Winter 2010 - Eastern Connecticut State University

Winter 2010
Volume 8 Issue 2
Connecticut’s Public Liberal Arts University
120
Years of
Educating Teachers
On the cover: We thank Education Department Chair Leslie Ricklin
for recruiting faculty and student volunteers to “pose” with members
of the faculty from 1924. Representing a cross-section of the current
generation of Eastern faculty and students are Education Professors David Stoloff, Ann Gruenberg, Leslie Ricklin, Delar Singh, Hari
Koirala, Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, Xing Liu, Richard Reynolds and
Sudha Swaminathan; current seniors Jenna Bachman, Brent Ramsay,
Paul Murphy, Cynthia DeJesus, Carly Herchuk, Conor Reardon and
Erika Barber; and recent graduates Brittany Johnson ’09 and Katie
Dudzinski ‘09.
EASTERN
Volume 8, Issue 2 | Winter 2010
In This Issue
1 From the President’s Desk
2 Eastern Alumni
4 Back in the Day
5 “I Was Born to Be a Teacher”
8 Early Childhood Education at Eastern
12 Teaching Here, There and Everywhere
15 Life on Campus: Then and Now
Features
i-xii Annual Report of Donors
17 Campus News
22 Philanthropy
24 Athletics
28 Class Notes
32 Final Thoughts
Inside back cover Alumni Reunion Weekend Events
Staff & Contributors
Editor Edward Osborn
Associate Editor Amy Brenner-Fricke
Designers Kevin Paquin | Leigh Balducci
Contributors Dwight Bachman | Emily Bonoyer
Meghan Carden | Peter Dane | Kate Harner
Joseph McGann | Jack Meltzer | Robert Molta
Anne Pappalardo | Ryan Rose | Michael Stenko
Sarah Swann | Kyle Verona
Photographers Nick Lacy | Jennifer Smith
Chris Gemske | University Archives and Special Collections
Executive Editor Kenneth J. DeLisa
EASTERN Magazine is printed on coated paper that
is certified by three environmental groups and manufactured with 30 percent post-consumer recycled fiber.
Please send story ideas to:
Edward Osborn, Director of University Relations
osborne@easternct.edu
EASTERN Magazine is published by the Division of Institutional
Advancement for the benefit of alumni, students, faculty, staff and
friends of Eastern Connecticut State University.
E
Reflections from the President’s Desk
Eastern Connecticut State University is very proud of its
history — dating back to 1889 — of preparing teachers for
the classrooms of Connecticut. As a tribute to our continued commitment to teacher education, the cover of this
issue of EASTERN Magazine uses modern technology to
blend pictures of today’s Education Department faculty
and students with a photograph of Willimantic Normal
School faculty in 1924.
While the people in the photo are “together” in spirit only,
this computer-enhanced image is our way of saying that
teacher education always has been a hallmark program
on the Eastern campus. Regardless of the era, regardless
of the fashion of the time, teaching and learning have
thrived at Eastern as faculty and students have engaged in
improving pedagogy and teaching styles. With so many of
our students coming from towns across Connecticut and
most of our graduates staying to live and work in our state,
generations of schoolchildren in Connecticut have benefited from Eastern’s outstanding Education Department
and programs. For instance, Eastern graduates more early
childhood educators than any other university or college in
Connecticut. We are among the state leaders in graduating
math majors, and half of our math majors go on to teach
mathematics in Connecticut schools. And a federal $3.9
million grant received by Education Department faculty
is allowing them and their students to provide vital
reading literacy training to preschool teachers in our
local Willimantic community.
Even though we now have 33 majors and 56 minors ranging from accounting to visual arts, preparing tomorrow’s
teachers is still very much a part of Eastern’s public liberal
arts mission. Our student teachers, like all our majors,
benefit from the liberal education that has become our
calling. In addition to enjoying the advantages of an
interdisciplinary liberal arts core curriculum, our education
students also must major in an academic discipline. The
result is teacher candidates who consistently receive high
marks for their preparation, helping Eastern to achieve
recognition throughout the state of Connecticut for the
quality of our graduates and the significant number of
teachers who got their start on our campus.
As proud as I am of Eastern’s history, I am equally confident that we can continue to excel as we make a difference
in Connecticut’s schools and in other important economic
sectors of our state and nation. However, none of our
accomplishments would be possible without the generous support we receive from alumni and friends of the
University. This past year, more than 2,600 donors made
financial contributions to support student scholarships,
academic programs, faculty research and other important
University activities. These faithful supporters are listed in
the annual list of donors found in this issue of EASTERN
Magazine. To them and to all who are committed to our
University, to the students we instruct, and to the communities we serve, we pledge our renewed commitment
to serving the citizens of Connecticut.
