UMass Dartmouth Fall 07 magazine by UMass Dartmouth

Fall 2007 Fall 2007

A magazine for alumni & friends of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

women

advance sciences engineering in the

and

The great casino debate A license to dream

MESSAGE FROM

J e a n F . M a c Co r m ac k Dear friends:

everal weeks ago, about 100 of our friends and colleagues gathered at the Claire T. Carney Library to launch a new book on the history of our Dartmouth campus. Entitled UMass Dartmouth 1960 - 2006: Trials and Triumph, the 416-page, 580-photo book, written and edited by our own History Professor Emeritus Fred Gifun, captures the rapid evolution of our campus (page 5). The history ignites memories of the marches to Boston to make clear the aspirations of our university and our region. It reminds us that we are the product of many mergers during which each party had to surrender something in order to build a greater institution; and it shows us that the only constant is change. Over the next five, ten, forty years, our university will continue to evolve. It is our challenge to make sure that the coming changes result in something better for our students, our region, the Commonwealth, and the nation. On the pages that follow, you will also read about: n English Professor Robert Waxler’s “Changing Lives Through Literature” program, which is reshaping lives from progressive Massachusetts, to middle America, to the death penalty counties of Texas (page 13); n Professors such as Renate Crawford of the physics

faculty and Maria Blanton of mathematics, and two distinguished alumnae, who are setting important examples in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics (page 8);

n Two of our students, Fouad Jeryes and Cathy Young-

Perry, who share their fresh perspectives on critical international issues: the rise of China and the terrible impact of suicide bombing in Afghanistan (page 16);

n Our alumni and faculty who are helping to shape

the expanding debate about casino gambling in Massachusetts (page 2).

These are just the latest examples of how our university continues to push forward, as it always has, sometimes against powerful opposition to our aspirations. We can always take inspiration in the timeless words of Michelangelo included in Dr. Gifun’s book: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Onward, Jean F. MacCormack, Chancellor

r. Arlene Mollo is well-known as an art education professor. This spring, the chair of the university’s Art Education Department was named the state’s Higher Education Art Educator of the Year, and honored for her notable contributions to art education in the Commonwealth. But Mollo is also an accomplished painter, whose watercolors are regularly exhibited throughout the area. Her work includes landscapes and images created on location in, among other countries, England, Scotland, and Italy. On these pages are examples of work from her “East Coast, West Coast” series, specifically paintings from the time she spent this past summer exploring the coastline north of San Francisco. Mollo says the natural forms of the still-evolving coast include “dynamic qualities that are just exhilarating to me.” Her paintings speak to different issues, such as erosion and scale, that are reflected in the coastline.

n this issue of the UMass Dartmouth Magazine, the spotlight falls on five women, including two graduates, who are distinguishing themselves in the fields of engineering, science, and mathematics. There is also an article on the spread throughout this country and into England of the innovative Changing Lives Through Literature program, co-founded by English Professor Robert Waxler and alumnus Wayne St. Pierre. In “Around the Campanile,” there’s news about faculty, students, and university programs, and the Class Notes section gives you what’s new with your classmates. We welcome hearing from readers, and encourage you to send us your comments, suggestions, and news. You can email them to ntooley@ umassd.edu, or mail them to Alumni Relations Office, UMass Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Rd., North Dartmouth MA 02747. You can also go to the magazine website www. umassd.edu/publicaffairs/magazine/ Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement

Jeffrey A. Wolfman

Around the campanile UMass Dartmouth & the casino debate

Federal funds for teaching initiatives

Student is Miss Massachusetts

University history book published 5

Feature stories Women in science and engineering

Changing Lives Through Literature

Students’ education goes global

Alumni news Homecoming Weekend 18 Class notes

Support the Claire T. Carney Library Managing Editor

John T. Hoey ’00 (Boston) Assistant to the Chancellor/Public Affairs

inside back cover

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (USPS #015-139) Volume 11, Number 7, November 2007

Writer/Editor

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is published once in March, once in May, twice in June, once in July, once in August, and twice in November by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, ma 02747-2300

Diane H. Hartnett

Periodicals postage paid at New Bedford, ma 02747

Contributing Writers

postmaster: Send address corrections to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, ma 02747-2300

Designer

Rachel Cocroft

Susan Gonsalves ’86, Paul Kandarian Photographers

D. Confar, Justin Maucione ’02, Kindra Clineff Alumni Class Notes

Nancy J. Tooley ’99

Cover: Women are increasingly visible in engineering and science fields. Shown here (clockwise from top): Associate Engineering Dean Renate Crawford; Mathematics Professor Maria Blanton; Erin Magee and Colleen Allen, both engineering students; and in center, Makia Powell, graduate computer engineering student

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University plays a key role in setting a major New England public policy By Paul Kandarian

hether you think a proposed Mashpee Wampanoag casino in Middleborough is good or bad, one thing you can bet on: UMass Dartmouth has had an impact on the debate. “We’ve studied the issue since 1995 when the Aquinnah Wampanoags negotiated with then-Governor William Weld to put a casino in New Bedford,” said Clyde W. Barrow, director of the UMass Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis. “It became clear to us that this would be a perennial debate in states around the country and a major debate in New England that could have far-reaching impacts on our economy and communities. “Massachusetts residents accounted for 40 percent of those going to gambling establishments in Rhode Island at the time, so we decided to go ahead and keep studying gambling issues,” Barrow said. “We’ve consistently released studies since that time, and took a big step in 2005 when we launched the New England Gambling Research Project.” The purpose of the project is to provide policymakers, the general public, and the media with independent and objective research on the economic and fiscal impacts of gaming in the New England region. The center’s data was cited by Governor Deval Patrick’s administration in proposing three casinos in Massachusetts, one each in Southeastern Massachusetts, north of Boston, and the western part of the state. Meanwhile, 1987 alumnus Scott Ferson, president of the Liberty Square Group, a Boston- and Washington-based strategic communications firm, has been advising the Mashpee

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English profesor MWalim (aka Morgan Peters) has a personal interest in the gaming debate.

Wampanoag tribe on its casino endeavor. Ferson started working for the Wampanoags, not to land a casino in the state, but to get the tribe sovereign nation status. The federal government granted that recognition to the 1,500-member tribe last year, opening the door for a run at casino gambling. “But at the time, it wasn’t about casinos at all, it was about recognition,” Ferson said of his coming aboard to publicize the tribe’s contribution to history. “We crafted a plan. They were the tribe that met the Mayflower. When you say that, their impact takes on a whole new meaning.” As to the studies done at his alma mater, Ferson said it is pleasing to see the Center for Policy Analysis taking such a large role in the casino issue. “It’s really been nice to see UMass Dartmouth take such a part in this. It’s nice that the media knows about it and that it’s not Harvard all the time getting the press,” he said.

Campus affiliations to Wampanoags For two instructors at the UMass Dartmouth—one a Wampanoag tribe member and the other with personal connections to the tribe—siting an Indian casino in Middle-

New s of N ote borough is about economics and justice. “As a sovereign entity, we need a large-scale economic base to meet the needs of the tribe, which are many, and a casino seems to be about the best way to do it,” said MWalim (aka Morgan Peters), a Wampanoag himself, assistant professor of English, and chairman of education for the tribe. “But the thing is, I see it more as a means to an end than an end itself. A lot of us are below the median income line and Cape Cod housing is just through the roof.” “For me, the casino is not about making tribe members wealthy. It is about justice,” added Elizabeth Lehr, part-time lecturer in the English Department, whose partner is a tribe member and who participates in tribal events. “Considering the almost 400 years of contact, the tribe’s success at maintaining itself as a tribe is amazing. But the long history of contact carries with it many serious inequities that remain today.” Peters, articulate, outspoken, and not at all shy, hosts a blog— www.mwalimwordlounge.blogspot.com — on which he voices a variety of opinions on tribal and societal topics, including the casino issue. The biggest benefit of a casino’s income would be to provide housing for the Wampanoag people, he feels (there may be up to 2,000 Mashpee Wampanoags in all). He strongly believes that at least some of the anti-casino sentiment is based on economic racism. “There’s a resentment, stated or unstated, of economic prosperity of people of color,” he said. “Some believe Indians should be poor because we’re spiritual. Why do we need money?” Though the majority of people polled in Massachusetts favor a casino, the anticasino sentiment is strong and occasionally racially tinged, Peters argued. “If Donald Trump or MGM wanted to build a casino here, people would be up in arms, but would they be this up in arms?” he said. Lehr said one of the most serious issues facing the tribe is the continuing loss of land through “economic pressures and officially legal, but not always ethical, tactics. I support the casino because

SMAST marks 10 years of achievements The School for Marine Science and Technology Dean, Frank Muller-Karger, comes aboard just as the school marks its first decade of existence. He joins a school that has helped sustain the New Bedford fishing industry, manage fragile coastal areas, and is fast becoming a catalyst for the development of the marine technology industry. “One thing that is clear to me is that SMAST can continue to grow in its public role of supporting New Bedford and adjacent communities,’’ Dr. MullerKarger said. “Our faculty, staff, and students can make significant contributions in technology and in the science needed for proper resource management in and around Massachusetts.” Since 1999, SMAST researchers, led by former Dean Brian Rothschild and Professor Kevin Stokesbury, have conducted studies and surveys of Georges Bank and the Mid-Atlantic continental shelf, resulting in a clearer understanding of the unique conditions that allow the growth of large numbers of scallops and fish in this ecosystem. As a result of their findings, federal regulatory agencies have reopened beds that had been closed years ago because of a lack of information to manage the resource properly. The sea scallop industry generates as much as $300 million annually for the New Bedford economy. SMAST has also been working jointly with the Department of Environmental Protection and numerous other agencies and communities for five years to restore and protect estuaries stretching from Duxbury to Fall River. The project has saved Massachusetts communities $2 million. Muller-Karger said top-level work is also being done using underwater robotics and ocean modeling. “We develop technologies to improve our understanding of the way we use the ocean and how we are linked to it.”

(Continued on page 4)

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Around the Campanile

Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack presents Miss Massachusetts with university apparel from the Campus Store.

University senior crowned Miss Massachusetts University of Massachusetts Dartmouth senior Valerie Amaral of Acushnet was crowned Miss Massachusetts 2007 and will be competing for the Miss America crown next semester. An English and political science major, Amaral’s

competition platform is “Inspiring Youth to Volunteer.” She has raised more than $30,000 for non-profit and scholarship organizations and started an organization that encourages young people to share their time and

(Continued from page 3)

it will help tribe members who struggle daily for basic resources, such as housing, food, education for their children, and health care.” And among other benefits, she said, “the casino will help tribe members house themselves in Mashpee, keeping the tribe cohesive. This is justice.” Paul Kandarian is a local freelance writer

UMass Dartmouth Theatre Company celebrates 40th year Jarrad Nunes ‘04 recalls looking out into the audience during a 2002 production of “Cabaret,” and seeing a group of Holocaust survivors in the front row reduced to tears. Nunes, playing the master of ceremonies role in the play that examines the underbelly of Berlin during the Third Reich, says, “I was proud because I knew then that we had done justice to what can be a very difficult topic to deal with theatrically. It also drove home the intensity and immediacy of theatre as an art form. It was a powerful moment that I’ll

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talents with others, especially senior citizens in nursing homes. She will continue that work during her year-long reign as Miss Massachusetts. “I have grown so much from doing that volunteer work,’’ she said. “Right now, I’m just very excited and looking forward to the work I’m going to be doing as Miss Massachusetts. I love UMass Dartmouth and I’m looking forward to representing it.” She also won the Miss America Community Service Award and the Children’s Miracle Network Award for being the con-

probably never forget.” For 40 years, the UMass Dartmouth Theatre Company has moved and delighted audiences, surviving a number of changes and hardships in its evolution, most significantly the 1999 death of founder/director Angus Bailey. Today, the company operates as an entirely student-run, 40-member group. Nunes, whose major was English/film and drama studies, serves as its staff liaison. He is also staff associate for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, working as the graduate and arts events coordinator. Senior Retha Charette is theatre company manager. Recent productions have included, “The Mousetrap,” “The Marriage of Bette and Boo,” and “The Diary of Anne Frank.” During 2007-2008, Terry Berliner, whose credits include Broadway’s “The Lion King,” oversaw the fall musical, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” Nunes will direct “The Laramie Project,” showing April 24-27, 2008. The drama chronicles life in a small town following a hate crime/murder. Launched in 1967 as the SMTI Dramatic Society performing “Kiss

testant who raised the most money for the charitable organization. Amaral will receive more than $8,000 in scholarships and will compete at the Miss America Pageant later next year. A 2004 graduate of New Bedford High School, she was selected from among 17 contestants. She is the daughter of Keith and Susan Amaral of Acushnet. Her grandfather, Conrad Richard, is a retired UMass Dartmouth professor of engineering. Her brother, Bradley, is a current UMass Dartmouth engineering student.

Me Kate” and “The Crucible” at the Dartmouth High School auditorium, the company expanded in subsequent decades, putting on nine full-scale productions per year on campus throughout the 1960s and 1970s before paring down to seven plays per season in the ‘80s. Dean of Students Emeritus Donald Howard worked closely with Bailey during those early years. “Angus made the theatre come alive for students who previously had no background in that area. He truly helped to form their minds and heighten their awareness so that they became captivated by the value of theatre.”

