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A magazine for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University
Citation preview
ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Spring | 09a
publ
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ion
for
alum
nian
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sof
Sout
hern
Conn
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Uni
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Prestige Academyfounder Jack Perry, ’96,
sets students’sights on
college
Dear SouthernAlumni,
As you know, Southern Connecticut State
University has a long and proud tradition of providing access
to higher education for students who might otherwise never
have the opportunity to earn a college degree.
One Southern graduate who exemplifies this tradition
is profiled in this month’s SouthernAlumniMagazine: Jack
Perry, ’96,who has founded PrestigeAcademy, an all-boys col-
lege preparatory school inWilmington,Del.This urban school
opened last September with 103 fifth-graders and is expected
to grow to 400 boys in grades five through eight by 2012— all
with their sights set on attending college.
This is a noble aspiration for a school that serves a
largely at-risk population.And it responds to concerns about
college entry and college graduation rates that are echoed
across the nation.Here in Connecticut, recent reports have
warned that a continuing decline in the percentage of residents
holding college degrees will erode the state’s economic vitality.
At Southern,we are committed toworking to reverse this
trend. In recent years, the university has expanded its advocacy
and support for programs that encourage academic aspirations,
and ultimately, successful transition into the state’s workforce.
These initiatives focus on utilizing the summer before
entry into college to improve college readiness skills and pro-
vide social and academic advisement for at-risk students.The
programs include SEOP (Summer Educational Opportunity
Program),ConnCas and ConnCap (both funded by the state
Department of Higher Education), and GEAR UP (a federally
funded program).
One of our most recent initiatives is the Galileo
Project, another state-funded initiative designed to provide
students from Hillhouse High School in New Haven,Hamden
High School, andMaloney High School of Meriden with better
preparation for college-level math and composition classes.
Faculty members from Southern’s mathematics, English, and
education departments have teamed up with math and
English teachers from those schools to share curriculum infor-
mation, visit each others’ classes, and develop strategies to
improve instruction.
As a result of these efforts, Southern has consistently
led its peers in the percentage of enrolled undergraduate
minorities during recent years. In 2008, almost 22 percent of
our undergraduates were members of minority groups.
Retention rates for first-time, full-time minority stu-
dents have also improved, and among its peer institutions,
Southern has the highest six-year graduation rate for minori-
ties and the highest percentage of minorities employed after
graduation.
Despite the current economic challenges,we will con-
tinue to seek innovative and effective ways to increase access
to, and promote success in, higher education. Your support
for our scholarship programs is crucial, particularly at a time
when more students than ever are seeking the benefits of a
Southern education. This spring, applications closed in
March and, for the first time in our history,we established a
waiting list, as we experienced unprecedented interest in our
affordable, high-quality educational offerings.
I thank you for your past contributions and look for-
ward to your continued involvement as we further Southern’s
mission as a university of opportunity and a university of
choice for students in Connecticut and beyond.
Dr.Cheryl J.Norton
President
LETTER
PresidentFROMTHE
For the Boys 10Education proved the ticket out of the projects
for Jack Perry, ’96.Today, as founder and
executive director of PrestigeAcademy,
Delaware’s only all-boys, tuition-free college
preparatory school,Perry is helping a new
generation succeed.
features
Spring | 09Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
From the President insidecover
Campus News 2Nostalgia 20
Supporting Southern 22Out and About 24Alumni News 26
Alumni Notes 30Southern Events 36
depa
rtm
ents
16Our spotlight on baseball includes profiles
of three alumni who are building businesses
aroundAmerica’s favorite pastime: Paula
Weaver,whomakes vintage-style athletics
uniforms and accessories, and Jared
Verrillo, ’05, and Nick Benas, ’07,who
have turned their passion forWIFFLE®
ball into a career.Closing out the
section is“Next at Bat,”a look at the
Owls’ baseball team’s 2009 season.
Write of Passage 14Building on a strong writing program,Southern
launches aMaster of FineArts in creative writing,
the first of its kind in the state.
2 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Southern joined
3,000 of the country’s top
college cheerleaders and
dancers at the 2009
College Cheer and Dance
Team National Championship
— and returned to campus
as national champions after
placing first in the All-Girls
Div. II category. The compe-
tition was held Jan. 16-18
at Walt Disney World Resort
in Florida.
Even though
Southern has consistently
ranked among the top 10
all-girl competitive cheer-
leading programs in the
country, this marks the first
time that the team has fin-
ished first in the competition.
Southern finished second
at the 2008 national com-
petition and third in 2007.
Commenting on the
victory, Head Coach Tricia
Lenda, ’97, notes that unlike
most sports, cheerleading
requires a team to be “spot
on” from the start. “You
have two and a half minutes
to do your routine,” says
Lenda. “You don’t have a
chance at a fourth-quarter
comeback. One major
mistake and you
probably are out of
the running.”
Teams from
43 states and 152
colleges and uni-
versities participat-
ed in the event,
which was pro-
duced by the
Universal
Cheerleaders
Association.
Southern
defeated 11
teams in its
category.
As the statewide
leader in producing highly
qualified special education
teachers, Southern has been
tapped by the state to
address the growing chal-
lenge of how to educate
autistic children better.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell
signed a bill that took effect
in July authorizing President
Cheryl J. Norton and the
university to take a lead role
in developing recommenda-
tions for a comprehensive
statewide plan to improve
the teaching of children with
autism and other develop-
mental disabilities. Southern
is working with several state
agencies, including the
Department of Development
Services, the Department of
Education, and the Depart-
ment of Higher Education to
craft such a plan.
NEWSCampus
� Cheerleaders ClinchNational Championship
James Granfield, interim dean of the School ofEducation, and Pamela Brucker, chairman of thespecial education and reading department
� Educating Childrenwith Autism
“It’s a huge project,”
says James Granfield, inter-
im dean of the university’s
School of Education.
“There is such a need for
this, as people are desper-
ate for information on how
to serve these students.”
Autism spectrum
disorders are developmen-
tal disabilities that cause
substantial impairments in
social interaction and com-
munication, as well as
unusual behaviors and
interests, according to the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).
Many people with these
disorders learn in unusual
ways, the CDC states.
Individuals with a form of
autism vary in their learn-
ing abilities, from gifted to
severely challenged.
An estimated three
to six of every 1,000 chil-
dren in the United States
have the disorder, accord-
ing to the Mayo Clinic.
State and national statistics
show a rise in children
with autism during the last
two decades.
Faculty members at
Southern have been hard
at work gathering data to
develop new teaching
methods to improve
teacher preparation. Data
was collected from numer-
ous sources, including pub-
lic forums, online surveys
regarding teacher educa-
tion programs, and com-
munity colleges that train
special education parapro-
fessionals. The compiled
information was used to
write a report for the
General Assembly.
“There is a great
need for teachers to have
an understanding of this
disability,” says Ruth Eren,
associate professor of spe-
cial education. She notes
that parents of
children diagnosed with
autism are often at a loss
about how to address their
child’s medical, education-
al, and social needs. Early
intervention is considered
the key to helping these
children.
Southern offers a
master’s degree program
in special education with a
concentration in autism
and other developmental
disabilities.
Southern| ALUMNI MAGAZINE
| VOL 7 • NO 2
Dr.Cheryl J.Norton, President
MeganA.Rock,Vice President forInstitutional Advancement
STAFF
Patrick Dilger,Director of Public Affairs
Villia Struyk,Editor
Marsha Rabe,Associate Editor
Michael Kobylanski,Sports Editor
Marylou Conley, ’83,Art Director
Isabel Chenoweth,Photographer
Thomas Cain,Assistant Photographer
Nancy Ronne,Development Editor
Charlie Davison,Alumni Notes Editor
ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE
Michelle R. Johnston,Director ofAlumni Relations
(203) 392-6500
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Southern Connecticut State UniversityOffice of Public Affairs/
Southern AlumniMagazine501 Crescent StreetNewHaven,CT 06515-1355
Telephone (203) 392-6591; fax (203) 392-6597E-mail address: [email protected] site: www.SouthernCT.edu
Printed by Imperial Graphics
SouthernAlumniMagazine is published by theuniversity in cooperation with the SCSUAlumniAssociation three times a year and distributed free ofcharge to alumni and friends of the university.Opinions expressed in SouthernAlumniMagazine do
not necessarily reflect those of theuniversity or of the SCSUAlumniAssociation.Although the editorshavemade every reasonable effort tobe factually accurate,noresponsibility is assumed for errors.
Postage paid at NewHaven,Conn.
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.
Spring 2009 | 3
In an
ongoing effort
to create a
safe learning
environment,
Southern is
installing a
siren/public
address system this
spring. The equipment,
which is being placed on
five buildings — Granoff
Hall, Engleman Hall, Pelz
Gymnasium, Brownell
Hall, and North Campus
Residence Complex —
allows the university to
broadcast an audible
tone, a live message, or a
digital recorded message.
To further enhance
campus security, Southern
joined the other campus-
es of the Connecticut
State University System
to launch SCSUALERT,
a new Emergency
Notification System.
Introduced
last fall,
SCSUALERT
conveys important infor-
mation to members of the
campus community in the
event of an emergency,
weather-related closing or
delay, or other potentially
hazardous situation. The
system delivers informa-
tion via text messaging,
voice mail, and/or e-mail.
“This system will
complement the variety
of communication tools
already available,” says
Southern Police Chief
Joseph Dooley, who
notes that Web
announcements and the
WeatherChek telephone
line (392-SNOW) are
among the systems also
in use. For more informa-
tion on SCSUALERT go to
www.SouthernCT.edu/
scsualert/.
Safeand
Secure
The Faculty Scholar
Award, one of the universi-
ty’s highest honors, was
presented to English
Professor Vivian Shipley
and Geography Professor
Leon Yacher. The award
committee selected Shipley
based on her book,
“Gleanings: Old Poems,
New Poems.” Yacher was
honored for his book, “The
Role of Geographer and
Natural Scientist Henri
Francois Pittier (1857-
1950) in the Evolution of
Geography as a Science in
Costa Rica.”
Shipley’s book cele-
brates aspects of rural life
in her native Kentucky. It
was nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize, garnered the
2004 Paterson Award for
Sustained Literary
Achievement, and received
enthusiastic reviews in
more than 20 national lit-
erary journals.
Yacher’s book,
which the award commit-
tee called a “meticulous
biography,” has been laud-
ed for its ground-breaking
look at Swiss-born geogra-
pher and botanist Pittier.
The committee praised
Yacher for “single-mindedly
conduct[ing] research in
archives and libraries on
three continents and in
three languages to bring
light to the career of
Pittier…who is still relative-
ly unknown in the English
speaking world but semi-
nal to the development of
geography in Costa Rica.”
� $287,000GrantFurthersStudySouthern’s
Center for Coastal and
Marine Studies will take the
lead in a research project to
bolster the economic viabil-
ity of Connecticut’s oyster
industry. The center
received a $287,000 grant
from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture that will help
pay for the continuation
and expansion of research
focusing on the environ-
mental habitat of the
Eastern oyster (Crassostrea
virginica) and the contami-
nation levels of oyster tis-
sues. The research is con-
ducted primarily in Long
Island Sound and
some of the har-
bors and rivers
connected to it.
The project
is a joint effort of institu-
tions across Connecticut,
including Central
Connecticut State
University, Western
Connecticut State University,
Wesleyan University, The
Sound School, and the
Maritime Aquarium at
4 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
NEWSCampus
� Faculty Scholars Honored
English Professor Vivian Shipley Geography Professor Leon Yacher
Norwalk. Southern will coor-
dinate the effort, with each
organization contributing
various resources including
faculty, students, staff,
equipment, and facilities.
