Eastern Magazine Spring 2022

Issue 36

Spring 2022

Community is much more than belonging to something,

it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.

Staff and Contributors Executive Editor Kenneth DeLisa Editor Edward Osborn Associate Editor Michael Rouleau Designers Leigh Balducci | Kevin Paquin Contributors Dwight Bachman | Meghan Carden Joseph McGann | Robert Molta | Ryan Rose Michael Rouleau | Michael Stenko Photographer Tom Hurlbut

Editor’s Note We encourage alumni and other readers to share their stories with us. Send us a Class Note. Tell us what you like and want more of in EASTERN Magazine. Share stories of your time at Eastern, or what you are doing now by emailing us at editor@easternct.edu.

EASTERN Magazine is published by the Division of Institutional Advancement for the benefit of alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of Eastern Connecticut State University.

EASTERN Magazine is printed on coated paper that is certified by three environmental groups and manufactured with 30 percent post-consumer recycled fiber.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The cover of this issue of EASTERN Magazine highlights the strength of our University. In times of plenty and in times of challenge, Eastern’s people have come together as a community. Since our beginnings 132 years ago, Eastern has been a place where students, faculty and staff work together and support each other. We continue to be a campus of familiar faces, where faculty know students by their first names and guests feel at home. We also count alumni, parents and the local Willimantic community as members of this special bond.

During the past two years of COVID-19, members of the Eastern community have demonstrated their resilience, ingenuity and continued commitment to excellence. This past fall, we learned that Eastern was again ranked #1 in New England among public regional universities by U.S. News & World Report — the third year in a row! We were also ranked #1 in New England as a “Best Value” college for the quality of our academics compared to our costs.

Our athletes continued to shine, winning the Little East Conference Commissioner’s Cup for the fourth year in a row in 2019-20 for on-field performance, and taking home the LEC’s Presidents’ Cup a record sixth time in 2020-21 for overall academic achievement.

Our faculty and students also found ways to continue to engage their studies, ranging from hosting the 20th, 21st and 22nd CREATE conference for undergraduate research on our website to performing virtual musical concerts. We mastered the intricacies of WebEx, Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

In addition, the expanded use of technology we have discovered during COVID will no doubt inform our curriculum in some way in the future.

Even as Eastern has persevered during COVID-19, the campus community looks forward to a return to more normalcy in the coming months. In the meantime, we continue to focus on providing our students with an outstanding liberal arts education — grounded by experiential learning — that prepares them for rewarding professional careers and engaged private lives as citizens contributing to their communities.

As always, this issue of EASTERN Magazine has interesting stories about the Eastern community, ranging from campus activities to alumni accomplishments. We celebrated our 15th consecutive Day of Giving luncheon in support of the local community. We named the Science Building in honor of the late David G. Carter Sr. You will also read about the exploits of young alumni in STEM careers, as well as information on new alumni services. The generosity of our donors is also documented in several stories.

Read on . . . and thank you for being a member of the Eastern community.

Our big “family” continues to thrive because of you!

Elsa M. Núñez EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 1

EASTERN STUDENTS TEACH OF THE AMISTAD’S JOURNEY

STEPHEN TAVARES SWORN IN AS POLICE CHIEF Stephen Tavares ’96 was sworn in as Eastern Connecticut State University’s chief of police and director of public safety in August.

Tavares is a 1996 Eastern graduate whose return to campus follows a distinguished 26-year career with the Bristol Police Department, where he started as a patrol officer in 1995.

“I am excited about being a part of a community that means so much to me,” said Tavares. “I attended Eastern and was a residence assistant on campus . . . Now many years later, I am blessed to come back in the role of chief of police.”

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Eight Eastern students worked with Discovering Amistad this past September and October, teaching Hartford-area middle and high school students about the famed revolt of The Amistad. The Eastern students taught of the ship’s historic rebellion and helped connect it to contemporary social and racial issues as part of the “Amistad Journey to Freedom” program.

The program served more than 1,000 students from the Hartford, Bloomfield, East Hartford, Windsor and Farmington school districts.

“Eastern was selected as our partner for The Amistad Journey to Freedom because of its reputation for community engagement and the long desire by Discovering Amistad to develop an internship program with Eastern,” said Steve Armstrong and Kathleen Peters-Durrigan, co-chairs of the Discovering Amistad Education Committee. “We are hoping that this wonderful partnership will be just the beginning of a vibrant and productive collaboration.”

For the third year in a row, Eastern was ranked as the #1 public regional university in New England

by U.S. News & World Report in its annual review of U.S. colleges and universities. Eastern is again the highest ranked among Connecticut’s four state universities. Released in September 2021, the report also ranks Eastern as New England’s #1 public institution for “best value.” The University also was tied for #1 in New England with Westfield State University for service to veterans.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RANKS EASTERN #1 IN NEW ENGLAND

“Being ranked so highly again by U.S. News & World Report is a testament to the personal commitment our faculty and staff have in serving our students and maintaining the quality of our academic programs,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. “Our U.S. News & World Report ranking is especially gratifying during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it speaks to the consistency of our services and the resilience of our faculty, staff and students. I am particularly proud of Eastern’s affordability as measured by our #1 “Best Value” ranking, and our ranking in serving veterans — the men and women who keep our nation safe.”

EASTERN REMEMBERS 9/11 ON 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

More than 100 members of the Eastern community gathered this past September in remembrance of the terrorist attacks that occurred 20 years prior on Sept. 11, 2001. Students, faculty and staff congregated at the University’s 9/11 memorial tree outside of Gelsi-Young Hall to hear remarks and reflections by Eastern students and officials.

“We are holding today’s service not only to remember and honor the 3,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001,” said President Núñez. “We are also here to make sure that today’s students, most of whom were not born yet or were too young to remember 9/11, understand the impact of that day on our nation.”

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 3

TOM GIBSON LEADS UW-Stevens Point embraces new chancellor By Meghan Carden

hen Thomas Gibson ’96 took over as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin– Stevens Point on Jan. 11, 2021, he hit the ground running with three key goals in mind: to enhance academic excellence; to expand diversity, equity and inclusive excellence; and to increase enrollment and growth. A year into the job, Gibson has been embraced by the supportive Stevens Point community and is spreading his energy and enthusiasm around campus to advance those goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is home to approximately 8,100 students. Gibson describes the campus as vibrant, with students representing a cross-section of the state’s population. Many are from lower income communities, rural and urban, or first-generation college students.

“The students are resilient, genuine and compassionate,” said Gibson. It is important to him that they don’t just show up to class but fully participate in the university community. “I want them to experience it, to grow personally and professionally, and to leave with confidence that they can be successful.” It is his job, he said, “to facilitate experiences that prepare them for life after Stevens Point, so they can go on and make a difference in their families, communities, the state and beyond.”

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HIS OWN CAMPUS

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aimed toward student success. He held previous administrative positions at Ball State University and at York College in the City of New York system, and taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Gibson is also a full professor with tenure in the School of Education at Stevens Point.

Even with such a resume, Gibson concedes that nothing can quite prepare someone for the role of chancellor. His past employment does help him to lead through a student-centered lens, while his years of teaching aids in his understanding of the faculty.

Most importantly, he is not easily shaken by challenges, such as taking over a university in the middle of a pandemic. “Taking over during COVID has been eventful and challenging,” said Gibson. “This is a time when we need leaders to step up.” For Gibson, he and his team try to make the best choices possible based on the information available. They remain flexible and make new decisions as things change, keeping in mind how their choices affect both the university and the cities of Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wausau. With that in mind, the university was able to extend their testing resources to the surrounding community.

A first-generation college student himself, Gibson didn’t set out to work in higher education. When he was a student at Eastern, he majored in communication with a focus on television and video production. He loved his Eastern experience and considered his major a home away from home, spending his days in the television and radio studios. A STEP/CAP student, Gibson also worked as a peer advisor in the learning center, which was then located in Winthrop Hall, and as a resident assistant and peer advisor with the STEP/CAP program.

“I loved my Eastern experience,” said Gibson. “I took the small learning community for granted while I was there.” Gibson started working professionally in television while he was still a student. He spent four years in the industry and enjoyed the work, feeling that Eastern prepared him well. Still, the work grew less fulfilling over time and Gibson began to reflect on when he felt the most fulfilled, the most content and the most energized. “It was when I was at Eastern,” he concluded. With this realization, Gibson shifted gears and returned to higher education, attending graduate school at the University of New Haven while working as a residence hall director.

“The experience was transformative. It cemented that I made the right decision,” said Gibson, who went on to receive his doctorate in educational leadership in higher education from Johnson and Wales University. He is now in his 25th year working in higher education, holding a variety of positions in that time.

Gibson most recently served as vice president for student affairs and vice provost at Bowling Green State University. There he advised the president and provost on student issues and developed policies

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When Gibson first became chancellor, students were not back fully on ground. His interactions with the campus community were limited, and he had to be more intentional with his outreach. His team produced a series of “Get to Know Chancellor Gibson” videos, each allowing him to answer questions on select topics. When the campus opened up this past fall, it permitted Gibson to increase his visibility.

The new chancellor could be spotted taking in athletic games and theater productions, visiting classes and club meetings, and greeting students in the university center, where his signature warmth and kindness was returned by all.

“The university has been very welcoming. It is a supportive institution,” said Gibson. Stevens Point is a college town, and Gibson and his family — his wife Brigette and their young daughter Kennedy — have made their presence known. Over the summer Gibson made sure to attend events and meet people, connecting with city and business leaders. He also serves on community organizations and boards. “I want to be accessible and part of the community.”

When Gibson started his new job, his team shared their desire to foster a stronger relationship between the university and one particular segment of the community — the local tribal nations. The university is built on the ancestral lands of the Ho-chunk, Menominee, Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes, and members of the university’s administration saw a need to recognize this in a respectful way. A commission of campus, tribal and other community members was formed. Together they are working toward the installation of a permanent memorial on campus to recognize Native ancestors. They are also developing opportunities to integrate tribal history into the curriculum and to increase educational access and scholarships to tribal members. “The commission will continue after the installation, though the purpose and

charge will look different,” said Gibson, who added that working on the committee has been informative and productive.

Looking back at his first year, Gibson has much to be proud of. The university is open, providing the in-person campus experience that Gibson knows is important to success. He is focused on providing the appropriate resources to deliver on the promises made to students and parents during the recruitment process. After five years of declining enrollments, the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point has seen an increase over the past two years, and Gibson aims to continue that trend. “Recruitment and retention are key to my work.” Perhaps most impressive is the $96 million in funding that Gibson was able to secure for a new library and academic success center. “The entire community rallied and supported this need,” he said. “The building will serve students for years to come.”

Thinking of those who wish to follow in his footsteps, Gibson advises that they seek out institutions that share their values and purpose. He believes that students who had amazing undergraduate experiences want to share that experience and shape it for others. “It is rewarding work that impacts lives. Don’t take that lightly,” he said. “I really enjoyed my time at Eastern. The liberal arts education prepared me well for life post-Eastern,” said Gibson. “Part of my ‘why’ is to ensure students have vibrant curricular and co-curricular experiences similar to mine.”

