a publication for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University
ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Winter 2026
PLUS Southern’s Powerhouse Theater Partnerships: Elm Shakespeare, Long Wharf, and the Shubert
Building the EmergingTechnologies Workforce
National Science Foundation Funding Paves the Way
Blooming GENIUS Proven Winners’ Noah Derohanian, ’10
Winter 2026 | 1
FIRST LOOK ■
Southern’s 2026 Club Fair provided an opportunity to learn about a wide array of student clubs and organizations, as captured in this drone photograph. Interested in the logistics of drone photography? Southern’s Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning (OWLL) offers a Drone Academy. More: SouthernCT.edu/drone-academy
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Southern | Winter | 26 ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Business in Bloom
Noah Derohanian, ’10, believes a beautiful garden is within everyone’s reach — and travels the world to bring Proven Winners to the company’s millions of customers.
18 Quantum Leap
Southern is a key partner in QuantumCT, a statewide initiative supported by a $15 million award from the National Science Foundation. Southern’s fitting focus: building the workforce that will power Connecticut’s future in emerging technologies.
22 Curtain Up, Class in Session
Partnerships between Southern and three celebrated professional theaters place students in the action, on stage and behind the curtain.
Minutes of 30 Three Research for the Win
Honoring Kevin 27 Gilbride, ’74 From playing and coaching at Southern to building a highly successful career in the NFL, Gilbride has earned his laurels. On June 4, the university community came together to celebrate his achievements.
An international competition challenges graduate students to present their research in just three minutes. Southern is the first in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system to participate.
32 Reading the Water
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$chlock 2.50: Buying and Selling American™ Patriotism
An exhibit curated by Southern students explored how mass-produced patriotic merchandise from 1976 and 2026 reveals changing ideas about American identity, consumer culture, and celebration. Cover: Noah Derohanian, ’10, photographed at the Proven Winners facility and public display garden in Loudon, N.H. Photo by Isabel Chenoweth
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Chasing the Data
From monitoring water quality as an undergraduate to measuring greenhouse gas emissions by air and sea, doctoral candidate Renée Chabot-Mehlin, ’21, is following the scientific evidence wherever it leads.
d e pa rtm en t s
For more than 15 years, C. Patrick Heidkamp, professor of environment, geography, and marine sciences, has studied the waters of the Eastfjords region of Iceland. Now, an Alcoa Foundation grant is helping Heidkamp and a team of Southern and international researchers expand their work.
2 ■ From the President 3 ■ Campus News 11 ■ True Blue 26 ■ Social Southern 38 ■ Supporting Southern Alumni Sharon and Alan Machuga are opening doors for a new generation of students.
40 ■ Alumni News 44 ■ Alumni Notes 48 ■ Seen on Campus
Winter 2026 | 3
DEAR SOUTHERN ALUMNI,
s we begin a new academic year, I am encouraged by the progress we are making at Southern Connecticut State University and excited about what lies ahead. Higher education is navigating a period of significant change, and Southern is no exception. We are taking a thoughtful look at how we operate, where we invest our resources, and how we can best serve our students and our state. Even as we make difficult decisions, our priorities remain clear: academic excellence, access to opportunity, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve. That resolve is evident throughout this issue of Southern Alumni Magazine. As Connecticut’s first and only Carnegie-classified Research 2 (R2) university, Southern demonstrates how meaningful research and accessible public education go hand in hand. From National Science Foundation-supported research to environmental studies examining emissions, our faculty, students, and alumni are advancing knowledge with real-world impact. Our growing partnerships across industries further strengthen our contributions to the region, while our School of Nursing’s recent designation as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education — an honor held by just 95 institutions — reflects our commitment to academic excellence and workforce preparation. What makes this work especially meaningful is how academic excellence intersects with our commitment to social justice. This fall, we welcomed our inaugural Inclusive Teaching Fellows, faculty members who will help advance teaching
Across the university, we are examining how our programs, services, and resources can work more effectively together. This requires careful stewardship and a willingness to rethink familiar approaches, but it is essential to building a stronger Southern. We are also entering an exciting new chapter in alumni engagement. This summer, we welcomed Gregg Crerar, M.S. ‘99, as our new vice president for institutional advancement, alongside new leadership in annual giving. Together, they bring fresh perspectives and ideas to strengthen our connections with alumni and friends and create new ways to support Southern’s future. The stories in these pages reflect that future. You will meet alumni leading innovation in the horticulture industry and shaping the next generation of educators, and learn how Southern’s partnerships with Connecticut’s leading theaters are enriching the student experience. You will see how philanthropy opens doors for future generations and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our student-athletes. Southern’s greatest strength has always been its people. I hope this issue leaves you proud of where Southern is today and excited about where we are headed. Thank you for being part of our story and helping shape what comes next. Sincerely,
practices that support student learning and success. Southern has also met the enrollment threshold for recognition as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, an important milestone reflecting our growing student diversity and enduring commitment to opportunity.
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Sandra Bulmer, Ph.D. Interim President
Southern
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Sandra Bulmer, Interim President Gregg Crerar, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Executive Director, SCSU Foundation, Inc.
Celebrating the Class of 2026
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AM AWESOME IS THE MOST DECORATED COMPETITOR in USA Boxing history. But he fondly recalled the defeats during his undergraduate commencement address. “The greatest lessons of my life didn’t come from the wins. They came from the losses, the setbacks, the embarrassment, the moments where I had to decide whether failure meant stop or learn,” said Awesome, recounting his Cam Awesome journey from a bullied teen to a national champion. Approximately 2,200 students graduated in the 2025–26 academic year, including nearly 1,450 undergraduates and about 750 graduate students. Three graduate commencement ceremonies were held May 18 – 19 on campus at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, while the undergraduate ceremony took place on May 22 at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Southern Interim President Sandra Bulmer spoke about excellence and community at the undergraduate celebration. “You chose Connecticut’s first and only Carnegie-classified Research 2 (R2) university,” she said. “You also chose a community grounded in purpose. A place filled with people who believe in meaningful work and service to others.” Southern recognized leaders and public servants with honorary degrees at the ceremonies: New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker received an honorary Doctor of Political Science at the undergraduate ceremony, and Christopher O’Connor, chief executive officer of Yale New Haven Health System, received an honorary Doctor of Science at the graduate exercises.
“You chose Connecticut’s first and only Carnegieclassified Research 2 university. You also chose a community grounded in purpose.” Sandra Bulmer
Southern Interim President Sandra Bulmer
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker
MORE AT:
go.SouthernCT.edu/scsu2026
STAFF
Allison O’Leary, Interim Director, University Marketing & Communications Villia Struyk, Editor Christina Levere, Director, Marketing and Publications, & Graphic Designer Claire Zoghb, Graphic Designer Isabel Chenoweth, Photographer Alisha Martindale, ’10, M.A. ’18, Contributing Photographer Mary Pat Caputo, Alumni Notes OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Gregory Bernard, ’04, Director of Alumni Relations (203) 392-6500 EDITORIAL OFFICE
Southern Connecticut State University University Marketing & Communications/ Southern Alumni Magazine 501 Crescent Street New Haven, CT 06515-1355 Telephone (203) 392-6591; fax (203) 392-5083 Email address: StruykV1@SouthernCT.edu University website: SouthernCT.edu Printed by The Lane Press, Inc.
Southern Alumni Magazine is published by the university in cooperation with the SCSU Alumni Associationtwo times a year and distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the university. Opinions expressed in Southern Alumni Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the university or the SCSU Alumni Association. Although the editors have made every reasonable effort to be factually accurate, no responsibility is assumed for errors. Postage paid at Burlington, Vt. Southern Connecticut State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or criminal record. Inquiries related to nondiscrimination policies and Title IX may be forwarded to Paula Rice, Title IX Coordinator and Director of Diversity and Equity Programs, 501 Crescent Street, OB1 112B, New Haven, CT, 06515; (203) 3925568; RiceP1@SouthernCT.edu.
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C A M P U S NEW S ■
Left to right: Suzie Huminski, associate director of sustainability; Colleen Bielitz, AVP of strategic initiatives and outreach; U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro; Sandra Bulmer, interim president of Southern; Jenni Myers and Brett Sandman, OWLL students; Amy Feest, senior director of OWLL; and Garrett Sheehan, president and CEO of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
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$2.25M Investment for Workforce Development Hub
A $2.25 MILLION FEDERAL INVESTMENT supports the creation of The Hive at Southern, a planned workforce development hub focused on emerging technologies. The funding, secured by U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, will expand education and training opportunities in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, biotechnology, nanotechnology, immersive reality, and sustainability. “It is so important for us to invest in the technologies of the future. The jobs
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of tomorrow come from the decisions that are made today,” said DeLauro at a May 27 press conference. The Hive will help Connecticut residents upskill and adapt to evolving workforce needs with a focus on certifications, professional credentials, professional development programs, and noncredit training. “The Hive represents Southern’s commitment to building equitable pathways into the future workforce and strengthening partnerships throughout our community,” said Amy Feest,
Grant Supports Soft Skills Training for Nurses
PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES rate nurses’ soft skills — such as reliability, responsiveness, and empathy — as critically important aspects of quality care, according to a substantial body of research. Thanks to a $210,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation, nursing majors at Southern will develop these important soft skills as part of their training. Virtual reality is a key component of the training, which uses simulations to prepare students for realworld medical situations and healthcare environments. The training is based at Southern’s Interprofessional Healthcare Simulation Center, known as the Sim Lab, located in the College of Health and Human Services Building. The facility opened in 2022. Faculty and coordinators operate the high-tech simulators to create realistic patient-care scenarios in a variety of settings, including hospital rooms, outpatient clinics, and an apartment. If a student conducts the exercise correctly, the patient improves. If an error is made, the patient declines. Students then participate in debriefing sessions to assess their actions, discuss what went well, and identify opportunities for improvement. 6 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
senior director of Southern’s Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning (OWLL). Colleen Bielitz, associate vice president for strategic initiatives and outreach, highlighted the potential to change lives. “It says to working adults, ‘Your story is not finished yet,’” Bielitz said. “And it says to our communities, ‘We need your brilliance at our table because the future cannot afford your absence.’”
Maria Krol, interim executive director of healthcare programs, and Pamela Forte, director of clinical education in the School of Nursing
The funding builds on a previously awarded $179,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation to develop the nursing simulation program. The foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis, after Mr. Davis’ retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets.
From Service to Scholarship
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THREE U.S. NAVY VETERANS — Jamal Porter, Neka Eells, and Portia Fredua-Agyemang — are among the first graduates of Southern’s STEM-focused Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. Launched in 2024, the highly specialized program embeds STEM in the curriculum, with a strong focus on project-based learning and organizational and business resilience. It is the only STEM-designated DBA program in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system — and one of a select few such programs in the U.S. The STEM DBA is designed for working professionals, a key consideration for the three veterans who balanced doctoral coursework alongside careers, military service, and family responsibilities. Porter is a telling example. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served for more than a decade, focusing on healthcare and emergency medicine. While serving, he earned a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and an MBA in healthcare and executive management before transitioning out of the military and into healthcare administration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He viewed the DBA as a challenging but ideal next step. “The DBA program focuses on resiliency, which you learn a lot about in the military,” he says. MORE AT:
news.SouthernCT.edu/inaugural-dba-cohort-reflects-resilience-and-service
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School of Nursing Lauded Among National Top 20
OUTHERN’S SCHOOL OF NURSING is one of only 20 nursing programs and schools throughout the U.S. to be honored as a 2026 National League for Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence™, a designation recognizing outstanding higher education in nursing. Only 95 institutions currently hold the honor. “Earning the NLN Center of Excellence designation reflects the hard work and commitment by these nursing schools and programs to sustain innovation and excellence in every aspect of the academic experience, from classroom to clinic to campus life,” says Beverly Malone, president and chief executive officer of the NLN.
A Degree in Bloom
VANESSA BUNNELL, ’26, IS A FIRM BELIEVER in the power of therapeutic horticulture: the practice of enhancing wellbeing through nature and plant-related activities. When she couldn’t find a local undergraduate program devoted to the field, she turned to Southern’s Interdisciplinary Studies program to create one. The flexible program allows students to design their own degree program by combining coursework from multiple disciplines. Bunnell, a certified landscaper, horticulturist, and small-business owner, completed a program that integrated coursework in business administration, horticulture, recreation, wellness, and geriatric studies. Bunnell came to Southern as a transfer student and adult learner. She had previously earned an associate degree in horticulture and a certificate in landscape design at Naugatuck Vanessa Bunnell, ‘26 Valley Community College, while juggling caregiving alongside her studies. “I was so afraid to go back to school as an adult, but I loved it. I loved being able to take a variety of subjects that impact what I do,” she says. In addition to landscape design and consultation, Bunnell also offers community outreach programs in horticulture. “She’s a shining example of how there’s always a second act for students,” says Erin Larkin, director of Interdisciplinary Studies. “There are supports that enable them to complete their degree in an exciting way. It can lead to professional advancement while also guiding them on a path that is ultimately more satisfying for them.” MORE AT:
SouthernCT.edu/academics/interdisciplinary-studies Winter 2026 | 7
Journalism Students Take on the Pros — and Win
Photo courtesy Jodie Gil
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OUTHERN JOURNALISM STUDENTS went headto-head with working journalists from news organizations across Connecticut — and won three professional awards at the 2026 Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists (CTSPJ) Excellence in Journalism competition. Students also earned eight awards in the CTSPJ Student Journalism Contest, including six honors for Crescent magazine and two for Southern News, the student newspaper. Among the professional awards, students in Professor Cindy Simoneau’s JRN 300 class won first place in Data Reporting for a story on how students consume news through social media. The article, published by CT Community News, was later republished by the Hartford Courant. Students in Professor Jodie Gil’s JRN
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From left to right: Cindy Simoneau, chair of the Department of Journalism; senior Valentina Toro; senior Brianna Wallen; Solé Scott, ’26; Brandon Cortés, ’25; and Jodie Gil, professor of journalism
220 class earned third place in Health Reporting for a story on college students helping prevent suicide. The awards showcase Southern’s hands-on approach to journalism and
the opportunities provided through the Connecticut Student Journalism Collaborative, which connects student journalists with professional news outlets across the state.
Celebrating Student Excellence
FOUR GRADUATING SENIORS from the Class of 2026 received the Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award, one of the highest honors bestowed on students by Southern. The honorees, all of whom graduated summa cum laude, were recognized for their commitment to community service, academic excellence, and campus involvement. • Stephanie Allis, a first-generation college student, earned degrees in social work and sociology with a concentration in criminology and criminal justice. “My path to higher education has been anything but linear,” says Allis, who transferred to Southern. A single mother of six, she was involved with the foster care system both as a child and as a parent, and brings those experiences to her commitment to helping others. She plans to pursue graduate studies and ultimately earn a law degree. • Fellow honoree Hannah Ashiru transferred to Southern, where she earned a degree in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry. She is enrolled in the Accelerated Pathways program, which allows students to earn their undergraduate and graduate degrees in less time. Before beginning her senior research at Southern, Ashiru was an Undergraduate Pre-Med Research Fellow at Hartford Hospital. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine. • Paul Concordia earned a degree in social work with a minor in sociology. A transfer student, he has worked at the Recovery Network of Programs for more than seven years, most recently as a peer support coordinator. A father of three, he is fluent in Spanish and French. • Heather Gaydowen, a member of the Honors College, earned a degree in psychology with a minor in film studies. Deeply committed to research, she served as the lab manager of the Stress, Anxiety, and Well-Being Laboratory led by Christopher Budnick, professor of psychology. Her honors thesis explored maladaptive daydreaming. She is pursuing graduate studies at Michigan State University, focusing on organizational psychology research. 8 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Stephanie Allis
Hannah Ashiru
Paul Concordia
Heather Gaydowen
CARE Earns National Honors
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The CARE team (left to right): Isabel Alvarez-Diaz, Tomeka Frieson, Sofia Morales (on stool), Hanna Natalino, Katherine LaMonaca, Kathleen O'Connor Duffany (sitting), Tahnee Cookson Muhammad, Alycia Santilli, Ayeisha Cole, and Priscilla Martinez
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HE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT (CARE), co-housed at Southern Connecticut State University and the Yale School of Public Health in partnership with the New Haven community, is one of only five recipients of Campus Compact’s 2026 Excellence in CommunityEngaged Partnerships Awards. Based at Southern’s College of Health and Human Services, CARE works directly with residents to address the conditions that shape health — from access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity to chronic disease prevention. It focuses on residents most
affected by inequities, particularly Black and Brown communities and low-income populations. CARE carries out its mission through two major initiatives. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, addresses chronic disease prevention as well as issues such as food insecurity, breastfeeding, and active transportation. The CARE Health Leadership Programs train residents to become leaders and partners in shaping local health initiatives and research.
