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A magazine for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University Fall 2011 issue
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ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Fall | 11a pu
blication fo
r alum
ni and
frien
ds of So
uthe
rn Con
necticut State U
nive
rsity
Dear Southern Alumni,
In this issue of Southern Alumni Magazine, we feature a
number of alumni who have made a difference across the globe
though service with the Peace Corps. Reading each story, I could
not help but be impressed with how these individuals’ volunteer
efforts profoundly impacted their own lives, as well as those of
the people in their host communities.
This spirit of self-improvement through lending your
time and talents on behalf of others is one that we cultivate in
our student body here at Southern.
Our students have raised thousands of dollars for
Connecticut Special Olympics through our annual Jail ‘N’ Bail
event, and for cancer research through the Relay for Life. They
have collected boxes of provisions for needy families in Greater
New Haven through the Adopt-A-Family food drive; distributed
toys to more than a thousand of the city’s children with the
Friends of Rudolph program; and cleaned up neighboring
streets and parks through the annual Southern Day of Service.
Our students’ volunteerism earned Southern a place on
the U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor
Roll in 2009, while our overall contribution to the community at
large was recognized last year with the prestigious Corporate
Heritage Award at the 216th Annual Meeting of the Greater New
Haven Chamber of Commerce.
In these difficult economic times our community
contribution has never been more valuable. We are playing a key
role in Connecticut’s recovery process, developing programs
directly tied to workforce needs.
For example, responding to state and national concerns
about declining student numbers in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) — and a resulting
lack of expertise in those areas — Southern is creating new
opportunities for study and potential employment in the STEM
disciplines. We have seen STEM course enrollment growth of
more than 17 percent in the last five years.
Recently, the university was named the host site for
Connecticut’s first research center devoted solely to
nanotechnology and this summer we offered the first two
courses in a Connecticut State University systemwide graduate
certificate program in this cutting-edge field. The new center will
prepare students for careers in this growth industry through
hands-on experience with specialized equipment. We are also the
recipient of a multi-million dollar National Science Foundation
grant that will enhance our joint materials science center with
Yale University — providing exceptional research and
educational opportunities for students and faculty at Southern
and in New Haven schools.
Our Physics Department has three ongoing major
initiatives tailored to meet the needs of Connecticut’s high-tech
industry: an engineering concentration, a proposed
interdisciplinary master’s degree in applied physics, and the
previously mentioned nanotechnology certificate program. The
number of physics majors has nearly doubled in recent years and
current graduation rates are in the top 15 percent nationally.
These and other developments underscore our
commitment to be recognized as a center of excellence in the
STEM disciplines. And the future construction of a state-of-the-art
academic and laboratory science building, now in the design
phase, will enhance the ongoing expansion of our science
programs. Not only are we dedicated to providing our students
with abundant learning opportunities aligned with Connecticut’s
workforce needs, we also want to be known as a regional leader for
both cultivating interest in the sciences and providing mentoring
in these fields for women and under-represented groups.
Dr. Stanley F. Battle
Interim President
LETTER
PresidentFROMTHE
features
As the Peace Corps
celebrates its 50th
anniversary, Southern
shares photos and
memories from some of
the more than 66 alumni
who have volunteered
with the organization
over the years.
From the President inside cover
Campus News 2Nostalgia 20
Supporting Southern 22Out and About 24
Alumni News 26Alumni Notes 30Southern Events 36
departments
Peace Owls 10
Plant It Forward, Southern’s
new urban agriculture
demonstration project, includes
a garden and an orchard, with
plans in place for an outdoor
classroom, a greenhouse, a
vineyard, and more.
The
18
Fall | 11Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
[COVER] Pictured with her son and a group of local school children in theRepublic of Malawi, author Karen Lynn Williams, M.A. ’77, volunteered with thePeace Corps from 1980-83. [ABOVE, FROM LEFT] Patricia Lott, ’91, in Paraguay •Kimberlee McCarthy, ’95, in the Commonwealth of Dominica
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:25 AM Page 1
Southern Connecticut State University and Yale
University have been awarded a six-year, $13
million grant that promises
to expand cutting-edge sci-
entific research and bolster
educational opportunities
for students and faculty in
New Haven Public Schools.
The National
Science Foundation (NSF)
has allocated the funds to
enhance the universities’
joint materials science
center — the Center for
Research on Interface
Structures and
Phenomena (CRISP).
Six years ago, NSF
awarded $7.5 million for
the creation of the center,
of which Southern
received $1,484,000. The
new award will forward
the center’s work, with Southern receiving $1,763,000 — one
of the largest grants ever awarded to the university and its
largest research grant.
Materials science is a discipline that includes the
creation of technologically advanced items, ranging from
computer chips to biological implants. The center enables
students to create and examine new materials at the
atomic level. It also helps to foster interdisciplinary research
by faculty and students at both institutions in a variety of
disciplines, including physics, chemistry, and engineering.
The center has a major educational out-
reach component. “This grant is extremely
important as it supports
both innovative research
and teacher development
at a crucial time for
Southern and the state
of Connecticut,” says
Southern Physics
Department Chairwoman
Christine Broadbridge, the
center’s director of educa-
tion. “Math and science
have taken on an increas-
ing importance for our
state and nation’s future.”
CRISP has offered
workshops designed to
improve the professional
development of science
teachers in the area
during the last six years.
Those programs will now
focus more closely on New Haven Public Schools and
include an assessment component to gauge how effective
they are at improving student learning.
“This is a natural partnership,” says Broadbridge. “In
fact, we believe it will serve as a model for other urban
school district/higher education partnerships.”
The NSF has designated CRISP as a Center of
Excellence for Materials Research and Innovation — one of
several in the country. It is the only small materials research
center to have attained that designation.
2 | SouthernALUMNI MAGAZINE
NEWSCampus
Southern and Yale received a $13 million grant from the National ScienceFoundation for the Center for Research on Interface Structures and
Phenomena (CRISP). Southern Physics Department Chairwoman ChristineBroadbridge [RIGHT] is the director of education for CRISP. She is pictured
with students Carol Jenkins [LEFT] and Barbara Benardo.
A five-year, $1.9
million grant from the U.S.
Department of Education
will bolster the university’s
continuing efforts to
improve the education of
non-native English-speak-
ing students.
The grant — among
the largest ever awarded to
Southern — will focus on
providing training for
teachers, administrators,
and staff members in the
New Haven and Hamden
school systems. That train-
ing will include workshops
on innovative and effective
approaches for teaching
students whose first lan-
guage is not English. It also
will provide educators with
opportunities for certifica-
tion and participation in a
three-credit course.
Southern’s Training
for All Teachers (TAT) pro-
gram will coordinate the
efforts, with Lorrie
Verplaetse, professor of
world languages and litera-
tures, serving as project
n $1.9 Million Grant to Prepare Educators
n
Major NSFGrant
Awardedn
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:25 AM Page 2
Southern| ALUMNI MAGAZINE
| VOL 9 • NO 2
Dr. Stanley F. Battle, Interim President
STAFF
Patrick Dilger,Director of Public Affairs
Villia Struyk, Editor
Mary Pat Caputo, Associate Editor
Michael Kobylanski, Sports Editor
Marylou Conley, ’83, Art Director
Isabel Chenoweth, Photographer
Alisha Martindale, Assistant Photographer
Nancy Ronne, Development Editor
Charlie Davison,Alumni Notes Editor
ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE
Michelle R. Johnston, Director of Alumni Relations
(203) 392-6500
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Southern Connecticut State UniversityOffice of Public Affairs/
Southern Alumni Magazine501 Crescent StreetNew Haven, CT 06515-1355
Telephone (203) 392-6591; fax (203) 392-6597E-mail address: [email protected] Web site: www.SouthernCT.edu
Printed by The Lane Press, Inc.
Southern Alumni Magazine is published by the university in cooperation with the SCSU AlumniAssociation two times a year and distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the university.Opinions expressed in Southern Alumni Magazine do
not necessarily reflect those of theuniversity or of the SCSU AlumniAssociation. Although the editorshave made every reasonable effort to be factually accurate, noresponsibility is assumed for errors.
Postage paid at Burlington, Vt.
Southern Connecticut State University, in compliancewith federal laws and regulations, does notdiscriminate on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation,or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices,or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to,admissions, employment, financial aid, andeducational services.
Fall 2011 | 3
director. Marisa Ferraro is
the TAT program manager.
One of the priorities
of this grant will be to tar-
get certified mathematics
and science teachers from
grades 3 to 12, as well as
the curricula in both sub-
jects, in an effort to boost
the STEM (science, tech-
nology, engineering, and
mathematics) disciplines.
This marks the third
time that Southern has
received a federal grant for
the TAT program. In 2007,
TAT was awarded a five-
year, $1.5 million grant.
n StellarStudentsHonoredThe Class of 2011
includes four exceptional
members, who were hon-
ored as the recipients of
the Henry Barnard
Distinguished Student
Award, among the univer-
sity’s most prestigious
honors. The award, which
recognizes academic
achievement and contribu-
tions to Southern and the
community, is presented
annually to 12 students
from the four campuses of
the Connecticut State
University System.
Award recipient
Samantha Benson, ’11,
majored in theater and
served as president of the
Crescent Players theater
group and social media
coordinator of Southern’s
John Lyman Center for the
Performing Arts. She was
also a marketing manager
for New Haven’s
International Festival of
Arts and Ideas.
Exercise science
major, Logan Lentz, ’11,
was a member of
A $1.9 million grant will help Southern’s Training for All Teachers (TAT)program prepare educators to teach students whose first language is not English. [FROM RIGHT] Lorrie Verplaetse, professor of worldlanguages and literatures, serves as project director of TAT and Marisa Ferraro is program manager.
Samantha Benson, ’11 Logan Lentz, ’11 Raymond Nardella, ’11 Jennifer Peterson, ’11
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:25 AM Page 3
NEWSCampus
Southern’s basketball
team for four years, serv-
ing as captain for the last
three. Her volunteer
efforts include tutoring at
weekly reading sessions
with the New Haven
Public School System.
Political science
major, Raymond Nardella,
’11, was president of the
Class of 2011 for four
years. He also served as
vice president of the Beta
Mu Sigma Fraternity, vice
president of the College
Republicans, and co-presi-
dent of Pi Sigma Alpha, a
national honor society for
political science.
Fellow honoree,
Jennifer Peterson, ’11,
majored in elementary
education and psychology.
A four-year member of the
field hockey team, she
served as captain in her
senior year. She was also
a member of Southern’s
chapter of Psi Chi, a nation-
al psychology honor society.
n Making MusicThe Music
Department has unveiled
a cutting-edge electronic
music studio that enables
students to create digital
music, as well as record
music. Located in
Engleman Hall, it is the
only studio of its kind in
the area.
The studio is
designed to serve a variety
of needs: a large area is
designed primarily for soft-
ware-based music, while a
smaller space is used for
recording actual instru-
ments and voice. The
space also can be used for
audio journalism. The facil-
ity is outfitted with the
latest equipment, including
17 workstations, all
specifically designed for
audio production.
The Stutzman
Family Foundation, repre-
sented by Walter Stutzman,
made a generous gift to
establish and support the
new studio. Walter
Stutzman, who retired in
2005 from a career in soft-
ware consulting, went on
to earn a degree in music
n Grant Supports Environmental ResearchTraveling aboard a research boat in New Haven harbor last summer, Southern stu-
dents performed a “ponar grab,” using a claw-like tool to pull up sediment from the bot-
tom. The samples were later tested for metal contamination — one example of the environ-
mental research being conducted through the Center for Coastal and Marine Studies
(CCMS) at Southern.
Significantly forwarding such research, the Werth Family Foundation has renewed
its support of the CCMS with a $250,000 grant, to be awarded over a five-year period. The
contribution builds on a previous $170,000 grant from the foundation made in 2006.
The CCMS, a Connecticut State University System center, focuses on coastal and
marine research and education along Connecticut’s urbanized coast and harbors. Support
from the Werth Family Foundation funds student research stipends, the use of boats, chemi-
cals, and other supplies. The foundation also has made it possible for the center to acquire
state-of-the-art equipment used to conduct its research.
Peter Werth, along with his wife, Pam, established the Werth Family Foundation in
2000 to support educational, cultural, and medical-related causes throughout Connecticut.
During a recent boat trip, environmental studies students demonstrated research techniques to members ofthe Werth Family Foundation. The foundation renewed its support of the Center for Coastal and MarineStudies at Southern with a $250,000 grant.