“I want them to experience it, to grow personally and professionally, and to leave with confidence that they can be successful.”

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 7

Eileen Ossen: One of Eastern’s Strongest Supporters Remembered

ECSU Foundation hosts annual golf tournament

Eileen (Moran) Ossen, 67, of Mansfield Center, passed away peacefully at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston this past October. Eileen was born in Willimantic and lived there most of her life, graduating from Windham High School. Eileen and her husband Jeffrey, who passed away in 2007, cared deeply about helping people and supporting the local community, and created the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation to support cultural arts, education and health care in Windham County. Since 2016, the Ossen Family Foundation has donated upwards of $400,000 to “We had a vision for Eastern to match other donors’ contributions to endowed Windham and we had scholarships.

a dream, and this dream is just starting to come true.”

The Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation received the ECSU Foundation Board of Directors Donor Award at the annual President’s Leadership Luncheon on March 16, 2018. On that day, Eileen Ossen explained her thoughts on philanthropy.

“My foundation has done some really remarkable things and has affected the lives of many, and with these grants going to scholarships at Eastern, we are making a difference. Some of you know my late husband Jeff. We talked about how we wanted this foundation to grow … I wish you could see the light in his eyes when he knew how many people he was going to help even though he wasn’t going to be here to see it. I see it. We had a vision for Windham and we had a dream, and this dream is just starting to come true.”

The ECSU Foundation annual golf tournament on Oct. 5 at the Wethersfield Country Club continued the event’s longstanding success, raising $57,000 for scholarship funds. Since its inaugural event in 2006, the tournament has raised approximately $1.2 million. This year’s sponsors included KeyBank, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, the Windham Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co., Chartwells and aerospace company Kell-Strom Tool Co.

Catlett Prize Honors Late English Professor Senior Kaylee Blackwood was chosen as the winner of the 2020-21 Dr. Celia J. Catlett Memorial Prize in English, named in honor of the late English professor who taught at Eastern from 1972-2001. An expert in children’s literature and a strong proponent

of a writing culture on campus, Catlett passed away in May 2021.

Blackwood’s winning novella, “Once We Meet,” was nominated by Christopher Torockio, who taught the Capstone Seminar “The Craft of the Novel” in which Blackwood completed the work.

In his letter nominating Blackwood, Torockio described “Once We Meet” as “a beautifully tragic brother-sister novel,” and said, “The prose is authoritative and beautiful, the characters fully rendered and alive, the dialogue is pitch perfect, and the plot reveals what it means to be human in all of life’s complex texture and nuance.”

Kaylee Blackwood ’22

Dr. Celia J. Catlett

THE BEST NOVEMBER “MATCH” CAMPAIGN EVER! Now in its sixth year, the annual “Big Match Days” #WarriorsGive campaign from Nov. 12-15, 2021, was our best ever.

495

Donors

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR CHALLENGE Three teams divided up $5,000 based on alumni participation.

1st

414

Men’s Lacrosse

$31,110

Field Hockey

Alumni Donors Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation Match (endowed scholarships)

$138,545

2nd 3rd

Softball

Total Raised

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 9

CELEBRATING

YEARS OF

DAY

By Ed Osborn

Jason Budahazy ’09 and President Núñez

10 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

For the 15th consecutive year, Eastern Connecticut State University served a special Thanksgiving meal to Willimantic community members in need. In past years, the “Day of Giving” event has been a busy time on campus, with 500-600 local residents visiting Hurley Dining Hall for a sit-down meal the day before Thanksgiving. Due to COVID-19, for the second year in a row the University partnered with the Covenant Soup Kitchen to distribute hundreds of Thanksgiving meals to Willimantic community members on Nov. 24.

The meals were donated by the ECSU Foundation and Chartwells Dining Services, Eastern’s food service provider. As in previous Day of Giving events, the food was prepared by

Chartwells, with the foundation purchasing the turkeys. Other food was donated by Chartwells partners Sardilli, Calise and Curate Food.

Five hundred meals were prepared.

In addition to 250 meals delivered cold to local organizations such as churches and the senior center, Covenant Soup Kitchen staff and volunteers distributed another 250 hot meals to soup kitchen guests.

All meals included microwaveable containers filled with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce, a wheat roll, a slice of apple pie and a cookie. “Feeding more than 500 people is no small task,” noted Joe Salvaggio, Chartwells senior director of dining services.

OF GIVING Student volunteer Tatiyana Morrell ’22 at the 2016 Day of Giving.

“This year we served 352 lbs. of turkey, 150 lbs. of potatoes, 500 dinner rolls, 10 gallons of gravy, 72 apple pies, 100 lbs. of green beans, 500 cookies, 150 lbs. of stuffing and 63 lbs. of cranberry sauce.”

“Since 2007, Eastern has provided a traditional, nourishing Thanksgiving meal to local families who might otherwise not enjoy the holiday,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. “In past years, we have also conducted a food drive and donated thousands of items to the soup kitchen and local food pantries.”

Considering the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Núñez added, “I am pleased that we again provided a hot Thanksgiving meal for local

residents. I know that the Town of Windham appreciates our generosity, even more so during these unprecedented times. I want to thank Vice President Ken DeLisa and Tom Piascik, regional director for Chartwells, for their continued sponsorship of this important event. Supporting the community has never been more important and I am proud that Eastern has stepped up again. It is not the same as having a bustling busy dining hall on campus, but it is the safe thing to do.”

“This means a lot to me,” said one soup kitchen guest picking up food on Nov. 24. “I have been homeless for about three years and have no one to cook a hot meal for me.” Another woman was collecting meals for her mother and a neighbor with a disability. “This is such a blessing. The soup kitchen is here day in and day out for our community.”

“It’s nice that Eastern does this every year,” said one visitor. “I hope we are back on campus next year!”

“Eastern is embedded in a community that we feel connected to, and some of the residents in the

community have needs that we can meet,” said Patricia Szczys, interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Eastern. “What better time of year to express our commitment to the community than giving back on Thanksgiving.”

Szczys was at the soup kitchen to lend a hand in passing out meals to appreciative community residents.

Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences Patricia Szczys helps with the meal distribution.

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 11

VOLUNTEERS “Our guests look forward to the Day of Giving every year and are very grateful.”

Jan Czikowsky

making a difference

Kitchen manager at the Covenant Soup Kitchen

Over 15 years . . .

2½

2,250

tons of turkey

7,500

dinner rolls

1,500

lbs. of green beans

The Day of Giving began as a community service project organized

by Jason Budahazy ’09 and has been maintained since by volunteers with support from the ECSU Foundation and Chartwells. Proud that his legacy continues, Budahazy wrote, “One of the most difficult things to do is to ground a large group of people in shared values. For more than 15 years, Eastern’s Day of Giving has symbolized the values shared by the Eastern and Willimantic communities — partnership, service and community, regardless of one’s background or status. For that, I am forever grateful to be linked to these two wonderful communities.”

Eastern’s partnership with the Covenant Soup Kitchen runs deep.

President Núñez sits on the nonprofit’s

Volunteers Ellen Lang ’81 and her husband James Watson (left) serve food at the 2012 Day of Giving.

lbs. of potatoes

2,250

lbs. of stuffing

150

gallons of gravy

1,000

lbs. of cranberry sauce

board, and student volunteers ranging from the rugby and ice hockey club teams to volunteers from Eastern’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) regularly support the soup kitchen’s operations.

“Eastern has always been an incredible partner for us. CCE volunteers come multiple times each week — having them back is a huge relief,” said Kim Clark, executive director of the Covenant Soup Kitchen. “We are very honored to partner with Eastern so we can still offer the Day of Giving meal even though we cannot be on campus. People were thrilled to receive it last year and we are honored to do it again.”

1,000 pies

8,000 cookies

“Our guests look forward to the Day of Giving every year and are very grateful,” echoed Jan Czikowsky, kitchen manager at the soup kitchen. “They come and tell us what the meal was like and how good it was. It’s a special treat.”

“It is my hope we are back on campus next fall,” said Núñez in looking past COVID. “In the meantime, I want to thank everyone on campus who is part of the Day of Giving tradition. We have sustained it over time, despite COVID, and our local community is better for it.”

The late State Sen. Edith Prague ’65 staffs the line in 2017.

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ALumni services:

More for You

Right Now!

The Office of Alumni Affairs is always looking for innovative and timely opportunities to deliver new services to alumni.

14 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

Here is what’s new for your enjoyment and growth.

Alumni Directory

the Search party starts Here!

Update your alumni profile, search for classmates and friends, find alumni in your area, and check your giving history (log-in required).

Go to www.easternct.edu/alumnidirectory to create your account.

Alumni Book Club

Connect virtually with fellow Eastern alumni, faculty and staff as we read and discuss books from a variety of genres, including lifelong learning, personal growth, novels, history and other topics. Participation is free! Learn more at www.pbc.guru/easternct

Webinar Series

At your fingertips. On your time.

Just because you graduated doesn’t mean you stopped learning.

As an alumnus, you have exclusive access to a range of online learning tools. Past webinar topics have ranged from career development to exploring your ancestry, to bitcoin and public speaking.

New webinars each week! Learn more at alumlc.org/easternct

Oral History Project Share Your Eastern story!

What are your fondest memories of Eastern? What Eastern friends and mentors changed your life? Here’s your chance to weave your story into the tapestry of Eastern’s history! Coming spring 2022; watch for more information from Alumni Affairs and Publishing Concepts LP (PCI).

Social Justice Movies that matter Watch. Listen. Learn. Share. Grow.

Each month starting in April 2022, our virtual discussion group of Eastern alumni and students will watch a different film that calls attention to social justice issues. Watch blockbuster hits, documentaries and more, then join the conversation — all from the comfort of home. Participation is free! Check it out at https://www.pbc.guru/easternctmovieclub

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 15

Future historians an Eastern laboratory brings history into the digital age

by Michael Rouleau ’11

he study of history is experiencing a renaissance.

TWith the advent of new technologies, this timeless

subject — long characterized by laborious research and lengthy essays — has evolved into a new 21st-century model. Eastern Connecticut State University is preparing historians for the digital age through a specialized workshop on campus — the Digital History Lab.

Established in 2018 and located in Webb Hall, the Digital History Lab is equipped with computers, big-screen monitors, microfilm processors and an ever-growing suite of software to help students and faculty tackle historical research with the power of computation.

“It’s more than using Microsoft Word or searching a library database,” said Jamel Ostwald, professor and chair of the History Department. “Digital History is more about taking advantage of the computer’s ability to analyze large amounts of information to 16 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

discover new things about the past and ask questions that are not practical to answer manually.”

An example of this previously impractical type of research is happening in the lab right now.

