Southern Alumni Magazine Spring 2010

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Owl Spirit!

Touching Lives2009 CHARITABLE GIVING REPORT

Featured inside:

SMagCovSprFIN10_MagazineCover 3/23/10 10:46 AM Page 2

Dear Southern Alumni,

One of the things that I have always admired about

Southern is its vital role as a community resource. I was

reminded of this fact again recently when I hosted a reception

to mark the establishment of our new Center on Autism

Spectrum Disorders. State and national statistics have shown a

rise in the incidence of children with autism during the last two

decades and Southern has become a key player in teaching and

research efforts regarding this developmental disorder. Our

Special Education Department includes a Master of Science

program with a specialization in autism spectrum disorders

and other developmental disabilities. And in 2008, Gov. M. Jodi

Rell authorized the university to take a lead role in developing a

comprehensive statewide plan to better teach children with

autism and similar disorders.

Supported in part by a federal grant of $300,000, the

new autism center at Southern will offer clinical services,

parental support, and training and technical assistance to

schools, while disseminating information on the latest research

developments in the field. And it will also be home to the

university’s first endowed chair — or distinguished visiting

professorship — thanks to a wonderful gift of $1.2 million from

the estate of Dorothy Weisbauer Goodwin. Mrs. Goodwin, who

died last year at the age of 91, earned her teaching certification

from then-New Haven State Teachers College in 1939 and went

on to train Southern student teachers in New Haven schools for

more than 30 years. Her gift — the largest ever received by the

university — will now benefit generations of students yet to

come, as part of it will also support scholarships for students in

the School of Education. You can read more about Mrs.

Goodwin, her passion for learning, and her wonderful legacy in

the Campus News section of this magazine.

The autism center is just one of several new

community initiatives that are in the formative stages. For

example, a proposed doctoral degree in nursing education

would help offset the continuing critical shortage of nurses and

nurse educators in Connecticut. We are also seeking to expand

and revitalize our Center for Communication Disorders, which

currently provides more than 5,000 clinical hours of service per

year to the greater New Haven area. New clinic space would be

made available off-campus through the proposed West Rock

Community Revitalization Project, in which Southern is a

partner with the city of New Haven. Even as we face the

challenge of grappling with projected state budget deficits in

forthcoming fiscal years, initiatives such as these will help

ensure that Southern continues to serve as a true resource for

the regional community and the state.

I wish to end this letter on a personal note. As many of

you may know, I have decided to retire from the presidency of

Southern, effective May 31, 2011. I hope to take up a year-long

sabbatical leave on June 1, 2010, to engage in research on K-12

education reform, an area in which I have a strong personal

interest. It has truly been a privilege for me to serve as

president for the last six years. The excellence of our faculty, the

professionalism of our staff, the vibrancy of our students, and

the deep-rooted allegiance of our alumni make this a

university to be proud of. I thank you all for your enthusiasm

and generosity over many years and I know that, with your

support, Southern will continue to move forward and realize its

potential to become a premier institution of higher learning.

Dr. Cheryl J. Norton

President

LETTER

PresidentFROMTHE


2009 Charitable GivingReport: Touching Lives 37

features

Spring | 10Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

From the President inside cover

Campus News 2Nostalgia 24

Alumni News 26Alumni Notes 30

Southern Events 36

departments

Southern: Leading the way in graduate studies in health/life sciences,education, and social/public services.

They share a commitment to excellence — and one

or more Southern degrees. Meet the recipients of the

2009 Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Awards.

10

Some 80 percent of Southern applicants

with strong recommendations have gained

acceptance into U.S. medical, dental, and

veterinary schools — well above the national rate.

Learn more about how Southern is helping these

students achieve major success.

Next Stop

Med School 18

With a festive fairytale theme,

Homecoming 2009 offered

something for everyone.

Once Upon a

Homecoming

20

2 | SouthernALUMNI MAGAZINE

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n President Norton to Step DownPresident Cheryl J. Norton has announced that she

will retire as president of Southern Connecticut State

University, May 31, 2011. She has requested that the

Connecticut State University Board of Trustees approve an

administrative sabbatical for her beginning June 1, 2010.

This sabbatical leave would allow her to engage in research

on K-12 education reform, in

which she has a strong per-

sonal interest.

“It has been a privilege

for me to be president of

Southern. The excellence of

our faculty, the professionalism

of our staff, and the vibrancy of

our students make this a uni-

versity to be proud of,” Norton

says. “I have learned much

from our campus community,

and I believe that together we

have helped Southern make

great strides as an institution.”

During Norton’s tenure,

which commenced April 30,

2004, a $260 million construc-

tion program has revitalized

the campus, full-time enroll-

ment has reached record lev-

els, and innovative program-

ming has been introduced to support student achievement

in and out of the classroom.

Norton has also focused on campuswide “greening”

and sustainability initiatives, and was a signatory to the

American College & University Presidents’ Climate

Commitment. In addition, she has worked to position

Southern as a community resource for the region and the

state through initiatives such as the university’s new Center

on Autism Spectrum Disorders, which was established to

improve the educational experiences of children diagnosed

with a form of autism.

“Soon after I arrived on campus in 2004, I said that

this university was ‘strong in its roots and rich in its history,

with unlimited potential for the future,’” Norton says. “I

know that Southern will continue to move forward and

realize its potential to become a premier institution of high-

er learning.”

Norton is the 10th president of Southern and the

first woman to lead the 117-year-old institution, which has

almost 12,000 students and one of the largest graduate

programs in New England. Prior to being named

Southern’s president, Norton was the provost at

Metropolitan State College of

Denver, the nation’s largest

urban public baccalaureate

college.

She holds two mas-

ter’s degrees and a doctorate

in applied physiology from

Columbia University and was

named a Fellow of the

American College of Sports

Medicine for her contributions

to the field. In Connecticut,

she was honored with a Lilly

Award for her achievements

in, and contributions to, high-

er education. Norton also

received the Connecticut

Woman in Leadership Award

in 2008 from the Women and

Family Center and recently

was named a Woman of Note

by the New Haven Symphony

for her “steadfast vision, exceptional contribution, and

enduring commitment to our community.” Norton also

serves on the NCAA Division II Presidents’ Council.

n Center to Address Needs of Students with AutismA generous donation and a fed-

eral allocation have given the newly cre-

ated Center on Autism Spectrum

Disorders a significant boost as it begins

its mission to improve the educational

experience for children with the devel-

opmental disorder. The center was

launched in February with a celebration held in the Michael

J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom.

President Cheryl J. Norton

Dorothy Goodwin, ‘39

Southern| ALUMNI MAGAZINE

| VOL 8 • NO 2

Dr. Cheryl J. Norton, President

Megan A. Rock,Vice President for Institutional Advancement

STAFF

Patrick Dilger,Director of Public Affairs

Villia Struyk, 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 of Alumni Relations

(203) 392-6500

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Southern Connecticut State UniversityOffice of Public Affairs/

Southern Alumni Magazine501 Crescent StreetNew Haven, CT 06515-1355

Telephone (203) 392-6591; fax (203) 392-6597E-mail address: [email protected] Web site: www.SouthernCT.edu

Printed by The Lane Press, Inc.

Southern Alumni Magazine is published by the university in cooperation with the SCSU AlumniAssociation three times a year and distributed free ofcharge to alumni and friends of the university.Opinions expressed in Southern Alumni Magazine do

not necessarily reflect those of theuniversity or of the SCSU AlumniAssociation. Although the editorshave made every reasonable effort to be factually accurate, noresponsibility is assumed for errors.

Postage paid at Burlington, Vt.

Southern Connecticut State University, in compliancewith federal laws and regulations, does notdiscriminate on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation,or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices,or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to,admissions, employment, financial aid, andeducational services.

Spring 2010 | 3

An endowed gift of

$1 million from the estate

of Southern alumna

Dorothy Goodwin, ‘39 —

part of a $1.2 million total

donation to the university

— will fund the recruitment

of a distinguished scholar

for the center — Southern’s

first endowed chair. The

distinguished scholar will

spend more than 50 per-

cent of their time conduct-

ing autism research.

Goodwin, a teacher

for more than 30 years in

the New Haven School

District, helped train many

of Southern’s student

teachers as they were get-

ting classroom experience.

She died on Feb. 9, 2009

at the age of 91.

Supported in part

by a federal grant of

$300,000, the center will

take a three-pronged

approach to address the

educational needs of chil-

dren and youths with an

autism spectrum disorder:

training current and future

educators and professional

staff; conducting research

designed to benefit stu-

dents with autism; and

providing direct services,

including evaluating chil-

dren, conducting clinics,

and holding special events.

Autism has become

one of the fastest-growing

developmental disabilities

in the country; studies

show that 1 in 100 children

have been diagnosed with

some form of the disorder.

“We are ecstatic

about the creation of the

center, which will enhance

our ability to improve the

education of children with

autism,” says Ruth Eren,

associate professor of spe-

cial education

and reading. “I

am delighted

that we will have

an even greater

opportunity to

help these chil-

dren and their

families.”

Eren

serves as co-director of the

center, along with James

Granfield, senior advisor to

Provost Selase W. Williams.

Granfield formerly served

as interim dean of the

School of Education for

many years.

“The creation of the

center is really the culmina-

tion of several years of

effort with regard to

improving the education of

children with autism,”

Granfield says.

Southern is a key

player in teaching and

research efforts related to

this developmental disor-

der. The Department of

Special Education includes

a Master of Science degree

program with a specializa-

tion in autism spectrum

disorders and other devel-

opmental disabilities. In

2008, Gov. M. Jodi Rell

authorized Southern to

take a lead role in develop-

ing a comprehensive

statewide plan to better

educate children with

autism and other develop-

mental disorders.

Among those celebrating the opening of the Center on Autism Spectrum Disorderswere members of the campus community and family and friends of donor DorothyGoodwin, ’39, including [FROM LEFT] Cathy Potter, Provost and Vice President of AcademicAffairs Selase Williams, and Rosalie Rowland.

Ruth Eren, associate professor ofspecial education and reading,is co-director of the center,along with James Granfield, senior advisor to the provost.

n Stopping ViolenceSouthern is taking the lead role in a new statewide

coalition made up of nine universities and several state

agencies committed to the prevention of violence against

women. The initiative, called the Connecticut Campus

Coalition to End Violence Against Women (CCCEV), is

being funded by a three-year, $500,000 grant from the U.S.

Department of Justice.

The institutions of higher learning have joined

forces in an effort to reduce the incidence of domestic

violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on

their campuses. The federal funding will be used to

enhance sexual assault awareness and prevention pro-

grams, provide training for staff, create a unified network

of support for victims of violence, and bolster efforts to

hold perpetrators accountable through school discipline

and criminal prosecution.

“Tragically, violence against women poses serious

threats to the health and safety of college and university

communities across the nation,” says Ronald D. Herron,

vice president for student and university affairs.

“In fact, the national data shows that 32 percent of

all college students report some form of dating violence

and/or abuse with previous partners,” Herron says. “It fre-

quently diminishes the capacity of its victims to achieve

their potential and dreams.”

In addition to Southern, the CCCEV includes the

three other Connecticut State University System campuses

(Central, Eastern, and Western Connecticut State universi-

ties), the University of Connecticut, Quinnipiac University,

University of Bridgeport, University of Hartford, and Trinity

College. It also includes Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis

Services Inc. and the Connecticut Police Academy’s Police

Officers Standards and Training Council Post.

History Professor C. Michele Thompson always asks

new students for the first word that comes to mind when

they think about Vietnam. Typically, her classes answer the

same way. “I say ‘Vietnam’ and they say ‘War’,” says

Thompson, who teaches several courses on Vietnam-relat-

ed topics.