Elsa Núñez
President
EASTERN
Winter 2010
1
EASTERN ALUMNI
ALUMNI ATHLETES MEET ON THE COURTS ONCE AGAIN
Volleyball players reunite to cheer on Hall of Fame inductee
A number of current and former
women’s volleyball players gathered
on campus on Oct. 24 for a luncheon
and competition, and in celebration
of the E-Club Hall of Fame induction
of former player Sue Mullaney ’90.
More than 40 current and former players gathered for the event, including
E-Club Hall of Fame coach Floretta
“Pinky” Crabtree, who directed the
program to more than 600 wins in its
first 22 seasons on the intercollegiate
level. Mullaney was inducted into the
E-Club Hall of Fame during the ceremony held on Oct. 25 in the Student
Center. Also attending the reunion
were Anne DiFranco ’99, Karen Ann
Sweet ’98, Iris Molina ’81, Beth
Hackett ’96, Tawnia Pacheco ’95,
Jackie (Cascella) Abelli ’85, Jennifer
Butts-Hounshell ’01, Ann Wieloch
’92, Jackie (LeClaire) Chalifoux ’79,
Posing with former women’s volleyball coach Floretta “Pinky” Crabtree (left) at
the Volleyball Reunion last fall were, from left: Wendy (Giglio) Fiore ‘87, Sue
Mullaney ‘90, Ann Wieloch ‘92 and Ginny Berry ’92.
Courtney (Davidson) Murphy ’98,
Wendy (Giglio) Fiore ’87, Eleanor
(Greer) Belcher ’01, Diane (Traversa)
Nielsen ’82, Chastity Pimental ’97
and Virginia Berry ‘92, as well as
other former players.
Men’s and women’s basketball players gather for Alumni Day
The annual Alumni Day for the men’s
and women’s basketball games on
Jan. 30 was well attended by both current and former athletes and students.
Participating in the men’s basketball
game were, standing in back from
left: Kevin Barboza ’90; Kris Johnson ’09; Michael Brady ’09; Kevin
Zalucki ’08; Dan Trudeau ’07; Tim
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Winter 2010
Callahan, a freshman from Portland;
Mike Bartunek ’05; Michael Kipphut;
Steve Bartunek; Jeroy Smith; Gordon
Shepard ’05; and Coach Bill Geitner. Kneeling, from left: Steve
Kirsch ’01, Christopher Morgan ’03,
Daryl James ’09, Matt Albon and
Bryan Moretti ’03.
In attendance for the women’s alumni
basketball game were, standing in
back from left: Stephanie Smith ’08,
Bridget Durette ’08, Sara Paradis
’08, Coach Denise Bierly, Morgan
Perry ’04, Katie Kline ’06 and Allison Coleman. Kneeling, from left:
Ali Bergeron ’08, Kelli Mahder ’08
and Kathleen Burdelski ’04.
Join the fun at alumni events!
2010 President’s Leadership
Awards Luncheon
Join President Elsa Núñez for the annual President’s Leadership Awards Luncheon, honoring
distinguished alumni and friends of Eastern
Connecticut State University for their professional
achievement and service to the University. Alumni and friends will be honored with the
Distinguished Alumni Award, the Distinguished
Service Award and the Hermann Beckert “Friends
of the University” Award. The luncheon will be
held at noon on Friday, May 7, in the Paul E.
Johnson Sr. Community Room of the J. Eugene
Smith Library.
For more information or to make reservations, contact
the Office of Alumni Affairs at (860) 465-5302 or at
alumni@easternct.edu. Reservations close May 4.
We Want Your Input!
Your opinion matters! Here’s your chance to let
us know what you think of EASTERN Magazine
and help plan future issues. To access the readership survey, go to www.easternct.edu/university
relations/magazine/survey.
Get Connected With Eastern
Top: Jessica Ciparelli ’00, Mark Zurzola ’88, Umesh Vig ’01 and Maribel
Sanchez ’04 catch up on Eastern news at the President’s Alumni Reception
in Wethersfield. More than 30 alumni attended the event, which was held
on Jan. 27. Middle left: Elizabeth (Saretzki) Archer ’46 chats with President
Elsa Núñez at the Wethersfield Alumni Reception. Middle right: Anthony J.
Brandenburg ’75, chief judge of the Intertribal Court of Southern California,
addresses Eastern alumni at the San Diego reception. Brandenburg spoke
about the impact Eastern has had on his career. Bottom: Enjoying the company
and the conversation at the West Hartford Alumni Reception on Dec. 8 were Tiffany Blake, Evan Parker ’08, Noah Adams ’07 and Derrick Gibbs ’08.
Eastern alumni are gathering together at locations across the state and
the country to build their professional networks and share memories.