• Southern is the first and only university in Connecticut to earn a Carnegie (R2) designation and one of only 139 in the country.
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Fast s. Fact
GREAT S. NEW
• Southern offers more than
Research 2
111 doctoral, master’s, sixth-year, and postgraduate and professional
development programs. Options are available on campus, online, and in hybrid formats. • Hilton C. Buley Library houses more than
500,000 items and provides access to more
100 databases and electronic collections. • What’s new for Sustainable Southern? Eighteen new electric vehicle charging stations than
are available for the SCSU community throughout campus.
• Southern is investing in student success:
80% of students received financial aid in 2025–26, with
$6.4 million awarded in scholarships and grants.
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Southern Establishes Center for Police Social Work
“We want to advance the field. Police social work finally has a home.” Associate Professor of Social Work ISABEL LOGAN Isabel Logan, associate professor of social work, and Tina James, ‘18, at the Milford Police Department, where James serves as a social worker.
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OUTHERN HAS OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED the Social Work and Law Enforcement (SWLE) Center for Police Social Work, transforming a pilot initiative into a permanent hub for training, research, and workforce development. Co-founded in 2020 by Isabel Logan, associate professor of social work, the SWLE Project was created in response to Connecticut’s police accountability legislation and a growing need for collaboration between social workers and law enforcement. What began as a feasibility study has since grown into a nationally recognized model that has trained more than 30 students across multiple states. The new center will expand opportunities for students and professionals through internships, the Police Social Work Academy, applied research, policy development, and wellness initiatives. A formal certificate program is also under consideration. Police social workers help address issues behind many calls for service, including mental health concerns, substance use, and
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housing instability. By connecting individuals with appropriate services, they can help prevent unnecessary involvement in the justice system while allowing police officers to focus on public safety. “Police are not there to be social workers, and social workers are not there to be police officers,” Logan says. “It’s about prevention. It’s about connecting people to the services they need so police can focus on keeping the community safe.” The center builds on partnerships with police departments throughout Connecticut, including the Norwich Police Department. Lt. Nicholas Rankin, who has worked with the project since its early days, says social workers bring valuable perspective to calls involving complex social issues. “You put on an extra set of perspective goggles and ask, ‘How else can I look at this?’” Rankin says. “And that carries forward for the rest of your career.” The center also provides a pathway into emerging roles at the intersection of social work and public safety. Tina James, ’18, a graduate
of the police social work internship program, now serves as a full-time social worker with the Milford Police Department. Her experience illustrates the program’s goal of preparing social workers to work directly alongside law enforcement and serve communities in new ways. Through the new center, Southern aims to expand research, establish best practices, strengthen workforce training, and build national partnerships. “We want to advance the field,” Logan says. “Police social work finally has a home.”
MORE AT:
SouthernCT.edu/swle
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Chatting with Lena Dunham
IT WAS THE ULTIMATE SLUMBER PARTY, complete with a cozy bed on-stage and audience members sporting pajamas. On May 1, Lena Dunham, best known as the creator and star of HBO’s Girls, settled in at Southern’s Lyman Center for the Performing Arts to talk about her book, FAMESICK. Naomi Fry, a staff writer at The New Yorker, led the conversation that touched on chronic illness, creativity, addiction, and shame. R.J. Julia Booksellers partnered with Southern on the event. Lena Dunham, a writer and director, and Naomi Fry, staff writer at The New Yorker speaking at FAMESICK: An Evening of Stories and Togetherness.
n A Story Comes Home AN INSTAGRAM POST led Deborah Weiss, professor emerita of speech, language, and hearing sciences, to an extraordinary discovery: a previously unknown exhibit at a Czech museum documenting the story of her mother, Milada Günsburgová, a Holocaust survivor. Günsburgová was a member of one of eight Jewish families featured in the collection. Weiss later worked with the exhibit’s curator to bring the 26-panel installation, Those Who Returned and Those Who Did Not, to Southern, where it was on view in Buley Library this spring.
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Leadership Appointments
Gregg Crerar
Craig Hlavac
Kenneth Rahn
Maps from the Those Who Returned and Those Who Did Not exhibit. Photo by Lily Rand
Robert A. Smith
MORE AT:
SouthernCT.edu
• Gregg Crerar, M.S. ’99, has been named vice president for institutional advancement at Southern. He brings nearly three decades of higher education experience, including more than two decades in advancement and leadership roles at Southern. He most recently served as vice president for institutional advancement at Western Connecticut State University, where he helped secure more than $7.5 million in philanthropic support. • Craig Hlavac is serving as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Previously, he was associate dean, supporting 14 academic departments, three interdisciplinary programs, and the First-Year Experience program. • Kenneth Rahn has been appointed chief of police at Southern. He brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to the position, including serving as the university’s interim chief from 2022–2024. Before joining the University Police Department in 2019, he spent 25 years with the Milford Police Department, where he served as deputy chief for his final five years. Rahn is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. • Robert Smith, Esq., is named the interim dean of the School of Business. A professor of management and business law, he has nearly 30 years of experience spanning industry and higher education. He succeeds Jess Boronico who retired on Sept. 1.
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Faculty and Staff Honors
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WO SOUTHERN PROFESSORS WERE HONORED as recipients of the 2025-2026 Connecticut Board of Regents Faculty Awards. Faculty from each of the four state universities — Southern, Central, Eastern, and Western — are eligible for campus-wide awards for teaching and research. System-wide awards are then selected from among the university-level honorees.
Miriah M. Russo Kelly, associate professor in the Department of Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences, received the Board of Regents Research Award at the system-wide level. Kelly, who joined Southern in 2020, has a strong record of research focused on climate resilience and public engagement in environmental decision-making, supported by federal and regional organizations including the Connecticut Sea Grant, NOAA Sea Grant, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also participated in multiple United Nations Climate Change Conferences, traveling with Southern students to the international climate policy negotiations.
Christine Broadbridge
Eric Elias
Joan Kreiger
Patricia Bode, associate professor and coordinator of art education in the Department of Art and Design, received a Board of Regents Teaching Award at the campus level. Bode is the founder of the Remember Love Recovery Project, an arts-based initiative created in memory of her son, Ryan Bode Moriarty, who died of an accidental heroin overdose in 2018. The project uses art making, education, and human connection to promote healing, reduce stigma, and raise awareness of substance use disorder.
Maria Krol
Trudy Milburn
Ken Sweeten
Christine Broadbridge, executive director of research and innovation at Southern and a professor of physics, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. She has served as the principal or co-principal investigator on more than a dozen National Science Foundation projects and contributed to research supported by NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
of healthcare programs in the College of Health and Human Services.
The National Association of School Psychologists named Eric Elias its School Psychologist of the Year. Elias is a university instructor and veteran school psychologist.
Ken Sweeten, associate director of athletics and athletics communications at Southern, was recognized by the College Sports Communicators with the 25-Year Award. Sweeten has played a key role in elevating athletic storytelling at Southern and mentored more than 30 undergraduate and graduate assistants.
Joan Kreiger received the President’s Award for distinguished service and exemplary contributions from the Connecticut Society for Respiratory Care. Currently the interim faculty director of accreditation and curricular initiatives, Kreiger joined Southern in 2014 as the inaugural program coordinator for the Respiratory Therapy Program. Maria Krol was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is the interim executive director 12 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Trudy Milburn, associate vice president for academic affairs, was named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year. She is one of just 31 ACE Fellows selected for this year’s program, which prepares participants for senior leadership positions.
Jonathan Wharton
Jonathan Wharton, professor of political science, is the presidentelect of the New England Political Science Association for 2028-2029.
From the pool to the playing field, a look at SOUTHERN ATHLETICS. n
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Swimming and Diving Head Coach Named; Honors for Timothy Quill
.J. MORAN, ’00, HAS BEEN NAMED HEAD COACH of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. Moran is just the second head coach to lead the Owls in nearly three decades; he succeeds the late Timothy Quill IV, who died on Feb. 10, 2026. Moran, who graduated from Southern with a degree in social work, swam for the Owls for four years. He later served as assistant coach for several periods, most recently from 2015 until he was appointed head coach. “There is no one more prepared, or more deserving, to lead our swimming and diving family forward,” says Terrance Jones, director of athletics. “C.J. is an Owl through and through — as a student-athlete, as an alumnus, and as a coach. He learned under Coach Quill, he helped build this dynasty, and he embodies the values of excellence, compassion, and belonging that define Southern.” Quill died just days before he was scheduled to lead Southern to the Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference Championships in Massachusetts. Southern and the swimming community united to honor his legacy and support the university’s studentathletes. At the meet, the NE10 observed a moment of silence in Quill’s honor, while Southern swimmers and divers carried tributes to their coach throughout the competition. Supporters also shared memories and encouragement online using the hashtag #WinForTim. With Moran serving as acting head coach, the women’s team went on to win the 2026 NE10 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship, capturing its sixth consecutive conference title. The women won 20 medals. The men’s team finished in fourth place and brought home eight medals. During his 28-year career at Southern, Quill guided the Owls to 34 conference championship titles, split evenly between the men’s and women’s programs, and coached 121 NCAA All-Americans. “For nearly three decades, Tim devoted his life to the sport he loved and to the students he mentored. He built one of the most successful athletic programs in Southern history and in the Northeast-10 Conference,” says Interim President Sandra Bulmer. The NE10 conference further recognized his legacy by posthumously naming him the NE10 Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year for the 16th time. He previously received the Men’s Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year honor 14 times. Swimmer Molly Kennedy was named the NE10 Women’s Swimmer of the Year and received the NE10 Women’s Swimming and Diving Sport Excellence Award, which honors a top student on the All-Conference Team.
“There is no one more prepared, or more deserving, to lead our swimming and diving family forward.”
Tim Quill
C.J. Moran
– Terrance Jones DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
IN RECOGNITION OF QUILL’S LASTING
IMPACT , the Timothy P. Quill IV Scholarship
Fund has been established at Southern. The scholarship will support student-athletes in the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. On Oct. 9, the university also dedicated the scoreboard at the Bruce Hutchinson Natatorium in honor of the former head coach. LEARN MORE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP AT
SouthernCT.edu/student-life/athletics/tim-quill
n Gymnastics Champion is an Owl Abby Royer, ’26, who graduated in May with a degree in exercise science, won the floor exercise at the 2026 Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) Championship with a score of 9.925 — finishing ahead of runners-up from the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and Brown, all NCAA Division I institutions of higher learning. It was a history-making performance for the senior, who is only the second Owl to win a GEC tournament event. Angel Lee, ’25, captured the title on the balance beam in 2023. Royer is also the Owl record holder in the floor exercise, with a score of 9.950.
| 13 | 13 Winter Season Year2026
From the pool to the playing field, a look at SOUTHERN ATHLETICS. n Hoop Dreams: Women’s Basketball Wins NE10 Tournament
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OUTHERN’S WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM captured the Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference Championship, defeating Bentley University 59-50 on March 8. The NE10 victory crowned a spectacular season, highlighted by a 25-6 overall win-loss record and an 11-game winning streak. The NE10 triumph is especially meaningful for head coach Kate Lynch, ’08, and assistant coach Stephanie Hiriak Lund, ’11, who both played on the Owls team that won the NE10 title and the Division II NCAA National Championship in 2007. Congratulations also to assistant coach Charlie Cairo.
Owls Soar with Record-Breaking Lacrosse Season
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Rob Rasmussen Photo
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Caelan Connors
Macy Vail
WANT SPORTS? 14 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
T WAS A STELLAR SEASON for Southern’s lacrosse program, which earned a program record 12 wins during a 12-6 campaign and hosted a Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference Championship quarterfinal game for the first time in program history. Southern also earned its first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Championship tournament. The Owls fell to Mercy University in the first round of the NCAA East Regional, but Owl spirit remained strong with several players earning top honors. Graduate student Caelan Connors, ’26, an occupational therapy major, was named the NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year, becoming the first Owl to receive the award. USA Lacrosse magazine also recognized Connors as a Division II All-American Honorable Mention. She was named to the All-NE10 First Team, alongside midfielder Macy Vail, ’26, who majored in business administration. The teammates were the first Owls to earn NE10 First Team recognition in lacrosse.
more at SCSUowls.com
Meet the Student Athlete
I
Cool Runnings: Six More NE10 Team Titles
ROB RASMUSSEN PHO
TO.
N A HISTORIC SWEEP, Southern’s track and field and cross country programs won every Northeast-10 (NE10) team championship in 2025-26. The programs claimed six NE10 team titles overall: • Men’s and women’s cross country, • Men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and • Men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. Southern is the only university in the league • Chemistry major, senior to have achieved this level of dominance. Most recently, the men’s program won • Track and Field, throwing events the 2026 NE10 Outdoor Track and Field • Hometown: East Haven, Conn. Colton Sallum Championships, claiming the title for the ninth straight year. Southern finished with 291 Sophomore majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor in marketing points, an insurmountable lead over runner-up Franklin Pierce, which tallied 129. Southern’s Sports: Cross Country; Track and Field women’s team won the outdoor track and field Hometown: Pomfret, Conn. title for the third consecutive season. The Owls High School: Woodstock Academy scored 269 points, compared with secondplace St. Anselm’s 139.50. Southern hosted the Breakout first year: Northeast-10 (NE10) Outdoor Track and Field event at Jess Dow Field on May 1-2. Champion in the 5,000-meter run; NE10 Indoor Track and Field On Feb. 19 – 20 in Boston, the Owls Champion in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs; finished second at the NE10 Cross Country Championship, after Southern’s men’s and women’s programs also won their Jonathan Volpe, ’25. respective NE10 Conference Indoor Track and NE10 Rookie of the Year: in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor Field Championships, once again dominating track — the first in program history to win all three honors the competition. It was the ninth straight More accolades: Sallum finished third at the NCAA Cross Country indoor tournament victory for Southern’s East Regional Championship and placed 104th at nationals. “I think men’s program and the 20th overall. The team I was the fifth-fastest freshman in the race. I was proud of that,” he earned 241 points, a commanding 137-point says. His goals: to finish in the top 60 at nationals in cross country and lead over runner-up Adelphi. The women break a Southern record or two. claimed their third consecutive NE10 indoor Running start: Sallum is inspired by his mother, who competed in championship title and sixth overall, scoring endurance races like Tough Mudder and Spartan. He began 247 points — 145.5 points ahead of the running cross country in sixth grade. After taking a break, he joined second-place finisher St. Anselm. his high school team. In fall 2025, the men’s and women’s cross Steady improvement: “I was terrible,” he says. “My 5K as a high school freshman was slower than my current 10K cross country country teams set the pace, winning both time.” the NE10 and NCAA Division II Cross Country Why Southern: Sallum was actively recruited; he toured Holy Cross, East Regional titles. Southern graduate Bryant, Sacred Heart, Hofstra, and other universities before students Courtney Henchcliffe, ’25, and choosing Southern. “I knew Southern was a place where I could Jonathan Volpe, ’25, were the individual grow and develop as an athlete and a student. It was an easy champions for the region and the NE10. decision,” he says. Finding the right coach: “Coach Nill stood out for his knowledge. His approach is scientific, which is exactly what I was looking for in a coach,” Sallum says. Why behavioral neuroscience: Listening to podcaster Andrew Huberman, an American neuroscientist, Sallum realized he was incredibly interested in the field. Where he’s on campus: 1) the School of Business building (studying), 2) James Moore Field House (training), and 3) the dining hall (refueling) Best on-campus meal: Flank steak and sushi. “It sounds sketchy, but it’s good,” he says. Long-term goal: graduate school to study psychopharmacology
Ph Multime oto Clarus dia Gro up
n
Name Here
Winter 2026 | 15
By Natalie Missakian
Noah Derohanian, ’10, believes a beautiful garden is within everyone’s reach — and travels the globe to bring Proven Winners to millions of customers.