4 | SouthernALUMNI MAGAZINE
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:25 AM Page 4
Fall 2011 | 5
from Southern in 2009 and
has been teaching at the
university.
The Stutzman
Family Foundation has
made previous gifts to the
Music Department. A prior
contribution, given in
memory of Stutzman’s
parents, Geraldine and
Jacob Stutzman,
established the Southern
Applied Music Program,
which provides free weekly
private voice or instrument
lessons to all declared
music majors who meet
academic standards.
The new studio is
showcased in a short film
by Music Professor Mark
Kuss showing seven
months of construction in
59 seconds. Go to:
www.SouthernCT.edu/
news/newelectronicmu-
sic_331/. A link to the film
is at the end of the story.
[ABOVE] Walter Stutzmanparticipates in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newelectronic music studio whileInterim President Stanley F.Battle looks on. The StutzmanFamily Foundation made agenerous gift to support andestablish the new studio.
southern students provide more than 120,000hours of community service annually through volunteerism,
internships, and coursework requirements. In recognition of these
efforts, Southern was included on the U.S. President’s Higher
Education Community Service Honor Roll.
Construction is underway on the future home of the School
of Business — a state-of-the-art facility to be created by
renovating Southern’s former student center. Once
completed, the 23,000 square footredesigned School of Business will house classrooms,
faculty offices, meeting rooms, a high-tech stock trading
room, and the latest in technology.
For 20 years, Southern has been a host site for the Connecticut
Special Olympics, an event serving 2,400 athletes,
ranging in age from 8 – 70.
The university’s Center for Communication Disorders provides a
variety of speech, language, hearing, and advocacy services for
children and adults. In 2010, the center served 410clients with a total of 3,622 contact hours.
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:25 AM Page 5
NEWSCampus
6 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
n Faculty HonorsAssociate Professor of
Physics Elliott Horch
received the Connecticut
State University System’s
(CSUS) Norton Mezvinsky
Trustees Research Award —
bestowed annually upon
one faculty member who
teaches at one of the four
CSUS campuses and con-
ducts research of exception-
al promise. (See page 7.)
Assistant Professor of
Counseling and School
Psychology Misty Ginicola
is the recipient of a univer-
sity-level Trustees Teaching
Award. The awards are
presented to faculty mem-
bers who have distin-
guished themselves as
outstanding educators.
Associate Professor of
Psychology Deborah
Carroll is the recipient
of the J. Philip Smith
Outstanding Teaching
Award. In addition to
teaching undergraduate
and graduate courses for
n Southern Academy Launched A group of 25 fourth graders went back to school last summer, the first class to
attend Southern Academy, an innovative instructional program designed to improve literacy
among local youth and help close the student achievement gap.
The intensive five-week program, which ended the first week of August,
includes students from three New Haven elementary schools — King-Robinson
International Baccalaureate Magnet, Lincoln-Bassett, and Beecher Interdistrict
Museum Magnet School of Arts and Sciences. The students spent their mornings focusing
on reading and vocabulary instruction, with math, social studies, and science incorporated
into the lessons. During the afternoons, students participated in art, drama, physical educa-
tion, field trips, and other cultural activities.
Lessons were taught primarily by Southern graduate students, under the direction of
Nancy Boyles, Southern professor of special education and reading. In addition, volunteers
provided one-on-one instruction as needed. Each student used a laptop computer, provid-
ed courtesy of Dell.
Southern’s James Barber, ’64, M.S. ’79, director of student supportive services, and
Marvis Brown-Arnold, ’88, M.S. ’91, 6th Yr. ’05, director of the university’s Connecticut
Collegiate Awareness and Preparation Program (ConnCAP), serve as co-coordinators of
Southern Academy.
While the first summer component of the program has ended, the academy is a
year-round program. The students will visit the university regularly throughout the year and
participate in field trips.
Plans call for the academy to expand each year, eventually reaching 200 students
and including multiple grade levels.
A group of students from three New Haven elementary schools comprised the first class at Southern Academy this summer.
Assistant Professor Misty Ginicola
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Recent Accolades:Received theConnecticut StateUniversity System’s(CSUS) NortonMezvinsky TrusteesResearch Award —presented annually toa faculty memberwho teaches at oneof the four CSUScampuses andconducts research ofexceptional promise.
Area of Expertise: Highly regarded in the field of astronomy for his optics research.B.A., University ofChicago; M.S., YaleUniversity; Ph.D.,Stanford University.
Seeing Stars:Developed a cutting-edge telescopicattachment thatenables astronomersto see images ofdistant stars with acrispness that is up to 20 times betterthan ever before. This DifferentialSpeckle SurveyInstrument is locatedat the Kitt PeakNational Observatoryin Tucson, Ariz.
Other honors: Platinumrecipient of the 2009Connecticut QualityImprovement AwardInnovation Prize.
Fall 2011 | 7
Associate Professor of Physics Elliott Horch
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8 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
NEWSCampus
the Psychology Department
and the Honors College,
she served as director of
the Writing-Across-the-
Curriculum program in
2008-10.
Associate Professor of
Psychology Kate Marsland
is the first recipient of the
Outstanding Faculty
Academic Advising Award.
In addition to advising
more than 60 students
each semester, she serves
as the adviser to the Psi Chi
psychology honor society.
Assistant Professor of
English Steven Corbett has
received the Technological
Teacher of the Year Award.
Corbett was recognized for
his commitment to using
technology to enhance
student learning.
Assistant Professor Steven Corbett
Associate ProfessorDeborah Carroll
Associate Professor Kate Marsland
n In the CommunityOn April 9, more than 350 students took part in The Big Event, an annual day
of service benefiting the local community.
The event demonstrates Southern’s long-held commitment to the community.
On April 28, the university received the Richard Manware Community Champion
Award from the Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis (CCCC), a nonprofit
organization committed to child abuse prevention. The award recognizes Southern’s
participation in the annual Adopt-A-Family Food Drive, which benefits CCCC.
Southern offers numerous study abroad opportunities, includingshort-term summer programs to Guatamala, Iceland, Italy, Paris,Spain, and China. Art Professor Camille Serchuk and AssociateProfessor of Art Thuan Vu wrote home about students’ summerin Paris at: www.SouthernCT.edu/news/summerinparis_353/ For several weeks last summer Guatemala was home to a groupof Southern students who took part in an international fieldstudy in public health led by Professors William Faraclas andDeborah Flynn. University Photographer Isabel Chenowethaccompanied the group, capturing their journey in a photo blogfound at http://scsuphotoadventures.tumblr.com/.
Check out Southern’s photo albums, featuring thousands ofshots from a wide variety of happenings, including commence-ment, athletics events, and visits from celebrity greats such asBill Cosby, John Legend, and Apolo Ohno. Click the “PhotoAlbums” link on Southern’s home page at: www.SouthernCT.edu.
On the Web
[ABOVE] Students worked in the campus community garden and at 21 sites around New Haven during The Big Event, an annual day of service.
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:25 AM Page 8
sport shortsAmanda Thomas
Junior
Women’s
Swimming and
Diving Team
Exercise Science
Major with a
concentration
in Human
Performance
Claims to fame: The Division II
national champion in the 200-yard individual medley,
finishing with a time of 2:00.88, just .32 seconds less
than the NCAA record. Other achievements at the
national championship include finishing second in the
200 butterfly and the 400 individual medley, and fourth
in the 200 backstroke. Also an All American in four
events and named the 2011 Northeast-10 Conference
Swimmer of the Year and the Most Outstanding
Performer of the league championships.
Most proud of: Winning the national title. “I didn’t think
I would actually get it; I was inspired.”
Diving in: Started swimming at the age of 6; began
competing between the ages of 7 and 8.
Family affair: Followed suit when her older sister and
cousin started swimming. Her twin sister, Ashley, dives
for Southern.
Inspiration: Swam for SoNoCo Swim Club at age 12 with
Southern’s Coach Tim Quill. “I wanted to come to
Southern so I could swim for Quill.”
Support: “My family comes to every single meet. We base
our schedules around swimming.”
Balancing the student with the athlete: “Growing up
swimming teaches you a lot, like how to manage your
time and schedule.”
Pre-meet ritual: Listens to Eminem
Hobbies: Drawing and photography
Other sports she enjoys: Running and weight training
Career aspirations: To become a personal trainer
or nutritionist
Meet Southern’sStudent Athlete
n Standout Year for Southern SportsIt was banner year for athletics at Southern, which
was ranked number 25 out of more than 300 NCAA Division
II institutions of higher learning in the Learfield Sports
Directors’ Cup standings — the university’s highest ranking
ever. The Owls have now
finished among the top-
20 percent of colleges
and universities in each
of the last five years.
The competition
recognizes broad-based
athletics excellence.
n Track Champions!It was history in the making for the men’s outdoor
track and field team, which captured first place at the New
England Championship for the first time ever. It was a strong
victory for the Owls, who finished 23.5 points ahead of sec-
ond-place finisher Northeastern University. Southern senior
Diwani Augustine took home first place at the event in the
triple jump, with a mark of 49 feet, 9.75 inches. He also
won first in the long jump (24 feet, 3.5 inches). In all, ten
Owls earned All-New England honors on the final day of the
competition, which was hosted by Southern in May.
n Owls Baseball Flying HighThe Owls started the 2010-11 season with a bang,
winning their first 22 games — a program record for both
best start to a season and longest winning streak. The pow-
erhouse team maintained its dominance, closing the year
ranked number four in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
and the College Baseball Lineup polls. The Owls finished the
2011 season with a 45-9-1 record (win, loss, tie) — setting a
single-season record for victories. Other team highlights
included winning their first game ever in the College World
Series, finishing first in New England, and winning the
Northeast-10 Conference regular season title for the second
consecutive year. There were individual record setters as
well. Senior pitcher Michael Johnston finished the year
ranked first in the nation with 16
saves — a Southern record.
For more sports news, visitwww.SouthernCTOwls.com.
Fall 2011 | 9
By Kaitlin Randall, ’11
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10 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
By Villia Struyk
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Fall 2011 | 11
n Oct. 14, 1960 at the pre-dawn hour of 2 A.M., then-Senator John F. Kennedy
delivered an impromptu campaign speech, challenging students at theUniversity of Michigan to dedicate two years of their lives to helping people in
developing countries. Addressing thousands of cheering students, Kennedy asked,
“How many of you, who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana?
Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and
spend your lives traveling around the world?”His call to action soon took root. On March 1, 1961, within weeks of his inaugura-
tion, President Kennedy established the Peace Corps on a pilot basis, naming his brother-
in-law, R. Sargent Shriver, as its first director. The Peace Corps’ core mission was simultane-
ously basic and profound: to promote peace and friendship around the world by providing
volunteers for countries requesting assistance.For many, the prospect of serving others overseas was captivating. Within the first
few months the agency had received about 11,000 completed applications. On August 30,
1961, the first group of 51 volunteers arrived in Ghana to serve as teachers. During the last five decades, more than 200,000 Americans have joined the Peace
Corps, working in 139 countries to date. Southern alumni are included in this select group,
with at least 66 having volunteered. United in their commitment to service, they are a diverse
lot who brought vastly different skills to their highly unique Peace Corps’ assignments.
Consider special education major, Judith A. Harper, ’76, who, after raising her chil-
dren, fulfilled a long-held desire to travel to Africa. From 2004-08, she taught elementary
school teachers at a government college in the Republic of Namibia.In contrast, Minette Junkins, ’93, joined the Peace Corps soon after graduation and
worked in Costa Rica as a child development volunteer from 1994 to 1996. “Having a sense
of idealism and a longing for adventure, I looked into several public service projects,” says
Junkins. “The Peace Corps fit exactly what I was looking for.” In honor of the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary, Harper, Junkins, and a number of
other Southern alumni shared photographs and written memories of their time with the
organization — helping others and making friends around the world. n
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12 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Minette Junkins, ’93
Served in Costa Rica, 1994-96
Having commuted to Southern for fo
ur
years while living at home, Minette Junk
ins, ’93,
recalls longing for adve
nture and independence
following graduation. She fou
nd both in Costa
Rica, drawing on her early childho
od education
background to work with the loca
l community.
Home was Cabo Blanco de Lepa
nto, a rural
town with one road and about
400 residents.
“Not only did it have one
road, it had
one store, one telephon
e, one car, one church,
one soccer field, and o
ne two-room school
house for grades one t
hrough eight,” says
Junkins.
Working as a childhood de
velopment volunteer, she
began by meeting with 30 local
families, guiding them in age-
appropriate educationa
l activities. She went on to h
elp develop
a cooperative early ed
ucation program that serve
d 50 children,
six years and under. Sh
e also led workshops an
d activity
groups, taught weekly Englis
h classes, and coordina
ted
fundraising efforts.