Southern has been
studying sediment contam-
ination along the
Connecticut shoreline for
several years. The grant will
fund the purchase of sever-
al pieces of scientific
equipment to expand the
research.
In related news, a
$40,000 gift from the Werth
Family Foundation will fund
the purchase of a mercury
analyzer. This is in addition
to a previous $170,00 grant
from the foundation, most
of which will be used to
support student environ-
mental research.
� Star GazingScientists will have
a significantly clearer view
of the skies thanks to a
new device built by Elliott
Horch, an assistant profes-
sor of physics. The instru-
ment, called a differential
speckle survey instrument
(DSSI), is placed on tele-
scopes to improve the
crispness of images 20-
fold. Horch received a
$352,487 grant from the
National Science
Foundation to develop the
instrument three years ago,
prior to joining Southern.
The device has been sent
to Kitt Peak National
Spring 2009 | 5
full-time enrollment of undergraduates reached an all-time high this fall,
climbing to7,173, the highest number since the institution
opened its doors in 1893.
southern also set a new record for total full-time students at8,111,
fueled by an upturn in the number of full-time graduate
students enrolled this fall.
southern students are extremely hardworking:80% work more
than 30 hours per week to help finance their education.
The Southern Connecticut State University Police Department has a5-officer bike patrol unit that operates year round. Its goal: to
increase the department’s visibility and approachability.
Representatives from variousinstitutions around Connecticutjoined Southern for a meeting todiscuss a $287,000 federal grantthat will be used to research theenvironmental habitat of theEastern oyster and Connecticut’soyster industry. Vince Breslin[SITTING, FAR LEFT], Jim Tait [SITTING,FAR RIGHT], and Dwight Smith[STANDING, THIRD FROM LEFT] serve asSouthern’s co-coordinators of theCenter for Coastal and MarineStudies, the lead organization forthe grant. Sean Grace [STANDING,FAR RIGHT], assistant professor ofscience education andenvironmental studies atSouthern, also attended.
Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin,1791)PHOTO: courtesy of www.jaxshells.org.
Assistant Professor of Physics Elliott Horch has developed a powerfulastronomical instrument.
[BELOW] Crab Nebula, a six-light-year-wide expanding remnant ofa star's supernova explosion andan example of one of the largestmosaic images ever taken byNASA's Hubble Space Telescope.Japanese and Chineseastronomers recorded thisviolent event in 1054.
PHOTO: courtesy of NASA and STScI
PHOTO:MeghanMarino,’08
Observatory, a center for
optical astronomy in Tucson,
Ariz. After final testing, it is
expected to be one of the
most advanced instruments
for resolution purposes in
the world. Among its most
promising applications is
the study of binary sys-
tems, two stars that rotate
around each other.
“The disturbances
in the atmosphere can
cause images to blur
together,” Horch says,
explaining the need for
the instrument. “But using
this special instrument is
like putting eyeglasses on
a telescope. It enables you
to see the two stars in a
binary system distinctly.”
� NewLeadershipRoles forPresidentNortonPresident Cheryl J.
Norton has been appoint-
ed to two prestigious posts
in athletics. After previously
serving as the vice chair of
the Northeast-10
Conference President’s
Council for two years, she
has been elevated to the
rank of chair. Norton will
serve a two-year term,
which will conclude in
June 2010. In addition, she
has been appointed to the
NCAA Division II President’s
Council, a national body
whose role includes estab-
lishing and directing the
general policy of Div. II and
establishing a strategic plan
for Div. II athletics programs.
6 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
NEWSCampus
President Cheryl J. Norton
� Accelerated Nursing Program Presents first GradsA pinning ceremony was held to honor the first cohort of nursing students to complete
Southern’s Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) program. A total of 13 students completed the 12-
month program, which enables students to earn their degrees in approximately half the stan-
dard time, excluding prerequisites and university requirements. Participants in the program are
required to have a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited college or university.
Southern is a state leader in producing highly qualified nurses. In addition to stan-
dard undergraduate and graduate programs, it offers a clinical nurse leader program and an
R.N. to B.S.N. program that is tailored for registered nurses who wish to obtain their bac-
calaureate degrees. For information on the program, visit www.SouthernCT.edu/nursing/
undergraduateprograms/ace.
In addition to beinghonored at a pinningceremony, the firstgraduates of Southern’sACE program willparticipate inundergraduatecommencement.
Spring 2009 | 7
Music ProfessorDavid Chevan • Bassist • Educator, Performer, Composer
“I’m writing music for adults who are livingtheir lives and have had some losses.”
—David Chevan
Joined Southern: 1993. Inaddition to teaching, Chevanis the founder and directorof Southern’s Creative MusicOrchestra, which focuses ona variety of modern andolder compositions with anemphasis on improvisation.Chevan also directs anumber of other smallensembles.
Recent Project: “Yizkor: Musicof Memory,” a criticallyacclaimed CD was releasedby Chevan with HazzanAlbert Mizrahi and theAfro-Semitic Experience.Yizkor is the name of theJewish memorial servicethat is observed four timesa year, on Yom Kippur andon the last day of each ofthe three major festivalholidays: Sukkot, Shavuot,and Passover.
Accolades: The CD has beenlauded by critics innumerous publicationsincluding the Wall StreetJournal, Jazz Weekly, TheJewish Daily Forward, andThe Jewish Week.
High Praise: “I’ve been inHasidic synagogues whereprayers are continually liftedby music, but never beforehave I heard this lyricallypowerful a fusion of Jewishand jazz souls on fire.”— jazzcritic Nat Hentoff, reviewingthe album in the Oct. 7 issueof the Wall Street Journal.
8 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
NEWSCampus
� Alums Face Offin Major LeagueSoccer CupTwo Southern
men’s soccer alumni were
on center field when the
Columbus Crew and the
New York Red Bulls
squared off in the 2008
Major League Soccer (MLS)
Cup on Nov. 23. JuanCarlos Osorio, is the head
coach of the Red Bulls, and
Brian Bliss, ’87, is the tech-
nical director for the Crew.
Ultimately, the Crew came
out on top with a 3-1 win
that gave the team its first-
ever MLS Cup victory.
Thanks to a
$28,000 competitive
grant from the U.S.
Election Assistance
Program, Southern
students played a
critical role in the
national elections last
fall, with 60 serving as
poll workers.
Southern was
among only 27 colleges
and universities in the
nation selected to
receive the grant, and
one of only two from
Connecticut. Middlesex
Community College
was the other recipient.
Southern students assistedlocal communities by servingas poll workers on electionday. The project was madepossible by a federal grant.
Juan Carlos Osorio
Rock the Polls!November 4, 2008
� Students Take to Polls
Several Owls were
selected to play in presti-
gious collegiate all-star
games. On Jan. 9, senior
defensive lineman Jaliem
Cuttino suited up for the
Cactus Bowl, which spot-
lights teams made up of
the “best of the best”
NCAA Division II college
seniors. Cuttino and senior
Ty Marshall also were
among the 68 student-ath-
letes who took part in the
East Coast Bowl, which
features the best Division I-
FCS, II, III, and NAIA players
in the nation. The Owls fin-
ished the season with an
8-3 win-loss record and
qualified for the NCAA
playoffs for the fourth-
straight year.
Congratulations to
the men’s swimming and
diving team, which took first
place in the Northeast-10
Conference Championships.
First place finishes went to
Miguel Nesrala in the 50-
and100-yard freestyle
events, Aaron Rocheleau
in the 500-Yard Freestyle
and the 200-yard individ-
ual medley, Benjamin
Prue in the 100- and 200-
yard butterfly, Austin
Mizzell in the 100- and
200-yard breaststroke, and
Michael Cozzi in the 200-
yard freestyle.
The women’s swim-
ming and diving team cap-
tured first place in the
Northeast-10 Conference
with a final score of 958,
marking the team’s sixth-
consecutive championship
victory. Kristen Frost won
the 100-yard freestyle
event, setting new
Northeast-10 Championship
and Southern records with
her time of 52.38. Other
first-place finishes for the
Owls included Emily
Sundel (5:12.41 in the
500-yard freestyle), Cody
Hall setting a new
Northeast-10 Conference
record in the 200-yard
individual medley
(2:08.45), Frost setting a
new Northeast-10
Conference record in the
200-yard butterfly
(2:01.91), and Amanda
Burden, who won the
one-meter diving event.
women’s swimming �
men’s swimming �
football �
sport shorts
McNeilJohnson
Senior
Captain of theTrack andField Team(Event:hurdles)
BusinessAdministration(Managementof Information Systems)
Hometown: East Hartford, Conn.
Claims to Fame: Set Southern record in indoor 55m
high hurdles. 2008 Indoor/Outdoor Track and
Field All American and 2006-07 All American in
the 4x400 meter relay. 2008 Northeast-10
Conference Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
2008 Northeast-10 indoor champion in 55m
hurdles and 4x400m team relay.
Inspiration: High school coach, Michael Cain; high
school teammates; Southern Head Coach Jack
Maloney; and Assistant Coach Wil Wright.
On Success: “Where I’m from, you don’t see many
people being successful academically or in sports.
If you do, they tend to mess up the opportunity. I
feel that I have a responsibility to the community
to make it happen.”
On Campus: President of Men About Business.
Involved in programming and community service.
Pre-Meet Rituals: Drink a lot of water and eat a lot of
trail mix the night before competition. On the day
of the event, drink more water, and don’t eat or
talk to anyone.
Favorite Sports Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Favorite TV Show: Nip/Tuck
By ElyseWilliams, ’09
Meet Southern’sStudent Athlete
For more sports news, visitwww.SouthernCTOwls.com.
Spring 2009 | 9
10 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
hen Jack Perry, ’96, opened the doors to Prestige
Academy—Delaware’s only tuition-free, all-boys
college preparatory school—his mother,Barbara,
sent him a card. Inside, she included a copy of a
school assignment Jack wrote when he was 14.
“It explained that he wanted to do something as a teacher
for youngmen,”Barbara says.“He had forgotten about that, but I
didn’t.This is the road he wanted to be on.”
Some 20 years later, that road has led Perry,now 34, to
Wilmington,Del.,where he is the founder and executive director of
PrestigeAcademy.The charter school opened in September 2008
with 103 fifth-graders— and plans to add one grade per year dur-
ing the next three years.By 2012, about 400 boys in grades five
through eight are expected to attend PrestigeAcademy, and if Perry
has his way, all will have their sights clearly set on attending college.
It is a noble and high aspiration for an urban school that
serves a largely at-risk population.Perry estimates that 61 percent
of PrestigeAcademy’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a
statistic with potentially harsh ramifications.Only 66.2 percent of
low-income high school students in Delaware from the class of
2007 graduated, in comparison to 79 percent overall, according to a
report from theAlliance for Excellent Education.
Statistics are evenmore disturbing for minority students,
who compose the majority of PrestigeAcademy’s student popula-
tion. In Delaware, there is a 28 percent gap between whites and all
minorities in college graduation rates at four-year institutions, the
largest difference in the United States, according to“Measuring Up
2008, the State Report Card on Higher Education.”
Addressing the causes behind such statistics is a personal
goal for Perry.“I tell my students,‘Getting ready for college is about
Education proved the ticket out of the projects for Jack Perry, ’96.As founder and executive
W
Spring 2009 | 11
more than what happens in the classroom,’”he says.“‘It’s about
what you do every day.’”The expectation that every student can and
will go to college is embedded deeply in the academy’s culture.A
neat, handwritten sign taped to the school’s wall summarizes the
school’s mission:“Prestige Class of 2012.High School Class of 2016.