Senior history major Elizabeth Bartoshevich’s honors thesis is analyzing more than 4,000 pages of historical documents to summarize the news ecosystem of England around the year 1700.

Titled “Making Sense of the News: A Digital Analysis of Narcissus Luttrell’s ‘Brief Relation of Historical Elizabeth bartoshevich Affairs from September 1678 to Senior History Major April 1714,’” Bartoshevich is using the Python coding language — a tool traditionally used by data scientists — to examine hundreds of news articles from that time period in Europe’s

Jamel Ostwald, History Professor and Chair

“Digital History is more about taking advantage of the computer’s ability to analyze large amounts of information to discover new things about the past and ask questions that are not practical to answer manually.” history. “It would be practically impossible for me to find patterns and trends from such a (volume of information) by reading each piece on my own,” said Bartoshevich, who is coding Python to isolate location data from the text to determine places of interest in the news articles. “I can rely on the computer to pull the statistical data that I wouldn’t be able to quantify manually because it would be too time-consuming.”

“This is a totally different world for historians,” said Ostwald. “Instead of reading 10 volumes to make some historical argument, through computation you can summarize 10,000 volumes. Liz’s project is the first step of this … let’s see how many different questions we can answer based off these 4,000 pages.”

Because of the limited capacity of the human brain compared to the magnitude of raw historical information, Ostwald says historians have traditionally tried to answer big questions anecdotally.

Using digital tools, however, answers can now be

more data-based. “Historians have used computers to analyze numbers, but now we have the ability to analyze text and images,” said Ostwald. “That’s new and different, and something we’re really excited about … As historians, we have all of this information in textual form.”

Among the primary benefits of digital history is digitization — the conversion of print material into a digital format that can be processed by a computer. “Digitizing sources allows us to better preserve the original documents, which are often fragile and sensitive to light,” said Allen Horn ’21, a graduate student at the University of Maine.

Not only does this make the documents accessible to people who cannot review them in person, but, Horn says, “Making the documents

Allen Horn ’21 graduate student University of Maine EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 17

searchable also streamlines the research process by letting historians find what they need from the documents faster, giving them more time for other aspects of the project.”

One ongoing project in the Digital History Lab that relies heavily on digitization is called “Digital Windham.” The lab’s flagship project, Digital Windham is a long-term effort by the History Department to capture the complete history of Windham in website form.

Semester after semester, history students build on the website by testing new software and Internet platforms as they write blog posts on historical events and create interactive maps and timelines. The project relies heavily on the digitization and analyzation of primary sources from the University’s Archives and Special Collections, including historical newspaper articles from the Willimantic Chronicle, mayor’s reports, census information and more.

The project’s presentation on a publicly accessible website is an example of perhaps digital history’s leading benefit for society. “By presenting the research online, it broadens the reach,” said Ostwald, explaining that most historical research would otherwise not leave the halls of academia. Horn echoed, “Creating websites with interactive features is also an excellent way to present history to the broader public.”

To view the Digital Windham website, visit http:// easternct-digitalhistory.com/.

To see more of this story visit EASTERN magazine online at https://www.easternct.edu/magazine (Below) Jamel Ostwald and Elizabeth Bartoshevich ’22 review a historical map of Willimantic from 1908 by the Sanborn Map Company, overlaid with the outlines of modern buildings.

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EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 19

By Michael Rouleau ’11

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hile women make up 50 percent of the overall workforce, they occupy less than 30 percent of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs, according to recent data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). This “gender gap” is significant as STEM jobs are among the highest-paying and fastest growing occupations. Eastern Connecticut State University is countering that trend; in recent years the majority of Eastern’s STEM graduates are women.

The same analysis by the NCSES — the “2020 Science and Engineering Indicators” report — notes that the median salary for science and engineering occupations in 2017 was $85,390, which is more than double the median for all U.S. workers of $37,690. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this trend to continue, with computer and mathematics occupations projected to be among the fastest growing sectors this decade.

in the STEM workplace include male-dominated work cultures, gender stereotypes, fewer role-models and a lack of confidence.

For Environmental Earth Science graduate Jacklyn Olivieri ’17, an environmental scientist for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), the biggest workplace issue is gender stereotyping.

“The STEM field is mostly male-dominated, and compared to men, women can be stereotyped as less intelligent or less competent in the field,” said Olivieri. “This can lead to gender discrimination related to hiring, salary or promotions, as well as an overall lack of self confidence in women. Women may also experience social challenges because they can seem as outsiders by men in a STEM career.”

Jacklyn Olivieri

Eastern is doing its part to shrink the STEM gap by preparing more women for science and technology careers. In the past five years, female alumni account for 51 percent of traditional STEM majors.

Including social science majors like economics, political science, psychology and sociology, women make up 61 percent of Eastern’s STEM and social science graduates.

Despite math and science test scores that are comparable to their male counterparts throughout their schooling, women are underrepresented in STEM occupations for a variety of reasons. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), some of the leading deterrents for women

Olivieri works in the Office of Compliance & Inspection and is responsible for investigating complaints and suspected violations of environmental laws and regulations. She gravitated toward science at a young age and was encouraged by teachers throughout her school years to keep at it.

“I realized that understanding how things work and how to put them to use to make a difference for the environment and the world is my passion and why I ended up with a STEM career.”

Jacklyn Olivieri

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According to the NCSES 2020 “Indicators” report, the gender gap is most severe in engineering and computer fields. Computer Science major Vanessa Zetino ’20 spoke of overcoming the stress of entering a male-dominated work environment. She is now a business intelligence consultant at Travelers Insurance.

“At Eastern, I remember there was only a handful of females in my computer science classes, which was a great feeling knowing that I wasn’t the only one,” said Zetino. “That alone was enough to keep me pursuing my degree. The thought of it being a mostly male field, however, did exist in my head. Regardless of all the challenges that there are, I’m paving the way for myself and for other females pursuing a Vanessa Zetino career in STEM. Now that I’m at Travelers, I’ve realized there’s a lot of diversity, and a lot of the leaders are females.”

Zetino praised her faculty mentor, Computer Science Professor Sarah Tasneem, for keeping her motivated and on track. “I’m truly grateful for that mentorship and I believe having someone who you can connect to and who was once in your shoes is truly important when trying to navigate through your journey.

Nowadays, I find myself giving back to students pursuing a career in STEM because I know what it’s like to be questioning your future career and the path that’s being taken.”

The notion of confidence is one that resonates with Biology graduate Rathana Chanthaphone ’16, who is a quality control analyst at Lonza, a multinational chemicals and biotechnology company. “I faced a lack of confidence, thinking I wasn’t prepared or that I lacked the right skills,” said Chanthaphone. “Without the extra push that I received from my teachers and advisors, I would not have pursued this career. They motivated me to continue to work my hardest even when times were tough.

professionals. “I think it’s super important for them to understand the benefits and how it affects their lives and the world.”

Another alumna who was spurred by her Eastern experience is Biology graduate Yollaine Kaja ’17, a microbiologist in the ORISE Fellowship Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Eastern greatly empowered me to fulfill my career aspirations,” Yollaine Kaja she said. “The laboratory experiences and knowledge I gained through my time at Eastern provided the foundation for my career.”

Kaja works in the Chronic Viral Diseases Branch on projects related to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). “What excites me about working at the CDC is seeing how everyone works hard to prevent and control any target that will jeopardize our globe,” said Kaja. “It doesn’t matter if the threat is a bacterium, virus, systemic racism, etc. At the CDC, I am developing and applying knowledge that not only meets public health needs but contributes to public health’s mission.”

Computer Science graduate Courtney Combs ’17 has found that she needs to overachieve in order to be seen in the male-dominated workplace. Combs is a software engineer at Pratt & Whitney, as well as a company commander and pilot for the Army National Guard.

“While hard work, passion and dedication have gotten me where I am today, I’ve experienced Rathana Chanthaphone that to be noticed for my “I’ve always wanted to learn about what I am surrounded work and work ethic, I must work harder than some of my by in a scientific way . . . how things are developed, studmale counterparts to be equal. Although this has been a ied and the role they play in society,” said Chanthaphone, challenge, I have never become defeated by it, but instead who also hopes to inspire a younger generation of STEM motivated to work even harder.”

22 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

Hard sciences • Biochemistry • Biology • Business

• • • • •

Information Systems Computer Science Data Science Environmental Earth Science Health Sciences Mathematics

Social sciences • Economics • Political Science • Psychology • Sociology

STEM MAJORS AT EASTERN

“I’m paving the way for myself and for other females pursuing a career in STEM.”

Vanessa Zetino

Environmental Earth Science graduate Jennifer Croteau ’19 agrees. “There is certainly an unspoken — and sometimes spoken — pressure for women in STEM to be perfect at their job in order to show their value,” said Croteau, who is now a staff scientist at INSPIRE Environmental. “This can result in stress and experiences that make women no longer want to pursue a STEM career because they feel unwelcomed or see no potential to thrive.”

As a staff scientist, Croteau uses geographic information systems (GIS) to assist in off-shore wind farm projects. “I love working at INSPIRE because the company atmosphere is very progressive and comfortable. I appreciate being able to say I am contributing to a much larger push for renewable energy and sustainability.”

Courtney Combs

“I’ve always wanted to learn about what I am surrounded by in a scientific way . . . how things are developed, studied and the role they play in society.”

Rathana Chanthaphone

Jennifer Croteau

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 23

EASTERN NAMES SCIENCE BUILDING IN HONOR OF FORMER PRESIDENT DAVID G. CARTER SR.

Dr. David G. Carter Sr.

Eastern President Núñez called Dr. David G. Carter “a genius” at the naming ceremony. “The Science Building is the cornerstone of his legacy” and “a testament to his strength of will.”

24 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

On Dec. 7, Eastern Connecticut State University honored one of its most notable champions when it named the Science Building after David G. Carter Sr., the University’s fifth president. More than 100 guests joined Eastern President Elsa Núñez in the Betty R. Tipton Room in the Student Center to recognize Carter’s leadership and contributions to Eastern.

Hundreds more watched the event via a live YouTube stream.

Serving as Eastern’s president from 1988 to 2006, Carter was the first African American to lead a four-year institution of higher education in Connecticut when he was appointed president. Carter retired in 2011 as chancellor of the Connecticut State University System and passed away in March 2018.

During Carter’s 18-year tenure, Eastern’s degree offerings grew, its enrollments increased by 40 percent, and the campus footprint doubled. Carter was most proud of the day in 1998 when the Connecticut State University Board of Trustees voted to designate Eastern as “Connecticut’s Public Liberal Arts University.”

Carter was also instrumental in gaining state funding to develop Eastern’s facilities. In addition to the state-of-the-art Science Building, other modern facilities constructed during Carter’s tenures as president or chancellor include the J. Eugene Smith Library, the Child and Family Development Resource Center, Gelsi-Young Hall, a new Public Safety Building, the South Residential Village and the Mansfield Sports Complex, among others.