Above left Early model of SMT I campus Above right Top: An early Rudolph sketch of Group I, on reverse side of March 1963 flight itinerary Bottom: Early campus plan Left Paul Rudolph (1918–1997) in front of his Art & Architecture building at Yale University

“SMT I Model Plan Gets Enthusiastic Reception.” (at Dartmouth High School presentation) (Left to right): Charles E. Sharek, trustee; Dr. Owen B. Kiernan, Commissioner of Education; Horace M. Chace, Director, Massachusetts Bureau of Building Construction; Richard Thissen, owner of Desmond and Lord architects; Paul Rudolph, architect; Joseph M. Souza, Chairman, Board of Trustees; George Carignan (rear), trustee; Governor Endicott Peabody;

Dr. Leonard Pacheco (rear), trustee; Dr. Joseph Leo Driscoll, president, SMTI; Atty. Francis Meagher, trustee; James Pilkington, trustee; Paul Rodrigues, trustee; Atty. Cecil H. Whittier (rear), trustee; and Dr. Albert Hamel, trustee. New Bedford Standard - Times, August 1, 1963 (Photo courtesy of Joseph M. Souza)

| Merging Realities

University’s history of “Trials and Triumph” now available A 416-page history of the university, UMass Dartmouth, 1960-2006: Trials and Triumph, is now available. Written by Dr. Fred Gifun, professor emeritus of history, this is the first general history of UMass Dartmouth, tracing its growth over the last 46 years from the New Bedford and Fall River schools that were the university’s founding institutions. The book delineates the university’s expansion—physical and programmatic— through narrative text in nine chapters, with extended explanatory footnotes and appendices, enhanced by 500-plus vivid images that provide a visual history to complement the text. Trials and Triumph covers a variety of topics, from the 1960 merger legislation that launched what would become UMass Dartmouth, to public higher education’s struggle for adequate funding and recognition, to the university’s impact on the region’s economy and residents. Gifun, a History Department member from 1973 until his retirement in 2002, is a former associate vice president for aca-

Ground breaking for Research Building Annex, September 13, 2005 New research building to house the National Botulinum Research Center and other biotechnology labs. Breaking ground are (left to right): Stephan Laput, Senator Mark Montigny, James Karam (UMass trustees chair), Chancellor MacCormack, Jack Wilson (UMass president), Senator Joan Menard, Rep. John Quinn, Brian Silva, and Fred O’Neill Right above Ribbon cutting ceremony for Research Building Annex, April 2007. (Left to right): Rep. Stephen Canessa; Rep. William Straus; Stephen Tocco, chair, UMass BOT; UMass president Jack Wilson; Chancellor Jean MacCormack; Senator Mark Montigny; (rear) Chancellor Keith Motley; Rep. John Quinn; (rear) Dartmouth selectman, Robert Carney; Rep. Michael Rodrigues; Rep. Robert Koczera; and Fall River mayor Edward Lambert Below Completed research annex, opened in April 2007 (Violette Research Building visible in far right of photo)

Library Gala, October 14, 2006 (inset far right), to support major renovation of the UMass Dartmouth Library. The Gala was also the occasion to dedicate the Library to alumna and former SMU trustee, Claire T. Carney ‘73 (inset). “As someone who came late to higher education [at age forty-six, in 1968] I was acutely aware of, and immensely grateful for, the opportunities that this institution gave me. . . . I was exposed to a world of new ideas and I loved every minute of it.”

—Claire T. Carney

(acceptance speech)

226 | Looking Ahead

A history of UMass Dartmouth tells the story of the university between 1960 and 2006. Above, from top, are: a spread page reflecting the school’s early years, designer Debra Smook, Professor and Author Fred Gifun checking proofs, a second page spread, and the book jacket.

demic affairs and associate dean of arts and sciences. In retirement, he was the university’s representative to the Connect partnership, and has devoted the past three years to the history project. Debra Smook is the book’s designer and photo editor. An accomplished printmaker who has exhibited in the United States, Canada, and Korea, she has a master of fine arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. During production of the book, she was an art education

graduate student at the university, and she has initiated an art program at the Bristol County House of Corrections. The book is $49, with a 10 percent discount for alumni, retired and current university employees, and students. It can be ordered online at www.umassd. edu (use “umass” in discount code box); or by calling the campus store at 508.999.8190. It is also available at some local bookstores, such as Baker Books in Dartmouth, and Partners, Westport.

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New faces on campus UMass Dartmouth students are meeting a number of new administrators and staff members who joined the university this fall. Among them are: Susan Atkins, International and Exchange Study Programs director, was formerly director of the study abroad program at Wheaton College (MA). A graduate of Western New England College, she has a master’s from Seattle University. Jean Kim, new vice chancellor for student affairs, earned her undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees from UMass Amherst. She most recently was vice president for student affairs at the University of Puget Sound, and served in similar posts at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Hartford.

Ian Day, athletics director, comes from Tiffin (Ohio) University, where he had been director since 1990. Day guided the Tiffin Dragons through the expansion of their facilities and oversaw an increase in the number of sports from 10 to 18.

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Keith Wilder, assistant dean/director of the Frederick Douglass Unity House, was formerly director of the MultiCultural Center at Weber State University, Ogden, Utah. He holds degrees from Hannibal La-Grange College and the University of Phoenix.

Four new deans have joined the university: Frank Muller-Karger, School for Marine Science and Technology: Dr. Muller-Karger comes to SMAST from the University of South Florida, where he led a large oceanographic observation group. Robert Peck, College of Engineering: Dr. Peck was formerly a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University, and was department chair from 2001 to 2006.

Rabbi Jacqueline Satlow, director of the Center for Jewish Culture, was the educational programs manager of the David Project at the Center for Jewish Leadership in Boston. She has a degree in European History from Barnard College, and a master of arts in Hebrew Letters from the HebrewUnion College Jewish Institute of Religion.

Adrien Tió, College of Visual and Performing Arts: Dean Tio comes to UMass Dartmouth from Northern Illinois University, where he was professor and director of the School of Art. Sharon Weiner, Library Services: Dr. Weiner had been director of the Peabody Library at Vanderbilt University.

Ombuds Office serves to maintain good working environment on campus The university has established an Ombuds Office, headed by William King, that serves to advance relationships as well as communications among all members of the campus community. King comes to UMass Dartmouth from Colorado State University. He has a master’s degree in counseling education and 27 years of experience in studentfaculty relations, dispute resolution, diversity and civility training, and collaborative initiatives. He has spent the last 24 years in higher education positions. The Ombuds Office was created to help students, staff, faculty, and administrators resolve any differences, to mediate disputes, and to assist students and employees in understanding their rights and responsibilities. King also provides educational workshops and programs on issues related to the work environment and relationships with colleagues. Services are free and confidential, offered in an informal setting. King can steer people to more appropriate offices for guidance and/or information. Typical issues that can come before King include: student challenges concerning grades or academic or administrative decisions affecting a student; questions about university policies, and compliance with them; concerns about treatment a person considers unfair, disrespectful, or unethical; and concerns related to safety or work environment. Persons who use the office do so voluntarily. The Ombuds Office and ombudsman are ethically guided by the Standards of Practice of the University and College Ombuds Association.

New s of N ote U.S. awards $5.5 million for university, K-12 partnerships and research UMass Dartmouth’s Center For University and School Partnerships has received two U.S. Department of Education grants totaling $3.5 million to attract, retain and support K-12 teachers in high need subject areas as identified by partner districts Fall River, New Bedford, and Wareham. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity to provide alternative pathways into teaching to individuals who may never have thought about teaching as a profession,” said Karen O’Connor, director of the center, which will coordinate the grant programs. Earlier this year, the James J. Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in Mathematics Education received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to examine new strategies to excite students about learning math, and increase the number and diversity of students in the math, science, and engineering pipeline. The combined total of the Kaput Center and CUSP grants is $5.5 million. One CUSP grant — $1.9 million over five years— will support the SouthCoast Partnership for the Journey into Education and Teaching. It was one of nine such grants awarded across the country. The grant’s purpose is to prepare paraprofessionals (teacher aides) in partner schools for full-time classroom teaching positions in elementary and special education. The second, the Teacher Quality Enhancement-Recruitment Program, totals $1.6 million over four years and is designed to attract math, science, and foreign language teachers to middle school classrooms in Wareham, New Bedford, and Fall River. “Each of these grant programs will attract students to UMass Dartmouth who may not have thought about teaching as a profession, but who possess valuable skills and experience combined with a strong desire to teach. Engineers, business executives, retired bankers, and retired military personnel are examples. The teacher candidates will gain authentic

Jade Canto, a senior majoring in sociology, did an internship with “America’s Most Wanted” television program this semester at The Washington Center, which has named UMass Dartmouth as its “2007 Public University.” The center, which annually places hundreds of students from throughout the country in internships in the nation’s capitol, cited the university for its work in recruiting and monitoring students for the real-world educational experiences. Robbin Roy, associate director of the Career Resource Center, oversees the university’s affiliation with The Washington Center, which placed five UMass Dartmouth students in positions this semester.

and relevant urban teaching experience during a one-year residency that will help them be successful once they get a fulltime job,” O’Connor said.

Show your true colors with the new UMass Dartmouth t-shirt Connie Grab, a typography graduate student, was the winner of a “design a new t-shirt” competition sponsored by

the university’s Campus Store. The contest was held to bolster spirit and to raise awareness of UMass Dartmouth’s distinctive blue and gold logo. Grab has an undergraduate degree in advertising design from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has her own freelance business, Green Light Graphics, based in Rehoboth. Her son is a senior painting and art education major in the class of ’08. Grab’s winning design rotates the logo into four positions. “I’ve always admired the logo so I thought, ‘why don’t I just use that?’ To me, it makes great use of positive and negative space, and I like the way the ‘U’ and ‘M’ are incorporated. I think it works really well.” You can order these attractive 100% cotton, long sleeve T shirts for $13.95 (S-XL) or $15.95 (XXL) online at www.umdcampus store.com/Merchandise.aspx

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advance in engineering and the sciences > UMass Dartmouth graduate Angela Cunard credits a high school science

teacher with shaping her own career teaching biology: “when we learned

about heart rates, he’d have us running around outside.”

> Physics Professor Renate Crawford wants more women to realize that

engineering qualifies as a “helping” profession.

> Graduate student Makia Powell recalls that “as a child, I was probably a geek”

because of her fascination with computers and computer games. “But a happy geek.”

By Diane Hartnett

enate Crawford, Makia Powell, and Angela Cunard represent what was once the exception but now is far more commonplace: women successfully pursuing an interest and a career in the sciences and engineering. In the not that distant past, many girls were cautioned not to appear “too smart” in subjects like math or science, and engineering seemed an improbable career choice for them. That’s changed, dramatically so. As many girls as boys — if not more — take advanced science classes in high school. Few people are taken aback at encountering women professionals in research and development. Nationwide, the number of women working in so-called “non-traditional” fields has steadily climbed in the past two decades — in engineering, for example, from 5.8 percent in 1983 to close to 20 percent today. But the National Science Foundation, while acknowledging progress, would like more women working in the sciences and engineering, and has created the ADVANCE program to bolster interest among younger females. At UMass Dartmouth, females account for one-half or more of math graduates, and nearly that many in biology and chemistry. While the number of female undergrads in engineering majors remains small, there has been a noticeable increase in women graduate students. A woman is the associate dean of engi-

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neering, and women chair the biology and physics departments. For insights on the issue of women’s advances in science and engineering, the magazine interviewed five women—two alumnae, two professors, and a graduate student. From their perspective, barriers for girls entering science and engineering fields have largely crumbled, but some issues remain. And all point to the importance of enthusiastic, encouraging role models—often a teacher —to deal with those issues.

Dr. Renate Crawford

, associate physics professor, is the College of Engineering associate dean, the first woman to hold such a top administrative post in that college. Her fields of expertise include liquid crystal displays, and polymer-liquid crystal composites. Crawford regularly meets with prospective applicants at area schools, and has been active in programs to attract girls to science and engineering careers. “When I talk to girls in high schools, it’s very important that they see me as a ‘real’ person. I’ve been asked how I balance motherhood and a career, and I was surprised they were already thinking about that at that age. I say, ‘Well, I have two daughters and when I leave here, I’m going to run home, pick them up, and take them to soccer and their other activities.’ “There has definitely been an increase in interest in the profession, and in the number of women in higher education. I’ve seen significant changes in the number of female faculty since I came here (1996). There is a lot of effort underway from the National Science Foundation and other groups to increase the numbers. “It’s important that there be more diversity in these fields. The way you approach a problem depends on both your education and your background. With more diversity, you get more diverse answers and points of view, and you get a stronger project. “As for there being a ‘mommy track,’ and women not advancing because of the difficulty of having a family and a career, that may be for some people but fortunately it hasn’t been the case with me. I gave birth to one of my daughters four days after the final and I was back by spring semester. I don’t think that it is less of an issue in higher education than in the business world—that tenure parents who are scientists! But clock keeps right on going.” that’s the image on television that Perhaps, says Crawford, perstayed with her. sistent career stereotyping draws “So what’s good about proyoung women to the more tragrams like CSI is that finally you ditional “helping” professions. have female scientists who do not “They don’t see engineering as lack social skills. a helping profession, but it defi“Two current engineering nitely is. Think of all the rebuilding majors, Colleen Allen and Erin —Renate Crawford, work that went on after Hurricane Magee (pictured with Crawford Katrina — that was engineering. on the cover of this issue), are very associate dean, College of Engineering Reducing a lot of our global probgood students who enjoy sharing lems relies on engineering solutheir enthusiasm of science and tions. Engineering and the sciences may not be doing a good job engineering. They have gone with me to high schools to talk in promoting themselves accurately. with students, and been college ‘ambassadors.’ They are very “A lot of people don’t realize what engineering is. Those who interested in recruiting more students, especially young women, do generally have a family member or a teacher who says to a girl, into science and engineering, and they are great role models. It ‘you’re good in math and science, and you should consider these is great to see students like them with so much enthusiasm and kinds of careers.’ There are programs to inform middle school girls, interest in their education and career opportunities.” and that’s so important. If you don’t take the right courses when Sensitivity and awareness among educators have apparently you’re in high school, it will be very difficult when you hit college. improved since Crawford’s undergrad days at Kent State University. “The other problem is the image in the media of engineers “I remember my professor in quantum physics would stop and people involved in technology — not attractive, awkward, every once in a while during his presentations. In front of the loners. What high school girl wants to relate to that? Even my entire class, he would turn to me and say ‘Now do you underown daughter, for an assignment to draw a “science person,’ stand that?’ It became a joke with me and my friends, and I drew someone who looked like Albert Einstein. She has two simply did not let it bother me.”

So what’s good about

programs like CSI is that finally

you have female scientists who do not lack social skills.

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Fall 2007

At the Kaput Center,

our intent is to help all groups being left behind, and that includes females.