College Class of 2020.”Teachers name their classrooms after their
almamaters, and the academy is open to any boy seeking a college-
preparatory experience.
At Prestige, that experience includes school days that end at
5 p.m., silent hallways,double class periods,data-driven instruc-
tion, a day-long commitment to reading, and earning the right to
wear an academy shirt and tie.Every student receives character
education, grounded in a strict disciplinary environment.Among
the lessons learned are the importance of a firm hand shake and
maintaining eye contact, and, above all, respect.“We tell themwhy
we shake hands and look each other in the eye, and why these
things, literally, can save their lives,”Perry says.
Likemanyof theboyswhoattendPrestigeAcademy,Perry’s own
childhoodwasmarkedbyobstacles.“Therewere lots of odds stacked
againstme,”saysPerry.“Manyof the friends Ihadgrowingupdidnot
make it out,literally.I knoweducationwas the reason Idid.”
Perry’s father died when he was 14, leaving his mother,
Barbara, to raise four children— Jack and his three sisters— in a
Brooklyn,N.Y., housing project known for its violence.“I never
struggled with this,”Barbara says.“I was strict andmy children lis-
tened.” Her voice takes on a compassionate tone as she continues,
“Today, there are lots of moms who are not able to do it on their
own.That is why what Jack is doing is great.”
Perry says he never gave college much thought before
director of Prestige Academy,Perry is helping a new generation of boys succeed.
By Linda Simoes Cocchiola
continues
12 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
receiving a recruitment call from Southern during his senior year in high
school.With his mother’s guidance,Perry became the first in his family
to attend college,playing football for the Owls for one year.He earned
a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern and amaster’s
degree in social work from the University of Connecticut in
2000. (Perry’s youngest sister,Kendra, also attended
Southern, graduating in 2006.)
Though Perry initially majored in education at
Southern,he found it difficult to envision himself as a
teacher.“I didn’t think I could do it,”he says,noting
there were fewmen and even fewerAfricanAmerican
men in the classroom to look to as rolemodels.
Eager to complete a degree in four years
and hold down student loans,he switched his
major to sociology.He graduated and went on to
work for the Department of Children and
Families and later as the director for a private
alternative school for troubled boys in
Bridgeport,Conn.
“After 10 years as a social worker, it
clicked,”says Perry,who became convinced that
education was the best way to improve lives.“If we
can change the mindset of the child,we can also
begin to change the mindset of the family.”
erry’s interest in high-performing schools like
NewHaven’sAmistadAcademy grew.He enrolled
in the educational leadership doctorate program at
Southern and was partway through when he was accepted for
a fellowship in school leadership with Building Excellent
Schools, a nonprofit organization based in Boston,Mass.He stud-
ied and visited successful urban schools throughout the Northeast for
a year,observing programs and developing plans for what has become
PrestigeAcademy.He set out to develop an all-boys school because he believes
the concept proved successful in the past.“This was not a new idea,but an idea
making a comeback,”Perry says of the single-gender concept.“We realized this is some-
thing that worked for a long time,and Building Excellent Schools supported it.”
Opening PrestigeAcademy was a challenging journey, spanningmore than two years, sev-
eral cities, andmultiple legal jurisdictions.Calling it a crash course in the politics of public education,Perry
says the process encountered a few eleventh-hour obstacles, including convincing the legislature to pass a law allowing
Talking about education, Perry frequently uses the word “catapult.” His goal: to put that catapult within reach of boys for whom learning and schoolpreviously have presented mostly failure and frustration. Although some of the boys at Prestige Academy struggled in traditional public schools, oth-ers were tops in their class. Expectations are high, as noted on the school’s Web site: “Students wear uniforms, participate in community service, andbenefit from a strong, no-excuses character education through which they are taught how to be Prestige Men.”
P
Spring 2009 | 13
single-gender public schools.The Delaware General Assembly passed the
necessary legislation inMarch, just five months before the academy’s
opening.Finding a home for the school in a very short time also was
problematic, but Perry eventually borrowed space in a Police
Athletic League facility inWilmington.
hile most of the media attention around
PrestigeAcademy’s opening has centered
on its status as a single-gender charter
school targeting underservedminorities,Perry prefers
to stress another characteristic above all others:
Prestige is a college preparatory school.“This is not
a school we are sending black and Latino boys to,”
Perry says.“It is a school for getting ready for col-
lege.” The teaching staff is committed to the
process.Many hail from Teach forAmerica, a
national corps of recent graduates and profes-
sionals who dedicate part of their career to
extending educational opportunities in urban
and rural schools.
Looking forward,Perry’s“to do”list for
2009 includes finding a permanent home for the
school, expanding his staff, and recruiting a second
class of fifth graders.Perry is also busy building
relationships with high-performing high schools
(public, private, and public charter) that he hopes will
be eager to accept Prestige’s first graduates— scholars
with college firmly on their minds and within their reach.
The year ahead also offers personal firsts.Perry and
his wife,Tamara,will become parents.He also plans to contact
Southern to resume work on his doctorate.
Like public schools across the U.S., Prestige is“under the
magnifying glass,”Perry says.Parents, supporters, school officials, state
government, and others will be monitoring student test results for signs of
improvement.Perry welcomes the scrutiny.He believes strongly in accountability
and school choice.He is also a proponent of educators working together and sharing
best practices to support successful schools of all kinds.
“My hope is that in a few years,we will see progress and we will be able to share what we
know to be effective,”says Perry.“Our doors will be open.”�
For more information see www.PrestigeAcademycs.org.
Prestige Academy offers a rigorous academic curriculum. Students take 120 minutes of mathematics and 120 minutes of English every day. Theschool’s Scholarship Academy also provides tutoring and academic support focused on individual needs throughout the week and two Saturdays permonth. Perry’s appeal to parents and the community is simple but profound: “To have your son thinking about college at 10- or 11-years old, howpowerful can that be?”
W
14 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
riters and poets with a drive to learnmore about their craft,
and to do it within a community of other writers,now have a home
at Southern.On Sept. 17, the state Board of Governors for Higher
Education approved a new degree program at the university: a
Master of FineArts (M.F.A.) in creative writing. It is the first full-
residencyM.F.A.program in the state.
“TheM.F.A.offers a different level of professionalism,with
different expectations,”says English Professor Tim Parrish, one of
the architects of the new program.“In the abstract,M.F.A.s prepare
people to be flexible thinkers, great written communicators, and
facilitators in groups,”he says,“but personal enrichment is really the
draw.Students get to be part of a serious community of writers.”
The English Department has long offered the M.A. and
M.S.with creative writing option; the M.F.A.will replace these
programs.The primary difference between these degrees and the
M.F.A. is that the latter is the terminal or highest degree in the field
of creative writing.A more rigorous program than that leading to
the M.A. or M.S., the M.F.A. is essentially the equivalent of the
Ph.D. in its field, preparing students to become published writers
and to seek jobs as university-level writing instructors. Southern’s
M.F.A. joins the Ed.D. program as one of the university’s two ter-
minal degree programs.
“We’ve had a wonderful writing community here,”says
English Professor Jeff Mock,who worked with Parrish on develop-
ing the proposal for theM.F.A.“But it’ll be a major difference to have
these students here for this specific purpose.”
By Betsy Currier Beacom
W
The creative writing faculty [LEFT TO RIGHT] Vivian Shipley, Tim Parrish, Robin Troy, and Jeff Mock
continues on page 35
Spring 2009 | 15
Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program launched—
the first of its kind in the state.
he’s dressed the ghost of Babe
Ruth for an HBO special and
made the perfect uniform for
a 6-foot tall minor league
baseball mascot with 72-inch
hips.Meet PaulaWeaver,who along with
her husband,Ken,owns K & PWeaver,
LLC, a manufacturer and supplier of 19th
and early 20th century athletics uniforms
and accessories.
Founded in 1992 as a maker of
CivilWar uniforms and accessories, the
company branched off into baseball uni-
forms in 1996.Today, the business is thriv-
ing, thanks to sky-high demand for vintage
and farm team baseball uniforms. In
response,Paula works in her Orange,
Conn.-based home workshop 12 to 15
hours a day, seven days a week.Ken helps,
too,by finishing seams, sewing buttons,
and packaging.
Though she always loved to sew,
Weaver had several other occupations
before founding K & PWeaver. She worked
for about 15 years at Southern New
England Telephone Co.,while earning a
college degree in the computer field.When
she left the telephone company because of
downsizing, she decided to attend
Southern to receive certification in special
education.She worked in special education
for five years.Then, in the 1990s,Ken
learned through research that he had
ancestors in the CivilWar and joined a re-
enactment group.He asked Paula to
make him a uniform,and the two delved
into research, even visiting the
Smithsonian Institution to get a closer look
at originals.
Ken’s finished uniformwas greatly
admired at reenactments, and orders began
pouring in from around the country.Before
Paula knew it, a business was born.
In 1996,Paula experienced another
professional epiphany,but this time she
stayed in the same career ballpark— liter-
ally and figuratively. She and Ken heard
about a vintage baseball team from
Connecticut, the MiddletownMansfields,
16 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Vintage baseball uniform-maker
PaulaWeaver answers the question,
“What would the Babe wear?”
By JoanWells
continues on page18
[ABOVE] Paula Weaver in her studio.
Spring 2009 | 17
Bat. Ball.
Business Plan.
Two alumni are turning
a passion for WIFFLE® ball
into their ultimate career.
ByMarianne Lippard
That bright yellow plastic bat that provided endless hours of neigh-
borhood fun is farmore than child’s play for JaredVerrillo, ’05,
andNick Benas, ’07. In 2007, the longtime friends left behind
their nine-to-five jobs to devote themselves full-time to Big LeagueWIFFLE® ball.
Today,Verrillo and Benas run Sandlot Recreation from an office in Branford,
Conn.The business hosts WIFFLE® ball tournaments across the country, including
corporate events and fund
raisers for organizations
like The Jimmy Fund and
Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute.
The partners,
who prefer to be
called co-commis-
sioners, can trace
the roots of their
business back
to childhood.
As kids, the
duo created a“top-
notch”WIFFLE® ball field in their neighborhood.
Fittingly, the factory where WIFFLE® bats and balls are made is
located in Connecticut, as well. Its founder,DavidMullany, a local
baseball hero,mortgaged his home in 1953 to create TheWiffle
Ball, Inc.,which is located in Shelton.
More than five decades later, the game
has retainedmuch of its home-
spun roots and focus on simplicity.WIFFLE®
ball teams usually have three to five play-
ers, and the games are played on a
field that is smaller andmore
intimate than a traditional
[LEFT AND RIGHT] SandlotRecreation’s “co-commissioners”
based their business on a favoritechildhood pastime.
FIELDDreams
continues on page19
and went to see them
play against the
Great Black Swamp
Frogs of Ohio.
The game
was vintage all
the way.The guys
played like gen-
tlemen of yester-
year— no cursing,
spitting, or scratching.
The pitches were underhand-
ed, and the ball could be caught on one bounce. If the players
wanted to roll up their sleeves, the protocol was to ask“the ladies in
the audience.”
Therewas only one glitch for Paula: one teamwore t-shirts
and the otherwas in pseudo uniforms.“A bell went off inmy head,”
says Paula.The next stop for the couplewas the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Paula next sent a brochure to nearly every vintage team in
the country, showing what style uniform they would have worn
back in the day.