Núñez called Carter “a genius” at the naming ceremony. “The Science Building is the cornerstone of his legacy” and “a testament to his strength of will.”

“One of the special moments Dr. Carter enjoyed — and there were many of these — was when he got out his own trowel and laid a brick as part of each new building’s construction,” continued Núñez. “He was a mason tender as a young man and loved knowing he was part of every building that was constructed during his presidency.”

President Núñez (second from right) unveils new signage for the Dr. David G. Carter Science Building, aided by Theresa Hopkins-Staten, Lorraine McDevitt, Lubbie Harper Jr., Jessica Carter, Martin Levin and (far right) Chris Abayasinghe ’02

Applauding his “innovative vision and inspirational spirit,” Theresa Hopkins-Staten, co-chair of the citizen’s committee that advocated for the Science Building naming, said Carter “saw the intrinsic value in every person … he led with empathy and perspective, with authentic consideration and care for everyone in his charge.”

Local resident Lorraine McDevitt, a friend of Carter’s since 1977, called him “the students’ president” and reminded the audience of one of Carter’s many skills — “he could remember the first name of every student he met.”

Retired Biology professor Martin Levin recalled that when Carter came to Eastern in 1988, the University had endured more than a decade of legislative pressure to close the campus and merge it with the University of Connecticut. “He was a man on a mission with a strong and persuasive voice. He was committed to transforming Eastern into a world-class liberal arts university.”

Levin said the Science Building’s original scale didn’t suit Carter and he lobbied for a larger facility. “In 2008, we got our dream building.”

Lubbie Harper Jr., retired Connecticut Supreme Court Justice and a lifetime friend of Carter’s, said, “David Carter had a passion for science and wanted Eastern to play a leading role” in the realm of science. “The tribute we pay him today is a tangible expression of remembrance … a monument to a man who literally transformed this campus.”

Other speakers included Chris Abayasinghe ’02, a native of Sri Lanka and now associate vice president of business services at Northeastern University, and LaMar Coleman, vice president for equity and diversity, who served as master of ceremonies.

Giving the invocation at the event, Carter’s daughter Jessica shared details of his early years growing up in Dayton, OH, and said, “We are so proud of you, Dad. We only wish you could have been here to see it.”

Jessica Carter

“We are so proud of you, Dad. We only wish you could have been here to see it.”

Jessica Carter

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 25

Tom Balestracci ’13 and Melissa (Groccia) Balestracci ’13

met in fall 2009 in their first-year class in Shafer Hall. They soon found out that they were neighbors on the third floor of Mead Hall and became the best of friends. They started dating in the summer of 2010 and have been together ever since. Tom and Melissa shared a passion for being involved in various organizations, including the Campus Activity Board. They were the president and vice president of the 2013 Senior Class. Tom and Melissa also participated in intramurals and Tom was a student-athlete on the track and field team. He spent a summer as a student orientation counselor, which inspired him to further his education and receive his master’s degree in higher education.

Tom and Melissa loved every minute of their four years at Eastern — from planning the annual CAB carnival that started the fireworks tradition to late night karaoke at Blarney’s with the crew and ending the night with empanadas from Taste of the Island.

Matches Made The two Eastern alumni married on June 30, 2018, with many of their friends from Eastern attending. Their love for travel has led them to visit numerous U.S. states as well as Italy, South Africa and Thailand. They now live in Stamford, CT, with their son Chase. Tom is in his fourth year at Fordham University overseeing new student orientation, and Melissa is in her ninth year at ISS Governance as the Digital Product Manager.

26 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

By Dwight Bachman

When Eastern Connecticut State University alumni return to campus they encourage students to get involved with a student club to enhance their college career, sharing their own experiences as proof of the importance of campus leadership opportunities. In addition to making friends and learning valuable leadership skills, national and Eastern data clearly show that engaging in a student club improves students’ GPAs and graduation rates. Among the more than 90 student organizations at Eastern, one of the most influential is the Student Government Association (SGA), celebrating more than 100 years of service to Eastern students.

Current SGA officers include President Nathan Fontaine, Vice President Matthew Mendolia, Secretary Socheata Chea, Treasurer Nora Ammouche, and Sam St. John, chair of the budget and management committee. “As the president of SGA, I am most proud of how of we are rebuilding the organization and helping revitalize the campus community after the impact of COVID-19,” said Fontaine. “The drive and leadership I have seen in the new senators this year is inspiring and promising for the future of Eastern.”

28 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

SGA members attend leadership training at Camp Hazen in fall 2019. Left to right, kneeling: Arely Martinez-Medina, Ariana Perez, Daniel Castillo; left to right, standing: Ellie Foss, Miriam Espino, Kyle Garneau, Nour Kalbouneh, Theara Chea, Yineira Lopez, Samantha St. John, Nick Brink and advisor Candace DeAngelis

Under Fontaine’s leadership, SGA has accomplished much this year, including serving students with weekly virtual meetings; monthly Warrior Wednesdays; a new virtual “meet the candidate” event and online elections in 2021-22; creating a Greener Initiative, which made the university community aware of Eastern’s 2020 Climate Action plan and how the University is nationally

SGA student leaders rest before a day of rock climbing, archery, team building and planning for the upcoming school year at their fall 2014 retreat at Camp Jewel in Colebrook.

recognized as a green campus; beginning SGA’s Love Your Neighbor program; funding and promoting a highly successful Health Conference; and establishing SGA’s Diversity and Equity committee, working in conjunction with Student Affairs and NAACP.

for all four SGA officer positions. Yineira Lopez ’20, a native of Valencia, Venezuela, double majored in political science and sociology. The resident of Georgia began participating in SGA in her first year at Eastern as a senator, and moved up to Student Issues Committee chair, vice president and eventually president.

The most notable achievement during Lopez’s tenure as president was the purchase of new vans for SGA, which she said was important as the old vans were breaking

Yineira Lopez ’20

Two years ago, Eastern students elected “Opportunity Scholars” — participants in the national TheDream.US program —

“The drive and leadership I have seen in the new senators this year is inspiring and promising for the future of Eastern.”

Nathan Fontaine | SGA president, 2021-22

SGA and other student clubs have used "The Rock" to communicate to students over the years.

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 29

“Active listening and conversations with a diverse set of stakeholders exposed me to new ways of thinking. I think this helped me grow as a leader.”

Harrison Brooks ’18 | SGA president, 2016-17

down and posed safety hazards for students on the road.

Lopez works at Bader Scott Injury Lawyers in Atlanta, GA. She is the lead on the Workers Compensation Team.

She manages all paralegals in the Workers Compensation Department across various offices in the state.

honor of attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Eastern Pride Center,” said Brooks.

Judy Frankel ’12, of Brookfield, also majored in political science. For six years, she worked in different positions at the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy. This past January she began serving as an assessment manager at the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy, where she is responsible for managing data.

Lopez said two skills she learned in SGA were relationship-building and strong communication skills. “These are crucial. There were many times that I had In her first year at Harrison Brooks ’18 (far right) joins Dr. Núñez and other students, faculty and administrators to open the expanded to speak up for issues Eastern, Frankel was Pride Center in November 2016. that were important to the SGA shuttle head, Eastern students, sometimes in difficult forums. At the time, these running the shuttle back and forth to the Eastbrook Mall. As a moments were challenging but it prepared me for the future and sophomore, she served as chair of the Student Issues Committee. taught me to always stay consistent and committed to one’s goal.”

As SGA president in her senior year, she made it her mission to unite the student government and create a better sense of commuHarrison Brooks ’18, of Stratford, earned a dual degree in politinity within the senate. “My biggest accomplishment while presical science and economics, and is a graduate student at American University studying global security. He will graduate in May 2022 dent was filling the Senate with creative and energetic students to represent the Eastern community.” with a master’s degree and hopes to continue his work in the emerging technology arena.

Brooks said he had a productive year during his term as SGA president in 2016-17. SGA kicked off the fall semester partnering with the Campus Activity Board to organize a Campus Campfire, which brought out hundreds of students to Webb Lawn to roast marshmallows and enjoy food trucks from around Connecticut. “That November, I also had the 30 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

(left to right) Francesco Ricigliano (student issues chair), Jacob Mazyck (treasurer), Christina Welch (vice president), Harrison Brooks (president), James Dignoti (secretary), Tyler Mack (BAM chair), Brianna Paiva (public relations committee co-chair) and Courtney Welch (public relations co-chair) at the annual SGA banquet in spring 2017 at the Fitch House Bed and Breakfast in Mansfield Center.

“I love the monthly breakfasts with the SGA. Our student leaders articulate the perspectives and interests of their peers with such passion and professionalism!”

Elsa M. Núñez | President

Wiley Dawson ’12, of Bridgeport, who earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and social sciences, is the assistant director of the Center for Career Development at the University of Connecticut’s Hartford campus. He is the primary contact for career services for undergraduate and graduate students, providing students with various career services, and serving as the liaison with internal and external partners to expand career access to students.

“My biggest accomplishment while serving as SGA president was establishing the Student Government Association Endowed Scholarship in 2011, which is awarded to a student who is involved in campus activities. Another noteworthy accom-

plishment was the inaugural fall pep rally that kicks off the fall athletic season for the University.”

Dawson said the skills he gained from his SGA experience were critical to his early career progress. “Those skills were professionalism, accountability, critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership and teamwork. SGA helped me grow as a leader by identifying my strengths and my weaknesses as a leader. The advisors coached me as I enhanced my skills and provided me a framework for my future success. Ultimately, leadership is knowing when to listen attentively, be assertive and advocate for others. The most important thing I learned from my SGA presidency was the importance of accountability.”

SGA President Tyler Mack ’20 (second from right) and OLAS President Freddy Cruz ’18 (far right) join other university students to visit with former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (third from left) at the New England Board of Higher Education summit.

Tyler Mack ’20, of Bridgeport, majored in Business Administration and is now a legislative aide to the Senate President Pro Tempore of Connecticut, handling the senator’s constituent services. Mack also serves on the City Council of Bridgeport, representing the 131st District.

Mack served as a SGA senator, treasurer, chairman of the Budget and Management Committee and president. He also served on Eastern’s Master Planning Committee as a student representative. “I took pride in bringing more diversity in SGA

and making it more relatable to all students, especially students of color.”

He says his time in SGA built his confidence. “While on campus, I had meetings with the dean of students, vice president of student affairs and the president of the university. Now when I am with the mayor of my city, Senate President of Connecticut, governors and U.S. senators, I’m not overwhelmed or nervous because I know I belong.”

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 31

Women’s Volleyball Player Anna Barry is All-American Senior middle hitter Anna Barry of Andover has been recognized as an American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) Division III All-America honorable mention choice for 2021, becoming the program’s third All-American. Barry recorded the sixth-best season attack percentage in program history this past year and led the Little East Conference in five offensive categories. Prior to her All-America selection, she repeated as a selection on the AVCA Division III All- Region I Team, becoming Eastern’s first first-team selection in 15 years after being named to the honorable mention team in 2019.