But Southern students soon will have an opportuni-

ty to experience today’s Vietnam — one that is a far cry

from the war-torn jungle depicted in movies and media

images from the 1970s — thanks to a $99,900 grant from

the U.S. State Department, that will help launch a study

abroad program in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The

grant paves the way for a pilot program to begin next sum-

mer that would send faculty and two Southern students to

Dai Hoc Su Pham/University of Pedagogy, which specializes

in teacher training. This would be Southern’s first direct

exchange program in Asia.

The students, who will receive course credit, are

expected to spend the summer studying Vietnamese, con-

4 | SouthernALUMNI MAGAZINE

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n $100,000 Grant Builds Ties with Vietnam

Ronald D. Herron, vice president for student and university affairs, and Catherine A.Christy, coordinator of Southern’s Women’s Center, are optimistic that a recentlyawarded federal grant geared toward the prevention of violence against womenwill have a significant impact on Southern and eight other college campuses acrossthe state. Southern is the lead agency in a new 11-member consortium called theConnecticut Campus Coalition to End Violence Against Women.

Professor C. Michele Thompson

ducting research with faculty, and working closely with

Vietnamese students who are learning to teach English. Plans

call for two more students to travel with faculty members

in spring 2011 and three more to go the following summer.

“Vietnam plays a role in American cultural con-

sciousness, and this is an opportunity to force us to think

about [that nation] in new ways,” says Ilene Crawford,

associate pro-

fessor of

English, who is

heading up the

program with

Professor

Thompson and

Marianne

Kennedy, asso-

ciate vice presi-

dent for assess-

ment, planning,

and academic

programs.

n Grants Forward Southern’s MissionThe accompanying Campus News stories highlight

two major initiatives — a coalition to prevent violence against

women and a pilot study-abroad program in Vietnam —

both of which were made possible by leadership-level

grants. The Southern community received numerous other

highly competitive grants and honors this fall, some of which

are highlighted here.

• Southern’s Training for all Teachers (TAT) program

has received $300,000 from the U.S. Department of

Education, the most recent installment of a five-year grant.

The TAT program prepares educators in the best practices for

teaching students who are not native English speakers.

Lorrie Verplaetse, professor of TESOL (Teachers of English

to Speakers of Other Languages) and bilingual education,

wrote the grant proposal.

• The Nursing Department has been awarded a

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant of $100,000 to

fund scholarships for students in the Accelerated Career

Entry (ACE) nursing program.

• Richard Cole, president and chief executive officer

of the Connecticut Academy for Education, commended

Assistant Professor of Elementary Education Adam

Goldberg for his key role in developing the state

Department of Education’s Algebra I Model Curriculum. It is

anticipated that this model curriculum will be adopted by

the state and used extensively to improve the quality of

math education.

• A $25,000 grant from the Boston Public Health

Commission’s Center for Health Equity and Social Justice

will support Professor of Public Health Peggy Gallup’s

community outreach efforts. Gallup is working with the city

of Bridgeport toward the development and implementation

of comprehensive health strategies that would eliminate

racial and ethnic health disparities.

• Southern received $221,500 from the state

Department of Higher Education (DHE) to continue the

GEAR UP Program, through which the university partners

with the DHE and New Haven Public Schools to help pre-

pare city students for a successful college experience. The

program is overseen by James Barber, ’64, M.S. ’79, direc-

tor of student supportive services and Southern’s GEAR

UP coordinator.

• For 24-consecutive years, the National Institutes of

Health has supported Psychology Professor James

Mazur’s research project, “Molecular Variables Affecting

Choice Behaviors.” Mazur’s work allows students to partici-

pate in laboratory research and develop an understanding

of animal care and requirements. The most recent $78,490

award will continue the research through September 2010.

• Faculty member Lisa Stout (biology), is the recipi-

ent of a three-year National Science Foundation subcon-

tract through Yale. Her work, which will support the project,

Spring 2010 | 5

Class is in session.

Associate Professor Ilene Crawford

continues

“Thermometric Properties

of DNA: Applications to the

Deep-sea Biosphere,” will

involve students at

Southern and Yale.

n The LovelyBones“Crime Scene

Investigation,” “Crime

Science Chemistry,” and

“Forensic Biology,” are

among the courses being

offered as part of a new

forensic science minor that

was launched at Southern

in the fall. The 18-credit

interdisciplinary minor —

jointly sponsored by the

Anthropology, Biology,

Chemistry, Psychology, and

Sociology Departments —

is coordinated by Assistant

Professor of Anthropology

Valerie Andrushko, a

noted expert in bioar-

chaeology, the study

of skeletal remains

from archeological sites.

Andrushko brings

extensive experience to the

position. Her scholarly work

ranges from investigating

the skeletal remains of the

Incas in Peru to researching

human “trophy-taking” in

early Native American tribes

in central California. Closer

to home, she also has been

tapped by Nick Bellantoni,

the state archeologist, to

conduct special projects to

analyze human remains.

The program is

designed both for students

interested in pursuing a

career in the forensic sci-

ences and for those who

want to pursue other

careers, but are interested

in the field.

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sincere thanks to the many alumni and friends who helped

Southern exceed its fundraising goals for the 2009 fiscal

year. Despite the challenges of the sluggish economy,

the university raised close to $1.84million

in cash support and new commitments — surpassing

a goal of $1.6 million.

Alumni giving increased 35% during

the last five years — a tangible sign that

Southern graduates place great value on

their Southern education.

A total of 7,366 full-time undergraduate

students were enrolled at Southern this fall — an all-time

record. Full-time undergraduate enrollment has increased

in 10 out of the past 11 years.

Enrollment of all full-time students — including

those enrolled in undergraduate and

graduate programs — rose to

8,346 — an all-time record.

The retention rate for first-year to second-year students was

79.7% — the highest in 18 years.

Assistant Professor ValerieAndrushko [ABOVE, SECOND FROM

RIGHT] and members of her classstudy human bones with a goalof determining the age of theremains.

6 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Associate Professor of Special Education and Reading Jule McCombes-Tolis serves as director of The Literacy Lab at Southern

Where you’ll find her: Thenewly renovated LiteracyLab, located in Davis Hall,Room 208

The Mission: Each year, thelab provides pro-bono,faculty-supervised clinicaldiagnostic and tutorialservices for about 100students. Most are ingrades 1 to 8, althoughsome younger and olderstudents are served.

How they help: Educationstudents provide tutoringand screening services,while diagnostic servicesare conducted by a team ofstudents and universityfaculty. Diagnostic servicesrange from comprehensiveliteracy screenings toevaluations for readingdisabilities, such as dyslexia.

Family Focus: “We not onlyhave a place for students tobe tested and tutored, butwe also have a comfortableplace for parents to hangout with a library ofmaterials related to literacyand reading,” saysMcCombes-Tolis.

Getting Help: Schools oftenrefer families to the LiteracyLab for testing and/ortutoring, but parents canapply for services without aschool referral. ContactRosa Clough [email protected] (203) 392-6400 for anapplication.

Learn More:www.SouthernCT.edu/education/literacylabnewsletter/

Spring 2010 | 7

n Faculty Honors• Joseph Solodow, professor of world

languages and literatures, was named a

Connecticut State University (CSU) Professor. An

internationally recognized scholar in the areas of

classics and classical philosophy, Solodow is

the author of four books. The most recent,

“Latin Alive: The Survival of Latin in English and

the Romance Languages,” was published in

January by Cambridge University Press.

The title of Connecticut State University

Professor recognizes outstanding merit among

the teaching faculty in the CSU System, which in

addition to Southern, includes Eastern, Central,

and Western Connecticut State universities.

• Professor of English Paul Petrie received

the 2009 Faculty Scholar Award in recognition

of his monograph, “Conscience and Purpose.

Fiction and Social Consciousness in Howells,

Jewett, Chesnutt, and Cather” (University of

Alabama Press). The work examines William

Dean Howells’ call for literature as a vehicle for

social change — and the influence on the

works of three influential American authors.

• Associate Professor of Psychology Kristine

Anthis received the Connecticut State University

System (CSUS) Trustees Teaching Award in recog-

nition of her role as an educational innovator for

successfully incorporated technology-assisted

instruction into the classroom. Her research

focuses on how identity develops. The CSU

Trustees Teaching Award is presented annually

to a faculty member at each of universities in

the CSU System.

• Professor of History C. Michele Thompson

is the recipient of the Connecticut State

University System (CSUS) Trustees Research

Award for her significant contributions to the

advancement of scholarship on the history of

Vietnam and the history of medicine in East Asia.

The award is presented annually to a faculty

member at each of the four CSU System insti-

tutions of higher learning.

Professor Joseph Solodow


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Meeting the needs

of a classroom of students

with different abilities can

be challenging for a

teacher. With special edu-

cation students generally

being taught in the same

classroom as other stu-

dents, the task can be par-

ticularly daunting for teach-

ers who are not certified in

both special education and

regular education.

A new “Educational

Coach” 6th-year diploma

program is being offered

at Southern, with a goal of

providing teachers with the

resources needed to best

support all groups of stu-

dents. The graduate pro-

gram, which was recently

approved by the

Connecticut Department of

Higher Education, is the

first of its kind in the state.

Topics covered will

include: coaching and col-

laborating with teachers,

administrators, and other

service providers; diversifi-

cation of instruction and

assessment to address the

educational needs of all

students; classroom man-

agement; and understand-

ing classroom law.

Christine Villani,

associate professor of edu-

cation and Ronald Tamura,

assistant professor of spe-

cial education, are coordi-

nators of the program.

[FROM LEFT] Associate Professor Christine J. Villani discusses the education-al coaching program with Emilia Caturano, ’12, and Kristin Serowik, ‘05.

n Educational Coach Program Launched

n CorrectionA professor included in the Week in the Life feature

in the fall issue was incorrectly identified as Assistant

Professor Richard Feinn. The photograph actually is of

Adjunct Professor Frank Grosso. We apologize for the error.

Professor Paul Petrie

Associate ProfessorKristine Anthis

Professor C. MicheleThompson

Three individuals —

former Owl standout Kate

Lynch, ’08, former

women’s basketball coach

Joe Frager, and former

men’s basketball coach Art

Leary — along with the

2007 NCAA Division II

National Championship

women’s basketball squad,

were inducted into the

New England Basketball

Hall of Fame. The group

joins Archie Tracy, ’64, and

Kathleen Ann Kochiss, ’84,

who were selected this

summer under the high

school player category.

The Owls finished

the regular season as

Northeast-10 Conference

co-champions — marking

the second time in the last

four years that the Owls

have earned at least part

of the league title.

Southern shares the honor

with Bentley and

Merrimack.

For the first time in

program history, the Owls

advanced to the Northeast-

10 Conference tourna-

ment, after finishing the

regular season with a 23-9

overall win-lose record.

The Owls defeated top-

seeded University of New

Haven in the Northeast-10

Tournament quarterfinals.

Southern ultimately fell to

UMass Lowell.

basketball �

football �

women’s volleyball �

sport shorts

Miguel Nesrala

Sophomore

Member of the Men’s Swimming and Diving Team (Freestyle/Backstroke)

Recent Achievements: Earned numerous first-place

victories at the Northeast-10 Championship,

including gold in the 100-yard freestyle. Took

first in the 50-yard freestyle at the Metropolitan

Championships.

Hails From: Dominican Republic

Diving In: “I live on an island and we went to the

beach every other weekend. My dad got tired of

my grandmother worrying about us, so he signed

us up for swim classes.”

Early Success: At the age of 11, Nesrala was ranked

among the top two swimmers in his age group in

the Dominican Republic.

Pre-meet Ritual: Visualizes the perfect race — twice.

In the Community: Volunteers with the team at

numerous community events, most recently, Relay

for Life.

Listening to: Lil’ Wayne, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Aytm —

the latter is Nesrala’s roommate, whom he

describes as “an awesome rapper.”

The best part of Swimming: “Definitely competing.

I’m a very competitive person.”