Once again, the orders came in like a fast pitch. Since 1996,
the number of vintage teams in the country has grown from 30 to
about 125, and if they have uniforms, there’s a good chance Paula
made them.K & P’s uniforms also grace dis-
plays in numerous historical landmarks and
museums, among them The National
Baseball Hall of Fame and the
Smithsonian Institution.
The couple also holds a
license to replicate the uniforms
of theAll-American Girls
Professional Baseball League of 1943-
1954.Hollywood has come calling, as well.
HBO asked Paula to create a uniform for the
ghost of Babe Ruth for a special,“Curse of the
Bambino.”She also was hired by HBO to
make a tank-top jersey for a special on
Adolf Hitler’s attempts to keep Jews from
playing in the 1936 Olympics.And Fox
Television ordered an 1880s-style men’s jersey with a sexy flare to
be worn by a woman on the show“NewAmsterdam.”
What’s next for the homerun couple? Paula answers
with a smile:“We’re researching football.” �
The team is building on a strong legacy. The Owls have reached the
NCAA Tournament three times in the past four years and four times
since 2001. Last season, the club concluded the year with a 36-19
win-loss mark overall, which tied for the second-most season wins in
school history. Pitcher Jim Fuller and infielder Mike Diaz were selected in
the Major League Baseball Draft following the campaign, and both left
Southern early to pursue professional careers.
Nevertheless, the Owls are focused on maintaining their high
level of success this season, even with the addition of 11 newcomers to
the roster. If the fall season provides any indication, Southern should fare
well. The Owls defeated two Division I programs — Yale and Quinnipiac
— to capture the prestigious City Series Championship in October.
Leading the way for the Owls is senior All-American Karl Derbacher.
As a junior, Derbacher collected All-America and Northeast Region Player
of the Year honors from three organizations, the National Collegiate
Nextat BatByMichael Kobylanski,associate director of
athletics/communications
Some of the faces may be
different, but the goal
remains the same for
head coach Tim Shea, ’87,
and the Owls’ baseball
team as it embarks on the
2009 season—qualify for
the NCAA Tournament.
18 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
continued from page 16
Spring 2009 | 19
Baseball Writers Association, the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings, and Daktronics.
Derbacher also was named the 2008 Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year after batting .408
with 53 runs batted in, a .550 slugging percentage, and 28 stolen bases. He ranked among the top
50 players nationally in hits, doubles, triples, stolen bases per game, and stolen bases.
Joining Derbacher as team captains this year are fellow seniors Kevin Bowerman and Mike
Connors. Bowerman is coming off a season in which he batted .329 with 29 stolen bases and 29 RBI.
Pitcher Mike Connors has been one of the top relievers in the Northeast-10 Conference during the past few seasons
and is one of the top options out of the bullpen. He didn’t allow an earned run in 17 appearances last season, while
posting a 2-0 mark and five saves.
The starting rotation is anchored by a pair of returners. Senior Justin Cox has earned All-Conference hon-
ors twice in the last three seasons. He registered a 6-4 record in 2008 with a 3.09 earned run average (ERA). Junior
southpaw Ed Bethke was 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA and ranked second on the team in innings pitched.
The incoming group, which Shea deemed the best recruiting class in program history prior to their arrival in
the fall, figures to play an important role in the program’s
development, this year and beyond. �
softball field.The sport is also inclusive:most tournaments
draw participants from their teens to their sixties.
Verrillo and Benas were among them.Beginning in high
school, the partners playedWIFFLE® ball competitively, and
ultimately used their earnings to help fund the business.Top
prizes can vary,but are usually about $1,000.
For both partners, sharing their love of the game
comes naturally.Benas, a Marine Corps veteran sta-
tioned in Iraq in 2004-2005, taught Iraqi police offi-
cers how to play during downtime.The police offi-
cers, avid soccer fans,were intrigued when they
saw the plastic ball and bat, and became
instant fans of the game,he says.
Benas was drawn to Southern after
meeting JackMordente, associate
director of student supportive
services and head of the
office of Veterans
Affairs,who Benas
says is known
as an
advocate for veterans on the local,
state, and national levels.Benas
also found amentor in Patricia
Olney, associate professor of polit-
ical science.“Shemotivatedme to
followmy dreams,”he says.
Thus far, the result of those
dreams has been promising.Benas says
the economic downturn hasn’t hurt business. In
fact, the partners see renewed interest inWIFFLE® ball,which
became popular in the 1950s and remains a staple in homes across
the country,despite the draw of high-tech video games.Both say
that they see the sport taking off internationally,with televised
tournaments in the future.
Recently, the pair was featured on Fox’s“ThisWeek in
Baseball”and CNBC’s“The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.”And
more big ideas are on the horizon.Verrillo is working on developing
new products that can be used inWIFFLE® ball.
Verrillo and Benas also organized a tournament set to take
place at Southern onMay 2-3.The goal: to set a Guinness
World Record for mass participation in aWIFFLE® Ball
tournament.A reality show pilot is slated to be filmed
during the event,which potentially could bring the
sport a wider audience.�
continued from page 17
After leading the nation in strikeouts in the 2008 season (145),Jim Fuller signed a professional contract with the New York Mets.
For more information on Southern athletics, visit www.SouthernCTowls.com.
20 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Anyone who has celebrated a milestone 25th birthday or
wedding anniversary understands the significance of a quarter
of a century. So it was with appropriate fanfare that the
university community gathered on November 13, 2008, to
mark the 25th anniversary of Southern’s shift from college
to university status and, with its colleague campuses —
Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut
State University, and Western Connecticut State
University — the creation of the Connecticut State
University System. The photographs on these pages,
which offer a glimpse into Southern’s last 25 years, are
part of a 1983-2008 slideshow created by University
Photographer Isabel Chenoweth to commemorate the
event. For a longer walk down memory lane, go to
www.SouthernCT.edu/aboutscsu/25thanniversary/ to
view the entire slideshow.
Looking for more nostalgia? The site also includes a link to a list
of items found in a time capsule created by faculty and students
25 years ago. Among the treasures is a tape-recorded version
of the Alma Mater, composed by Joan Haines, a professor of
education in 1983. Click on the computer links to download
a printable version or to hear a 25-year-old performance
by members of the Southern community.
•
CONNECTICUT
STATE
UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM
25TH
ANNIVERSARY
•
25 yearsas a
University•
Nostalgia1983-2008
’83
’84
’85
’89
’95
’90
’94
’99
’00’01
’05
’06
’07
Spring 2009 | 21
THE EVOLUTION
1893: NewHaven StateNormal School isfounded with 84 studentsand three teachers
1937: New Haven StateTeachers College
1959: Southern ConnecticutState College
1983: Southern ConnecticutState University
’86
’91
’92
’93
’96’97
’98
’02 ’04
’03
’08
’87’88
• The median family income was$24,580.
• Motorola made historywhen the FCCapproved the world’sfirst commercialportable cell phone.
• “Terms of Endearment”brought home the Oscar forBest Picture. Other popularfilms included “Flashdance,”“WarGames,” and “Tootsie.”
• Fashion trends includ-ed leg warmers,slouchy sweatshirts,“big” hair, fluorescentshirts, “Dynasty”-style
glitz, and the “lone glove” lookinspired by Michael Jackson.
• Grammy Awards were presentedfor Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
(Album of the Year), Sting’s“Every Breath You Take”(Song of the Year), andCulture Club’s “Do YouReally Want to Hurt Me?”(Best New Artist).
1983 at a Glance
22 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
his spring, the University Choir will
travel to Ireland to take part in a once-
in-a-lifetimemusical experience: a
presentation of George Frideric
Handel’s masterpiece,“Messiah.”The
oratorio, performed in commemo-
ration of the 250th anniver-
sary of the composer’s
death,will unite choirs from
throughout the United States
— all of which will gather in
Dublin, the site of the first
performance of “Messiah”
onApril 16, 1742.
The opportunity to
be among them is a rare gift
for a vocalist, one forwarded
by a generous $52,800 dona-
tion from the Stutzman
Family Foundation.The gift will underwrite a portion of the
travel and participation costs for members of the Southern choir
who are taking part in the June 2009 performance.
“There are 24 Southern students and recent graduates
who are going,”says Professor of Music Terese Gemme,who
directs the choir.“I don’t think any of themwould have been able
to participate had it not been for this exceptionally generous gift.
“They will be performing in a choir of several hundred
people, somethingmost would not otherwise have the opportu-
nity to do,”Gemme continues,noting the historical significance
of the location and timing of the event.“This is also a tremen-
dous opportunity to experience the culture of Ireland. It will be an
experience they will never forget.”
This gift builds on a previous transforming contribution
from the foundation,one that promises to enrich Southern’s musi-
cal and cultural programs for decades to come. In 2008, the
Stutzman Family Foundation, represented byWalter J.Stutzman, ’09,
made a gift in memory of Mr.Stutzman’s parents,Geraldine and
Jacob Stutzman, to establish and support the SouthernApplied
Music Program.
The program provides free weekly private voice or instru-
ment lessons to all declaredmusic majors whomaintain a C- or
better average in music courses.Previously, students were required
to pay for lessons.The Foundation has agreed to fund the program
with initial grants of $80,000 a year for the first four years and addi-
tional necessary funding in the years following.
Stutzman,who retired in 2005 from a career in software
consulting, graduated from Southern in January 2009 and plans to
teach music at the secondary-school level.He points to the encour-
agement and openness of the music faculty as having sparked the
idea of making such a gift.While he did not take lessons under the
new program, Stutzman’s wish is that other students will fulfill
their dreams.
The gift has three intentions,he says:“to honor my parents,
who supportedme; theMusic Department faculty,who have helped
me; andmy fellow students,who have inspiredme.”
According to Stutzman,one of the unique strengths of the
Southernmusic program is its ability to include and develop a wide
variety of musical backgrounds.“It is the Stutzman Family
Foundation’s intent to continue this spirit of inclusive development
of musical talent and to provide a chance for aspiring musicians, as
well as more advanced students, to explore the joys— and the
rigors— of becoming proficient performers,”he says.
Addressing Stutzman,President Cheryl J.Norton acknowl-
edged the importance of the gift at the university’s fall convocation.
“[The gift] shows that you want to be a part of our future and not
just a graduate of our past,”she said.
Stutzman’s familiarity with Southern’smusic program evolved
from his own distinct experience.During his undergraduate days as
a mathematics major at Pomona College, Stutzman spent most of
his timemakingmusic and exploring computers.After earning a
master’s degree in linguistics atYale University,he worked on theYale
Artificial Intelligence Project and later for the Digital Equipment
The Gift of MusicTwo generous gifts from the Stutzman
T
Spring 2009 | 23
Supporting SOUTHERN
Corporation (DEC) for 16 years. In 1996,he joined a small consult-
ing firm, Information Design, Inc.,where he was responsible for
resolving critical problems with clients’ computer systems.
Throughout his career, Stutzmanmaintained his involve-
ment with music, sitting in on keyboard and flute with three jazz
bands. Since 1985,he has been the accompanist for the cantor
and choir at Temple Beth Tikvah inMadison,Conn.,where he and
his family have lived for 23 years.
As he approached the timewhenmost people begin their
retirement plans,Stutzman realized thatmusic wasmore important
to him than fixing the next“mission-critical”computer problem.
Consequently,he retired in July 2005with the intent of becoming a
secondary school music teacher.“I realize that my teaching career
will necessarily be shorter thanmy first career,”says Stutzman,“but
I will have succeeded if I can help some students hear‘with new
ears’and discover the joy of ensemblemusicmaking.”