Today, she is an elementary scho
ol Spanish teacher
in Madison, Conn. The kinder
garten class she
helped establish in Cos
ta Rica
continues to operate.
STEVE KAUTZ, ’88Served in the Czech Republic, 1995-98Sloužil v Česká republika
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Fall 2011 | 13
In 1990,the first group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in Central and EasternEurope departed for Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak
Republic. Five years later — six years after the Velvet Revolution ended 40 years of
Communist rule in Czechoslovakia — Steve Kautz, ’88, was assigned to Blatna in the Czech
Republic, a small town of about 6,000 located some 60 miles from Prague.
As a business development volunteer, he wore many hats. Kautz taught and served as
a curriculum adviser at a local vocational high school that was transitioning from an
agricultural focus to an economics and business education program. He also
worked as an adviser to the district chamber of commerce and taught mar-
keting at Southern Bohemia University. And then there was his side project:
working with a local baseball and softball program. (“Blatna translates into
‘Mudville,’ which was fantastic and fitting . . . ,” notes Kautz.)
Home was the high school dormitory, located next to a 14th century
castle and an enclosed English-style park with tree-lined carriage roads. “I spent
As a health promoter with the Peace Corps,Patricia Lott, ’91, lived and worked in Mbocaya-i,
which means “little coconut” in Guarani, one of the
official languages of Paraguay. (The other isSpanish.)
“At one point there were probably many coconut
trees, but most had been slashed and burned to make
way for the cash crops,” notes Lott. Located several
miles from a major driving route, Mbocaya-i had no
running water or electricity. “We drew water from a
well, washed clothes in the river, and sat aroundthe open fire on the kitchen floor for heat andlight at night!” writes Lott. “People had very lit-
tle in material possessions. But they knew how toplay a mean game of Bingo.” Lott worked with leaders in the small farming
community to deliver health education programs. In
addition to teaching young school children aboutoral hygiene and nutrition, she helped the community
with a sanitary latrine construction project and a
maternal and child health program. Today, Lott is the owner of CommunityAcupuncture of Towson. “Next year I will complete 50
years of living,” she writes. “I celebrated my 25th
birthday in Mbocaya-i, Paraguay. My plan is to take
continued on page 35
continued on page 35
’88
ika
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14 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
As Peace Corps volunteers stationed in The Republic of Malawi,
Karen Lynn Williams, M.A. ’77, and her husband, Steven, brought com-
mitment and compassion to the assignment. They also brought their son,
Peter, who was not yet a year old — a rich experience that Karen would
draw on years later in “When Africa Was Home,” one of her many criti-
cally acclaimed children’s books.
In Malawi, Steven worked as a doctor. Karen volunteered at a
school for the deaf for nine months, and was then assigned to a school
for boys, teaching literature and English as a second language.
“Africa was in many ways a wonderful place for us to raise a
family,” says Karen, recounting 150 children coming to the door to play.
In 1981, her second son, Christopher, was born in Malawi with the
assistance of a local midwife in the hospital where Steven worked.
Africa spurred Karen’s long-held interest in writing. The pace of life
was slower in Malawi, and she decided to enroll in a correspondence
course through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Her first articles and
stories were published in magazines for children while she was still in
Africa.
Upon returning to the United States in 1983, Karen continued
writing and in 1990 her first book, “Galimoto,” was published. The story,
about a toy made by children in Africa, became a Reading Rainbow
Karen Lynn Williams, M.A. ’77
Served in The Republic of Malawi,
1980-83
continued on page 35
PHOTO: M
artha Rial
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Fall 2011 | 15
After raising her
children, Judith Harper,
’76, set her sights on
fulfilling a dream of
traveling to Africa. She
was assigned to the
Republic of Namibia, a
nation in the midst of
transition. The sparsely
populated, desert country
gained independence in
1990. Previously, it was
governed under South
Africa’s apartheid system.
Harper spent
several months of her
training period living on a
traditional homestead. “I
lived with a family which
had 17 members, 14 of
them school age,” she
recounts. “We had no
electricity, no running
water, no flushing
toilets, and cooked over
an open fire each night.
One early highlight was
being followed like the
Pied Piper by around ten
of the children, up a
hill to a latrine that had
been built for me. When
I proceeded to open the
tin door, it fell to the
ground. There were no
hinges! The builder had
never hung a door.”
Harper went on
to teach and mentor
elementary school
teachers at one of
When Daryl Smith, ’83,then a recently graduated geographymajor, joined the Peace Corps, heimagined serving in Africa. Instead,he was accepted as a freshwater fish-eries volunteer and assigned to theDominican Republic. Home base was Jarabacoa,an agricultural community of about13,000 located in a large valleycrossed by three rivers and surround-ed by mountains. “It was the gatewayto Pico Duarte,” notes Smith, “thehighest mountain peak in the wholeCaribbean, so many other PeaceCorps volunteers and other touristspassed through town and stayed anight or two at my little casita.”Smith used a Honda 125 dirt bike toreach the rural mountain villageswhere he worked.
“As a young, ambitious,recently graduated college student, Ifelt that I had so much to offer thepeople who I would be working within the Dominican Republic,” hewrites. “In reality, I had very little tooffer them other than my friendship.It was the Dominicans themselveswho did all of the offering, going outof their way to accommodate me,and teaching me the most valuablelessons of my life, many that I stilladhere to today.”After completed his PeaceCorps assignment, Smith earned a
QDaryl Smith, ’83Served in the Dominican Republic, 1983-86
continued on page 35
Judith A. Harper, ’76 • Served in the Republic of Namibia, 2004-08
continued on page 35
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:26 AM Page 15
16 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Matthew Jensen, ’94, first
served in the Pea
ce Corps in Sene
gal,
where he conduc
ted mud-stove
building classes
for women’s groups
in seven villages
and also organi
zed
a well-digging p
roject financed b
y
Catholic Relief Ser
vices. He lived in
Samba Nosso, a Muslim village
of
about 500 people
. “Peanut farming
was the major eco
nomic activity,” says
Jensen. “I lived in
a mud hut with a
thatched roof in
the compound o
f the
village chief who
was also an imam
[Muslim religious leader
]. We had no
running water o
r electricity but
lived
quite comfortably
. The chief’s wives
cooked for me . . . pea
nut sauce, rice,
millet, dried fish .
. . ”
Years later, Jens
en was in
Europe when th
e Berlin Wall fell —
and was inspired
to reapply to th
e
Peace Corps. In 1
995, he was sent t
o
Armenia to teach at
the
Mankavarzhakan
Institute for
teacher training
in the city of
Vanadzor, which
had been devast
ated
by the 1988 eart
hquake that kill
ed
an estimated 25,
000. Classes wer
e
taught in a trail
er provided by r
elief
agencies since th
e school building
remained structural
ly damaged.
Jensen lived in a
two-room
apartment with sporadic runn
ing
water and electri
city. “A few hours a
day during a go
od week,” he not
es. A
kerosene heater
offered the only
relief from the cold
. “The winters
were pretty sever
e in this mountain
community,” says Jense
n. “We ate lots
of cabbage and b
eets and pickled
items.”
AlbaniaAntiguaArmeniaBarbudaBelize
BoliviaBotswana
Cape VerdeCentral African
RepublicChad
ChinaCosta Rica
Czech RepublicDominica
Dominican RepublicEcuador
El SalvadorEstoniaGabonGhana
GrenadaHaiti
HondurasJamaica
KazakhstanKenya
LesothoMali
MalawiMicronesiaMauritania
MoldovaMoroccoNamibiaNepalNevis
NicaraguaNiger
PanamaParaguayRomania
St. Kitts and NevisSt. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sao TomeSenegal
Solomon IslandsSouth Africa
Sri LankaSwazilandTanzaniaThailand
TogoUganda
UkraineZaire
ZambiaZambabwe
Peace Signs
Southern al
umni
have served
in
the followi
ng
countries a
s
Peace Corps
volunteers.
PHOTO: courtesy of the Peace Corps
PHOTO: courtesy of
the Peace Corps
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:26 AM Page 16
Fall 2011 | 17
aving spent three months traveling and vo
lunteering in
Central America after graduation, Kimberl
ee McCarthy, ’95,
was ready for a long-term volunteer exper
ience. She joined the
Peace Corps and was assigned to the Com
monwealth of Dominica
— also known as the “Nature Island of the Ca
ribbean” for its
picturesque scenery and unspoiled beauty.
McCarthy worked as a health educator in b
oth schools
and community health centers, teaching lo
cals about HIV,
hypertension, diabetes, and other importan
t health issues. She
also helped implement grants that provide
d funding for outdoor
latrines and composting bins.
“The Dominican people who I worked wit
h were very
proud of their country and its natural beau
ty,” she says. “I was
fortunate to be surrounded by people who
were appreciative of
our services and were always there to lend
a hand.”
McCarthy is currently a health and wellnes
s teacher
coordinator for “The Collaborative,” workin
g with the Department
of Youth Services in Massachusetts. “I love w
orking with
incarcerated youth.” she says, “and am pass
ionate about educating
and empowering them to make healthier
decisions that not only
impact them, but their families and comm
unities.”
Served in the
Commonwealth of Dominica,
1996-98
Yvonne Marshall-B
radley, ’87,
M.S.W. ’97, became a Peace
Corps
volunteer in Costa
Rica soon after
earning a master’s de
gree in social
work. “I think it is c
ommon for a
social worker to dream of becom
ing a
Peace Corps volun
teer,” she says.
Working with the local Patro
nato
Nacional de la Infan
cia — Costa Rica’s Department of
Children and Families — Marshall-B
radley facilitated
self-esteem groups,
life-skills program
s for girls, and ch
ildren’s after-scho
ol activities.
She lived on a mountainsid
e with a large family who owned a goo
d
deal of land, locate
d next to a coffee
plantation and dai
ry. “A dirt road
led to our home and oft
en cows would line the stree
ts as you walked up
the hill,” she recal
ls. Her bedroom offered
a view of Volcan Irazu, a loca
l
volcano that erupt
ed in the early six
ties, the day that
President Kennedy
visited the country
.
“The experience t
hat most stands out for
me is hiking with a larg
e
group of children t
o the top of my mountain a
nd watching them jump in a
waterfall, play socc
er with a deflated bal
l, and climb trees t
o pick
mangoes for me,” notes
Marshall-Bradley. “T
he children were so
welcoming, grateful, and k
ind to me. They were so in
touch with nature
and never felt dep
rived, nor did they
complain about anythi
ng.”
Today, Marshall-B
radley is a licensed
clinical bilingual so
cial worker
with New Haven Public School
s.
Yvonne Marshall-Bradley, ’87, M.S.W. ’97
Served inCosta Rica, 1998-2000
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18 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
eavy buckets of water in hand, graduate stu-dents Sandy Hudson and Carrie Hawkins, ’08,trekked down the steep hill behind Morrill Hallon a warm spring day. Their destination: thenew organic orchard they helped plant oncampus with the guidance of Victor Triolo,
associate professor emeritus of information and library sci-ence and an experienced horticulturist.
“It was our Laura Ingalls Wilder moment,” saysHawkins, of their earliest efforts to water the fruit trees.She and Hudson, both science teachers at Mark T.Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Conn., are enrolled inSouthern’s Master of Science program in environmentaleducation. They signed on to work on the orchard — whichincorporates intensive agricultural techniques designed togrow more fruit in less space — to fulfill their major’sspecial project requirement.
From March through late August when theyreturned to teaching, the graduate students joined Triolo in the orchard, working up to 25 hours a week. Both say it was a labor of love — one that will greatly enhance theirwork as high school educators.
“We do a big section on global awareness, duringwhich we talk extensively about sustainability,” saysHudson. “I will have much more to bring to the table.”Hawkins, who teaches a general science course for fresh-man as well as earth science, concurs: “Many aspects ofour work in the orchard — including soil and water testing— will be pertinent to what we are teaching. I also serve asthe co-adviser of an environmental club at Sheehan. Wehave talked about starting an orchard at the school.”
At the university, the organic orchard is part of themultifaceted Sustainable Southern — Plant it ForwardInitiative, an urban agricultural demonstration project.Urban agriculture refers to farming within a city environ-ment, be it in backyards, on rooftops, or in community gar-dens or other public spaces.
On campus, plans call for the agricultural areas tobe based behind Davis, Jennings, Morrill, and Englemanhalls, and around the pond and the baseball field.
