D. Oliver '93 (CLAS) ,'9 7 J .D . is an assistant state'sattorney in the New BritainJudicial District in Bristol,Conn.Vernon formerly worked in thechief state's attorney's office inRocky Hill , Conn.

Jennifer Palancia '93 (C LAS)graduated from CampbellUniversity School of Law inMay 200 1. Jennifer is now th eassistant university attorney atthe University of NorthCarolina-Greensboro.

Michelle Podraza '94 (CLAS)and Kyle Champagne weremarried in June 2000, andannounce the birth of their firstchild, Ryan in August 200 I .Michelle is a sixth grade teacherin Montville, Conn .

Maj . Craig R. Wonson '9 2(CLAS) and Tiffany RachelMcCatty were marriedSeptember 8, 2001. Craig iscommanding officer of awea po ns company, ThirdBattalion Fifth MarineRegiment .

Heather Felter '93 (CLAS)and her husban d announce thebirth of their so n , MatthewJames, on April 30, 2001.Matthew joins his older brother,Andrew William.

Melissa Keeshan Coughlin '93(SFS) and her husband , Dave,announce the birth of theirth ird daughter, SchuylerCaroline , on August 21 , 200 1.She joins her two sisters,Mackenzie and Kallie.

Mic hael Coady '93 (CLAS) , anassistant vice president ofFidelity Federal Bank & Trust,has been named branch manager of the bank's offices in BocaRaton, Fla.

Matthew Barnes '93 (CLAS)and Rachel Sherman Barnes'92 (ED), '94 M.A. announcethe birth of their daughter, SageKathleen , on September 13 ,200 1. The family reside onCape Cod , Mass.

Alicia Ricciard i Lahey '93(CLAS) and Craig Lahey '94(CLAS) announce the birth oftheir son, Benjamin Ricci, onMay ll , 200 1. Benjamin joinshis brother, Wesley Craig.

Jodie D'Alexander '93 (C LAS)and her husband , Taylor,announce the birth of theirdaughter, Emily Ashton , on Jul y21 , 200 I. The D'Alexandersreside in Woodbury, Conn.

John V. Erskine '93 (CLAS)graduated from Seton Hall

UniversitySchool of Lawin June 200 I.John is practicing corporatelaw at the lawfirm ofGibbons, Del

Deo, Dolan, Griffinger andVecchione in Newark, N.].

Dwigh t L. Whitaker '92---~~... (CLAS) is

an assistantprofessorof phys icsat WilliamsCollege inWillia mstown,Mass .

FACULTY

IN MEMORIAM

Irving Pitman Cummings

Clarence W. Schultz

STUDENTS

ALUMNI

Edward S. Adzima Jr. '70 (6th yr.)

Colleen Patricia Baxter'48

James Caulfield '61 M.A.

Harold Cloud '72

Emerson B. Davis '22

Robert DeMaria '61

Albert DiLaurenzio '42

Harry Ewaskio Jr. '42

Eleanor Hepburn Husler '51

Romeo D. Leandri '42

Barbara Serber Levine '53

Gerald Morgenstein '70

Nhat Pham '01

Helen Savage Shorrock '43 (SFS)

Charlotte Gallo Spencer'48 (ED)

Carol Sussman '49 (CLAS)

Andrew Timchak '51 (BUS)

Varro E.Tyler '51 M.S., '53 Ph.D.,'98 DSci.

Henry Wakeman '51 (BUS)

Florence M. Welna '56 M.S.

George E. Whitlam '41

Marvin D. Zimmerman '49 (BUS)

Nathan Zuboff '43

Hans Hercule '03

Matthew F. Sims (graduate student)

Henry Tran '05



Osvaldo G. Machado '98(CLAS) was admitted to theConnecticut Bar on November5,2001. Osvaldo is an associateat the law firm of Ventura,Ribeiro &: Smith in Danbury,Conn.

included best man JamesD'Amico '98 (CLAS) , '01M.A.; Ken Collins '99 M.A.;and Jenn Smalley '00 M.A.Also attending were DavidMills, director of the UConnMarching Band, and professorsZoe Cardon and Chris Simonfrom the Department of Ecologyand Evolutionary Biology. Andyand Joanna reside in LosAngeles.

Daniel A. DeGeorgia '98(CLAS) is currently working atPentec Inc. in Southington,Conn.

Marit R. Knollmueller '98(CLAS) is employed at thePhillippe Alexand re Gallery inNew York City. Marit is currently studying for a certificate inmuseum studies at NYU.

Cynthia Francis '98 (BUS)and Joseph Burt '98 (BUS)were married on August 4,2001, at Christ the KingChurch in Old Lyme, Conn.UConn alumni in the brid alparty included ChristopherFrancis '95 (CLAS) and KateKotsaftis '98 (CLAS). Cindy isa project manager for GECapital Card Services, and Joeis an underwriter for GE CapitalCommercial Finance.