3 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Eastern celebrated its first Little East Conference field hockey championship this past fall. Ranked eighth in the conference in the preseason poll, the Warriors did not allow a goal in three LEC playoff wins, set multiple individual and team records, and finished with a 14-6 overall record.

“Obviously, Anna’s stats tell a great story about how dominant she was on the court this past season,” noted Eastern head coach Megan Silver-Droesch. “As a leader, she was motivating to her team, humble beyond belief and supportive of everyone around her.”

This year, Barry repeated as the Little East Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year and was named first-team All-LEC for the third straight year when she led the conference in points (414.5), points per set (4.36), attack percentage (.393), kills (371), and kills per set (3.91).

She was also fifth in the LEC in block assists (37) and block solos (23) and sixth in total blocks (60).

The top-seeded men’s soccer team drew plenty of support at Thomas Nevers Field when it avenged its only Little East Conference loss of the year with a 2-1 win over third-seeded Western Connecticut State University on Nov. 6 to win its sixth LEC playoff title.

Eastern’s previous All-America honorees were first-team middle hitter Kathy Kimball in 1993 and second-team setter Andrea Costa in 1986, both now members of the Eastern Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame.

32 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

In its second season on the intercollegiate level, the Eastern men’s golf team won the inaugural Little East Conference Men’s Golf Championship this past fall with a 32-stroke win over runner-up Castleton University.

Chris D’Ambrosio, Women’s Soccer Coach, Retires

(Top right) Eastern Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2021: (from left: Lori Franchina ’95, Patrick Ammendolia ’03, Dwight Wildman ’13, David Nicholson ’06 and Marianna (Capomolla) Linnehan ’07) (Bottom left) Recent inductees to the Little East Conference Hall of Fame were honored at the Eastern Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame banquet. (from left: Wendy Rogers ’92, Marc DiGiovanni ’03, Jason Edwards (1997-02), and Scott Chiasson (1996-98). At far right, representing the 1998 NCAA Division III national baseball championship team, which was also inducted, is former team manager Charles Carey.

(Bottom right) Receiving his award from Scott Smith ‘92, Executive Vice-President Emeritus Michael E. Pernal (at right) became the 28th recipient of the Michael A. Atkind ’75 Exceptional Service Award at the 27th Eastern Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Oct. 16, 2021.

Eastern’s Departmental Major Award-Winners Bonnie J. Edmondson ’87 Senior Female SportsPerson-of-the-Year Megan Hodgdon, Softball, Cheshire Francis E. Geissler Senior Male SportsPerson-of-the-Year Maxwell Chace, Cross Country-Track & Field, Brooklyn Morrell Service Award (Named in honor of Morrell brothers John ’83, Tim ’84, Patrick ’87 and Brian ’93) Julia Koonjy, Jefferson, NJ Team Sport Male Athlete-of-the-Year Luke Broadhurst, Baseball, Stafford Team Sport Male Rookie-of-the-Year Jason Claiborn, Baseball, Prospect

Team Sport Female Athlete-of-the-Year Brooke Matyasovsky, Softball, Orange Team Sport Female Rookie-of-the-Year Alyssa Vilchez, Softball, Brampton, Ontario Individual Sport Female Athlete-of-the-Year Kerry-Rose Buchanan, Swimming, Southington Individual Sport Female Rookie-of-the-Year Wendie Stewart, Track & Field, Hartford Individual Sport Male Athlete-of-the-Year Ryan Escoda, Cross Country-Track & Field, Newtown Individual Sport Male Rookie-of-the-Year Ashton Lewis, Golf, Fairfield

Chris D’Ambrosio, who coached more seasons and matches and won more games than anyone in the history of Eastern women’s or men’s soccer, has retired after 22 seasons as head coach of the women’s program, stepping down at the completion of the 2021 fall season.

D’Ambrosio was with the women’s program for 24 seasons, taking over as head coach in 2000 after two seasons as an assistant coach under Matt Paton.

D’Ambrosio coached 64.0 percent of the program’s 644 matches from 2000-21, and won 66.9 percent of the team’s 359 games. He was 240-137-35 overall (62.6 percent) in 412 matches. D’Ambrosio won or shared nine of 21 LEC regular-season championships and captured four LEC tournament championships.

“Christian has served the Eastern Athletics Department with distinction, and has made countless women better athletes, better students and better citizens,” praised Director of Athletics Lori Runksmeier. “Eastern soccer will miss his leadership and dedication. We will all miss his calm demeanor, his ready smile and his positive attitude.”

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 33

CLASS NOTES ’43 Gussie (Paster) Sitkin celebrated her 100th birthday in October 2021.

’53 Jean (Browne) Wolfe has published “Stupidly Simple and Timeless Recipes,” a cookbook for her grandchildren that includes recipes loved by her late husband, Chef Pierre Wolfe. Chef Wolfe was one of Denver’s most iconic chefs and owner of four of Denver’s best-known restaurants.

Jean (Browne) Wolfe ´53

’78

Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz has been named chief medical officer of the Eleanor Slater Hospital in Rhode Island after serving in the Division of Diversion Control at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Previously, Dr. McCance-Katz was assistant secretary for mental health and substance abuse in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. McCance-Katz earned a B.A. in Biology from Eastern, holds advanced degrees from Yale and earned her medical degree from the University of Connecticut.

serving as Interim CEO and Director since April 2021, and as a member of the museum’s board of trustees since 2012. Jeff previously served as a senior executive at Newman’s Own, and prior to that, as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Webster Financial Corporation and Webster Bank N.A. Jeff was inducted as an Eastern Fellow in 2010 and serves on the ECSU Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Dan Tenney has had a long career in various senior technical management roles at HJ Heinz and 3M. In 2020 he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Bridgeport (UB), while teaching several graduate technology management courses and serving on UB’s Industry Advisory Board. Dan has also been teaching business management courses at Eastern since 2019, and provides planning and operations support and serves as secretary of the board of directors of the Bridgeport Child and Family Guidance Center. He received his B.A. in Environmental Earth Science from Eastern, and his M.B.A. in Operations Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

34 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

Kevin Perry has a busy summer ahead coordinating five motorcycle runs that will raise money for veterans and local charities. To learn more about Kevin’s volunteer work, find him on Facebook at “Defenders of Charity–CT.”

’85 Michael Petteruti has been named president and general manager of Chemi Nutra, where he will be responsible for managing all aspects of the business unit. Mike was formerly vice president, Gnosis by Lesaffre (formerly Gnosis USA), where the company grew significantly under his leadership, focusing on top quality, value added, clinically validated, health-benefiting specialty ingredients.

’80 Tom Connors has been named president of the Piscataway Township (NJ) Board of Education. Tom received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut and was named a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Connecticut State Department of Health Laboratory Bureau.

After a three-decade career, Tom retired from the Technology Division of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. A “Google Scholar,” Tom and his wife Abby have resided in Piscataway for the past 34 years where they raised three children.

’79 Jeffrey Brown is the new CEO of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and will be responsible for the museum’s overall leadership, vision and strategic direction. He had been

’81

Tom Connors ´80

FAVORITE PROFESSOR • Robert Polito ’86, retired Webster Bank executive, spent a day with Professor Emeritus Jay Cobbledick this past fall. Polito describes his “favorite college professor” as “brilliant” and “still teaching me almost 40 years later.” Cobbledick earned his B.A. and M.A. from Wesleyan and his Ph.D. from Tufts. A Fulbright Scholar, Cobbledick worked in the U.S. State Department during the Cuban Missile Crisis. “An amazing lecturer, he taught me to think critically and view the world differently,” says Polito.

EASTERN MIXER • Kevin Joiner ’91, owner of KBarr on Park Street in Hartford, hosted an Eastern alumni mixer on Sept. 25, 2021, that was attended by 25 Eastern alumni and friends. Attendees included four Eastern basketball alumni (left to right): Rob Farrow ’91, John “JT” Theriault ’88, Joiner and Dan Trudeau ’07. The event was organized by Mark Bradley ’90 in conjunction with Eastern’s Office of Alumni Affairs.

’87 Anthony Vocalina has joined Essex Financial as a financial advisor. He had previously served for 20 years as a financial advisor at Fidelity Investments, followed by 15 years at his own firm, Vision Wealth Management. In addition to his B.A. in Business Administration from Eastern, Anthony earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designation in 2016. Essex Financial is one of the largest independent registered investment advisory firms in Connecticut with $3.2 billion in assets under management or administration.

’90 Certified Risk Managers International has awarded the CRM designation to Mark Bradley. A certified risk manager is a member of the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research.

The CRM Program is an independent education and designation program designed expressly for professionals in risk management and related fields.

Mark is claims program executive at The Hartford.

The New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports has named Christia Mohan-Besko to the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame. As a pitcher for Arlington High School (Poughkeepsie, NY), Christia threw 10 no-hitters, including a perfect game. At Eastern, she was selected for NCAA Division III All-America honors three times and was named the 1990 National Player-of-the-Year when she led the Warriors to their fifth national championship. She was inducted into Eastern’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Christia teaches math in Mount Vernon,

NY, coaches the Arlington varsity “B” softball team, and still competes in a local women’s league.

Thomas Simon has lived in New Mexico since 1990 and has owned WestGate Properties LLC since 2005. He is the past president of the Rotary Club of Santa Fe and is currently assistant governor of Rotary District 5520. This year marks his 30th wedding anniversary to Deborah Simon. Thomas and Deborah have three children and five grandchildren.

’91 Amy Orlomoski, director of the Andover Public Library, was recently profiled in the Manchester Journal-Inquirer. She also hosts the Bluegrass Café on Sundays at 4 p.m. on WHUS 91.7-FM, the University of Connecticut student and community radio station.

areas such as single-cell profiling and biopsy. A former Barnard Scholar, Chip earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/ Biochemistry from Wesleyan University in 2000 and spent several years working in the U.S. public health infrastructure, developing and implementing stateof-the-art methods for the detection of infectious pathogens, such as West Nile virus and bio-threat agents.

’96 Tara Booker has been named director of human services for the City of Norwich.

She returns to Connecticut after serving 10 years as the chief operating officer for Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness in Sarasota, FL.

’92 Dawn (Walmsley) Brolin, CPA, CFE and founder of Team Brolin, is the author of “The Designated Motivator: Unlock Your Superpower to Change Your Life, The World & Everyone in It.” She defines herself as a designated motivator — an individual who has the passion and ability to give others the greatest gift of all: the realization and mobilization of their true potential.

’95 Chip Belkwith is associate director of pharma and academic alliances at Somalogic, working with researchers in Dawn (Walmsley) Brolin ´92

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 35

BOYS NIGHT • Four former Eastern roommates get together at least once a year and have been meeting for the past 40 years. (Left to right) Former baseball players Joe “Buddy” Silva ’79 and Ken Hewitt ’80, former basketball captain Morris McCloud ’80 and Patrick Hearn ’78. Buddy’s son Troy Silva is a 2008 Eastern graduate and Patrick’s daughter Bridgette Hearn graduated in 2020.