16 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
oah Derohanian, ’10, has built a career around finding and cultivating the perfect petunias — and begonias, verbenas, and calibrachoas. As director of product management for Proven Winners, one of the nation’s largest plant and garden suppliers, Derohanian helps determine what millions of home gardeners put in their shopping carts each spring at garden centers throughout the U.S. as well as big-box retailers such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware. Proven Winners generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales, according to company data, driven by a clear but compelling principle. “We grow plants to make people happy. That’s our mission,” Derohanian says. Vibrant flowers like bright pink Bubblegum Supertunias — the company’s number one seller — and Lemon Slice Superbells brighten gardens across the country, but most people don’t give a second thought to their origins. The journey begins in a lab in Germany or Michigan, where Proven Winners maintains the original genetic versions of every plant in its catalog. Grown in test tubes, these elite plantlets are shipped to stock sites in Costa Rica and Africa, where they mature into mother plants. Millions of cuttings are then shipped to Proven Winners’ propagating greenhouses to be rooted in trays before being distributed to nurseries across the country.
“I really enjoyed being in the greenhouse, but I never thought of it as a lucrative career opportunity.” Derohanian helps shepherd these annual blooms from lab to greenhouse to retail display. He says the company aims to do for landscape gardening what artist Bob Ross did for painting: make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone. “The science behind Proven Winners takes a lot of the pressure off people who don’t have a green thumb,” says
Derohanian. “Our Supertunia line is probably one of the easiest to grow. You drop it into the ground, and it’ll root into cracks in the concrete.”
EARLY DAYS
Growing up in Old Saybrook, Conn., Derohanian never planned to work in the gardening industry. As a transfer student at Southern, he majored in earth science with a concentration in environmental science and initially considered a career in environmental remediation. During college, he interned as a greenhouse technician with agricultural giant Monsanto, working with growers in Mystic, Conn., to produce corn for research. The harvested corn was stripped of its kernels, which were then counted and analyzed. “It was all about seeing which genetics produced the highest yield,” Derohanian explains. “I really enjoyed being in the greenhouse, but I never thought of it as a lucrative career opportunity.” After graduation, he took a temporary retail job selling outdoor gear while deciding on his next move. Winter 2026 | 17
Then his mother learned that Clinton Nurseries, a landscape gardening business near the family’s home, was expanding in Maryland. Derohanian seized the opportunity, landing a position as irrigation manager on the company’s 250-acre farm. “I was 22 or 23 at the time. I moved down there with my stuff in my car and started growing shrubs and trees and learning from there,” says Derohanian, who now lives in Concord, N.H., with his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Chip, and daughter, Amelia. He credits Southern’s geology and hydrology courses, along with mentorship from Professor Emerita of Earth Science Cynthia
In his leadership role, Derohanian travels the world overseeing production and searching for the next Proven Winners. Coron, with providing a strong foundation for that first job. Today, he still draws on what he learned in Southern’s classrooms to navigate government regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Environmental science was a very small program, so you were able to build a community and become close with your professors,” he says. “Those experiences helped me develop into who I am as a manager and director.”
18 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
THE ‘FERRARI’ OF HORTICULTURE
As a young horticulturist attending trade shows, Derohanian remembers looking up to the growers in the crisp white shirts bearing the Proven Winners logo. “For me, it was like the Ferrari of the industry,” he recalls. “They just looked so professional. I thought to myself, ‘Man, one day I’d like to work for Proven Winners.’” That day came in 2017 when he landed a job as lead grower at Pleasant View Gardens in Loudon, N.H., one of Proven Winners’ original propagation sites. When John Gaydos — the company’s longtime director of product development and a figure known in industry circles as the godfather of modern horticulture — prepared to retire in 2024, he handpicked Derohanian as his successor. Gaydos was impressed by Derohanian’s curiosity and drive. “We were doing a greenhouse walk through at a facility in Costa Rica, and he never stopped asking questions,” Gaydos told the trade publication Greenhouse Management. Today, in his leadership role, Derohanian travels the world overseeing production and searching for the next Proven Winners. This global oversight takes him to Costa Rica 10 to 12 times each year to work with growers and prepare for upcoming planting seasons. He also planned trips to South Africa and Kenya this year.
Recently, he returned from the Netherlands, where he met with breeders and collaborated with research and development teams to scout potential additions to the company’s catalog. Selecting a Proven Winner is a rigorous process that can take two to three years. “We grow the varieties out so we can track them and see their habits, vigor, and color, as well as their ease of production,” he explains. So, what makes a plant a Proven Winner? “Heat tolerance is always a really big one,” he says. “We’re also looking at how many weeks the product will stay in bloom. Eighteen to 20 weeks is where we want to be.” Derohanian’s personal favorite is the Double Up Begonia, a lowmaintenance variety that performs reliably in production. “You kind of set it and forget it,” he says. “In about six weeks, it’s ready to go to market.”
2 - 3 Years
The time it typically takes to select a Proven Winner
18 - 20 Weeks
The ideal time the product will stay in bloom
The company’s facility in New Hampshire includes greenhouse space and a public display garden.
A large part of his role involves quality control, ensuring the plants arriving at retail outlets are “true to type” and match what customers see in the catalog. He also focuses on strengthening sanitation and virus-control protocols to better protect crops throughout the supply chain. While the work can be stressful, Derohanian says the reward comes from seeing the thriving plants on store shelves. “It’s awesome to share pictures of those fully grown plants with my counterparts in Costa Rica,” he says. “They get to see all the hard work and effort we’ve put into making this product. Then the consumer gets to put it in the ground or a pot, and it brings them joy. That’s really cool to me. It’s what keeps me motivated.” Winter 2026 | 19
Christine Broadbridge, (right) director of the QNT Center, instructors, and attendees at the Teacher Professional Development Workshop on quantum technologies and AI; Andre Correa and Sophia Arnout at work in the QNT Center
QUANTUM LEAP By Villia Struyk
Southern is a key partner in QuantumCT, a statewide initiative supported by a two-year, $15 million award from the U.S. National Science Foundation to advance quantum technology and build Connecticut’s quantum workforce. 20 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Clockwise from top left: Connecticut governor Ned Lamont joined Southern students Crossby Dessalines and Maggie Blanchard at the CSCU Center for Quantum and Nanotechnology; Christine Broadbridge, QNT director, and Thomas Sadowski, (center) Werth IAF coordinator and adjunct professor of physics, work with Nicholas Sceusa, a teacher from the Marvelwood School in Kent, Conn.; and Maritza Sanchez and Aspen Scully-Clemmons
F
rom a young age, Maritza Sanchez before transferring to Southern. “There was driven by curiosity. Like was this moment when it clicked, and I children everywhere, she wanted saw the beauty of the sciences and that to know how things worked and math was a foundation for that work,” why things happened. But she never says Correa, now a graduate student in thought of that curiosity as connected Southern’s applied physics program. to a field or career until a ninth-grade Different majors, different stories, chemistry class, when she fell in love but Sanchez and Correa have a lot with science. “I knew I in common. Both are firstwanted to dedicate my generation college students “We are proud life to understanding who attended Connecticut to be part of and advancing the study State Community College of the composition of (CT State). Each transferred Connecticut’s matter,” says Sanchez, ‘research triangle,’ to Southern, where their now a junior chemistry academic paths led to the alongside Yale major and math minor at Connecticut State Colleges and UConn...” Southern. and Universities (CSCU) SANDRA BULMER Andre Correa, ’26, had Center for Quantum and a similarly transformative Nanotechnology (QNT). experience. He originally planned to Located on Southern’s campus, study history and political science. His the QNT offers undergraduate and change of heart came in a community graduate students access to statecollege mathematics course he took of-the-art equipment, including a
scanning electron microscope (SEM). Their journeys are impressive but not unique at Southern, which has prepared students for emerging fields for decades — helping them discover STEM, gain research experience, and envision careers they may not have previously considered. Now, the university is expanding that work in Connecticut and beyond through QuantumCT. This statewide initiative has received a two-year, $15 million award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance quantum technology and build Connecticut’s quantum workforce. The award is highly competitive; the NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program announced only 12 new awards nationwide in 2026. It also positions QuantumCT for potential future investment of up to $160 million over Winter 2026 | 21
From left: Siobhan Rogers, Abdellah Aly (seated), Bleu Wilson, Julian Rus, and Judi Bien-Aime
the next decade. The NSF Quantum Technologies Engine in Connecticut (QuantumCTEngine) is led by the University of Connecticut in partnership with Southern, Yale University, CT State, Connecticut Innovations (the state’s technology investment arm), the State of Connecticut, and industry leaders. The award will further research, industry, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, with the state also pledging $121 million for a quantum incubator in New Haven and other ecosystem investments. The Opportunity Quantum technology harnesses the unusual behavior of matter and energy at the subatomic level to create new opportunities in aerospace, computing, healthcare, finance, communications, cybersecurity, and other fields. Industry outlooks are difficult to quantify, but analysts project that the international quantum technology market could exceed $200 billion by 2040. As quantum technology moves from the laboratory to real-world applications, the demand for people 22 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
who can develop and apply it is growing as well. In fact, McKinsey & Company, an international management consulting firm, reports only one qualified candidate for every three quantum job openings. Enter Southern, which will receive $2 million during the award’s initial two-year phase to lead workforce development by creating pathways into quantum and quantum-adjacent careers. The pathways will be designed for learners at every level — from elementary and secondary school students to college students, career changers, and working professionals. “This NSF Engines award underscores that workforce development is essential to sustained quantum leadership,” says Christine Broadbridge, co-principal investigator on the NSF Engines proposal, physics professor, and executive director of research and innovation at Southern. “We are proud to partner with QuantumCT on its useinspired research and workforce strategy — building hands-on, industry-aligned pathways that prepare a diverse and jobready talent pool to meet Connecticut’s growing quantum economy.”
Ready to Innovate For Southern, the award represents an opportunity to build on its long-standing work connecting students with research, industry, and career opportunities. As an R2 university, Southern is uniquely positioned to connect research, workforce development, innovation, and industry engagement. Yale and UConn are the only institutions in the state to receive a higher Carnegie classification, both Research 1 (R1). “We are proud to be part of Connecticut’s ‘research triangle,’ alongside Yale and UConn, providing foundational support for the talent pipeline,”says Sandra Bulmer, interim president of Southern. “Our mission is grounded in access and opportunity, and the workforce component of this effort enables us to open new frontiers in research and innovation to countless students across Connecticut.” Southern’s location adds to that advantage. The campus sits in the heart of New Haven’s innovation ecosystem, alongside hubs such as 101 College Street, where QuantumCT opened its new headquarters on Oct. 6, BioLabs New Haven, and Yale’s growing network of research and startup enterprises. From that base, Southern has connected hundreds of students with paid research experiences, internships, and careers in high-demand STEM fields. One such initiative, the Peter J. Werth Endowed Industry Academic Fellowship (Werth IAF), provides students with industryfocused research experiences in the QNT. Another is the Southern Innovation Hub (i-HUB), which supports STEM students from
Scientific discovery, innovation, and workforce development at Southern Southern is Connecticut’s first and only Carnegie-designated Research 2 (R2) university, and one of just 139 nationwide. Yale and UConn are the only institutions in the state to receive a higher Carnegie classification, both Research 1 (R1).
Southern houses the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Center for Quantum and Nanotechnology. The center positions Southern and the state at the forefront of the next technological revolution.
Southern is part of Connecticut’s ‘research triangle,’ alongside Yale and UConn, integrating a leading regional university into the state’s high-tech innovation and workforce pipelines.
middle school through graduate school. For more than a decade, its Bioscience Academic and Career Pathway (BioPath), a partnership between Southern and the city of New Haven, has connected students with STEM career awareness; skillbuilding programs, internships, and experiential learning; and employers throughout Connecticut’s biotechnology and life sciences sectors. Building on the BioPath framework, the Quantum Academic and Career Pathway Initiative, known as QuantumPath, will bring a similar continuum of opportunity to the quantum sector — introducing younger students to the field, helping college students gain relevant skills and research experience, and creating opportunities for adults and professionals to build new skills or transition into emerging careers. Meanwhile, Southern continues to expand its quantum programming on campus and in the community, offering educational programs for teachers, seminars for students and industry professionals, and other opportunities to explore quantum technology. As many Southern students have found, this exposure can shape careers. Correa, a longtime Werth Fellow, spends lab time running the SEM and analyzing samples for Bloom Energy, an industry partner. “It’s my understanding that at many universities, the equipment we use is reserved for Ph.D. candidates and postdocs. At Southern, a lot of us get experience early on,” he says.
He hopes to build a career in the semiconductor industry. Sanchez, who also worked in QNT as a Werth Fellow, plans to pursue a doctorate in environmental chemistry and establish her own environmentally focused laboratory. Aligned with those goals, she has already founded Aquayac Energy, focused on developing microbial fuel cells from recycled materials. The project earned her a global beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship. She also won the 2026 Connecticut Technology Council’s Women of Innovation® Award for Collegian Innovation and Leadership. “A lot of us at Southern come from firstgeneration and/or low-income backgrounds,” she says, crediting mentors such as Broadbridge and Thomas Sadowski, a physics instructor, with making the work feel accessible. Similarly, senior Julian Rus, a physics major and math minor, has been a Werth Fellow for three summers and is continuing his research this fall. Drawn to science from an early age by movies, famous scientists, and the night sky, he now works on computational quantum chemistry at the QNT, using calculations to predict the behavior and properties of atoms and molecules. “This experience, specifically within the Werth IAF program, helped me realize how important and amazing research can be,” he says. He plans to pursue a doctorate in nuclear and particle physics. Their paths reflect what QuantumCT aims to build across Connecticut: a pipeline from curiosity to career.
