Eastern Magazine 2018 Winter

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

Issue 28

Winter 2018

Connecticut’s Public Liberal Arts University

Careers Start at Eastern

From the President ’s Desk

Issue 28| Winter 2018

1

From the President’s Desk

2

Young Alumni Demonstrate Power of an Eastern Degree

6

Curriculum Innovations Keep Eastern Relevant

8

Students Thank Donors

9

Class of 2017 Fellows Inducted Music to Our Ears Philanthropic Events

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Alumni Support Career Development

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Down Memory Lane

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Technology Gives Students Competitive Edge

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2017 Global Field Courses

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Spring 2018 Arts Events

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5 Minutes with Ryan Parker

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Research Teach Eastern Students Valuable Skills

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Cigna Announces Program for Puerto Rican Students

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Matches Made at Eastern

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Behind the Scenes with Carlos Hernandez

27

Dorm Rooms on Instagram

28

Warrior Nation!

30

Autumn Foliage Comes Alive

31

Class Notes

36

Final Thoughts

In this issue

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This issue of EASTERN Magazine focuses the discussion of the merits of an Eastern education by highlighting the career success of our graduates. Just as the students portrayed on the cover are envisioning their future success as professionals, everything we do on campus — in the classroom and beyond — is focused on preparing students for success in a world of constant change.

You will read about the success of some of our younger alumni, who are using the competencies gained while at Eastern to find success in their respective fields. From genetics laboratories to television studios, Eastern graduates are demonstrating that the skills they are acquiring on our campus — through internships, campus employment and other opportunities — are the same talents highly sought by American employers.

This edition of EASTERN Magazine also highlights innovations taking place on campus to enhance our curriculum, update classroom technology, and provide our students with outstanding research and global field study experiences. Whether it is the launching of new majors, the use of groundbreaking equipment, or continued support for student researchers through national grant programs and private donor support, Eastern faculty and staff regularly seek opportunities to give our students a competitive edge in the 21st century economy.

Keeping pace with change is not possible at Eastern without the ongoing encouragement of our alumni. From financial assistance offered through endowed scholarships, fundraising events such as our annual golf tournament or other signs of alumni support, we are a vibrant University only because of the generations of alumni who constitute the Eastern family. Alumni are also returning to campus to provide current undergraduates with insights of what it takes to be successful in the modern workplace.

As we continue to help our students prepare for successful careers, let me make it clear that a commitment to our students’ employability is not an attempt to minimize the broader benefits of a liberal education. The broad-based intellectual and life skills that prepare students for careers are the same skills they need to be civically engaged in their local communities and as active citizens of our American democracy.

Inside back cover: Why I Give Back cover: Nationwide Services

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

The problems facing mankind have never been more complex, and the solutions to those challenges are neither simple nor certain. Just as American employers want employees who are critical thinkers with good communication and workplace skills, our nation needs independent, free thinkers — working collaboratively — to ensure a free society and a vital economy for all Americans.

I can think of no better place to prepare such leaders than on our campus, where students are at the center of an active Eastern community.

Elsa M. Núñez 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.

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YOUNG ALUMNI DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF AN EASTERN DEGREE Eastern faculty are committed to providing our students with a broad set of life skills and employability preparation, including problem-solving skills, ethics, the ability to work with others and the capacity to adapt to constant change. At the same time, Eastern students are gaining hands-on experiences in their majors to prepare for successful careers. Here is a sampling of some younger alumni and how they are doing.

Sport and Leisure Management major Justin Brown ’09 is a research fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2017 he received one of only two Early-Stage Investigator Awards from the National Institute of Health’s Office of Disease Prevention. “Eastern provides an environment that is intellectually engaging, culturally diverse and socially enriching. It is my professional opinion that the faculty in the Kinesiology and Physical Education Department are among the best educators in the country.”

Biology major Elizabeth DelBuono ’17 is pursuing a master’s degree in genetic counseling at Sarah Lawrence College. Her internship at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine — where she conducted breast cancer research — solidified her career aspirations. “I was surrounded by some of the most brilliant individuals in the world, and was immersed in the race to find an answer, a gene, a treatment, a cure.” The first-generation college student was also named one of Eastern’s two 2017 Barnard Scholars. “Over the course of my four years at Eastern I became a scientist, a confident student, a leader and an advocate.”

Clockwise from upper left: Justin Brown ’09, Elizabeth DelBuono ’17, David Ngibuini ’14 2 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

Computer science major David Ngibuini ’14 is a portfolio manager at Cigna, the global health services company. The computer scientist has

interests in Internet security, vulnerability management and network intrusion. “When I was a student studying computer science, I would ask myself, ‘Why am I studying art history? Why am I studying geography?’ Now I know. All of life’s problems can’t be solved with a few lines of code.

You need to be able to think outside the box. My liberal arts education helps me draw from different branches of knowledge so that I can reach a creative solution, rather than facing the world purely as a computer scientist.”

Mathematics major James Chadic ’14 is a full-time mathematics professor at Three Rivers Community College. The young mathematician from Haiti models his teaching after two Eastern professors. “I learned from the best. I use the humor of Professor Khan and the method and style of Professor Aidoo.” Speaking of what makes a good teacher, he said, “It’s not knowledge that does the job. There’s more to it — there’s compassion, there’s love, there’s admiration.

It’s not just math skills. The art of teaching is simple: ‘Can I make you see what I see?’”

Communication major Carmen Chau ’10 is a reporter at WTIC-TV in Hartford. “Eastern granted me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone to chase my dream of being a TV reporter. With the guidance of experienced professors in the Communication Department, I can now proudly say I’m there. I encourage aspiring students, especially future journalists, to take advantage of Eastern’s TV22 News Club because that was where I started.”

English major Andrew Minikowski ’12 is an attorney at the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. “When I began law school, I discovered that my studies as an English major at Eastern had already honed most of the skills necessary to practice law. The cardinal skill of an effective lawyer is the ability to write persuasively and critically.

Above, clockwise from upper left: James Chadic ’14, Carmen Chau ’10 and Andrew Minikowski ’12 EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 3

Furthermore, my English studies provided me with the ability to probe my own ideas for analytical flaws and synthesize diverse viewpoints and facts into a coherent whole.”

Biology major Anthony Lucia ’13 works at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, ME, as a video review technician on commercial fishing boats. He installs Above, Anthony Lucia ’13 and Marlana Carroll ’11 electronic monitoring systems and works with fishermen and government officials on fish-handling protocols that capture data while minimally impacting the crew. “During my time at Eastern I was able to supplement my degree with a variety of independent research, travel and important life experiences that have been invaluable in both my professional and personal life,” says Lucia, who conducted field research with Eastern’s Biology Department in the Bahamas and Costa Rica as an undergraduate.

Psychology major Marlana Carroll ’11 is an inbound marketing consultant with Vital Design, an award-winning Internet marketing agency in Portsmouth, NH. “There are endless opportunities to get involved at Eastern! I worked on campus and was a part of eight organizations. I found passion and excitement in everything I did because of my surroundings. At Eastern I discovered what drove me to become the marketing professional I am today.”

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English major Kate Harner ’12 is a marketing communications specialist at Hawkes Learning, an e-learning company in Charleston, SC. “Getting a liberal arts education at Eastern helped me appreciate and learn about different disciplines. I can write knowledgeably about a wide range of topics, and that skill comes in handy when I’m writing about Hawkes Learning’s new calculus courseware or researching study habits of effective learners for a blog post.”

Communication major David Wurtzel ’13 credits Eastern with developing his professionalism and communication skills. He was nominated in 2017 for three Emmy Awards for his work at Connecticut Above, clockwise from upper left: Kate Harner ’12, David Wurtzel ’13 and Corey Pelletier ’12 Public Broadcasting. “I direct and film content and work with company leadership to select stories and decide which creative techniques to use to tell those stories visually,” says Wurtzel, who has worked on projects for Heineken USA, the National Hockey League, the National Football League and FOX TV. Environmental Earth Science major Corey Pelletier ’12 is a fisheries biologist for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Conservation of fish species and their habitat is important for maintaining ecological health as well as providing sustainable resources for recreational fishing. “Eastern provided me not only with the knowledge base to understand our environment and natural processes, but also a working knowledge applicable to the natural resources field.”

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CURRICULUM INNOVATIONS KEEP EASTERN RELEVANT

Eastern faculty are bringing new majors and other academic programs in play so that our students graduate ready for careers in emerging occupations in Connecticut and beyond.

COMPUTER SCIENCE The faculty has implemented new computer science courses to ensure that students prepare for emerging technology trends. Courses include Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Computing and Big Data, and provide Eastern students with additional competencies and skills in the constantly changing world of information technology.

CRIMINOLOGY Nearly 200 students major in the new Criminology program, barely a year old. Students conduct research on topics such as drug use in prisons, white-collar crime and body camera use among police officers, and take internships with prosecutors, probation officers, and at rehabilitation facilities.

NEW MEDIA STUDIES Students in the New Media Studies major use technologies such as motion capture and virtual reality in the major’s capstone course, where they develop “signature projects” ranging from creating a video game to developing curriculum to help young girls pursue STEM careers.

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HEALTH SCIENCE With more than 275 students, Health Science is Eastern’s most popular new major. This past summer a group of students interned at a hospital and orphanage in Ghana, Africa. They also intern at local physical therapy offices, nursing homes and hospitals in Connecticut. Recent research projects have included a biomedical project at Harvard University as well as a project on pain management.