’97 Dennis Doyle was among 85 St. Louis-area educators to receive Emerson’s Excellence in Teaching awards.

Sponsored annually by St. Louis-based Emerson, a diversified global manufacturer and technology leader, the awards pay tribute to area educators for their achievements and dedication to the field of education. Dennis is associate professor of history at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis. He earned his B.A. in History from Eastern and his Ph.D. from Stony Brook University. His academic specialty is 20th-century U.S. history of medicine and psychiatry with a focus on African Americans, health disparities and popular culture.

Duane Mitchell, MBA, DBA has been named manager, investment accounting at SE2, LLC in Topeka, KS. SE2 currently administers nearly two million active policies on behalf of its 25+ clients, and has more than $100 billion in assets under administration.

Scott Smith was sworn in as a West Hartford Police Officer at a ceremony last fall. He comes to West Hartford with more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, beginning with the East Hartford Police Department and retiring as a major after a 21-year career with the Connecticut State Police. In addition to his Eastern degree, Scott is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy’s executive leadership program.

’98 Eric Larson is a technology education teacher at Manchester High School, and is also the advisor to MHS TV, the high 36 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

school's television and media production program. Two of Eric’s former students, Jake Bolduc and Kyle Smith, were named national finalists for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Grant Berger Media Award.

Sharale (Walker) Mathis is the new vice president of academic and student affairs at Holyoke Community College.

Prior to her appointment at HCC, Sharale served as the dean of academic and student affairs at Middlesex Community College, where she was previously a tenured professor of biology, course coordinator, department chair and STEM Division director. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Eastern, a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Quinnipiac University and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Hartford.

After serving 15 years as an attorney for Kahan, Kerensky and Caposella, LLC, the last nine years as a partner, Justin Murphy, Esq. accepted a new position with ONsite Mammography, LLC in August. Murphy was named vice president and general counsel for ONsite, which is based out of Westfield, MA. Murphy also serves as the president of the ECSU Foundation Board of Directors.

’99 Scott Chiasson is the new baseball coach at Montville High School. Over the past eight seasons at Ledyard High School, he compiled a winning percentage of more than .600, including eight state tournament wins. Scott is also the general manager and head coach of the Connecticut Hurricanes AAU baseball program.

Kathleen (Fluckinger) Fischer is president at the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association.

She is also associate director of the Women’s Center at the University of Connecticut.

Jason Ruel is now the creative manager of 13News Now (WVEC) in Portsmouth, VA.

’00 Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has promoted Birgit Girshick to the position of chief operating officer and executive vice president. In her new role, in addition to her current responsibilities in managing a number of the organization’s subsidiaries, she will add oversight of the Research Models and Services business, where she began her career at Charles River in 1989.

Birgit earned an M.B.A. degree from the University of Rhode Island and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Mitch Mitchell has a new executive management position at AgeWell New York, a family of health plans offering Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans and Managed Long Term Care Plan options.

John Rubano is the new director of sales at Lucid Dx at Lucid Diagnostics.

Lucid Dx is a clinical lab consulting organization providing lab management and compliance services to more than 100 high-complexity hospital labs and independent reference labs throughout the United States.

’01

’04

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest work, “Notes on Grief,” is described as “an exquisite work of meditation, remembrance and hope, written in the wake of her beloved father’s death in the summer of 2020.” The Times writes, “For fans of the famously private Adichie, this is fascinatingly intimate. It is also delivered in the most readable, tender bites for any of the many of us whose attention has been shot by the harrowing of this past year.”

In addition to her role as associate director of learning and development & DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) Liaison for Workplace Culture at Yale University, Dannika Kemp Avent is also a consultant leader at I Follow the Leader LLC, a leadership consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion. This past May, Dannika completed a second master’s degree from Quinnipiac University in Instructional Design. In 2011, she earned an M.A. in Industrial Organizational Psychology-Human Resources Management from the University of New Haven.

Amber (Drake) Tucker has been promoted to partner at Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina LLP, a Glastonbury-based firm providing professional auditing, tax and business consulting services.

Amber was also recently elected to the Rocky Hill Board of Education.

’02 Jill Karrenberg ’02 M’19 has a new position as talent coordinator/recruitment and retention at New London Public Schools. She is also a lecturer in the Communication Department at Eastern.

The East Windsor Board of Education has named Darryl Rouillard as assistant superintendent of pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 instruction. Darryl has been with the East Windsor schools since 2014 and has served as assistant principal at both the middle school and high school, and most recently as the director of curriculum and instruction.

Timothy Thayer has a new position as Middle School Science Teacher at Norwich Public Schools. Tim completed a second master’s degree in Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University in 2019.

’03 OMG Inc. has promoted Brent Fournier to the position of director of procurement. In this role, he will develop and implement procurement strategies that meet OMG’s customer demands by focusing on customer service, reduced supply-chain risk, as well as stronger supply partnerships across the value chain. OMG is a leading U.S. manufacturer of specialty fasteners, adhesives, tools, and related products used in commercial and residential construction. Brent also earned an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix.

Justin Liskiewicz is owner of his own CPA firm in Milford.

’05 Joel Kosciak is an administrative assistant at Market Mentors in Springfield, MA, where he assists with print and media quotes, accounting functions and office management. He resides in East Longmeadow, MA. Solar Integrated Roofing Corp., an integrated, single-source solar power and roofing systems installation company, has announced the appointment of Héctor Peña M’05 to its board of directors. Héctor is a financial executive with more than 20 years of experience in accounting and operations, due diligence, turnarounds, start-ups and large complex projects at solar renewable energy organizations. Most recently he was vice president of finance at Suntuity, part of a conglomerate of renewable energy, finance, technology and UAV service companies.

Aniko Szabo is employment services manager for IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services) in New Haven.

She leads a team that helps refugees find jobs and become self-sufficient.

Szabo, who was born in a refugee camp in Latina, Italy, graduated from Eastern in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and started working as a mental health counselor with adolescents at Manchester Memorial Hospital immediately after graduation. She later earned a graduate degree in International Studies from Central Connecticut State University. “I am doing what I love

and I love what I do. Every day I get up and am excited to start because I don’t consider it work.”

’06 Kyle Wolff has a new position as agency sales leader at AssuredPartners, a national partnership of leading independent insurance brokers specializing in property and casualty and employee benefits.

’07 Tim Hippe is a technical sourcer at Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Rachelle (Parenteau) Kaman MBA is the new director of finance and administration at Jaroop, the leading end-to-end provider of business and technology solutions to stand up, operate, optimize and scale insurance distribution. She is also owner of RK3 Consulting, LLC. RK3 Consulting supports startups and non-profit organizations through innovative and efficient business and accounting services, specializing in strategic planning, accounting and marketing solutions to enhance operations and increase client’s revenues.

Philip Lohman IV is a new juvenile rehabilitation residential counselor at the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families in Ephrata, WA.

Philip Lohman ´07

Adam Wurtzel started a new position as backstage host and celebrity producer at Fox Corporation. He will be working on FOX’s “25 Words or Less,” which has been renewed through the 2022-23 season. Adam is also social media producer for FOX’s “Pictionary.”

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 37

’08 Kristen Brierley was promoted to senior labor relations associate/labor and employment attorney at the University of Connecticut. She had previously served as labor relations associate/labor and employment attorney.

EASTCONN appointed David Brown to the position of principal at the Quinebaug Middle College public magnet high school. Brown had worked for New London Public Schools since 2015 in a variety of positions. He is a former graduate fellow and geospatial analyst for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and worked as a marine aquarist at Mystic Aquarium. In addition to his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Earth Science from Eastern, Brown holds several degrees and certificates from Sacred Heart University and the University of New Haven.

Eric Grundfast recently became director of business operations for the San Jose Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks. “This is an exciting opportunity to relaunch a franchise and open a new arena.” Eric spent eight years with the Iowa Wild, the last four as vice president of sales. He recently spoke virtually to students in Charlie Chatterton’s “Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Communication” class.

Brandon Schingh is principal security specialist at Raytheon Technologies.

’09 Trey Bongiovanni is a managing partner of Bongiovanni Insurance and Financial and BSP Insurance, which provides holistic insurance and financial solutions for individuals and businesses. He was selected as one of 2021’s 40 Under 40 by the Hartford Business Journal.

Christopher Doyle has a new position as master clinician at AdCare Rhode Island, an in-patient alcohol and drug treatment center in North Kingstown, RI. He had previously been a manager with the Southeastern Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence.

Nova George is a new senior clinical research associate Pfizer FSP at DOCS. DOCS recently became ICON Strategic Solutions, a global leading provider of Functional Service Provision (FSP) services. Since earning her B.S. in Biology from Eastern, Nova has gained more than 10 years of experience in clinical trials, successfully managing 38 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

industry and investigator-initiated studies from start-up to close-out. Her areas of research include pediatric rare diseases, autoimmune diseases, vaccine effectiveness, emerging infections and healthcare access in underserved communities.

People’s United Bank has promoted Benjamin Raccio to senior business banking portfolio manager.

’10 Andrew Bass started a new position as a licensed realtor at eXp Realty.

The Quincy, MA, Police Department has promoted Mark Connolly M’10 to the rank of Sergeant. Sergeant Connolly joined the department as a patrolman in 2012.

Andrew DiFiore ´10

as assistant director of student life for residential and commuter student living at American International College in Springfield, MA. Blaine has a B.S. in Communication, a B.A. in Psychology, and a M.S. in Organizational Management, all earned at Eastern.

Erika Forsa is a hair stylist at CappolaBrokaw Art of Hair in Cheshire.

Michael Palladini has a new position as financial reporting analyst at Symetra.

He recently marked 10 years with the Army National Guard, where he serves as an IT specialist. He has earned his M.B.A. in Finance and Management of Technology and M.S. in Business Analytics and Project Management, both from the University of Connecticut.

’11 Mark Connolly M´10

Andrew DiFiore is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in depression, anxiety, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and other mental health conditions. He recently gave a presentation to Eastern psychology students on evidence-based practice in psychotherapy. He told students the best way to understand this line of work is to seek therapy themselves. “Not everyone needs therapy, but it’s a really good idea to sit in the other chair and try to understand it from the patient’s perspective.”

Blaine Fisher MS ’15 has returned to Eastern as the interim associate director of housing and residential life. Blaine most recently served as a resident director and student activities coordinator at Chester College of New England in New Hampshire. Besides her previous stint as a hall director at Eastern, Blaine served as assistant director of student life for housing operations and

Since graduating from Eastern, Christina (Schirone) Collins acquired a full-time health and physical education position, received tenure, completed multiple ultra-endurance events, and married her best friend. She and her husband are raising their two beautiful boys in Westchester County, NY. Christina’s passion is NeverStopMoving365, a sports and exercise tutoring company she founded to help children of all ability levels grow in a nurturing environment. Connect with her at neverstopmoving365@gmail.com.