,---= =----,.., Ruth AnnFallon '99(BGS)is attendingmedical schoolat the AmericanUniversity ofthe Caribbean

in St. Maarten, NetherlandsAntilles.

Jennifer Earl '98 (PHR) andLucas Cosgrove '95 (PHR)were married on Septembe r 15,2001. They reside in SouthWindsor, Conn .

Lucas Cussen '98 (CLAS) andAllyson Ruggiero '99 (SFS)were married on March 31 ,2001, at Our Lady of the LakesChurch in ew Milford, Conn .UConn alumni in the weddingparty were Jennifer Grannis'98 (ED), '99 M.A., KatherineJoyce '98 (SAH) , AllysonPerron '99 (CLAS), GregFennell '98 (CLAS), andVan Ho '96 (BUS). Lucas andAllyson reside in Brooklyn,Conn .

Andrew Czaja '98 (CLAS) andJoanna Contorno '99 (CLAS)were married September 2,2001, at the Candlewood Inn inBrookfield, Conn . UConn alumni in the wedding party

Travis Board '98 (CLAS) andSusan Kluk '99 (CANR) weremarried on May 18,2001 , inAnsonia, Conn . UConn alumniin the wedding included BrianGirasoli '98 (C LAS), MichaelKmec '00 (CANR), ChristineGlaude '00 (CA R), andSabrina Rogers '00 (CANR).Susan is finishing her master 'sdegree at UConn , and Travis isa pilot in the Air Force Reserveout of Westover Air Force Base,Mass. The couple live inWillington , Conn .

Washington Elementary Schoolin Manchester, Conn.

Timothy P. Shriver '97 Ph.D.has been named to the board ofdirectors of Edison Schools , thenation's largest private managerof public schools . Tim ispresident and chief executiveofficer of Special Olympics .

Michael Wh yte '97 (BUS) iscompleting a lO-month assignment in Beijing, China , and

Tokyo, Japanwith Ernst &:Young, work ing..~.Ik1. on the firstnon-performingloan sale inChina , a transaction with 53

billion worth of assets. Michaelhas been with Ernst &: Youngfor four and a half years and iscurrently manager of the firm'sNew York City office. Michaelresides in New York City.

Ileana Aguinies '97 ].D. andSteven Levine announce thebirth of their son , Ariel, onAugust 15,2001. The familyreside in Denver, Colo.

Lisa Chapman Zich '95 (PHR)and her husband, Steve,announce the birth of a daughter, Rebecca, on March 29 ,2000. Rebecca joins her sister,Katherine. Lisa is a pharmacistat the National Institutes ofHealth. The family reside inWashington,D.C.

Douglas]. Casa '97 Ph.D.has been named a fellow of

the AmericanCollege ofSports Medicine

_t-oII."W! and is therecipient of theKevin Speer,M.D. NewInvestigator

Award by the National AthleticTrainers Association Researchand Education Foundation.

An'drea Rogers '97 M.A. andBen Flynn '96 (ED) have married and announce the birth oftheir daugh ter, Madigan Lynn,on March 2, 2001. An'drea isteaching fourth grade at

Greg Holgerson '96 (BUS) andhis wife, Dalesa, announce thebirth of their son , RyanMatthew, on March 1, 2001.The family lives in Nashville,Tenn.

Matthew Wheeler '96 (BUS)and Sandra Feldman '96 (ED)were married on September 15,2001 , in Beverly, Mass. ToddBreuer '97 (CLAS) was bestman and Allyson Myers '96(CA R) was maid of honor.Other UConn alumni in thewedding party includedAndrew Cumming '95 (CLAS)and Kirk Perruccio '97(CANR). The coup le residein Massachusetts.

Jake Laban '97 (BUS) andRachelle Gonzales were marriedOctober 27, 200 1, in LosAngeles, Calif. Jake is currentlyattending graduate school atPepperdine University inMalibu, Calif. The coupleresides in Dana Point, Calif.