Meet Southern’sStudent Athlete

Spring 2010 | 9

ˇ

For more sports news, visitwww.SouthernCTOwls.com.


ne is instrumental in bringing award-winning movies to the small screen, while

another is helping to craft public policy at the state level. Meet the talented recipients

of the 2009 Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Awards. In all, seven alumni were recog-

nized at the event, which was held on Oct. 16 at the Michael J. Adanti Student Center.

The Distinguished Alumna Award, the highest honor bestowed on a Southern grad-

uate by the university, was presented to Elizabeth Missan Yost, ’85, vice president of

development for the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.

In addition, six alumni — one graduate from each of the university’s six schools —

were presented with Outstanding Alumnus/a Awards. The honorees included the

Honorable Mary M. Mushinsky, ’73, who is serving her fifteenth term as a member

of the Connecticut House of Representatives (School of Arts and Sciences); Michael R.Chambrello, ’79, president and chief operating officer of Scientific Games Corporation, a

provider to the international lottery and gaming markets (School of Business); Dr. MarcA. Nivet, ’92, who at press time was slated to join the Association of American Colleges as

the chief diversity officer (School of Communication, Information, and Library Science);

Maureen G. Linderfelt, M.S. ’68, 6th Yr. ’77, who recently retired from the position of

executive director of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Southern Connecticut, where

she continues to take an active role, (School of Education); Dr. Kathleen A.Bonvicini, ’83, the chief executive officer for the Institute for Healthcare Communication

(School of Health and Human Services); and Dr. Beverly Levett Gerber, ’62, 6th Yr. ’71, professor emeritus of special education at Southern (School of Graduate Studies).

They share a

commitment to

excellence —

and one or more

Southern degrees.

Introducing the

recipients of the

2009 Distinguished

and Outstanding

Alumni Awards. By Joan Wells

Spring 2010 | 11

Distinguished Alumna6

Elizabeth Missan Yost, ’85

As an aspiring college student, Elizabeth Yost had her heart set

on attending an extremely large university. Instead, she chose

Southern on her father’s advice that a smaller, more personal setting

would suit her better.

“My parents are very smart people,” concludes Yost, who

is “living her dream,” as the vice president of development for the

Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. Based in the

company’s Los Angeles office, Yost has made close to 150 movies

over 10 years, and oversees all scripting and casting of the net-

work’s productions.

The determined communication major traveled to

California immediately after graduation, launching her career at the

William Morris Agency. Other positions followed, including time at

Robert Greenwald Productions, a supplier of prime time television

films, and EMY Entertainment, an independent production compa-

ny. In 2002, Yost joined Hallmark Channel as director of develop-

ment, original programming — and was responsible for launching

the network’s first original series and Mystery Movie franchises.

While Yost attributes her success to a combination of

endurance, talent, and luck, she also places a high premium on the

experience she gained at Southern. “The personal attention really

made a difference,” says Yost, noting the university’s small class sizes

and opportunities to work closely with members of the faculty. “You

don’t get that at a bigger school,” she adds.

Yost has stayed in touch with Professor Joseph (Jos) Ullian,

and about 14 years ago they worked together to arrange a summer

internship that brought Southern students to Los Angeles to work on

scripts and casting. As her success and connections increased, Yost

expanded the program. In 2003, she teamed up with Southern’s

Department of Communication to offer a Hollywood internship pro-

gram with the Hallmark Channel. According to Yost, the program is a

winning scenario for all involved. “The students who have come out

to work for us have been extraordinary,” she says.

&


Whether working on legisla-

tion designed to prevent

adolescent pregnancy or helping a

migrating fish over a dam, State

Representative Mary Mushinsky

often applies lessons she learned

while attending Southern nearly

40 years ago.

“I received the technical training, motivation, encouragement,

and preparation that — when combined — prepared me to go out

and solve problems,” says Mushinsky.

A Democrat from Wallingford, Conn., Mushinsky is the

“dean,” or longest-serving member, of the Connecticut House of

Representatives, having spent 28 years shaping public policy. Elected

to her fifteenth term in November 2008, she was appointed chair-

woman of the Program Review and Investigation Committee, focus-

ing on policy and recommendations for improving state responses

to community problems. Previously, she served ten years as co-

chairwoman of the Select Committee on Children and has received

numerous awards in acknowledgment of her efforts to prevent ado-

lescent pregnancy and reduce child poverty.

The environment is another primary focus for Mushinsky,

who majored in biology at Southern. Having chaired the legisla-

ture’s Environment Committee for six years, she played a key role in

crafting major environmental legislation enacted in the 1980s and

1990s, including mandatory recycling, packaging reduction, open-

space preservation, global warming mitigation, and endangered

species protection laws.

Furthering her commitment to the environment, Mushinsky

also serves as executive director of the Quinnipiac River Watershed

Association, uniting community volunteers with scientists to

improve conditions in the river. The group’s contributions are

numerous and varied: helping businesses reduce runoff, growing

beetles to control invasive plants, and even forming a bucket brigade

to help migrating fish swim over a dam in Wallingford, Conn.

“Southern provided good training for the real world,” she

says. “The professors were always

behind their students, encouraging

them to use what they learned for the

good of society.”

Attending Southern is a family

tradition. Rep. Mushinsky’s father,

Edward Mushinsky, earned a degree in

education in 1957 and one of her sons,

Martin Waters, is a Southern student. (Her other son, Ed, is a graphic

art student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.) Mushinsky also has passed

on her commitment to the environment. She proudly notes that both

of her sons bicycle and take public transportation rather than own cars.

& Outstanding Alumna6

Mary M. Mushinsky, ’73SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Spring 2010 | 13

In an industry where luck is a key factor, Michael R. Chambrello

has risen to the top courtesy of a combination of experience, tal-

ent, and hard work. In January 2010, Chambrello became chief

executive officer of Scientific Games Corporation, a provider to the

lottery, pari-mutuel racing, and gaming industries, and a leading

supplier of prepaid phone cards to telecommunication companies.

He also serves as president of the company. With annual revenue

approaching $1 billion and a worldwide staff of 5,500 people,

Scientific Games has a global presence with clients in some 43

states and more than 50 countries.

Clearly Chambrello is a major player in the business arena.

Yet he says that when he entered Southern as a freshman he was “as

directionless as anyone can be” and “average in every way” — not a

likely early profile for a man who would become an industry leader.

Enter Southern, where in his sophomore year, Chambrello reached a

crossroads. One of his professors, Kun Suryatmodjo, saw potential

in the young student and gave Chambrello a challenge: “be average

or get smarter” through hard work.

The kid from Plainfield, Conn., chose the latter: by junior

year he was a teaching assistant; by graduation he had brought his

grade point average up a full point. Chambrello would later estab-

lish an endowed scholarship at Southern in Dr. Suryatmodjo’s

honor, benefiting students who were majoring in economics.

“Southern gave me a real-world foundation and helped me

to realize that even though I didn’t have the same pedigree [as exec-

utives who attended Ivy League

schools], I could do as well or bet-

ter,” says Chambrello. He later

attended graduate school at

American University’s Kogod

College of Business.

Chambrello joined Scientific

Games in July 2005 as president and

chief operating officer, drawing on a wealth of executive experience.

Prior to joining the company, he was president and chief executive

officer of Environmental Systems Products Holdings, Inc., a leader in

emissions testing systems and services. He also served as chief exec-

utive officer of Transmedia Asia Pacific, Inc. and Transmedia Europe

Inc., which provide membership and affinity programs.

Previously, he was president

of GTECH Corporation and executive

vice president of GTECH Holdings

Corp., a full-service provider to the

lottery and entertainment industries.

Chambrello had joined the company

in 1982 as a project analyst and

steadily climbed the corporate ladder. In his almost 20 years at

GTECH, company revenue grew from $1 million to nearly $1 billion.

Being honored by Southern is “really great for me,” says

Chambrello, who serves on the SCSU Foundation Board of

Directors. “There are so many people like me, average in so many

ways, who got an extra push at Southern and found their direction.”

Outstanding Alumnus6

Michael R. Chambrello, ’79SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

&


Marc A. Nivet was thinking

like a hopeful teenaged

athlete when he chose to attend

Southern: he had been recruited

to play football and run track. But

when he realized after two years

that a career as a professional ath-

lete probably wasn’t in the cards,

he found his real calling.

Nivet focused on academics, became vice president of

Southern’s Black Student Union, and began reaching out to inner-city

kids in the New Haven community. Those opportunities would set his

destiny. “That became my mission — to help others achieve,” says Nivet.

He has continued that mission throughout his career. This

spring Nivet is slated to join the Association of American Medical

Colleges (AAMC) as the chief diversity officer. His responsibilities

will include leading the association’s Diversity Policy and Programs

Department, with a goal of increasing diversity in medical educa-

tion and advancing health care equality.

Nivet will come to the AAMC having served as the chief

operating officer and treasurer for the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation in

New York City, where he oversees the day-to-day operations of the

organization and manages an endowment of $150 million. The

foundation supports programs designed to improve the education

of health professionals. Nivet concurrently is special assistant to the

senior vice president of health at New York University, where he

serves on the faculty of the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of

Public Service. He also teaches at Hofstra University.

Nivet says one of the benefits of attending Southern is the

diversity of the surrounding community. He firmly believes that no

institution can call itself “excellent” without being diverse. Among his

priorities are diversifying academic medicine, eliminating racial dis-

parities in health and the health professions, and promoting best prac-

tices for increasing minority enrollment in health professional schools.

His career has been marked by a commitment to education.

In addition to earning his undergraduate degree in communication

studies from Southern, he has a Master’s of Science in higher edu-

cation/student development from Long Island University, C.W. Post,

and a Doctorate of Education in higher education management

from the University Of Pennsylvania.

A fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, he is a past

president of the National Association

of Medical Minority Educators, Inc.,

which presented him with its

Outstanding Service Award in 2006.

With all those accomplish-

ments, Nivet says it still “feels great” to

be honored by his alma mater. “To this

day, one of the most meaningful expe-

riences in my life was my junior year at

Southern, when I was offered and accepted the opportunity to serve

as a mentor and advisor for incoming freshmen in the Student Equal

Opportunity Program,” says Nivet, who serves on the SCSU

Foundation Board of Directors. He continues, “That experience, cou-

pled with volunteer teaching experiences in the New Haven Public

School System, served to illuminate the need to give back and take

joy in helping others.”

Outstanding Alumnus6

Dr. Marc A. Nivet, ’92SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION,

INFORMATION, AND LIBRARY SCIENCE

&

Spring 2010 | 15

Maureen Glennon Linderfelt is a firm believer in the power of

opportunity: “I think it’s about focusing on what people can

do, notwhat they can’t do,” says Linderfelt, who has spent her entire

career as an advocate for individuals with disabilities.

For 19 years, Linderfelt served as executive director of

the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Southern Connecticut Inc.,

in Wallingford, Conn. She “retired” in 2008, but has remained with

the organization as a housing consultant to continue work on a

project that is close to her heart: creating 30 units of handicapped-

accessible, scattered housing in Fairfield and New Haven counties.

The project builds on Linderfelt’s demonstrated

strengths. She was the driving force behind the conversion of a 90-

year-old school in Fairfield County into universally designed one-

and two-bedroom apartments made to be both totally accessible

and affordable.

During a career spanning more than 40 years, Linderfelt has

worked as a teacher and in administrative positions serving those

with orthopedic challenges and/or developmental delays. Previously,

she held leadership roles with the State Department of Mental

Retardation (now called the Department of Developmental

Services); E.B. Kuhn Training Center in Meriden, Conn.; Varca Inc. in

Derby, Conn.; and the U.S. Census Bureau. She began her career as a

teacher-coordinator for the city of Bridgeport, Conn., where she

developed and administered a program that became the first fully

certified transitional workshop in the state for those with disabilities.

Linderfelt, who earned

both a master’s degree and sixth

year diploma in special education

from Southern, stresses the impor-

tance of experiential learning.