More: nano.SouthernCT.edu Winter 2026 | 23
Curtain
Up,
Class in
Session
Partnerships between Southern and three celebrated professional theaters — Elm Shakespeare Company, Long Wharf Theatre, and Shubert Theatre — place Southern students in the action on stage and behind the curtain. By Natalie Missakian
fter huddling for a pep talk in Southern’s Robert E. Kendall Drama Lab, nine students took their seats behind a row of music stands, waiting for the audience to file in. It was a Tuesday morning in early March, and the anticipation in the room was palpable. The group was about to perform the first staged reading of Lion Tales, a children’s play they’d created, revised, and rehearsed through a new partnership between Southern and New Haven’s Shubert Theatre. Over the next 30 minutes, the students in Stephanie Eiss’ Practicum in Children’s Theatre course brought to life a cast of characters — Monkey, Macaw, Lamb, Mouse, Dr. Tortoise, and a family of lions — using playful dialogue, physical comedy, and a touch of Spanish and American Sign Language to teach a lesson on the power of kindness. The audience of faculty, students, and theater professionals was there to offer feedback before the show went on tour of New Haven elementary schools. 24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
“We’re excited to see how the kids will react to the show. The audience will be invited to come up and participate. It’s going to be super cute and super fun,” said Charitee Cecil, ’26, whose character, Lamb, narrowly escapes becoming lunch for her lion neighbors. PLAY TIME The Shubert is the latest professional theater to formally partner with the university, joining the Elm Shakespeare Company, which has been in residence at Southern since 2016, and the Tony Award-winning Long Wharf Theatre, which moved its office to campus in 2022 after vacating its longtime Sargent Drive location. The move marked the start of a new chapter of creating theater without barriers across Greater New Haven. “With these partnerships, we’re really expanding the spectrum of the education we can offer,” says Michael Skinner, ’07, associate professor and chairperson of Southern’s Department of Theatre. The collaborations bring numerous benefits to
“There’s this gap. Young people haven’t been participating in theater in the same way we all came up in. So forming a connection with them is a big benefit. It keeps us in dialogue with young artists and helps us stay relevant.” MEREDITH SUTTLES LONG WHARF THEATRE MANAGING DIRECTOR
From left: Scenes from the Long Wharf Theatre’s El Coquí Espectacular and English
students, including discounted tickets and opportunities to learn from cast members and crews. Elm Shakespeare, for example, holds office hours on campus and teaches a Shakespeare workshop each semester. Long Wharf Theatre provides access to its stage equipment, enabling theater-tech and design students to work with the latest technology. Southern students also have opportunities for paid internships that offer experience across every aspect of the craft, including performance, design, stage management, and arts administration. Winter 2026 | 25
“It was beyond fun and educational, everything I could have hoped for in an apprenticeship.” KIRA KELLY | ACTING APPRENTICESHIP, ELM SHAKESPEARE
Southern offers an undergraduate major and minor in theatre as well as a minor in arts administration and cultural advocacy. For those double majoring in education and theatre, the university also provides an informal pathway to certification in theatre, approved by the Connecticut Department of Education. All students are welcome to take theatre courses, participate in productions, and join the student-run Crescent Players. Junior theatre major Azaad Mamoon has taken full advantage of the countless opportunities and has already worked on three Long Wharf productions. He completed a carpentry internship during the 2025 run of El Coquí Espectacular and worked in stage management during last winter’s production of English. He also built sets for August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean at New Haven’s
Canal Dock Boathouse. This summer, he worked with the Elm Shakespeare Company as an assistant technical director for Much Ado About Nothing in Edgerton Park in New Haven. He also ran the spotlights. Those experiences sealed his desire to pursue a career in technical directing. “It really cemented the fact that this is something I want to do,” he says. “It’s also great for networking. You meet a lot of people that you wouldn’t in regular classes.” The partnerships are equally illuminating for aspiring actors, such as Kira Kelly, who graduated in May 2026 with a degree in theatre. During her summer 2025 acting apprenticeship with Elm Shakespeare, Kelly played Snug the Joiner in a Bollywoodinspired production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, worked on sets, and understudied the role of Bottom.
Founded in 1995 in New Haven, the ELM SHAKESPEARE COMPANY has been in residence at Southern since 2016. The company produces professional theater, educational programming, and free community events, including its celebrated summer productions in the city’s Edgerton Park.
The Tony Award-winning LONG WHARF THEATRE has more than 400 productions to its name. Founded in 1965 during the regional theater movement, the theatre has a pioneering new model that brings performances directly into the community at sites including Southern, the Canal Dock Boathouse, libraries, and museums.
26 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE 26 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
“It was beyond fun and educational, everything I could have hoped for in an apprenticeship,” she says. The experience opened doors to other opportunities as well, including an invitation to teach a workshop on Macbeth to New Haven sixth graders. And Kelly finished her senior year to applause, playing Dr. Tortoise in the 2026 Shubert production of Lion Tales. CAMPUS TO CLASSROOM The roots of these partnerships run deep. For years, Southern and the New Haven arts community collaborated informally. Recently, when the Shubert received a $1.2 million gift from tech-giant ASML to expand programming in city schools, it naturally turned to Southern to help bring the children’s theater initiative to life. The project initially focused its productions on students in
Known as the “Birthplace of the Nation’s Greatest Hits,” the SHUBERT THEATRE has launched hundreds of productions that later moved to Broadway. Founded in 1914, the organization’s classroom and community programs today support more than 12,000 schoolchildren every year.
Clockwise from top left: Southern junior Azaad Mamoon; alumnus Jacob Santos, ’19, performing while at Southern; and Charitee Cecil, ’26, as Lamb and Kira Kelly, ’26, as Dr. Tortoise in the Shubert Theatre’s production of Lion Tales.
kindergarten through second grade at Hill Central Music Academy, Bishop Woods Architecture and Design Magnet School, and the Barack H. Obama Magnet University School, located on Southern’s campus. But there are plans to expand to more grades and schools over the next two years. The work began in fall 2025 with two Southern students who wrote a rough draft of the script based on three African folktales. Work continued in Eiss’ course during the spring semester, and Southern design students handled all technical aspects of the production. According to Eiss, the partnership gives Southern students a rare chance to fully produce a touring children’s show from the ground up. They also learn the ins and outs of performing on the road. “I’m really proud of what the students have created,” says Eiss. “They’ve built a story that is engaging for young audiences.” TOMORROW’S TALENT The partnerships are mutually
beneficial, especially as theaters look to connect with younger audiences and nurture the next generation of talent, says Meredith Suttles, managing director of Long Wharf Theatre. The students’ energy is infectious, she says, and many interns return to work for the theater after graduating. “There’s this gap. Young people haven’t been participating in theater in the same way we all came up in,” says Suttles. “So, forming a connection with them is a big benefit. It keeps us in dialogue with young artists and helps us stay relevant.” Jacob Padrón, creative producer and former artistic director at Long Wharf Theatre, agrees. He says the collaboration helps the organization fulfill its mission of bringing theater to everyone. “We want to reflect the diversity of our city and our region. And when I walk onto the SCSU campus, that’s what I see,” he says. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see students of all stripes. That’s the audience we’re trying to build, and those are the artists
we are trying to cultivate and support.” Long Wharf will bring 72 Miles To Go about a family’s journey across time and borders, and their search for freedom, to the Kendall Drama Lab at Southern in February 2027, under Padrón’s direction. In September, The Ford/Hill Project brought the words of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford to Southern’s Lyman Center. LIVING THE DREAM Such collaborations can have a lasting influence, notes Jacob Santos, ’19. He saw his first professional, regional production at Long Wharf Theatre while a student at Southern. Later, while double majoring in business administration and theatre, he landed an arts administration internship with the Elm Shakespeare Company. Today, he works as the development manager for SoHo Rep, an off-Broadway theater in New York City. Rebecca Goodheart, the producing artistic director at the Elm Shakespeare Company, steered him toward the career. Goodheart remembers the conversation. “He was in the office helping to do some finance work for us, and I noticed how he was really excited about it,” she recalls. “I said, ‘You know, this is something you can do as a career. There’s a position called managing director.’” With encouragement from Goodheart and Southern’s Skinner, Santos pursued a master’s degree in theater management at Yale University, where Skinner had earned his graduate degree earlier. Living and working in New York City was a lifelong dream: “I always tell people that if one thing changed in my life, I wouldn’t be here. Getting that internship at Elm Shakespeare is one of those moments.” Winter 2026 | 27
Look Whooooo’s Talking
Posts, ’Grams, and More
Southern welcomed its newest Owls on Accepted Students Day and shared the love. #Owls30
As a student, Anthony Fantano, ’08, was general manager of Southern’s WSIN radio station. Today, he’s interviewing some of the world’s most popular music artists, including Olivia Rodrigo. #AlwaysAnOwl @afantano
On June 4, Southern honored Kevin Gilbride, ’74, for his remarkable career as an NFL and collegiate coach, including his tenure as offensive coordinator for the New York Giants. Among the evening’s flashbacks: the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory over the New England Patriots, who had been undefeated that season. Eli Manning, the game MVP, joined the celebration for Gilbride, sharing the memories and the respect. #LeadingTheWay 28 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Explain your major to a 10-year-old and highlight your career aspirations for all of us. The Southern community couldn’t be prouder.
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From playing and coaching at Southern to a successful career in the NFL, Kevin Gilbride has earned his laurels. On June 4, the community came together to celebrate his achievements. By John Rosengren
vin Gilbride, ’74, has coached for 40 years, 24 of e those in the National Football League. He turned around Southern’s football program as the Owls head coach, reached the NFL’s highest levels, and won two Super Bowls. And none of it would have happened if he’d followed his father’s advice. Early Days Gilbride grew up around coaching. His father, Bernie, a high school math teacher and assistant football and basketball coach at North Haven High — and a graduate of Southern’s predecessor, New Haven State Teachers College — understood the demands of the profession. He urged his son to avoid teaching and coaching altogether. But Kevin admired the life his father had made, especially the positive impact he had on young people, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. So, he enrolled at Southern to major in health science physical education and play football. His path seemed clear. Gilbride started the opening game of his sophomore season as the Owls quarterback. It didn’t go so well, and by the second game, he was secondstring. Rather than leave an excellent athlete on the bench
Winter 2026 | 29
ow I learned to play football — and how I learned to play quarterback in the NFL — was through his guidance. ELI MANNING Two-time Super Bowl MVP
(Gilbride had played football, basketball, and baseball at North Haven High), Southern’s football coach at the time, Harry Shay, tried Gilbride at tight end, where he started for three seasons. It was the first of two moves Shay made that changed Gilbride’s life. The second came during Gilbride’s senior year. Shay pulled him aside with advice that would echo for decades: look for college coaching positions and apply for graduate assistantships in physical education to get a foot in the door. “It wound up being the greatest piece of advice I ever got,” Gilbride says.
Gilbride is the first Southern graduate to become an NFL head coach. He also coached in the CNL and XFL. 30 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE 30 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
By then, his father had died at age 45 from a genetic kidney disorder. Gilbride, the oldest of seven children, would have made him proud. Following Shay’s guidance, he sent applications to 107 colleges. Joe Paterno at Penn State was interested. But the physical education department didn’t think Gilbride was qualified to teach orienteering, dance, and martial arts. He ultimately received offers from Slippery Rock University and Idaho State University. He chose the latter because it had the better football program and fellow Southern alumnus Bob Griffin, ’63, was the head coach. At Idaho State, Gilbride also was the co-head coach of the women’s basketball team. Within a year, he was offered the top job outright. It would mean more money, which tempted him and his wife Debbie, who was pregnant with the first of their three children, but Gilbride decided to stick with football. It was a sound decision, and Gilbride continued to climb the career ladder at Idaho State, Tufts University, and American International College. Each move brought increased knowledge and experience, and in 1980, he returned to Southern as head coach. There, he turned the Owls struggling football pro-
gram into one ranked among the top ten in the nation. Success at Southern Those five years were memorable. Gilbride was coaching in his hometown, surrounded by extended family, and mentoring players who would go on to the NFL, including Travis Tucker, ‘91; Kerry Taylor, ‘87; and Scott Mersereau, ‘98. “To be able to coach those kids, to see them grow and develop as young men and prosper in their careers was a sheer pleasure,” he says. “I loved being at Southern when I was a player. I loved it even more as a coach.” He left after the 1984 season, moving to the Canadian Football League (CFL) for three years, then onto East Carolina University as offensive coordinator. His big break came in 1989, when the Houston Oilers hired him as their quarterbacks coach, drawn by his experience with the runand-shoot offense he’d learned with the Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL. Gilbride spent five years with Houston as offensive coordinator, then two years with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the same role. The San Diego Chargers hired him as their head coach in 1997 — making Gilbride the first Southern graduate to become
CELEBRATING WITH 400 FRIENDS
On June 4, approximately 400 people gathered to honor the legendary coach Kevin Gilbride, ‘74. Among those in attendance were Southern alumni who have made their own marks on the game: Jeff Stoutland, ’84, M.S. ’86, recently retired run game coordinator and offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles; Chris Palmer, ’72, M.S. ’75, who concluded a long NFL coaching career as a senior offensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills in 2016; and actor Dan Lauria, ‘70, who was discovered on the football field by legendary acting coach Constance Welch, a former Yale professor who later joined Southern. The event, held at Aria Banquet Facility in Prospect, Conn., raised funds for Southern’s football program. “He is one of the finest we’ve had,” said Ray Reid, former men’s soccer head coach at Southern and the University of Connecticut and organizer of the event. “Kevin represents so much that is good about Southern — excellence, loyalty, and a commitment to helping young people succeed.” Many attendees reflected on Gilbride’s impact as a teacher and mentor. “I feel very blessed to have had him as my quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for 10 years,” Eli Manning said. “How I learned to play football — and how I learned to play quarterback in the NFL — was through his guidance.” Shaun O’Hara, who played center for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2010, was equally effusive: “As a player, I always appreciated coaches who kept it real. You always knew where you stood with KG.”
an NFL head coach — a position he held until six games into the 1998 season. He worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills as an offensive coordinator, then in 2004 began a ten-year run with the New York Giants. Guiding the Giants It was a period of stunning accomplishments. As quarterbacks coach, Gilbride worked with Eli Manning, who went on to earn two Super Bowl MVP awards. As offensive coordinator, Gilbride helped guide the Giants to those two Super Bowl victories following the 2007 and 2011 seasons. And, for four years, he also worked alongside his son Kevin, who was the
Gilbride with members of the New York Giants.
Top: Southern student and alumni players attended the tribute. Gilbride and wife Debbie surrounded by family members.
Giants receivers coach. “While it’s going on, you don’t recognize how lucky you are. It’s all about doing the job and getting the work done,” he says. “But looking back on it now? Talk about being blessed.” Gilbride was interested in another NFL head coaching job, but when that did not materialize, his wife encouraged him to retire and spend time with family. He left the Giants after the 2013 season. Seven years later, he became the head coach and general manager of the New Haven Guardians in the upstart XFL, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season. The following year, Gilbride spent a season as head coach of the Jousters in The
Spring League (a predecessor to the UFL), before finally hanging up his whistle. Today, he enjoys spending time with his three children, six grandchildren, and wife of 51 years. He and Debbie divide their time between Narragansett, R.I., and Naples, Fla. He also prepares analysis for Monday Night Football broadcasts by watching hours of film. “It’s a great opportunity for me to stay involved with the game I love so much,” he says. Please consider building on Gilbride’s legacy of mentorship and excellence by making a gift to Southern’s football program at SouthernCT.edu/giving. Winter 2026 | 31
Minutesrch
of Resea for the
An international competition challenges graduate students to present their research in just three minutes. Southern is the first in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system to participate. By Villia Struyk
B
y the time they complete their studies, students in Southern’s graduate programs are experts in their fields — and many have completed a culminating research or creative project to prove it. It’s a significant achievement. While there are no hard-and-fast rules, those pursuing
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Alison Onofrio, MSW ’12, DSW ’26 a master’s degree may spend several semesters researching and refining a thesis, and doctoral students typically devote years to their dissertations. Now imagine condensing that scholarship into a threeminute presentation — making it clear and compelling to a general audience using only one slide to illustrate your work. No extra visuals. No demonstrations. No second chances. Go one second over, and you’re disqualified. Welcome to the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Launched in 2008 by the University of Queensland in Australia, the competition is now held in more than 85 countries, with students from more than 900 universities participating. In 2026, Southern Connecticut State University joined their ranks for the first time. “Honestly, it came from watching our students do remarkable research and wanting more people to know about it,” says Rabia Hos, graduate dean, about the
Southern Leads the Way in Graduate Education OPPORTUNITY > Southern is the
first institution in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system to be designated a Carnegie Research 2 (R2) doctoral university.