BIOINFORMATICS Students in the bioinformatics minor use computational and mathematical tools to analyze biomedical topics such as diagnosing and treating genomic diseases like cancer. Recent student projects include developing a web-based application to help biologists sort through genomic data and a publication portal to assist researchers in identifying cancer types associated with particular genes.

FINANCE First offered in 2014, the Finance major has grown in popularity, with nearly 100 declared majors. Internships provide students in the major with a variety of practical experiences, ranging from working in the Town of Windham’s Finance Department, to internships at Gottier Investments, Pfizer, Cardinal Health, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Aetna.

CRITICAL THINKING/WRITING The Davis Educational Foundation has awarded Eastern a $200,000 grant to develop its “Critical Reading and Writing across the Disciplines” initiative. The two-year project will strengthen first- and second-year students’ analytical thinking, reading and writing skills by enhancing faculty approaches to teaching critical thinking.

MATHEMATICS New concentrations in Data Science, Math for Teaching, and Actuarial Science provide Eastern math majors with the skills they need to compete in today’s job market. Data analysts are in high demand, while the job outlook for actuaries is expected to increase more than twice the overall job market through 2024.

PSYCHOLOGY Eastern was the first Connecticut university to offer a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst concentration, a program that is certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Eastern is also one of only two state universities in Connecticut to offer a Mental Health Counseling concentration. Psychology students take field courses in such locales as Nepal, England, Ireland and Hawaii, and internships and field experiences at more than 50 local sites.

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Eastern Fellows James Girard ’97, Anne Iezzi ’79 and Andrew Mitchel ’89 share career experiences with Eastern undergraduates.

Students Thank Donors at Annual Scholarship Reception Shawn Meaike ’95

The annual ECSU Foundation, Inc., scholarship reception was held on Nov. 8 in the lobby of the Fine Arts Instructional Center with more than 200 students in attendance to greet and thank more than 30 donors and benefactors.

President Elsa Núñez personally congratulated each student and thanked the generous donors in attendance who traveled to campus to connect with the recipient(s) of their respective endowed scholarship.

The keynote speaker was Shawn Meaike ’95, President of Family First Life LLC, an insurance and financial planning firm located in Gales Ferry, CT, that Meaike launched in 2013. In 2015 he established an endowed scholarship at Eastern to assist students with financial need.

Meaike’s remarks inspired the audience as he described the impact Eastern has had on his own life. He encouraged scholarship recipients in attendance to reach out to a professor or staff member because those relationships can pay dividends down the road. “I had Dr. Rhona Free for Economics my first semester 8 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

at Eastern and she was a wonderful professor,” said Meaike.

“One day she pulled me aside and said, ‘Shawn, it doesn’t look like you are enjoying this at all. Are you sure you want to be an Economics major?’

“That was the impetus for me to switch my major to Sociology and eventually launch my first career in social work,” continued Meaike. “I needed an intervention and Dr. Free cared enough about me to step forward and give me an honest assessment and for that I am forever grateful.”

Sarah Andrews ’18, an Elementary Education and English double major who graduated from East Lyme High School, read her thank you note. She received the ECSU Foundation Scholarship.

“I am studying elementary education and English in the hopes of becoming a teacher in the near future,” said Andrews. “I work with individuals with special needs in a student club called Best Buddies. We create one-to-one friendships for people with and without disabilities.

“By awarding me this scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden and this allows me to focus more on my learning.”

Three Eastern alumni were inducted into the Eastern Fellows Program this past September. In addition to joining the ranks of the university’s distinguished alumni, James Girard ’97, Anne Iezzi ’79 and Andrew Mitchel ’89 returned to campus to meet with students and share career advice.

Girard, a business administration major, is the vice president of human resources at Harris Corporation, a global technology company headquartered in Melbourne, FL, with approximately 17,000 employees.

Iezzi, a sociology major, is the vice president and chief compliance officer for the Retirement Services Division at Voya Financial, a Fortune 500 company.

Mitchel, an economics major, is an international tax attorney whose expertise has been sought by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

During a panel discussion with students, the alumni spoke of their experiences as Eastern students and provided insights into the business world. On the topic of lifelong learning, Girard said, “If you are to be successful, you need to continually learn. Having

The 2017 Class of Eastern Fellows with Dr. Núñez

this mindset gives you an edge in the workplace, as the techniques and tactics of your industry will continue to change.” Iezzi followed with, “When you’re in the workplace, you may stop getting tested, but you should never stop being curious. Learning doesn’t stop after graduation.”

Pointing to the role of luck in career success, Girard said, “I don’t believe in luck. Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. The key is hard work.” Iezzi reflected on her previous job at The Hartford. “Over the course of my 28 years with The Hartford, I never applied for a job. They came to me.”

The three alumni encouraged the students to research the companies they are applying to and review the LinkedIn profile of the interviewer beforehand.

“Show them that you’re prepared and curious. Come ready with a question.”

The Eastern Fellows Program was established in 2009 to recognize and engage distinguished alumni in the life of the campus community. Twenty-six alumni have been inducted into the program.

“Music to Our Ears ”

The "Music to Our Ears" fundraiser at the Mohegan Sun featured Lady Gaga and generated about $15,000 for the John F. Kearney ’75 Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship on Nov. 11, due in large part to the title sponsorship provided by Titan Energy, the company that John founded. (left-right) Brendan Kearney, Laura Kearney, Justin Kearney, Bridget Kearney, Marilyn and David Foster. Brendan and Justin are both executives with Titan Energy.

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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY (left to right) Winter Caplanson ’88, Brian Sullivan ’08, Nicholas Jones ’12 and Corey Pelletier ’12 PSYCHOLOGY (left to right, front row) Amanda Perrin ’11, Richard Hisman ’13, Lisa (Delmore) Sanders ’10, Robert Santiago ’15 and Dana Bridges. (Second row) Andrew Difiore ’10, Ragan Decker ’15, Alana Gallagher, Raena Beetham ’13, Taylor Scalia ’13, Jennifer Laney, Justyna Ferenc ’13 and Amanda Brycki

On Nov. 28, 2017, Eastern Connecticut State

S

Clyde Washburne

oftball alumni came back to campus on Oct. 21 to help raise funds to create an endowment for Eastern’s softball program; the campaign also

aims to name the softball field for Clyde Washburne, the program’s first head coach. To make a gift to the Clyde

Washburne Endowed Softball Program Fund, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (860) 465-5302 or at

University held #WarriorsGive, its second annual 24-hour giving campaign. Coinciding with Giving Tuesday, Eastern faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends were encouraged to show their pride and donate to the fund of their choice. Donations were accepted online, in person, over the phone and via text message. To help encourage giving, two anonymous donors came forward with $35,000 in matching gifts, providing a dollar-for-dollar match to every gift up to $1,000. By 11:59 p.m., 365 people had donated to Eastern for a grand total of $98,609!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who donated through #WarriorsGive.

We surpassed our fundraising goals, more than quadrupled what was raised last year, and are thrilled with the generosity of our Eastern family.

https://ecsufoundation.com/softball/.

At the tournament’s closing ceremony, Ken DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement, recognized Chartwells Food Service, the lead sponsor of the tournament, led by Greg Coady, Tom Piascik and Jeff Kwolek. “I thank you for your generous support and for all that you do on a daily basis during the academic year to meet the needs of our campus community with your superior food service.”

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In addition to placing Eastern students in internships and hiring them after graduation, Eastern alumni continue to return to campus to share their career paths with interested undergraduates.

Eastern’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Center for Sustainable Energy Studies hosted a Career Conversations program on Nov. 30 that featured four alumni to speak with students about their careers. Alumni from three different academic majors who are working in the growing field of sustainability and renewable resources spoke about the growing “green economy.”

Golfers Score Hole in One for Eastern Students Eastern Connecticut State University held its annual golf tournament under sunny skies on June 21 at Lake of Isles in N. Stonington. The tournament raised $67,000 for deserving Eastern students with financial need. This was the 12th consecutive year the tournament has been held at Lake of Isles and during that time the event has generated $955,000.

Alumni Support Students' Career Development

For the second year in a row, the Psychological Sciences Department invited alumni back to campus on Nov. 14 to lead conversations focusing on career options available to students completing their bachelor’s degrees at Eastern.

N. Windham Walmart (First Place) (left-right) Jeff Vose, Scott Vose, Sean Vigue and Roger Noll

Chartwells (left-right) Toby Chenette, Jennifer Herndon, Jeff Kwolek and Steve Menard

Five successful alumni returned to campus to lead roundtable discussions with students participating in Eastern’s leadership development program. The alumni talked about their career paths and shared their keys to success with the students. On Nov. 7, Eastern’s Athletics Department hosted “Warriors@Work” a career conversation between student-athletes and varsity athlete alumni.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Alumni participating in this year's "LEAP into Leadership" event included (left to right) Alyssa Gwinnell ’01, M’03, Melissa Garvin ’04, Andrew Simmons ’06, Meghann Grant ’02 and Kristen Brierley ’08 WARRIORS@WORK (front row, left to right) John Rubano ’00, Maggie Gibeault ’12 and Ryan Rose ’00, M’11. (back row) Tracey Boyden ’89, Beth Regan ’79, M’89, and Lori Runksmeier director of athletics EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 11

Fascinating new technology tools are being used by Eastern Connecticut State University faculty to prepare students for a global economy being driven by technological change.