Is there a reception or networking event near you? If you’re looking to
network, or just want to stop by for a break after a long day, all Eastern
alumni are welcome.
Want to receive event invitations and alumni news
via e-mail? Have you moved or gotten married?
Have you taken a new job or had an addition to
your family? Have you had a “mini-reunion” with your former classmates? Please contact:
Michael Stenko, Director
Office of Alumni Affairs
Eastern Connecticut State University
83 Windham Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
alumni@easternct.edu
Information about upcoming gatherings can be found
on the Alumni Affairs website at www.easternct.edu/
alumni/alumni_friends/ or through Facebook by joining the group “ECSU Alumni Association.”
EASTERN
Winter 2010
3
Back in t he Day
Dr. Carla A. (Banelli) Goodwin
’69 has fond memories of Betty R.
Tipton, who served as the dean
of women when Goodwin was
an Eastern student. (Tipton later
became the associate dean
of student affairs, a position she
held until her retirement in 1989.)
According to Goodwin, “Betty
Tipton was a chain-smoking,
enthusiastic feminist who embraced
young women who were outspoken. She enjoyed meeting
Dr. Carla Goodwin is a forensic
psychologist with a private practice
in South Easton, MA, and serves as
a commissioner for the Massachusetts
Disabled Protection Commission.
Peter Colonis retired in
2008 after 40 years as
an elementary school
teacher in Norwich and
Ledyard.
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Winter 2010
Peter W. Colonis ’68 says he has
never forgotten Betty Tipton because
she made such a difference in his
life: “In 1966, I managed to get
placed on the ‘probation list’ and
I was about to be dismissed from
school at the end of that semester. I
did not expect anyone to speak up
for me in order to change that decision. However, one faculty member
did. Dean Tipton went to the board
meeting and somehow convinced
the members to give me a chance to
prove myself. I never knew that she
went to that meeting on my behalf
until I was informed by the board
that I would be allowed to return the
following semester. (They didn’t tell
me that Mrs. Tipton kept me in.) Mrs.
Tipton’s encouragement, inspiration and faith in me helped get me
through college. I graduated the
following year and then went on to
teach elementary school for 40 wonderful, successful and happy years. I
do not believe I could have done this
without Betty Tipton’s help. She was
an outstanding educator and a great
role model whom I will never forget.”
mind-to-mind with her protégés
on all topics, especially on how
women can move along and
embrace challenges. Back in
the day, Betty would take me
along to attend state college
meetings with her in Hartford.
She drove with two feet, one on
the brake pedal and one on the
gas, with a cigarette going all
the time. The drive was stopand-go, stop-and-go, with her
talking and driving just as fast.
And in the meantime, she would
be discussing her views on
teaching!”
Betty Tipton served as a
faculty member and administrator at Eastern from 1951
to 1989. She died on May
30, 1999. The Betty R. Tipton
Room in the Student Center
is named in her honor.
Bert Nussbaum ’63 still smiles
when he thinks about the friends
he made at Eastern: “I lived at
Knight House for four years.
During my junior year, I was the
dorm proctor. I had Greg Sullivan, Jimmy Goldstein, Jim Logan
’63, Charlie Kramer ’63 and
Bob Suerken ’65 as roommates.
I must have been difficult to room
with! Five roommates in four
years! But if I had to pick a single
moment with Eastern friends that
sticks in my mind, it would be the
earning of my varsity letter jacket
at the awards dinner at the Nathan Hale Hotel on Main Street
during my senior year. Never
much of an athlete, I had the opportunity to play soccer at Eastern
and assist in various capacities
in other sports. I remember that it
was 90 degrees outside but my
fellow winners, Tony Romano
’64 and Tony Falcetta ’64,
along with Jim Logan, ‘forced’
me to put the jacket on and walk
back to the campus wearing it!”
Bert Nussbaum retired
in 2000 after 27 years
as a middle school
principal in New Jersey
and has since done educational consulting work
for various institutions
and associations.
T
“I Was Born to be
a Teacher”
By Meghan Carden
Teacher education in Willimantic began on the morning
of Sept. 3, 1889, with the opening of the Willimantic State
Normal School. The school’s two-year program, training
teachers to instruct and govern in the public schools, has
grown over the 120 years since into a rigorous four-year
program. While the curriculum, location and facilities
have changed, the commitment to preparing outstanding
teachers has remained steady.
Those efforts paid off and Willimantic was selected. The
people of Willimantic couldn’t wait for a building to be
constructed, so the school’s first students met that fall on
the third floor of the Willimantic Savings Institute on the
corner of Main and Bank Streets. Classes continued to
be held there until 1895, when the new Willimantic State
Normal School opened on six acres of land deeded to the
state by the Town of Windham.