CHOICE > Southern offers more From left: Liz Schacht, DSW ‘26 (left), with Dean Rabia Hos; Keith Smith, won the right to participate in the regional competition.
decision to join the internationally recognized competition. The university supported competitors through a dedicated 3MT website and workshops on plain-language writing and presentation best practices. The competition builds on Southern’s growing reputation as a research leader. Southern is the first and only university in Connecticut to earn the prestigious Carnegie Research 2 (R2) classification. The university is also ranked among the top three research universities in Connecticut by Research.com, alongside Yale University and the University of Connecticut. “Some of the world’s most respected research universities participate in the 3MT, and we wanted Southern to have a seat at that table,” says Hos. “With our R2 status, we knew we belonged in that conversation. We’re proud to be leading the way as the first in the CSCU system to bring this competition to our campus, and that means something. It signals to the world that serious, impactful research is happening right here at Southern.” The competition was an immediate hit with the Southern community. The finals, held on Feb. 19 in the new home of the School of Business, drew a
standing-room-only crowd. Seven graduate finalists represented Southern’s colleges, including arts and sciences, education, business, and health and human services. Their presentations covered a wide range of research topics — from office dynamics to Black girl surfing. In addition to bragging rights, the students competed for cash prizes of up to $500. A Winning Experience “My research aims to make the invisible visible,” says Keith Smith, who studied the lived experiences of diversity, equity, and inclusion leaders at Connecticut independent schools. Smith, who graduated with a doctorate in educational leadership in May 2026, won Southern’s doctorallevel 3MT final and represented the university at the 2026 Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools regional competition. Hosted virtually by Concordia University on April 22, the event brought together graduate students from colleges and universities across the Northeast and parts of Canada. Smith embraced the opportunity to summarize his approximately 100-page dissertation. “It was a perfect way to drill down on some thoughts. It helped me with the final stages of writing my dissertation,” he says.
than 111 doctoral, master’s, sixth-year, and postgraduate and professional development programs on campus, online, and in hybrid formats.
RECOGNITION > Southern was
named a member of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools — the first university in the CSCU system to earn that distinction.
PRESTIGE > Southern joined
Phi Kappa Phi in March, with a focused rollout for graduate students, underscoring its continued achievement in graduate education and scholarly recognition.
SUPPORT > Graduate students
have access to an array of resources, including the COMPASS Childcare Program, the Buley Library family study room, the Center for Academic Success and Accessibility Services, the Office of Career and Professional Development, discounted U-Passes for public transportation, and Southern’s award-winning Department of Financial Literacy and Advising.
Dean Hos agreed that the competition brought significant benefits to the participants, including “confidence, clarity, and community.” “When you can distill years of research into three minutes, you’ve truly mastered your subject,” she notes. “But beyond the skills, there’s something personal about it. Students leave knowing their work matters and that people around the world want to hear about it. That’s something no classroom can fully teach. We’re elevating Southern regionally, nationally, and internationally, and our graduate students are the ones leading that charge.” MORE AT:
grad.SouthernCT.edu Winter 2026 | 33
For more than 15 years, C. Patrick Heidkamp, professor of environment, geography, and marine sciences, has studied the waters of the Eastfjords region of Iceland. Now, an Alcoa Foundation grant is helping Heidkamp and a team of Southern and international researchers expand their work in the region. By Villia Struyk
S
outhern Connecticut State University (SCSU) has been awarded a grant from the Alcoa Foundation to support environmental research and education led by C. Patrick Heidkamp, professor of environment, geography, and marine sciences (EGMS). Emma Cross and Scott Graves, also EGMS faculty at Southern, serve as co-principal investigators. The grant, awarded for a three-year period, supports the establishment of the Eastfjords Transdisciplinary Environmental Research Network, known as TERN. The network focuses on understanding the state of fragile ecosystems in rural Iceland, including areas with industrial and aquaculture activity. “Supporting research initiatives like this reflects the Alcoa Foundation’s focus on advancing environmental resilience in regions where Alcoa operates,” says Caroline Rossignol, president of the Alcoa Foundation. “By contributing to efforts that expand understanding of ecosystems, we help support informed approaches to environmental stewardship over time.” TERN scientists will monitor water quality and
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biodiversity in the region using a variety of scientific methods. These include visual surveys, sensors, and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis of water samples. TERN builds on more than 15 years of work conducted by Heidkamp and a team of Southern students and faculty, as well as scientists from the University of Iceland, Aarhus University in Denmark, Liverpool John Moores University in England, and Earlham College in Indiana. The TERN team will be based at the Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre in Seyðisfjörður, known for its stunning natural landscape, artistic community, and sustainability efforts. Heidkamp has run a summer international education program at Skálanes since 2011, providing scores of Southern students with field and laboratory experience. “We have been doing this research on a shoestring budget,” says Heidkamp. “This grant — by far the largest we’ve received for our work in Iceland — is the culmination of more than a decade and a half of research. Having the Alcoa Foundation recognize the importance of this work is incredibly exciting.”
The grant will support two graduate students in Southern’s new master’s program in coastal resilience. The students, known as TERN Fellows, will receive full funding, including tuition, fees, and travel expenses. Each fellow will complete at least six credits in Iceland. The first TERN Fellow, Jillian Galloway, started at Southern in fall 2026 and began her field assignment in early September. A second fellow, with an academic focus on the social sciences and fluency in the Icelandic language, will start in fall 2027. Funding from the Alcoa Foundation will expand monitoring efforts across the Eastfjords, a region that remains relatively understudied. The project will generate critical data on the region’s water quality and biodiversity status. A central component of the initiative is community engagement. The grant will support outreach efforts with the community, including collaboration with teachers and students at the local junior college in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland. Heidkamp emphasizes that research should be mutually beneficial for both scientists
and the regions they study. “Every time we travel, there is a significant carbon cost,” he says. “So, if we are traveling for education and research, we should be providing something in return to benefit the community.” He added that the TERN program is designed to move beyond “fly-in, flyout” research by building sustained relationships and sharing knowledge with local stakeholders. For Galloway, that approach feels familiar. Before becoming Southern’s first TERN Fellow, she had already formed a connection to the Land of Fire and Ice; she spent 2021–22 there as a Fulbright Fellow after earning her undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College. She returned to Iceland in 2025 for the Arctic Circle Assembly, which unites political and business leaders, environmental experts, scientists, Indigenous representatives, and other international stakeholders to address issues facing the Arctic as a result of climate change and melting sea ice. “I was eager to reengage with this culture, share knowledge
Professor C. Patrick Heidkamp leads the project to support environmental research and education.
TERN Fellow Jillian Galloway hopes to build a career in climate resilience and human ecology, working with communities around the world facing environmental challenges.
with local students and researchers, and embark on an important research initiative,” Galloway says. The fellowship combines several of her interests: marine ecology, conservation, interdisciplinary environmental work, and international engagement. She hopes to build a career in climate resilience and human ecology, working with communities around the world facing environmental challenges. Heidkamp’s commitment to international education is also personal. A native of Germany who first came to the United States as an exchange student, he funded his education through competitive cycling and construction work. That experience, he says, continues to shape his approach to teaching and mentorship. “International education changed the course of my life,” Heidkamp says. “As an exchange student, I experienced firsthand how transformative it can be. Creating opportunities like this for our students is incredibly important.” Southern student researcher Dan Schwartz is enrolled in Southern’s new master’s program in coastal resilience; Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre in Seyðisfjörður Winter 2026 | 35
$chlock 2.50: Buying and Selling American™ Patriotism
An exhibit curated by Southern students explored how mass-produced patriotic merchandise from 1976 and 2026 reveals changing ideas about American identity, consumer culture, and celebration. By Villia Struyk
A
s America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, one message is being heralded across the land: it’s time to shop. Red, white, and blue merchandise lines retail shelves. An Amazon search for “America 250” generates more than 50,000 results, many of them inexpensive. Brand tie-ins are also driving sales. General Mills, for example, released 79 limited-edition products inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, including Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Stars and Stripes. The Curators $chlock 2.50: Buying and Selling American™ Patriotism in 1976 and 2026 — a temporary exhibit on display at Southern’s Hilton C. Buley Library throughout the summer — explores how the nation’s 200th and 250th anniversaries are interpreted through everyday mass-produced items.
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Jason Smith, associate professor of history at Southern, conceived the student-produced exhibit as the culmination of a special course, Commemorating 1776 in 2026. Smith’s class was inspired by a 1976 project led by historian Jesse Lemisch, whose students collected Bicentennial memorabilia that is now housed at Yale University’s Beinecke Library. Smith’s class created a modern-day counterpart to that archive, collecting items ranging from clothing to beverage cans. The exhibit also features digitalera artifacts unavailable during the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. “These are things that might seem trivial, but actually they tell us a whole lot,” Smith told reporter Ann Nyberg while discussing $chlock 2.50 on her namesake show on WTNH News 8. Lemisch’s students spent less than $1,000 assembling their entire 1976 collection. Every item added to Southern’s collection cost less than $10, with students frequenting Walmart, Dollar Tree, eBay, and other bargain sites in search of patriotic treasures. Like the Bicentennial collection at Yale’s Beinecke Library, Southern’s collection will have a permanent home: the exhibit’s artifacts are now housed in Buley Library’s Special Collections. The Course of History Curating an exhibit was a new experience for both students and professor. Smith is not a public historian, nor does his research regularly focus on the American Revolution. Still, he was well-suited to lead the project as a self-described “sometimes historian of memory and commemoration” who has researched both subjects. Meeting three times a week during the spring 2026 semester, students explored readings on the Bicentennial, the challenges surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary, and the broader public memory of the American Revolution. History’s Detectives “Yale and Southern have become the collective holders of American schlock from the last 50 years. New Haven is at the epicenter,” says Lisa Brandes, a graduate student studying American history at Southern. Brandes, an adult learner, enrolled at Southern in 2024 after retiring from Yale University, where she served as the founding director
Jason Smith, associate professor of history, and his students visited the 1976 collection at the Beinecke Library.
of the McDougal Graduate Student Center and assistant dean for student affairs at the Yale Graduate School. Clearly committed to lifelong learning, Brandes holds three graduate degrees from Yale University, including a doctorate in political science. As the only member of the class with firsthand memories of the Bicentennial, Brandes provided a living link between the commemorations of 1976 and 2026. “I enjoyed the quest,” she says of the search for schlock from both historical milestones. At the exhibit’s opening reception, historian Michael Hattem, author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History, spoke about the ways Americans have remembered and commemorated the Revolution across generations. His remarks reinforced one of the exhibit’s central themes: that even seemingly ordinary consumer products can reveal how Americans interpret their national past. For Kelly McAndrews, who graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history in May 2026, the course offered a rare opportunity to create a small, museum-quality exhibit. Her favorite item is an early find: two Arizona Liberty Lemonade cans featuring an illustration of a woman dressed in red, white, and blue. Junior history major Jack Ryon recalls the thrill of discovering a D.G. Yuengling beer can on eBay. “The company uses patriotic marketing because it’s the oldest
continuously operating brewery in the country. The design is simple, but it gets the point across,” Ryon says. Ben Herrera, a transfer student from Florida, is enrolled in Southern’s accelerated history program, which lets students earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in less time. His favorite discovery stemmed from a 1976 cereal box the class examined at the Beinecke Library. The box included an advertisement inviting consumers to send in box tops for a free scratch-and-sniff Bicentennial coloring book. Later, a classmate tracked down a copy on eBay and purchased it for Southern’s exhibit. Remarkably, the scratch-and-sniff features still worked nearly 50 years later. “Apart from the excitement of the discovery, the coloring book showed us how a major corporation like Kellogg’s translated historical milestones into children’s marketing during the Bicentennial era,” Herrera says. For Smith, teaching the course and launching what he calls “surely the most eccentric exhibit to commemorate the Semiquincentennial in all the land” has been a labor of love, especially during such divisive times. “History can heal us,” he says. Sadly, he is unlikely to teach another version of the course. America’s tercentennial arrives on July 4, 2076. Smith, who will be 93 years old, remains optimistic. “So, there will be lots of time to consider changes to make this course even better,” he says. Winter 2026 | 37
SUPPORTING SOUTHERN ■
From monitoring water quality as an undergraduate to measuring greenhouse gas emissions by air and sea, doctoral candidate Renée Chabot-Mehlin, ’21, is following the scientific evidence wherever it leads.
By Beth Levine
A
s a chemistry major at Southern, Renée Chabot-Mehlin, ’21, never dreamed where her interests would take her: flying over Washington, D.C., in a Beechcraft two-seater, with a black helicopter that didn’t show up on radar following close behind, or heading out on a research vessel on a day so cold the scientists had to pound tables with hammers to break up the ice. “Those were crazy events, and I loved every minute,” she says. Both adventures occurred during her work as a doctoral student with the Shepson Atmospheric Chemistry Group at Stony Brook University on Long Island. Led by Paul Shepson, dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, the group is considered one of the top programs of its kind in the country. Chabot-Mehlin is evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions of various large cities and comparing the results with what the cities self-report. So far, she has found that many metropolitan areas are underreporting their emissions.
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Chabot-Mehlin’s love of science goes way back. She once dreamed of becoming an author, but a seventh-grade introduction to chemistry in her hometown of Watertown, Conn., got her hooked on science. “I remember thinking how incredible it was that elements make up everything around us — that something found in bananas, like potassium, is also in fireworks. I wanted to explore that more,” she says. She took chemistry in her sophomore year of high school, and though it was her toughest class, she enjoyed the challenge. She and her identical twin sister, Samantha, were drawn to Southern because of the Honors College. Her high school boyfriend, Ethan Mehlin, also went to the Honors College; the two are now married. Discovering a Passion Once Chabot-Mehlin arrived at Southern, she knew she wanted to study the sciences but wasn’t sure where to focus. Then she took a marine science course team-taught by Vincent Breslin and the late James Tait, both professors in the Department of the Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences, and fell in love with the field. When she learned that some of Breslin’s students worked on the aquariums located in Southern’s Werth Center for Coastal and
Marine Studies, she asked to join the team. She went on to work with all the tanks, feeding the fish and measuring water quality. She also conducted water quality monitoring every Friday at Long Wharf Pier in New Haven, a long-term project conducted through the Werth Center. She conducted more research with Breslin, including assessing heavy metal contamination under the Norwalk River Railroad Bridge in Connecticut. “I am so thankful to Dr. Breslin. I appreciate him as an adviser and as a person in general. He was always so encouraging, patient, and kind. He motivated me as a student to go above and beyond,” she says. Chabot-Mehlin completed her senior year from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately graduating magna cum laude with a degree in chemistry and a concentration in environmental chemistry. She earned an Honors College minor and also minored in mathematics. Breslin mentored her work on a marine science thesis. “I could tell right away that she was an outstanding student. She picked up concepts easily and was able to do very careful measurements to support the research,” says Breslin.
in me,” she says. “I felt prepared to do research and move on to the next chapter of life.” Whatever happened to her interest in creative writing? She never took a course at Southern, but she did study oil painting. “Life-work balance is very important to me. I need time to express my creativity. I started learning the violin last year,” she says. Chabot-Mehlin also keeps up with the friends she studied alongside in Southern’s Honors College. “I feel lucky and grateful that we all met, and we have similar values. They are still my closest friends,” she says. A Full-Circle Return Chabot-Mehlin reunited with some of them on April 29 when she returned to Southern to present an overview of her research — Greenhouse Gas Emission Quantification for Cities along the Northeast Coast and Beyond — through the Werth Center seminar series. “We are bringing back some of our successful scholars to talk to our students here at Southern. Renée is one of the first we asked,” says Breslin. Chabot-Mehlin’s eagerness to
“The Honors College instilled a real drive in me. I felt prepared to do research and move on to the next chapter of life.” Renée Chabot-Mehlin, ’21 share her knowledge is no surprise to those she tutored in chemistry at the university’s Center for Academic Success and Accessibility Services. “I find it very rewarding to help people understand difficult concepts,” she says. In fact, after she earns her doctorate, she is considering a career in academia. Coming back to campus was a fullcircle moment. “I feel like I was able to connect with students during my speech. And I was honored to come back to Southern to present my research and encourage students to pursue a graduate career,” she says. She has sage advice for those hoping to pursue graduate studies. “It takes a lot of time and energy. It’s worth it, but you must want it for yourself,” she says. “No one’s going to hold your hand. You take the steps toward living your best life.”