The latest technology is allowing students to see the world differently in and outside the classroom, as they get ready for a variety of career fields.

Down Memory Lane

With a history approaching 130 years, Eastern has captured many campus moments in photographs. Enjoy this handful that we have pulled from the archives. We encourage alumni and friends of all ages to scour their own photos and send us images from your Eastern past! (email to memories@easternct.edu)

By Dwight Bachman

3-D Printing

From the Abstract to the Concrete The first Willimantic State Normal School building in 1894

Cast members of the play “Spark Plug” pose in 1923

Environmental Earth Science faculty members Peter Drzewiecki, Bryan Oakley and Drew Hyatt are using the printers to create everything from topographical models of Connecticut rock formations to replicas of dinosaur tracks found at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, CT. For instance, Hyatt has created quarter-scale models of the dinosaur tracks for future inclusion in science kits used by middle school and elementary school children.

The proud Class of 1926 show off the daisy chain they had woven the night before Commencement, following a trip up Hosmer Mountain to pick flowers. The annual tradition lasted into the early 1940s.

Patty (Smith) Owen ’80 and Linda (Lennox) Whittlesey ’80 scuba dive at Avery Point.

The 1961 baseball team 12

Using digital models, students can now fabricate three-dimensional objects in Eastern’s 3-D printing lab, located on the fourth floor of the J. Eugene Smith Library. The lab has five 3-D printers that print in a variety of colors using recyclable plastic. Faculty and students in academic departments ranging from Environmental Earth Science to Theatre are finding exciting new applications for the 3-D printing technology.

This study group is about to leave for Cuba, traveling there in 1957 before the Castro-led revolution.

Computer Science Professor Joel Rosiene uses 3-D printing in his Game Design course to introduce students to 3-D modeling, which is a component of video game development. “Through the use of the modeling software and the resulting printed object, students see their abstract concepts rendered into concrete (plastic) form.”

In her Introduction to 3-D Animation course, Boya Li, assistant professor of art and art history, uses the printers to introduce students to 3-D modeling techniques such as polygonal modeling, image texturing, lighting and rendering a scene. “They are learning the basic skills of building polygonal models using industry standard 3-D software to expand their awareness of digital imaging applications in commercial fields.”

In 1951, WSTC student Phil Patros ’54 addresses the Connecticut legislature.

After developing a three-dimensional object using the “Blender” modeling software program, students have access to five 3-D printers (“thermal plastic extrusion machines”) to print 3D models.

Using 3D printing, students created a miniature model of the iconic bronze statues of children playing that are found in front of the Center for Early Childhood Education.

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digital lab Brings History to Life

lecture capture system Frees Up Classroom Time

3-D Projection system

Gives Theatre Students More Multi-Media Options

Psychology Professor Madeleine Fugère is one professor who is employing yet another new technology available at Eastern — the Lecture Capture System — as part of her teaching methodology. The system offers faculty the opportunity to record classroom lectures and activities, including video, audio, slides or other applications such as websites and statistical software.

motion capture Opens Up New Horizons

Through the diligence of the History faculty and a large gift from a generous anonymous donor, Eastern opened its Digital History Lab on the fourth floor of Webb Hall this past fall. A former Information Technology workroom, the new lab features a variety of computers and specialty equipment — such as a machine that digitizes microfilm — to provide students with fingertip access to historical resources from around the globe.

The only such lab serving undergraduates in Connecticut and one of few in the nation, Eastern’s Digital History Lab allows students to create and analyze relational databases, visualize data in new ways, and work collaboratively — even remotely — using shared digital resources.

“The lab also contains an interactive touch-screen display that allows hands-on manipulation of digital data,” said Jamel Ostwald, professor of history. “Special-ized historical software supplements standard software suites, which allows the lab to be used for a variety of digital history projects, ranging from historical databases to oral history projects to online history exhibits to histori-cal mapping.”

In the New Media Studies program, a 3-D projection system uses two different computer technologies —“Pandora’s Box” and “Watchout”— to provide students with the ability to project three-dimensional images and motion video onto live theatrical scenes. Assistant Professor of Theatre Kristen Morgan and her students used the system to create and project images onto backgrounds during the recent production of “Thread City.”

“The data from my class shows that students use this system to review the lectures, especially around exam time,” said Fugère. “The potential benefits to the students are substantial. They can review lectures prior to exams, or catch up on lectures missed due to illness or other emergencies.”

Another way that Fugère is using the system is to have students watch lectures on their time, freeing up class time for discussions and group projects. “Faculty can have students watch lectures ahead of time so that class discussions can be more in-depth, or so that small group discussions, presentations or class activities can be done during class time instead.”

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Eastern now owns an eight-camera “Optitrack” system with two motion capture suits to digitally record authentic human motion. The equipment is housed in the Fine Arts Instructional Center, but the system is portable and can be used anywhere on campus. “We currently have it set up in the Delmonte Studio Theater of the Fine Arts Instructional Center,” said Assistant Professor of Theatre Kristen Morgan, “and my student Zach Parisella is doing an independent study on the installation and running of the system.”

Morgan collaborated with Greg Kane, associate professor of kinesiology and physical education, to purchase the system, thanks to a 21st Century Technology-Rich Learning and Teaching grant from the federal government. Applications of the new technology range from analyzing sports-related body movements to creating animated movies. (Think “Avatar” and “Gollum” in the Lord of the Rings movies!)

In addition to Ostwald’s own work, other history professors using the new lab include Stefan Kamola, whose students are studying “The Silk Road,” the trade route that connected China and Europe 2,000 years ago; Thomas Balcerski, whose research interest is the U.S. presidents of the Antebellum Era; and Bradley Davis, who is using the lab to examine the Yao language of the Yao peoples of Vietnam.

History major Joseph White ‘18 demonstrates mapping software on a display hub in the digital history lab. White is using the software to analyze the contents of a 1900 history textbook. He plans to become a high school history teacher and looks forward to sharing new technologies with his students.

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Summer 2017 was a busy season for students at Eastern Connecticut State University, as dozens of undergraduates traveled to locales across the world to study. Led by Eastern faculty, “global field courses” included excursions through rainforests, tours of Spanish businesses and more.

The English Department hosted its annual monthlong GFC “Creative Writing Abroad” in Florence, Italy.

The region of Tuscany’s rich culture and picturesque landscapes inspired students’ literary senses as they wrote, critiqued and edited original works of fiction.

Twenty biology students traveled to the Bahamas to study the island’s tropical biology. At the Gerace Research Center, students experienced life at an active field station where they explored mangrove forests, sea grass beds, saline lakes and coral reefs.

Ten health science students spent two weeks in Ghana learning about the developing country’s healthcare system. Highlights included volunteering at an orphanage and hospital. “We all got the chance to stand in the operating room and watch a cesarean section!” said Helena Delfino ’18. “A few days later I got to stand next to the table and hold a baby boy immediately after he was born.

This experience solidified my dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse.”

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Eighteen psychology students traveled to Hawaii to study cross-cultural differences related to well-being and relationships. “Prior to going on this trip our class learned a lot about the culture in Hawaii,” said Elizabeth Navarro ’17. “However, after traveling there I found that learning about culture in a classroom is nothing like experiencing it firsthand.”

A group from the Honors Program spent 10 days in Costa Rica examining the country’s rich biodiversity and developing agricultural industry. “This course required students to examine the conflict between preservation of the tropical rainforest and Costa Rica’s economic shift to export-focused agriculture,” said Patricia Szczys, biology professor and trip supervisor.

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FAIC EVENTS 2018

JANUARY/FEBRUARY “Still/Live” Jan. 16 to Feb. 22; The Art Gallery (FAIC 112) “Still/Live” explores how four contemporary artists working in photography and time-based media (video and kinetic sculpture) have reimagined the genre of still life. Featured artists include Mauricio Alejo; Dave Greber, Cynthia Greig and Robin Mandel.

Celebrating Debussy (1862-1918) Friday, Feb. 23; Noon-1 p.m.; Concert Hall

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the composer’s death, the Music Program presents a tribute to Claude Debussy.

Eastern Chamber Singers and Eastern Concert Chorale Sunday, April 15, 2:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Fresh off their tour to Puerto Rico, Eastern Chamber Singers will be joined by Eastern Concert Chorale in presenting a varied program of accompanied and unaccompanied choral music. Presented in connection with World Voice Day.

An evening of student chamber ensembles performing repertoire from the Baroque period to the present.

Eastern Concert Band

Piano Music from Movies

Eastern Jazz Ensemble

The Eastern Concert Band presents an evening of entertaining classics and lighter fare from the wind band repository.

Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Student and faculty pianists will present piano pieces from various movies including “Big,” “The Pianist,” “La La Land” and “The Painted Veil.”

The Jazz Ensemble, featuring student soloists, performs a variety of big band music.

Phoenix New Plays: Charlie Kilo’s Story by Makayla Zagata

April 27-April 29, Friday and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 4:30 p.m.; Proscenium Theater

The Phoenix Series presents original student and/or alumni written new plays directed by advanced student directors.