Dr. M aria Blanton

is a senior executive research associate at the James J. Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in Math Education, and an associate professor in the math department. Her work focuses on math education and ways in which to improve it. Experiences in elementary school left Blanton with a dislike for math, yet she discovered an affinity for algebra as a middle school student—at the age when research shows both girls and boys begin struggling with algebra and the like. “What I loved about it was what many students hate. It was all about puzzles, about solving things. It was unusual at the time, in that I was taking Algebra One as an eighth grader with ninth graders. I actually thanked the teacher for suggesting that I take the class. “In considering the subject of women in the sciences, I think it’s first an issue of personal interest and then an issue about role models for girls. I definitely had teachers, female teachers, who were very encouraging. I do think that society sends subtle messages about girls and math, which could direct girls in other directions.” A strong sense of self doesn’t hurt when a girl selects the less conventional path. “I had a lot of friends,” Blanton recalls, when she opted for the higher-level algebra. “I didn’t have the sense that they would isolate me.” After high school, Blanton went on to the University of North Carolina for her bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics, and then to North Carolina State University for her doctorate in mathematics education. In her education classes, most students were usually female. In the math courses, “I was in the minority, but I was not uncomfortable. And in no way did I ever feel discriminated against.” She joined UMass Dartmouth in 1998, teaching math and math education courses and doing research that centers on reforming mathematics education. “I teach one class that math and computer science majors take and that is heavily male. The women in that

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—Dr. Maria Blanton

course and in my other courses are very good students. In my classes, the women do as well as, or better than, the men. “Why are there fewer women than men with careers in the sciences? I think part of that has to do with access. Historically, in all fields, women have not been given the same type of access as men. It was the historical norm that more women would stay in the home, and women have had to fight for their place in the workplace. “I am always sensitive to the fact that, because I have children, I have to work harder to counter the perception that I will not do my job as well.” For the last decade, Blanton has turned her interest in algebra into a research program that focuses on integrating algebra into the elementary grades. This form of algebra differs dramatically than that experienced by most middle and high-schoolers, and is critical in developing students’ mathematical understanding. After recently co-editing a research volume on algebra in the elementary grades, she is writing a book on developing elementary school classrooms that promote algebraic thinking, a topic that reflects one of the Kaput Center’s missions. Blanton and colleagues are exploring non-traditional and better ways to use elementary grades’ arithmetic as a context for building children’s algebraic thinking. “As for girls hitting middle school and losing interest in math, that is not an outmoded notion. But it’s true in general, for boys and girls. Students do not have the language for algebra when they start middle school. “At the Kaput Center, we are not advocating for any particular group, but for everyone. Our intent is to help all groups being left behind, and that includes females.”

Sheri S. M cCoy

, 1980 alumna, has a top-level position with one of the world’s largest companies, Johnson & Johnson. She is a company group chairman for J & J, and worldwide franchise chairman of Ethicon, a medical device firm involved in surgical sutures, wound management, women’s health, and cardiovascular surgery. She is also senior executive

in charge of J & J Medical Devices and Diagnostic Products for Latin America. McCoy earned her bachelor’s degree in textile chemistry from UMass Dartmouth, and has a master’s in chemical engineering from Princeton and an MBA from Rutgers. Starting with Johnson & Johnson in ’82 as an associate scientist in research and development, McCoy has had an impressive career, assuming positions of increasing responsibility that combine both scientific and managerial expertise. She was promoted to Global President for the Baby and Wound Care franchise in 2002, and appointed to her current post in 2005. A New Jersey resident and mother of three sons, McCoy has been honored by several groups for her work on behalf of medical and children’s issues. She sits on the board of directors of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), an organization dedicated to inspiring and educating young people about science, engineering, and technology fields. “I studied textile chemistry because of the opportunities it could give me, and because it corresponded to my scientific interests. Growing up, I had a number of friends who were interested in science and math. There were fewer role models than there are today, but a lot of people encouraged me to stay in the field, including my father and teachers. “I always liked the technical aspect of things, the problemsolving aspect. I took organic chemistry and loved it, and I liked algebra. “At UMass Dartmouth, there were far fewer women than men in the courses. I had a number of close girlfriends and that was helpful. My professors were all male, but I had no sense of being discriminated against. My sense was that if you worked hard and you performed well, they would be very supportive. “After graduating from UMass Dartmouth, I went on to Princeton and was recruited by Johnson & Johnson. I wasn’t chosen because I was female. I had good grades and had done well in college. “I spent my first 16 years here in research and development, then went on to positions that also involved marketing. My experience has been that people want strong performers, who are technically solid and have good people skills. It doesn’t matter if they are men or women. “Three companies report to me. I oversee strategies for growth and make management decisions, and am very involved in research and development for future growth. “I love what I do. I can make a difference in patients’ lives, and I love the people with whom I work, seeing them grow and develop. I feel I have the best of all worlds in this position. There’s the research and development end, there is more problem-solving, and I enjoy the ‘people’ aspect, (dealing with) ‘What does the surgeon need? What does the patient need?’ “I’d say that the most important thing for people today—women and men—is prioritizing. You determine what is important to you. I have to find the right balance, and I don’t think that is any harder for women than it is for men. “Today, people want more balance in their lives and companies recognize that. I know that here we focus on that, and are con-

stantly asking, ‘How can we give our people more flexibility?’ “The FIRST group is focused on making science and technology fun for young people to participate in, in the same way that people enjoy sports. In the workplace, teamwork is so important—athletes learn that, and FIRST also emphasizes it. The organization gets youngsters interested at an early age. If you are going to develop leaders in this field, they must have solid scientific backgrounds, and they have to build their skills in working with people. That’s absolutely critical.”

I have a lot of girls in my

classes who are going into the sciences. In advanced science classes, there are many girls, often more girls than boys…

—Angela Cunard ‘00

Angela Cunard

received her master’s degree in biology from UMass Dartmouth in 2000, and has taught biology, including advanced courses, at Seekonk High School for six years. This spring, she was one of 30 teachers nationwide given the annual Science Teaching Awards from Amgen, one of the biotechnology industry’s leading human therapeutics firms. The awards recognize educators whose work advances students’ interest in science and inspires them to become scientists. Amgen honored Cunard for dedication, creativity, and strategies such as “hands-on labs and activities, along with Socratic questioning and problem-solving challenges. “She often uses current news and real-life applications to

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engage students, who can be found discussing sis. If successful, her project would enable more exploding frogs in Germany, wading in a river to effective, faster processing and storage of numbers, measure dissolved oxygen… (or) selling investors with practical application in a number of fields. on their start-up biology company.” If Powell wanted to entice girls into computer Societal messages and images may turn some engineering or similar majors, “instead of saying girls away from the sciences, Cunard acknowlsomething to them, I would show them someedges. “But I think that today it is a matter that thing, such as a cool online game. depends far more on the individ“What inspired me most in ual, on the girl and the support high school were some really she has in other ways. awesome video games I saw. “I have a lot of girls in my “I’d also talk with them classes who are going into the sciabout the opportunities in this ences. In advanced science classes, field that let you become inthere are many girls, often more volved with social issues, issues girls than boys. of protection and security — “I do sense that some girls things like the network being — Makia Powell, tend to be more afraid, afraid of developed with tiny robots with Master’s candidate, College of Engineering volunteering an answer, of being sensors for communicating and wrong. Boys seem less so. predicting fires and floods, and “With those girls, I try to get them to give me the answers by preventing disasters. encouraging them. I’ll say things like, ‘you’re warm, you’re close, “I was in middle school when I really became interested in you’re almost there.’ I would never just say, ‘you’re wrong.’ computers. My dad is a draftsman and I thought his work was “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was interesting. I read about Bill Gates and Microsoft, and thought a good student overall, and good in the sciences. I had a great the technology seemed cool and I wanted to work on it. teacher who got me interested in biology — a high school teach“A lot of my friends were boys and we worked on computers er, male, who really challenged me to think, to use my mind. He and programming. I guess that as a child I seemed like a geek to wouldn’t just give me the answers. He was very animated. We’d some people, but I was a happy geek. This was all so interesting be studying heart rates, and he’d jump on his desk and then have to me, so it didn’t matter what some people thought. us jumping up to run outside.” “I felt I received encouragement and support from a lot of Cunard decided she’d like to teach, incorporating into her people —my parents foremost, and my teachers. classroom that same hands-on approach. She ultimately succeeded “What I like about the field is the problem-solving that is through the Massachusetts program that expedites teacher traininvolved. It’s a math game. Working on a project can be frustrating and brings science professionals into the classroom. ing and rewarding. For me, when something becomes frustrat A parent cited Cunard’s biotechnology course in nominating ing, it’s fun to work with others and usually together we can her for the Amgen award. Students explore advanced concepts find solutions. about cells, and complete real-world projects. For example, “One reason I came to UMass Dartmouth was because I heard student teams analyze an actual disease from a biological perthe engineering program was a hands-on program. I visited the spective, develop a product to address its symptoms, and design ATMC. I felt that if I had an idea, people there would help me. marketing and financial plans for the product. “In my undergrad engineering classes, there might be one or two “They’re brainstorming all the time, while I’m guiding them. females in a class of 25 to 30. In my graduate courses, there are usuThey go all over the country attending seminars on their disease, ally three females and the classes are smaller. A number of females via the Internet. We have a Spirit Week where they show their drop out of engineering, but that’s the case with men too. product and come up with a logo. And they have a session where “Being the only woman has never been a problem, although lots they persuade (hypothetical) investors to give them seed money. of times, I feel I haven’t been taken seriously. I would make a sug “Having the students work in this way is so effective. My gestion and it would be glossed over or I wouldn’t be listened to. thing has always been to make learning hands-on. For me as a “So I am consistent and stay calm. When I say I can deliver a student, it was a case of ‘If I can see it, can manipulate it, then project, it gets delivered. I earned respect. I can truly understand it. ’” “I went to a meeting in Boston of the Society of Women Engineers and it was refreshing (Asst. Professor Katja HolttaOtto is working to revive the UMass Dartmouth chapter). I saw , it as a networking opportunity and a place for mentorship. You’re a Raynham native, graduated magna cum laude this spring with a able to talk about different subjects and maybe other women can degree in computer and electrical engineeing. Now pursuing her guide you because they have dealt with the same issues.” master’s in computer engineering at UMass Dartmouth, she is Diane Hartnett is the writer in the university Publications Office working on a complex computer chip system as her graduate the-

I came to UMass Dartmouth

because I heard the engineering program was hands-on.

M akia P owell

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A license to

dream

The “Changing Lives Through Literature” program that was launched at UMass Dartmouth has expanded across the country. Co-founders Dr. Robert Waxler and alumnus Wayne St. Pierre (above left) welcome back program participants Michael Smith and Kevin Fernandes.

Who would have predicted that a professor, probation officer, and judge would be “Changing Lives Through Literature” from progressive Massachusetts to death penalty counties in Texas?

By Susan Gonsalves ‘86

n alternative sentencing program based on English Professor Robert Waxler’s belief that great literature can change a criminal’s life has spread to death-penalty states such as Texas and Florida, the common sense plains of Kansas, and even across the ocean. “Reading a good story is like looking into a mirror,” said Dr. Waxler. “As the story unfolds, the parts of their lives unfold,

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and it allows people to gain insight Larry Jablecki, former chief prointo their behavior and the effects it bation officer of Brazoria County has on those around them.” in Texas, spearheaded the effort to Founded in 1991 by Waxler, adopt “Changing Lives through New Bedford Judge Robert Kane, Literature” there. Jablecki, who has and New Bedford Probation Officer a philosophy doctorate, has his Wayne St. Pierre , a 1980 alumgroups analyze the works of Plato nus , the “Changing Lives through and Socrates, and documents such Literature” program brings criminal as the Gettysburg Address and offenders to campus — rather than Declaration of Independence. a jail cell — for 10 to 12 week semi“As you can imagine, not everynars. As they explore different works one in Texas is enthused that proof literature, from Deliverance to bationers are reading philosophy The Old Man and the Sea, the and Steinbeck. Some think they participants are exploring, and should be picking up litter on the rethinking, their own lives. street or shoveling manure in a —Michael Smith, Now the program has expandstable,” Jablecki said. “They are “Changing Lives” participant ed, in various forms, to a dozen afraid we are coddling people. other states and Great Britain, and That’s why you need probation a Canadian counterpart is in the officers and judges who have courworks. Independent studies indicate a reduction in recidivism age and are not afraid of opposition. In the end, the reward is rates and decreased violent behavior among program graduates. in seeing people’s lives change.” And the instructors and criminal justice personnel have witAt UMass Dartmouth, St. Pierre has witnessed a transformanessed firsthand the positive impacts of the program. tion in the participants who would initially turn up on campus Having Texas sign on to the program in 1999 marked a major dressed in “hip-hop style baggy pants, do rags, wearing a lot of breakthrough, Waxler said. “The same very conservative people gold with their heads down. who were literally sending people to death were also embracing “They are fired up and excited and on their own,’’ he said. this program because they love stories of redemption.” “They tone down their appearance. We see their postures change. They look and feel like they belong. So they stand tall, carry their books, and feel proud.’’ Where Changing Lives Through Literature is at work “The program helped me look at things differently,” recalled Kevin Fernandes of New Bedford, who participated Location Participants in 2005 and is now involved in real estate. “It inspires you when you see other people reading and participating in the England (Devon) 5 men, 5 women discussions. I also think the program has a lot of potential United States because it can reach people when they’re young and give them an opportunity to build themselves.” Arizona 20 men, women Another participant, Michael Smith, enjoyed the exchange California 12 women of ideas and reactions at the seminars: “with Old Man and the Florida 10 juvenile boys Sea, you could relate to a lot of the things in there. As the course Indiana Forming new classes progressed, you’d see interest picking up and people would talk more about the books. Before I would read only if I had to. Now Kansas 15 women, 20 men I find myself picking up books.” New York Forming new classes The program serves to improve many probationers’ selfRhode Island Program at University of Rhode Island esteem. “Here they are reading college level books and carrying Texas 15 men on intelligent conversations. They think, ‘if I can do this, maybe I can go to college,’” said St. Pierre. “It gives them a license to Virginia 11 juvenile girls dream.” Massachusetts 11 programs, in courts in Chelsea, St. Pierre has launched a spin-off, “Inspiring Stories.” He Dorchester Men’s, Dorchester Women’s, performs songs he has written at halfway houses, the Veterans Framingham, Lynn/Lowell, Malden, Transition House, and elsewhere, and the audiences discuss New Bedford/Fall River, New Bedford song lyrics as they would a piece of literature. Juvenile, Roxbury, West Roxbury, To date, more than 4,000 men and women (including teens) and Wrentham have participated, usually recommended by judges, probation officers, or prosecutors.

