Around the Campanile
$150,000 gift supports SimLab patients as part of a program with the non-profit Partners in Development. The Haiti program is led by CVPA grad Lizzy Barnes ‘09 (summa cum laude, illustration) who is not only fluent in Creole, but also a talented artist whose paintings capture the spirit and daily life of the Haitian people. Dr. Jeanne Leffers, retiring Graduate Program Director who specializes in community and international health, has worked closely with PID planning trips and serving as a faculty mentor in Haiti. Although she is retiring from UMass Dartmouth this year, she will continue to be involved with the program in Haiti. Dr. Leffers (above) holds the portrait Lizzy Barnes painted as a surprise tribute to her upon her retirement.
semester, making good on the School’s public mission to address unmet needs in the region. From researching municipal law for city solicitors—and saving taxpayer dollars in the process—to aiding indigent clients through South Coastal Counties Legal Services, or assisting prosecutors in the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, UMass Law students are getting a head start on their legal careers while
The quality of the education on offer at the College of Nursing is about to improve even further with the generous $150,000 donation by former dean Dr. Elisabeth Pennington. Her gift will support the Dean Elisabeth Pennington Simulation Lab, which will contain a “virtual hospital” with a nurses’ station, and four treatment rooms with hospital beds and medical equipment—while doubling the number of SimMen® electronic mannequins that perfectly mimic human bodies responding to treatment.
Aiza’s “life-changing” decision In spite of family hardship and the disruption of changing high schools three times in four years, Aiza Soares excelled in science and graduated from Somerset High School in 2008. She had doubts about going on to college, but a friend convinced her to try and she was accepted into UMass Dartmouth’s prestigious nursing program, a decision she describes as “life changing.” Watch a video of her story: umassd.edu/faces/aizasoares/
giving back to the communities they serve. “UMass Law is all about connecting our legal education to the needs of the community,’’ said law student Andrew Sibley of Ashburnham, who is putting his skills and education to work at the New Bedford City Solicitor’s Office. New Bedford City Solicitor John Markey agrees: “Our community is fortunate to have this school and these students helping us address legal issues facing the city.”
SIFE All-Stars excel in NYC This April, the UMass Dartmouth Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team won the Northeast Regional Championship and took “All-Stars” honors at the SIFE Regional Competition held in New York City, beating 95 other institutions. SIFE, an international organization that “brings together the top leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through
U M as s D artmouth M agaz i ne | Spr ing 2012
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