MARCH Emily Jo Riggs, soprano and David Ballena, piano Friday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Join us for an entertaining evening of songs and arias from opera and musical theater. This is a Friday Faculty Recital Series event.

Body + Image An evening-length, originally composed dance concert highlighting the students of the Dance and World Performance concentration in the Theatre Major, as well as New Media Studies students.

Choreographers include faculty, alumni and upper-level students of Dance and World Performance. For more information, visit http:// easternct.showare.com/bodyimage/

Opera Scenes: The Things We Do for Love Saturday, April 28, 2:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Mom and Dad

Eastern Opera Workshop presents an afternoon of scenes from opera and operetta. From the comic to the tragic, students study and prepare scenes that explore the crazy things we do for love.

March 8-April 19, The Art Gallery (FAIC 112)

Eastern Percussion Ensembles

Mom & Dad brings together artists Nelson Chan, Kalen Na’il Roach and Mariela Sancari, who investigate their personal and familial histories through long-term photographic series and installations.

Eastern Wind Ensemble Wednesday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

The Eastern Wind Ensemble presents a concert featuring classics of the wind band repertoire.

APRIL AWAKENINGS: Thornton Wilder’s YOUTH and Rabindranath Tagore’s CHITRA April 5-April 8; Thursday, April 5 at 5:30 p.m.; Friday, April 6 matinee at 11 a.m.; Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 4 p.m.; Delmonte Studio Theater

One-Act plays by award-winning playwrights directed by our most advanced student directors! Awakening will feature Thorton Wilder’s ‘Youth’ (directed by Matt Bessette) and Rabindranath Tagore’s "Chitra" (directed by Emily John). For information, visit http://easternct. showare.com/awakenings/

MASLANKA: This is the World Friday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Join us for a concert featuring works for large percussion ensemble, chamber percussion group and world percussion ensemble.

New Music at Eastern Sunday, April 29, 2018; 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Join us for a concert featuring premiere performances of new composition by Eastern students.

3 O’clock Band The Jazz Combo “3 O’clock Band” is a variable-sized ensemble, playing classic jazz tunes from a variety of eras, ranging from standards and bebop to recent jazz and rock. Presented in connection with International Jazz Day.

MAY Eastern Wind Ensemble Wednesday, May 2, 7:30 pm; Concert Hall

The Eastern Wind Ensemble presents a concert featuring classics of the wind band repertoire.

World Percussion Concert

Music Program Honors Recital and Awards Ceremony

May 4-15; The Art Gallery (FAIC 112)

18 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

Experience the rich history of drumming in Korea, India, West Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. This event is great for children and families!

Art and Art History Senior Exhibition

On his dual roles at Illing Middle School “I came up with the title of ‘school climate resource coach’ after being sick of seeing black and brown kids in in-school suspension (ISS) all the time. The kids who are labeled ‘difficult’ I’ve found just need love. I teach half the day with students (enrichment reading).

The other half of the day I teach teachers strategies for maintaining effective classroom environments. Sending kids to ISS doesn’t work, that’s why you see the same kids time after time. They miss out on learning, they drop out of school, the statistics of them going to prison increases. I coach teachers on how to build strong relationships with their students and to maximize student time in the classroom. I’m a coach of mindfulness.”

The cornerstone to sound relationships with students

Monday, April 30, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Thursday, May 3, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Join us as we honor our students for their academic achievements in both performance and musicology. Reception to follow.

minutes with

Sunday, April 29, 2:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

This epic work for two pianists and two percussionists is based on Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting, “Nighthawks.” The piece captures the strength and enduring nature of the American experience. Okon Hwang, piano; Eric Ouellette, piano; Matt Bronson, percussion; Jeff Calissi, percussion. This is a Friday Faculty Recital Series event.

Sunday, April 8, 2:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Illing Middle School, Manchester, CT

Monday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Wednesday, April 25, 7:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Saturday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.; Proscenium Theater

Enrichment Reading Teacher and School Climate Resource Coach

Chamber Music Recital

Performances will be accompanied by primary source readings selected by musicologist Timothy Cochran. This program is part of the Music Program’s Friday Colloquium Series.

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2:30 p.m.; Concert Hall

Ryan Parker ’03

Ryan Parker ’03 is a TED-Talking, freestyle-rapping Teacher-of-the-Year who works at Illing Middle School in Manchester. He is known for his charisma, innovative teaching strategies and ability to connect with youth.

“The key to building relationships is getting to know your students authentically. The way you connect depends on each individual student. Sometimes we’ll connect through a conversation about their hobbies. Sometimes you just need to exercise a little humor.”

On starting that connection “Before I start teaching, I take the whole first week — sometimes even two — just getting to know the students through different team-building exercises, games, talking to them about myself, showing them pictures of me when I was a little kid… just so they can see that I’m a real person, not just their teacher.”

On STEP/CAP “I’m the only person in my family to graduate from college. The STEP/CAP program really saved me. Being able to get here early in the summer, living on campus, giving me that stepping stone to the college experience was huge.”

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 19

Over the past four years, Eastern has sent more students to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research than all the other public universities in Connecticut combined. On Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Eastern has participated in the prestigious Posters on the Hill (POH) annual research conference more than any other Connecticut college or university.

Only 60 undergraduates from across the country are selected annually to present their research to members of Congress. Eastern has represented Connecticut at POH for four consecutive years, and six out of the past 11 years. The University’s 2017 selectee was political science and economics double major Kayla Giordano ’17, who presented “Going Negative: The Effects of Direct Mail Programs on Political Campaigns.”

Based on the evidence, Eastern is fast becoming the premier public university in Connecticut for undergraduate research, not only in terms of the number of students conducting research but the quality of the work they are presenting at regional and national conferences. In the process, they are learning research and presentation skills that will be invaluable in graduate school or in their professional careers.

Psychology Professor Carlos Escoto, coordinator of the University’s undergraduate research and creative activity office, says the continued growth of undergraduate research at Eastern is largely due to the administration’s support and the enthusiasm shown by Eastern students and faculty.

Kayla Giordano ’17

20 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

“In addition to awards and scholarships given to deserving student researchers, the University provides grants for specific research projects as well as grants for travel

Lillian Hyde ’17

expenses related to presenting at regional and national conferences,” explained Escoto.

“We also have summer fellowships and assist students in seeking outside funding for their work. Students understand that conducting research as undergraduates is something they won’t find at a larger institution, and is excellent preparation for graduate school or immediate entry into a professional career.”

Catherine Falvey ’18 and Haley Knox ’18 (above) conducted mathematics research this past summer at California State University and Iowa State University respectively through National Science Foundation grants.

Funded by National Science Foundation grants, two mathematics students participated in research experiences for undergraduates this past summer.

Haley Knox ’18 and Catherine Falvey ’18 conducted research at Iowa State University and California State University respectively.

Their projects involved the mathematical fields of linear algebra, graph theory and number theory.

Biology major Lillian Hyde ’17 completed a research fellowship this past summer with the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium. She used the fellowship to support her research on microglia, a cell found in the central nervous system that may have implications on space travel. “Conducting NASAsupported research was a great experience,” said Hyde. “I was able to present my research experience at Eastern and encourage others to pursue their interests in science.”

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 21

Jacob Dayton ’18

Eastern & Cigna Expand Partnership Speaking to the value of conducting and presenting research, Jacob Dayton ’18, recipient of an Eastern undergraduate research award as well as a summer research fellowship, said: “One of the most important aspects of inquiry is the subsequent communication and dissemination of findings to a broader audience. From drafting an abstract, to designing a poster, and ultimately sharing ‘the story’ of the research with others, the process of presentation yields many important skills for graduate school and beyond.”

Two professors from the Center for Early Childhood Education received $50,000 from the Spencer Foundation for their research project about

WELCOMING PUERTO RICAN STUDENTS Cigna, the global healthcare company that has the effectiveness of “math talk” in the preschool setting. The purpose of the investigation is to identify the types of verbalization that predict a child’s math learning in preschool over the course of a year. Six undergraduate students are working on the study.

Economics Professor Brendan Cunningham received a grant from the NASA CT Space Grant Consortium for his research project “The Efficient Use of Space Orbit.” Eastern student Michael Beckstein ’18 and three other contributors played important roles in the research, which investigates the use of the Earth’s orbit by satellites. The researchers have been invited to present their findings in May 2018 at the International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles.

Brendan Cunningham and Michael Beckstein ’18

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partnered with Eastern since 2011 to provide information technology internships on campus, has announced a new program to support students from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

The “Cigna Technology Career Fellowship” program will provide a clear career path and educational opportunities for up to 10 college students from Puerto Rico, some of whom have had their enrollment interrupted by the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean.

Five junior/seniors and five freshmen/ sophomores will be recruited to attend Eastern, with the University supporting their unmet financial needs during their first year.

Other components of the program include opportunities for part-time paid internships in the Eastern and Cigna Campus Innovation Center; Eastern faculty and Cigna employee mentors; summer internships; eligibility for Eastern merit scholarships; and the potential of full-time employment in Cigna’s Technology Early Career Development Program. The program has a special emphasis of supporting the entry of young women into technology fields where women have been historically underrepresented. Based on the success of the pilot year, the partners will consider the possibility of creating additional student cohorts.