Long before vocational occupa-

tional programs were the norm,

she had her special education stu-

dents running a café and making

business cards by setting type.

She played to the strengths of each child, knowing they’d

learn more about math by making change and more about social

skills by interacting with the public. Best of all, if her students liked

the “work,” there was the built-in motivator to behave and learn.

Her Vocational Occupational

Program for Exceptional Children

received national recognition; the

program was cutting-edge at a time

when special education wasn’t even

recognized as a formal department in

most schools.

“Southern gave me the tools to do all this and the interest

to go forward,” says Linderfelt. “The professors were forward think-

ing and looked at progressive methods. Southern was a perfect

choice for me.”

Outstanding Alumna6

Maureen G. Linderfelt, M.S. ’68, 6th Yr. ’77

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

&


Effective communication is the

key to success in many

endeavors, but in Kathleen A.

Bonvicini’s business, it can be life-

saving.

Bonvicini is chief execu-

tive officer of the Institute for

Healthcare Communication

(IHC), a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the quality

of healthcare by helping physicians and veterinarians communicate

effectively with their clients.

“We like to say there are two tasks in medicine,” says

Bonvicini, who has written and spoken extensively to international

audiences on the importance of communication training in both

human and veterinary medicine. “One is technical, but there’s also

the relationship side and understanding how to communicate —

to truly listen to the human being in front of you.”

The organization’s influence is far reaching. Since 1989, the

IHC has collaborated with hundreds of organizations to train more

than 150,000 physicians.

In 2002, the institute developed a program for veterinari-

ans, the Veterinary Communication Training Project. As director

of the project, Bonvicini designed and led a faculty training pro-

gram that was implemented in schools of veterinary medicine

throughout the United States and Canada, and recently introduced

in Australia.

Previous to her work with the Institute, Bonvicini gained

15 years of psychiatric clinical research experience at the Yale

University Laboratory of Psychiatric Genetics, where she coordinat-

ed genetic family studies on anxiety disorder and alcohol and sub-

stance dependence.

In step with her current commitment to education, she

also held faculty positions with Southern’s Department of Public

Health and Albertus Magnus College for 12 years.

Her own foray to college was non-traditional. A working

parent, she transferred to Southern from the University of Arizona

at the age of 26. After receiving a

degree in social work from Southern,

she went on to earn a master’s degree

in public health from Yale University.

“Southern offered not only a

good academic foundation, but a good

sense of community and service,” says

Bonvicini. “My three internships in

social work at Southern opened my eyes to the needs of people and

to what I wanted to do in my professional life.”

Outstanding Alumna6

Dr. Kathleen A. Bonvicini, ’83SCHOOL OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

&

Spring 2010 | 17

Beverly Levett Gerber believes that art education and special

education have a shared strength. “Both look outside the box

for unconventional answers,” says Gerber, professor emeritus of spe-

cial education.

A nationally recognized expert in how the subjects connect,

Gerber realized early in her teaching career that students with spe-

cial needs can use art as a vehicle to learn other subjects, express

themselves emotionally, and show their level of ability.

She has devoted her career to sharing this knowledge with

others, serving for more than 40 years as an advocate of art for stu-

dents with special needs and presenting on the topic at the state,

national, and international levels.

Her ties to Southern are extensive. In addition to earning

two Southern degrees — an undergraduate degree in art education

and a sixth year degree in special education — Gerber was a full-

time faculty member with the Special Education Department for 33

years, before retiring in 2003. She is currently an adjunct professor

at Southern.

As a Southern student, Gerber was most inspired by two

professors, Professor Emeritus of Education Walter E. Cheetham

and the late Professor Emeritus of Art David Crespi, both of whom

had a gift of empowering their students, she says.

“Walter [Cheetham] not only taught the information, but

made you understand that you truly can reach the children,” says

Gerber, who went on to earn a doctorate from Teachers College,

Columbia University. She was one

of only a handful of doctoral stu-

dents who studied both special

education and art education.

With a goal of helping

future teachers, Gerber established

the Dr. Beverly Levett Gerber

Fellowship at Southern to support

graduate students who combine

special education with art in their studies.

Gerber’s many contributions extend beyond the university.

She co-edited the popular textbook “Reaching and Teaching Students

with Special Needs through Art,” and the soon to be published

“Understanding Students with Autism through Art.” She is a founding

member and past-president of the

National Art Education Association

(NAEA) Special Needs Issues Group

and also created a special needs Web

site to combine special education and

art education resources.

In acknowledgment of

Gerber’s many contributions, the Special Needs Issues Group and the

NAEA worked with several other national organizations to establish

an award in her honor. The Beverly Levett Gerber Lifetime

Achievement Award is given each year to an outstanding art educator

who works with special needs children. n

Outstanding Alumna6

Dr. Beverly Levett Gerber, ’62, 6th Yr. ’71

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

&


Some 80 percent of Southern applicants with strong recommendations

have gained acceptance into U.S. medical, dental, and veterinary

schools — well above the national rate. Learn more

about how Southern is helping these students

achieve major success. By Natalie Missakian

Spring 2010 | 19

• Melissa Beckmann, ’04, loves

everything about her

job as a doctor at a Texas

military hospital — even the

weekly 30-hour shifts seem a small

price to pay for living a childhood dream.

Next year, she hopes to travel to Korea as an

Air Force flight doctor.

Neil Young, ’09, an aspiring ER doc

who beat out thousands for a spot at

Dartmouth Medical

School, spends his

days studying

human anatomy

and physiology

alongside Ivy

League-educated

peers.

Closer to

home, Titi Aina, ’04,

starts her mornings

promptly at 5 a.m.,

preparing for

rounds as a surgical

intern at the

University of

Connecticut Health Center. Her long-term

goal is to become an anesthesiologist.

These successful young alumni

share numerous traits. They’re smart, well-

rounded, dedicated to their field — and all

are graduates of Southern’s small but thriv-

ing pre-med program.

Each year, a hand-

ful of talented, science-

minded undergraduates

sign on to work closely

with Southern’s Pre-

Medical, Pre-Dental, and

Pre-Veterinary Committee,

a team of six faculty

members charged with

advising and supporting

students who want to

pursue health careers.

Those who don’t

achieve the necessary standards are often

counseled into further training or other

career options. But those with the right mix

of academic achievement, ambition, and

analytical skill have found tremendous suc-

cess. Graduates have earned seats in such

diverse medical schools as Dartmouth,

Penn State, Boston University, Temple

University, New York Medical College, and

the University of California, San Francisco.

These are no small accomplish-

ments in a field where, according to the

Association of American Medical Colleges

(AAMC), only four out of every 10 med

school hopefuls make the grade. The com-

petition is fiercer at top schools like

Dartmouth, which enrolled only 84 of

5,294 applicants this year, according to the

school’s Web site.

“It’s very, very competitive. But we

have done a good job if students follow our

continues on page 35

Next S

top

Med

Sch

ool

“It’s a close-knit

faculty so it’s really

good that you get

to know all of the

professors on a

name basis.” Byron Peck-Collier, ’10

[OPPOSITE PAGE] Helping students succeed is the charge of Southern’s Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, and Pre-Veterinary Committee, which includes [FROM LEFT]Professor of Physics Christine Broadbridge, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Adiel Coca, Assistant Professor of Biology Jonathan Weinbaum,Professor of Physics Karen Cummings, Professor of Biology Jane Feng, and Assoc. Professor of Chemistry Jiong D. Pang. [THIS PAGE] Byron Peck-Collier, a member of the Class of 2010, hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon.


With a festive

fairytale theme,

Homecoming 2009

offered something

for everyone.

Upon aOnce

hile the Southern Owl is a seasoned university ambassador,

it isn’t everyday that the spirited mascot hobnobs with

fairytale princesses. But on Oct. 17, Cinderella, Snow White,

and even Prince Charming — a.k.a. colorfully costumed

Southern students — joined the great winged one to

celebrate Homecoming 2009 and Family Day,

a combined event that had a fairytale theme.

Spring 2010 | 21

Storybook royals aside, the true honored guests were the 600-

plus alumni, family, and friends who came to campus — one

of the highest Homecoming attendances on record. All were treat-

ed to a wide variety of activities, among them cherished tradi-

tions like the Robert Corda 5K Road Race, student parade of

floats, and the alumni tent party. Other events, including the dedi-

cation of the redesigned Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame and a

celebration of the 50th-anniversary of Southern’s swimming

program, gave the day even more poignancy. Further ensuring a

happy ending for Southern fans, the Owls soundly defeated Saint

Anselm College 71-14 in the Homecoming Football game.

The following pages spotlight some of the day’s many

festivities. Take a look and please plan to join us at Homecoming

2010 on October 16. Details will be coming soon.

Homecoming

continues

[OPPOSITE PAGE]Southern students dress the part.

[THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT]A Southern family smiles for the cameraduring Family Day activities. • The paradeof floats is a favorite tradition. • PresidentCheryl J. Norton introduces donor AnneBianchi Gundersen, ’34, who was honoredat the President’s Donor RecognitionBreakfast. • The Alliance Theatre of NewHaven performed “Cinderella” in thechildren’s tent. Pictured is one ofCinderella’s mouse helpers.


Spring 2010 | 23

Homecoming 2009

[OPPOSITE PAGE] Guests enjoyed awide variety of activities, includingthe dedication of the redesignedAlumni Athletics Hall of Fame[LOWER LEFT AND RIGHT].

[THIS PAGE] Owls reconnected withfamily and friends before theHomecoming football game [TOPRIGHT]. Other events included acelebration of the 50th anniversaryof Southern’s swimming program[RIGHT], and the Robert Corda 5kRoad Race [LOWER LEFT].


outhern’s nursing program was

launched in the 1969-70 academic

year with two faculty members,

some 20 students, and a single class-

room/makeshift lab buried in the

basement of Engleman Hall.

Though modest in scope, the pro-

gram was a success from the onset. In

1973, the department reached two mile-

stones — having its first group of 13 nurs-

ing students graduate and obtaining a full

eight-year accreditation from the National

League for Nursing. Progress continued

and in 1985, Southern launched its first

master’s degree program in nursing.

Today, Southern’s Nursing

Department is a popular, well-established

operation that plays a vital role in curbing

the state’s nursing shortage. For the last two

years, nursing/pre-nursing has been the

top major at Southern. In fall 2009, a total

of 844 undergraduates were declared as

either nursing or pre-nursing majors, the

second-highest number in university histo-

ry — only slightly below a record-setting

873 students in fall 2008.

Associate Professor of Nursing Lisa

Rebeschi, department chairwoman, attrib-

utes the numbers to Southern’s growing

reputation, as well as job opportunities cre-

ated because of the shortage.

“It’s a competitive process just to be

accepted into the program,” says Rebeschi,

noting that approvals usually take place just

before a student’s junior year. “These days,

about half of those who apply are accepted.”

Rebeschi also notes that Southern

consistently exceeds the 88 to 90 percent

statewide average of students who pass the

NostalgiaNostalgia

SBy Joe Musante, ’86

Nursing Program

Celebrates 40-Year

Anniversary

Nursing Program

Celebrates 40-Year

Anniversary

Spring 2010 | 25

licensure examination.

She believes Southern’s success stems

from several factors, including an increase

in both faculty and classroom/ lab space as

a result of the opening of a new Nursing

Classroom Building in the fall of 2005.

“Our nursing program has been on

the cutting edge of innovation for some

time, offering on-line courses, an

Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) program

for individuals seeking to make a career

change to nursing, and a collaborative R.N.

to B.S.N. pathway with Gateway

Community College,” says Selase W.

Williams, provost and vice president for

academic affairs. Southern and Western

Connecticut State University also are in the

process of jointly developing an Ed.D. pro-

gram in nursing.