Erica Holloway is a new clinical case manager at The MENTOR Network. In addition to being named one of Forbes Best Employers for Diversity, The MENTOR Network is a premier provider of home and community-based health care, offering adults, children and their families innovative, quality services and individualized supports that lead to growth and independence. Erica earned her M.S.W. from the University of New England in 2021.

Christina (Schirone) Collins ´11

Dave Hunt began a new position as technical customer service representative for GiveSignup/RunSignup.

RunSignUp is the leading innovator of online race management tools for the running community, including promotion, registration, fundraising and race day activities. Dave earned his B.S. in Sport and Leisure Management from Eastern and has more than 10 years of professional race-timing and eventorganizing experience.

Dayna (Beardsley) Samela is a new special education teacher at Jonathan Law High School in Milford. After earning her M.S. in Early Childhood Education at Eastern, she decided she wanted to teach older students, so she completed a bachelor’s degree in Special Education at Fairfield University. Dayna is also a new mom to an infant son.

Jim Schult started a new position as senior associate at RSM US LLP, an audit, tax and consulting firm focused on the middle market in the country.

RSM is the fifth largest accounting firm in the United States. Jim recently became engaged to his girlfriend Jade, and he still plays in the Greater Hartford Twilight baseball league.

Michelle Thakur has a new position as academic partner operations associate at Guild Education.

’12 Marci (Reismann) Belton has a new position as campus recruiter senior associate at Ernst and Young. She previously served as assistant director of student life at Loyola University Maryland.

Judith Frankel has a new position as assessment manager in the University of Saint Joseph’s School of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Studies Program.

Christina Frugale is the planning and event success manager at Russell Morin Catering and Events in Attleboro, MA. After working for six years in the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, Kelly Hill is now a police officer in Duck, NC. She earned a B.A. in Political Science at Eastern.

Kira Holmes is the new executive director of the Windham Textile and History Museum. Over the past 10 years, Kira has been a dedicated museum volunteer, curating exhibits, archiving, coordinating fundraisers, and serving on the museum’s Board of Directors.

After receiving her B.A. in History from Eastern, Kira obtained an M.A. in Public History from Central Connecticut State University. In her new role Kira will focus on developing community partnerships, adding programming and attracting more museum visitors.

Ariana White was promoted to senior director of publicity at Atlantic Records.

She lives in Elizabeth, NJ, and recently celebrated her first anniversary as a homeowner.

’13 Arielle Cooper has been named head softball coach at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. She was an assistant coach for three seasons before serving as interim head coach last season. Arielle earned her B.S. at Eastern in Sport and Leisure Management, Health Promotion, and her M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western Connecticut State University in 2017.

Christine DeFilippo is a special education teacher and a soccer coach at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, NY. Nathan Garcia is the new sales and distribution manager at Urban South-Houston, where he will direct all on-premise and off-premise sales of package products, including taproom release management, in-state retail customers, out-of-state distributor management and direct-to-consumer sales. Prior positions included roles as a health and wellness manager and personal trainer, site manager at Go Ape Treetop Adventure, director at Nomads Outdoor Adventure and director of operations at The Adventure Park at Storrs.

Rob Kavaler has been promoted to senior graphic designer at RCN Capital, a nationwide, private direct lender providing short-term fix and flip financing and long-term rental financing for real estate investors. In addition, Rob continues to operate his own freelance business, RDK Design and Photography, designing logos, advertisements, collat-

eral materials, apparel and websites, and photographing events, performances and engagements.

Patrick Mulvihill works with Uber Healthcare Partnerships in New York City. Prior to making the move to Uber Healthcare, he was a sales executive for Kinetik, a billing company for the healthcare transportation industry.

’14 Alex Bieniek is an air traffic controller at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

His wife Rachel (Junga) Bieniek ’14 is the new senior associate at Heidrick & Struggles, a Chicago-based provider of senior-level executive search, culture shaping and leadership consulting services.

The Royal Law Firm of Springfield, MA, recently welcomed attorney Jaclyn Cronin to its team. Jaclyn received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern and her juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the state of Connecticut.

Ryan DiPietro has been inducted into the Berlin High School Athletic Hall of Fame. While at Berlin, Ryan was an all-state and all-conference selection, and was voted MVP of the 2002 Senior All-Star game held at Fenway Park. At Eastern, he compiled a career record of 29-3 and helped Eastern reach the NCAA Division III national title game in 2004.

Ryan now works as an environmental inspector, and resides in Wallingford with his wife Rachel, sons Chase and Cal, and daughter Hailey.

Alyssa “Allie” Henry has a new position as academic success coach at Barry University in Miami, FL. She earned her M.Ed. in Psychology-Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Springfield College in 2018, and had previously served at Mitchell College in New London as athletic academic advisor.

As marketing manager for Bridge Loan Network, Erica Sikoski is focused on creating informative and thought-provoking content to strengthen Bridge Loan Network’s marketing and tradeshow initiatives. She also manages the company’s social media channels, email campaigns, and digital and print campaigns. Erica earned a degree in Communications with a concentration in Advertising at Eastern.

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 39

EASTERN WOMEN'S TRACK • On Aug. 28, 2021, the Hartford Marathon Foundation hosted a running relay from Providence to Hartford in support of the East Coast Greenway. Eastern’s Women’s Track and Field Alumni Team was the first women’s team to finish and placed 10th overall out of 135 teams.

Eastern’s current team volunteered at the relay exchange zone at Jillson Square in Willimantic, where they directed runners, supplied snacks and water and recorded times. Also on hand was Men’s Track and Field alumnus Ryan Jones ’19, now a Willimantic police officer. (Left to right) Kass Banks ’18, Tina Gosselin ’19, Haley Knox ’19, Rachel Berkowski ’18, Ryan Jones ’19, Head Coach Kathy Manizza and Kelly Labanara ’15. (Missing is Samara Johnson, who was running a leg of the relay)

Professional Champion” in the next generation of human resource leaders.

She earned her SHRM-CP and her M.S. in SHRM from Sacred Heart University.

Monique Dumaine is the founder of Athena’s Bridge, offering strategic and creative services for impact-driven entrepreneurs. Monique coordinates the services she provides through an Online Business Manager (OBM), who works directly with small business owners and entrepreneurs and manages day-to-day business activities, team members and projects. The logo for Athena’s Bridge was designed by Alyssa Reilly ’14. For more information, visit https://www. athenasbridge.com/.

Nick Aconfora ´15

’15 In addition to his recent promotion to associate manager-ESPN Next, Nick Aconfora is a lecturer in the Communication Department at Eastern, where he teaches “Video Storytelling in Sports.”

Alexandra Cafferty is a human resource specialist at Alliant, a provider of audience-based marketing services in Brewster, NY. She was recently recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as an “Emerging 40 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

Monique Dumaine ´15

Grant Messier has a new position as director of communications at Remarkablism Services Corporation|Turnkey Phils. He is also national sales manager for Turnkey Processing LLC, a credit processing service company that embraces constant service evolution to find better, easier and more innovative ways to support entrepreneurs and business owners. Grant earned his B.A. in Sociology at Eastern.

Dane Paracuelles is the new assistant director of residence life at the University of California-San Diego.

Richard Squires is an optometrist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Perry Point, MD. The position is part of his fourth-year clinical rotations for the Doctor of Optometry program at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Rob Scheim has a new position as sales account manager at Topgolf, a technology-enabled global sports and entertainment community. He and his wife Danielle were married in October 2021.

Elizabeth Valenzuela is the new associate merchandise manager at Aritzia, an innovative design house and fashion boutique with more than 100 locations in select cities across North America.

’16 Lee Cattanach has been promoted to senior manager II, merchandising operations at Walmart.

Brett Gelino is a doctoral candidate in Applied Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas. He recently made a virtual presentation to Eastern Psychology students titled “Scaling up: Behavioral Psychology and the Pursuit of Sustainable Policy,” which focused on ways to reduce climate change by looking at behavior analysis and behavioral economics. He also spoke about career opportunities, including his own career path.

Matthew Gorski has been promoted to Operational Risk Administrator at Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union in Lowell, MA. He joined the credit union as a Member Service Representative in March 2020. He earned his B.A. in Economics at Eastern.

Brie Passero has been promoted to auditor II by the Office of the State Comptroller, Connecticut Auditors of Public Accounts. She joined the Auditors of Public Accounts as an auditor trainee in 2017.

Rachel Sawyer-Walker has been appointed as the new associate director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Compliance (EDIC), at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Rachel earned her Master of Education in College Student Affairs from Rutgers, and most recently served as associate director of student engagement at Drew University. (See the story of Rachel and her college sweetheart Donald Walker ’15 in Matches Made at Eastern on pages 26-27.)

’17

Brett Galino ´16

OMG Roofing Products has named Christina Gonzalez as product manager.

She will be responsible for developing sales and marketing opportunities for new and existing OMG discretionary products through a nationwide network of independent roofing distributors.

She had previously been an associate product manager with the FastenMaster Division of OMG Inc., where she led cross-functional teams to help commercialize new products.

Jessica Dastous is CEO and founder of Wildflower Creative LLC in Edwards, CO. She offers business to consumer marketing and branding for the ski and snowboard industry, the outdoor industry, and the consumer packaged goods, luxury resorts, entertainment, dining, retail and gaming industries. Jessica resides in Vail, CO. Dajoun Jones is a relationship banker at Bank of America.

Daniel Mueller has started a new position as human resources assistant at Sheffield, which specializes in executive search, executive selection, interim management, and leadership and organizational development. Some of Daniel’s responsibilities include recruiting, HUBZone data keeping and benefits administration.

Ravi Patel is the owner of Other Desi Beer Co. and was recently featured in Connecticut Magazine. He tries to incorporate traditional South Asian flavors into the beers he produces. “I wanted something that represented me and my culture. I try to integrate flavoring from my childhood or from now that I enjoy — a lot of sweets or fruits or spices.”

Check out www.otherdesibeer.com or @otherdesibeerco on Instagram.

Amy (Dziewaltowski) Salcedo has a new position as Cell Leader at Pratt & Whitney. She recently earned her M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut and she also serves as a staff sergeant with the Connecticut Air National Guard.

Justin Schaffer is the new acquisition integration manager at William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage and Insurance.

He had previously been mergers and acquisitions advisor/closer at Woodbridge International in New Haven. Justin volunteers for the Weston (CT) Food Pantry, Special Olympics, JA Worldwide and the Weston Warmup Fund. He is also an assistant football coach at Weston High School.

’18 Casey Collins has a new position as a search analyst for Converge, a marketing and advertising firm based in the New York City area. His previous role was as an advertising and search specialist with Rebel Interactive.

Kaylee DeFelice is a graduate student at the University of MassachusettsAmherst studying school psychology.

She recently spoke to students in Eastern’s Psychological Science Department, focusing on school psychology along with the factors and experiences that made her choose that field.