Students successfully graduating from the program will have the opportunity to gain full-time employment at Cigna at salaries starting at $80,000. “We are seeking students with strong academic credentials — at least a 3.2 GPA — and a strong interest in information technology,” said Eastern Provost Dimitrios

Pachis. “Our expectation is that students will major at Eastern in fields such as Computer Science, Business Information Systems, or other related disciplines. The long-term outcome is to have these students become permanent residents of Connecticut as successful Cigna employees.”

The new program not only meets the educational needs of promising students from Puerto Rico, it extends a partnership between Eastern and Cigna that goes back to 2011. At that time, the two organizations created a paid internship program, housed on Eastern’s campus and supervised by Cigna employees. In the six years since, more than 75 students have completed the program, with the vast majority ending up as full-time employees at Cigna in a variety of information technology-related positions.

“This new program reflects the values that our two organizations share,” said Ken DeLisa, Eastern’s vice president for institutional advancement, in describing the latest example of the University’s relationship with Cigna.

“Not only do we want to continue to offer exemplary, experience-based educational programs that lead to gainful employment, both our organizations are deeply committed to diversity, educational access, and gender equity. We look forward to working with our first student cohort.”

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 23

Jennifer (Criscuolo) ’92 and Michael Belmonte ’92 Michael and I met through mutual friends at Eastern. Mike worked for the Campus Lantern, and I was a student center assistant and on the Campus Activity Board, so we ran into each other from time to time at the Student Center. We moved in the same social circles, but were more like acquaintances than friends.

After graduation, we went our separate ways and didn’t stay in touch. About three years after we graduated, we had a chance encounter at a clothing store. He asked me on a date, but I had a boyfriend so I declined. Fast forward 18 years! We found each other on Facebook when we were both single and went out on a date. We have been together ever since and got married on April 9, 2017, with a few of our fellow alumni celebrating with us, including Tracy Yentsch ’92, Paula (DeMascio) Byczko ’91, Steve Byczko ’92 and Michael Smith ’92. It has been fun reminiscing about our college days at Eastern, and we look forward to our future together even more!

Megan (Erickson) ’08 and Eric O’Toole ’08 I met Megan on the last day of freshman year in Mead Hall when I was packing up my things to leave for the summer. I offered to carry a box for her as she was packing her car to go home and we started dating after that. We dated on and off for the next few years and in 2011 I proposed to her in the Waterbury Hospital, while we were waiting for my father

24 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

Mollie (Frenza) ’06 and Alexander Moe ’05 Alex and I met during our sophomore year at Eastern. We both lived in Low Rise, he in “blue doors” and I in “orange doors.” Alex claims he saw me walk across the courtyard after one of my field hockey games in full uniform and was hooked from there. I played field hockey for Eastern all four years.

After seeing me a few more times in the courtyard, Alex apparently turned to our mutual friend Matt Chieffo while sitting on the picnic tables and said, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” I still don’t believe he said it but Matt, who was a groomsman at our wedding, backs Alex up to this day!

We were officially introduced around Thanksgiving in Hurley Hall and became very good friends our sophomore year, but didn’t start dating until the summer going into junior year. We’ve been together ever since, and were married on June 26, 2009.

We’ve gone through our ups and downs but always support one another. Alex has supported me in furthering my education to obtain my M.S. in Education and then my Sixth Year certification in school counseling. I’ve seen him grow and mature in the professional arena, and he is now celebrating his 10th anniversary with his company.

We’ve built a life together and our biggest accomplishment and adventure is our daughter, Emilia, who was born in 2014. I think what helped us build such a strong connection was being friends first. We literally met as kids at Eastern and have grown together. Without the University as a common ground for us, I don’t know where we would be. (The Moes are expecting their second child this spring!)

talie wedding (left to right) Na Eastern graduates at the e, Mo a) enz (Fr llie Mo a, Vergar Pycko, Marie (Sansone) a Birch Nicole Hammond & Tin

to recover from a traumatic injury.

We got married in 2012 and went to Disney World on our honeymoon!

Our daughter Emerson arrived on Sept. 15, 2014. Megan is a financial analyst for Webster Bank and I have been a physical education teacher at Derby High School for the past seven years. We had the best time of our lives at Eastern and we will always have a special place in our hearts for the University!

Matches Made at Eastern

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 25

h t i w s e n e c S Behind the

Carlos dez Hernan

On working with students: “I get student workers every year. It’s nice to take them under my wing, show them the ropes. We have a good time. It’s rewarding.

Sometimes they go through difficult times. You try to guide them back.”

What were you doing before Eastern?

“Before Eastern I worked at Wells Fargo in Manhattan. I did courier work, transferring money. I’m originally from The Bronx, NY. The company moved me to Bloomfield. Now I live in Scotland, CT.”

If you are on campus long enough, chances are you’ll run into Carlos Hernandez. A pillar in the facilities department, Carlos has worn many hats over his 30 years at Eastern, all while maintaining his trademark smile. From setting up for events to painting, carpentry, snow removal, housekeeping, grounds keeping and mail delivery . . . he’s done it all.

On working on a small campus: “I enjoy being at Eastern. It’s a family-oriented place. You get to know everybody. You might not know their name, but you know them.”

On wearing so many different hats: “The bigger the campus, the fewer things you get to do.

When it’s a small campus, you do a little bit of everything.

That’s the opportunity at a small university.”

26 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

From the Bronx to Scotland? That’s quite a difference.

“It’s nice to go home to the woods, away from everything. All you hear are the birds chirping, or a deer or turkey running through your property. I have four goats and 20 chickens.”

How did you get into keeping farm animals?

“It all started because I had poison ivy in my backyard that kept coming back, and my kids would get it. Then I heard that goats love poison ivy. They ate it all, and now I have goats! I got chickens because I had a tick problem, and chickens eat ticks and little bugs.

Now I have to feed them, but it’s better than having ticks on your kids and poison ivy in your yard.”

What could be more fun than turning an empty dorm room into a home?

Labor Relations and Human Resource Management major Candice Johnson ’20 won the “Decorate Your Dorm Room” contest.

Eastern students shared their decorating skills on Instagram in September through #MyEasternMyHome, showcasing cozy sleeping nooks, relaxing living rooms, walls covered in pictures and well-appointed bookshelves!

What do you do outside of work?

“I have 14 kids — five of my own with my ex-wife and two from my wife’s previous marriage. Plus we have seven foster kids. We have five children living with us now. When I have family over, it looks like I’m having a party.”

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 27

Cross Country Wins First LEC Title

WPI Basketball Tournament winners

Eastern’s women’s cross-country team used contributions from the entire team to capture its first Little East Conference championship in the 30-year history of the competition at Keene State College on Oct. 28.

While senior co-captain Kassandrah Banks of Wethersfield equaled the highest ever finish by an Eastern female runner in this race with a second-place finish in a field of 72, the Warriors’ depth was the difference in securing an eight-point win over runner-up Plymouth State University and dethroning 17-time defending champion Keene State in the process.

Kassandrah Banks ’18

(left to right) Stacey L. Kavanaugh-Schofield ’04, Edward J. Sheehan ’02, Joseph G. Serfass ’04, Ashley N. (McFetridge) Snedeker ’09, Presenter Kristine Mach ’91

More than three years have passed since Oct. 4, 2014, the last time that the Eastern women’s soccer team has been beaten in a Little East Conference regular-season match. During that time, the Warriors have gone an unprecedented 25 matches in a row without a loss — 23 wins and two ties.

“The Streak” began Oct. 11, 2014 with a 3-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine, which has also proven to be the team’s most recent victim, a victory coming on the final day of the 2017 regular season.

W ARRIORS R IDING IN S TYLE!

Michele D’Agata ’18 (at right) scored the first of the team’s three goals in a 3-0 victory at the University of Southern Maine on Oct. 11, 2014, that began the unbeaten streak. Junior Kayla Labrecque (left) made three saves in a 2-0 shutout of Southern Maine on the final day of the 2017 regular season to extend the Warriors’ unbeaten record.

ALL-CONFERENCE

A BBY S TERN

M C K ENZIE R EIMONDO

X AVIER D ORAN

Volleyball Rookie-of-the-Year

Soccer Three-time first team

Soccer Three-time first team

Eastern’s Athletic Department, in collaboration with long-time carrier Constitution Coach of Bolton, recently introduced a customized bus that will serve as the Warriors’ official transportation vehicle for road contests. Now the Warriors can roll down the highway in style, with their game-winning form for all to see!

28 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

The defending Little East Conference champion Eastern men’s basketball team opened its season by winning the WPI Ted Coghlin Memorial Tournament, beating host WPI in the final, 78-68. Eastern senior Tarchee Brown of Rockville was named Most Outstanding Player.

Lura Fellows-Butt Honored Long-time Eastern administrator and 1980 graduate Lura F. Fellows-Butt was recognized as the 24th recipient of the Michael A. Atkind Exceptional Service Award at the 24th E-Club Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Oct. 21.

Officially, Fellows-Butt was an admissions officer at Eastern from fall 1980 through March 2007. Unofficially, she went well above and beyond her official requirements to assist students and student-athletes throughout her 28-year professional career. While at Eastern, she worked under three presidents and three admissions directors. E-Club Hall of Fame coach Rick McCarthy and former admissions colleague recalls, “Lura was extremely loyal to the University and very personable. She was certainly a throwback.”