The nursing program has received

numerous grants in support of its commit-

ment to excellence, including a recent

$145,000 federal allocation — most of

which is being used for scholarships to

support students in the ACE program and

the nursing educator program at the grad-

uate level. The department also was recent-

ly awarded a $100,000 grant from the

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund

scholarships for students in the ACE nurs-

ing program. n

For more information, seewww.SouthernCt.edu/nursing/.

From past to present — a 40-year success story. [LOWER CIRCLE, FROM LEFT] Associate Professor Emeritus of Nursing Immaculate Alba and AssociateProfessor of Nursing Lisa Rebeschi, pose with William Abbott, ’09, and Lettresha Turner, ’09, graduates of the Accelerated Career Entry program.

• New board member James Booth,

’97, is a financial adviser with a fami-

ly-run business based in Norwalk,

Conn. A dedicated community vol-

unteer, he works with the Norwalk

Jaycees and is active with his local

Catholic parish. Booth is an avid run-

ner and has completed numerous

marathons throughout the United

States, raising money to support the

American Diabetes Association.

• Nancy Charest, ’71, M.S. ’75, 6th

Yr. ’77, a veteran teacher with New

Haven Public Schools, holds three

degrees from Southern and is certi-

fied both as a reading consultant

and as a teacher of English

Language Learners (ELL). Highly

regarded for her expertise in social-

emotional intelligence, she has

worked with the Yale Child Study

Center and the George Lucas Foundation and has

served as a consultant throughout the United States

and in Sweden and the United Kingdom. A published

author, Charest previously served as the Executive Vice-

President of the New Haven Federation of Teachers.

• Marybeth Heyward Fede, ’79, M.S.

’87, has ties to Southern as a student

and as a member of the faculty. An

assistant professor in the Exercise

Science Department since 1998, she

supervises student teachers through

the teacher preparation program.

Before joining Southern as an

adjunct professor, she worked as a

school exercise science technician.

In addition to earning her undergraduate degree at

Southern, she graduated summa cum laude with a

master’s degree in human performance. In 1991, she

became certified in school health and recently earned

an Ed.D. in adult education.

• The recipient of the 2008 Alumni

Service Award, Jerry Katona, ’74,

M.S. ’88, has been reelected to serve

on the board. A former athletics

trainer and past officer of the Owl

Varsity Club, which supports

Southern’s student athletes, Katona

is a lifetime member of the

Connecticut Scholastic and

Collegiate Softball and Basketball

Associations. Among his many achievements is coach-

ing a Connecticut Classics Women’s Fast Pitch team to a

2001 national championship. Katona works for Area

Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) as an employ-

ment supervisor.

• Newly elected board member Edwin Klinkhammer,

’71, M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ’92, combines a background in sci-

ence education with extensive experience in athletics. A

National Science Foundation Fellow, Klinkhammer

retired from a position as a science educator with the

Department of Children and Families. Previously, he

was a Police Academy Physical Training Coordinator, as

well as a personal security specialist and defensive tac-

tics instructor. Klinkhammer also worked as a fitness

sports trainer and consultant and had a 20-year career

in professional minor league football, baseball, soccer,

and track and field. In November 2009, Klinkhammer

was inducted into the Southern Connecticut Diamond

Club Hall of Fame. He is an active environmental ecolo-

gist and marine wildlife first responder and rehabilitator.


Alu

mni

NEWS

James Booth

Nancy Charest

Marybeth HeywardFede

Jerry Katona

n Alumni Association Board Adds New MembersThe Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomed seven new members, including five who were elected to serve

until 2013. In addition, James Booth, ’97, and Robert D. Parker, ’76, were appointed to the board to fill posts that were empty

due to resignations. They will serve until June 30, 2010.

• Newly elected board member

Mary Fedyn Martinik, ’76, M.S. ’86,

6th Yr. ’99, has worked as a

teacher, coach, and administrator in

the fields of physical education,

health, and athletics. As an under-

graduate, she was a member of the

gymnastics and softball teams for

four years. Education remained the

cornerstone of Martinik’s career,

prompting her to return to Southern to earn degrees in

health education and educational leadership.

• Board member Robert D. Parker,

’76, is the director of communica-

tions for ACES (Area Cooperative

Educational Services), the regional

educational service center for 25

school districts in South Central

Connecticut. His career includes 30

years as a teacher and serving as the

director of ACES Educational Center

for the Arts. He has been a board

member and adviser to numerous arts advocacy organi-

zations, among them the International Network of

Schools for the Advancement of Arts Education, the

Connecticut Alliance for Arts Education, the Connecticut

Commission on the Arts, and the International Festival

of Arts and Ideas.

Mary Fedyn Martinik

Robert D. Parker

Spring 2010 | 27

n Pleasure ReadingIn 1948, Southern — then known

as New Haven State Teachers

College — began publishing a

student art and literary publica-

tion. More than six decades later Southern continues this

tradition with Folio, an undergraduate journal, and Noctua

Review, which spotlights the work of graduate students.

Today, readers can mine Southern’s rich creative his-

tory thanks to a new online archival collection of past issues

of Folio. The site — found at www.southernct.edu/

folioarchive/ — is an ambitious work-in-progress created by

English Professor Vivian Shipley. Complete issues from 1996-

2009 are included, with issues from 1948-1995 ultimately

slated to be added. In the meantime, Shipley has created a

history for each year, including an overview of subjects,

styles, and examples of a range of genres.

Shipley began archiving the journals in 1990, work-

ing to acquire past copies of the journal that were not

held by the university — a process that took five years.

Thanks to her efforts a complete collection of the original

copies is found in Buley Library. A second collection —

with rare issues hand-copied and bound to prevent dam-

aging the originals — is housed in the library’s reference

room. Happy reading!

Members of the Class of 1954 celebrated their 55th reunion in high style atAnthony’s Ocean View on Sept. 11.

Congratulations to the Class of 1959, which held its 50th reunion on Oct. 15 at The Woodwinds in Branford, Conn.


Alu

mni

NEWS

Hoop Dreams — Times TwoFans of women’s collegiate basketball can cheer

on two Southern graduates who have taken the lead for

prominent university teams.

Joan Bonvicini, ’75, was named head coach at

Seattle University where she is leading the team in its first

full season in Division I. Formerly with the coaching staffs

at the University of Arizona and Long Beach State, Bonvicini

has one of the

most successful

coaching records

in women’s colle-

giate basketball

history: She came

to Seattle ranked

26th on the NCAA

all-time wins list

for women’s col-

lege basketball at

all levels. In

February 2007, she

became the 18th

coach in NCAA

Division I

women’s basketball history to reach the 600-win mark.

A star college player, Bonvicini helped the Owls

earn third- and fourth-place finishes in the Association for

Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships. She

was a finalist for the 1976 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team.

On the East Coast, fellow coaching standout Cathy

Inglese, ’80, is completing her first full season as head

coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of

Rhode Island. Previously, Inglese was head coach at Boston

College from 1993-2008, during which time she guided the

Eagles to three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. Inglese also

was head coach at the University of Vermont for seven sea-

sons and served on several USA Basketball coaching staffs,

most recently as assistant coach with the gold-medal-win-

ning World University Games team in the summer of 2005.

While attending Southern, Inglese was named the

outstanding female athlete in her senior year, having been

a stellar player in both basketball and softball.

Both coaches have been inducted into Southern’s

Athletics Hall of Fame.

From buildings lauded for eco-friendly design

to a reinvigorated, campus-wide

recycling program, the university is

committed to keeping it green.

That’s why Southern is a proud signatory

of the American College & University

Presidents Climate Commitment.

Please support Southern and its students by contributing to the CampusGreening Fund. Donations may be made online

at www.giving.southernct.edu. Or call (203) 392-6515.

PHOTO: Eric Badeau

Joan Bonvicini, ’75

Cathy Inglese, ’80

n Stay in Touch!Connect with all things Southern — from news on thelatest campus developments to information onupcoming alumni events. The university offers numer-ous ways to stay up-to-date.

�+ We’re on the Web at www.SouthernCT.edu. For athlet-ics information go to www.SouthernCTOwls.com.

�+ Become a fan of Southern on Facebook at www.face-book.com. A wide variety of pages are available,including those specifically devoted to alumni, the uni-versity, the John Lyman Centerfor the Performing Arts, andcareer services.

�+ Follow Southern on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/scsutweet.The free service provides a way to communicatethrough the exchange of brief, frequent messages.

�+ Join LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com for professionalnetworking opportunities. Go to the “Official SouthernConnecticut State University” site.

�+ The Alumni Relations Office can also be reached at(203) 392-6500; www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni/; orSCSU, Attn: Alumni Relations, 501 Crescent Street,New Haven, CT 06515.

Spring 2010 | 29

An invitation to Southern Educators!

Join us on April 10, 2010 for

Alumni College Seminars — including some that meet guidelinesfor .1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits per seminar.

Fun-filled children’s activities and a snack/movie party

The President’s Reception

Meet the Southern authors showcase

The Amazing Race scavenger hunt

And much more.

A special day-long, campus-wide event for Southern alumni.

Highlights include:

RSVP by April 2, 2010For more information and tickets, call Alumni Relations at (203) 392-6500or online at www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni/.

alumni notes


’50sJOHN L. CARUSONE, ’57, M.S.

’62, was inducted into theSouthern ConnecticutDiamond Club Hall of Fame.Carusone also was inductedinto the Connecticut ASA(Amateur SoftballAssociation) Slo-Pitch Hall ofFame in 2004 and, in 2008,received the Gold Bat Awardfrom the West Haven TwilightLeague. An athletics field inHamden, Conn., was namedin his honor in 2007.

’60sLAWRENCE D. MCHUGH, ’62,

has been appointed chairmanof the Board of Trustees forthe University of Connecticutby Governor M. Jodi Rell.McHugh, president of theMiddlesex Chamber ofCommerce, previously waschairman of the Board ofTrustees for the ConnecticutState University System. Hehas been succeeded by Karl J.Krapek.

FRANCIS GAGLIARDI, ’63, hasretired as associate directorof Burritt Library at CentralConnecticut State Universityafter 45 years.

VINCENTVIRGULTO, ’63, wasinducted into the SouthernConnecticut Diamond ClubHall of Fame in 2009.

DAVID F. MILLS, ’64, M.S. ’69,a former Bristol Eastern HighSchool football coach, waselected to a City Council seaton the Republican ticket.

JON PURMONT, M.S. ’64, pro-fessor of history at Southern,has retired.

LAWRENCE P. CLINTON, ’66,was honored by the AmericanPsychiatric Association as adistinguished fellow in 2005and 2009 for his contribu-tions to the field. In 2008Clinton was honored as oneof America’s top psychiatristsfor his work with children.Clinton, who is a medicaldoctor, has an active practicein Vineland, N.J.

ELIZABETH FOYE, M.S. ’67, pro-fessor of elementary educationat Southern, has retired.

BARBARA SHILLER, ’67, 6thYr. ’78, professor of specialeducation at Southern, hasretired.

MARYANNE ULLMANN, ’68,M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ’86, associateprofessor of special educationat Southern, has retired.

ED ASTON, ’69, M.S. ’73, headswimming coach at CheshireHigh School and FarmsCountry Club, was a recipientof the Elm City LegendAward, as reported in theCheshire Herald.

PETER BOPPERT, ’69, director ofthe Learning Resource Centerat Southern, has retired.

JOHN S. PIUREK, ’69, M.S. ’74,6th Yr. ’91, and wife, DENISEPIUREK, ’71, celebratedtheir 40th wedding anniver-sary this year.

’70sPATRICIA RUKOWICZ, ’70,

M.S. ’73, 6th Yr. ’74, M.S. ’03,associate professor of schoolhealth education, has retired.

JEAN CHAPMAN SNIDER, ’70,retired from the Virginia BeachSchool System in 1998 andreceived the North CarolinaGovernor’s Award for volun-teerism in 1999 and 2009.