In addition to the orchard, the Plant it ForwardInitiative also includes an organic community garden, which was started on campus several years ago by theEnvironmental Futurists, a student club focused on sustain-ability. Today, the garden includesplots available to members of theSouthern community and a largersection that was farmed this year byMegan Rudne, ’10, a graduate internwith Residence Life, and graduatestudent James Hoffecker, ’10. As theproject moves forward and the garden becomes more productive,the goal is to harvest a portion ofthe vegetables and give them to alocal shelter.
Future plans call for theadditions of a vineyard, an outdoorclassroom, and an apiary. Severalother enhancements also are in theworks: a new greenhouse to be builtadjacent to the garden this fall, anirrigation system for the orchard, andbenches by the pond to encouragethe community to enjoy the space.
Plant it Forward was initiat-ed by several faculty members —Susan Cusato, associate professor ofscience education and environmen-tal studies; Patrick Heidkamp, assis-tant professor of geography; andSuzanne Huminski, instructor ofenvironmental studies. The threeattended a conference organized by
ThePlant it Forward, Southern’s new urban agriculture demonstration project,
includes a garden and an orchard, with plans in place for an outdoorclassroom, a greenhouse, a vineyard, and more.
By Betsy Currier Beacom and Villia Struyk
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:26 AM Page 18
Fall 2011 | 19
the American Association of Sustainability in HigherEducation and were inspired by campus agriculture projectsat other universities.
“We envisioned the existing garden to be a catalystfor a larger project,” says Heidkamp. With support fromInterim President Stanley F. Battle, Plant it Forward was born.
Enter Triolo, who for decades had longed to launchan agricultural project on campus that would forward theuniversity’s mission of serving the urban community. “I wasinterested in growing fruit trees in very limited areas usingintensive agricultural techniques,” he says. “People couldlearn from our work and consider growing fruit trees intheir own small yards or community spaces.” He volun-teered to help create an organic orchard.
The emphasis on urbanagriculture is timely. In 2008, forthe first time ever, the world’spopulation was evenly splitbetween urban and rural areas,according to the PopulationReference Bureau. The number of people living in urban areas is
Greening Campus The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment,
signed by former Southern president Cheryl J. Norton in 2007, has
influenced nearly all aspects of campus life, resulting in increased
energy efficiency, enhanced recycling activities, reduction of
resource use, and student and faculty educational involvement. Following are a few
examples of efforts to create an ecologically sound campus. For more information,
go to: www.SouthernCT.edu/campus_sustainability/ .
o Southern offers minors in environmental studies and marine studies and
graduate programs in science education and environmental education.
o Operational since 2003, Southern’s Campus Energy Center, which heats nearly
the entire campus, runs on ultra-low sulfur fuel and heats the university 40
percent more efficiently than the system it replaced.
o High-efficiency lighting (LED and T-8 fluorescent) and motion detecting on/off
switches throughout many campus buildings have created substantial energy
efficiency gains. Though initially more expensive to purchase and install, LED
and fluorescent lighting are typically 60-80 percent more efficient than
incandescent lighting.
o The Office of Residence Life has instituted numerous initiatives to create a
greener campus. Among them? Installing only water-saving shower heads;
painting residence hall rooms with zero-VOC, low odor, and silica-free latex
paints; and recycling batteries, bulbs, and fluorescent lights.
o Even commencement has gone green. Graduation gowns are made entirely
from recycled plastic bottles. continues on page 35
∂ Southern has a historic tie to agriculture. In 1947, 37 acres were purchased from the Farnham family to create what wasthen a new campus on Crescent Street. The land was previously a working farm that a century ago grew primarilystrawberries and corn. µ The community garden includes organic tomatoes, squash, broccoli, radishes, peas, beans, and more.
[LEFT] The orchard uses several intensive agricultural techniques designed to grow more fruit in less space. This includes cordonfruit trees, which have a smaller rootstock and are grown at an angle. Triolo notes that the cordon fruit trees at Southern areplanted about four feet apart — less than half the space that is commonly used in traditional planting methods.
In one section of the orchard, apple trees are planted in an experimental helix—shaped pattern reminiscent of DNA. Thedesign was envisioned by Victor Triolo, associate professor emeritus of information and library science, who was inspiredby a painting by Professor of Art Mia Brownell that incorporated fruit and a double-helix pattern. A total of 44 trees canbe planted in the space — 22 in each connecting oval. “We’re not sure how it will work yet,” says Triolo. “We’re able tobrainstorm different ideas and test them. That’s one of the benefits of the orchard.”
µ
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:26 AM Page 19
Paintball. Philosophy. Pre-law. Psychology. With about 65 campus clubs, Southern invites students
to explore their interests and expand their horizons.
n September 1, 1924, J. Laurence Meader was named principal of New HavenState Normal School, which would later become Southern Connecticut State
University. Meader was a firm believer in providing students with a balanced educa-tion, one that would promote “the harmonious and simultaneous development ofall the powers of the student — physical, mental, social, aesthetic, vocational . . . .”
With this goal in mind, he encouraged the creation of the StudentCooperative Government Association in 1927. All students were automaticallymembers of the group, which was launched, in part, to promote school spirit andhelp organize social events.
A number of other clubs were founded at about the same time. The Art,Drama, and Glee Clubs invited students to explore their talents, while literary-minded students could join the Reading Club. Another popular offering, the ThriftClub, promoted the benefits of saving money and spending wisely. Members oper-ated a Christmas bazaar, established an emergency loan program for students, andgave public readings of “thrift stories and thrift poems.” The Women’s AthleticAssociation, a favorite among the students, ran volleyball, basketball, tennis, andbaseball competitions — sometimes pitting classmates against faculty.
Meader expected every student to join at least one club — and a poemprinted in the 1928 Laurel yearbook hints that most enjoyed the new focus onextracurricular activities:
“We’ve taken our fun where we’ve found it; We’ve worked and we’ve played in our time:We’ve had our picking of clubs, and All of the lot were prime.”Clubs remain a cornerstone of the student experi-
ence at Southern today. Some, including the Society ofPhysics Enthusiasts, the Chemistry Club, and theEnvironmental Futurists, have been recognized for excel-lence at the city, state, and/or national levels. The accom-panying photos show just a few of the university’s pastand current clubs.
Principal Meader would undoubtedly approve.
Q
J. Laurence Meader
S
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:27 AM Page 20
Fall 2011 | 21
The Karate Club
The Steppin’ Up Drill Team
The Chemistry Club
American Life Club 1939
New Haven State Teachers College Band
Dramatic Club
Q Sources: The Laurel student yearbooks and “Southern Connecticut State
University, A Centennial History” by Thomas J. Farnham.
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:27 AM Page 21
22 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Former football standout, Thomas Madigan, ’98,
stays in the game when it comes to
supporting his alma mater.
hen Thomas Madigan, ’98,was a kid, he dreamed of attending a big
Division I-A football school like Michigan or
Notre Dame. A Massachusetts native, he had never heard of
Southern or the Owls. But today he is one of the team’s biggest fans
and supporters.
Madigan says he fell in love with Southern the first time he
visited campus during a high school recruiting trip.
“The whole [football] team from freshman up to seniors
welcomes you with open arms. Everybody is family from the
moment you walk in the door,” Madigan says.
When an offer of nearly a full scholarship followed,
Madigan made the decision to commit to Southern in the fall. He
didn’t change his mind, even when several other New England
schools tried to recruit him after he had made his decision.
“I’m a pretty loyal person. If I tell someone I’m doing some-
thing, I’m doing it,” says the former four-year starter, who grew up
in Lowell, Mass. “It was actually the best decision I ever made.”
The boy who grew up in a third-floor city apartment now
manages the finances of high-net-worth clients, including some
well-known professional athletes and coaches (he can’t name
names), as vice president, investments, for UBS Financial Services
Inc. He is managing partner in the Lelas/Madigan/Curtis Wealth
Management Group at UBS, which manages about half a billion
dollars in pension plans, 401K plans, and corporate assets.
While his business management degree from Southern
opened the door to his career in the financial world, Madigan, 36,
credits the football program with developing the values and work
ethic he needed for success.
“Most successful people in this world had some sort of ath-
letics background or have been part of a team,” Madigan says. “It
brings out that camaraderie and knowing what it takes to get things
done. You learn to step things up so you don’t disappoint anyone else.”
It made sense that when he reached the point in his life
where he could give back to the university, he chose to focus on ath-
letics. “Football is near and dear to my heart,” he explains. “I wouldn’t
have gone to college if it wasn’t for football.”
Madigan lives nearby in Branford, Conn., and can often be
seen cheering on the Owls during home games. He is just as vocal
when it comes to convincing friends to support the team financially.
WBy Natalie Missakian
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:27 AM Page 22
Fall 2011 | 23
Supporting SOUTHERN
“I don’t mind calling people up and telling people what I
give,’” says Madigan, who serves on the SCSU Foundation Board of
Directors. “I know not everybody has the means. But there are peo-
ple who I’ve known for 20 years now who do
very well financially. . . . A lot of them have
been very generous.”
Seven years ago, he and fellow alum-
nus, Kenneth Steiner, ’97, started the Big Blue
Crew, a group of former Southern football
players and their wives who present a check
each year at Homecoming to the university.
Madigan says a strong athletics pro-
gram benefits the entire Southern communi-
ty. “The more success a team has, the more revenue
it’s going to generate for the whole school,” Madigan
explains. “When the women’s basketball team won
the [2007 Division II NCAA] national championship,
that brought huge publicity to the school.”
As for those dreams of attending a big-name
football school? Madigan has no regrets.
He says he enjoyed the diversity of an urban
campus. Southern is also where Madigan met his
wife, Michelle Campise Madigan, ’97, a teacher at
Troup Magnet School in New Haven. The couple is
expecting their first child in October.
He also formed priceless friendships with his teammates
that continue to this day. “Here it is almost 15 years out and I still
talk to these guys a few times a month,” says Madigan. n
What started out as a reunion and tailgate party
among old college friends has turned into a financial
boost for Southern’s football program.
The brainchild of Southern alumni, Thomas
Madigan, ’98 and, Kenneth Steiner, ’97, the Big Blue
Crew raised $13,265 for the football program last year.
The group, made up of former Southern football players and their wives, presented
the money to Head Football Coach Rich Cavanaugh at last year’s Homecoming celebration.
“We actually started it with four or five guys sitting on a cooler in the parking lot,”
recalls Steiner, of the group’s early days some seven years ago.
The first year, Madigan and Steiner contacted some old teammates to plan a get-
together at Homecoming. Steiner had the idea to make a banner and allow former Owls’
teammates to sign their names in exchange for a donation.
With the help of social media and through word of mouth, the endeavor grew. The
banner now boasts about 200 signatures, some from alumni who live a plane ride away.
“We’ve gone from initially raising a few hundred dollars to raising over $13,000.
Hopefully that will go up every year,” says Madigan.
While a donation is not required to
attend, most people give something, either
by buying raffle tickets, writing a check,
or filling out a donation card through
the Alumni Association,
says Steiner.
Madigan says the
group’s long-term goal is to
raise enough money to set up
an endowed scholarship.
Meet the Big Blue Crew: former football players and their families who are committed to supporting Southern.
TEAM PLAYERS
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:27 AM Page 23
A look at events for alumni
and friends on campus
and beyond.
Out and About
24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
On April 30, the university recognized leadership-level donors at the first
Celebration of Philanthropy. The event, held in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center, gave donors
the opportunity to see the many benefits of theirgenerosity, including the positive impact made onthe 2010-11 scholarship recipients. Guests at theevent included Interim President Stanley F. Battle,
scholarship recipient Vanessa Langer, andscholarship donor Regina L. Barbaresi, ’51, and
her granddaughter Jaime Hensel.
United in their love for Southern and aspectacular round of golf, alumni and friendsparticipated in the SCSU Annual Golf Classic on May 24. The event was held at the award-winning Lake of Isles North Course at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. Highlightsincluded a raffle for fabulous prizes. Proceeds from the event support athleticsprograms and scholarships at Southern.
[FROM LEFT] Pictured at theevent are Interim PresidentStanley F. Battle, scholarshipdonor Ceil Petrone, ’56, M.S.’58, 6th Yr. ’72, scholarshiprecipient James Vizvary, and Ruth Petrone.
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:27 AM Page 24
The picturesque Sedgeley Club,Philadelphia’s only working
lighthouse, was the setting for aPhiladelphia Business After Hours
held on April 6. [RIGHT] Alumni “Relations Director Michelle Johnstonconnects with Debra Shick, M.A. ’98,
at the event. [FAR RIGHT] Sylvia Barclay,6th Yr. ‘97, and Anne Howe, ’53,
enjoy the gathering.