(left to right) Hall of Fame Committee Chair Scott Smith, Lura F. Fellows-Butt ’80, Bob Butt (Lura’s husband)

Student-Athletes Win President’s Cup AND Commissioner’s Cup For the first time, student athletes at Eastern Connecticut State University won the Little East Conference’s (LEC) two top honors — the Presidents’ Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup — in the same year.

For the third year in a row — and the fourth time overall — Eastern was awarded the LEC Presidents’ Cup for overall academic performance during the 2016-17 academic year. In addition, for the first time, Eastern won the Commissioner’s Cup, awarded to the most successful athletic program in the conference.

The LEC Presidents’ Cup measures the highest cumulative grade point average of all eight institutions in the conference.

Each school calculates the cumulative grade point average for all its studentathletes who competed in the league’s 19 championship-sponsored sports. The Eastern Warriors registered a cumulative grade point average of 3.12, narrowly beating out Keene State College and Plymouth State University. The women’s cross country and soccer teams performed the best among all Eastern teams, each with 3.43 cumulative GPAs.

In winning its first Commissioner’s Cup, Eastern won five LEC regular-season titles and one LEC tournament championship in 2016-17. In the 10 LEC sports that keep regular season standings, nine Eastern teams finished fourth or higher and two teams went undefeated in LEC regularseason play. Moreover, nine individuals won a major LEC award (Player, Rookie or Coach-of-the-Year) and 114 were named to All-LEC teams.

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 29

CLASS NOTES

EASTERN STUDENTS showcased their photography skills this fall with the #AutumnatEastern Instagram contest. Business Administration Major Darshankumar Patel ’17 won the “Autumn” photo contest and received a gift card to the bookstore – perfect for stocking up on Eastern gear!

Her daughter Donna (Kastner) Senna ’87 also attended Eastern, where she was a captain of the track and cross-country teams. Donna works at the Glastonbury Home Depot and was a volunteer Glastonbury Hartwell Soccer Club coach for nine years. Donna’s daughter Evelyn Senna, a 2017 Glastonbury High School graduate, is a freshman and Honors Scholar at Eastern, rounding out three generations of Eastern students.

’62 In 2016, Anna (Stankewich) Alfiero attended the 25th reunion of her induction as the first Connecticut Teacher of the Year at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Empire, KS. “Thank you, Willimantic State College, for the great education and foundation for life, and for all my years in the classroom.”

William Diffley retired in June 2016 from Southern Connecticut State University as a professor emeritus. His granddaughter Mickayla is a freshman at Eastern this year.

Teresa James ’49, lifelong parishioner of Saint Mary’s Church in Willimantic, is pictured with the recipients of the Carleton P. James and Gerard A. Lemieux Scholarship. (left to right: Carlene Gaudette, Teresa’s daughter, David Lafontaine, Mrs. James, Luc Poirier and the Very Reverend Larry LaPointe). Lafontaine is attending Norwich University in Vermont, while Poirier, an E.O. Smith High School graduate, is attending Eastern.

’44 Ann (Pisarko) Mihalawich enjoyed her 95th birthday party in March. ’49 See Teresa James above. ’52 lvira (McGovern) Flight writes that her husband David Strong Flight ’51 passed away in January 2016. ’55 Carole (Whipple) Fish moved to Peterborough, NH, with her husband Calvin Fish ’54 to be closer to their son. Calvin passed away in September 2017. ’57 Carol Sue (Montgomery) Bush lives in New Mexico. “On Oct. 10, 2017, Don and I will celebrate our 59th wedding anniversary. In May 2018 we’ll be going to Kansas for his 69th high school reunion. We have five adult married children, twelve grandchildren and two great-grandsons.”

Patrice (Demers Duprey) Kaneda was in France in 2017 during her 60th Eastern reunion and writes, “I’m so disappointed to have missed this important event when planning our trip to France! We are healthy and happy. Love to you all!”

Joan (Lema) Grabowski says “WSTC did a superb job preparing us for our task as educators. We were fully prepared for every situation we encountered. In my junior year, it also introduced me to a fantastic person.

His name was Norman Grabowski ’58. We married in August 1958 and had a wonderful marriage for 57 years.”

Margaret (Brown) Lahde writes “I met my husband at a Valentine Dance and we’ve been married 60 years.” They live in Oregon.

Annette (Marino) Murphy was married to Ron Murphy ’56, who passed away in 2012. Their son Patrick lives in Coventry and their son Michael lives in Maryville, TN. Annette has two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Shirley (Doyle) Shepard married her husband while she was still a student at Eastern. She writes “I was privileged to have Frederick R. Noble as my principal.” ’59 Joan (Milek) Kastner taught elementary school and was a substitute teacher in Glastonbury for many years before retiring. Along with her husband Donald, Joan raised four daughters and has 16 grandchildren.

30 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

’64 Ruth Swift is “busier now during retirement and at 90 years old, I am still going ballroom dancing!”

Lawrence Colvin Is one of seven family members who have attended Eastern. His granddaughter, Rachel Carterud, is the latest and a member of the class of 2020. Larry is married to Carol (Weber) Colvin ’65. ’67 Priscilla (Mercer) Bennett married Henry Bennett. They have two daughters: Sara, who lives in Ireland, and Abby, who lives in Hampton, NH. “We have Irish grandchildren!”

Jean Glass was a graduate student, getting credits in education. She taught for 20 years in the Groton system and now enjoys life in Florida.

She wished her classmates a great time at the reunion but at 97, “I’m not traveling too much.”

Mitch Pietras retired from Daytona State College with the rank of professor after 44 years in education as a teacher, coach and counselor.

Ron Valluzzi has been retired 16 years after 34 years of teaching science (27 years as department chair). He raised two sons and has two grandchildren, ages 15 and 17. ’72 Candace (Crand) Aleks enjoyed a teaching and counseling career with the Enfield Public School System for 38 years. Now she enjoys family, volunteering and traveling the world. She’s already looking forward to seeing her classmates at the 50th reunion!

Almyra (Myra Tefft) Hornberger writes “we love spending time with our granddaughter, daughter and son-in-law in Halifax, Nova Scotia.”

Celeste (DesSureault) Jakubowski has been retired for 10 years.

Bonnie (Davis) Merrill retired after teaching 38 years in Lisbon, CT. She is now the assistant librarian at Sacred Heart University – Griswold Campus.

Nancy (Gratson) Souza is retired but still teaching graduate classes at Sacred Heart University – Eastern Campus. She enjoys crafting and sharing with friends.

Mary Jane (Larson) Traska and her husband Jim are celebrating 40 years of marriage. “This year marks my 23rd year volunteering for Literacy Volunters as an ESL or Basic Literacy tutor.”

Paula (Honeyman) Weber and her husband Joseph are the proud grandparents of Ryan Joseph Weber, son of Jeffrey Weber ’05 and daughter-in-law Krista.

Thomas Chapman retired in April after nearly 28 years at HRP Associates. He now lives in Summerville, SC. Enjoying retirement, Thomas spends his time reading, walking, biking and on ham radio.

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 31

Philip Lupsiewicz '86 was recently recognized for 30 years of service in the National Park Service. He currently serves as the public information officer for Lowell National Historical Park and Minute Man National Historical Park, both located in Massachusetts. In his time with the National

WEDDINGS

’00 Rachael Funk M ’08 taught first grade for 16 years in Glastonbury, and is now an elementary school library media specialist in Stafford.

Jennifer Criscuolo ’92 to Michael Belmonte ’92 on April 9, 2017 Kelvin Rodriguez ’06 to Amanda Gaglio on Oct. 1, 2017

’02 Heidi Davis is the new principal at Samuel Huntington School in Norwich.

She earned her master’s and sixth-year degrees at Sacred Heart University and has spent the past 14 years in the Killingly school system as a teacher and assistant principal.

Jan Trzcinski is an underwriter at Superior Access Insurance Services, Inc. Jesse Collins is an inventory planner for CVS Health in Woonsocket, RI. Jennifer (Wackerman) Schmidt was promoted to master sargent in December 2016 when she also reached 20 years with the Army Reserves. She currently lives in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with her husband and two sons.

Park Service, Lupsiewicz has served as a park ranger, wild-land firefighter, special events coordinator, chief of interpretation and education, and management assistant. He has worked mostly at historical themed national park units including Morristown National Historical Park, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Boston National Historical Park, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, Salem Maritime National Historical Park, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, Lowell National Historical Park Lowell National Historical Park Superintendent Celeste Bernardo presents Phil Lupsiewicz with his 30-year award.

David Wagner completed a series of 60 paintings focused on the alliance between the United States and France during the Revolutionary War titled “The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route.” He was recognized by the French Embassy for his work and is the recipient of the National Order of Merit from France.

’73 See Group below.

and Minute Man National Historical Park.

Terri (Knobloch) Wilson is executive director of a non-profit in Hartford called BEACON. It specializes in the biomedical engineering field and development of new medical technology. Thanks to leadership skills learned at Eastern, she is also president of a local nonprofit and helps her husband Lee (a Desert Storm veteran) with his VFW responsibilities as a district commander. “We are both involved in our community of Avon, CT, and we love it!”