PATSY LEMLEY KAMERICA,’71, M.S. ’75, was inductedinto the Haddam-Killingworth High SchoolHall of Fame.

MICHAEL G. MARTIN, M.S.’71, 6th Yr. ’75, professor ofcounseling and school psy-chology at Southern, hasretired.

JANIS PANAGROSSI, ’71, M.S.’78, the office assistant for thebookstore at Southern, hasretired.

BARBARA BELLINGER, M.S.’72, is a consultant at LearningDynamics, a national trainingand development companybased in Wallingford, Conn.

LAURAV. FREUND, ’72, a spe-cial education teacher inTorrington Public Schools,ran for a third term as NorthCanaan’s representative to theSchool Board in Region 1.

DAVIDW. MARTENS, ’72,M.A. ’74, 6th Yr. ’80, professorof exercise science atSouthern, has retired.

MICHAEL ROSHKA, ’73, M.S.’79, has retired from the posi-tion of director of conferenceservices and special events atSouthern.

DOLORES ENNICO, ’74, M.S.’77, has been elected as anofficer for Olin Corporation, adiversified manufacturingcompany headquartered inSt. Louis, Mo. Ennico willhave overall responsibility forall human resource activitiesthroughout the corporation.She lives in Fairfield, Conn.

THOMAS HANFORD, ’74, M.S.’79, performed at theLitchfield Historical Society’s22nd annual Children’sSummer Series. Hanford, aresident of Goshen, Conn., isa musician and storyteller.

BARBARA D. LYNCH, M.S. ’74,6th Yr. ’75, professor of mar-riage and family therapy atSouthern, has retired.

CYNTHIA TWISS, ’74, M.S. ’81,6th Yr. ’97, has been nameddirector of special educationand student services by theMadison Board of Educationafter a 28-year career withthe Trumbull Public SchoolSystem in Conn.

LEONARDYANNIELLI, M.S.’74, M.S. ’89, was presentedwith the National Association

Reunion News

• School of Education alumni from all graduatingclasses are invited to attend a Celebration of the School ofEducation on April 10, 2010. Highlights of the event, whichwill be held from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., include AlumniCollege Seminars (among them, programs for children),campus tours, a Meet the Southern Authors spotlight, andthe President’s Reception.

• The Class of 1960 will be honored at undergraduatecommencement on May 28 in recognition of its 50threunion.

For more information on these events or if you would like to organize a reunion for your class, please contact Alumni Relations 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 for Southern’s

talented and deserving students.

The university’s Development Office can supply information on a variety of

planned gifts that help Southern maintain a climate of excellence — from bequests

that extend your generosity beyond your lifetime to charitable gift annuities and

trusts, which can provide fixed-income payments and several tax benefits.

If you’ve already included the Southern Connecticut State University

Foundation in your will, please let us know so that we can acknowledge your

generosity by enrolling you in the Heritage Society.

If not, please consider leaving a legacy by making a planned gift to the

Southern Connecticut State University Foundation. For more information, contact the

Development Office.

(203) 392-5598 • www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthern Southern Connecticut State University501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1355

Spring 2010 | 31

of Biology Teachers 2009Evolution Education Award.Yannielli is a professor atNaugatuck Valley CommunityCollege in Waterbury, Conn.

DAVID J. DENINO, ’75, M.S.’76, has retired from the posi-tion of director of counselingservices at Southern.

ARTHUR J. LEARY, ’75, hasretired from the position ofhead coach of men’s basket-ball at Southern.

JAMES L. WILLIAMS, M.A.’75, M.S. ’77, 6th Yr. ’82, hasretired from the position ofinterim director of admis-sions at Southern.

ALI ZAMOURI, M.S. ’75, hasretired from the position of

assistant librarian at Southern.

FRANCES L. KENDALL, ’76,was promoted to the rank offull professor at SalisburyUniversity in Salisbury, Md.,and teaches television anddocumentary production inthe Department ofCommunication Arts.

STEWART BYRON, ’78, aMadison, Conn., resident, hadhis sculptures and wood-burning artwork displayed bythe Clinton Art Society at theLiberty Bank in Clinton,Conn. Byron also has dis-played his work at the P. T.Barnum Museum and theLockwood MathewsMuseum, both in Conn.

EDWARD J. HOYER, JR.,M.L.S. ’78, M.S. ’81, hasretired from the position ofassociate librarian atSouthern.

COLLEEN KREHEL SEADALE,’78, is a licensed family thera-pist in private practice inEdgartown, Mass., onMartha’s Vineyard.

SANDRA L. DENNIES, M.S. ’79,was named chief financial offi-cer for the city of Wilton, Conn.Previously, Dennies served asdirector of administration andchief financial officer for thecity of Stamford, Conn.

BERNADETTE FLYNN, ’79, wasselected 2009 Coach of theYear for Outstanding

Achievement in Women’sSports by the Fairfax CountyWomen’s Sports AwardCommittee and The Women’sSports Foundation. Flynnlives in Springfield, Va.

PATRICIA RUTKOWSKI, M.S.’79, has been promoted to theposition of library director atthe New Britain Library.Rutkowski has been employedby the library for 40 years andis the first library employeesince 1967 to be promoted tothe director position.

JOYCE SALTMAN, M.S. ’79, 6thYr. ’81, professor of specialeducation at Southern, hasretired.

JAMES F. WENKER, ’79, wasnamed principal at Newington

High School in Conn. He wasformerly principal atThomaston High School.

’80sROSEANN DIANA, M.S. ’80,

associate dean of the Schoolof Graduate Studies atSouthern, has retired.

DANIEL MURPHY, 6th Yr. ’80,is the principal ofImmaculate High School inDanbury, Conn. Murphy andhis wife, Cathy, were mem-bers of Immaculate’s firstgraduating class in 1966.

ROBERTA. HISCOX, 6th Yr. ’81,is one of four Prospect, Conn.,residents appointed by theTown Council to sit on theBoard of Education for Region16. Hiscox is a biology teacherat Newington High School.

GLENHOTTIN, ’82, has beennamed Mentor of the Year bythe Branford Community YouthMentoring Program. Hottin isthe owner of M&H Advisors,LLC, in New Haven, Conn.

ROBYN STEWART JOHNSON,’82, is a senior assistantstate’s attorney. She joined theHousing Div. in 2005 afterserving 11 years in NewHaven Superior Court.

BARBARA SCHADE, ’82,founded a new educationcenter named The ClausAcademy in Norwalk, Conn.The center provides tutoring,mentoring, and coaching toyoung adults in reading, writ-ing, and mathematics.

PAMELA BRUCKER, ’83, M.S.’87, 6th Yr. ’91, professor ofspecial education atSouthern, has retired.

JUDITH BUZZELL, 6th Yr. ’83,professor of education atSouthern, has retired.

JIM KALACH, ’83, has beenpromoted to director of exec-utive communications at theHartford Financial ServicesGroup in Hartford, Conn.

STUYVESANT MARTIN REID,SR., ’83, is an operations ana-lyst with the state of GeorgiaDepartment of Corrections.He lives in Lithia Spring, Ga.

Olympic Recognition for Southern CoachFormer Southern men’s gymnastics coach

Abraham “Abie” Grossfeld was inducted into the U.S.

Olympic Hall of Fame this fall — an

honor that places him in the compa-

ny of some of the country’s most cel-

ebrated athletes. Grossfeld was the

head coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic

Men’s Gymnastics Team that earned

eight medals, including

the U.S. men’s only

Olympic team gold. He

also was the personal

coach of Southern’s

alumnus Peter Kormann,

’78, who captured a

bronze medal on floor

exercise at the 1976

Olympic Games.

At Southern,

Grossfeld served as

coach from 1963-2003

and was named national

coach of the year three

times during his tenure.

He led the Owls to three

NCAA championships,

and coached 29 individ-

ual NCAA champions, 126 All-Americans, and four

Nissen Award winners. Upon his retirement he received

the honorary title of professor emeritus of intercolle-

giate athletics.

A nationally recognized athlete in his own right,

Grossfeld competed in two Olympic Games (1956,

1960), two World Championships (1958, 1962), and

three Pan American Games — the latter of which result-

ed in three team gold medals for the U.S.


GREGORY P. DESTEFANO, ’84,principal of Konowitz, Kahnand Company, was elected tothe Valley United Way Boardof Directors.

NICK ECONOMOPOULOS, 6thYr. ’84, a former teacher atLyman Hall High School andformer member of the Boardof Education, has been elect-ed as one of the town coun-cilors of Wallingford, Conn.

PAUL BEST, M.S. ’85, 6th Yr.’87, professor of political sci-ence at Southern, has retired.

JUDITH BONACCI DRENZEK,M.S. ’85, 6th Yr. ’95, wasappointed preschool supervi-sor in the West Haven SchoolDistrict in Conn.

GRETA GETLEIN, ’86, hasearned a Master of Divinityfrom Yale Divinity School andwas ordained in June 2009.

GLORIA GUBITOSI, 6th Yr. ’86,was a candidate for a positionon the school board inWolcott, Conn. Gubitosi’sexperience includes two yearson the Republican TownCommittee and one term onthe Board of Education.

ROBERT L. PARKER, ’86, a for-mer newspaper columnistand radio host, has joinedWDIV TV in Detroit, Mich.Parker will write severalcolumns each week exclusive-ly for ClickOnDetroit.com, inaddition to contributing pod-casts and blogs. Parker alsowill continue his weeklyappearances on Sports FinalEdition.

KERRY CARDINAL, ’87, activi-ties director at RidgefieldCrossing senior living com-munity, has received theOutstanding ResidentServices Award from theConnecticut Assisted LivingAssociation.

ANN CURLEY, M.S. ’87, washonored as Teacher of theYear at the Washington Schoolin Manchester, Conn. Curley, acreative arts teacher, has beenteaching for 11 years.

GREGORY DANDIO, ’88, was acandidate for the WolcottBoard of Education, as statedin the Sunday Republican

newspaper. Dandio is chieftechnology officer at AreaCooperative EducationServices in North Haven, Conn.

’90sDONALD M. CASEY, M.S. ’90,

an assistant director at CampTeepee for 30 years, receivedthe Staff Excellence Awardfrom the Lakewood TrumbullYMCA in Conn. Casey is aneducator at StepneyElementary School in Monroe,Conn. Recently students therewere honored by PresidentBarack Obama and First LadyMichelle Obama for their par-ticipation in the Read AcrossAmerica initiative.

FREDERICK M. LYNN, M.S.’90, has been selected execu-tive director of ImmaculateConception Shelter andHousing Corporation. Lynnhas nearly 25 years of non-profit management experi-ence, primarily working inthe anti-poverty arena withcommunity action agencies.

LEIF MADSEN, M.L.S. ’90,joined the staff of the DenverSchool of Nursing in 2009 asthe Learning Resource Centermanager. Madsen created avirtual library service for the

school and is working to helpthe school get nationalaccreditation.

JOHN“JACK” DEMMONS, ’91,was inducted into the SheehanHigh School Hall of Fame.Demmons earned five varsityletters, two in basketball andthree in baseball, and was co-captain of the high school’s1976 baseball team.

SHERYL SERVISS, ’91, is pursu-ing her interest in the field offorensic facial reconstruction.Serviss recently went toOklahoma University to studywith an experienced facialreconstruction artist. She hasalso studied sculpture at theLyme Academy of Fine Arts.

PAUL S. FREEMAN, M.S. ’93,6th Yr. ’96, the former assis-tant superintendent in EastLyme, Conn., has beenappointed superintendent ofschools in Griswold, Conn.

W. KURT MILLER, ’93, ran forreelection in the Seymour,Conn., race for the Board ofSelectmen. Miller is anaccount relationship managerat CUNA Mutual Group andan employee at family-ownedMiller Ward Funeral Home.