Fall 2011 | 25
Alumni and students explored the art of networking at “It’s Who You Know,”
an informative, hands-on seminar led by Tracy Knofla, ’82, of High Impact
Training. The event, held in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand
Ballroom on February 9, included a“mocktail” party during which participants
put what they learned into action.
The second annual Meet the Alumni Professionals Day took place on March 9, with several hundredstudents meeting with alumni from awide variety of careers — including law,finance, law enforcement, nursing,business, art, information technology,theater, education, and more. Thanksgoes out to the 55 alumni volunteerswho met with students in a relaxed, café setting in the Michael J. AdantiStudent Center.
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:27 AM Page 25
26 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Alumni NEWS
Dear Southern Alumni,
I am honored to have been elected to serve as president of the Alumni Association Board of
Directors for the 2011-12 academic year. I will work diligently with alumni board members and
volunteers, the Office of Alumni Relations staff, and university personnel to promote activities in
support of alumni, the university, and Southern students and their families.
The board consists of 20 dedicated individuals who collaborate with the staff of the Office of
Alumni Relations, fellow alumni, and university personnel. Our traditional programs each year are
Homecoming; the Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Awards; a Celebration of Philanthropy,
where our student scholars have the opportunity to meet their scholarship donors; and cooperative
sponsorship of the Distinguished Lecture Series.
In recent years, the Office of Alumni Relations has collaborated with the board to increase and
enhance programming for its alumni with a focus on networking with each other and students. Under
Michelle Johnston’s leadership, Alumni Relations has planned a variety of activities for the upcoming
year. Programs include a wine tasting under the stars; an alumni cabaret called “The World Goes
Round” and reception to benefit the Crescent Players Endowed Scholarship Fund; Alumni
Professionals Day, where students meet one-on-one with alumni in their fields of interest; a variety of
educational trips; reunions; and local and regional alumni networking events. To keep up to date on
future events, check www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni/upcomingevents/.
If you are not currently a member, I urge you to join or renew your membership by
contributing to the Annual Giving campaign currently in progress. A gift of $35 or more entitles you
to membership in the Southern Alumni Association for one calendar year. You may have already
received a request. If not, you may make a gift online at www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthern/ or by
returning the gift envelope enclosed in this issue.
I look forward to an interesting and rewarding year. Hopefully, I will see you at one or more of
our events!
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Hugh S. Cafferty, ’69, M.S. ’70, 6th Yr. ’76
President
Alumni Association Board of Directors
Cafferty was the director of pupil services in Regional School District #17 from 1978 until his retirement in 2000. A veteran of theUnited States Air Force, he previously taught special education at the elementary and high school levels in Wallingford and Clinton,Conn. In addition to serving as president, he was vice president and secretary of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
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Fall 2011 | 27
n New Board Members ElectedThe Alumni Association welcomes six new members
who will serve through 2014. Four were reelected after
completing the previous term and were spotlighted in
previous issues of the alumni magazine: Hugh S. Cafferty,
’69, M.S. ’70, 6th Year ’76; John F. Mastrianni, ’66, M.S. ’73;
Kathy Glinka Coyle, ’74, M.S. ’78, 6th Yr. ’81; and Phoebe
Donehoo Browning, ’04, M.B.A. ’05.
One of two newly elected board
members, Stephen J. Koestner, ’69, is
the corporate inventory control manager
for Newman’s Own in Westport, Conn. A
member of the Sigma Zeta Chi/Alpha Chi
Rho Fraternity while at Southern, he has
been active with the Alumni Association
since graduation. He and his wife, Tricia,
have two adult children, Elizabeth, and
Eric, who is a 2006 alumnus.
Fellow new board member,
Mary L. Vaughn, ’80, M.S. ’84, has been
a school social worker with the
Wallingford Board of Education for 25
years. In addition to volunteering with
her church and an area homeless
shelter, she is a member of the Hamden
Black History Committee. She also is a
member of the national and
Connecticut chapter of the National
Association of Social Workers.
Hugh S. Cafferty, ’69, M.S. ’70, 6th Yr. ’76, PresidentRobert D. Parker, ’76, Vice PresidentMarybeth Heyward Fede, ’79, M.S. ’87, SecretaryJohn F. Mastrianni, ’66, M.S. ’73, TreasurerChristopher M. Piscitelli, ’93, Past President
Kathleen Bonvicini, ’83James Booth, ’97Phoebe Donehoo Browning, ’04, M.B.A. ‘05 Nancy Charest, ’71, M.S. ’75, 6th Yr. ’77 Kathy Glinka Coyle, ’74, M.S. ’78, 6th Yr. ’81Nancy Dudchik, ’88Jerry Katona, ’74, M.S. ’88Edwin A. Klinkhammer, II, ’71, M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ‘92Stephen J. Koestner, ’69 Mary Fedyn Martinik, ’76, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’99 Donald G. Mitchell, ’57, M.S. ’61Daniel J. Myers, ’01Judit Vasmatics Paolini, ’73, M.S. ’79, 6th Yr. ’93Teresa Sirico, ’70, M.S. ’73 Mary Vaughn, ’80, M.S. ’84
Stephen Koestner, ’69
Mary Vaughn, ’80,M.S. ’84
n New Alumni Directory UnderwayHave you been searching for your former roommate or classmates?
Help is on the way! The Office of Alumni Relations is in the process of creating a
new alumni directory through Harris Connect. Alumni are being invited to update
their information through an e-mail blast and a postcard mailing. If you have not
yet responded, please make a brief call to 1 (800) 979-0042 to update your listing.
(You will not receive a phone call from Harris Connect.)
For the first time ever, Southern graduates also may submit photos and
essays for inclusion in the directory.
Alumni who do not want to be included or want to omit certain data, are
asked to telephone and update their information and let Harris know their preferences.
The directory will be available for purchase in book or CD format. Please
participate and help us to create an accurate, comprehensive directory.
SCSU Alumni Association Board of Directors
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28 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
From buildings lauded for eco-friendly design
to a reinvigorated, campuswide
recycling program, the university is
committed to keeping it green.
That’s why Southern is a proud signatory
of the American College & University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
Please supportSouthern and itsstudents bycontributing tothe CampusGreening Fund.Donations maybe made onlineat www.giving.SouthernCT.edu. Or call (203)392-6515.
Southern SeasOn July 23, alumni and friends set
sail around New Haven Harbor on
the Quinnipiack Schooner. Guests
enjoyed the sea and sun while
learning about the history of the harbor and sharing a delicious
lunch. For information on future events for alumni, go to
www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni/upcomingevents/.
Alumni NEWS
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Fall 2011 | 29
Stay connected with Southern. You’ll find us on . . .
�+ The Web at www.SouthernCT.edu or at www.SouthernCTOwls.com for the latest on athletics.
�+ Facebook: become a fan of Southern at www.facebook.com. A variety of pages are available, including those specifically devoted to alumni.
�+ Twitter at http://twitter.com/scsutweet.
�+ LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com. Go to the official “Southern Connecticut State University” page.
�+ Alumni Relations also can be reached at (203) 392-6500; www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni; or SCSU, Attn: Alumni Relations, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515.
Bill Cosby and Ramsey LewisTwo Legends. One Evening.Nov. 11 • Concert at 7:30 p.m.; Reception at 5:30 p.m.John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts
An evening with celebrated comedian and entertainer William H.Cosby Jr. and composer, pianist, and jazz great Ramsey Lewis.
A very special event to benefit the student scholarship programat Southern. The event also will support Southern Academy, aninnovative educational effort that tackles the achievement gap byensuring New Haven school children have the tools they need tosucceed at an early age.
$85 for premium seating; $65 for regular seating; $45 for sideseating and SCSU students with valid ID (limit 1); and $150 for a premium package that includes a private reception and photoopportunity with Bill Cosby at the Michael J. Adanti StudentCenter at 5:30 p.m.
The World Goes RoundA musical review by John Kander and Fred EbbDec. 10 • 7 p.m.John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts
An ultra-talented cast of alumni of Southern’s Crescent Playersstar in this musical review. With music from “Chicago,” “Cabaret,”“Woman of the Year,” and “New York, New York!” Proceeds tobenefit the Crescent Players Endowed Scholarship. Directed andchoreographed by Larry Nye.
Presented through special arrangement with Music TheatreInternational.
$25 for general admission; $20 for active alumni (current mem-bership card) and Southern faculty/staff; $5 for students; $35 forspecial Alumni Association membership ticket, which includesone-year membership in the association.
keepin
touch!
(203) 392-6154 or www.tickets.SouthernCT.edu
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alumni notes
30 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
’50sJustine Herman Butler,’56, has taught tennis for 32years for Ridgefield Parks andRecreation in Connecticut. Thetown courts were recentlynamed in her honor.
JOHN L. CARUSONE, ’57, M.S.’62, received the Elm CityLegend Award, sponsored bythe March of Dimes. He andhis wife, SYLVIA CARUSONE,M.S. ’71, 6th Yr. ’93, live inHamden, Conn.
’60sBRUCE FAITSCH, ’65, retiredfrom his second career as anadvanced placement sciencecontent specialist after com-pleting 40 years as a biologyteacher and science depart-ment chair with Wilbur CrossHigh School in New Haven andGuilford High School inConnecticut.
MARGARET KANGLEY, ’67, the 1997 ConnecticutDistinguished Art Educator,had a gallery showing of herpaintings at Gallery One in OldSaybrook, Conn.
NEIL T. PROTO, ’67, counsel inthe Washington, D.C., office ofSchnader, Harrison, Segal, andLewis was elected a fellow ofthe Royal Geographical Societyof London.
DONNA LOPIANO, ’68, wasinducted into the Texas SportsHall of Fame and honored dur-ing a banquet in Waco, Texas.
’70sPATRICIA LUTKUSMOODYRINCKEL, ’71, M.S. ’75, hasretired after teaching inProspect, Conn., for over 37years.
CHRISWEBSTER, ’71, M.S. ’74,with 35 years of teaching expe-rience, has been inducted intothe Connecticut High SchoolCoaches Association Hall ofFame. Webster coaches girls’basketball at North BranfordHigh School.
PATRICIAA. JAMELE, M.S. ’72,M.S. ’85, celebrated her 50thanniversary since taking religious vows of obedience,poverty, and chastity. She hasbeen a guidance counselor atHoly Cross High School inWaterbury, Conn., for morethan 30 years.
VICTORIA LAFORTUNE, ’73,retired after 15 years as vicepresident, production, of ABCStudios, a division of The WaltDisney Company. She lives inLos Angeles, Calif.
JOSEPHMORRIS, ’73, M.S. ’78,6th Yr. ’87, is retiring as PutnamMiddle School’s principal andplans on moving overseas forseveral years to continue teach-ing. Morris began his teachingcareer overseas.
JOHNW. SULLIVAN, ’73, M.S.’78, the retired superintendentof Westbrook Public Schoolsand Unified School District IIin Meriden, Conn., also servedas interim superintendent forHaddam and Killingworth.
DOLORES ENNICO, ’74, M.S. ’77,vice president of humanresources at Olin Corporation,was selected as the fall 2010Bartels Fellow at the Universityof New Haven (UNH). TheBartels Fellowship brings peo-ple of national stature andprominence in the fields ofbusiness or public service tothe UNH campus.
FRANKRUSSO, ’74, lives in LasVegas, Nev., with his wife, Gina,and teaches at Silverado HighSchool.
MARY ELLEN KINGSLAND-ECKELS, ’76, currently with theMeriden Board of Educationdeveloping music therapy cur-ricula, has been honored as a2011 Distinguished Alumna bythe Wallingford EducationFoundation.
LYNN SPAGNESI, ’76, M.S. ’81,was an award winner at theBrien McMahon High SchoolOld Timers 48th annual din-ner. Spagnesi played basketballat Southern for four years,helping the Owls to a regionalchampionship in her freshmanand sophomore years. She pre-viously was inducted into theConnecticut Women’sBasketball Hall of Fame andthe Connecticut Women’sVolleyball Hall of Fame.
ANNETTE R. BRUNO, ’78, is afield application scientist in theCalifornia Bay area. She andher husband, EDWARDBRUNO, M.S. ’74, live inOakland, Calif.
DAVID BRYANT, ’78, M.S. ’82,6th Yr. ’86, is the principal ofLyman Hall High School inWallingford, Conn., where hehas worked for 33 years.