Stutzman capitalized on his time at Southern, excelling in
his studies and earning a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average
and departmental honors inmusic.Hewas one of four outstanding
seniors to receive the Henry Barnard Foundation Distinguished
StudentAward,which recognizes high academic achievement and
commitment to the campus and the greater community.
Stutzman’s mother encouraged him to pursue a second
career as a secondary music teacher, and although she did not
live to see her son begin his studies at Southern, his father was
able to follow his first two years in the music program.“He was
very appreciative of the guidance and encouragement I received
from the music faculty, and agreed with my suggestion that a
major gift to support Southern’s music program would be an
appropriate project for our family’s Foundation,”says Stutzman.
He and his wife,Esther, have passed along
a passion for education to their children.Their
son,Michael, has taught high school English and
is currently pursuing anM.F.A. in writing at
Sarah Lawrence College, and their daughter,
Anne, is enrolled in Southern’s master’s degree
program in special education.�
Family Foundation will benefit theMusic Department. By Betsy Currier Beacom
[FROM LEFT] Messiah on the Street, 2008, Dublin Photo courtesy of Temple Bar Cultural Trust; The Stutzman Family Foundation, represented by Walter J.Stutzman, ’09, [PICTURED] made a gift to support Southern’s music program; [REMAINING PHOTOS] Southern has numerous music ensembles — includingthe University Choir, the Chamber Singers, the University Symphonic Band, and the Jubilee Singers gospel choir — all of which performed in theMusic Department Gala in December.
“The Music Department is a very special place.One simply needs to be serious about some
aspect of music, and there is alwaysa faculty member ready to help you grow
through learning.I cannot imagine anywhere else that a 55-year-old
amateur musician could have found such anenthusiastic reception for his dream.” —Walter J. Stutzman, ’09
A look at events for alumni
and friends on campus
and beyond.
Out andAbout
24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
President Cheryl J. Norton [STANDING CENTER]joined the Class of 1950 this fall to dedicatethe “Alumni Corner.” The class donated fundsto purchase and maintain decorative plantingsand a new bench, which have been placednear Founders Gate outside John Lyman Centerfor the Performing Arts.
Spring 2009 | 25
The Class of 1958celebrated its 50threunion on October 3at Woodwinds inBranford, Conn. Theattending membersof the class, whograduated from NewHaven State TeachersCollege, as theinstitution was thenknown, werepresented withdiplomas fromSouthern ConnecticutState University.
Seventy-five alumni and friends enjoyed an outing at the Bronx Zoo in New York City on October 4. Highlightsincluded visits to the African Congo Exhibit, the Butterfly House, and the Bug Carousel.
26 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Alumni
NEWS
Among the highlights of the
event was the induction of three
Southern graduates into the Alumni
Athletics Hall of Fame. Former
Southern football great Joseph D.
Andruzzi, who helped the New
England Patriots win Super Bowl
Championships in 2002, 2004, and
2005, was among those honored. A 10-year veteran of the
National Football League, Andruzzi also was a member of
the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns.
Andruzzi, who played at Southern from 1993-96,
was a two-time All-American and was twice selected to the
All-ECAC squad. Today, Andruzzi, who is a cancer survivor,
serves as the chief executive officer of the Joe Andruzzi
Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting the disease.
Fellow inductee Loretta Di
Pietro, ’79, M.S. ’82, was a four-year
starter for the Southern field hockey
team, serving as captain in her senior
year. Following graduation, she
remained active in field hockey and
lacrosse, working as a member of the
coaching staffs at Southern, Yale
University, Hamden High School, and Hopkins School.
Currently the chair of the Department of Exercise
Science at George Washington University, Di Pietro previ-
ously was with Yale University School of Medicine, where
she was an associate professor of epidemiology and public
health and a fellow of the John B. Pierce Laboratory.
Also honored was former Major
League Soccer (MLS) goalkeeper
Adegboyega “Bo” Oshoniyi, ’95, who
is an assistant coach for the Wake
Forest University men’s soccer team.
At Southern, Oshoniyi helped the
Owls to two NCAA Div. II National
Championships. A two-time All
American, he also received the Golden Boot Award, given
to the nation’s top collegiate goalkeeper.
Oshoniyi played professional soccer in the United
States for 12 years, including time with the Columbus Crew
(1996) and Kansas City Wizards (2000-06), which won the
MLS championship in his first year with the team.
The Alumni Citation Award,
which honors alumni for exemplary
achievements, was presented to Patty
Pursell, ’95, M.S. ’99, 6th Yr. ’02. An
elementary physical education teacher
for the Wallingford Public Schools,
Pursell is the author and administrator
of a federal physical education grant
for $314,212. The past president of the Connecticut
Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and
Dance, Pursell also is the secretary for the Governor’s
Committee for Physical Fitness.
Pursell has received numerous other honors, includ-
ing being named the Wallingford Teacher of the Year, the
Connecticut Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year,
and a finalist for the Connecticut State Teacher of the Year.
The Alumni Service Award was
presented to Carolyn Dorsey
Vanacore, ’52, M.S. ’68, 6th Yr. ’73.
Vanacore began her teaching career at
North Haven High School, and during
the next 13 years served as a teacher,
coach, and intramural activity director
at numerous area schools. In 1965
she joined Southern as an assistant professor, and was
named director of the university’s Division of Health,
Physical Education, Recreation, and Safety (now Exercise
Science) in 1982, a position she held until her retirement
in 1989.
In addition to serving on the Alumni Association
Board, Vanacore has been active with numerous organiza-
tions and causes on campus, notably those supporting
female student-athletes.
The Alumni Appreciation Award was presented to
George M. DeMaio, Jr., ’70, M.S. ’77, a sportscaster on
960 WELI and ESPN Radio 1300. DeMaio, who helped
found the university radio station, went on to become a
pioneer in the promotion of local sports.
� And the Winner Is…Southern honored six of its best andbrightest at the annual Alumni AwardsCelebration, which was held on March 13at the Michael J. Adanti Student Center.
Affectionately known by his
fans as “The Coach,” he has received
numerous honors in recognition of his
coverage of high school sports, includ-
ing induction into the Connecticut
Scholastic and Collegiate Softball Hall
of Fame and the Connecticut
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In
2008, he was honored by the Connecticut Association of
Athletic Directors with the Distinguished Service Award —
Outside the Field of Athletic Administration. DeMaio recent-
ly retired from a teaching career spanning more than two
decades.
� Ms. Santiago-Martinez Goes toWashingtonWitnessing history in the making, Raquel Santiago-
Martinez, ’79, and her daughter, Ariel, pictured below,
cheered on then-President-Elect Barack Obama at
Delaware’s Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, a stop on
Obama’s train ride to the White House. January 17 was a
lucky day for the
Connecticut
natives, who had
traveled to
Delaware to join
the thousands
hoping to catch a
glimpse of the
incoming presi-
dential team and their families. After
arriving at the train station at 6:45
a.m. to wait in below-freezing weath-
er, the mother and daughter were
randomly selected to sit behind the
speaker’s platform to watch the
event. The duo enjoyed a stellar view
of the speeches, after which Raquel
received a handshake from Obama.
Then it was on to Washington,
D.C., where Raquel and Ariel visited
the office of Connecticut Senator
Christopher Dodd to pick up tickets
to the Inauguration ceremony — and
became the first to sign a gift book that would be present-
ed to President Obama.
Although Raquel describes the lead up to the cere-
mony as challengingly crowded, she says the event itself
was overwhelmingly joyous. “When Barack and Michelle
stood for the oath, you could hear a pin drop,” says Raquel.
“You could see tears of pure joy on so many faces. The roar
of approval and sound of applause was indescribable. It
was, indeed, an experience of a lifetime.”
Spring 2009 | 27
SCSU Alumni AssociationBoard of Directors 2008-2009
Michael Roshka, Jr., ’73, M.S. ’79, PresidentChristopher Piscitelli, ’93, Vice PresidentDenise Bentley-Drobish, ’90, M.S. ’92, SecretaryWilliam “Doc” Holley, ’55, Treasurer
James Barber, ’64, M.S. ’79Anthony Bonadies, ’58Hugh S. Cafferty, ’69, M.S. ’70, 6th Yr. ’76Kathy Glinka Coyle, ’74, M.S. ‘78, 6th Yr. ‘81James Elmo, ’71Patricia R. Giulietti, ’76, M.S. ’87Jerry Katona, ’74, M.S. ’88Anne Hollingworth Leone, ’51, M.S. ’61John Mastrianni, ’66, M.S. ’73Albert Mieczakowski, ’71Mark A. Nivet, ’92Judit Vasmatics Paolini, ’73, M.S. ’79, 6th Yr. ’93Bessie Scott, ’70, M.S. ’78, 6th Yr. ’81Teresa Sirico, ’70, M.S. ’73Bridget Stepeck-Holt, ’95Marvin G. Wilson, ’01, M.S. ’06
• Ex-OfficioDr. Cheryl J. Norton, PresidentMegan A. Rock, Vice President for Institutional AdvancementMichelle R. Johnston, Director of Alumni RelationsPatrick Dilger, Director of Public AffairsRobin Sauerteig, Chair, SCSU Foundation, Inc.
28 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Alumni
NEWS
Homecoming
2008!Even though Owl blue-and-white
reigned supreme, Homecoming 2008 was
decidedly “green” in spirit last fall, with a focus on
environmentalism and sustainability. Alumni and
friends traveled from near and far to attend the Nov. 1
celebration, designed for the entire family. With an eye
toward recycling, renewing, and reconnecting, alumni
enjoyed a host of activities, including the Bob Corda
5K Road Race, alumni tent party, children’s tent,
Homecoming football game, and the students’
parade of floats, which put the spotlight
on the “green” theme.
Spring 2009 | 29
Mark your calendars forHomecoming 2009on October 17.
alumni notes
30 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
’50sJOSEPH CIABURRI, ’56, recentlyretired as chairman and chiefexecutive officer of the Bankof Southern Connecticut.Ciaburri’s 60 years in bankingincludes founding the Bank ofSouthern Connecticut and theBank of New Haven.
JOHN L.CARUSONE, ’57,M.S.’62, received the Gold BatAward fromWest HavenTwilight League Baseball.Carusone also was honoredto have the former St.Ann’sField renamed in his honor.
’60sCHARLES HAYDEN, ’60,wasposthumously honored by theBoys and GirlsVillage inMilford,Conn.,when the schoolwas rededicated in his name inrecognition of themany yearshe contributed to the well beingand success of students.
JUDITH FREEDMAN, ’61,M.S.’72, represents the 26th dis-trict in the Connecticut StateSenate, which includes thetowns of Bethel, New Canaan,Redding, Ridgefield,Weston,Westport, andWilton, Conn.Freedman will retire frompublic office after 22 years.
JEANNE TERRELL BLUDÉ, ’65,and husband, Zivko (Jeff),live in Stratford, Conn., andare sharing their home withtheir daughter and grandchil-dren while their son-in-law ison duty in the Persian Gulf.
VALERIE (SPENCER)AHRENS,’68,M.S. ’74, lives inAnnapolis,Md., after manyyears of “snowbirding”between Maine and Florida.
’70sERIC STEINMETZ, ’70, is a SCORE(Senior Corps of RetiredExecutives) volunteer andcounselor. SCORE counselorsarementors,who share theirtime and career experience.
PATRICKVINGO, ’72, has beenappointed by Governor M. JodiRell to serve as a member of
the Council on DevelopmentalServices. Vingo resides inSouth Norwalk, Conn.