ROBERT T. CORK, ’94, is thedirector of communication

for the Challenger Center forSpace Science Education inAlexandria, Va. This non-profit organization wasfounded in 1986 by the fami-lies of the astronauts lost inthe Challenger 51-L mission.

LUIS MOYANO, ’94, has beennamed assistant director ofadmissions for QuinnipiacUniversity Online, which pro-vides support for all onlineprograms and courses offeredby the university.

JEROME MUGAVERGO, ’94, hasbeen the technical director ofthe YES Network (YankeesEntertainment and SportsNetwork) since its inceptionin 2002.

ERIC PARADIS, ’94, was a can-didate for the NewtownBoard of Education in the2009 election. Paradis is aneducator at Trumbull HighSchool and is a credentialedschool social work.

KERRI SAUER, ’94, a nursingsupervisor, leads a nursepractitioner program at theWestview Health Care Centerin Dayville, Conn.

CYNTHIA CHRISTIE, M.S. ’95,assistant dean for careerservices in the School ofHealth Sciences at Quinnipiac

University, has been elected atrustee of the ConnecticutCareer Counseling andDevelopment Association.

MICHAEL HOLINSTAT, ’95,M.S. ’99, has accepted a facul-ty position at ThomasJefferson University and isnow an assistant professor inthe Department of Medicine,Division of Hematology.Holinstat was also one of alimited pool of researchers toreceive a Pathway toIndependence Award grantfrom the National Institutesof Health.

CYNTHIA RITCHIE, ’95, M.A.’96, 6th Yr. ’00, has beenappointed principal of SalemElementary School. Ritchiewas formerly a language artsbuilding specialist in OldSaybrook, Conn.

SALVATORE ZARRA, M.S. ’96,6th Yr. ’99, was selectedTeacher of the Year for theBranford School System.Zarra is a mathematicsteacher at Branford HighSchool in Conn.

JANE CIARLONE, M.S. ’97,coordinator in the Office ofStudy Skills Enrichment atSouthern, has retired.

TRACY JOHNSTON, M.S. ’97,has been named director ofpupil services by the Chester,Deep River, Essex, andRegion 4 Boards ofEducation.

TAMMY JOSKA, ’97, M.S. ’99,who is completing post-doc-toral work at DartmouthCollege, designed an inhibitorof Anthrax DihydrofolateReductase. She hopes tobecome a professor and towork in a pharmaceuticalcompany.

MICHAEL J. HANLON, ’98, hasbeen appointed by theConnecticut Society ofCertified Public Accountantsto serve as a member of itsAdvisory Council for 2009-2010.Hanlon is a manager forBlum Shapiro in Shelton, Conn.

SARA NEMEROV, ’98, joinedthe Warner Music Group assenior vice president of con-sumer products and brandlicensing for Rhino

Foundation Board Member HonoredJohn Soto, a prominent businessman, philanthropist, and

member of the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors, is

the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the

State of Connecticut Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs

Commission (LPRAC). The award was presented on

October 24 at a gala awards ceremony in Hartford, Conn.

Soto, who as a young man emigrated to the U.S.

from Puerto Rico, is the founder and president of Space-

Craft Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of turbine

engine parts and structural airframe components. Based

in New Haven, Conn., the company serves a who’s who of clients, including Pratt &

Whitney Aircraft, Sikorsky Aircraft, Volvo Aero, and the United States Air Force and Navy.

Soto, who was unable to attend college due to financial reasons, is committed

to providing educational opportunity to others. At Southern, he and his wife, Gladys,

established the John Soto Endowed Scholarship Fund and have provided numerous

other contributions in support of the university.

Spring 2010 | 33

Entertainment and FrankSinatra Enterprises.

MIKE TRACY, ’98, is the newhead football coach at BranfordHigh School and the physicaleducation and health teacher atthe Connecticut school.

WILLIAM EGAN, 6th Yr. ’99, isthe new principal of WamogoRegional High School inLitchfield, Conn. Formerly,Egan was the assistant princi-pal of Brookfield High Schoolfor three years.

GENE HOLMES, M.S. ’99, is theprincipal of Saint MarkSchool in Stratford, Conn.,which was named a 2009

Blue Ribbon School by theU.S. Department ofEducation. Only 314 elemen-tary schools in the UnitedStates received the honor.

’00sTHEODORE P. OCZKOWSKI,

M.S. ’02, was a candidate forthe Oxford Board of Educationin the Nov. 2009 elections.Oczkowski is the director ofathletics at New Milford HighSchool in Conn., and the for-mer department chairman ofphysical education at TrumbullHigh School in Conn.

VINCENT J. (V.J.) SARULLO,’02, has been named the newathletics director at Mark T.Sheehan High School inWallingford, Conn. Sarullowill teach world history inthe Social StudiesDepartment.

DANIEL DEL PRETE, ’03, andhis wife, Sarah Beth Luce-DelPrete, live in New Haven,Conn., with their son, DanielAnthony.

COLEEN FLAHERTY-MERRITT, ’03, M.S. ’06, wasone of nine candidates run-ning for three seats on theBoard of Education in

Waterbury, Conn. Flaherty-Merritt is an educator atPomperaug High School inSouthbury, Conn.

STEVE HALEY, M.S. ’04, alicensed social worker, hasopened the Haley CounselingCenter in Hebron, Conn.

DAGMAR RATENSPERGER,’04, is the proprietor ofDagmar’s Desserts and Caféin Old Saybrook, Conn., anauthentic Bavarian/Austrian-style bakery.

PATRICE KOPAS, M.S. ’05, hasjoined Greenwich CatholicSchool, having previouslyworked at All Saints School inNorwalk, Conn., where shetaught algebra, mathematics,literature, composition, andreligion. Kopas has also beenelected to the Town of WestonBoard of Finance.

KELLY MCCOLLOUGH, ’05,was named patient servicemanager of a 29-bed generalmedicine unit at Yale-NewHaven Hospital.

EMILY PIFFERI, M.S. ’05, 6thYr. ’07, is the new school psy-chologist at Emerson-Williams Elementary Schoolin Wethersfield, Conn.

MEGHAN MARTINS, 6th Yr.’06, is the associate principalfor instruction at DanburyHigh School in Conn.

ANN LEVISWHITE, ’06, M.S.’09, was featured in theSouthbury, Conn., newspaper,VOICES, as being one of threemembers of the same familyto earn graduate degrees inthe spring. Her husband grad-uated from the Yale School ofNursing with a master’sdegree and his sister graduat-ed with a doctorate fromJohnson & Wales University.

GARY HOLDER-WINFIELD,’07, a member of theConnecticut House ofRepresentatives, received theChampion of Liberty Awardfrom the Connecticut CriminalDefense Lawyers Associationfor his work to abolish thedeath penalty in the state.

MELISSA KUROWSKI, ’08, isattending Western NewEngland School of Law.

CONNIE DICKERSON, M.L.S.’09, is a freelance writer andeditor, as reported in theWeston Forum newspaper.

MAUREEN FARRELL, M.P.H.’09, has been appointed to thenewly created position ofdirector of member wellnessfor the Regional YMCA ofWestern Connecticut. Farrellis a member of the Coalitionfor Healthy Kids and volun-teered as a health adviser forBrookfield Public Schoolsand the Brookfield HealthDepartment.

JAMES LOUGHEAD, M.S. ’09, ateacher at Edwin O. SmithHigh School in Storrs, Conn.,was awarded the John H.Stedman Passion for theSocial Studies Teaching Awardfrom the Connecticut Councilfor the Social Studies.

SARAH MARLAK, ’09, ateacher at the Generali Schoolof Literature and the Arts inMiddlebury, Conn., ran for aposition on the Board ofEducation.

STEPHANIE LYNN NARUS,’09, is employed by Yale-NewHaven Hospital as a regis-tered nurse in the PediatricIntensive Care Unit.

MICHELLE ST. PETER, ’09, hasjoined Dworken, Hillman,LaMorte and Sterczala, PC, asa staff accountant.

NICHOLAS VALLI, ’09, ofMonroe, Conn., has joinedthe firm of Dworken,Hillman, LaMorte andSterczala, PC, as a staffaccountant.

MarriagesLISA GREEN, ’86, M.S. ’95, and

Michael Durocher, June 27,2009.

MICHELE MORCK, ’01, andJack Ross, Sept. 27, 2009.

KRISTEN MARIE RUBINO,’02, M.S. ’06, and JoshuaYahwak, Oct. 4, 2009.

AMY KEIGH KRESS, ’05, andBrien Chegwidden Jones,June 20, 2009.

JIAN LIAN CHAN, ’06, andChristine Angela Smith, July26, 2009.

Share your good news with South ern 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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tell us

about it


MICHELLE FUSCO, ’06, andScott Boulanger, June 6, 2009.

ERIN SHANA MCCOOL, ’06,M.S. ’09, and CHRISTOPHERJ. BONINI, ’05, July 25, 2009.

GINA NICOLETT, ’06, andStephen Galullo, Jan. 5, 2009.

BENJAMIN BELANCIK, ’07,and Laura Hale, April 11,2009.

JENNIFER BOUSQUET, 6th Yr.’07, and Matthew Weeks, Aug.9, 2008.

AMANDA LYNN BARRA, ’09,and Mark Colangelo, July 10,2009.

AMANDA STEINNECKER, 6thYr. ’09, and Jared Kosky, July31, 2009.

Births/AdoptionsNICOLE ADCOCK BOGER, ’98,

and her husband, James A.Boger, announce the birth oftheir second son, ZacharyJames, born June 9, 2009.

IN MEMORIAM ELVIRA BOVE CAVALIERE, ’38.VIRGINIA SHELTON(HUBBELL) TUCKER, ’38,Shelton, Conn., Oct. 27, 2009.

BEATRICE D. CASTAGNETTISABIA, ’43, Stamford, Conn.,June 19, 2009.

MARIAN STEIN, ’43, Hamden,Conn., Aug. 26, 2009.

ENIDWHARTON CLAY, ’46,M.S. ’72, Milford, Conn., July10, 2009.

JEAN O. FOSTER, ’47, SantaBarbara, Calif., May 1, 2009.

SARA MORRIS PIERPONT,’48, M.S. ’73, Dec. 13, 2008.

SALVATORE C. POLIO, ’50,M.S. ’53, Hamden, Conn., July5, 2009.

SALVATORE GIANNONE, ’52,Ansonia, Conn., Oct. 29, 2009.

ESILDA B. PEPPER, ’54,Milford, Conn., July 29, 2009.

MARSHA L. PERLMUTTER,’55, New Haven, Conn., Feb.22, 2008.

RICHARD A. CASSIEY, ’59.

EVELYN LORENZO’SULLIVAN, ’59.

RONALD T. PARENTE, ’59.

ROBERT H. PELLETIER, ’59,M.S. ’69.

RICHARDW. WHITNEY, ’59,Oct. 2007.

RICHARD T. WILLIAMS, ’59,Feb. 3, 2009.

FLORENCE THOMAS, ’61,Branford, Conn., June 16, 2009.

THOMAS J. PETRUNY, ’69,M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ’79, NewHaven, Conn., July 5, 2009.

WALTER DANKOWSKI, ’70,New Haven, Conn., June 30,2009.

JOHN B. HARTY, ’71, 6th Yr.’76, North Franklin, Conn.,July 31, 2009.

SHARON LEE PASCALEWILSON, ’71, M.S. ’92,Cheshire, Conn., Aug. 8, 2009.

BARBARA JEAN CHARLEY,’72, M.S. ’79, East Hartford,Conn., Sept. 30, 2009.

GERTRUDE“SUE” WHALEN,’72, M.L.S. ’78, Southington,Conn., June 26, 2009.

RICHARD BOORJIAN, M.S. ’73,Canton, Conn., June 6, 2009.

DAWN CROSS FERLAND, ’73,Woodstock Valley, Conn., July14, 2009.