The normal school movement in Connecticut began with
the opening of a school in New Britain in 1850. By the
1880s it was apparent that another teacher training school
was needed to serve the state’s public schools. A public act
in 1889 decreed that a normal school be built “east of the
Connecticut River,” and Willimantic, Norwich and New
London all lobbied for the location. Willimantic wined
and dined the legislators who came to
visit and followed that up by packing the room when the General Assembly met to determine where the new school
would be located.
To be admitted to the normal school, candidates had to
be at least 16 years old and were given entrance exams in
spelling, English grammar, arithmetic, geography and U.S.
history. A high school diploma, state teachers’ certificate
or three years experience in teaching was also accepted
in place of the testing. Once admitted, courses of study
focused on classroom curriculum and learning the practice of teaching. For the first six years, students’ practical experience was limited to observing
other teachers, but when a new building
opened in 1895 students began a formal
program of student teaching. Over
the years the school grew in enrollment and size and new courses were
offered as the curriculum shifted
to fit the needs of the state’s public
schools. It became obvious over time
Top: Jennifer Nadeau ’97, who teaches English
at Killingly High School and was named 2009
Teacher of the Year for Killingly Public Schools,
credits Eastern with providing her with a
“sturdy background” that allows her to excel
in the classroom.
EASTERN
Winter 2010
5
At left: Philip Marvin ’97 teaches first grade at the Hebron Avenue
School in Glastonbury. Near right: Education Professor Sudha Swaminathan utilizes video technology to investigate how preschoolers can
improve basic math skills. Far right: Amanda Barney, a freshman from
Wallingford with a double major in education and Spanish, helped teach
civics to third-graders in Willimantic as part of a political science course.
He was also drawn to Eastern because of its small size and
the ability to make personal connections with professors.
Marvin was inspired to become a teacher through the care
of his own third-grade teacher, who was there for students
when they needed help with life outside of school.
that two years was not enough to properly train a teacher. The state legislature responded in 1937 by turning the Willimantic Normal School into the Willimantic State
Teachers College, granting four-year degrees.
Although the University has evolved a great deal since its
inception, the ability to attract students who are passionate about teaching has never changed. “I wanted to be a
teacher since I was very young,” said Marilyn (McShane)
Levine ’68. “It’s something I was born with.” Levine, who
spent 36 years in the classroom and now works as an independent literacy consultant, chose Eastern for the focus
on education and the small size and personal attention
she would receive. Between her time spent teaching at the
YMCA during college and her courses at Eastern, Levine
says she felt prepared for her career.
“I have nothing but positive things to say about Eastern
and my education,” said Philip Marvin ’97 during a break
from teaching his first graders. Marvin, who is in his sixth
year of teaching first grade at the Hebron Avenue School,
was named Glastonbury’s 2009–10 Teacher of the Year.
Education Professor Hari
Koirala teaches courses such as “Current Issues and Trends
in Mathematics Education”
and “Issues and Applications in Secondary Mathematics.” His research focuses on teacher education and students’ conceptions of mathematics.
6
EASTERN
For Jennifer Nadeau ’97, inspiration came not only from
her teachers and parents, but also from those who did not
have the chance to be successful in school. “In watching
those who wished they had the opportunity to learn more,
I could not help but desire to be a person who plants the
seed of ‘knowledge for the sake of knowledge’ in others.”
Nadeau, who teaches English at Killingly High School and
was named Killingly Public Schools’ 2009 Teacher of the
Year, said, “Eastern and its professors did a fantastic job
giving me a sturdy background, ready to compete in the
fascinating realm of education.”
Between Eastern’s own high standards and those set by the
Connecticut Department of Education, it is not surprising
that graduates of the University’s teacher education program continue to excel in front of the classroom. When the
normal school opened, potential students had to submit a
testimonial of character and their intention to teach. The
value on character is still high, as students must submit
references from faculty members and complete a personal
interview. From the beginning the University had an obligation to children in the schools of Connecticut and has
always found it essential to select teacher candidates who
exhibit the academic and personal qualities essential in
teaching. Today students must also pass the state entrance
exam, PRAXIS I, and maintain a grade point average of 2.7. “The bar for quality students has been raised,” said Professor Leslie Ricklin, chair of the Education Department.
Perhaps one reason that Eastern’s teacher education program has such quality students is the additional challenge
of balancing two majors. In 1993, the state began to require that students receiving a teaching certificate also have
a subject-matter major outside of education. “The state
Department of Education felt that teachers did not have
depth,” explained Ricklin.
With the quality of alumni, the reputation of the education program and the improvements to facilities over the
years, attracting quality students to Eastern has never been
a challenge. The opening of the state-of-the-art Child and
Family Development Resource Center in 2006 was the
latest campus improvement to attract new education students. Although teacher education has always been a priority at Eastern, it wasn’t until 1970 that a child care center
was established on campus. The Windham/Willimantic
Child Care Center opened at Keelor Hall, named after
Katherine Keelor, supervisor of the training school in 1938
and an associate professor in the Education Department.