As the course pro-

gressed, you’d see interest picking up and people

would talk more about the

books. Before I would read only if I had to. Now I find myself picking up books.

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“I generally rely on instincts, a gut feeling,” New Bedford Juvenile Judge Bettina Borders said of her selection process. “Usually these are young people who have no quiet in their lives. They are surrounded by screaming and fighting. No one ever talks to them, they talk at them. This program works because it lets them express themselves, many for the first time.” Waxler hopes to apply the program’s lessons to assist drug and alcohol-addicted populations. “Reading is a good addiction,’’ he said. “It can draw people away from one addiction — drugs— and get them excited about books instead.” In its original form, the “Changing Lives” course translates into less jail and probation time served. Different states have developed different versions — Texas, for example, does not reduce sentences, while in Kansas, the program operates during the week and offenders spend weekends in jail. The British version, now called “Stories Connect,” was launched in 2000 at the Channings Wood Prison in Devon, and has expanded considerably, reaching various populations of prisoners, non-resident offenders, and substance abusers. The current three-year program with offenders on community orders is being evaluated by a former addict who served time at Channings Wood, completed the course, earned a community studies and sociology degree, and is pursuing his master’s. Kathy McLellan, a youth outreach librarian in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, has been instructing juvenile groups for eight years. She has led the program at a range of venues including a library, corrections office, and Johnson County Community College. She has facilitated a similar program, “Read to Succeed,” using short stories in a temporary lodging for children and a youth mental health residential center. Another librarian conducts a program called “SAW (Stories About Women)” at a residential center. McLellan noted that the only thing surprising about the program’s success is the fact that it is not even more widely used. “We use a book called Breathing Underwater about a teen relationship involving physical and emotional abuse,” McLellan said. “This young man came into class without it and we were upset. It turned out he gave it to his girlfriend because she was the abuser. The book made it possible for them to talk about their relationship in a non-threatening way. “Seeing the lightbulb go on when a connection has been made on an individual level, or when you observe a newfound sense of empathy in a participant, makes it all worthwhile.” Since 2005, Diane Suddes has run classes at a Florida residential facility for youths on probation. “It’s amazing to see the juveniles’ energy when they understand, and the program is doing what it is supposed to do. It makes them see they have choices. It’s an effective way to reach them when they are young so that they won’t end up in the adult system.” In Indiana, the program links various community groups, including the jail ministry and public library. According to Jane Myers, Indiana Library Federation president, the focus is a book discussion group in place of a community service order as terms of probation. Program coordinators such as Myers find the program is also

rewarding for them: “I’ve found it easier to recognize different attitudes and respect folks for individual experiences,’’ she said. “The program has helped me develop skills that allow me to be more creative, supportive, and philanthropic.” St. Pierre agreed. “I’ve gained the same things offenders do—a wider understanding of society and how I fit into it. I have faith in it and know it really works. Once a place gets a whiff of it, it’s an exciting way to go.”

Urban Literacy Project takes a cue from “Changing Lives” to guide middle-schoolers

roviding a “new neighborhood” for at-risk middle school students at West Side School in New Bedford is the goal of the Urban Literacy Project. Educators adapted the literature and concepts of the successful Changing Lives Through Literature Program to the alternative school setting last year, and the program is continuing. “We want to give students a glimpse of a new neighborhood. Not only do we want them to engage cognitively with the reading and discussion of good literature, we also want them to become motivated and invest in their futures,” said UMass Dartmouth Education Professor Maureen P. Hall in a report entitled, “It Worked for Criminals; It Can Work for Middle Schoolers.” West Side School is regarded as “a school of last resort,” a place where junior and senior high students are sent after they are expelled. The population includes at-risk adolescents and gang members who are regularly exposed to violence. “The school is a challenging place to create educational opportunities,” Hall noted. UMass Dartmouth students in Hall’s introductory education course spent 15 hours each tutoring middle school students and documented the experience through a semester-long case study. “I was able to see how teachers have unique ways to discipline the most difficult students in the class. I feel most of these kids have unbelievable potential deep down; they just need guidance to prove it,” wrote one of the students. Hall also conducted professional development activities with West Side teachers. Dr. Deborah Sorrentino, West Side principal, spearheaded the pilot project. An anthology of short stories edited by Waxler and Jean Trounstine and called Changing Lives Through Literature, and the story Greasy Lake, by T. Coraghessan Boyle, were among the works used to engage eighth graders in discussion. Like their older counterparts, West Side students embraced the opportunity to use literature to wrestle with issues, many of which they encounter on the street, said organizers. Said one 13-year-old student, “I was mad tired. But now I’m not sleeping. I’m paying attention.”

Susan Gonsalves is a writer for the university’s Office of Public Affairs.

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A UMass Dartmouth education gives students global perspectives

F rom C hina

ouad Jeryes, a senior management information systems major, was one of 80 students from throughout the country who spent two weeks in China this past summer through the International Scholars Laureate Program. Jeryes, whose father is Palestinian and whose mother is Jordanian, was raised in Tewksbury and Amman, Jordan. A “citizen of the world,” he seeks “a more global perspective of the world and its people.” What was the most significant lesson you learned in China? What I observed most was the neverending insistence of the Chinese on work. They are serious and have a large appetite for learning new things and catching up with the rest of the world. What most impressed you in China? My journey through the country’s major financial and trade hubs was one of the most incredibly educational experiences of my life. The sights, sounds, and opportunities seemed endless. The program offered me the business perspectives I needed to realize this nation’s magnitude. I fell in love with China’s ancient feel. (The country) was so beautifully profound in its culture. I appreciated my limited, yet wonderful, time in each city to explore some of the many wonders of the world. Business in China is complex. To engage in business, you must attempt to understand the traditions and customs even before the language itself, which is no longer much of a necessity. While most do not speak English in rural areas, the communication walls are quickly break-

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ing down. More people are learning the English language in China than there are people living on American soil. The relationship-driven, hierarchical ways add a distinct quality. Unlike the practice in the United States, business follows relationship in China, and the Chinese do business only with those whom they trust. There is the important element called “face,” a powerful combination embracing a person’s honor, credibility, and reputation. Lack of “face” can ruin one’s chances of conducting any business. I wonder about the country’s future. How much further can it prosper, with how many more companies? How much more pollution can it take? What about all the ethical issues? I thought of The China Dream, and author Joe Studwell’s statement: “Ever since the time of Marco Polo, the world has seen China as an unrivalled opportunity for expanding trade. Century after century, businessmen have invested time and resources only to have the economy crash and their dreams turn to dust. Yet they always return.” What did you learn? We talked with upper management persons at the American Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Organization, and Coca-Cola. With Microsoft Asia’s GM David Kay, we discussed different issues facing businesses. Microsoft has won some battles, but seems to be involved in a neverending war beyond Chinese borders. I met the future generation of Chinese businessmen and women at the Xi’an University of International Studies. I was impressed and jealous. I also learned how the extremely competitive environment can crush an individual’s dream. In their view, Americans and others are taken seriously, with opportunities that the Chinese will never receive in their country. What one thing should Americans realize about China? With the fourth (about to become third) largest gross domestic product in

the world, estimated at $10.17 trillion, China will have to control potential markets and stabilize the economy — 500 million people earn under $1,000 a year, and about half of the population works in agriculture. Knowledge is power, heavily regulated by the government. While watching CNN in my hotel, a report on China came on. Immediately after the introduction, the picture went black until the report was over. This may be strange to Americans, but rarely, if ever, do we hear of a Chinese protest. How will this experience in China impact your education and career goals? My desire is to be a leading businessman. Walking through metropolitan Shanghai made me feel that I could succeed there. I realized the world’s largest corporations are pouring into China, and China itself is pouring into the world with its products! The things we consume, wear, and use go through the hands of countless Chinese who can only dream of possessing them. It bothers me that the world can be so unfair. I count my blessings and look forward to doing well by doing good in business tomorrow. My tentative plans are to pursue a promising position at a company for several years, return for my graduate degree, and then build my own company with my brother Faris, a sophomore finance major at UMass Dartmouth; or to follow one of my business ideas directly after graduation if proper conditions present themselves. What have been your best experiences at UMass Dartmouth? I value most the social connectivity. To work alongside dedicated faculty, staff, and organization members is a great experience. People care and wish to furnish opportunities to you. It is an excellent institution with a bright future. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else.

O n A fghanistan

athy Young-Perry ’06 can add to her resume experience that others would be hard pressed to match: “stateside suicide bombing tracker.” As a researcher for History Professor Brian Glyn Wiliams, the political science major did extensive work over the past year tracking suicide bombing in beleagured Afghanistan. As Dr. Williams traveled there, Young-Perry — a political science major with a history minor — did exhaustive research and developed what Williams calls “amazing” graphics, including a detailed map and chart on the bombings since 2001. It was an enterprise that was exceptional in both its nature and the results: Williams’ and Young-Perry’s report, published in the March 2007 Terrorism Monitor, was cited by the United Nations in its September publication, “Suicide Attacks in Afghanistan,” and the pair have been featured by, among others, the New York Times and BBC. Young-Perry’s work has gone a “long way in helping the U.S. understand a dangerous phenomenon that threatens to undermine everything we are attempting to do in Afghanistan,” says Williams. “I really hope that the research we do will save lives in Afghanistan,” says YoungPerry, a New Bedford native. How did you become involved in this kind of research? In my junior year, I was lucky enough to be asked by the late Professor Phillip Melanson to do research for the second edition of his book The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency.

He taught me how to research and do interviews for books. I enjoyed the experience greatly and decided that I would like a research position after I graduated. In my senior year, I took a course with Prof. Williams about Islamic politics. He was working on a book about Afghan warlord Rashid Dostum. I was intrigued and explained I could be very helpful in doing research. (Again) I felt lucky to have the chance to do research on an important project, which is unusual for an undergraduate. A few months (later), Professor Williams was asked to research suicide bombing in Afghanistan. I began an exhaustive search for all the attacks that had occurred in Afghanistan. Prof. Williams spent countless hours talking to foreign contacts and (traveled) to Afghanistan to corroborate our findings. As word of our work spread, I took all the information and created charts, graphs, maps, and a movie to make the enormous amount of information easily presentable. Our findings have been showcased all over the world, in Pakistani newspapers and at conferences in Turkey, which Prof. Williams attended. Our work appeared in the March 1 Jamestown Foundation: Terrorism Monitor, then in CNN, the BBC, and Time. Professor Williams invited me to DC in June to present with him at the Jamestown Foundation to an audience that included members from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s office, the FBI, the CIA, and retired generals. When you started as a student, what were your plans? I was interested in global politics and in finding a way to mix my love of history with my love of international relations. I figured that I would apply to the CIA or NSA for security work. I wanted to make a difference and keep people safe, everywhere in the world. I wanted to help make decisions to make a difference in how the U.S. interacts with the rest of the world. What do you hope will be the result of your work? If a few civilians or soldiers are spared, it will be worth it. I hope people will look

at suicide bombing and help fix the problems that contribute to this phenomenon. The CIA and other agencies have requested copies of our work specifically to help make policy decisions. I hope it can open a door to more research on a tactic that, sadly, has become more prevalent. How did your UMass Dartmouth education prepare you for your future plans? I could never thank Professor Melanson enough for my first research opportunity. I have to mention (Political Science) Professor Robert Darst. Without his grueling research papers, I would never think out of the box and discipline myself to do the hours of research needed on the suicide bomber project. He demanded a level of perfection (and) I gained a lot of confidence in my own skills. Professor Williams put a lot of trust into an untested undergraduate. I am eternally grateful to him. I had a great support system in (Political Science) Professor Michael Baum who was very encouraging and guided me. UMass has some extremely talented professors. The university offered me the opportunity of a lifetime by having an incredible faculty that really believes in its students. How have your family members reacted? My husband could not be more proud or supportive of me. My 11-year-old son is extremely impressed. He was very excited when I traveled to DC, and has followed every mention we’ve had in online newspapers. Your plans for the future? My job now is with Fellowship Health Resources. I provide counseling and advocacy in a therapeutic setting, helping (individuals) with chronic mental illness achieve social, emotional, and personal independence through one or more programs. I plan to apply to the United Nations for a two- to three-month position in Afghanistan. I hope to be able to work at the U.N. or for a non-government organization that deals with Afghan issues.

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SACHUSE

OUTH

UNIVERS

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i Associat

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Homecoming

Weekend 2007 On hand for the Alumni Association awards presentation were (l-r): Paul Vigeant ‘74, alumni employee award; Donald Ramsbottom, university service; Kathy Lee Dombrowski ‘03, association president; Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack; Donald Taylor ‘54, alumni service; Randall Pollard ‘53, personal achievement; and former Alumni Relations Director Joe DeMedeiros.

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20 From Homecoming Weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletics events, to the elegant Blue and Gold Evening program, fall was a busy time on the UMass Dartmouth campus.

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Supporters of the Claire T. Carney Library celebrated at October’s Blue and Gold Evening. Shown clockwise starting at bottom left are: Retired Charlton College Dean Richard Ward (left) with retired Physics Professor John Russell and wife Claire; Miss Massachusetts Valerie Amaral ‘08 with her grandfather and former engineering professor, Conrad Richard, Claire Carney, and Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack; UMass Dartmouth staffers Holly Fern, at left, and Jane DePina; Management Professor Matthew Roy, with Dr. Garry Clayton, and Dr. Bal Ram and Rekha Singh; and (center) Executive Assistant to the Chancellor Joyce LeBlanc ‘89 flanked by daughter Kara (left) and her husband Dr. Michael Caron and daughter Kim ‘99 and her husband, Jim Marshall. A l u m n i

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Alumni news

Class Notes ’50s

Harry Kalpagian ‘50, textile chemistry, Greensboro, NC, retired from Fiber Dynamics in 1998 where he was director of product development and quality control. Richard Carbonaro ’51, textile chemistry, Lakeland, FL, plays golf three times a week, and is looking forward to the 60th class reunion. Paul St. Laurent ’52, mechanical engineering, Swansea, has retired from Aquidneck Management Associates where he was a chief engineer for eight years. William Markey ’55 and Norma Markey ’54, chemistry, Fairhaven, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a surprise dinner dance given by their children. Barry Robbins ’57, electrical engineering, was president of GBR Development Corp. After graduating from Officer Candidate School, he served on active duty for more than four years, and was supervisor of shipbuilding in Camden, N.J. He owns his own roofing and sheet metal business, and has served in various capacities for Beth-El Synagogue. He and his wife Gladys live in Cherry Hill, NJ. George Barboza ’59, mechanical engineering, Oak Hill, VA, retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1994 and has worked as a private consultant. He has a master’s degree in math and physics from Northeastern University.