RACHELHAMLETHEGGINS,’78, principal of the High Schoolfor Juveniles in Baltimore, Md.,is also the pastoral counselor
and assistant minister ofmusic at First Apostolic FaithChurch of Jesus Christ.
KEVINMCMAHON, ’78, M.S.’82, 6th Yr. ’93, school psycholo-gist at Oswegatchie ElementarySchool in Waterford, Conn., haspublished a children’s bookabout childhood obesity andbullying, “Manny McMooseand his Chubby Caboose.”
WILLIAM F. TURNER, ’78, M.S.’80, 6th Yr. ’86, has beennamed by the Chamber ofCommerce of EasternConnecticut as its 61st Citizenof the Year. Turner serves as a board member on theMiddlesex Chamber ofCommerce and the WindhamChamber of Commerce.
JOYCE SALTMAN, M.S. ’79, 6thYr. ’81, has been nominated bythe Quinnipiac Chamber ofCommerce for the 11th annualAthena Award. The award rec-ognizes an individual for pro-fessional excellence, service tothe community, and assistingwomen in their attainment ofprofessional goals and leader-ship skills.
CAROLYNSTANWORTH, ’79, chiefoperating officer and chief finan-cial officer of BL Companies, wasnamed to Moves magazine’sprestigious “2010 PowerWomen” list. Stanworth is thefirst woman in the architectureand engineering industry to benamed to the list.
’80sALETA GUDELSKI, ’81, an artistand teacher, held a discussionon the physical properties ofcolor at a Color TherapyWorkshop at the Left BankGallery in Essex, Conn.
JANET TATE, ’81, received herSc.D. in epidemiology fromHarvard School of PublicHealth and is currently workingas a freelance statistician for theUniversity of Connecticut andthe Veterans Aging CohortStudy at Yale University.
LAURA FERRANTEFERNANDES, ’82, aWoodbridge, Conn., selectmanhas retired after 22 years in theMonroe Public School System.Her most recent position wasas the assistant principal atJockey Hollow Middle School.
MARKAHERN, ’87, has beenpromoted to vice president ofthe Bank of Fairfield and willbe responsible for all branchoperations.
THOMAS N. ELLIS JR., M.S. ’87,has joined Halsey Associates inNew Haven as vice president.
PATRICIAMOTTOLA, ’87, M.S.’90, a published poet fromCheshire, Conn., read herpoems that honor veteranswho served in the VietnamWar at an event held at thePlainville Senior Center.
TOMGODEK, ’88, has beennamed Assistant Coach of theYear by the Gridiron Club ofGreater Boston. Godek is theoffensive coordinator forSouthern’s football team.
’90sMARYHOPE GOSHEA, ’90, grad-uated from New YorkUniversity with a master’sdegree in deafness rehabilita-tion. She earned her master’sin social work in 2010 fromFordham University.
NANCY LINDBERG, ’90, whocompleted her Master ofDivinity from Colgate RochesterDivinity School, attained thedistinction of board certifiedchaplain. She has been a chap-
Reunion News
• Alumni of the Crescent Players will perform themusical review “The World Goes Round” at the John LymanCenter for the Performing Arts on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. Directedand choreographed by Larry Nye and presented throughspecial arrangement with Music Theatre International. Call fortickets: (203) 392-6154.
• Members of the Class of 1962 will be recognized inhonor of their 50th reunion at the undergraduatecommencement ceremony on May 18, 2012.
For more information or if you would like to organize a reunion for your class, please contact AlumniRelations at (203) 392-6500.
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Fall 2011 | 31
lain for nearly five years, includ-ing work at Unity HealthSystem in Rochester, N.Y., andGreenville Health System inSouth Carolina.
BARBARA SNYDER, M.A. ’91,has been named 2010-2011president-elect of theAmerican Medical WritersAssociation. Snyder is directorof medical writing at WarnerChilcott of Rockaway, N.J.
KEVIN DONOVAN, ’92, is thefinance lead for the NavalHawk program at SikorskyAircraft Corporation.
GARYMALA, 6thYr. ’93, is thesuperintendent ofschools in Avon,Conn., having previ-ously held the sameposition for the Region17 School District. Malahas also served as asuperintendent inSouthwick, Mass.
ROBERT CAPALBO, ’94, hasjoined CRT Capital as vicepresident of operations.Capalbo lives in Fairfield,Conn.
advice, tips, and words of wisdom from an expert in the southern community.
Great reads from best-selling author and book critic, John Searles, ’91
What makes a book great? John Searles, ’91, has explored thetopic from several angles. The best-selling author of “Boy StillMissing” and “Strange But True”(William Morrow/HarperCollins),Searles is also a book critic on NBC’s“Today Show” and the editor-at-largeof Cosmopolitan magazine. He is currently revising the manuscript forhis third book, which will be out nextyear. Following he shares some of hisrecent top book picks. For more on whatSearles is reading, “Like” his author pageon Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/24grm8d or on twitter @searlesbooks.
“Moonwalking with einstein” by Joshua Foer (nonfiction)What really compelled me to pick up this book was the subtitle: “The Art andScience of Remembering Everything.” Like lots of people, I constantly forget where Iput my keys or the names of people I’ve just met, so this subject called to me. Foer isa science journalist who attended the “Memory Championship,” held annually in theU.S. There, he encountered people capable of memorizing endless amounts ofpoetry or lists of strangers’ names or complex mathematical formulas. Many ofthem did it by using ancient techniques to improve memorization. Foer becamefascinated and spent a year working on his memory and trying to understand it.He then returned to the competition and won.
“Tiger in the Kitchen” by Cheryl Tan (memoir)There are so many “tiger” books out right now, and this is my favorite —
a magical blend of beautiful writing about food and a thought-provokinglook at family secrets and traditions. Tan grew up in Singapore, where shenever showed any interest in cooking or learning recipes from her grandmoth-er and “aunties.” As soon as she turned eighteen, she moved to the U.S., whereshe eventually became a journalist. When Tan unexpectedly lost her job as areporter for the Wall Street Journal a few years ago, she returned to Singapore,where her beloved aunties taught her how to make dishes like flaky pineappletarts and Hainanese Chicken Rice. I had the pleasure of first meeting this writer ayear ago when she read from this book while it was still a work in progress. In fact,I snapped a picture of her that the publisher used as her author photo on the back!
“The weird sisters” by Eleanor Brown (fiction)I often ask people on my Facebook author page what they are reading to make sure I am not missing
anything. I always get lots of different answers, but this time around, one title kept popping up again andagain: “The Weird Sisters.” This is a funny, touching story about three — I guess you’d call them weird — sisters who are fully grown, but move back to their childhood home in Ohio. The first line of the book is: “We returned home because we were failures.” In actuality, their mother is sick and we discover they have a lotof family business between them to sort out. This is Brown’s first novel but she tells the story like a master.
“emily Alone” by Stuart O’Nan (fiction)O’Nan is an incredible writer who gets glowing reviews of his work, but has yet to cross over into the
mainstream. His first novel, “Snow Angels,” was about a teenage boy whose babysitter is murdered.Another of his earlier novels, “The Speed Queen,” is about a woman on death row who is recording herstory for a writer. Both of those books are dark tales, jam-packed with plot twists and surprises. Andnow with “Emily Alone,” O’Nan tries his hand at a much quieter story. The novel follows one woman,Emily, at the end of her life. It is a beautiful read full of tender, intimate moments.
“Between shades of gray” by Ruta Sepetys (young adult)So many current young adult novels feature vampires or werewolves or post-apocalyptic settings,
but in this book people are actually human. Nobody drinks blood or grows fangs! Instead, it tellsthe story of a young girl during World War II who is forced from her home in Lithuania and sentto Siberia. I gave the book to a friend who is Lithuanian and happens to have survived a verysimilar experience when she was a girl. This friend praised the book for its authenticity.
“Hush: A Novel” by Kate White (paperback)Here’s the set-up: a woman named Lake Warren has a one-night stand with a handsome
doctor. Afterward, she wanders out onto his terrace. It’s late, she’s a little tipsy, so she sitsdown and drifts off to sleep. In the middle of the night, Lake wakes and goes back insidethe apartment to find the handsome doctor dead in his bed. Rather than call the police,she panics, and flees the scene. This is a fast-paced, suspenseful page-turner — thathappens to be dedicated to me!
Fieldguide For owls:
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32 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
JASONVAN STONE, ’97, vicechairman of the WaterburyRepublican Town Committee,is also a member of the Boardof Education. He’s employedby OptiCare Eye Health and
Vision Centers as the directorof marketing.
MEGAN COLLINS, M.S. ’98, hadher artwork featured atArtPlace Gallery atWatermark in Bridgeport,
Conn. Collins has been an artteacher for 16 years.
LORI FARKASH, M.S. ’98, ofMoses Y. Beach School inWallingford, Conn., has beennominated for the
Presidential Award forExcellence in Mathematicsand Science Teaching.
JENNIFER CASEY, M.S.W. ’99, afacilitator at The HealingHearts Center for Grieving
Children and Families, hasbeen a special program coun-selor at Holy Cross HighSchool since 2001.
s a starting defensive end for the NationalFootball League’s (NFL) San Diego Chargers,Jacques Cesaire, ’11, regularly played for a
cheering crowd of up to71,500 at the city’sQualcomm Stadium. There were fewer fans
on hand at Southern’sundergraduate com-mencement exercises onMay 27, but the emotionsran sky-high for Cesaireand family and friendswho watched him receivehis bachelor’s of sciencedegree in liberal studies. The day marked the
culmination of a journeythat began in 1998 when Cesaire, then a top prospect from Gardner High School inMassachusetts, enrolled at Southern. Cesaire wasan Owl standout — named the Northeast-10Conference DefensiveLineman of the Year and a first team NCAA Division II All-Americanselection by theAmerican FootballCoaches Association.With his dream of someday playing for the NFL becoming a real possibili-
ty, Cesaire completed his senior college football season and signed withsports agent Joe Linta. Linta felt the young player had great potential — if hewas willing to work tremendously hard and put his all into training.A few classes shy of earning a degree, Cesaire went to Head Football
Coach Rich Cavanaugh for advice. “I remember sitting in his office,” Cesairerecalls. “Coach Cav understood that there was a limited window of timeduring which I’d have the opportunity to play for the NFL. He said, ‘Look,you’re almost done. Promise me that you will come back and get yourdegree. . . . Now work hard and focus on what you need to do.’”Cesaire withdrew from Southern to begin intensive training in North
Carolina. “Next thing I knew, I was with the San Diego Chargers,” saysCesaire, who signed with the team on May 2, 2003. “It all happened so fast.”Through it all his commitment to Southern remained ironclad. “I’m blue
and white for life,” says Cesaire, who is married to Jill (Murray) Cesaire, ‘03,a former Owls’ cheerleader. He counts Southern alumni among his best
friends and returns to the university every yearto speak with the football team. As his careergrew, Cesaire, and his wife, Jill, also supported
Southern students bycontributing to the SCSU Foundation. In San Diego, the
altruistic couple is com-mitted to the MonarchSchool for homelesschildren and teens andsupports a Chargers’program to feed thecity’s homeless. In 2007,Cesaire founded J.C.’sKids in conjunction withAthletes for Education tobenefit area youth. Thefollowing year, he waspresented with anaward from the UnitedWay for outstandingwork in the community.Through it all, the
professional athlete andhumanitarian never for-got his promise to com-plete his degree. Hisstaunchest advocateswere his wife, Jill, andhis mother, Jackie.Cesaire’s parents emi-grated to the U.S. from
Haiti. “My mother always preached the importance of going to college, aswell as finishing everything you start,” says Cesaire, whose four siblings allgraduated high school and went on to attend college.“It was also important to me as a parent,” he says. The couple has a
young daughter, Viviana, and is expecting a son in October. “I couldn’t tellthem to go to college, if I hadn’t done so.” So Cesaire went back to school, completing several courses, including a
required fine arts class and an internship at Advantage Personal Training inMystic, Conn. Today the All-American player turned NFL pro says earninghis degree is among his proudest achievements.Cesaire hopes to build on his demonstrated commitment to community
service by working with Southern on programs that benefit New Havenyouth. “My wife and I look forward to working with [Southern InterimPresident] Dr. Battle. I think these initiatives can really make a difference.”
— By Villia Struyk
EY E ON TH E BA L L :
NFL Player Earns Degree
Jacques Cesaire, ’11, celebrates commencement with his wife, Jill (Murray) Cesaire, ’03, and daughter, Viviana.