It became a resource for students, faculty and the community, with children enrolled in the program coming from
local Spanish-speaking families, families on welfare and
one-parent families. Margaret Wilson, Eastern’s executive
dean at the time, wrote the education program for
the center. Early childhood education would become
Wilson’s legacy. On June 12, 2006, she was honored at
the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Margaret
S. Wilson Child and Family Development Complex. The
center, much like Keelor
Hall before it, serves children
from the local community and
their families. It is also an innovative approach to teacher
preparation that has become a model for the entire state.
The improvement in facilities and a strong reputation have
also had a hand in attracting excellent faculty members
who are passionate about teaching and continue to learn
themselves. They research, attend workshops, present at
national conferences and are frequent authors. “There is
a high level of scholarship and respect,” said Ricklin, who
began her career at Eastern in 1980, working in Shafer
Hall. “When I first came to Eastern it was more laid back,
tenure was automatic and scholarship was not as stressed.”
Teacher education at Eastern has changed a great deal since
13 students met in a classroom above the Savings Institute
in September 1889. No doubt there are more changes to
come as Eastern’s Education Department continues to
align with institutional, state and national standards to
produce the best teacher education program available.
Changing demographics, the growing popularity of magnet schools, and such new learning modalities as online
learning will influence how Eastern’s education students
are taught. What will remain the same is the desire to
mold education students into the high quality teachers that
Connecticut schools have come to expect from Eastern.
EASTERN
Winter 2010
7
Early Childhood Education at Eastern:
Where Fun is Serious Business
By Dwight Bachman
O
On a recent December day, several
groups of excited children gathered
around nearly a dozen, themed “play
stations” — artificial indoor/outdoor
settings — in Eastern’s state-of-the
art Child and Family Development
Resource Center (CFDRC).
The stations included a camping
site with roasted marshmallows,
bedtime stories and flashlights; a
fishing boat with toy fishing gear and
paper trout; a library; a pet shop; a
weather station; a room to hold
multicultural fiestas; and more.
The children were thrilled, yet there
was a serious side to their activities.
In their play, they were learning what
it was like to be a grown-up — to be
a librarian, a fisherman, a weather
forecaster. In other words, it was a
glimpse into adulthood. The stations
were created by students enrolled in
Eastern’s Early Childhood Education program who are learning how
to plan play experiences that enhance
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EASTERN
Winter 2010
children’s development by advancing
literacy and other foundational skills.
Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, Eastern’s
Phyllis Waite Endowed Chair of Early
Childhood Education and one of the
nation’s leading scholars on the role of
play in learning, says that the ability to pretend is one of the very best
predictors of later academic success
in elementary school. “Pretend is not just ‘child’s play,’
but a critically important
activity for development,” he
said. “Not only do children
acquire social skills when
they play, they gain a terrific
amount intellectually. They
learn to control their own
thinking and action.”
Trawick-Smith says
that pretend play also is
related to later reading
(and math) ability, especially
when children can use literacy
props in their play — writing
pads for pretend grocery lists,
materials to make signs for a
pretend grocery, etc.
“Pretend time” is just one of
the many activities occurring in
Above: Saybl Hardin, a junior from
Griswold, and Joseph Ramonas, a senior
from Wolcott, hold story time for several
youngsters inside a tent at the campingthemed play station at the CFDRC. At
right, a preschool student “catches” a
toy fish at another station.
Eastern’s Early Childhood Education
program as teachers, often in partnerships with community agencies,
create environments that stimulate
children to think, explore, experience and confidently express themselves. Each year, nearly 300 Eastern
students conduct observations, engage
in research, carry out projects with
young children, develop teaching
skills and gain critical pre-professional work experience through a unique
partnership between the CFDRC
and the Center for Early Childhood
Education (CECE), a research and
training institute at Eastern.
The two centers are part of the Margaret S. Wilson Child and Family Development Complex,
At left: Education Professor Sudha Swaminathan displays
digital photos to preschoolers engaged in a counting activity.
Middle: Eliza Welling, a senior from Marlborough, supervises
while children take their turns at the weather-station table.
Bottom: Education Professor Jeffrey Trawick-Smith consults
with early education teacher Delicia Garcia.
named after the late Eastern administrator and faculty member who was
instrumental in securing funding for
the facility.
The CFDRC, which opened in
February 2006 as a comprehensive
early learning center for children and
families, was designed to be a state
and national model of high-quality
care and early childhood education.