’60s

Walter Wordell ’60, textile technology, Mattapoisett, retired in 1993 after positions with Celanese Fibers Marketing Co., J.P. Stevens & Co., and the Forstmann Co. Milton Berube ’61, textile chemistry, Williamsburg, VA, retired in 2003.

What’s new with you? Send it along to www.umassd.edu/alumni/or Alumni Association, 285 Old Westport Rd., N. Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300

John D. Bowen ’61, electrical engineering, Silver Springs, MD, is a member of the Volunteer Corps, National Archives, Washington DC; National Secretary, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge; Vice President, Battle of the Bulge Historical Foundation; and Band Chairman for the Washington, DC St Patrick’s Parade Committee. He worked as an electrical and project engineer for National Cash Register Co., and in research and engineering for the U.S. Postal Service Headquarters. A 1953 New Bedford High School graduate, he enlisted in the Army with Craig Proctor ‘60. William F. Leger ’61, mechanical engineering, Marlborough, worked in the nuclear power business. He retired from Westinghouse in 2001, and returned as a consultant a year later. Paul A. Desbiens ’64, electrical engineering, Fairfax, VA, served with the Navy, and has retired after more than 34 years with Lockheed Martin. Richard N. Elkington ’64, visual design, Fall River, is an associate professor of photography at Providence College. Richard England ’65, chemistry, MS ’89, business administration, Forestdale, will become governor next year of the New England district, Kiwanis International. He and his wife Jackie ’85 live on Cape Cod; they have three sons and eight grandchildren. Karin Cavanaugh ’66, business management/marketing, Knoxville, TN, retired from Whirlpool Corp. in 2006 to spend time with her two grandchildren. She enjoys traveling with her husband and is active in her church.

Roland Duphily ’66, mechanical engineering, Long Beach, CA, and wife Susan have three daughters, Nicole, Kate, and Laura. He works on spacecraft and launch vehicles at Aerospace Corporation. John Foster ’66, textiles, San Antonio, TX, retired in 2001, and enjoys the good life as a grandfather, marathon runner, traveler, hiker, photographer, fisherman, and volunteer. Daniel Medeiros, Jr. ’66, accounting, Buzzards Bay, retired from the Internal Revenue Service in 2001 after 34 years as a revenue agent and group manager of auditors in Brockton, New Bedford, and Hyannis. Neal Perry ’66, mechanical engineering, New Tripoli, PA, retired. He has two daughters and three granddaughters. A boating enthusiast, he is a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Margaret L. Klingmeyer ’67, accounting, Wellesley Hills, writes that her son Frederick has returned from a tour in Iraq. John E. Furtado ’68, textile technology, Port Charlotte, FL, retired from DuPont in 2004 after 36 years of service, most of which focused on technical assistance on Nomex and Kevlar fibers. Russell R. Jackson ’68, business administration, Lakeville, celebrated his 35th year with Graybar Electric Co. He writes that retirement would give him the time to enjoy the home he owns along the coast of Maine. Robert D. Machado ’68, mathematics, Tustin, CA, serves on the board of directors of the Tustin public schools foundation and Tustin area council for fine arts.

John S. Sherman ’68, accounting, Cocoa, FL, is a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, Association of Old Crows, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He has two adult children and enjoys golfing. Robert “Bob” Snigger, ‘68, textile technology, Austin, TX, is an ordained Roman Catholic deacon in ministerial services at two parishes. A volunteer co-manager of the St. Vincent DePaul thrift store in Temple, he writes “God bless” to his alumni friends. John Anselmo ‘69, textile technology, Warner Robins, GA, is an air traffic control specialist for Lockheed Martin at the Macon Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

’70s

Gita Dalevskis Owens ’70, painting/ 2D studies, West Palm Beach, FL, is advertising director and staff manager for Martha A. Gottfried, Inc. John J. Donnelly III ’71, civil engineering, Beverly, is an instructor in project management at Boston University’s Corporate Education Center. He is also a project management and engineering consultant with Verizon. Anne Hall ’71, mathematics, Bridgewater, has been a mathematics teacher at BridgewaterRaynham Regional High School for 24 years, and plans to retire in June. Douglas Lemmo ’71, mechanical engineering, Bridgewater, retired from General Electric in 2002 and started Power Generation Consulting Services. William Coots ’72, electrical engineering, Lafayette, CO, works for a data storage company.

Cl ass N otes Robert Dufresne ’72, electrical engineering, Somerset, is a retired electronic engineer from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and enjoys playing golf. Rachelle Caspar ’73, art education, Somerset, has been the lead teacher at UMass Dartmouth’s Children’s Center for Learning since 1995. She has two sons and three granddaughters. Thomas E. Duval ’73, management, Hingham, is assistant facilities manager at Boston University’s fitness and recreation center, and coordinator of the summer term. Robert R. Gamache ’73, chemistry, Dunstable, is dean of UMass Lowell’s School of Marine Sciences, and professor in the Earth, Environmental and Atmospheric Science Department. Kathy L. Grandmaison ’73, painting/2D studies, Swansea, has worked at the UMass Dartmouth library for most of her career. The mother of three is a member of the First Baptist Church, Swansea. John J. Gushue, Esq. ’73, civil engineering, East Freetown, has moved his law office to New Bedford.

Keith Bourdon ’74 (right), sociology, Taunton, was one of four probation officers to receive the 2007 Probation Employee Recognition award. “Keith has played a lead role in developing a community crisis intervention team to deal with issues,” said Taunton District Court Chief Probation Officer Joseph Dooley. Probation Commissioner John J. O’Brien said, “Keith approaches his job with dedication, diligence, and profes-

Former dean Don Howard honored with a Wall of Student Leadership Former Dean of Students Donald C. Howard, remembered fondly by generations of UMass Dartmouth alumni, has been honored with a Student Leadership Wall in the Campus Center. An area on the center’s second floor near the new location of the Student Affairs Office was dedicated to Howard this past October in a ceremony attended by administrators, staffers, students, graduates, and community members. Howard, officially emeritus dean of students, has been working with the Alumni Office

sionalism.” A ten-year employee of the probation service, he is a Bristol Community College adjunct faculty member. Alberto de Baros ’74, mechanical engineering technology, Brazil, has worked in the import/export business since graduating. He was a project coordinator in major steel in Brazil, and now buys and sells steel coils and plates.

John Montigny ‘85 (left) and brother, Senator Mark Montigny ‘84, both former student trustees, congratulate Don Howard. done for me.” The walls around the sculpture are lined with pictures of Howard with wellknown persons, including former governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, and former legislator and university president William Bulger. Among the speakers was State Senator Mark Montigny ’84, who praised the longtime dean for his dedication to young people. “It has always been about the student and student affairs” for Howard, said Montigny.

and University Foundation, and has launched the Donald Howard Center for Leadership and Personal Development initiative. The ceremony included the unveiling of a sculpture created by 2000 graduate Jesse Green that honors Howard. The piece, entitled “He Believes in Me,” depicts one person holding another on his shoulders—a reflection of Howard’s commitment to helping students realize their fullest potential. “It’s what I felt he did with me,” said Green. “I really appreciate everything you’ve

Patrick W. Chung ’74, mechanical engineering, has retired and moved to Toronto. Joseph J. Delude ’74, history, Seekonk, has been named director of business services for the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional Schools.

Theresa R. Galligan ’74, nursing, Orleans, sold her Raynham home, and is volunteering at the local senior center and Birthright of Greater Taunton. She traveled to Puerto Rico and the Philippines to visit her sponsored children. Ronald M. Gamache ’74, English, Somerset, is a freelance copywriter whose clients include Verizon, Jordan’s Furniture,

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Alumni news

UMass Dartmouth, Dunkin Donuts, Gillette, Mobil Oil, and General Motors. Richard Gendreau ’74, mechanical engineering, Fort Washington, MD, is a foreign military sales manager for the US Navy. Barry T. Hauck ’74, textile technology, Montclair, VA, was promoted to Deputy Product Manager for Soldier Survivability for the U.S. Army. He led the U.S. delegation during the March NATO meetings on soldier protection. His eldest son has started a chiropractic practice, and his youngest son is a student at Wentworth Institute. He and his wife celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary in August. Donald C. Mallalieu ’74, art education, Ludlow, is a mechanic in a medical swab plant, and is involved in wedding photography, computer graphics, and outdoor photography. Michael Medeiros ’74, management, Swansea, has been a volunteer firefighter for 35 years and works as engraving director for Universal Engravers, a division of Cranston Print Works, where he has been employed for 27 years. Michael has been married for 32 years and has two sons, Gregg and Brett. David B. Dauer ’75, painting/2D studies, is a member of the International Regional Magazine Association board of directors. In his hometown of Milton, he serves on the lacrosse league board and Temple Shalom board. He has been Director of Operations and Creative Services for Offshore Publications, Inc., Quincy, for 21 years. Gail Nauen ’75, visual design, Carver, is a painter and printmaker, and is married to a photographer. Russell Perry ’75, mathematics, East Falmouth, a teacher for 32 years, is an eighth grade math teacher in the Freetown-Lakeville

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school district. He and his wife also own a women’s health club. Lucille Rosa ’75, visual design, Assonet, a librarian for the Naval War College since 1989, has worked at a number of regional libraries. A Freetown library trustee, she belongs to the library planning committee, American Library Association, and Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table. Barbara J. Fitzgerald ’76, marine biology, Payson, AZ, is the director of special services at Payson Unified School. Martin Rooney ’76, civil engineering, Marlborough, is president and CEO of Residential Engineers Inc. His son is a UMass Dartmouth engineering student. Mary Gorczyca Swire ’76, psychology, Fairhaven, is human resources manager for Colonial Wholesale Beverage. James A. Houle ’76, visual design, is an attorney for a Maine law firm. He attended University of Maine School of Law for his JD degree and Boston University School of Law.

Deaths Edward Murphy ‘34 Eugene “EJ” Mogilnicki ‘42 Paul A. Lamoureaux ‘53 Lawrence Chappell ‘62 William Perry ‘63 Robert S. Surprenant ‘64 James Higson ‘69 Janet Hammond ‘71 Pamela L. Dacy ‘72 James L. Wagner ‘73 Carol Cordeiro ‘74 Patricia Walsh ‘74 Helen B. Freitas ‘76 Mary Leon ‘77 Joseph Ramos ‘79 Edward Hynes ‘81 Angela Bangrazi ‘90 Walter Gomes III ‘91 Patrick Sullivan ‘05

Juliette Maitoza ’76, English, Clifton Park, NY, has taught English at a suburban middle school for 25 years. Her son Anthony, a photographer, graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007, and daughter Kathryn majors in speech pathology at SUNY Geneseo. Jerome Rosperich ’76, management, Charlestown, WV, married Marie A. Draus in July 2006. Gloria Craven ’77, nursing, Medford, owns Craven & Ober Policy Strategists, LLC, which deals with government and regulatory affairs. She is a past president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Noreen P. Giammalvo ’77, nursing, Oviedo, FL, teaches sixth-grade science at an Oviedo middle school, and was named a “teacher of the week” by the Orlando Sentinel. A pediatric nurse for 20 years, she received her teaching certificate from the University of Central Florida. Noreen has been married to Steve Giammalvo ’77, management, for 29 years. They have three sons: Dan, who just graduated from UCF; Jeff, a student at Seminole Community College; and Andy, a senior at Oviedo High School. Her hobbies are reading, gardening, fishing, and traveling.

Office of Admissions. His online art gallery website specializes in photography, and he is president of the Friends of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. Kenneth Barber ’78, management, North Dartmouth, works for Cranston Industrial, selling fire protection material. A widower, he lives in Dartmouth with his daughter Abigail, and works parttime in the UMass Dartmouth Athletics Department. Oliver Cipollini ’78, psychology, Marstons Mills, asks all Delta Kappa Phi members and fellow ’78 graduates to become Alumni Association members and attend events. Linda Enos ’78, management, Acushnet, is a member of the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School Committee. Principal of the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, she has a daughter who teaches first grade, and two other children who are college students. Richard Neal ’78, visual design, Centerville, had his work included in “The Angry Sea” exhibit at the Cotuit Center for the Arts this past summer.

William Hathaway ’77, management, is a purchasing agent for New London, CT, where he lives. He is a member of Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus and Friends of Harkness Memorial State Park.

Susan L. Payne ’78, biology, College Station, Texas, is an associate professor of veterinary path biology at Texas A&M University. She received a doctorate in microbiology for marine science from Louisiana State University.

Jimmy Tingle ‘77, history, Cambridge, is taking his “American Dream” show to the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, and is developing a new show, “Jimmy Tingle for President.”

Paul Sorli ’78, management, Portsmouth, NH, is president and owner of the Portsmouth Gas Light Co., listed as an “editor’s choice” in a London-based travel publication.

Timothy J. Welsh ’77, painting/ 2D studies, Gulfport, Fl, helps various organizations with artwork donations. He taught drawing at Harvard University, and works in the Eckerd College

Gary Souza ’78, economics, Fairhaven, is the town’s police chief. He is a former Bristol County assistant district attorney.

Cl ass N otes Antonio Teixeira ’78, Portuguese, Bristol, RI, is dean of students at Mount Hope High School. Marilyn Walker ’78, management, East Falmouth, would like to be in touch with players from her 1975-78 basketball team. Mary Blum-Schwartz ’79, humanities/social sciences, Dartmouth, says “hello” and sends warm wishes to classmates. Ellen C. Feibel ’79, textile technology, Garwood, NJ, is a senior management assistant in Piscataway. Charles Gurney ’79, accounting, Rising Sun, MD, is an accountant at the National Archives and Records Administration. Paul Kostek ’79, electrical engineering technology, Seattle, WA, is a senior systems engineer with Boeing. Marguerite Picard ’79, medical technology, Fall River, retired in 2002, and enjoys the beach. Linda Koszerowski Rowley ’79, textile design/handweaving, Fleming, OH, has worked as a color stylist and designer of contract vinyl wall covering for over 17 years. She has been married for nine years and spends a lot of time traveling.