KENNETH GABELMAN, ’73,retired from teaching andcoaching at Hauppauge HighSchool in Long Island, N.Y.and serves as the assistantmen’s basketball coach atNorthwood University inWest Palm Beach, Fla.
PASQUALE GUIDO, ’73,M.S.’76, 6th Yr. ’80, was appointedprincipal of St.Vincent dePaul School in East Haven,Conn. Guido taught in NewHaven Public Schools for35 years.
PAULCALALUCE, ’74, is retiringafter 35 years in education.Calaluce began his career as aspecial education teacher inRocky Hill and was hired byCheshire in 1992 as the direc-tor of pupil personnel services.
PATRICIA COSTA,M.S. ’74,retired in 2002 after teachingspecial education for 25 yearsfor Newburgh,N.Y., schools.Costa’s second career as a ReikiMaster is based in her homeoffice inMontgomery,N.Y.
JOANNMCMASTER, ’75, is theDemocratic Registrar of Votersand ElectionAdministrator inFairfield, Conn.
RUTHNEWQUIST,M.S. ’75,an artteacher at New Fairfield HighSchool for 25 years,had herpaintings exhibited at the BoothLibrary in Newtown,Conn.
BRUCEWUEBBER, ’76, has beenpromoted to environmentalspecialist for the U.S. PostalService for the HudsonValleyregion.Wuebber also serves aschairman of the Board of FireCommissioners for the townof North Castle,N.Y.
KAREN FECKO, M.S. ’77, wasnamed the 2008-2009
Glastonbury Teacher of theYear. Fecko is the librarymedia specialist atGlastonbury High School inConn.
DIANE GONCLAVES, ’77,M.S.’84, 6th Yr. ’86, is the assistantsuperintendent for theRegional School District #1,which serves Canaan,Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent,Salisbury, and Sharon, Conn.
VICKIE ORSINI NARDELLO,M.S. ’77, won reelection inthe 89th House District.Nardello has served seventerms in the state ofConnecticut House ofRepresentatives.
MAUREEN FOX, ’78, has joinedthe Greenwich, Conn., salesteam of Coldwell BankerResidential Brokerage.
FRANK E. (SID) MAIETTO,’79, was promoted to employ-
ee involvement coach/facilita-tor manager for the BoeingCompany commercial air-planes, manufacturing serv-ices core operations inEverett,Wash.
’80sJUDITHMUSCO, M.S. ’81, is thenewest member of theMathematics Department atSacred Heart Academy andwas most recently the princi-pal of Sacred Heart School inBronx, N.Y.
SUSAN SPEAR, M.S. ’81,wasposthumously memorializedby the Mary T.MurphyElementary School inBranford,Conn.,when theSusan H.Spear RainbowMemorial Library MediaCenter was named in herhonor. Spear was a third andfourth grade educator, a repre-
sentative to the BranfordBoard of Education, and elect-ed to the Branford EducationalHall of Fame in 2005.
RICHARDWATSON, ’81, joinedthe Mobilization Team atGlobal Hope NetworkInternational, a nonprofithumanitarian aid and com-munity development organi-zation based in Geneva,Switzerland. Watson lives inStamford, Conn.
THOMAS P.GAFFEY, ’82,Connecticut State Senator,won reelection and is servinghis eighth term.
JUDITH SCHAEFER JOSLIN,’82, coach for Enfield HighSchool, has been namedOutstanding Coach of theYear for the 2007-2008 seasonfor boys volleyball by theConnecticut High SchoolCoaches Association.
RICHARD GRANDE, ’83, wasthe mayor of the City ofDerby, Conn., from 1985 to1991 and never lost an elec-tion.
SANDRA L.MENDYK, ’83,M.S.’91, retired from a 22-yearteaching career at St.Mary-St.Michael School in Derby,Conn. Mendyk is currentlyworking as the editor-in-chiefof the Valley Times.
Reunion News
• The Class of 1959 will be honored at undergraduatecommencement on May 29, 2009, in recognition of their50th reunion.
For more information or if you would like to organize a reunion for your class, please contact AlumniRelations at (203) 392-6500.
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 to Southern’s tal-
ented and deserving students.
The university’s Development Office can supply information on numerous types
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) 392-5598 • www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthernSouthern Connecticut State University501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1355
Spring 2009 | 31
It was spring 1965
when freshman Lorraine
Phillips and sophomore
Timothy O’Grady enrolled in a
botany class taught by Dr.
Chester Bosworth.
Fortunately for the future
couple, Dr. Bosworth was a
proponent of alphabetized
assigned seating. As surely as the letter “P” follows “O,” the two classmates were
seated next to each other and quickly became friends. Because both were still
involved with high school sweethearts for the moment, friendship would have to do.
Then, in the summer of 1966, Lorraine won a scholarship to travel to Turkey
through the School for International Training in Vermont. It was a life-changing peri-
od for both young people, whose high school relationships came to an end. When
Lorraine returned to Southern in the fall, she and Tim became a couple. On a week-
end in December 1967, Tim asked Lorraine to marry him.
Some time later, Lorraine told Dr. Bosworth that she hadn’t received the “A”
she thought she deserved in botany. “Ah, what did you get in that class anyway…?”
asked Dr. Bosworth. Lorraine proudly extended her left hand to show her engage-
ment ring, explaining that she had gotten Tim O’Grady.
The O’Gradys, who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in December,
have four sons and three grandchildren.
Lorraine taught art in Connecticut for many years, including art education at
Southern from 1997 to 1999. The couple now lives in California where Lorraine is a
background actress in movies and television. Tim is an executive at Western Asset
Management and has completed several acting gigs, as well.
Tiffany (Moffo) Simpson, ’00,John Simpson, ’02Score one for romance! Tiffany (Moffo) Simpson,
’00, and John F. Simpson, ’02, met on the first day of
their freshman year, thanks to an experimental program
called Southern’s Core (SCore). Both were enrolled in the
program, which gave students the opportunity to com-
plete their core course requirements
during their first four semesters.
Entering Buley Library on
Sept. 4, 1996, Tiffany asked John if
the seat next to him was taken. The
rest, as they say, is history. John, who
was known for punctuality, began waiting for Tiffany in
the parking lot so that they could walk to class together.
The two became habitually late for class, but romance
blossomed right on schedule. “We started as friends,
studying together and hanging out,” writes Tiffany, who
was the president of the Class of 2000. “Now, 12 years
later, we recently celebrated our four-year wedding
anniversary.” Today, John works as a software support
specialist at Bright Horizons Family Solutions,
Watertown, Mass. Tiffany is employed by Central
Connecticut State University.
Southern Style
&
Lorraine Phillips O’Grady,’68, M.S. ’73,
Timothy O’Grady, ’67&
Tiffany (Moffo)Simpson, ’00, andJohn Simpson, ’02,visited Scotland tocommemoratetheir anniversary.
If you and your spouse are both Southern alumni,we want to hear from you. Briefly (in 250 wordsor fewer) tell us how youmet or share another memory from your days as a Southern couple, andwemay feature your Southern love story in an upcoming issue of Southern Alumni Magazine.Mailor e-mail your story and accompanying photo to SCSU, Public Affairs/Southern Alumni Magazine,501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515; e-mail, [email protected], fax: (203) 392-6597.Due to space constraints, we may not be able to publish all stories. Submissions may be edited.
A heartfelt congratulation goesout to William “Doc” Holley, ’55,and Joan Marie Noga Holley,’56, who celebrated their goldenwedding anniversary onDecember 20. The couple sharesa devotion to their alma mater,New Haven State TeachersCollege, as Southern was calledwhen they graduated. Doc, apast recipient of the AlumniService Award, has served onthe Alumni Association Board ofDirectors since 1985 and cur-
rently serves as its treasurer. Healso represents The AlumniAssociation on the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors.
He retired in 1997 after 38 years in public education, havingheld numerous positions, including principal. Joan taught for 35 yearsin public education and was employed by the state’s Department ofChildren and Families.
32 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
MICHAEL SHERRIL, ’83, hasjoined Southern’s Center forCareer Services to helpimplement and support thenew JOBSs online job search-ing tool for students andalumni.
JOHN B.ZIBLUK, ’83,M.S. ’84,received the ArkansasScholastic Press Association’stop educator honor, theWalter J. Lemke Award. Thisaward is given annually to aneducator in recognition ofexemplary service to scholas-tic journalism in the state ofArkansas.
TODD GOODHUE, ’85, is a golfpro at Shennecossett GolfCourse in Groton, Conn., andhosted the 26th ConnecticutSenior Open.
CARL GROSS, 6th Yr. ’86, is thenew director of special edu-cation at the Hebron,Andoverand Marlborough RegionalSchool District #8, as report-
ed in the Rivereast NewsBulletin in New Britain,Conn.
RODGER FOLEY, ’87, andGERALDINE (CASHMAN)FOLEY, ’88,M.S. ’96, cele-brated their 20th weddinganniversary in September2008. The Foleys met atSouthern in 1986. They havetwo children,Megan (11) andAnn (8).
KAREN FONTNEAU, ’87,M.S.’04, was featured in aHuntington Herald articleabout mothers returning tocollege to further their educa-tion after their children havegrown. Fontneau is a specialeducation teacher for thirdand fourth graders inMonroe, Conn.
AMYMANGOLD, ’87, is thedirector of the Parks andRecreation Department inNewtown, Conn.Mangold isalso a life skill coach for theState Department of MentalRetardation, a gymnasticinstructor, and a show coor-dinator for Dance, Etc.
JILL TALLBERG, ’87, a 16-yearveteran of the teaching pro-fession, has been selectedManchester Public School’s
Teacher of the Year. Tallbergis a math and scienceinstructor at ManchesterRegional Academy in Conn.
DEBORAH BEST, ’88, havingcompleted her student teach-ing at the Sound School inNew Haven, Conn., is nowteaching science at AmityHigh School.
THOMAS GAISFORD, 6th Yr.’88, former Region I assistantsuperintendent, is retiringand moving to Arizona, asreported in the LakevilleJournal in Falls Village, Conn.
JAMES L.FORBES, ’89, waspresented with an award
from the South FloridaCommunity Blood Bank inappreciation for communityservice and for making atleast 80 donations of bloodand platelets. Forbes lives inFt. Lauderdale, Fla.
’90sJENNIFER NORCROSS, ’90, trav-eled to China as part of a del-egation from the town ofStonington, Conn., and visit-ed the cities of Changchun,Xi’an, and Beijing. Norcrossattended the annual FulbrightConference there.
DONALD CASEY, JR., M.S. ’91,is a professional educator andhead coach of the StepneyElementary School WildcatsRead Across America Team inMonroe, Conn.
SHARIVALENCIC-URSEL, ’91,has earned her Ed.D. in edu-cational leadership fromArgosy University inSarasota, Fla. Valencic-Urselis a teacher, private profes-sional development consult-ant, and teacher-trainer.
BETH SMITH, M.S. ’92, 6th Yr.’95, is the headmaster ofShelton High School. Smithpreviously was the houseprincipal at Newington HighSchool.
SUSAN BETH GHERLONECOLLINS, M.S. ’93, an activemember of the North HavenCongregational Church, wasthe featured soloist at their “ACandlelight CoffeehouseContemporary ChristianMusic” event.
BRUCE SIEVERS, 6th Yr. ’93,principal of Howell CheneyTechnical High School, wasnamed principal of the yearby the Connecticut TechnicalHigh School System.