According to CFDRC Director Jamie
Klein, “Training future teachers is a
critical part of our mission. We work
closely with the early childhood
education faculty to ensure that
teacher preparation is integrated
into everything we do.”
The nationally accredited CFDRC operates four preschool
classrooms and one toddler room and
serves an economically and ethnically
diverse population, including families
receiving subsidized child care and
families for whom English is a
second language. The diversity
provides a rich environment
for observing children from
different backgrounds and for
studying which teaching practices are effective with diverse
populations.
The CECE opened in July 2007
as a multidisciplinary research
and training institute. CECE
Program Coordinator Julia DeLapp
says, “Our main role is to build
knowledge in the field of early childhood, and we do that by conducting
new research and training teachers
in the field. But we can also achieve
that goal by building the knowledge
and skills of future teachers. So we try
to use students whenever possible to
carry out our work.”
The two centers, housed in adjoining
buildings, share a $2 million technology infrastructure. The technology
enables faculty and CECE researchers
to observe and videotape children and
teachers in the CFDRC without entering the children’s space by remotely
operating cameras and microphones
from CECE offices.
Enhancing Student Learning
Eastern’s early childhood education program produces the largest
number of certified early childhood
teachers in Connecticut. Interest in
the program has grown dramatically, with the program recently
admitting its largest cohort of students in memory. These students
benefit tremendously from the
collaboration and the technology
EASTERN
Winter 2010
9
At left: Peter Northrop, a
senior from Clinton, helps a
child document an animal’s
natural habitat during the
CFDRC Science Fair as part
of a course taught by Professor Sudha Swaminathan.
Below, senior Ericka Velez of East Hartford administers
an early literacy assessment
to a child at the CFDRC.
in the two centers. Faculty who are
teaching early childhood education
courses frequently use videos shot at
the CFDRC to illustrate concepts in
class, or turn on the observation cameras to watch children and teachers
live for demonstration purposes. Almost every early childhood education
course includes a practical component
that is carried out in the CFDRC,
giving students the opportunity to
design learning activities for children,
see how children respond and redesign the activities for a “re-teach” the
following week.
In addition, faculty videotape
students interacting with young
children and give students feedback
on how to improve their teaching
strategies. Cynthia DeJesus, a senior
from East Hampton who just completed a semester-long practicum at
the CFDRC, explains: “Everything
you learn in your education classes
you are able to implement in the
classroom, and you get to work with
a teacher who is open to letting you try something new.”
At right: Michele Monnerat, a junior from
Wolcott who is majoring in early child education and psychology, helps a preschooler
“celebrate” at the birthday-party play
station in the CFDRC.
10 EASTERN
Winter 2010
Under the direction of Health
and Physical Education Professors
Nanette Tummers and Darren
Robert, HPE majors gain experience
leading yoga and physical education
classes with children. In addition,
students enrolled in psychology
classes conduct more than 75 observations a year in the CFDRC. The
CECE recruits interns majoring in
Communication to help produce
training videos and trains students
who are studying Spanish to use their
budding language skills to conduct
early literacy assessments on bilingual
preschoolers.
Faculty Research and
Creative Projects
Education faculty members
are also using technology to
conduct important research.
In one recent study, Professor
Sudha Swaminathan utilized
video technology to investigate
how preschoolers can improve
basic math skills. The study
found that children were able
to make significant gains in
their math abilities when the
teacher provided comments
and prompts as they watched
the videos.
Trawick-Smith welcomes student
participation in various projects.
Traci Dziurgot ’05/’07 M.S. worked
with him on a study of the effect of a
teacher’s level of education on his/her
ability to assess the level of support
At left: A preschool student pretends
to take notes at one of the play
stations. Below: Education Professor
Theresa Bouley works with CECE
Production Specialist Ken Measimer
and communication student Kristin
Chemerka of Andover on an early
literacy training video in the CECE
editing room.
children need when engaged in
different play activities.
This past fall, senior Scott Johnson
of Groton used video technology
to study the implementation of the
CFDRC’s new Investigations curriculum. “Being able to evaluate reallife classroom experiences using an
evaluative tool has shown me specific
areas of my own teaching that I can
improve,” said Johnson. “Since I am
student teaching two days a week in
preschool right now, I’m actually able
to directly apply some of this
knowledge into the classroom.”
for preschool teachers and paraprofessionals at the CFDRC and in Windham public schools. The CECE hired
four literacy coaches to work closely
with teachers to improve their literacy
instruction and to provide workshops
to Willimantic parents on supporting
their children’s language and literacy
development. In addition, 16 Eastern
students have been trained to administer language and literacy assessments
to preschoolers, and 20 students
have gained experience serving as
substitutes for teachers and paraprofessionals attending training.
This past fall, the CECE launched
“E-clips,” a series of brief professional development videos designed to
provide teachers with ideas they can
implement in their own classrooms.