’80s

Dot Sauta Arrigo ’80, biology, Hudson, is a senior technical computer analyst for Staples in Framingham. Sally Darlington ’80, marketing, Eagle, CO, is married to Doug Kopel and has two children, Samantha and Nathan. They own a design, construction, and real estate development company in Vail. Both play ice hockey and ski seven months a year. Kristopher Furtney ’80, biology, Barrington, NH, is a senior sales professional with Merck & Co, Inc. He is married and has two children, Matt and Laureyn.

1983 graduate’s book guides parents of youngsters with juvenile diabetes On a day roughly a decade ago, Moira McCarthy ’83 sat anxiously in a hospital room, as doctors determined why her younger daughter languished in a near-coma. When they finally diagnosed six-year-old Lauren with juvenile diabetes, McCarthy was, predictably, distraught and overwhelmed. And there was what she calls “the solitude of it — being so alone. No one I knew had this, no family members, no friends.” She drew on that sense of isolation in writing The Everything Parent’s Guide to Juvenile Diabetes, published this spring. “I wanted to write for someone like myself,” says McCarthy, a Plymouth resident and successful writer since graduating with an English degree. Published by Adams Media, the guide focuses primarily on the critical lifestyle issues that families face when a child has juvenile— or Type 1 — diabetes. As a child grow more independent, living with the dietary and medical restrictions that are vital in managing the disease becomes more problematic. So McCarthy addresses situations such as “The Slumber Party,” “High School Freedom,” “Making the School Nurse Your Partner,” and “All About Insulin Pumps.” They are topics McCarthy has direct knowledge of, given the experiences of Lauren, now 16 and a high school sophomore (McCarthy and her husband Sean Stanford also have a 20-year-old daughter). McCarthy hopes the book, which had a technical review by a physician, “helps families find support and answers.” Yet she was initially reluctant to write the book, suggested by her agent and publisher, and ultimately agreed on the condition that all proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. “I just could not fathom the idea of profiting off of my daughter’s illness.” With an increasing amount of positive recognition, the guide “has become what I wanted it to be, a first stop for parents in learning. That’s the profit I’m willing to accept.” Lauren herself read the book several months after its publication: “She said to me, ‘Mom, even though I’m not actually in here, it’s all about me.’ “It has been hard — there have been times when I’ve had to say, ‘I’m sorry you have this, but it is what you have and we have to deal with it.’ This is life-changing for the parent as well as the child, because it is almost like having an infant forever. As a parent, you have to be vigilant, but you can’t be morose and panicking all the time…. Yes, I do hover.” If, for example, Lauren wants to live away from home for college, she will leave with her parents’ blessing (and, McCarthy admits, not a little trepidation). “Ever since Lauren was diagnosed, I cannot believe how much has changed for the better. There have been big advances, and I really feel good things will happen in her life,” says McCarthy. McCarthy’s volunteer work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation won her its 2007 International Volunteer of the Year award, and she chairs its government advocacy efforts. Both mother and daughter have been interviewed by, among others, CNN and the New York Times. Lauren has twice testified on diabetes issues before the U.S. Senate. McCarthy combines her volunteerism with the writing career she began after leaving UMass Dartmouth. She started as an editor at a weekly newspaper; was named AP Reporter of the Year in ’95 when, as a Brockton Enterprise writer, she helped solve a murder case; and she has written for the New York Times leisure pages. Today, as a contributing editor for SKI magazine, McCarthy “cannot imagine getting any more joy from any other work. I lived to ski as a kid — I’d read skiing magazines and think how cool it was that people got to write and ski.” McCarthy’s fourth book, slated for publication last month, has a daunting subject: The Everything Parent’s Guide to Adolescent Girls. Under consideration is a memoir of teen life during the late 1970s. Her success has only confirmed her high opinion of UMass Dartmouth. “My education was more than enough to get me where I wanted to go — no question about it. I liked not only the professors and the classes, but also the fact that I could really participate in the campus community, things like the Torch and the student council. I felt I was in a really diverse environment. There were all sorts of people, not just kids who looked like me. I learned as much from that as I did from my classes.” The Everything Parent’s Guide to Diabetes is available at Amazon.com, and larger bookstores. For information about the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, go to www.jdrf.org

— Diane Hartnett

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Alumni news

Book by graduate urges seniors to age “with zest” More individuals should embrace “the art of growing older with zest,” says 1980 graduate Liz Waring, who has published a book urging people to do just that. In Up With Aging, Waring expands on her introductory message with a series of colorful, hand-tinted photos of older persons enthusiastically enjoying various activities and hobbies—riding on a motorcycle, golfing, gathering daisies, and dining with friends. Waring, mother of two and grandmother of three, owns Waring Portrait Art Photography. She notes that several years ago, she began taking light-hearted photos of seniors, and “I found their spirit and sense of humor inspiring.” As she read more about seniors and wellness issues, the idea for her book took hold. The photos, taken throughout the region, are complemented by her introduction, which examines various topics related to aging, from the importance of exercise to the value of volunteering. “I hope the remarkable spirit of the individuals pictured here will bring inspiration to your day and a smile to your face,” writes Waring, a resident of Westport and New Smyrna Beach, FL. A portion of the book’s sales benefits The Home, a non-profit corporation for elder care. Patricia Hale, ’80, psychology, Acworth, GA, has two teenage children, Eric and Meghan. She has been a guidance counselor with Fulton schools for 28 years. Her husband is part-owner and vice president, sales, for Spectrum Kitchens. Lorri McGarvey ‘80, nursing, and Steve Devlin ‘79, psychology, were married in June, 30 years after they met in the dorm formerly known as “Purple House” at the school formerly known as “SMU.” They live in Marstons Mills where Steve is a builder and guitar player. Gale M. Medeiros ’80, management, Fall River, is a member of the city’s Preservation Society. David M. Querim ’80, textile technology, Somerset, is a program coordinator for the U.S. Army NSRDEC.

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Karen Quintin ’80, marine biology, South Dartmouth, is an assistant in the Bishop Stang High School advancement office and coaches field hockey. Her husband Ray is an attorney. Their son Brian attends Stevens Institute of Technology, son Mike attends Northeastern, and daughter Katie is a sophomore at Bishop Stang. Richard Thompson ’80, business administration, Northglenn, CO, works for Jones International University, and has three sons. Peter Carlin ’81, visual design and art history, New York City, earned his master of fine arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Mary R. Lyons ’81, psychology, Mattapoisett, is that town’s police chief. In 2010, she will become president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the first woman to hold the post. She is also president of the Southeastern Massachusetts Police Chiefs Association and the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement

Council, serves on a variety of committees, and is the town’s emergency services director. Kris Oliveira ’81, nursing, Portsmouth, RI is a registered nurse and attorney who is licensed to practice in Massachusetts, the US District Court, and the U.S. United States Supreme Court. Vice president and senior risk consultant at Marsh USA, Inc., Kris is married to John Oliveira ‘81, engineering, MBA ’90 and MS ‘02, computer science. Rick C. Rosenfeld ’81, history, Acushnet, married Felice in 2005. They have two daughters, Rachel and Megan. Paul Fraser ’82, mechanical engineering technology, Vienna, WV, is the facility general manager for Cabot Corp in Waverly. Melany Hansen ’82, management, Oakton, VA, is married with four children. She retired from AT&T in 2007 after 22 years. Anthony Rose ’82, political science, Dartmouth, is married to Doreen Gavigan. They have two children, Kevin and Kristen, and enjoy traveling. He is regional sales manager for Pipeline Wireless LLC in Fall River. Bruce Gray ’83, design, Los Angeles, makes modern sculptures, abstract paintings, and functional art. He recently completed a piece for the Zimmer Museum, Los Angeles, and is working on a wall sculpture for Children’s Hospital Boston. His work was to be featured in a number of publications this year. Alvin Costa ’84, mechanical engineering, and his wife, Alice Lopes Costa ’84, Portuguese/Spanish, live in Tiverton, RI. Their daughter Lindsey attends Providence College, and daughter Rachael attends Tiverton High School. He is director of operational excellence at U.S. Cosmetic Corporation. Paul DeCoste, Jr. ’84, management, Somerset, is vice president and general manager at the

Credit Information Bureau and serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. He and his wife Susan DeCoste ’95, accounting, have two sons, Kyle and Drew. Deborah Carlson Milcetich ’84, mathematics, Estero, FL, is a selfemployed consultant. She and husband John P. Milcetich ‘84, electrical engineering, have two sons. Joseph J. White Jr. ’84, mechanical engineering, North Kingstown, R.I., is senior vice president of operations and finance for Wright Line LLC, which manufactures specialty furniture. He received a master’s degree from Boston University. Kevin Akin ’85, electrical engineering technology and business administration, Assonet, received his master of business administration degree from UMass Dartmouth in 2001. Jordan Antunes ’85, accounting, Waltham, is a recruiter specializing in accounting and finance in the Boston area, and would like to hear from alumni. William Howard ’85, chemistry, North Kingstown, RI, is an environmental engineer for National Grid and a certified hazardous materials manager. William and his wife have two teenage children, Lesley and Ellen. Donald Machado ’85, electrical engineering, Tiverton, RI, and Lisa Machado, have been hand-roasting coffee daily in their coffee shop in the old Stone Bridge area of town. Rhode Island Monthly magazine gave the shop its “Best of Rhode Island” award for Best Fair Trade Coffees, South. It also was recognized by Yankee magazine as a small coffee roaster favorite; designated a Providence Phoenix “Best Of” winner; and selected as a Top Retailer Award Winner by the Specialty Coffee Association of America & Fresh Cup magazine.

Cl ass N otes Robert Pontbriand ’85, psychology, Alexandria, VA, writes that he recently accepted a move to the Criminal Investigations Task Force, Fort Belvoir. He is a member of the Private Investigators of Northern Virginia, and USIS International. His prior employment with Lockheed Martin and the Army Reserve gave him ample opportunities to travel throughout the world. Bob and his wife have been married for 14 years, and have two children. Daniel Roussell ’85, accounting, Boston, is senior vice president and senior director of operational risk at State Street Corp. Mike Voisine ‘85, electrical engineering, has founded International Defense Development, LLC, focusing on strategic planning, business development, and international business support to clients seeking sustainable growth in aerospace and defense. Mike lives in Suffield, CT, with his wife Patti and children Sarah, Alex, and Meghan. Paul T. Adams ’86, mechanical engineering technology, Wrentham, who works at SolidWorks Corp., is “checking with people I haven’t spoken to in a while… give me a shout.” David King ’86, electrical engineering, San Jose, CA, works in Silicon Valley for a start-up company, Infoblox, that provides network identity products. Mark R. Richard ’86, computer engineering, is a financial aide administrator for Patrick Henry College and is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling and discipleship at Capitol Bible Seminary. Mark left Massachusetts over 20 years ago for the Washington, DC area, and switched careers from computers to career counseling and financial aid. He, his wife Wendy, and children Emma and Sam live in Leesburg, VA.

Robin Branco ’87, psychology, Dartmouth, is enrolled in a PhD program and is a clinical coordinator at St. Anne’s Hospital. Jeanine L. Martell ’87, accounting, West Dennis, married Paul Cunningham in 2004. She is an accountant for Luke Brothers, Inc. in West Yarmouth. Matthew Quinn ’87, political science, Dartmouth, attended Suffolk University Law School, and is an assistant clerk in the Fall River district court. Lisa Shactman ’87, marketing, Newburyport, and husband Peter have two children, Jake and Julia. She started a media buying business 10 years ago. Jethro Craig ’88, English, New York City, a member of Actors Equity and the Screen Actors Guild, has been in the cast of over 20 off-Broadway and Broadway shows and performs in national tours.

Maureen Connolly Bolinger ’89, computer-oriented mathematics, Winston Salem, NC, is a lawyer. She and her husband Matthew have twin daughters, born in November 2006. Keith Francis ‘89, multidisciplinary studies, is a principal of Francis Communications, a graphic design firm. He recently exhibited his fine art at the Krause Gallery, Providence, and will have a show at New England School of Art/ Suffolk University main gallery in February. His fine art work is represented by the DeCordova Museum, Lincoln. His work is in corporate collections at Merck, Boston, and Tofias, P.C. Cambridge, and been shown on, among other places, WGBH television, and in the Boston Herald and Boston Globe. Christopher Lane ’89, history, Chicopee, is an evaluation team leader for Springfield public schools. Chris was in the Air Force Reserves for 20 years.

Eric W. Frias ’88, accounting, lives in Tucson, AZ, and is in a master’s program in health psychology and behavioral medicine at Northcentral University.

Linda Lincoln ’89, biology, Big Flats, NY, is married, and has a daughter and stepson. She and her husband have two chiropractic offices.

John J. Medeiros ’88, history, is the education director at Stevens Treatment Programs in Swansea. He received his master’s degree in education leadership from Bridgewater State College. He and his wife Karen live in Somerset, and he is president of the town’s basketball league.

Julia Miller ’89, English/writing, Redondo Beach, CA, is a marketing consultant and writer who has been in the entertainment technology industry for more than 15 years.

Todd M. Bryda ’89, history, of Torrington, CT, is associate professor of history at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted. His wife, Pam KingsleyBryda ’89, humanities/social sciences, is a paralegal for a Hartford firm. They have a daughter, Eleanor. They are involved in Civil War re-enactments, and Todd’s Irish band released a CD that was well-reviewed in several places.

Linda Nelson ’89, visual design/ illustration, Stoughton, works as an e-learning instructional designer and developer for Iron Mountain, where she uses her education in illustration, graphic design, web design, and writing.

’90s

Paul J. Fears ’90, mechanical engineering technology, Rockport, is a principal engineer at Linde. John Fistori ’90, management, Dartmouth, is married with three children, and is a sales representative for Interstate Batteries of Cape Cod.