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’00sKRISTENALLORE, M.S. ’00, hasbeen selected as the ConnecticutOutdoor and EnvironmentalEducation Association’s BoardMember of the Year. Allore isthe program director of NewPond Farm, as stated in theRedding Pilot newspaper.
LAUREN BAILEY, ’00, has joinedthe Alpha Medical GroupEmergency MedicineDepartment in Monroe, Conn.
CHARMAINE P. SAMUDA, ’02, isa school social worker living inBranford, Conn.
MARIO PIRES, ’03, an art teacherat Plainville High School,exhibited his watercolors at theStanley Whitman HouseGallery in Farmington, Conn.
DARRYLA. HUGLEY, ’05, hasbeen appointed to the African-American Affairs Commissionby President Pro TemporeSpeaker of the ConnecticutState Senate Donald E.Williams. Hugley serves as anexecutive board member andchair of the Criminal Justice/Urban Initiative Committee ofthe Greater New Haven Branchof the NAACP.
JESSICASCOFIELD, ’05, a teacher atCloonan Middle School, is in h erthird season of competitive pow-erlifting. She is the nation’s third-ranked female in the deadlift cat-egory, after hoisting 450 pounds,or three times her weight,above her head. Overall, she isthe sixth-ranked powerlifter.
JACQUELYNN GAROFANO, ’06,received the 2011 Women of
Innovation Award in the cate-gory of Collegian Innovationand Leadership. Garofanorecently joined the UnitedTechnologies Research Centeras a materials scientist. She isalso a curriculum developmentspecialist with CRISP, theCenter for Research onInterface Structures andPhenomena. In September, shedefended her doctoral thesis inmaterials science and engi-neering at the University ofConnecticut.
MEGHAN O’NEIL KUEBLER,’06, is a Ph.D. candidate insociology at the University ofAlbany. Kuebler holds an M.A.in quantitative methods fromColumbia University.
MICHAEL STORZ, M.B.A. ’06, isthe president of Chapel Haven,a private nonprofit servingadults on the autism spectrum
and those with developmentaland social disabilities.
MIKE CONNER, 6th Yr. ’07, hasbeen named interim principalat Troup Middle School in NewHaven. Conner is the formervice principal at CelentanoSchool in the Elm City.
JESSE GULICK, ’07, is a salesassociate with Coldwell BankerResidential Brokerage’sMadison, Conn., office.
KAREN TATARKA, M.L.S. ’07, isthe new library director at theWeston Public Library.
KARLY TISO, ’07, boarding facul-ty member at The GlenholmeSchool in Washington, Conn.,was presented with theEmployee of the Month Awardin October 2010.
MARTIN TOLENTINO, M.P.H.’07, is the quality servicesmanager for the New Haven
Healthy Start program.
SHAUNNAYAWILLIAMS, ’07, isthe assistant coach of theUniversity of New Havenwomen’s indoor track team,which finished fourth at theNCAA Division II Championship.
JEFF FONTI, ’08, a corporal in theMarine Corps, is beingdeployed to Afghanistan withthe 6th Motor TransportBattalion based out of NewHaven. Fonti is a native ofWatertown, Conn.
KURT SOLLANEK, ’08, M.S. ’10,was the 2010 recipient of theMark Connelly MemorialMasters Scholarship from theNew England Chapter of theAmerican College of SportsMedicine.
KEVINWOODS, M.S. ’09, hasbeen named ShorelineConference Coach of the Year.
Share your good newswith South ern friends and classmates by sending it toSouthern Alumni News. Mail this completed form toSouthern Alumni News, SCSU Alumni Relations Office, New Haven, CT 06515-1355; fax, (203) 392-5082; ore-mail, [email protected].
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tell usabout it
Support Southern. Leave a Legacy.
Planned gifts — also called deferred or estate gifts
— can help you meet your long-term financial goals,
while providing critically needed support for Southern’s
talented and deserving students.
The university’s Development Office can supply
information on a variety of planned gifts that help
Southern maintain a climate of excellence — from
bequests that extend your generosity beyond your
lifetime to charitable gift annuities and trusts, which can
provide fixed-income payments and several tax
benefits.
If you’ve already included the Southern
Connecticut State University Foundation in your will,
please let us know so that we can acknowledge your
generosity by enrolling you in the Heritage Society.
If not, please consider leaving a legacy by making
a planned gift to the Southern Connecticut State
University Foundation.
For more information, contact the Development Office.
(203) 392-5598www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthern Southern Connecticut State University501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1355
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34 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
’10sEDWARD DOSTALER, ’10, wasthe 2010 recipient of theUndergraduate ScholarshipAward from the New EnglandChapter of the AmericanCollege of Sports Medicine.
MARCOMERATI, ’10, is a mort-gage loan originator withVillage Mortgage’s Torrington,Conn., office.
LISA NEMENSE, ’10, wascrowned Miss GreaterWatertown for 2010. She hastraveled the Greater Watertownarea performing and promot-ing her platform: preventingteenage substance abuse.
MarriagesJEROMEMUGAVERO III, ’94,and Gina Marie Pastore, 2011.
JENNIFER FEBBRORIELLO, ’03,and JOSEPH C. DELUCA, ’03,Dec. 4, 2010.
PATRICK GLYNN, ’04, andLindsay Cerreta, July 16, 2010.
JACQUELINE LOYER, ’05, andMichael Portanova, Aug. 28,2010.
MELISSAANNE BICHUN, M.S.’06, and Lawrence Rosenthal,Aug. 12, 2010.
MAGGIEWOLOWITZ, ’06, andKyle Lucian, May 22, 2010.
FALLON STEPHENS, ’07, andAaron Matzdorff, May 21,2010.
PAIGE SYMINGTON GOLDEN,M.S. ’08, and Jay Dee Callahan,July 17, 2010.
CINDY RICCIO, ’09, and ScottRodrigues, Aug. 21, 2010.
IN MEMORIAMREGINA DEVITTMOHER, ’29,’64, Nov. 11, 2010, Branford,Conn.
MARGARET F. LAW, ’33, Nov.10, 2010, Orange, Conn.
JANE R. NOLAN, ’40, March 3,2011, Hamden, Conn.
KATHRYN JOAN SANDMEYERWALLER, ’40, March 26, 2011,Torrington, Conn.
EMMA SOLOMON, ’41, April 6,2011, Silver Spring, Md.
RUTHM. ALLAN, ’43, April 9,2011, Trumbull, Conn.
EDITHV. BALDYGA, ’46, Feb. 12,2011, Bushnell, Fla.
HELENMCLAUGHLINCRAVEN, ’46, April 1, 2011,Weyland, Mass.
JEANIE N. ENGLAND, ’48, M.S.’75, Dec. 11, 2010, Cheshire,Conn.
RUTHMURDOCK BERGINWALSH, ’48, March 26, 2011,Branford, Conn.
HARRYM. HINES, ’52, Dec. 3,2010, North Haven, Conn.
BETSYANNE SEATON, ’53, April17, 2011, Bethany, Conn.
ALBERTA. CHAPAR SR., ’54,Nov. 28, 2010, Stratford, Conn.
STANLEY P. PUZYCKI, ’55, Dec.16, 2010, New Haven, Conn.
BENJAMIN J. GUERRA, ’57, Dec.6, 2010, New Haven, Conn.
ANGELO PETRAFESA, ’57,March 14, 2011, East Haven,Conn.
DONALDW. PROTHEROE, ’57,Feb. 2011, Ashford, Conn.
EILEEN INGLIS, ’59, Jan. 24,2011, Palm Beach, Fla.
RICHARD F. NICOLARI, ’59,M.S. ’64, Feb. 22, 2011,Guilford, Conn.
ROBERTW. SULLIVAN, ’59,March 3, 2011, North Haven,Conn.
DEMETRA PERRELLI, ’60, M.S.’69, and an adjunct professorof physical education/move-ment, Dec. 12, 2010, Branford,Conn.
WALTER STOSUY, ’60, Dec. 8,2010, West Hartford, Conn.
STETSON BLAKE, ’61, March 29,2011, Milford, Conn.
GEORGE CAMARA, ’61, March 1,2011, Westerly, R.I.
LINDA FOSS HIGGINS, ’62, Dec.3, 2010, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
JAMES LOSTY, ’62, Jan. 22, 2011,Milford, Conn.
ANNE L. ANTONUCCI, ’64,March 23, 2011, West Haven,Conn.
ANTOINETTE GIOVANNITTI,’64, M.S. ’72, 6th Yr. ’77, Nov.10, 2010, North Haven, Conn.
LOUISEMALTBYMCNELLISKRING, ’65, Dec. 11, 2010,Anna Maria, Fla.
BARBARAMCCABE SPEHAR,’65, M.L.S. ’68, Nov. 28, 2010,Old Lyme, Conn.
RITA F. LAMBMORSE, ’66,M.S. ’72, 6th Yr. ’78, Dec. 23,2010, Hamden, Conn.
JOHN E. DOMBROSKI, ’68, Jan.31, 2011, Wallingford, Conn.
THOMAS J. MATTHEWS, ’69,Feb. 1, 2011, Waterbury, Conn.
DONALDW. GRAY, M.S. ’70,March 17, 2011, Prospect,Conn.
ELINORMARIE HASHIM,M.L.S. ’70, March 27, 2011,Newington, Conn.
CHERYLANN JANKURA, ’70,March 5, 2011, Southington,Conn.
JUNE IRENE LANGE, ’70, 6th Yr.’94, Nov. 28, 2010, Farmington,Conn.
LESLIEA. MAGINNISS, ’70,M.S. ’76, Jan. 15, 2011,Guilford, Conn.
ROSEMARYY. LAMANNO, ’71,M.S. ’75, Dec. 2, 2010, NewportNews, Va.
RUTHMCGEE LUBY, ’71, Feb.28, 2011, Cheshire, Conn.
VERA J. ROZARIE, ’71, M.S. ’76,March 29, 2011, Stratford,Conn.
FAYE RITA RUBIN, ’71, March13, 2011, East Hampton, Conn.
FRANK C. SESSA, ’71, Dec. 18,2010, Philadelphia, Pa.
GENEVIEVE SEPORIAHOLLAND-WILSON, M.S.’72, March 28, 2010,Richmond, Va.
KEVINW. MCKEON, M.S. ’72,Feb. 2, 2011, Wallingford, Conn.
ANNMESTUZZI, M.S. ’72, 6thYr. ’75, M.A. ’94, Oct. 4, 2010,Shelton, Conn.
SISTER IRENEMONGRANDI,M.S. ’72, Jan. 31, 2011, SaintAnne Villa, N.J.
MARYLEE REYNOLDSRAPUANO, M.S. ’72, April 8,
2011, Meriden, Conn.
SANDE E. STRATTON, ’72, M.S.’76, March 8, 2011, Stonington,Conn.
JOSEPH CORICA SR., ’73, M.S.’77, Oct. 17, 2010, Trumbull,Conn.
VIDEEN PARKEMCGAUGHEY,’73, Nov. 27, 2010, Wallingford,Conn.
NANCY J. STASIUNAS, ’73, Nov.6, 2010, Guilford, Conn.
LAREINE KASSABIAN, ’74, Oct.17, 2010, Guilford, Conn.
CYNTHIA HAYES KEDVES, ’74,April 16, 2011, Wallingford,Conn.
NANCY DOBITSKY KENNEDY,’74, Feb. 23, 2011, SouthWindsor, Conn.
JUDITH L. MASTRIANNA, ’74,March 22, 2011, Middlebury,Conn.
ESTHER KOSOTSKY PROBER,M.S. ’74, Oct. 4, 2010, Westford,Mass.
EVA BARBARA GILLSULLIVAN, 6th Yr. ’74, Oct. 14,2010, Trumbull, Conn.
MARCIA EMILIE SANDONE,’75, March 20, 2011, Redding,Conn.
LISA TRAUB, ’75, March 20,2011, Winsted, Conn.
JAMES D. SORRENTINO, ’76,Jan. 17, 2011, Branford, Conn.
GUYA. CARMEN, 6th Yr. ’77,March 8, 2011, Waterbury,Conn.
DAPHNE KILBOURN-JACOB,’78, Jan. 20, 2011, Putney, Vt.
ANN ZARECHIAN BOWDEN,’79, Jan. 7, 2011, Boston, Mass.
NANCY JEAN KISIL LANGER,’79, Nov. 23, 2010, Berwick, Pa.
DAVID JOHN COLBURN, ’80,April 16, 2011, Kensington,Conn.
KEVINMICHAEL COLLINS, ’81,Jan. 26, 2011, Black Rock, Conn.