In Print ANDOn Screen
Eleanor Russo Benefico, ’65, M.S. ’86; Florence Kuzemka Zielinski,’54; and Sally Williams Chapin, ’58, M.L.S. ’84, and four childhood friends—Jeanette W. Acton, Helen B. Fisher, Shirley W. Hufcut, and Marylee K. Mitchelson, are theauthors and editors of “Sand in Our Shoes,” a 545-page history of the WalnutBeach/Myrtle Beach section of Milford, Conn. The authors received the CommunityService Award from the DAR on the local and state levels, and the book has been used asa high school textbook.
Diana Ross McCain, M.L.S. ’79, has released a new book, “It Happened inConnecticut,” (Globe Pequot Press).
Katie (Krauss) Murphy, M.S. ’80, is the author of “Woodmont on the Sound,” apostcard history of Woodmont that includes 200 postcards and photographs, some neverbefore published. Murphy works as a writer and editor in the public relations office atYale-New Haven Hospital.
Mario L. Vazquez, ’02, M.S. ’03, has written his first young adult book, “The Colorof My Paint,” which is a compilation of short stories about life-changing experiences dur-ing his childhood. Vazquez is a teacher in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools VisualArts High School.
THE LATEST BOOK AND FILM RELEASESFROM SOUTHERN ALUMNI
J. LeRoy Ward, ’73, M.S. ’75, the executive vice president
of ESI International, has delivered project management
programs to clients in North and Central America, Europe, Asia,
and Australia. His recent travels included a trip to Dubai, the
most populous city of the United Arab Emirates. Ward took the
background photo, which depicts a view of the major business
area of the city.
Where in the World are SCSU Alumni?
Spring 2009 | 33
CRAIG POWERS, M.S. ’94, 6thYr. ’97, is the assistant super-intendent of schools inWaterford, Conn.
SALVATORE URSO, M.S. ’94, hasbeen appointed principal ofEmmaWillard ElementarySchool in Berlin, Conn.
GINOANG, ’95,was featured inNew Haven Magazine for hisefforts to bring surgical sup-plies and professionals to thePhilippines to aid those need-ing cleft lip/palate and othersurgeries. The article was enti-tled, “To Silay City,with Love.”
BONNIE HAUPT, ’95, is a facultymember at the VA NursingAcademy, a new initiative andpartnership between FairfieldUniversity’s School of Nursingand the U.S. Department ofVeterans Affairs.
THERESA CONROY, ’96, waselected as state representativein the 105th District in Conn.
JUSTIN DION, ’96,M.A. ’97,hasbeen recognized as a“risingstar”in the November 2008issue of BostonMagazine.Dion is an attorney who spe-cializes in business and finan-cial matters with the BaconWilson,P.C. law offices inSpringfield,Mass.Dion alsoteaches law classes at Bay PathCollege andWestern NewEngland College School of Law.
ALICE KROLL,M.S. ’96, a familyand consumer science teacher,has retired from SeymourHigh School. Kroll is now the
owner of Clinic forWomen, acounseling service for women.
JANET BALDI, M.L.S. ’97, exhib-ited her paintings at theGertrudeWhite Gallery inGreenwich, Conn.
MICHAEL BARILE, ’98,M.S. ’00,6th Yr. ’04, is the new princi-pal of Chester ElementarySchool in Connecticut.
JODI HOSS, ’98, is an attorney atthe law firm of SonnenscheinNath and Rosenthal inKansas City,Mo.
JAMIE LINDWALL-BELILE, ’98,is the co-founder of theDennis Lindwall Foundation,which raises money for pedi-atric cancer-related causes.Lindwall-Belile is amember oftheGreater Fairfield Board ofRealtors and is employed byColdwell Banker.
THOMAS R. SCARICE, M.S. ’98,has been named assistantsuperintendent of curriculumand instruction inWeston,Conn. Scarice spent the lastthree years as principal ofTwo Rivers Magnet MiddleSchool in East Hartford,Conn., which was nominatedin 2007 as a finalist for theConnecticut Association ofSchools’ School of the Year.
JULIE-ANN (PESCATELLO)MAHEU, ’99,M.S. ’01, is anathletics trainer at TheWilliams School in NewLondon, Conn.
KRISTIN REICHELT-BERNIER,M.S. ’99, 6th Yr. ’02, a Region
16 Teacher of the Year, hasbeen named assistant princi-pal at Long River MiddleSchool in Prospect, Conn.
KARI LYNCH SWANSON,M.L.S. ’99, has been appoint-ed the director of ScienceLibraries and InformationServices at the Kline ScienceLibrary at Yale University.
’00sJENNIFERMCBRIDE, ’01, hasbeen appointed as an internto the Child Guidance Centerof Southern Connecticut’sSocialWork InternshipProgram.
KENNETH CRAW, 6th Yr. ’02, isthe new principal of WestonMiddle School in Conn.
THOMASM.KODZ, ’02, hasjoined Quinnipiac Universityas an assistant professor andeducational coordinator inthe physician assistant pro-gram.
SHANI PUGLIESE, ’03, hasjoined the staff of ReddingElementary School inConnecticut as its first full-time autism special educa-tion teacher. Previously,Pugliese spent four years inWilton as a middle schoolspecial education assistant.
JULIE BRANDER, M.B.A. ’04,runs the This Close forCancer Research Institute atthe NewYork Medical College
in Valhalla, N.Y. She receivedthe 2007 Rising Star Awardfrom Business New Haven forher work with SCORE(Service Corps of RetiredExecutives).
STEVEN FOWLER, M.L.S. ’04, isthe new children’s librarian inPortland, Conn. Fowler wasformerly the children’s librar-ian at theWest Haven PublicLibrary.
MATTLAPRINO, ’04,has beennamed aquatic director at theWoodruff FamilyYMCA,asreported by theMilfordMirror.
KRISTINALAWSON, ’04,wasappointed the pre-kindergartenthrough fifth grade programcoordinator for ESL (English asa Second Language) and FLEX(Foreign Language in Elemen-tary Schools). Lawson is theassistant principal at Silver-mine Elementary School inNorwalk,Conn.
GEORGEMOORE, ’04, is nowcovering the Meriden CityHall beat after two years ofcoveringWallingford news, asreported by the Record-Journal newsroom.
ROBYNBRANCATO, ’05, receivedher degree in midwifery fromColumbia University.
CRYSTAL HEFT, M.S. ’05, ofPlainville, Conn., was namedcoordinator for the EarlyChildhood Collaborative ofSouthington, Conn.
KEVIN KIRK, ’05, was featuredin a story in the NewYorkCity Daily News about hisquest to become a UnitedStates Navy SEAL. Kirk willparticipate in the GreatIllinois Triathlon to raisemoney for the Naval SpecialWarfare Foundation that sup-ports families of Navy SEALskilled in action. Since thatarticle was published, Kirkhas become a Navy SEAL.
KAREN HEILIGMAN, 6th Yr.’06, is the fulfillment manag-er of Barker SpecialtyCompany in Cheshire, Conn.The company is a manufac-turer and distributor of pro-motional products.
COLLEENMROWKA, M.S. ’06,is the sole proprietor of
Mrowka Physical Therapy inCheshire, Conn., which sheopened in 1993.
LEO DISORBO, ’07, taught hisfirst clay sculpture class dur-ing the summer. Disorboalso teaches high school artclasses at Westover School inMiddlebury, Conn.
JESSICA HOVAN, ’08, a four-year veteran of the NaugatuckValley Community Collegenurse aide certification pro-gram, currently works as anR.N. at Yale-New HavenHospital.
RYAN NEWTON, M.A. ’08, wasaccepted as a volunteer in thecompetitiveWorldTeach pro-gram. Having completed aone-month training programin Changsha, China, Newtonis teaching English at a sec-ondary school in China’sHunan Province.
MARK PIRES, ’08, has joinedthe Shelton accounting firmof Dwoken, Hillman, LaMorteand Sterczala as a member ofits accounting and auditingdepartment.
EMILY K. SOPCHAK, ’08, grad-uated from the Milford PoliceAcademy. Sopchak had herbadge pinned on by herfather, a retired Milford policeofficer, at a ceremony inDecember.
KATE STEPHENSON, M.A. ’08,is theWaterford CountrySchool’s new director ofdevelopment and communitysupport.
MATTHEWSWANSON,M.S. ’08,winner of the 2005 FairfieldUniversity College of Arts andSciences Award for Distin-guishedWork in the Humani-ties, is an educator at CheshireHigh School, as reported in theCheshire Herald.
MarriagesBONNIE STISKAL, 6th Yr. ’92,and DonaldWolk,Oct. 5, 2008.
LAURENANN ROYLE, ’94, andErik Bryan Methe,Aug. 30,2008.
MARY FRANCES BONVINI,’95, and Todd Michael Work,May 8, 2008.
Alumna Nominated to State Post
Gov. M. Jodi Rell has nominated Amalia Vazquez Bzdyra, ’80, to serve as a
commissioner of the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC). The DPUC regulates
the rates and services of Connecticut’s investor-owned electric, natural gas, water, and
telecommunication companies and is the franchising authority for the state’s cable
television companies. Since February 2007, Bzdyra has served as deputy commission-
er of the Department of Social Services.
Bzdyra’s tenure includes numerous other key posts, among them serving as
chair of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities from 2000 to 2005 and
as vice president of government relations for the Connecticut Hospital Association
from 2000 to 2004.
34 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
ELIZABETHANN TRACEY, ’96,and JOSEPH DECICCO, ’93,April 14, 2008.
JULIE-ANN PESCATELLO, ’99,M.S. ’01, and Michael J.Maheu, Oct. 12, 2008.
DANIEL HARAYDA, ’01,M.S.’04, and Ellen Rice, June 21,2008.
ANGELA SILVERSTRI, ’03, andBrentWeaver, July 29, 2007.
CAROLINE ECKERSDORFF,M.S. ’04, and Elo Comfort,June 28, 2008.
HEATHER KILEY, ’04, andDaniel Taylor,May 24, 2008.
DANIELLA ZALLO, ’06, andMichael Schiano, December2007.
JENNIFER SUSAN GUARINO,’07, and Frederick NelsonMulholland, July 26, 2008.
JOHNIELLE EASTWOOD, ’08,and Kristopher Dwyer, June21, 2008.
TRICIA R.WINTON, ’08, andRyan Edgar, June 14, 2008.
Births/Adoptions
NANCY(GOUTHRO)SCHREIBER,’91,M.S. ’00,6thYr. ’03, a son,WilliamPatrick,on Jan.19,2008.
ANTHONY (TJ) TRIMBOLI, ’02,and wife Kelley, a son,AnthonyJohn,on June 9, 2007.
IN MEMORIAMMARY E.AHERN, ’30, ’48,M.A.’52, Plymouth,Mass., Jan. 22,2008.
JUNE KATZE NEWTH, ’50,Tacoma,Wash., Feb. 24, 2008.
FRANCESWOODWARD, ’50,M.S. ’57, New Haven, Conn.,Nov. 14, 2008.
LOUIS J. CARDILLO, ’52,Wallingford, Conn., Sept. 2,2008.
MARYA.PAPARELLA, ’52,M.S. ’55, July 18, 2008.
GEORGER.JOHNSON, ’54,Glastonbury, Conn., June 2008.
DONALDW.MALONEY, ’58,Southbury, Conn., Dec. 14,2008.
JAMES F.BRENNAN, JR., ’59,Plantation, Fla., Dec. 18, 2008.
IRVING GOLDBERG, ’63,Bridgeport, Conn., Oct. 25,2008.
GEORGE J.BARANIECKI, ’68,Terryville,Conn.,Sept.21,2008.