CHRISTOPHER GEORGEMACHNICH, ’74, Glastonbury,Conn., July 20, 2009.

WILLIAM PUKAS, ’74, M.S.’83, 6th Yr. ’92, Waterford,Conn., Oct. 26, 2009.

BLANCHE GILBERTNEWTON, M.S. ’75, NorthGranby, Conn., June 14, 2009.

KRISTINE DOHMARPAIA,’76,Branford, Conn., Sept. 11, 2009.

BARRY E. DRISCOLL, M.S. ’76,Barre Town, Vt., June 29, 2009.

WILLIAM T. MCCANN, ’76,South Glastonbury, Conn.,Sept. 17, 2009.

JEAN H. NEWELL, ’76, M.S.’80, Damariscotta, Maine,May 16, 2009.

MARY L. (PHILBIN)PURSELL, M.S. ’76, NewHaven, Conn., Sept. 3, 2009.

MICHAEL SCOTT HARE, M.S.’77, Manchester, Conn., July 6,2009.

ANDREW C. NELSON, ’78,Fairfield, Conn., July 12, 2009.

DANIEL M. CAREY, ’80, M.S.’82, Hartford, Conn., Sept. 11,2009.

AUDREY DICKINSONLEMOINE, ’81,Hamden,Conn.,July 15, 2009.

ANDREA TROUT HERGET,’82, Guilford, Conn., July 23,2009.

ANNE COLEMAN EYES, M.L.S.’83, Westport, Conn., Aug. 20,2009.

MARY KINTZLER, M.S. ’84,Essex, Conn., Aug. 30, 2009.

LISA MESSNER, ’84, WestHaven, Conn., June 18, 2009.

CHRISTIAN G. O’CONNOR,’92, New Haven, Conn., July16, 2009.

MARION MURPHY, ’98,Wolcott, Conn., July 5, 2009.

JOHN J. ROMANO, JR.,Professor Emeritus atSouthern, Cheshire, Conn.,July 12, 2009.

Founder of Southern’s Journalism Program Dies� Professor Emeritus Robin Marshall Glassman, an accom-

plished journalist who founded Southern’s journalism department in

the late 1970s, passed away on August 18, at the age of 83. During

her 50-year career, Glassman was a reporter and editor for numerous

newspapers, including the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Lake

City (Florida) Gazette, the New Haven Register, and Fair Press, and

served as a reporter for United Press International. She also worked

on special assignments with Life magazine and was published in

Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Connecticut, Fairfield County, and many

other magazines.

Glassman, who taught at Southern from 1968 to 1995, was

equally distinguished as a professor of journalism. In 1989 the

Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) selected her from among

journalism professors across the nation for their “Distinguished

Teacher of Journalism” award. She was active in SPJ for more than

25 years and was the first woman president of the organization’s

Connecticut chapter, which named its Lifetime Achievement Award in

her honor.

Furthering Glassman’s long-demonstrated commitment to Southern and her students, a scholarship is

being established in her memory. Donations may be sent to the SCSU Foundation, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven,

CT 06515. Please make out checks to the SCSU Foundation and note “Robin M. Glassman Scholarship” in the

memo section.

Class notes are compiled from submissions from alumni, as well asannouncements made in newspapers and magazines.

Next Stop: Med Schoolcontinued from page 19

Spring 2010 | 35

advice, take challenging courses, and do

not take the easy way out,” says Jiong Dong

Pang, associate professor of chemistry and

chairwoman of the committee.

Technically, pre-med is not a major.

In fact, pre-med students may choose any

major, but must also take a cluster of science

courses, including at least eight credits each

in biology and physics and 16 credits in

chemistry. In addition, the committee urges

students to take advanced science courses —

anatomy, physiology, microbiology, genetics,

and biochemistry, to name a few — as well

as calculus. Aina says she couldn’t have come

this far without the committee’s guidance.

In addition to Pang, the committee

includes Biology Department faculty mem-

bers Jane Feng and Jonathan Weinbaum;

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Adiel

Coca; and Professors of Physics Christine

Broadbridge and Karen Cummings.

The committee helps would-be

doctors with everything from course selec-

tion to studying for the Medical College

Admission Test (MCAT). Interested stu-

dents are encouraged to register with the

committee as soon as possible, preferably

freshman year. In spring of their junior

year, potential medical school applicants

must submit to an intensive evaluation and

interview. Most U.S. medical schools typi-

cally require a letter of recommendation

from the committee.

According to Pang, 80 percent of

Southern applicants with strong committee

recommendations have gained acceptance

into U.S. medical, dental, and veterinary

schools. This includes both undergraduates

and post-baccalaureate students who come

to Southern to take science courses needed

for medical school entry.

“You can come to Southern and

you can be a doctor,” Pang adds. “It’s a long

journey and a hard-working one, but we

can prepare you.”

Nationwide, there were 558,053

applications to U.S. medical schools in

2008 from a total of 42,231 applicants,

according to AAMC statistics. Of those,

18,036 students were enrolled. On average,

each applicant applied to 13 schools.

Successful students fit a similar

profile, says Pang. Typically they have at

least a 3.7 overall grade point average and a

3.8 grade point average in the sciences.

They’re analytical thinkers with strong

backgrounds in the sciences and liberal

arts. Usually, they’ve volunteered in a hospi-

tal or doctor’s office and are leaders in cam-

pus clubs and community organizations.

Aina, for example, served as a resi-

dent advisor in her dorm and helped char-

ter a chapter of the Golden Key

International Honor Society. She also vol-

unteered in the emergency room at the

Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven,

Conn., and worked as a laboratory assistant

at Cadbury-Schwepps in Trumbull, Conn.,

before attending medical school at the

University of Connecticut.

Beckmann, an Air Force captain

doing an internal medicine residency in

San Antonio, Texas, was a gymnast and vol-

unteered at Ronald McDonald House and

Yale-New Haven Hospital. After college, she

interned for a year at leading consumer-

goods manufacturer Unilever, before

attending Creighton University School of

Medicine in Omaha, Neb.

Young spent more than five years

in the Navy and completed a six-month

stint in Iraq as a medic in the Marine

Corps. before enrolling at Southern. While

on campus, he founded the Pre-Health

Society, a professional organization for stu-

dents interested in medical careers.

Young admits to being intimidated

when he first learned his roommates at

Dartmouth had done their undergraduate

work at Yale and New York University. But

his doubts evaporated when the semester

began. He quickly realized he’d have no

trouble keeping up.

“Southern did a very good job

preparing me,” says Young, explaining he

chose Southern because it was affordable

and close to home. “It’s kind of nice to

know that maybe you didn’t come from an

Ivy League school, but you still have the

same quality education.”

Graduates and current participants

say the program’s small size has its advan-

tages. For one, it’s easy to get one-on-one

time with professors. Students interested in

research are often able to work alongside

professors in their field of study. The facul-

ty “really cares about you instead of just

trying to push you through,” Young says.

“It’s a close-knit faculty. It’s really

good that you get to know all of the profes-

sors on a name basis,” adds Byron Peck-

Collier, ’10, who wants to be an orthopedic

surgeon and is eyeing Northwestern

University or the University of Chicago for

medical school.

In the meantime, he says Southern

offers great opportunities for hands-on

experience, such as the Emergency Medical

Technician course offered on campus. The

university also has a partnership with the

Research Associate Program at St. Vincent’s

Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn., where

students can gain clinical experience in the

emergency department.

“You need to make sure that you

were adequately challenged as an under-

graduate, otherwise you will fail out of

medical school very quickly,” says Aina. “At

Southern, they make a point of encourag-

ing you to take those more rigorous cours-

es. It ensures that we get in and we stay in.”

Her advice to other future doctors

at Southern: “Seek out the faculty mentors

from the very first day you walk onto cam-

pus. That was a key for me.” n


Southern EV

EN

TSChristian Finnegan

with Shane Mauss

March 16 7:30 p.m.

Showcased on Comedy Central, VH1,and MSNBC, Finnegan brings his freshtake on comedy to the Lyman Center.Mauss, winner of the Best Stand UpComic at the HBO 2007 US ComedyArts Festival, brings more laughs.

$10 for general admission. Free for Southern students,faculty, and staff. (203) 392-6154

A Celebration of theSchool of Education

April 10 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Throughout campus

Bring the entire family! Enjoy AlumniCollege seminars on a wide range oftopics, children’s events, the President’sReception, the Amazing Race scavengerhunt, and more.

For more information, call (203) 392-6500.

Education and NursingCareer Fair

April 12 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Michael J. Adanti Student Center(Grand Ballroom)

Explore career opportunities in theeducation and nursing fields.


General Career FairApril 13 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.


Alumni and students are invited to meetwith close to 100 employers.


19th Annual Women’sStudies Conference

• Women & Girls of Color: History, Heritage, Heterogeneity • Women’s and Girls’ Fair

April 16-17The conference will spotlight womenand girls of color — looking at theirlives and achievements throughouthistory and into the 21st century.

For more information, call (203) 392- 6133.

Graduate Open House April 22 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.


Explore graduate opportunities atSouthern — one of the largest graduateschools in New England.

(800) 448-0661; (203) 392-5240

The Gentlemen of theNight TourMarion Meadows, Paul Taylor, and Michael Lington

April 23 8 p.m.

Three jazz artists join forces for anunforgettable night of entertainment.

$25 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff;$30 for general admission; and $15 for Southernstudents. (203) 392-6154

Scholarship Celebration Tea

April 29 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Michael J. Adanti Student Center

Honoring Southern’s scholarship donorsand the talented students who benefitfrom their generosity.


Brian Regan with Special Guest

April 30 8 p.m.

Enjoy a hilarious night of comedy.

$29 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff; $39for general admission; and $15 for Southern students.(203) 392-6154

Business After HoursAtlanta, Georgia • May 4 • 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the historic Georgian Terrace Hotel. (203) 392-6500

Washington, D.C. • May 6 • 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (203) 392-6500.

All events held in John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, unless otherwise noted. Southern students must have valid identification to receive their ticket discounts. Discounted tickets are limited to two per person, subject to verification. For tickets and additional information and listings, visit Southern’s Web site at www.lyman.SouthernCT.edu

Euge Groove and Jeff Golub

April 10 8 p.m.

Some GirlsMay 4-8 8 p.m.;

May 9 2 p.m.

Kendall Drama Lab

A man travels to hotel rooms across thecountry to revisit his past girlfriends inthis dark comedy presented by theTheatre Department and CrescentPlayers; Directed by Assistant Professorof Theatre Kaia Monro.

$10 for general admission; $5 for senior citizens andSouthern students, faculty, and staff. (203) 392-6154

Make your gift today by returning the envelope provided or visit us online at www.giving.SouthernCT.edu


Address Service Requested

Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDPermit No. 19Burlington, VT

501 Crescent StreetNew Haven, CT 06515-1355www.SouthernCT.edu

Spring | 10Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

In 1925, the Thrift Club, a student organization designed

to encourage financial responsibility, established a loan

fund to help financially struggling students stay in school

and earn their degrees at Southern — then known as the

New Haven Normal School.

Eighty-five years later, Southern alumni and friends

have continued the tradition of supporting students. In

the 2009-10 academic year, some 180 scholarships were

awarded to talented

and deserving men

and women.

In light of the economic downturn, such support

has never been needed more. Alumni and friends have

responded generously, helping the SCSU Foundation

provide a record level of scholarship and programmatic

support in 2009 — $961,000 compared with $652,000 the

previous year — an increase of over 47 percent.

In addition to directly helping students and their

families, these gifts reap tremendous benefits to society.

Consider just a few facts

from the nonprofit

organization Solutions for

Our Future: college

graduates volunteer more,

vote more often, and

participate more in

community and civic

organizations than people

without college degrees —

proof positive that each

and every gift that supports

Southern students truly

makes a difference.

The

Ulti

mat

e In

vest

men

t


Documents

Southern Alumni Magazine Spring 2010