Pamela J. Hackett ’90, electrical engineering, Anthem, AZ, worked at Texas Instruments in Dallas for seven years and Lucent Technologies in North Andover for five years. She has two children, Ian and Melissa. Christine J. McIntyre-Hannon ‘90, and Joseph Hannon ’90, visual design/illustration, are mural painters and faux finishers in North Scituate, RI. In March 2006, Christine had her first gallery opening at Wilson Scott Galleries in Wickford. Christine is chairperson of the Wickford Art Association, and member of the Lyme Art Association, and National Society of Mural Painters. Joseph worked for Verizon Yellow Pages for 13 years. They are parents of Ryan, Kyle, and Joey, a UMass Dartmouth student. Michelle Parent ’90, medical technology, was awarded an Early Career Faculty Travel Grant from the American Society for Microbiology to attend the annual conference for undergrad educators at the University of Buffalo. She is an assistant professor of medical technology. Randall Villeneuve ’90, mechanical engineering, London, leads an Oracle Corp. team for strategy consulting for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Steven Leahy ’91, illustration, owns Leahy Illustration and has his studio in Stoughton. He teaches the unusual art form of airbrushing, and has won awards from the National Acrylic Painters Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, and Society of Illustrators. He writes for Airbrush Magazine and has been featured in Airbrush Action Magazine, Airbrush Art and Action, and Naval Aviation News. Michelle A. Cabral ’91, human resource management, Dartmouth, is a human resources specialist. Elisabete M. Swenson ’91, computer and information science, Braintree, writes that she and

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Fall 2007

Alumni news

From the president As the university continues to grow, so too does the Alumni Association. The Board of Directors is happy to announce that we have increased alumni membership by over 40 percent from last year and we are eager to provide increasingly valuable services and opportunities for graduates. We recognize that the university has changed, with more students living on campus and many more activities underway, so we are committed to changing with it. We have been able to provide more networking programs for students and alumni, as well as social events which rekindle relationships with alums. Whether you have just graduated or are an alum of one of UMass Dartmouth’s predecessor institutions, the Alumni Association has something to offer for you. We welcome your suggestions for programs, events, or special services that would appeal to you. We also want to announce the departure of Alumni Director Joe DeMedeiros ’99, who has been named associate vice chancellor for alumni relations at UMass Boston. We know he will continue to serve the University of Massachusetts. During his two-year tenure at UMass Dartmouth, Joe’s enthusiasm helped the Alumni Association dramatically increase both membership and annual fund support, increase student scholarships, and launch our first online alumni community. Without Joe’s support, the Association would

have been unable to grow as it has and we will wish him much success in his endeavors. A search for his replacement has begun. The Alumni Association is also eager to connect with all who work to advance UMass Dartmouth and its surrounding communities. Local supporters truly helped make the last Homecoming Weekend-Fall Festival one of the most successful homecomings ever. From the “Bioneers by the Bay” farmers’ markets, to the free trolley tours provided by the city of New Bedford, to the live music organized by Phil Oliveira ‘77 of the Stone Cold Blues Band, it was great to see everyone turn out for a strong showing of school spirit. The association is always expanding its circle of friends, while developing more benefits for members, students, and the university as a whole. We urge you to join the Alumni Association— become active, and let us know how we can be of assistance to you. Visit our website at www. umassd.edu/alumni or call 508.999.8031.

Kathy Lee Dombrowski, ‘03, new Alumni Association president, is database manager, development and external relations, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

Scott Joubert ’93, multidisciplinary studies, Powder Springs, GA, is an information technology manager for Servidyne, Inc. Norman S. Medeiros ’93, English/ writing and communications, Wilmington, DE, is an associate librarian for Haverford College. Stacie Vienneau ’93, humanities/ social sciences, Waltham, works as an associate director at Genzyme. Craig Rousseau ’93, illustration,’94, painting, of Swansea, is a lifelong comic book geek/fan and DC Comic Illustrator. He created the character and draws the Caped Crusader for the new monthly comic book based on the WB network’s “Batman Beyond.” He has also drawn “The Flash” and a children’s X-Men book, and freelances for Disney Adventures magazine. Karylee Ann Doubiago ’94, visual design/photography, is married with three children and lives in the Berkshires. A paraprofessional working with children in a local grammar school and in the art field as a fiber artist, she was recently published in two books. Jason Green ’94, chemistry, Bristol, RI, is married with two daughters, and is a lab manager for Pfizer Inc.

husband Stephen have a son, Matthew. She works for Lotus/IBM. Mark J. Bernardo ’92, painting/2D studies, art education ’94, New Bedford, is the vice president of Madison Avenue Design and Marketing LLC. Kerry A. Manchester ’92, marketing, minor in music, Shrewsbury, is married to Michael Manchester. She is a senior account executive in Lowell. Alda O’Connor ’92, nursing, Alexandria, VA, is a lieutenant commander and registered nurse in the U.S. Navy.

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Yvonne Riley ’92, accounting, and Michael Riley, ’87 psychology, ’91, MA psychology, are married with two children and live in Hopkinton. David M. Barry ’93, English, Roslindale, teaches at Hyde Park High School. He has a master’s in urban policy degree from Tufts University. Kevin Foley ’93, visual design/ art history, runs his own graphic design business, KF Design, in Gunma, Japan, about 50 miles northwest of Tokyo. The company works mainly in print design, with a focus on both editorial design and corporate communications, and in identity and brandingrelated projects. Every month, he works with a client on a 48-page

English-language magazine called Japan+, which explores topics such as traditional Japanese arts and current political issues, for a worldwide readership. KF Design’s work for Japan+ Magazine has been recognized for two years with Merit Awards in the Society of Publication Designers annual design competition. It has been featured in The 41st Publication Design Annual, The Best of Business Card Design 6, Creativity 35, Layout Workbook, and Global Corporate Identity 2. Elana Proulx Hastings ’93, English/ writing and communications, and Sean Hastings ’91, biology, Shrewsbury, have two young sons, Zachary and Duncan.

Jeffrey Guilbault ’94, political science, Anderson, SC, and Kathleen Bradley are the parents of a son, Jackson Alexander, born in May. Jeffrey is the city planner for Anderson. Nathaniel Naughton ’94, history, Watertown, chairs the social studies department at Arlington Catholic High School. Susana Carvalho Pacheco ’94, electrical engineering, married Peter Pacheco ’92, electrical engineering, MSEE ’94, in 1997. New Bedford residents, they have two daughters, Ella and Ava. Peter is an engineer at MITRE Corp. and Susana received an MBA degree in August 2006.

Cl ass N otes Peter Pereira ’94, visual design/ photography, Fall River, was named photographer of the year, Region 1, by the National Press Photographers Association. A photographer for the StandardTimes newspaper, he won the 2006 Publick Occurrences Award for superior achievement in photojournalism. He has received eight first-place awards, seven secondplace, and two third-place awards over the course of the year. Cheryl Spurlock ’94, nursing, Orlando, FL, is the director of nursing at Lifecare Center in Orlando. Catherine McGrail Williams ’94, sociology/criminal justice, Watertown, announces the birth of Adriana Catherine, born in February. She joins sister Brianna and brother Casey. Rev. Jeffrey Cabral ’95, mathematics, is studying at the School of Canon Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, while assisting and residing at the Little Flower Church in Bethesda, MD. Alicia Colon ’95, psychology, New Bedford, works at Taunton State Hospital and the Latino Health Institute, and enjoys traveling. Eric Guerin ‘95, photography, owns Adelie Studios, a visual design company in Sutton. He employs two CVPA alumni as designers, while other CVPA graduates freelance in illustration and animation. The firm has been working on logo designs, web sites, and posters, and recently completed a corporate identity design for a product being launched internationally at large department stores. David Shapleigh ’95, illustration, is a fine arts lecturer at Bridgewater State College, Montserrat College of Art, and Newbury College. His work was to be exhibited at Imago Gallery, Warren, RI, and has been featured at the Energy Gallery, Toronto, and Long Beach (CA) Arts. David received the

prestigious Clowes Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. Robin K. Claiborne ’96, humanities/ social sciences, Richmond, VA, graduated from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree in reading education. She has been teaching in Richmond public schools for eight years, and has a daughter, Lillian. Carmen Francisco ’96, Portuguese, MAT ’05, Somerset, teaches Portuguese and Spanish at that town’s high school. Sheila Johnson ‘96, English/ writing, Santa Barbara, CA, is the education coordinator for sexual harassment prevention at the University of Santa Barbara. Jennifer A. Jones ’96, marketing, of Auburn is an inventory control specialist for Holy Cross College, Worcester. Madeline Asencio-Matos ’96, psychology, Bridgeport, CT, has worked for 10 years in case management positions with adults, participates in the Greater Bridgeport HIV/AIDS Consortium, and is learning sign language. She moved to Bridgeport in 2000 after marrying her husband Richard. She has three children and four grandchildren. Jason Zelesky ’96, English, lives in Barre, VT, with his wife Alyssa, and is associate dean of students at Clark University, Worcester. He co-chairs the board of advisors for Planned Parenthood of central Massachusetts. Don Burton ’97, sculpture, is a creative director and editor working with producers, advertising agencies, and film studios in Los Angeles. Projects range from documentary/narrative films to spots for companies like Pepsi and General Motors. He is developing a script for a horror film and an Afghanistan-based story, and plans a film installation sculpture for a Cape Cod show.

Catherine Carter ’97, painting, is a painter, living and working in Holliston. She teaches at Framingham State College and at the Danforth Museum School, and in her studio is experimenting with large collages on paper. She has exhibited at Lesley University, the New Bedford Art Museum, and the Attleboro Art Museum, and is writing a series about area artists for the Standard-Times newspaper.

College, and is involved with Lynn Arts, Inc. and RAW Art Works.

Michele Ann Francoeur ’97, English/writing and communications, Prescott Valley, AZ, is a clinical services crisis worker for West Yavapai Guidance Clinic.

Samantha Morris ’98, marketing, Wynantskill, NY, volunteers for the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society. She speaks at online marketing conferences and is studying for her MBA.

Joseph Lacerda ’97, civil engineering, owns a music store in Manchester, NH, called Manchester Music Mill, and writes that nothing makes him happier than music and working for himself. Jeffrey Mathes ’97, computer engineering, Dartmouth, works for PURVIS Systems Inc. as a senior software engineer. Kristine Matthews Resendes ’97, sociology, Fall River, and her husband Ernie Resendes ’97, visual design, had their first child, Nora Faith, in March. Kristine is director of testing at Bristol Community College. Joao-Luis DeMedeiros ’97, humanities/social sciences, Rancho Mirage, CA, is a veteran “guest columnist” of the Lusitanian Diaspora. His weekly “Memorandum” presents opinions about ethnicity and socio-political subjects, and he has written verso da Palavara, Translucent Worlds, a Portuguese edition of poems. Wendy Monteiro ’97, accounting, Wareham, has been a certified loan officer for GMAC Mortgage, Fall River, since 2001. Jocelyn Almy Testa ’98, visual design, Lynn, runs The Little Gallery Under the Stairs and has four children. She is pursuing her master’s in arts education degree at Endicott

Scott J. Bentley ’98, visual design/ graphic design, is a graduate of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and is residential physician for the USAF/Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA. Cora Gauthier ’98, marketing, Fall River, welcomed her first child, Nathan, this past May.

Sheelagh M. Beaulieu ’99, accounting, Fairhaven, is a member of Tofias PC, and has been sworn into the Rhode Island bar. Stephanie Fisher ’99, psychology, Melrose, received a master’s degree in human resource development from Villanova University. For three years, she has been the New England region human resource generalist for Air Products Healthcare. Andre Gabryjelski ’99, management, Haverhill, works for Fallon Community Health Plan. Kristina Johnson ’99, political science, West Roxbury, works for the city of Quincy. Jennie Lajoie ’99, nursing, Littleton, CO, is a nurse with the multi-trauma unit at Swedish Medical Center. John Magnan ’99, sculpture, a full-time sculptor, works from his home and studio in New Bedford, and devotes much of his time to his touring exhibit of 16 pieces created to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. He is working now on a pair of spoons for a collector who invited artists across the country working in wood to make spoons for him.

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Fall 2007

Alumni news

Matthew D. Menard ’99, computer and information science, Taunton, is a senior software engineer for General Dynamics. He lives with his wife Mindy. Sejin Park ’99, marketing, is overseas marketing manager for LG Electronics. He married YunJu Lee in 2005. Adam Szymkowicz ‘99, English, has composed more than 15 oneact and full-length plays and over 20 ten-minute plays. The New York Times called his most recent play, Food for Fish, “fabulous,” and his previous play, Nerve, “sweet, sexy, neurotic-friendly.” They and Deflowering Waldo will be published by the Dramatists Play Service. Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award-winning writer Marsha Norman, who teaches at Juilliard, says, “Adam is simply one of the funniest, smartest young writers we have ever had at Juilliard.”

’00s

Ellen Branley Brogan ’00, sociology, Boston, is married to Terence Brogan, and is director of Open Systems Technologies. Jennifer Gonsalves ‘00, English, New Bedford, is chief of visitor services for the National Park Service in New Bedford. She received her masters of community planning from the University of Rhode Island. Karen LeBlanc ’00, sociology, Fairhaven, is a social worker and guidance counselor for the Global Learning Charter School, and works with the Emergency Services Program of Child and Family Service. She has a son, Tyler, and a daughter, Lindsey. Michael J. Nelson ‘00, English/ writing and communication, Fall River, works in documentation at KVH Industries, Inc. He has received merit awards from the Society for Technical Communication. Tina Sherman ’00, management, New Bedford, is a production control manager at Brookfield Engineering Labs, Inc. UMass

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John R. Stadtman ‘00, mechanical engineering, Tewksbury, is manager of manufacturing and facilities support services for Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. in Manchester, NH. He and his wife Susan Hayes Stadtman ’99, marketing, have a son, Matthew Albert. Pensiri Thongsima ‘00, accounting, Glen Rock, NJ, received her MBA from Babson College, and is the senior audit professional for Johnson and Johnson. Kristen S. Barranco ’01, biology, Shrewsbury, married Mark Barranco in 2005. She is a senior research associate for Genzyme in Framingham. Adam Chapdelaine ’01, political science, Fall River, is the Youth Council Director at the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board.