The videos, which can be viewed on
the CECE website or downloaded
from iTunes, were produced by Communication Professor Denise
Matthews with the assistance of
Eastern Communication students and
CECE staff. “Research has shown
that video can be extremely effective in certain situations, particularly
when someone is watching how an
expert does something,” explained
Matthews. “Then they can go back,
look at it, and model that in their
own work.”
“We have an amazing resource at
Eastern,” says DeLapp. “The facility
with its technology, the collaboration
of faculty and CFDRC staff, and the
involvement of students enable us to
do some truly remarkable work for
the early childhood field.”
(For more information about the
Center for Early Childhood Education,
visit www.easternct.edu/cece. For more information about the Child and Family Development Resource Center,
visit www.easternct.edu/cfdrc.)
Professional Development
The two centers are currently collaborating on two exciting professional
development projects. In August
2008, the CECE received a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department
of Education for the Community
Partners for Early Literacy project.
Under the direction of Professors Ann
Anderberg and Maureen Ruby, the
three-year project provides training
in language and literacy development
EASTERN
Winter 2010
11
Eastern Connecticut State University has been sending
schoolteachers out into the world since June 1891, when the
first class of 22 women graduated
from Willimantic State Normal
School’s two-year teacher-training
program. In the past 120 years,
Eastern graduates have held a
variety of teaching positions in
educational settings around the
world — from China to the
Panama Canal, from one-room
schoolhouses to high-security
correctional facilities, and everywhere in between.
Eastern Graduates Teach Here,
There and Everywhere
By Amy Brenner-Fricke
W
When Thomas Gavigan ’49 graduated from Willimantic
State Teachers College, the rural one-room schoolhouse
was becoming a thing of the past, with modern facilities
being built across the state. Only 60 schoolhouses were
still operating in 1950, including Willington Hill School
in West Willington. The school, which had 20 pupils in
grades one through four, is where Gavigan signed on for
his first teaching job. “I started off making $2,500 per
year, which was a top-level teaching salary in those days,”
he said. In addition to his teaching duties, Gavigan served
as janitor, nurse, cook and general handyman at the school,
which boasted an iron-pot stove and outside toilet facilities without running water. A year later, the one-room
schoolhouse was replaced by a “modern
four-roomer,” and Gavigan moved on to
a teaching position in Greenwich.
Eastern graduates with a passion to
teach and travel have also found numerous opportunities in other countries. For
Barbara (Fitts) Cairns ’59 and Sally
(Taylor) Hohenthal ’70 M.S., employment with the Department of Defense
Dependents Schools (DoDDS) provided
12 EASTERN
a chance to live and work overseas. The program serves
the children of active-duty military service members and
Department of Defense civilian employees as part of the
Department of Defense Education Activity, which operates
191 schools in 14 districts located in 12 foreign countries,
seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Cairns, who applied to DoDDS in 1967 because “it was a
good time to see the world,” was assigned as a first-grade
teacher at an Air Force base in Goose Bay, Labrador,
Canada, and said the experience provided unusual challenges. “We couldn’t let the children out at recess at certain
times of the year for fear they might get frostbitten. At
times, because the Quonset huts where we
had our classes were quite close to the runways, we had to stop teaching momentarily
until after the airplanes took off due to the
excessive noise!”
After a year in Labrador, Cairns headed off
to a DoDDS school in Bamberg, Germany,
where she met her husband, Ian, at a beer fest.
In 1971, the Cairns transferred to a school
in the former Panama Canal Zone, where
Thomas Gavigan
Winter 2010
At left: Jillian Robbins is in her second year of teaching conversational
English, reading and writing to students in Seoul, Korea. At right: Dustin
Yakoubian is working as an elementary physical education teacher at
Shekou International School in Shekou, China. Below: Barbara (Fitts)
Cairns served as principal of Curundu Elementary School in the former
Panama Canal Zone, one of several jobs she held during a long career
with the DoDDS.
they spent the next 26 years and where Cairns eventually
became an elementary school principal. She still recalls
the night in December 1989 when she and her husband
witnessed “Operation Just Cause,” the American military
invasion of Panama. She remembers crawling around on
hands and knees to keep away from windows while hearing
gunfire on their street. “Sometimes living and working
overseas is not for the light-hearted!” said Cairns.
For Hohenthal, working overseas was a family affair.
When her husband, Eric, applied for a job as a principal with DoDDS in 1970, the entire family relocated to
Okinawa, where Hohenthal worked as an elementary
school teacher. “We were fortunate because we both enjoyed teaching, and to be able to travel on top of that was
wonderful,” she said. During their 25 years working for the
Department of Defense, the Hohenthals were also assigned
to schools in Heilbronn, Germany; Atsugi, Japan; and
again in Okinawa before retiring in 1995.