’83 Bertice Chepyha retired in June from Franklin Elementary School after teaching there for 32 years. She taught second through fifth grade during her career. She now has time to explore her creative interests and do more gardening. ’85 Paul Courchesne was hired by Middlesex Community College as a lecturer in manufacturing. He holds a Master of Science degree in operations management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

This group of alumni came back to campus to visit Burr Hall, where all the women lived. One of the couples still has a vivid recollection of an encounter with the Burr Hall ghost! Left to right: Maria (D’Appollonio) Zappulla ’73, Tom Petro-Roy, Ann (Archibald) Petro-Roy ’73, Steve Bent ’73, Peter Dubay ’73, Carol (Sandstrom) Dubay ’73, Christine (Marlor) VanDusen ’73 and Joan (May) Bent ’74.

’86 Michael Gregonis is a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection wildlife biologist who reviews the biology, habits and habitat, and the past and present management of wild turkeys. ’87 Maureen (Berger) Nukes is a teaching assistant for the Baldwinsville Central School District in Baldwinsville, NY. Denise Hickey has had original oil paintings featured in local gallery shows. She is a children’s book author and illustrator.

’77 William Stanley, vice president of development and community relations for Lawrence and Memorial Hospital/Yale New Haven Health, was honored as the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s 2017 recipient of the William Crawford Distinguished Service Award.

’88 Julie Schaefer is the vice president of marketing and communication for Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. She previously worked at Conner Prairie as director of marketing for nearly a decade, and prior to that at Herron School of Art and Design as director of communications for 13 years.

’78 See Elinore McCance-Katz right.

’92 Jill Cofiell is a revenue audit manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Michael Lavery completed his master’s degree in communications, with a concentration in public relations, at Western New England University in Springfield, MA.

’81 Gwendolyn Jones is an assistant professor in the teacher education program at Bridgewater College in Virginia. She earned an M.A. in comprehensive special education from the University of Connecticut and an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from West Virginia University. ’82 Darlene Folan is Vice President of Quality at the Rhode Island Blood Center.

Joanne (Hagar) Uhlinger retired from the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services after 34 years of service.

Mari Muri is retired from her position as a mathematics consultant for the Connecticut State Department of Education.

Carol Stierle owns the East Poultney General Store in Vermont.

32 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

In August, Elinore McCance-Katz ’78 was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After graduating from Eastern with a biology degree, she attended UConn Medical School and earned her Ph.D. from Yale University. McCance-Katz worked for seven years as a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, and has conducted substantial research in the areas of substance abuse and addiction.

Spero Parasco is a clinical social worker for Connecticut DMHAS. Julia (Byron) Sycz resides in South Windsor with her husband Jack and their three sons, Jack, Stephen and Christopher. She is a former teacher who now works as a CNA at Interim Healthcare.

’93 Dennis Savage continues to find success with his YouTube show “Bring ’Em Back to Life.” The show stars Dennis and features American classic and antique cars and visits to salvage yards throughout the country. New episodes are available every three weeks.

Donald Shubert has been the executive director of the Connecticut Construction Industry Association for the past eight years. An attorney, he earned his law degree from the University of Connecticut. He lives in West Hartford with his wife Loren. ’94 Jonathan Pulino is a lifelong resident of Middletown, an active member of the local community, and chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Northern Middlesex County Cable Advisory Boards. He earned a master’s degree in educational technology from Central Connecticut State University and a sixth-year degree in administration and a Connecticut certification as a high school media specialist from Southern Connecticut State University. Pulino is a public school teacher at Maloney High School in Meriden, and is married with two children. ’97 Jennifer Roberts is the Mohegan district executive for the Boy Scouts of America, Connecticut Rivers Council.

Anne Causey has been working for the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services for more than 19 years, and is looking forward to retirement soon. ’98 Before returning to Willimantic, Christos Provistalis and his brother Dimitrios ’12 spent time in Orlando, FL, managing various restaurants at Walt Disney World. Both eventually worked in management positions at such organizations as Wawa, Starbucks and Christos ’98 and Dimitrios ’12 Provistalis Sysco Foods. A year and a half ago, they returned to Connecticut to take over the family business from their parents. Pleasant Pizza on Pleasant Street in Willimantic offers a full range of pizzas and other Italian specialties, including take out, delivery and summer dining. The brothers have opened a second location in Franklin, CT. ’99 Jennifer Karcich, a physical education teacher at the William J. Johnston Middle School in Colchester, was named the district’s teacher of the year.

Kateri Kenney is a teacher in Watertown and a mother to two sons, both born prematurely. She works alongside her husband to raise money for the March of Dimes, the organization that provided the support and resources needed to ensure the health of their children.

’03 Brian Daiello works at Mitigation Technologies as the director of new business development.

Susan Lessard M ’03 is the new principal of the John B. Stanton School in Norwich. She is a Gulf War veteran, serving as a military police officer. She taught for seven years at the Flanders School in East Lyme and then spent many years as an education consultant, coaching teachers in classroom management and instructional practices. ’04 Frederick Gordon is a technician in the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department.

Jesse Schoolnik is a healthcare regulatory affairs manager at UnitedHealth Group.

Amber Tucker is working at Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina LLP as an audit senior manager. ’05 Shelley McEwan, M’11 is a Facilitator/Trainer at Career Resources, Inc. ’06 Andrea Tarbox was named the 2017-18 Enfield Teacher of the Year. A third-grade teacher at Eli Whitney School, Andrea is completing her 11th year teaching in Enfield. She is an active member of the Eli Whitney PTO, is on the board of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame and is the varsity softball coach at Enfield High School. She also organizes and is part of many fundraisers during the year, including a Chipotle fundraiser, Back to School Picnic and Bingo night.

She has taught summer school at the elementary level, as well as participated in writing social studies curriculum. Andrea received her master’s in education in 2011 from American International College.

Gregory Petranek M’06 is an adjunct faculty member at Eastern. ’07 Patrick Joy is a technology account representative with Red Thread.

Gregory Post is the health economics research and outcomes director at Hartford HealthCare.

Jenna (Castle) Hoyt is a 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator at Ohio State University.

Luciano Faugno is Vice President Global Technology at AQR Capital Management in Greenwich, CT. Alyssa Morello graduated with a master’s degree in Art Education from Boston University and is a third-year elementary art teacher in Middletown, CT. Lawrence Roach M’12 is a process engineer at Electric Boat. ’08 Adam Brzozowski worked at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. following his graduation from Eastern. From there he earned his MBA from Quinnipiac University and began working for a startup in Boston.

Today Adam is the associate director of research analytics at C Space in Boston.

He lives just outside the city with his wife and two children.

Patrick Bushnell is a business development manager at Cox Automotive, Inc. EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 33

Linda Friedman is a program director for the University of Connecticut.

Rochelle McCarthy M’11 accepted a new position in 2016 as Lead of Organizational Development and Training at Flexcon Company.

MALES CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY On any given afternoon, you are likely to find a handful of students who stand out when walking across the Eastern Connecticut State University campus. With pressed shirts, shined shoes and sharp ties, these young men lead by example, embodying professionalism as members of the student club known as M.A.L.E.S. — Men Achieving Leadership, Excellence, and Success. The club celebrated 20 years as a student organization at Eastern this November.

Nearly 1,000 men have been active members of the organization since it was founded in

1997, making it one of the most successful and active organizations in Eastern history.

“Leadership and community involvement and service is the cornerstone of M.A.L.E.S.,” said former member, president and current faculty advisor Clifford Marrett. “We strive to create a sense of brotherhood among the group through events such as our signature retreat at Camp Hazen, which is a team building trip where members engage in a ropes course, climbing and challenge each other as individuals and as a group.”

Jordan Fogel was welcomed to the Board of Directors of Chrysalis Center, Inc. He is the vice president of regional commercial real estate, United Bank.

Eric Grundfast is vice president of sales at the Iowa Wild, the Des Moines-based affiliate of the American Hockey Association.

Jennifer Kuhn is the owner and publisher of Nanny Magazine, the only magazine for nannies in the country. The magazine has featured contributions from several alumni and interviews from big names in the field of childcare.

Steven Rolfe is a senior environmental health & safety engineer for 3M Industrial Adhesives and Tapes abrasive systems division.

Angelo Simoni Jr. works for the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education as the executive director for student relations and compliance.

’09 Justin Brown was a recipient of the Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) inaugural ODP Early-Stage Investigator Award. Justin is a research fellow in the division of population sciences and gastrointestinal oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 45 peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals and is an editorial board member of BMC Cancer. He earned his Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine in May 2016.

Raymond Brown M’11 has a new job working in curriculum management at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, CT. Christopher Doyle works at Network, Inc. as an assistant manager.

Benjamin Raccio works as a branch manager at People’s United Bank, N.A. Monica Rochon is the senior residence life coordinator at the University of South Florida.

Donna Dojan is National Director, Contracting Policy, Standards and Compliance for Cigna.

34 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

The group’s commitment to serving the Willimantic community also develops a sense of teamwork among the men involved, one of the reasons that M.A.L.E.S. has been so successful. “Teamwork is essential for an organization’s success because it means having a network of individuals committed to a common mission,” said senior finance major and M.A.L.E.S. President Kendrick Constant.

“We establish teamwork by creating a sense of trust. A cohesive body of people working as a team is the key accomplishing any goal.”

Jolene Potter ’18

’10 Carmen Chau is a general assignment reporter for WTIC-TV Hartford. She was previously a general assignment reporter at WTEN-WXXA in Albany, NY, covering breaking news. She also served as a reporter and weekend morning anchor for WHAG in Hagerstown, MD. She holds an M.S. in broadcast journalism from Quinnipiac University.