Tiffany Gooddall started a new position at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst as a student success advisor.

While pursuing her M.S. in Counseling/Student Development in Higher

EDITH PRAGUE • Edith Prague ’65, longtime state representative, state senator and advocate for the elderly, passed away on Dec. 16, 2021. Prague was a teacher, a medical social worker and a state representative in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1982 to 1990. After her stint in the House, Prague went on to become the Commissioner on Aging for Gov. Lowell Weicker. After the position was eliminated, she was elected state senator from 1995-2013 and, after leaving elected office, became the Connecticut Commissioner on Aging again under Gov. Dannell Malloy when the position was reinstated. A frequent visitor to the Child and Family Development Resource Center and a welcome volunteer at Eastern’s annual Day of Giving in November, Prague and her husband Franklin established the Franklin and Edith Prague Endowed Centennial Scholarship in 1989 to commemorate Eastern’s 100th anniversary. The scholarship is awarded to students from New London, Tolland and Windham counties.

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 41

Education at Central Connecticut State University, Tiffany served in Eastern’s Division of Student Affairs as a graduate intern for student orientation and leadership programs.

Katie O’Rourke is an area coordinator at Fairfield University.

’19 Taylor Danielczuk has a new position as sciences and healthcare recruiter at Actalent.

Sean DeVlieger graduated from the Connecticut Fire Academy and was sworn in as a member of the Willimantic Fire Department.

Nicholas Hanley is a registered representative at Equitable Advisors.

Leaja Johnson has a new position as community outreach assistant at Hartford HealthCare.

Jen Porpora has a new position as financial services consultant at TIAA and has relocated to Charlotte, NC. Jesse Steinmetz is producer of “Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins” on WFAE 90.7 FM in Charlotte, NC. Before joining WFAE, Jesse interned at WNPR in Hartford, and his first radio experience was hosting a show on WECS-FM at Eastern.

Kristina Zoghbi has a new position as talent acquisition partner at CVS Health, where she is part of a team that recruits at colleges and universities. Prior to that she was an underwriting consultant and was enrolled in the Underwriting Leadership Development Program at Aetna.

’20 Clancy Benedict has relocated to the Boston area and is pursuing an M.S. in Management in Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College.

Madeline Colegrove is a digital marketing coordinator in the Shelton, CT office of Really Good Stuff, LLC, a retail company that provides educational products to teachers.

Briana Shore is a digital merchandising operations specialist at CVS Health.

While at Eastern, Briana majored in Art and minored in Business Information Systems and Digital Art and Design.

Nicole Reinschmidt has been promoted to advocate at Safe Futures in New London. Safe Futures’ mission is to

42 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

save lives, restore hope and change the future for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking. Nicole earned a B.S. in Psychology and minored in mental health counseling.

’21 Annie Audigé is the new talent acquisition operations administrator at New York Community Bank (NYCB). She earned her B.S. in Business Administration.

Khalifa Karim graduated last May with a B.S. in Business Administration. She is working for the Admissions Office at Eastern as an admissions counselor, recruiting prospective students from New Haven and Litchfield counties.

Jessica Moise is an associate analyst at Infosys in Hartford. Infosys is a multinational information technology company that provides business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services.

Paulina Palomo is one of only 50 participants from across the country selected for a Television Academy Foundation Internship in 2021. The eightweek paid internship has her working with Endemol Shine North America, a Hollywood-based content production company that produces such shows as “Big Brother,” “The Biggest Loser” and “Wipeout.”

Annie Audigé ´21

James Callaghan is a recreation specialist at the Westover Job Corps Center in Chicopee, MA. Jackson Delaney is a public relations assistant at Susan Oliver Consulting, an independent consultant specializing in strategic communications and helping clients define powerful messages for top-tier media placements. He is also pursuing his M.P.A. at the University of Connecticut.

Prior to his senior year at Eastern, Patrick Guertin was a Technology Leadership Development Program (TLDP) intern at The Travelers, and was subsequently hired as a TLDP Software Engineer when he graduated in May. Patrick was also selected to be Travelers liaison as a source of information for Eastern students who are interested in careers at Travelers. Patrick majored in Computer Science and minored in Mathematics at Eastern.

Sydney Hogan is a paraprofessional with the North Haven Public Schools while she pursues her master’s degree in Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University.

Paulina Palomo ´21

Ryan Tarko is a content development specialist with Black Kite, a firm providing third-party risk management through accurate and comprehensive cyber intelligence.

Johana Vazquez is a staff writer for The Day of New London, where she covers Montville and Waterford. Originally from Arkansas, she said what sparked her interest in writing was learning about the Syrian refugee crisis while in high school.

in memoriam Ronald Edmondson ’54 Coventry, CT • July 29, 2021

Barbara Krauss ’73 Lisbon, CT • June 24, 2021

James Whitney ’96 Waterford, CT • April 11, 2020

Naomi “Paddy” Padowitz Swartz ’54 August 1, 2020 • White Plains, NY

Ernest Bergeron ’73 Enfield, CT • Nov. 16, 2021

Shirley Stoney ’02 Willimantic, CT • Oct. 10, 2021

Joseph Joaquin ’73, M’76 Colchester, CT • Dec. 17, 2021

Thomas Nash ’02 Portland, CT • Dec. 14, 2021

Joan Youngs ’74 East Hampton, CT • Dec. 12, 2021

Nicole Richard ’03 Hopedale, MA • Aug. 27, 2021

Catherine Williams ’75 Chaplin, CT • Aug. 20, 2021

Jacqueline Bogue ’06 Palm Bay, FL • Aug. 31, 2021

Sylvia Masi ’76 Sunset Beach, NC • Nov. 11, 2021

Katharine Teper ’09 Ledyard, CT • Aug. 25, 2020

David Emery ’78 East Granby, CT • Sept. 28, 2021

John Parke ’11 Tolland, CT • Dec. 2, 2021

Mary Butler ’80 Ledyard, CT • Oct. 17, 2020

Michael Freilich ’16 Oneonta, NY • Dec. 17, 2021

Jayne Kingston ’80 Tariffville, CT • Nov. 22, 2021

James Donnelly • Former faculty Windham, CT • Dec. 5, 2021

Sharon (Murphy) Palmer M’80 Quaker Hill, CT • Dec. 4, 2020

David Enggas • Friend Mansfield Center, CT July 24, 2021

Judith (Mills) Haddad ’58 Cromwell, CT • Nov. 10, 2021 Thomas Kelly ’59 South Windsor, CT • Aug. 22, 2021 Davis Burton ’64 Thompson, CT • Dec. 17, 2021 Edith (Gelt) Prague ’65 Former State Senator Columbia, CT • December 16, 2021 Sandra (Smith) Crehore ’66 Westport Island, ME Sept. 30, 2021 John Destefano M’67 Lebanon, CT Oct. 9, 2021 Mary (Stafford) Harper ’69 Storrs/Mansfield, CT Nov. 29, 2021

Frances Abetz ’82 Tolland, CT • Jan. 11, 2022

Ilene Frank ’70 Glastonbury, CT • June 25, 2021

Arthur Drab ’83 San Antonio, TX • Dec. 9, 2021

Angela (Cicchetti) Bowen ’70 Windham, CT • Nov. 2, 2021

Michael Laporte ’84 Southington, CT • Oct. 17, 2021

Terrance Corcoran ’71 Longmont, CO • Oct. 13, 2021

Darleen Keaney ’87 Norwich, CT • Sept. 27, 2021

Janice Adams ’71 Colchester, CT • Nov. 18, 2021

Cheryl Mullin ’88 Woodstock Valley, CT July 23, 2021

Jean Rand M’71 Columbia, CT • Dec. 30, 2021 Holly (Rhodes) Best ’72 Denmark, ME • Aug. 21, 2021 Mary Eberle ’72 Niantic, CT • Sept. 25, 2021 Clyde Hall M’72 Willington, CT • Jan. 4, 2022

Robert Uzpen ’89 Saint Paul, MN • May 13, 2020 Harold Diggs ’90 Philadelphia, PA • Nov. 26, 2020 Barbara Kolb ’91 Mansfield Center, CT July 15, 2021 Maria Whitcomb ’93 Andover, CT • Feb. 26, 2021

Frances Funk • Friend Coventry, CT • Oct. 10, 2020 Charles Lyons • Former staff Eastford, CT • Dec. 31, 2021 Eugene Mittelman Foundation Board Member Dedham, MA • Oct. 25, 2021 Eileen Ossen • Friend Mansfield Center, CT Oct. 28, 2021 Cynthia Schaffer • Former staff Ashford, CT • Jan. 9, 2022 Sean Spillane • Friend Brooklyn Park, MN • April 16, 2021 Gabriel Vallario • Student New London, CT • Aug. 22, 2021 Richard Wolf • Professor Emeritus Willimantic, CT • Aug. 11, 2021

EASTERN • Spring 2022 • 43

FINAL THOUGHTS For the past two years and counting, Eastern’s students, faculty, staff — and yes, our alumni too! — have bravely managed their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. On campus, we have adjusted to conditions on the ground by offering online, hybrid and on-ground classes, while using a range of health and safety protocols to keep our campus safe. Eastern consistently has had the highest percentage of on-ground classes, the largest residential student population and the lowest COVID rates in our state system, a tribute to the commitment that the campus community has made to educating our students in a safe environment.

We have seen the power of human perseverance on our campus and the ability of students, faculty and staff to adapt to adversity. Nonetheless, this diligence has not come without costs. The number of students seeking help from our counseling services confirms the impact COVID is having on students’ mental health. Some have “stopped out” due to emotional stress or financial hardship. Others have elected to take all their classes online out of concern for their personal health. Families already challenged by the rising cost of higher education have been further burdened by COVID-related illness, the loss of employment, and other financial and health-related issues.

During these past two years, I have been encouraged and inspired by the continued generosity of Eastern donors. We have seen several estate gifts and other major donations, additional endowed scholarships to honor family members, and other philanthropy to support Eastern students with unmet financial need. Just as our campus community has responded to COVID by proving its mettle and learning new ways to thrive, our supporters have used this time to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to Connecticut’s only public liberal arts university.

I want to thank each person who has risen to the occasion to help Eastern continue to offer its students an outstanding education on our beautiful residential campus. With your support, I believe that Eastern will emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever as a “University of First Choice” for Connecticut residents and other students. Thank you!

Kenneth J. DeLisa Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chief Human Resources Officer

44 • Spring 2022 • EASTERN

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Willimantic, CT Permit No. 12

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Check out the Online Alumni Directory Create your own log-in, update your alumni profile, search for classmates and friends, find alumni in your area, and check your giving history. Sign in at

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MOVES TO THE FALL The annual Eastern Celebrates alumni reunion day, traditionally held the Saturday before Commencement, will be held this fall on October 1, 2022, in combination with Family Day. Our new celebration will still include our Big Tent BBQ and other alumni events, along with events for families of current students. Visit https://www.easternct.edu/celebrate for details.