Caroline Sussman '95 M.S.,'97 Ph.D . is the recipient of

the YoungInvestigatorsAward from theWadsworthFoundation ofSeattle, Wash.Caroline is a

~~~~~ researchassociate in the Departmentof Neurosciences at the CaseWestern Reserve UniversitySchool of Medicine.

Kevin T. Nixon '95 (BUS) hasbeen certified as a trial advocateby the National Board of TrialAdvocacy (NBTA). Kevin practices in augatuck, Conn .

Paula M. Fahy '95 (ED), '97M.A. and Christopher J. Ostopwere married May 19, 2001, atSt. James Churc h in Stratford,Conn. Annette Palmieri '95(BUS) was in the weddingparty.

Christopher R. Fee '95 M.A.is assistant professor of Englishat Gettysburg College andauthor of Torture and Text inAnglo-Saxon England: Pain,Poetics, and Political Reality.Christopher is also the coauthor, with UConn EmeritusProfessor David A. Leeming,of Gods, Heroes, and Kings:The Battlefor MythiC Britain .

Robert]. Sawicki '95 M.B.A.has been named assistant vicepresident for claims educationand training at the HartfordFinancial Services Group .Bob and his wife, MarianneSawicki '84 (CLAS) , and theirthree daughters have relocatedto Pennsylvania fromConnecticut.

Gerry Starsia '95 M.B.A. hasbeen appointed associate deanfor adminis tration at theUniversity of Virginia. Gerryand his family reside inCharlottesville, Va.

Amy Y. Rodriguez '95 (SFS)and Jeffrey M. Ray were marriedApril 22, 2000, and annou ncethe birth of their daughter,Delaney Sophia, on January 24,200 1. The family reside inSummerville, S.c.

SPRING 2002 • 53


Courtney Wallenius '98(CLAS) and Michael Dwyer'97 (BUS) were married onAugust 3, 2001. The weddingparty included matron of honorLea Wallenius Engels '94(BUS) and Jo seph Dwyer II '93(CLAS). A reading was done byBrooks Gibson '98 (CLAS).

Colleen Mackin '99 (ED) andChristopher A. Hunter '00(BUS) were married july 20,200 1, in Worcester, Mass.Jennifer Schiavone '00 (CLAS)and joyce Guandalini '99(CLAS) were members of thewedding party.

Dina Sacatos '99 (SFS) andKeith Wulinsky '00 (BUS)were married on August 18,200 1, at the Holy Trinity GreekOrthodox Church in Bridgeport ,Conn . UConn alumni in thewedding party included bestman Scott Wulinsky '96(BUS) , matron of honorChristine Lofgren '99 (BUS)and John Bal '00 (BUS). Dina

is a housing specialist atWoodfield Family Services inBridgeport, Conn ., and Keithis a project director at MediaMarketing Assessment inShelton, Conn.

Maureen Sullivan '99 (C LAS)is a government relations

associate in theUniversity ofConnecticutOffice ofGovernmentalRelations.Previously,Maureen was a

legislative coordinator in theConnecticut Governo r's Office .

20005Marish a N. Chins ky '00(C LAS) has moved to New YorkCity and is a public relationsassociate at New York LifeInsurance Company.

J ewel McKenzie '00 (CAN R) isnatural resources manager for

the Shelton (Conn.)Conservation Commission.

Michael A. Mc ulty '00(CLAS) is a field communications manager working onmarketing and promotionsfor General Motors in theNortheast.

Sarah H. Roy '00 (C LAS) andMichael A. Burke were marriedon November 24,2001 , at St.j oseph Churc h in Bristol, Conn.The wedding party includedLucas A. Roy '99 (BUS) andLaurie Mullen '01 (CLAS).

Kate Aude tte '01 (SFA) is agraphic designer for TKGImaging, a marketing and designfirm in Bridgewater, N.j.

Alyce T. Coleman '01 (C LAS)is a copy editor and pagedesigner at the Journal News inWhite Plains, .Y.

Kimb erly Ann Eddleston '0 1Ph.D. is an assistant professorof general management in

the College of BusinessAdministration at NortheasternUniversity. Kimberly also ownsand manages Oceanscape, Inc.,a landscaping company in NorthKingston, R.l.

Kreschell Krech '01 M.A. andAndrew Morris '99 (CLAS)were married at Elizabeth Parkin West Hartford , Conn., on July14, 2001. UConn alumni in thewedding party included MarisaWolff '01 M.A. and KarenBartlett '00 (CLAS). Kreschellis employed by the GlastonburySchool system, and Andrewworks at the University ofHartford. The coup le reside inVern on, Conn.

r-----==----, Marc O'Reilly'01 Ph.D. is anassistant profes-

j sor of politicalscience anddirector ofInternational

••-..J and MulticulturalAcademic Programs at HeidelbergCollege in Tiffin, Ohio.

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SALUTES

Frank CostiglioiaFaculty Excellence in Research Alumni Awards Celebration and Silent(Humanities)-Departmentof History College of liberalArts andSciences Auction on Friday, May 10, 2002, in the

John D. SalamoneFaculty Excellence in Teachingat the UndergraduateLevel - Department ofPsycholo&>" CollegeofLiberal ArtsandSciences