Jennifer Burnap Nolan ’01, finance, Plainville, is a loan specialist for Country Home Loan Co. Kathleen Wilson ’01, psychology, Westborough, is studying to be a registered nurse. She is the mother of four boys, Collin, Tyler, Lucas, and Logan. Nils V. Bockmann ’02, English/ writing and communication, Mashpee, graduated in May from Suffolk University’s Cape Cod Program with a master’s in communications. He is an instructor at Cape Cod Community College. Emilio Cruz ’02, humanities/social sciences, is a probation officer at the Bristol County Probate and Family Court and an instructor at the Bible Seminary. Teresa A. D’Anna ’02, business information systems, Baltimore, works for Adecco.

Chris Colizzi ’01, graphic design, Haverhill, was promoted to senior graphic designer at Strauman, a medical device company, where he has worked for five years.

Amy Dowling ’02, graphic design, Foxboro, is a customer service representative for Arbella Mutual Insurance.

Kirsten M. DeWitt ‘01, marketing and Todd C. Zeman, both of Islip, NY, have married. She is a retail planner for Bed Bath and Beyond.

Ashley Shannon Goode ’02, psychology, Watertown, is completing her master’s in social work degree at Boston University.

Jamie Lightfoot ’01, English, Newton, received her master’s degree in library science from Simmons College, and works at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Richard S. Guerin ’02, French, Brooklyn, works for Orange Mountain Music, personal record label of American composer Philip Glass. After graduating, Richard pursued his interest in classical music with an internship at the Boston Pops, which led to a job at the Arts Management Co. He resides in the city with his longtime girlfriend.

Heather Moreau, ‘01, MA writing, produced “Breaking the Silence,” a half-hour special for NBC10 that received an Associated Press Award for best public affairs programming, and was recognized by the American Women in Radio & Television with a Gracie Allen Award in January. She also produced WJAR’s “Holiday Tribute to Our Troops: Where do We Live?” which was nominated for a Boston/New England Emmy Award, and “Rhode Island’s Historic Lighthouses.”

Howard Mallowes IV ’02, accounting, Dartmouth, owns Atlantis Mortgage Corporation. Elizabeth A. Rothwell ’02, marketing, Edgartown, is the catering sales manager at Harbor View Motel and Resort. Amy Berrio ’02, and Gregory Zackrison ’01, both sociology/criminal justice, Bridgewater, were married in 2006.

Stacy Dailida Arsenault ’03, photography, Whitinsville, is a graphic designer for the Telegram & Gazette and married Mike Arsenault ’03, photography, in 2004. Jintai Cho ’03, biology/marine biology, Somerville, is a research animal specialist at Mass. General Hospital. Brianne Como ’03, biology/marine biology, announces the arrival of a son, Brady, born last December. Erin Dziedzic ’03, art history, is a curator for the Exhibitions Department, Savannah College of Art and Design. She oversees the exhibitions of seven galleries in Savannah, three in Atlanta, and one on a satellite campus in Lacoste, France. She is an administrative assistant for Drain Magazine, an online contemporary art journal, and earned her master’s in art hisory in 2006. Lisa Farino, ‘03, MA, professional writing, has written environmental articles for magazines such as Harvest Times and E-The Environmental Magazine. She publishes The Frugal Environmentalist, organizes The Frugal Environmentalist Traveling Environmental Film Festival, and co-directs Better World Films. Puck Fernsten ’03, political science, resides in Chicago, and is managing director for the Hanover Research Counsel. Robert S. Fitzgerald ’03, marketing, West Roxbury, is an account executive for Boston Globe Media. Robert “Moe” Moses Folk ’03, MA professional writing, Fairhaven, had his essay “32nd Running of the Tempus Stakes” in News Letters, a quarterly literary magazine. Moe participated in the 2005 Computers in Writing Intensive Classrooms workshop. Lauren Jepsen ’03, graphic design, Gilbertville, is assistant art director for Wondertime Magazine-Disney Publishing Worldwide.

Cl ass N otes

2007-08 Alumni Association Board (l-r) Robert Lavoie ’61, Paul DeCoste Jr. ’84, Frederick McDonald ’55, Michael Ferreira ’77, Vice President Theresa Brum ’76, Donald Wood ’60,’70, President Kathy Lee Dombrowski ’03, Jacquelyn Briggs ’03, former Alumni Director Joe DeMedeiros ‘99, Gloria Craven ’77, Scott Costa ’78, Rhoda Purcell ‘73, Administrative Assistant Nancy Tooley ’99, Susan Costa ’72, Christopher Cooney ’90, Roger Dugal ’70, John Freeman ’58. Missing: Brenda Bouchard ‘89, Oliver Cipollini Jr. ’78, Erin Dacey ’08, Alan Ferguson ’74, Judith Lima ’87, Treasurer James Pratt, Jr. ’89, Malcolm Riggs ’76, Clerk Sherri Sterling ’97, Susie Narciso Lydon ’92, Vencelo Mello ’71, Kevin Santos ’81.

Stay involved with UMass Dartmouth and your former classmates— serve on the Alumni Association The Alumni Association is seeking nominations of graduates who would like to join its Board of Directors. Nominate yourself — or someone you know— to be a candidate in this spring’s election. There are seven vacant seats on the 21-member board; the new members’ three-year terms begin on July 1. Membership on the board keeps you closely linked to your university, and gives you a say in alumni activities and policies. Working with alumni office staff, directors recommend, direct, and oversee events such as the annual homecoming weekend and programs such as scholarship awards. • All graduates are eligible for nomination; before serving, alumni must have paid the annual $25 membership fee. • Nominate yourself or any graduate of the university, or its predecessor institutions. • Nominations must be returned to the Alumni Office by March 1. • Nominees will receive a request for further information. You can nominate someone online by going to www.umassd.edu/alumni; or mail in the name of your nominee, and contact information, to Alumni Association Nominating Committee, 285 Old Westport Rd., Dartmouth MA 02747.

Patrick Joyce ’03, business information systems, Brighton, is an IT security consultant for Accenture. Helge G. Liedtke ’03, business administration, Providence, has been senior consultant at Bearing Point Consulting and Financial Services since December 2006. Wendy R. Litke ’03, electronic imaging/photography, is a marketing associate and designer for Rhode Island Philharmonic, and hopes to complete a yoga teacher training program. Kathleen “Costa” Medeiros ’03, business information systems, Somerset, was married this past June.

Laurie Murphy ’03, marketing, Cardiff by the Sea, CA, is a corporate recruiter for a large independent brokerage firm. She has lived in San Diego since graduation. Douglas Place Jr. ’03, management, Bedford NH, is an analyst in aviation finance for Sovereign Bank in Manchester. Veronica Victoria Vidal ’03, graphic design, of Watertown, married Derek Praeger in 2006, and is a master’s degree student at Boston University. Catherine ‘Cat’ Rosario Ruble ’03, English, Rural Retreat, finished her master’s in environmental education degree in New Hampshire in June, and moved to Virginia with her husband David and daughter, Anne Marie.

Kristen M. Stanton ’03, multidisciplinary studies, Woburn, is a producer at WCVB-TV, Channel 5, Boston. Sarah Tanaki ’03, marketing, Bradford, is a sales operations manager for Insulet Corp. She has a son, Benjamin, born in 2006. Jozef L. Trzepacz ’03, history, Boston, is pursuing a master’s degree in higher education administration. Caitlin A. Carreiro ’04, textile science, Lexington, KY, received her master’s in material engineering from the University of Kentucky, and has enrolled at University of Dayton School of Law.

Daniel J. Cohen ’04, marketing, NY, works for Codiam Inc. Matthew James Costa ’04, philosophy, New Bedford, married Rachel Costa and graduated from Roger Williams University School of Law in May. Samara Gonzalez ’04, psychology, Smyrna, GA, works as a credit counselor for CCCS of Atlanta. Richalie Griffith ’04, civil engineering, Nashua, NH, is a civil engineer in the Geotechnical Engineering Section, Army Corps of Engineers. He was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2007 for a one-year assignment.

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Fall 2007

Professor Les Cory retires… sort of

He’s the recipient of dozens of awards for military, academic and humanitarian achievements, and he was honored at the White House by President Ronald Reagan with a Volunteer Action Award. But if you ask Chancellor Professor Lester W. Cory to pinpoint the highlight of his career now that he has retired after 45 years at UMass Dartmouth, his answer has nothing to do with public accolades. “Receiving a thank you from Linda was the biggest thrill. She and a few others

Sarah Nobles ’04, psychology, Halifax, is working on her master’s in critical and creative thinking at UMass Boston. Chih-Chung Wang ’04, computer and information science, Taipei, Taiwan, is a senior assistant manager for Citibank. Russell Giroux ’05, computer and information science, Cambridge, is a business analyst for Trinity Pharma Solutions in Waltham. Marisa Manning ’05, graphic design, Charlestown, is employed at Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. Shawn M. Monteverde ’05, business information systems, North Grafton, is lead tech/ webmaster for a computer peripheral company in Millis.

like her have made all the effort worthwhile,” said Cory. Cory is referring to Linda Texceira, a young woman with cerebral palsy whose story touched him and was the catalyst for the creation of the Society for Human Advancement Through Rehabilitation Engineering (SHARE), a non-profit organization he founded with two colleagues in 1982. Linda’s only means of communication was by shifting her eye gaze to letters written on a Plexiglas board held up by another person.

Together with Professor Philip Viall, Cory designed a computer system that gave Linda a “voice,” and the ability to convey her thoughts for the first time. Additional requests poured in for customdesigned systems to assist people with disabilities such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and a host of other conditions. The Center for Rehabilitation Engineering was established in 1987 on the UMass Dartmouth campus. Cory and Viall became its leaders along with the late Professor Richard Walder. SHARE is the Center’s funding arm. Cory is continuing to lead SHARE as a new director is sought. Today, the Center’s engineers continue to adapt and build equipment to suit the particular needs and abilities of each client who seeks help. More than 2,600

Scott Seiter ’05, graphic design, Portland OR, is a graphic design and Flash expert for McBru.

Adam J. Hanley ’06, biology and history, Swansea, is a retail manager at the Swansea Mall.

James Shepard ’05, MBA, Weymouth, passed the Massachusetts CPA exam this summer, and was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy Reserves.

Patrick Huegel ’06, marketing, Westborough, is a marketing associate for Alexander, Aronson Finning and Co.

Kevin Braga ’06, MBA, Fall River, has been promoted to assistant vice president, risk management and compliance, Citizens-Union Savings Bank in Fall River. Davis Brooke ’06, English/drama, and film studies, Brewster, is a reporter for a weekly newspaper on Cape Cod. Ashlie J. Dias ’06, humanities/ social sciences, Fall River, worked for the Early Head Start Program in Newport, RI.

Bui Phu Quang ’06, MBA, Hickory, NC, is a senior auditor for Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio & Associates. Rocco Rauseo ’06, sociology/ criminal justice, works for Homeland Security as a border patrol agent in San Diego. Joan Stratton ’06, sociology, Mattapoisett, is pursuing her master of social work degree at Bridgewater State College. Maya Lynn Tavares ’06, artisanry/ textile design/fiber art, Warren, RI, is the president of Quahog Design Studio in Bristol, RI.

clients have received equipment and services in 38 states and several foreign countries. In recent years, most of the children and adults with disabilities served live within a 30 mile radius, according to Cory. Cory said he will enjoy his retirement by spending more time with his wife Pat, five children and nine grandchildren, traveling, flying planes, and completing long overdue work on his home in Tiverton. Hearing from his former students is something he still relishes. “It’s been interesting for me to watch them as they get into their careers and positions with great responsibilities. “Recently, my past students were telling me they had retired or were about to retire…that kind of told me it was time for me to move on too.” — Susan Gonsalves ‘86

Stephen Clermont ’07, English/ literature and criticism, Westford, is seeking a job, and also looking into graduate programs at Northeastern University in Boston. Brian M. Iacaponi ’07, management information systems, New Bedford, is a senior software developer at Live Universe, Inc. Matthew Renaud ’07, management information systems, Fall River, works at Salve Regina University as a technical support specialist. Kyle Riding ’07, medical laboratory science, Fairhaven, is a clinical laboratory scientist in the Mass. General Hospital hematology lab. Jeffrey Sinko ’07, medical laboratory science/cytotechnology, Fairhaven, is a medical technologist at Brockton Hospital.

The Claire T. Carney Library The improvements you are supporting will soon be a reality Help us complete our exciting transformation of the library with an enduring gift. Purchase one of the pavers that will be part of the design of a new space for the Claire T. Carney Library. The engraved eightinch hexagon pavers will become a lasting part of the UMass Dartmouth landscape. Each time you come to campus, you can visit the terrace and be reminded of your commitment to and support of UMass Dartmouth. You can celebrate your own graduation, honor a professor who made a difference for you, remember a loved one, or celebrate a special occasion. Please call 508.999.8200 with questions or to order your paver. You may also purchase pavers online at www.umassd.edu/librarycampaign/pavers/

Thank you for your support of the Claire T. Carney Library and the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives Project.

What’s coming

up at UMass Dartmouth in the new year… Jan 9

Send-off for Valerie Amaral ‘08, Miss Massachusetts, UMass Club, Boston

Feb 1

6th Annual MLK Jr. Breakfast & Drum Major Awards

Feb 7

30th Anniversary of Women’s Resource Center, special guest, Gloria Steinem

Join your UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association—it’s to your benefit:

• Annual subscription to the UMass Dartmouth Magazine

• Hotel & car rental discounts

• Alumni travel programs

• Free admission to the Boston Museum of Science and Omni Theater

March 14-21 Men’s Soccer and Alumni Cultural Trip to Azores

• Voting and service privileges on the Alumni Association Board of Directors

April

Sam Stone Awards Dinner, date TBA

• Joseph A. Banks Clothier 20 percent discount

May 8

UMass Night at the Boston Pops

• Privileges at all libraries in the UMass system

May 24

Dinner for honorary degree recipients

• Tripp Athletic Fitness Center membership discount

May 24

50-year reunion for Class of 1958

May 25

Commencement

• Campus Store, 10 percent discount on all clothing and gifts

July 3

Freedom Festival & Fireworks

Oct 3-5

Family Fall Festival

Oct 4

Chancellor’s Blue & Gold Evening

Oct 17

Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet

Oct 17-19

Alumni Homecoming

• Discount admission to varsity athletic games

Visit www.umassd.edu/alumni for more details and to

join the UMass Dartmouth Online Community

Check www.umassd.edu for the updated calendar of events details. Periodicals Postage Paid New Bedford, MA 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300