From Coastal Waters to City Skies From Southern, ChabotMehlin went to Stony Brook as a doctoral candidate. Due to a lack of funding, the lab took its last flight in February; fortunately, she has enough data for her dissertation. She does miss flying, however. “We’d get a lot of turbulence, which makes some people nauseous, but I find it exciting,” she says. Southern equipped her well for the rigorous and exacting work required for doctoral studies. “The Honors College instilled a real drive Winter 2026 | 39
ouple C of Owls
SUPPORTING SOUTHERN ■
A
By Villia Struyk
Sharon and Alan Machuga on the town green in Kent, Conn. The brick building in the background was home to a food retailer and bakery run by Alan’s father, a butcher.
FOR ALUMNI SHARON AND ALAN MACHUGA, Southern provided more than an education. Today, their support is opening doors for a new generation of students. 40 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
I
T’S A WARM SEPTEMBER AFTERNOON, and Alan and Sharon Machuga are sharing memories of Southern. Members of the Classes of 1988 and 1989, respectively, they are being interviewed online, but time and distance haven’t dulled their connection to their alma mater. In fact, Southern is something of a Machuga family touchstone. The couple met on campus in fall 1985, when William “Billy” Baker, ’87, introduced Sharon, then a firstyear student, to Alan, his fraternity little brother at Beta Mu Sigma. Romance blossomed the following year when they hung out during a Connecticut spring snowstorm. Their first date was a Hartford Whalers game, and Alan proposed several years later while both were still in college. Nearly four decades later, the Machugas have two adult daughters and celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary in October.
The couple also credits Southern with laying the groundwork for career success. In September, Alan was named vice president for AI strategy and transformation at Rheem Manufacturing, a leading supplier of heating and cooling products. Several months earlier, the National Association of Manufacturers named him Manufacturing Leader of the Year. Other honorees represented The Boeing Company, General Motors, and Eli Lilly and Company, underscoring the significance of Alan’s recognition. That achievement is all the sweeter because Alan, a Torrington native, and Sharon, who is from Shelton, are both firstgeneration college students, like more than 50% of Southern undergraduates.
The GIVERS
TODAY, SOUTHERN REMAINS PART OF THEIR LIVES, but the connection has come full circle: the couple now supports students. After decades away from campus, Alan was invited to join the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors. His reconnection offered a chance to see the tremendous changes on campus — new buildings and academic programs — but also to witness how Southern remained the same caring community he remembered. “Instantly, I felt like I was back home,” says Alan, who lived on campus yearround as a student-worker in the housing office. “The faculty and staff are still fully engaged and committed to promoting student success in a very hands-on way.” The couple’s philanthropy began almost immediately after graduation, prompted by a loss. A fraternity brother, friend, and Alan’s college roommate, Damian O’Neil, died from Wegener’s disease, an autoimmune condition. In his memory, the brothers of Beta Mu Sigma, including Alan, established the Damian O’Neil Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund, launched by young alumni giving what they could, now totals more than six figures. Today, the Machugas are leadershiplevel supporters of Southern and its students. Most recently, they established the Dr. Ataollah Elahi Endowed Scholarship, which honors the computer
science professor who became Alan’s college mentor. The fund benefits computer science students with strong academic standing and financial need. “Quite frankly, I probably would not have launched into this career without his support and encouragement,” says Alan, recalling Elahi’s lessons on the Intel 8088 processor, circuit boards, and microcode delivered in the late 1980s. “We were at the advent, learning something new and exciting that would begin to reshape how we worked, ran an office, and lived. Dr. Elahi provided a tool set for me to take into the marketplace,” says Alan. After graduating from Southern, Alan joined Pratt & Whitney, then part of United Technologies (UT). He spent 32 years at UT in roles spanning technology, manufacturing, operations, finance, and mergers and acquisitions. His career took him to assignments from India to Indonesia and industry events from Farnborough to Paris. The Machugas’ life has been similarly mobile; over the years, they have lived in eight different homes. Since 2022, they have resided in Cape Cod; Alan still spends about two weeks each month traveling for work. In 2020, he became chief technology officer at Rheem Manufacturing, where he helped lead technological change. The connection to his Southern education was striking. “I was now leading a team responsible for designing circuit boards and software for our products,” he says. “It was almost a full-circle moment.” His new role at Rheem, starting in September with a heightened focus on AI, comes as the topic is at the forefront of business and public discourse.
The Gift of OPPORTUNITY COLLEGE WAS EQUALLY TRANSFORMATIVE FOR SHARON. She originally wanted to
study drama in New York City. She was accepted into her dream program but did not enroll when the scholarship funds she needed did not come through. Sharon briefly considered foregoing college, but her high school adviser,
Patricia Stanchfield, 6th Yr. ’88, convinced her to apply. At Southern, Sharon majored in education. Like Alan, she found her education extended far beyond the classroom. Each was deeply involved in campus life and student leadership. Alan helped bring Southern’s first fitness center to campus and took part in student government. As seniors, he and Sharon served consecutively as president of the Inter-Residence Halls Council — and both were awarded the President’s Medal. From her sophomore year through graduation, Sharon had a work-study position in the Office of the President, where she says the late Michael J. Adanti shaped her views of leadership, service, and the importance of people investing in one another. “To see someone lead with honesty, integrity, and a real love and purpose. It had such a strong influence,” she notes. She also credits the late Andrea Barton, who then worked in the Office of the President, with supporting her. Both Alan and Sharon say they have been fortunate throughout their lives to encounter people who invested in them — professors, colleagues, bosses, friends, and mentors. Giving back, they say, is a natural extension of that experience. “If we can contribute, we should contribute,” Alan says. They also see philanthropy as an expression of values instilled by their families and Christian faith. “I think that was always part of our DNA,” says Sharon. Both have firsthand experience with the challenge of paying for college. As students, they took out loans and worked on campus, piecing together the resources needed to make their education possible. That experience provides an understanding of students facing financial barriers today. They note the importance of honoring the people who helped them along the way. It’s why their newest scholarship bears Dr. Elahi’s name. For the Machugas, the fund recognizes where their story began while simultaneously helping students write their own promising next chapters. Winter 2026 | 41
ALUMNI NEWS ■
n
Alumni Board Members Elected
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HE SCSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WELCOMED NINE ALUMNI leaders to its board of directors this year, including seven new members and two who were reelected. The reelected members — Latoya Lowery, ’01, and Brian West, ’80 — were featured in the magazine when they first served. Meet the association’s newest members. Tina Bennett, ’03, is a healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience. She joined Yale New Haven Health in 2005 and has served as chief experience officer since 2022, leading efforts to enhance patient and family experiences across the health system. She is also an instructor in healthcare studies at Southern. Joan Huwiler, ’85, built her career in communications, marketing, and public relations, with a focus on nonprofit, healthcare, higher education, and public service organizations. Her work has centered on helping institutions tell clear, compelling stories and strengthen relationships.
Freda Grant, ’09, M.A. ’14, is the director of civil rights compliance and the Americans with Disabilities Act/ Section 504 coordinator at Sacred Heart University. She transferred to Southern as an undergraduate and went on to earn a master’s degree in women’s studies. Grant also holds a doctorate from Union Institute and University and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Southern.
Lisa Lamb, MBA ’04, retired as a colonel after nearly 35 years of military service, leading complex organizations and strategic operations across the Pacific. She has also served on nonprofit and advisory boards and taught leadership and management at the University of Michigan and the University of Hawaiʻi. Currently pursuing a doctorate at Pepperdine University, she is researching strategic leadership and organizational resilience.
More at SouthernCT.edu/alumni
Debra Moriarty, ’76, recently retired with nearly 50 years of experience in higher education. She held leadership positions at numerous colleges and universities, including Towson University in Maryland, where she was vice president for student affairs for 15 years. She ended her career as director of the Office of the President and secretary to the Board of Trustees at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. She earned a doctorate in higher education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Tammy Moscrip, MSW ’09, earned a doctorate in psychology with a focus on cognitive neuroscience from Columbia University. A licensed clinical social worker, she previously served 15 years as executive director, chief administrator, and clinical director of the Spire School, a special education program and therapeutic day school. She also has taught at the university level. Tania Walker, MBA ’03, is an accounting professional and educator with more than 20 years of experience in higher education. Her career spans a range of leadership and administrative roles, among them, comptroller, executive director, grants director, and consultant. She also has taught at colleges and universities, including Southern, and is an associate professor at Post University. She earned a doctorate from Walden University.
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Back at Yale, This Time in a White Coat
Shay Taylor-Allen’s journey from hospital employee to physician gained national attention following her Match Day 2026 residency placement at Yale New Haven Hospital. Her residency marks a remarkable full-circle moment: she once worked as a janitor at the hospital where she is now training as a physician. Taylor-Allen, ’17, graduated from Howard University College of Medicine after earning an undergraduate degree in biology from Southern. Her inspiring story drew national attention, with features in The Washington Post, People, USA Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and NBC’s TODAY.
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Commanding Firsts
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HEN ADELE HODGES, ’77, didn’t make the women’s track team at Southern Connecticut State University, she found another way to lead. With encouragement from then track coach James Barber, ’64, M.S. ’79, Hodges became the first woman to serve as student manager of the men’s track team — an early milestone in a career defined by breaking barriers. Hodges went on to spend 33 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, rising through the ranks and making Adele Hodges, ‘77 history along the way. In 2006, she was named commander of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina — the largest Marine Corps installation on the East Coast — becoming the first woman and first African American to hold the position. She was also the first colonel to lead the base; previously, commanders had been two-star generals. Hodges’ command from 2006 to 2008 was marked by transformation and progress. She shattered glass ceilings, ensured approximately 47,000 service members remained deployment-ready, modernized base security from the ground up, and oversaw quality-oflife enhancements for Marines, sailors, and their families. On Jan. 22, 2026, Hodges’ legacy of service was recognized with her induction into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame, which honors veterans who have made significant post-military contributions. “These veterans answered the call to serve our nation and then returned home to continue strengthening our state through leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement,” says Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. Hodges enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1978 after graduating from Southern with a degree in recreation and leisure studies. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980, she served in leadership roles across the United States and overseas, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the NATO Joint Warfare Center in Norway. She paired an extensive military education — including master’s degrees in business administration, military art and science, and strategic military studies — with a career recognized by some of the military’s highest honors, including the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and multiple Navy and Marine Corps commendations. Since retiring in 2011, Hodges has remained active in veteran advocacy and community leadership, serving as chair of the Veteran Heroes Foundation, commandant of the Greater Bridgeport Marine Corps League, and on the boards of Homes for the Brave and the Connecticut Department Honoring Adele Hodges (second from left) are Lieutenant of Veteran Affairs. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Governor Ned Lamont, Ron Welch, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veteran Affairs, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.
2026-27 SCSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stacey Fields, ’15, President Charles Flynn, M.S. ’99, 6th Yr. ’03, Vice President Antoinette Badillo, ’15, Treasurer Malaysia Young, ’17, Secretary Sarah Belden, ’14, M.S. ’16 Tina Bennett, ’03 Bruce DeBree, ’78 Eduardo Foster, ’02 Freda Grant, ’10, M.A. ’16 Joan Huwiler, ’85 Retired Col. Lisa Lamb, MBA ’04 Latoya Lowery, ’01 Patricia Miller, ’69, M.S. ’75, 6th Yr. ’81, emerita Regina Misercola, ’23 Debra Moriarty, ’76 Tammy Moscrip, M.S.W. ’09 Kristy Sampieri, ’05, MBA ’06 Leah Secondo, ’84 Carolyn Vanacore ’52, M.S. ’68, 6th Yr. ’73, emerita Tonia Walker, MBA ’03 Brian West, ’80 Barry Woods, ’00 Southern Connecticut State University Office of Alumni Relations 501 Crescent Street New Haven, CT 06515 Gregory Bernard, ’04, Director BernardG2@SouthernCT.edu Doreen Cammarata-Gilhuly, ’89, Associate Director GilhulyD1@SouthernCT.edu
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ALUMNI NEWS ■
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Markets, Movies, and Mystery
Timothy Joseph Michael O’Grady, ’67, built a successful career in finance. But he’s long been drawn to telling stories through writing and acting. In late 2025, O’Grady published his first novel, Legacy Spirits. The book follows five friends who decide to resurrect a shared, decades-old dream of opening a bar in an old New England church. Mystery ensues, and they find themselves racing from forgotten crypts to Ivy League archives, solving puzzles along the way. The novel is a departure for O’Grady, whose first book was a memoir. The Exceptional Life of an Ordinary Man: A Journey to Become the Master of Global Bond and Currency Markets with a Stop in Hollywood chronicles his 52-year career in finance, beginning in the bond market. He went on to specialize in fixed-income and derivative products for financial institutions in New York, California, and Prague, Czech Republic. His wife, Lorraine Phillips O’Grady, ’68, M.S. ’73, assisted with both books and was instrumental in launching the couple’s work in films and television. Their adventures on the big and little screens began after they moved to California in 1999 for Tim’s new job. A year later, after learning about a friend’s experience as a background extra, Lorraine visited Central Casting. She signed with the agency and, on the same day, was offered a nonspeaking role in the film Freaky Friday, a remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Harmon, and Lindsay Lohan. She went on to work on more than 150 film and television productions, including Iron Man 2, Gilmore Girls, CSI: New York, Ugly Betty, Parks and Recreation, Weeds, and Firefly, where she was outfitted as an alien. Tim joined her in 2009, fitting in acting gigs while working in finance. The couple sometimes even worked together. In The Closer, Tim played the deceased while Lorraine played a mourner. Both also appeared on NCIS, reportedly Tim’s favorite production. If it sounds like fun, consider the all-important details: long hours and minimum wage. Tim shares more in his memoir. n
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Lorraine Phillips O’Grady, ’68, M.S. ’73 and Timothy Joseph Michael O’Grady, ’67.