Monica Mills just celebrated 11 years of state service at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and is planning her first trip to Ireland, England and Scotland. She is studying Tai Chi and mindfulness based on stress reduction.

Nikole Doolittle works at Pratt & Whitney as the senior administrative coordinator for the senior vice president of engineering.

Echo Montey was promoted to assistant vice president of finance at CorePlus Federal Credit Union. She started at the credit union in 2006 as a summer intern.

In 2011 she received the CorePlus PLUS Award, a recognition of Positive Leadership, Unselfish Service from her peers. In 2016 she received her MBA from the University of New Haven and completed the CUNA Certified Credit Union Investment Professional program.

Nick Parenteau is an information systems analyst at Korde & Associates, P.C. ’11 Rachael Joy works for Paypro Corporation as a human capital management consultant.

Joanne Michelle Ocampo, advisor for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and a project director at Georgetown University, has been selected as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the San Francisco-based Filipina Women’s Network. Ocampo has worked in government and academic laboratories, with public health institutions in the United States and Europe, and has volunteer experience in West Africa.

’12 Andrew Minikowski is an attorney at the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. He received his juris doctor and master’s of environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School in 2015.

Tyler Rudolph started working at Tsunami Tsolutions in 2014 as a junior support analyst. In his nearly three years there Tyler climbed the ladder to the position of program lead. He recently started working for Circadence with a gaming platform developed to provide training for cybersecurity teams for enterprise and government organizations. Tyler is a supporter of the Life is Priceless Foundation and raised nearly $1,400 for the nonprofit in this year’s 40 mile TD Five Boro Bike Tour.

Leah Joy Pearson recently published her first book of poems “Poems from My Broken Heart,” available on Amazon. ’13 Carrie Boron M’13 is Director for Knowledge Management at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in Baltimore, MD. Bryan Haddad M’16 is a claims representative for the Social Security Administration.

Federica Bucca is a program associate at Stanford University.

Kayla Bynum received a master’s of education from Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. She is currently working as a youth development specialist at Our Piece of the Pie in Hartford.

Kyle Droniak works for Kaplan International English as the marketing outreach representative.

Casey Lenihan is the team director, educational support services for Horizons, Inc. Horizons supports adults and children with developmental disabilities throughout eastern Connecticut, and works with Eastern Connecticut State University on the Horizons Transition Education Partnership, which prepares students to transition from high school into the community and workplace.

Mark Piombino is a trainer at BDX Fitness.

Nathan Rouisse is a fire protection and industrial safety specialist at JLN Associates LLC. ’14 Brett Casella works as a social media advertising specialist at Scorpion.

Nathan Holmes joined Holmes-Watkins Funeral Homes as the fourth-generation Holmes in the Manchester business. He received a degree in mortuary science from Lincoln College.

Jessie Kohn had his second art show in Austria over the summer, exhibiting exclusively his own works.

Gabrielle Little is the marketing and communication manager at MultiState Associates, Inc. Nicole McBride is a senior account executive at 5W Public Relations.

Anthony Peterson works as a pricing analyst in the product management development program at Travelers.

Konrad Wisniewski is working toward his master’s degree at the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics. ’15 Alexandra Rogan is a financial services sales assistant at Chelsea Groton Bank.

Andrew Bonetti started his own commercial fishing company and is a C.A.R.E. instructor with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. In this role, he creates family fishing classes and events, exposing families to all the benefits that fishing can offer.

Michelle Reaume is a distribution compliance specialist at Farmers Insurance.

Katelin Sala is a business analyst for Belcan Engineering located in Shelton.

Jessica Tryon is the campus life coordinator at Mitchell College.

’16 Michael Henry M’16 is regional vice president for Domino’s and is based in Texas.

Mitchell Brooks is a new officer with the Cromwell Police Department.

James Cook was named the boys lacrosse coach at Ledyard High School. He spent the past three seasons as the assistant boys lacrosse coach at St. Bernard School, where he teaches health and physical education.

John Maura is a financial advisor at Key Investment Services.

Andrew Vakalis is a sales development representative at PatientPop, Inc., an online marketing platform for doctors, dentists and healthcare providers. ’17 Lauren Ozdemir is working for the Yale University School of Medicine as a portfolio associate. She is also working on grants and scholarships for the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis.

IN MEMORIAM Ruth (Galligan) Ashe ’62

Richard LaVecchia ’73

Robert Bassett ’78

Jean Lemire, Financial Aid 1985-2003

Roseanne Bilodeau ’70 Teresa (Dowd) Brastow ’68 Olive Buddington ’47 Mark Chappell ’73 Paul Duchow, math professor from 1963-81 Calvin Fish ’54 Louis Gamache ’57 Roy Grabowski ’69 Elsie Hale ’44 Dorothy (Shippee) Hughes ’38

Florimond Lussier ’53 John McArthur ’79 Claire Meikle ’93 Philip Patros ’54 Nancy Parker ’55 Vernon Phelps, education professor 1966-89 Jennifer (Falkowich) Raulukaitis ’05 Rachel Schaedler ’13

Jean (Roberts) Jamieson ’55

Henry Snider, EES professor 1971-2000

Joseph Jankowski ’98

Raymond Stone ’72

Waldemar Koenig ’73

Harold Teubner ’75

Dylan Konakowitz, Eastern sophomore

Linda (Dematt) Tipping ’90

EASTERN • Winter 2018 • 35

I

began donating to Eastern to honor my parents and to create a lasting legacy in their names. My father, David, taught English and other courses at Eastern for 29 years.

My mother Janet quietly and unselfishly provided the necessary support that allowed him to pursue his academic career and his work in the greater Windham community.

I started the David and Janet Philips Scholarship (in 1990) as a way to make sure their contributions to Eastern and the community would be remembered. I continue to donate because of what Eastern has meant to me and my family. Between 1976 and the present, Eastern has bestowed degrees on me, my wife, my brother, my sister, my sister-in-law, and two of my nephews. I appreciate that all of us had the academic and financial ability to earn those degrees. However, I know there are others who, while academically eligible to attend the university, need additional financial assistance to access the educational opportunities Eastern has to offer.

Final Thoughts As President Núñez described in her letter to start this issue of EASTERN magazine, the University is embarking on a renewed focus on developing career opportunities for Eastern students. This emphasis on “employability” has significant, positive implications for Eastern alumni, and to take advantage of this opportunity, we have been working to engage and strengthen the role of our alumni leaders.

In the past, the Board of Directors of the ECSU Foundation, Inc., has been made up mainly of non-alumni donors. While the foundation was successful in generating philanthropic support for the University, over the past decade, we have strived to add more alumni leaders to the Board of Directors to highlight their career success and encourage alumni giving. I am pleased to report this initiative has been a wonderful success.

With the recent combination of the Alumni Board into the ECSU Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors, we have further enhanced the representation of Eastern alumni on the Foundation Board. The ECSU Foundation Board has never been more committed to providing services and benefits to alumni.

In addition to helping raise private funds to support student scholarships and other important University programs, we will be asking our alumni to be active participants in our “employability imperative.” By sharing their educational and career experiences in face-to-face meetings with current students, they will be contributing to the entire campus community, which is focused on making sure our graduates have the skills and pre-professional experiences that will give them an advantage as they enter the workforce.

We are delighted and appreciative that many alumni are already supporting our students on their career journeys, placing them in internships in their place of business, hiring Eastern graduates, and visiting campus to share their story with undergraduates. (See page 11 for details.) We think we can do even more, by attracting more alumni to this effort, organizing ourselves to maximize internship opportunities, and instilling a “hire Eastern first” mentality among our alumni.

As always, I am grateful for the unwavering support provided to the University and our students by members of the Eastern family. I encourage alumni and friends to think of new ways to help our students reach their goals and realize their dreams. Make a gift, host an intern, share your own career experiences, hire a graduate — whatever you can do as an alumnus to support our students will make Eastern stronger than ever! Thank you!

Kenneth J. DeLisa Vice President for Institutional Advancement

36 • Winter 2018 • EASTERN

Giving to my alma mater is a way for me to honor the values instilled by my parents. In turn, I get immense satisfaction knowing that the endowed scholarship will serve as a continuing memorial to my parents and will help future students pursue their education at Eastern.

DON PHILIPS ̛81 ACCOUNTING MAJOR FIONDELLA, MILONE AND LASARACINA LLP

T

hanks to Eastern’s internship program, I was able to experience a variety of real-life accounting jobs, ranging from income tax assistance to staff accounting in a manufacturing company and as a mortgage assistant in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development program. My accounting courses at Eastern also covered such relevant accounting topics as taxation, informational accounting, government accounting, accounting for nonprofits and more.

My professors at Eastern — especially Dr. RuJoub — were not only great instructors, they also helped me apply for scholarships, seek employment, take advantage of networking opportunities and much more.

I used the scholarship I received at Eastern to buy study materials and other supplies. Now that I am doing well in my job, I feel it is time to give back to Eastern. By contributing to Professor RuJoub’s endowed scholarship, I can help other Eastern students achieve their goals. In addition, alumni giving is important for a school’s ranking. I am proud to be an Eastern graduate and help our ranking continue to improve in the future!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CONNECTICUT BAR ASSOCIATION

YING CHEN ̛14 14