ELISE (PLACE) (ELLIOTT)CASEY, M.S. ’70, Paoli, Penn.,July 11, 2008.
GRACEMARGUERITE (TAGG)ROCHE, ’70,M.S. ’76,Madison,Conn., Sept. 26, 2008.
JOAN(LIFTMAN)KATZ, ’71,Bridgeport,Conn.,Oct.23,2008.
JANIS (RYDINGSWARD)MOORE-WILLIAMS, ’71,Plainville,Conn.,Dec. 12, 2008.
GRACE S.BRENNER,M.L.S. ’72,Houston,Texas, Sept. 8, 2008.
HUBERT TOMKINSONEDMONDSON,M.L.S. ’72,Coventry, Conn.,Oct. 21, 2008.
ROBERTE.POLUHOWICH, ’72,Bridgeport,Conn.,Dec.10,2008.
THOMASRAEKE, ’72,Marlborough,Mass.,Oct.5,2007.
MARGARET LAPOLT,M.L.S. ’73,Branford,Conn., July 19, 2008.
JAMESV.TUCKER,M.S. ’73,NewHaven,Conn., Sept. 4, 2008.
DORIS S.WILLIAMS,M.S. ’73,Woonsocket,R.I., Oct. 13,2008.
RONALD L.WALLISA, ’74,M.S.’85,Monroe, Conn., July 23,2008.
PATRICIA ELLEN CARUSONE,’75,Arlington,Mass., July 4,2008.
KEVIN J.KUCINSKAS, ’75,M.S.’93, 6th Yr. ’99,Woodbridge,Conn., July 9, 2008.
PATZY LAVENDER, 6th Yr. ’75,Stamford, Conn., June 30,2008.
DORIS (CROCKER) BUSHAW,6th Yr. ’76, Danbury, Conn.,Sept. 5, 2008.
GILBERT R.ROGERS, JR., ’76,Hartford, Conn.,Aug. 18,2008.
NICHOLASW.ROMANIELLO,III, ’76, Stamford, Conn., July9, 2008.
KATHLEENMARY(PRAMUKA) STASH, ’76,Milford, Conn., Sept. 10, 2008.
JOHNMCCARTYLAFONTANA, 6th Yr. ’78,Hartford, Conn., July 11,2008.
OREST (MICHAEL)MAKSYMIUK, M.S. ’79,Bridgeport, Conn., July 10,2008.
THOMAS LEHMAN, M.S. ’80,6th Yr. ’80,West Haven,Conn.,May 25, 2008.
JOSEPH JAMES ROMANELLO,’84, Greenwich, Conn., Nov.11, 2008.
ALGIRDAS STANKUS-SAULAITIS, M.L.S. ’87,Oakville, Conn., July 11, 2008.
CHRISTINE CODY, ’90, TarponSprings, Fla., June 28, 2008.
JUDITH E.MORGAN, M.S.W.’93, Sebastian, Fla., Sept. 1,2008.
JASON DANIEL GIGLIOTTI, ’97,Derby, Conn., June 23, 2008.
WENDY (KARLSBERG)MELTZER, M.S. ’05,Middletown, Conn., July 18,2008.
MICHAEL F.TOBIN, Ph. D.,Professor Emeritus atSouthern,Vernon, Conn.,Oct. 21, 2008.
Share your good news with Southern friends andclassmates by sending it to Southern AlumniNews. Mail this completed form to SouthernAlumni News, SCSU Alumni Relations Office,New Haven, CT 06515-1355; fax, (203) 392-5082;or e-mail, [email protected].
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� Check if this is a new address.
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tell
usab
outit
Class notes are compiled from submissions from alumni, as well asannouncements made in newspapers andmagazines.
Write of Passagecontinued from page 14
Spring 2009 | 35
Join us on May 16 for Alumni Day 2009A Celebration of the Schools of Business andHealth and Human Services
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
� Continental breakfast
� Faculty and student exhibits and posters
� Alumni College seminars on numerous topics,among them cross-generational communication, fraudprotection, self-marketing in a down economy, and more.
� Fun-filled children’s activities, including the NursingSimulation Lab, Business: Create Your Own Product, andThe Amazing Race scavenger hunt.
� Cocktail party for the adults and movie/snack party for thechildren.
For tickets and more information, call AlumniRelations at (203) 392-6500or visit www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni.
Calling All Business andHealth and Human Services Alumni!
The creative writing faculty,which
includes CSU ProfessorVivian Shipley and
Assistant Professor of English Robin Troy,
along with Parrish andMock, says that
there has long been a need in Connecticut
for a full-timeM.F.A.program in creative
writing.Other available options in the state
are low-residency only.
“With an online degree program,
onemisses the presence of a human com-
munity and the opportunities for personal
interaction,”Shipley says. Southern’s is an
on-site program that, the faculty says,will
give students a sense of common purpose
and enable them to develop close friend-
ships and working partnerships.And, as
Troy points out,“People from Connecticut
will have the opportunity to complete this
degree without leaving the state.”
The new program is an exciting
development within an already vibrant
department.With flourishing undergradu-
ate and graduate literary publications,
award-winning faculty members, and a
visiting writers series, the department is
well prepared to offer the high level of liter-
ary activity expected in anM.F.A.program.
Michael Shea,English department
chairman, says,“The creative writing pro-
gram has a long history of great teachers
and courses, and theM.F.A.program is a
culmination of this tradition of excellence.”
“TheM.F.A.’s approval is the most
exciting thing to happen in this depart-
ment since I got here,”says Shipley,who has
been amember of the faculty since 1969.
The creative writing program has evolved
steadily.The offering of theM.F.A. is a nat-
ural next step— the culmination of a pro-
grammarked by success.Parrish points to
the accomplishments of Southern’s creative
writing students—publications,prizes,
fellowships, and acceptances to demanding
M.F.A.programs around the country— as
evidence that the university attracts serious
writing students and supports them in
their craft.
The curriculum for the 48-credit
programwill be based in literary studies,
consisting of fiction and poetry workshops,
literature and theory courses, and the the-
sis. Currently, the M.A.andM.S. curricula
allow up to 18 credits of fiction or poetry
workshops and six credits of creative-thesis
work.TheM.F.A.will retain these opportu-
nities while increasing course requirements
in literature studies, the study of rhetoric
and theory, and the teaching of high school
and college writing.The core of the pro-
gramwill be the workshop, a class in which
students submit their original manu-
scripts-in-progress for critical examination
by their classmates and the instructor.
Admission to theM.F.A.program is
competitive,with roughly six poets and six
fiction writers admitted each year.The cre-
ative writing faculty expects that theM.F.A.
will attract prospective students from out-
of-state as well as from Connecticut, due to
the increasing national competition to gain
admission to residential programs.�
For more information about the M.F.A. increative writing, visit the English Department’sWeb site at www.SouthernCT.edu/english/mfainfictionpoetry.
36 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
All events held in John Lyman Center for the PerformingArts, unless otherwise noted.Southern students must have valid identification to receive their ticket discounts.Discounted tickets are limited to two per person, subject to verification.For additional information and listings, visit Southern’sWeb site atwww.lyman.SouthernCT.edu.
Southern EVENTS
ThroughJune 1Multicultural Center Gallery located inthe Michael J.Adanti Student Center(Room 234)
A stunning exhibit on loan from theextensive Robert J. andYvonne S.Klancko collection.Among the highlightsare ornately decorated eggs by celebratedartist Yvonne Klancko, ’70,M.S. ’74, 6thYr. ’94. (203) 392-5888
Les BlancsMay 5-9 8 p.m.
May 10 2 p.m.
Southern students’ performance ofplaywright and activist LorraineHansberry’s last work,which exploresEuropean exploitation of the land andpeople of Africa.Directed byWilliam R.Elwood.
$5 for Southern students, faculty, staff, and seniorcitizens; $10 for general admission. (203) 392-6154
A Celebration of TheSchools of Business andHealth and HumanServices
May 16On campus all day
Return to Southern to enjoy reunioncelebrations of these two schools,featuring exciting educationalprograms, tours, entertainment, andplenty of opportunities to reconnect foralumni and their families.
$10 per person. (203) 392-6500
GraduateCommencement
May 28(800) 448-0661; (203) 392-5240
UndergraduateCommencement
May 29Connecticut Tennis CenterNew Haven, Conn.
(203) 392-6586
Southern ConnecticutState UniversityAnnual Golf Outing
June 8
Lake of Isles South Course, FoxwoodsCasino,North Stonington, Conn.
Support Southern’s athletics programswhile playing one of the highest-ratedcourses in the country.
For reservations, call (203) 392-5518.For moreinformation, visit www.SouthernCTowls.com ore-mail [email protected].
“The Color Purple”June 10 6 p.m. reception;
7:30 p.m.performance
The Bushnell, Hartford, Conn.
OprahWinfrey presents this legendarymusical based on the classic PulitzerPrize-winning novel by AliceWalker.AnAlumni Association-sponsored receptionin the Seaverns Room begins at 6 p.m.
Tickets range from $23 to $63.50. (203) 392-6500
Alex Bugnonwith Special GuestPaul Taylor
May 88:00 p.m.
Two solo artistsunite for asoul-stirringeveningof jazz.
$25 for active alumni,faculty, and staff; $28 forgeneral admission; and$15 for Southern students.
Throughout New Haven
The Alumni Association will offer twopackages to a variety of events duringthe three-week festival, which runs fromJune 13-27.
(203) 392-6500
International Festival of Arts and Ideas
PHOTO:ApparatusTheatreGroup
Make your gift today by returning the envelope providedor visit us online at www.giving.SouthernCT.edu
ANNUAL GIFTS WHAT THEY PROVIDE
1 gift of $35 Science lab fee for a course
2 gifts of $50 Book for a course
1 gift of $100 Six hours of tutorial assistancefor a student with disabilities
8 gifts of $250 Student meal planfor a semester
15 gifts of $500 A year’s education for adeserving student
25 gifts of $1,000 International study abroadexperience for five students
AnnualGIVING
YESYOUCAN
helpa studentsucceed
In these difficult economic times, here are someexamples of what your gift CAN do
for a Southern student:
Address Service Requested
Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDPermit No. 533New Haven, CT
501 Crescent StreetNew Haven, CT 06515-1355www.SouthernCT.edu
Spring | 09Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
xercise science graduates William Lunn, M.S. ’08, [LEFT] and Kurt Sollanek,
’08, each have been awarded competitive scholarships from the New
England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (NEACSM).
Southern students received two of the organization’s four annual awards, which
recognize exceptional students.
Lunn, who won the Mark Connelly Memorial Masters Scholarship
for graduate work, competes as a runner, cyclist, and triathlete. “I just
naturally became very inquisitive and fascinated with human
performance,” says Lunn, who wrote his thesis on the effects of
various training techniques on competitive cyclists. The response
has been highly enthusiastic. His work was presented at the
ACSM national convention, and the manuscript from his
thesis, co-authored by Southern professors Robert Axtell
and Joan Finn, was accepted for publication in the
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Fellow honoree Sollanek, who received the
Undergraduate Scholarship, became interested in
exercise science as a high school athlete. He excelled at
Southern, graduating summa cum laude while participating
in the university’s academically challenging Honors College.
His thesis, which has implications for providing physical
therapy for people with multiple sclerosis, also was
presented at the ACSM national convention. And as a senior,
Sollanek helped Southern capture first place in the 2007
College Bowl sponsored by the NEACSM. The event tests
competitors’ knowledge of sports medicine.
Both scholars are continuing their studies. Sollanek
is attending graduate school at Southern, while Lunn is
a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut.
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