the UConn Alumni Association's annual

Lewis B. Rome Ballroom at South

Campus. For more information, call

You can salute this year's honorees at

(888) UC-ALUM-I.

Bahram JavidiFaculty Excellence in Research(Sciences)- Department ofElectricalandComputerEngineering, School ofEngineering

Aaron Ment '58 (CLAS)University Service Award(Co-recipient)-SeniorJudge,Connecticut Superior Cou rt

Jam es Hurle yFaculty Excellencein Teachingat the UndergraduateLevel-DepartmentofMathematics, College ofliberal Arts andSciences

Louise Berry '52 (CLAS),'61 M.A.,'80 ].0., UniversityService Award (Co-recipient)- Superintendent, Brooklyn(Conn.) Board of Education

Paul A. Perregaux '58(CLAS), '66 M.A.,Connecticut AlumniService Award-PresidentandCEO of Siwooganock Bank

Pamela Bellmore Gardner'91 (CLAS), OutstandingYou~S Alumni Award-Teacher,Gu*ord(Conn.) HighSchool

Carolyn Runowicz '73(CLAS), DistinguishedAlumniAward-Professor, AlbertEinstein Colfege of Medicine


TH E AL UM NI

Traveler

Breathtak ing nature awaits you in Greenland, the world 's largest island.

Springtime on th e Dutch andBelgian Waterways at Tulip TimeAboard the Switzerland II, trip includesthe Floriade-a once-in-a-decadeinternational flower show I

April 22-May 4, 2002Second departure added!May 14-26, 2002

Alumni College in SorrentoMay 20-28, 2002

Brittany, Normandy and th eChanne l IslandsJun e 4-1 5, 2002

Do you have a graduating se nior?Give him or her the gift of travel!Graduate and celebra te with a classictrip to Europe!June 14-30, 2002

America's Southwest-A Family TripSedona, Grand Canyon , Lake Powelland Glen Canyon Dam, MonumentValley, Canyon de Chelly, Hopi!ApachelNavajo Indian Country . . .With John Craig, Professor of Artand Photograph yJune 29-July 7, 2002

Danube to the Black SeaJuly 1-16,2002

Featured Trip

Iceland and GreenlandJuly 24-August 3, 2002More than a thousand years ago, Vikingexplorers discovered the small, breathtaking island of Iceland in the NorthAtlant ic. The awesome landscape andmoderate climate sur prised those earlysettlers. Warmed by Gulf Stream waters,Iceland is a land of contrasts, a land ofglaciers, hot springs, geysers, active volcanoes , snow-ca pped peaks, vast lavadeserts and a country with a historyrich in folklore and drama!

Breathtaking nature awaits you inGreenland , the world's largest island , aland of gigant ic icebergs, beauti ful highmoun tains, glaciers thundering into thesea, vast inland ice, deep blue fjordsand tiny settlements. Feel the serenityof the warm-hearted people, predominantly Inuit , as we visit the villagesalong the isolated eastern coast.Greenland is a country many peopledream of experiencing, and for thosewhose dream has come true, their visit

will be the experience of a lifetime.You will be captivated by the utt erlyexceptional scenery, the equally unusualculture and the people themselves.

Magical Britain, witha Harry Potter twi st !Great for the whole family!August 2-10, 2002

Niagara-on-the-Lake andthe Shaw FestivalOctober 8-11, 2002

A Killarney, Ireland GetawayNovember 3-8, 2002

Go beyond travel and tourismVolunteer in Vietnam!With Global Voluntee rsJanuary 2003

For information on all UConn AlumniAssociation travel opportunities,call toll free (888) UC-ALU M-1(888-822-5861).

SPRING 2002 • 55

THE LAST

Word

UCONNUNIVERSITY OFCONNECTICUT

The summer '01 issue ofUConn Traditions includedan appeal to alumni toshare photos of licenseplates that show their prideand school spirit. Theappeal elicited a strongresponse that is reflectedin this photo collage . Manyof the alumni who sentphotographs also sharedrecollections of their timeat UConn, including MaryGregory '58 (PHR),whowrote, "Thanks to thewonderful education Ireceived [at UConn] I'vehad a good professionalcareer and a good life. I'mvery proud of my almamater and have had thispersonalized license platefor over 20 years."

J•

G

CT HOOPS• Garden State.

D · NL'w jersey • 0

UCO , ,97

b-NEW YORK-

~ UCONN 1T

UCONN,. \ EVERGREEN STATE I

UNNERSllY oF CONNECTICUT , ~ '

-02

GO UCONN

:: UCONN(-~~~\.:rJJ~ljj l

I•UCONN

JAN '(J~'t'L

CTHUSKY• SESO\l~ENT!NNIAl · l;o YEARS •UCONN

co

UC ·FAN ~~j~~

Do you have an essay, a photo, a poem, or some other creative expression you might want to share? If so, we want to hear from you.Send your ideas to The Last Word, UConn Traditions, 1266 Storrs Rd., Unit 4144, Storrs, CT06269, or e-mail to [email protected].


Spring 2002 - UConn Magazine - - University of Connecticut

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