BARBARA DURLANDMONTEFUSCO DEVLIN, M.S.’81, Feb. 13, 2011, Chester,Conn.
KARENWOODRUFF KOPPEL,’81, March 20, 2011, Scottsdale,Ariz.
ELEANOR C. PIVIROTTO, ’83,March 13, 2001, Derby, Conn.
KAREN C. SORITIO, ’83, Dec. 13,2010, New York, N.Y.
ROBERT F. CLARK, ’84, Jan. 23,2011, Orange, Conn.
THOMASMARSTON, ’85, March22, 2011, Meriden, Conn.
STEVENA. RUBIN, ’86, Jan. 6,2011, Glastonbury, Conn.
STEPHEN S. SHERIDAN, 6th Yr.’86, Feb. 13, 2011, Branford,Conn.
PHYLLIS KOLEDO LESTER,M.S. ’88, April 2, 2011, Monroe,Conn.
ROBERTA. STEWART II, M.S.’88, Jan. 6, 2011, Glastonbury,Conn.
JOHN CHARLES IRELAND JR.,’92, Feb. 25, 2011, Bridgeport,Conn.
GREGORYA. DUFF, ’93,Smithtown, N.Y.
BRIAN DANA JOSE, ’93, Dec. 2,2010, Prospect, Conn.
ANN CROWLEYMIRIZZI, 6thYr. ’93, Jan. 24, 2011,Colebrook, Conn.
JOHN J. MASALSKI, ’99, April15, 2011, Westbrook, Conn.
SHEILAM. WARD, M.L.S. ’03,Dec. 13, 2010, Enfield, Conn.
JAMES H. PINSON-ROSE, ’05,March 24, 2011, Fairfield,Conn.
BARBARA“RUSTY”ABERNETHY, ProfessorEmeritus of PhysicalEducation, March 6, 2011,Branford, Conn.
STEPHEN COLLINS, ProfessorEmeritus of Biology, Oct. 7,2010, Bethany, Conn.
PAMELA RENDEIRO, ProfessorEmeritus of Political Science,March 12, 2011, Hamden,Conn.
DOROTHYV. SCHRADER,Professor Emeritus ofMathematics, Feb. 22, 2011,Branford, Conn.
Class notes are compiled fromsubmissions from alumni, as wellas announcements made innewspapers and magazines.
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Fall 2011 | 35
Peace Owls, Lottcontinued from page 13
Peace Owls, Kautzcontinued from page 13
Peace Owls, Williamscontinued from page 14
Peace Owls, Smithcontinued from page 15
The Good Earthcontinued from page 19
Peace Owls, Harpercontinued from page 15
my twin sons, who will be
9 years old, and my Peruvian
husband to Paraguay for
their first time to cele-
brate.” Plans include visit-
ing the Asuaga family, who
took Lott into their one-
room home for three months
while she was serving in the
Peace Corps until accommoda-
tions were built for her.
countless hours running in the park, feed-
ing the deer, touring the castle, or having
coffee with the Baroness. Yes, a real
baroness lived there,” says Kautz.
The experience made an indelible
impression. “I made incredible lifelong
friendships and I learned far more than I
taught. I learned about myself and about
my capabilities. I gained an appreciation
for history. I learned that when you are
uncomfortable, you are truly growing,”
writes Kautz.
For the past eight years, he has
lived in Maine where he works as a math
and finance teacher at the Waynflete
School, a private day school in Portland. He
is also the varsity baseball coach.
feature book and one of the New
York Times Top Ten Books of the
Year for children. She has
authored more than a dozen
books, most recently, “Beatrice’s
Dream.” (Karen spent two weeks
with the 13-year-old orphan who
was growing up in a slum in
Kibera, Kenya.)
The Williams family —
which grew to include four chil-
dren — also continued to travel.
They lived in Haiti for two peri-
ods, and since September 2010,
Karen and Steven have lived on
the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Ariz.,
where Steven works for the Indian
Health Service. Karen teaches
graduate level writing courses and
continues work on several writing
projects. Meanwhile, her son,
Christopher, who was born in
Malawi while his parents served
in the Peace Corps, has come full
circle. In September, he and his
wife, Laurie, became Peace Corps
volunteers in Mozambique.
For more information, see
www.karenlynnwilliams.com.
master’s degree in public health fromthe University of Connecticut HealthCenter. He is currently a programmanager, overseeing a community-based health access program at theUniversity of New Mexico HealthSciences Center in Albuquerque.
Namibia’s government colleges.
“Most rewarding was attending
the graduations of my 90
students each year, knowing
that if each one taught 40
students for 30 years, my
efforts could/would contribute
to the development of the
country,” she says.
Though officially retired,
Harper continues to work part-
time in education. She is a
classroom assistant for an autistic
elementary school student.
expected to soar to 70 percent by 2050.Urban agriculture could become
increasingly important to this growing pop-ulation segment. It provides a cost-effec-tive source of nutritious food — a tremen-dous benefit in areas where the communi-ty does not have easy access to fresh pro-duce. Organic urban gardening also divertsnutrient-rich waste from landfills. Otherbenefits include encouraging the produc-tion of rare varieties of fruits and vegeta-bles, beautifying urban areas, and reducingthe carbon footprint associated with grow-ing produce since it does not need to betransported from rural areas.
There are academic advantages aswell. Students from various programs willbe able to use the orchard trees, garden,and eventually the greenhouse to extendthe classroom experience to real-life appli-cations. Cusato says the project is com-pletely interdisciplinary, not just limited to
the Science Education and EnvironmentalStudies Department. “We’d like to be aunifying force for faculty, staff, and stu-dents,” she says.
True to the initiative’s name, Plantit Forward also will support those beyondcampus. Plans include reaching out to thecommunity-at-large to teach and encour-age local residents to grow their own food.Heidkamp comments, “Ideally, we willeventually be able to do summer institutesto share knowledge about growing thingsin an urban environment. Our focus is onproducing a lot of food in small spaces.”The Connecticut Northeast Organic FarmingAssociation included Southern in its annualcity farm and garden tour in August. Effortsare underway to find external funding tohelp develop community and educationaloutreach activities.
“I think it’s the right time to dothis,” Cusato says. “The whole discussion
about food in this country has changed. Amovement to support local growers bybuying locally produced food has gainedpopularity and momentum. Gardening orgrowing fruit trees make home a moreenjoyable place to stay, and people alsoget some benefit from it.” She adds thatdue to numerous highly publicized foodrecalls over the past years, people want toknow where their food comes from.
Heidkamp is hoping for the sus-tained involvement of the local communi-ty. “The intention is to empower and edu-cate people,” he says.
Meanwhile, the students involvedin the project have reaped their ownrewards. “I feel a very strong personal con-nection to the orchard,” says Hawkins. “Iam currently living in my family’s home . . .an old farmhouse. To have worked on theorchard at this point of my life, is a dreamcome true.” n
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36 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Haunted Homecoming Oct. 29On campus
A fun-filled event for the entire family.Highlights include the Bob Corda 5Kroad race, parade of floats, alumni tentparty with refreshments and children’sactivities (tent opens at 12 p.m.), andthe Homecoming football game at 1 p.m.(203) 392-6500
Donald Gloverwith Special Guest
Oct. 29 8 p.m.A great evening ofcomedy from thestar, whose creditsinclude a recentlycompleted ComedyCentral Stand-UpSpecial andstarring in NBC’s“Community.”
$20 for generaladmission; $10 foractive alumni andSouthern faculty,
staff, and Southern student guests; $5 for Southernstudents. (203) 392-6154
Post Secret LiveNov. 4 8 p.m.A multimedia presentation by FrankWarren, creator of the Post SecretProject, which invited people fromaround the world to submit theirinnermost secrets on often artfullydecorated postcards.
$20 for general admission; $10 for Southern faculty,staff, students, and student guests. (203) 392-6154
Nov. 18 8 p.m.A behind the scenes look at the MTV hit that sends the cast on the road tocomplete a list of “100 things we want to do before we die.”
$15 for general admission; $8 for Southern faculty,staff, students, and student guests. (203) 392-6154
The Rippingtonsfeaturing Russ Freeman
Nov. 19 8 p.m.Catch a powerhouse performance by the Grammy-nominated contemporaryjazz band.
$32 for general admission; $28 for active alumni andSouthern faculty, staff, and student guests; $16 forSouthern students. (203) 392-6154
Student-Directed One Acts
Nov. 30, Dec. 1-3 8 p.m.;Dec. 3-4 2 p.m.Kendall Drama Lab
Theater at its finest directed andperformed by Southern’s students.
$10 for general admission; $5 for senior citizens andSouthern faculty, staff, and students. (203) 392-6154
Featuring PeterWhite, Mindi Abair,and Kirk Whalum
Dec. 2 8 p.m.
Kickoff the holiday season with a sensational nightof smooth jazz.
$32 for general admission; $28 for active alumni andSouthern faculty, staff, and student guests; and $16 for Southern students. (203) 392-6154
The World Goes RoundA musical review by Kander and Ebb
Dec. 10 7 p.m.An ultra-talented cast of alumni of Southern’s Crescent Players areshowcased in this musical review,featuring music from “Chicago,”“Cabaret,” “Woman of the Year,” and“New York, NewYork!” Proceeds tobenefit the Crescent Players Endowed Scholarship. Directed andchoreographed by Larry Nye. Presentedthrough special arrangement withMusic Theatre International.
$25 for general admission; $20 for active alumni andSouthern faculty/staff; $5 for Southern students; $35for special Alumni Assoc. membership ticket, whichincludes one-year membership. (203) 392-6154
*All events held in John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, unless otherwise noted. Southern students must have valid identification to receive their ticket discounts and are limitedto purchasing one student ticket and two student guest tickets per event. For tickets and additional information and listings, visit Southern’s Web site at www.lyman.SouthernCT.edu.
Two Legends. One Evening.Nov. 11 7:30 p.m.; reception 5:30 p.m. An evening with celebrated entertainer William H. Cosby Jr. and jazz great Ramsey Lewis.
Benefiting the student scholarship program at Southern and Southern Academy, aninnovative educational effort that tackles the achievement gap by ensuring NewHaven school children have the tools they need to succeed at an early age.
$85 for premium seating; $65 for regular seating; $45 for side seating and Southern students; and $150 for a premium package that includes a reception and photo opportunity with Bill Cosby at the Michael J. Adanti Student Center at 5:30 p.m. (203) 392-6154
The Buried Life Live
Southern EVENTS
A Peter WhiteChristmas
SMag36ppFall11 REV p9_Layout 1 10/14/11 10:28 AM Page 36
There are many reasons to make a gift to the Southern Fund.82% of our students receive some kind of financialassistance. 64% of our students work off campus.
Give today, impact today.Dollars from the Southern Fund are flexible andimmediately available, enabling the university todirect them wherever they’re most urgently needed.
What was itaboutSouthernthat made a differencein your life?
Was it A professor? A tradition? A program?
Whatever the reason,your Southernexperience lives foreverthrough you.
Fund a future.Fund a dream.
Fund an education. The Southern Fund.
Please make a gift to our students today by returning the envelope provided or by visiting us online at www.giving.SouthernCT.edu
raduate student Jessica
Schumacher is the first
Southern student to be
awarded a Fulbright
U.S. Student Program scholarship
— a prestigious honor that builds
on her proficiency in the Spanish
language and a passion for
breaking language barriers.
As a Fulbright scholar,
Schumacher will travel to
Argentina next March for eight
months to help train individuals
who are in the process of becom-
ing English teachers in that coun-
try. During her stay, she will further
study the Spanish language and
hopes to pursue the personal proj-
ect she proposed: to film inter-
views with Argentinean people.
These would then be used to
develop supplemental curricular
material for high school Spanish-
language classes. “When you hear
a language in its setting, it becomes
meaningful. Otherwise, it’s just
words on a page,” says
Schumacher, who is working
toward a master’s degree in bilin-
gual, multicultural education, and
TESOL (teaching of English to
speakers of other languages).
Operating in more than
155 countries worldwide, the
Fulbright Program is the flagship
international exchange program
sponsored by the U.S. government.
Cynthia Stretch, an associ-
ate professor of English who was
a Fulbright Scholar Senior Lecturer
in 2005, says she is proud of
Schumacher’s accomplishment:
“Jessica sees a future of public
service and the promotion of
intercultural understanding ahead
of her. . . . We see that future as
an especially bright one.”
— By Kaitlin Randall, ‘11
GCongratulations to Southern’s First Fulbright Student