Honoree Donna Lopiana, ’68 (right), and Christine Brown
An enthusiastic crowd celebrated the award recipients
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A Night of Champions
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N JUNE 18, SOUTHERN HELD ITS INAUGURAL Honoring Trailblazers and Leaders in Women’s Sports celebration at Aria Banquet Facility in Prospect, Conn. Four extraordinary women were recognized, including two Southern alumni. Proceeds from the event will support Southern’s 10 women’s varsity athletics programs, providing resources and opportunities for student-athletes. Andrea Joyce, an NBC Sports reporter whose career has spanned more than three decades and 14 Olympic Games, hosted the evening. Congratulations to the honorees: Denied the chance to play Little League because she was a girl, Donna Lopiano,’68, became one of the nation’s most influential advocates for women in sports. A USA Softball Hall of Famer, she guided the University of Texas women’s teams to 18 national championships and later led the Women’s Sports Foundation as its chief executive officer. Donna de Varona made history at age 17 by winning two
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Interim President Sandra Bulmer (left) and honoree Dawn Stanton, ’90, M.S. ’97
gold medals at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo before breaking barriers as one of the first women to become a network television sports broadcaster. An Emmy Award-winning journalist, she co-founded the Women’s Sports Foundation with Billie Jean King in 1974. Dawn Stanton, ’90, M.S. ’97, is a former four-time AllAmerican track and field standout whose record-setting athletics career has been matched by more than three decades of service to Southern Connecticut State University. An NCAA runner-up in the triple jump and Penn Relays champion, she serves as director of Southern’s Office of University Access Programs, where she helps first-generation and underrepresented students succeed. Elana Meyers Taylor is one of the most accomplished bobsledders in U.S. history, earning six Olympic medals across five Winter Games and becoming a trailblazer for women in the sport. A former collegiate softball standout, she transitioned to bobsled and became a nine-time World Championship medalist.
Alumni Educators Earn Top Honors
OUNDED IN 1893 AS A TEACHERS COLLEGE, Southern remains a leader in education. Southern graduates regularly are recognized with district, state, regional, and national honors. Among them is Damon Lewis, M.S. ’04, who was named the 2025-26 National Principal of the Year at the middle school level. Also honored at the national level, Jahana Hayes, ’05, was named National Teacher of the Year in 2016 before being elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Connecticut. The following honors aptly demonstrate Southern graduates’ continued commitment to their students and excellence in the classroom. CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS 2026 High School Principal of the Year Anthony “T.J.” Salutari, ’92, M.S. ’98, 6th Yr. ’99 Daniel Hand High School, Madison
2026 High School Assistant Principal of the Year Dana Mulligan, 6th Yr. ’06 Woodland Regional High School, Beacon Falls
CONNECTICUT PTA 2026 Outstanding High School Assistant Principal
Cora Muñoz, M.S. ’12 Wilbur Cross High School, New Haven 2026 Outstanding Assistant Elementary School Principal
Joseph Apicella, 6th Yr. ’10 Orange Avenue Elementary School, Milford
Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council 2025 Prospective Teacher of Color Scholarship Alejandra Quiñones, ’25 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador Awarded to only 100 educators across the country Donovan Doviak, ’24, M.S. ‘26 Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School, Hamden
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Winter 2026 | 45
A L U M NI NO T ES ■
1970s
NANCY L. GRECO, ’71, M.S. ’76, was
showcased in Recurrence, a solo exhibit held in early 2026 at the Pegasus Gallery at Connecticut State Community College Middlesex.
REV. PHILIP HARDT, ’74, M.S. ’80,
was named pastor of Westhampton United Methodist Church in New York, effective July 1. He also will continue as pastor of Riverhead United Methodist Church, where he has served since July 2023, as noted in The Southampton Press.
REV. PROTOPRESBYTER PASCHALIOS (PATRIC) LEGATO,
’77, has been assigned to Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Schenectady, N.Y., as reported in the Orthodox Observer. The title Reverend Protopresbyter, which translates from Greek as “first among priests,” designates a senior married priest in the Greek Orthodox Church.
JODY G. KELLEY, ’79, is a program
specialist with Experience Corps of Greater New Haven, a literacy program that trains adults age 50 and older to tutor young students who are struggling to read. She is the great-grandparent of Storm and Soleil.
CAROLYN STANWORTH, ’79, is
retiring as president and chief executive officer of BL Companies, an architecture, engineering, environmental, and land-surveying firm based in Meriden. Her retirement in December 2026, ends a 27-year career at BL.
1980s
RONALD P. LONICKI, ’80, was named
Kiwanian of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Del Mar in California in recognition of his decades-long commitment to civic service, youth mentorship, and community involvement projects.
JACQUELINE DOWNING, ’81, was
named to the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors. Downing is the director of grantmaking and nonprofit support for The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
PAUL PASQUALONI, M.S. ’83, has
joined the football coaching staff at Avon Old Farms School, after coaching football for more than 50 years at the high school, college, and professional levels, as reported in CT Insider.
GENA DEPEANO CASIO, ’84, was
inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026. Casio was a standout player at
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Southern, where she was a starter on the 1983 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four. She scored more than 1,000 career points. LEAH SECONDO, ’84, was named
the lead play-by-play announcer for the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, held this summer in Tokyo, Japan.
JEAN LANDRIGAN, ’86, M.S. ’89,
has been appointed to the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors. Landrigan is a human resources executive with Wolverine Fire Protection Company in Windsor.
HEATHER LATORRA, ’88, M.S. ’94,
has been named to the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors. She is the president and chief executive officer of Marrakech, which provides residential and employment support and advocacy services to people with disabilities and others with similar service needs.
1990s
DONALD CASEY JR., M.S. ’91, the
head coach for the Masuk High School and Jockey Hollow Middle School Unified Sports teams, in Monroe, received the 2026 George Synnott Middle School Unified Sports Coach of the Year Award from the Connecticut Interscholastic Conference and Special Olympics Connecticut.
BARBARA RZASA, ’91, and her
husband, Peter, a local historian, co-hosted “The Woodbury Path: The Historic Transportation Route from Woodbury to Derby Landing,” at the Derby Public Library as part of the city’s 350th celebration.
MARGARET-MARY GETHINGS,
’92, M.S. ’97, 6th Yr. ’07, has been named principal of Sacred Heart Academy, beginning with the 20262027 school year. Sacred Heart Academy, a private Catholic high school for girls, is in Hamden.
JOAN WEIR, ’92, a faculty member
in Southern’s Department of Secondary Education, has been promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure at the university Promotion, Tenure, and Celebration of Excellence.
HENRY “HARRY” COYLE, ’93, one
of three park rangers in New Haven, celebrated the reopening of Edgewood Park Ranger Station after major improvements were made to the building. Coyle began working at Edgewood Park as an intern in 1993. He was hired as a caretaker in 1996 and, two years later, became a ranger.
KATE CARBONE, M.S. ’94, has been
appointed interim superintendent
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for the Warwick, R.I., school district for the 2026-27 school year, as cited by the Greenfield Reporter. An educator with 35 years of experience in Connecticut, she most recently served as superintendent of Bristol Public Schools. LOU GIANQUINTO, ’94, president
and general manager of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut, was named to the Hartford Business Journal’s 2026 “Power 25 Health Care” list. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut is the state’s largest health plan and covers more than 1 million people. Gianquinto serves on the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors.
SONDI E. JACKSON, M.S. ’94, 6th
Yr. ’04, who serves as supervisor of speech and special education for the New Haven Board of Education, was honored with the Predency Daniels Legacy Award, which recognizes women who have made New Haven and Connecticut richer, more meaningful communities. The award honors the life, matriarchal impact, and community contributions of the late Predency Daniels-Singleton. ANDREA LOBO,
M.S. ’94, has been promoted to chief administrative officer for Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. She was previously the organization’s chief human resources officer. MARC ROBERTSON, ’96, M.S. ’16,
a faculty member in Southern’s Department of Health and Movement Sciences, was promoted to professor at the university’s Promotion, Tenure, and Celebration of Excellence.
STEVEN CARVALHO, M.S. ’99, 6th Yr.
’00, has been appointed coordinator of disability services for Berkshire Community College. Carvalho earned a doctorate from American International College and resides in Beckett, Mass.
2000s
KRISTEN MARIOTTI, ’00, was
appointed head of school at Saratoga Independent School, effective July 1, 2026. She previously was head of enrollment
management at Emma Willard School in Troy, N.Y. JOSEPH MILONE, ’00, M.S. ’06,
an associate professor in the Department of Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Management at Southern, was featured in a video by The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut; Mission Possible: Building Awareness Through Outdoor Education spotlighted Milone’s efforts to create transformative experiences for students by connecting them to nature.
LISA SABA-PRICE, 6th Yr. ’00,
has been appointed assistant superintendent for elementary education for the Stamford School District. She brings 36 years of experience in elementary education and administration with Stamford Public Schools to her role. HUMBERTO HENRIQUES, MBA
’02, a major in the Connecticut State Police Department, graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy in Quantico, Va. SCOTT TRAUNER, M.S. ’02, was
appointed principal of Hamden Middle School.
TINA BENNETT, ’03, the chief
experience officer (CXO) at Yale New Haven Health, was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review in its “56 Hospital and Health Systems CXOs to Know” feature.
RAFFAELA FRASCHILLA, 6th Yr.
’04, has been appointed assistant superintendent for West Haven Public Schools. She previously was the district’s coordinator of science/ STEM and world language/English language learning.
DAMON LEWIS, M.S. ’04, has
been named executive director of leadership development for Norwalk Public Schools. Lewis was named the 2025-26 National Middle Level Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, while serving as principal of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk.
ANN PETTIBONE-DOMINGOS,
M.S.W. ’04, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Alfred State College, part of the State University of New York. She overcame a personal struggle
with addiction and, after earning her graduate degree in social work at Southern, dedicated her career to recovery and support services. Since 2015, she was chief executive officer of CASA-Trinity, where she leads comprehensive substance-use treatment programs. MARY JO ARCHAMBAULT, M.S. ’05, a
faculty member of the Department of Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Management, has been promoted to professor at Southern.
ANTHONY FRANCO, ’05, was named
director and chief executive officer of Adaptogenics Health Corp., a Canadian-based nutraceutical company. Franco has more than 20 years of experience across the legal, technical, and biotech industries.
AMY ARESCO, M.S. ’06, 6th Yr. ’14,
has been appointed director of pupil services for Southington Public Schools.
MARISA FERRARO, M.S. ’06, an
associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Learning at Southern, was featured on NBC CT, discussing the state’s new approaches to multilingual education.
SERGIO MENDES, MBA ’06, vice
president of commercial finance and revenue management at Palm Bay International in Norwalk, authored the article, “A 30-Day Standard for Stronger Financial Data Literacy,” published in the Starkville Daily News (Mississippi) and the Choteau Acantha (Montana).
YVONNE C. TEMPLE, ’06, was elected
to the Stratford Board of Education.
SARAH JAYNE, ’07, the senior vice
president and regional sales manager for M&T Bank’s Farmington Valley Region, was honored by the Hartford Business Journal as a 2026 “Women in Business” honoree. LISA MICHELLE SPEARMAN, ’07,
M.S.W. ’13, a licensed clinical social worker, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. Spearman, a mental health therapist, works at Shoreline Wellness Center, where she manages a caseload of about 70 clients ranging in age from 6 to 76. IVIANA BYNUM, ’08, has joined WIHS
104.9 FM Christian Radio as the outreach and event coordinator.
WILLIAM LUNN, M.S. ’08, professor
and undergraduate coordinator in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science, co-authored an article for Yahoo Health entitled “The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines just
dropped. Dietitians weigh in on the sweeping changes.” LAUREN TUCKER, ’08, M.S. ’11, a
faculty member in the Department of Inclusive Education and Behavior Science at Southern, appeared on NBC CT and on Fox61 to discuss her efforts with graduate students to modify toys to make them more accessible for children with disabilities. Graduate students held a Toy Adaptation Workshop on campus. Tucker was also awarded the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award from Southern. SHERRI WARCHOLIC,
’08, has been appointed regional vice president for Connecticut and Rhode Island by the Satellite Agency Network Group (SAN Group), an alliance of independent insurance agencies in the Northeast, headquartered in Hampton, N.H. RYAN WHITE, ’08,
has joined NBT Bank as a senior treasury management sales officer, based in the West Hartford office. JENNY PEDERSEN,
MLIS ’09, a community librarian at the Deschutes Public Library in Bend, Ore., was recognized by Library Journal in its “Movers and Shakers” column for spearheading the Lawyer in the Library program. Twice a month, volunteer lawyers provide 30-minute consultations on civil law–related issues. CASSANDRA REYES,’09, has been
named president and chief executive officer of CJR, which offers a full continuum of care, including residential, education, community, and home-based services. She is a licensed clinical social worker. Reyes joined CJR in 2008 as an intern in the Success Always Follows Education (SAFE) After-School Program.
2010s
KRISTEN FROST, ’10, a former Southern
Owls swimmer and four-time NCAA Division II national champion, was inducted into the Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference Hall of Fame. Frost remains the only female studentathlete in NE10 history to win four individual national championships in
the same season. LUCIANA MCCLURE LEWIS, ’10,
M.A. ’22, the founder and organizer of the Feminist Collective Nasty Women Connecticut and a visiting instructor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at UConn’s Department of Social and Critical Inquiry, presented “The Language of Feminist Resistance” at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Westport.
HEIDI VOIGHT, ’10, a former morning
news anchor at NBC Connecticut, is the weekend and fill-in news anchor at WTIC News/Talk 1080 AM. The Connecticut Humane Society inducted her into the Gertrude O. Lewis Humanitarian Society, the organization’s highest honor.
ELLEN PAUL, MLIS ’11, the executive
director of the Connecticut Library Consortium in Middletown, was recognized by the Library Journal as a “Mover and Shaker,” cited as an accomplished advocate for libraries and their critical roles in communities.
EVA SIEFERT, M.S. ’11, was showcased
in a recycledmaterials art exhibit at the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library in Naugatuck. Siefert’s latest collection includes intricate pieces crafted entirely from recycled and discarded materials.
DONIA DUCHESS, ’12, a creative
producer, on-camera talent, and social media director, was profiled by Canvas Rebel Magazine. The spotlight covered Duchess’ career, beginning with her first television job as a production assistant on The Maury Show, which led to her first on-camera opportunity hosting a segment. She won a Webby Award for hosting SongPop Live and has earned Emmy nominations and an NAACP Image Award as a producer.
MEGHAN NOONAN, 6th Yr. ’12, has
been appointed principal of Calvin Leetes Elementary School in Guilford.
ALEXANDER SHIEKMAN, ’12, was
named a partner at Kleinberg Kaplan, a boutique law firm based in New York. Shiekman is an attorney in the firm’s corporate transactional and finance practice, which includes business transactions, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and emerging digital assets. He received his juris doctorate, cum laude, from Duke University School of Law and
graduated summa cum laude from Southern. HANNAH OUIMET, ’13, a family nurse
practitioner, has joined Community Health Center as a primary care provider in the Mashpee, Mass., office.
CYNTHIA MANIFOLD-DOUGHERTY,
M.S. ’14, has been promoted to assistant principal at Davenport Ridge Elementary School in Stamford. SCOTT TRUNGADI, 6th Yr. ’14,
was named the educational data and systems program coordinator for Greenwich Public Schools. The position is designed to provide seamless digital operations, while empowering administrators with the data literacy needed to drive student success. BRIAN NILL, ’15, M.S. ’22, the assistant
cross country and track and field coach in the Department of Athletics at Southern, has been promoted to Coach III.
COURTNEY F. SILVA, ’15, has
been promoted to executive administrator for special operations with the Washington State Patrol Headquarters.
HALEY VINCENT SIMPSON, ’15, MBA
’18, has been appointed director of the Transportation, Traffic, and Parking Department for the city of New Haven. She has years of project management and program planning experience, with tenures at the Glendower Group (the nonprofit development arm of the Housing Authority of New Haven), and, most recently, as deputy chief of staff to New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
JOHN WEISS, ’15, the football offensive
coordinator and offensive line coach in Southern’s Department of Athletics, has been promoted to Coach II.
ERIN DUFF, ’16, M.P.H. ’20, MBA ’24, a
wellbeing specialist at Southern, led a suicide prevention training workshop called, “Question, Persuade, Refer.” These 90-minute sessions teach participants how to spot warning signs of a mental health crisis.
CHRISTOPHER WISNIEWSKI, ’16, M.S.
’18, a science teacher at Berlin High School, has been named the 2027 Teacher of the Year for Berlin Public Schools, as reported in the New Britain Herald.
CATHERINE DIGIOIA, ’17, M.S. ’22, 6th
Yr. ’24, a special education teacher at Lincoln Bassett Community School, has been named the 2026 District Teacher of the Year by the New Haven Board of Education.
LYNANDRO “DJ” SIMMONS, ’18, is
the transportation reporter for The Charlotte Observer.
RACHEL BRUNSON, MBA ’19, the
associate director of inside sales at Natera, has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. She is recognized for enhancing the patient experience and the coordination of repeatable testing in oncology. Natera is a clinical genetic testing company based in Texas.
BRENDAN STERNBACH, ’19,
has opened Red Eye Coffee, an independent coffee shop in Milford offering craft beverages and a food menu.
2020s
CANDACE WRIGHT, ’20, is a future
readiness coordinator with the Carver Foundation, an organization that champions youth development and educational equity in Norwalk, Conn. She plays a pivotal role in preparing students for college, careers, and lifelong success through career-readiness workshops, college tours, community partnerships, and personalized support.
JESSICA CASE, ’19, M.S. ’23, an
assistant athletic trainer in the Department of Athletics at Southern, has been promoted to Trainer III.
AUGUST PELLICCIO, ’19, is the
executive editor of digital for HMG Strategy, a digital platform for connecting business technology executives.
MEREDITH DUXBURY, ’21, is a content
creator, model, and influencer with
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more than 20 million followers. Included on the Forbes “30 Under 30” and “Top 50 Creators” lists, she has walked the runway at Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks and served as a model and ambassador for brands such as Tory Burch, Charlotte Tilbury, Prada Beauty, L’Oréal, e.l.f., Dior Beauty, and more. CODY J. HELGESEN, M.S. ’21, a
licensed professional counselor and counselor educator supervisor at MJA Behavioral Health and Wellness in Shelton, is included in America’s Best in Medicine for their work on clinical mental health counseling, social justice–informed practice, and sex-positive, affirming approaches to therapy. Helgesen is a candidate in Southern’s doctoral program in counselor education and supervision.
KRISTA PRENDERGAST, Ed.D. ’21, a faculty member in the Department of Nursing at Southern, was promoted to associate professor at the university’s Promotion, Tenure, and Celebration of Excellence. ANYA BOYD, ’23, M.S. ’25, focused her graduate thesis on creating a student advising manual from a sociology perspective, which she will now use in her aspiring career as an academic adviser. Her thesis/training guide, Advancing Equity in Academic Advising Through Intersectional and Inclusive Practices: A Training for Academic Advisors, focuses on intersectionality and equality, she explains, and demonstrates how to apply different identities, lenses, and knowledge to college advising. AMY DORSEY, D.S.W. ’23, who serves as a psychotherapist, clinical
supervisor, and field instructor with Jewish Family Services of Greenwich, was recognized by the media platform Influential Women for providing trauma-informed care. DAPHNEY ALSTON, Ed.D. ’25, associate director for student involvement and leadership development at Southern, was featured on WTNH Channel 8’s CT Buzz, discussing the annual Friends of Rudolph event. KOBE DOMINGUEZ, ’25, has completed his first full year as the head swim coach at Mandell Jewish Community Center (JCC) in West Hartford. He swam with the Mandell JCC Sharks and other club teams before a stellar career at Hall High School and Southern. As a member of the Owls, he was a 12time Northeast-10 medalist. OSARETIN OSAGIE, ’25, was named the 2026 Northeast-10 Conference Outdoor Track and Field Sport Excellence Award winner. A resident of Uncasville, he is pursuing an MBA at Southern. LYDIA SEKSCENSKI, ’25, a sales consultant with Branhaven Chrysler Jeep Dodge, competed on Jeopardy!, the longrunning quiz show. LEXI WHITE, ’26, joined WWLP 22News in Massachusetts as a reporter and multimedia journalist. Prior to graduating, she was an assignment editor at WTNH News 8 in New Haven after first interning there.
X (formerly Twitter) Handle (if applicable): Instagram Handle (if applicable): SCSU Degree/Year
Major
Name Under Which I Attended College: News Item:
Births
GEORGE BELBUSTI, ’58, M.S. ’67,
JULIA M. FLANDERS, ’17, and
PETER CAIRNEY, ’58, April 10, 2026
her husband, Jremy, ’15, M.S. ’20, welcomed a daughter, Evelyn Mindaro Flanders.
IN MEMORIAM ROSE BERNABUCCI, ’50, Feb. 11, 2026 REGINA BARBARESI, ’51, Feb. 26,
2026
Signature Date Spouse’s Name Spouse’s SCSU Degree/Year Children’s Names/Ages
SHIRLEY GILMONT, ’52, April 17,
2026
EDWARD STRUZINSKY, ’52, Nov. 28,
2025
JUDITH WHITCOMB, ’53, M.S. ’73, 6th
Yr. ’83, April 8, 2026
JOSEPH FORMATO, ’56, Dec. 9, 2025 GLORIA FIORE KILBERG, ’56, March
20, 2026
48 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
March 17, 2026
ANTHONY ESPOSITO, ’58, Dec. 21,
2025
FREDERIC D’AMBROSE, ’59, Dec.
21, 2025
VIRGINIA FLOOD, ’60, M.S. ’70, Feb.
28, 2026
MICHAEL RONALD TEMA, ’60, M.S.
’65, June 18, 2026
ROBERT DROBISH, ’61, M.S. ’66, Feb.
2, 2026
FRANK PINTO, ’61, M.S. ’68, April
14, 2026
LINDA MILICI ARPINO, ’62, Feb. 24,
2026
JULIA BIRCH, ’62, Feb. 10, 2026 SHERRILL WHITCHER CANNING, ’62,
March 23, 2026
THERESA DOUSKEY, ’62, March 4, 2026 BERNARD GOFFIN, ’62, Dec. 1, 2025 MARALYN SHEILA MENT, ’62, July 9, 2026
n
of Walk My Mile, Poems of Survival, a collection of poetry and prose that serves as a guide through grief and the quiet joy of healing. The book is recognized on Amazon for earning more than 40 five-star reviews.
HOPE LEEGER PINKERTON, ’63, 6th Yr. ’75,
March 3, 2026
MICHAEL G. DAVIS, ’64, Jan. 1, 2026
’88, April 15, 2026
she took under her wing to create one of the most talked-about magazines of all time. Named one of the best books of summer by Oprah Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, and The Boston Globe, the novel earned starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness.
TONY ANDRONACO, ’88, is the author
SANDRA OLSON, ’62, Feb. 4, 2026
PHYLLIS FREEDMAN, ’64, M.S. ’69, 6th Yr.
In Print and On Screen
ROHANNA SSANYU DELOSSANTOS, M.S. ’15,
JOHN SEARLES, ’91, is the author of Single
Girls (Mariner Books), a bestselling, fictionalized account of Helen Gurley Brown’s early years at the helm of Cosmopolitan and the women editors
LAUREEN MONGILLO, ’64, Dec. 24, 2025 MARYANN FABBRI, ’66, May 20, 2026 SHARON HALL, ’66, Jan. 25, 2026
shares that her poem, Found in the African Art Collection of a New Haven Gallery After the Guard Asks Whether My Son Knows the Rules, was featured in the Winter 2026 issue of the Philly Poetry Chapbook Review.
MARGARET SNOOK, ’66, Nov. 28, 2025 ELIZABETH WHELAN, ’66, M.S. ’70, May
ROSE EVANS, ’76, M.S. ’79, April
NANCY LINKSAY, 6th Yr. ’82, Nov.
BONNIE BAGOLY, ’67, Jan. 29, 2026
JUDITH FLOWER, M.S. ’76, Jan. 20,
MARCIA FREEDMAN, M.S. ’83, April
29, 2026
ROBERT BAKER III, ’68, Dec. 31, 2025 LEONARD BARBIERI, ’69, M.S. ’73, Dec. 1,
2025
NICHOLAS BAUER, M.S. ’69, May 12, 2026 JEFFERSON “SKIP” PRESTRIDGE JR., ’69,
M.S. ’72, 6th Yr. ’77, Jan. 13, 2026
ELLEN BONTEMPO QUINTIN, ’69, Jan. 18,
2026
JOSEPH RASHAN JR., ’69, Feb. 17, 2026 DAVID NILES, M.S. ’70, Jan. 4, 2026 MARY BETH “MOLLY” DINNEEN, M.S. ’71,
Jan. 6, 2026
ROSE CHRISTOFORO FERRIGNO, M.S. ’71,
23, 2026 2026
17, 2025 14, 2026
ROBERT MILES, ’76, March 19, 2026
JOHN COTTER JR., ’84, Jan. 17, 2026
ROSEMARY SIRICO, ’76, M.S. ’80,
KATHLEEN SULLIVAN, ’84, M.S. ’97,
BARBARA GUTHRIE, M.L.S. ’77, Dec.
ROLAND SULLIVAN, M.S. ’84, June
Jan. 7, 2026 11, 2025
HENRY JEMIOLA JR., ’77, Dec. 10,
2025
ADRIENNE MACDONALD, ’77, M.S.
’03, 6th Yr. ’06, March 22, 2026
ROBERT MASTRIANNI, M.S. ’77,
April 21, 2026
EILEEN MELLY, ’77, June 7, 2026
Feb. 2, 2026 24, 2026
EILEEN WYGMANS, ’84, Feb. 18,
2026
FRANK CARTA, M.S. ’86, Jan. 6, 2026 SHAWN O’SULLIVAN, ’86, March
5, 2026
CLIFFORD STEVENS, ’86, May 9,
2026
DEBORAH WARTONICK, ’77, Jan.
JESSIE GWISDALA, 6th Yr. ’87, Nov.
RAYMOND WHITE, M.S. ’77, Jan.
KATHLEEN CHERMAK, ’88, April
GRACE MARRION, M.S. ’78, Dec.
KENDALL CRILLY, M.L.S. ’88, M.S.
ADELE KASINSKAS, M.A. ’72, March 22,
PATRICK HANNIGAN, 6th Yr. ’79,
JUDITH GARNER, M.S. ’88, Jan. 9,
ROBERT MARSOLI SR., ’72, April 16, 2026
PHILIP LABANARA, ’79, Dec. 24,
MARK MICKIEWICZ, ’88, May 18,
JOSEPH MAURO, ’79, May 3, 2026
LAURA LORENSON, M.S. ’89, March
Feb. 14, 2026
SANDRA FOLEY, ’71, May 24, 2026 JEAN L. FOURNIER, ’71, M.L.S. ’77, July 11,
2026
ROBERT GUBBIOTI, ’72, Feb. 6, 2026
2026
THOMAS WOODRUFF, ’72, May 1, 2026 GEORGE BATTISTELLI JR., ’73, April 22,
2026
DAVID DANIELS, M.S. ’73, Jan. 4, 2026 SHEILA DEL MONTE, ’73, M.S. ’77, May 14,
2026
KAREN JACKSON, ’73, Jan. 6, 2026 CONSTANCE (LARIVIERE) RIGGS, ’73, M.S.
’88, Dec. 25, 2025
MARJORIE KASHMANN, 6th Yr. ’74, March
13, 2026
JUDE KELLY, ’74, M.S. ’77, Feb. 14, 2026 SUSAN NARGI, ’74, M.S. ’97, Feb. 3, 2026 KATHLEEN PEARSON, ’74, M.S. ’97, April
19, 2026
PATRICIA ROBERTSON, M.S. ’74, April 9,
2026
CHARLOTTE BRISTOL, M.L.S. ’75, Dec. 30,
2025
15, 2026 12, 2026 11, 2025
March 26, 2026 2025
RAQUEL SANTIAGO-MARTINEZ,
’79, Feb. 13, 2026
THOMAS BETTS, M.S. ’80, June 3,
2026
29, 2025 25, 2026
’17, Nov. 25, 2025 2026 2026
14, 2026
REV. CLINTON MILLER, ’89, Jan. 14,
2026
AMY TRYKOWSKI, ’90, Jan. 6, 2026
GERTRUDE BURRELL, ’80, M.S. ’91,
MARY HUGHES, M.S. ’92, Dec. 27,
SUSAN D’ANGELO, ’80, Jan. 5, 2026
BARBARA-JEAN MARCILLE, ’92,
Feb. 22, 2026
ROBERTA KASPROSKI, M.L.S. ’80,
May 24, 2026
2025
May 31, 2026
ROBERT RICCIO, 6th Yr. ’92
DIANE STACKPOLE, M.L.S. ’95, 6th
Yr. ’01, April 7, 2026
SCOTT ROWE, ’97, Jan. 28, 2026 ROBERT EBERLE, 6th Yr. ’98, Ed.D.
’08, Dec. 25, 2025
RUTH ELLISON, ’98, March 9, 2026 BONNIE OPIELOWSKI-BROUWER,
6th Yr. ’98, Jan. 31, 2026
JULIE MAXWELL, M.S. ’00, Dec. 25,
2025
JAMES HUNTER, ’02, March 9, 2026 CAROL WASELESKI, M.L.S. ’05, Feb.
26, 2026
ELLEN JENKIN-CAPPIELLO, M.P.H.
’06, May 17, 2026
FANYA MAYZLINA, ’06, M.A. ’13,
June 14, 2026
JENNIFER DURATO, ’07, MBA ’08,
Jan. 7, 2026
SAMANTHA CLARKE, M.S. ’10, 6th
Yr. ’13, May 22, 2026
ROLAND TEXEIRA, ’10, June 24, 2026 LOUIS DIRIENZO, ’16, June 27, 2026 DAMOND JAMES, ’22, June 16, 2026 SANDRA KOSTENKO, M.A.T. ’25,
Jan. 24, 2026
MARY FLO (HECKO) HATCHER,
former professor of art, June 13, 2026
LEWIS HOUSE, professor emeritus of
history, Jan. 2, 2026
TIMOTHY QUILL, head coach of
men’s and women’s swimming and diving, Feb. 10, 2026
JAAK RAKFELDT, professor emeritus
of social work, April 20, 2026
MARIA MONIELLO, M.S. ’80, April
PAUL HEMINGWAY, M.S. ’93, March
MICHAEL SHEA, professor of English,
PATRICIA ROYER, ’80, M.S.W. ’91,
JAMES PYTKO, ’93, March 25, 2026
ABRAHAM HARRIS “BO/BUD” STONE, professor emeritus of
9, 2026
Jan. 7, 2026
ELAINIE ZATTOLA, 6th Yr. ’80, Dec.
3, 2025
DAVID DELGIUDICE, ’81, May 18,
2026
LENORA RANDI, ’81, June 16, 2026
28, 2026
MARYANN KEANE, M.S. ’94, March
3, 2026
STEPHEN LANZO III, ’94, April 24,
2026
ROBERT HENRY-DAVID SWAN JR.,
Oct. 24, 2026
education, July 10, 2026
JAKE SECO, student, Feb. 27, 2026 GABRIEL TOPPIN, student, Dec. 28,
2025
’94, M.S. ’10, Nov. 16, 2025
Alumni Notes are compiled from submissions and announcements in the news media. All towns are in Connecticut unless otherwise noted.
Winter 2026 | 49
SEEN ON CAMPUS ■ THE CARD CATALOG PROJECT |
I
N THE SPIRIT OF CREATIVE UPCYCLING, vintage cards from Hilton C. Buley Library’s retired card catalog were transformed into works of art by members of the Southern community. Searlait Curtiss, ’26 (art history), and Isaac Rivera (English), interns minoring in arts administration and cultural advocacy, curated The Card Catalog Project under the guidance of librarian Tina Re. 50 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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