“The biggest differences between DoDDS and schools in
the United States are the cultural ones,” said Hohenthal.
“We had culture classrooms set up for each grade, with
the goal to expose the children to the local culture. We
brought in events like kite flying and drums, and took field trips to shrines, temples, local villages and homes.”
Several more recent Eastern graduates have also looked
overseas in search of teaching jobs. Jillian Robbins ’08 is
currently in her second year of teaching English in Seoul,
Korea. Shortly after graduating last May, Dustin Yakoubian ’09 was hired as a physical education teacher at
Shekou International School in China.
For Robbins, who teaches conversational English, reading
and writing to Korean pupils ranging in age from 4 to 16,
the move abroad was the first time she had ever traveled
outside the United States. “I had an irrational fear of getting lost in a country where I don’t speak the language!”
she said. “But I was looking on the Internet for jobs when I
graduated, and I found information about teaching abroad.
I thought about how interesting the experience would be
for me. Now that I’m here, I’ve learned that I am a lot
more independent than I thought myself capable of being.”
Yakoubian, on the other hand, actively pursued teaching positions in other countries. After participating in a
study-abroad program in Italy, he was hooked on traveling.
He conducted his job search on websites that focus exclusively on teaching posts at English-speaking international
schools. International schools, located throughout the
world, cater mainly to the children of the staff of international businesses, international organizations, foreign embassies, missions or missionary programs. “My job search
was similar to what in what have been in America, but I
was just applying for jobs in different countries rather than
in different states,” said Yakoubian, who teaches physical
education to students in kindergarten through fifth grade
and says that the best part of his job is the opportunity to
“entrench myself in a new place and new culture for a year
or two.”
Other Eastern graduates have made their mark in nontraditional educational settings closer to home. Jason Barnett,
a current student who will receive an M.S. in Reading and
Language Arts this May, has taught at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS) in Middletown since
EASTERN
Winter 2010
13
1999. The school is the only secure
residential treatment facility in the
state for adjudicated male juvenile
offenders. Barnett, who has synthesized the instruction he learned in his
graduate education courses at Eastern
to create and implement a successful
reading initiative and literacy program
at CJTS, said he “teaches a little bit of everything for
grades eight through 12” to youths ranging in age from 11
to 16. The students, each of whom has been convicted of a
crime, might remain at the facility for six months to a year
or more. According to Barnett, the job is one that keeps a
teacher on his toes.
Above at left: Jason Barnett, who will graduate in May with a master’s degree in reading and language arts, has been teaching at the
Connecticut Juvenile Training School for more than 10 years. Above:
Kevin Conover teaches Adult Basic Education and General Education Development classes to inmates at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Institute in Montville.
able to give them the extra support they need to graduate.”
Kevin Conover ’88/’96 M.S. has been teaching in Unified
School District #1 since 1989. The school district, which
is operated by the Connecticut Department of Correction,
services approximately 3,629 inmates in 20 educational
facilities associated with the department.
The facility confines both pretrial and sentenced offenders,
and turnover in the classes is a perpetual source of frustration for the teachers, according to Conover. “The majority
of the guys get transferred to other facilities after sentencing. When you have somebody you’ve invested your time
in, somebody who seems to have found his niche and is
working in a groove, who is coming to school and is motivated to succeed and is on the right track — well, it would
be nice to finish what you started. But that’s not always
in the cards,” he said. “You just do the best you can with
the ones you have and you celebrate the successes. You try
not to get too caught up with the ones you lose or the ones
who give up and don’t make it.”
Conover first taught electronics and technical mathematics
at Niantic Prison for Women (now York Correctional Institute) in East Lyme. In 1995 he moved to the CorriganRadgowski Correctional Institute in Montville, where he
teaches in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General
Educational Development (GED) programs. “I’ve always
been the guy who roots for the underdog,” he said. “I find
it rewarding to work with guys who couldn’t make it on
their own out on the street. It makes me feel good to be
Despite the fact that they teach in what many would consider “nontraditional” educational settings, these Eastern
graduates say that in the end, it is all about the students.
All agreed that they became teachers because they wanted
to make a difference — no matter where the classrooms
were located. “Being a teacher provides challenges every
single day,” said Barnett. “Teaching is never a boring job
— you never know what you are going to get. And that is
why I love it!”
“Kids arrive here at all different ability levels; we don’t get
kids from September to June like you would in a traditional classroom,” he said. “I am constantly tweaking the
curriculum to meet the needs of individual kids. It’s very
labor intensive — as a teacher, you have to be able to adapt
quickly.”
14 EASTERN
Winter 2010
Life on Campus:
Now and Then
By Anne M. Pappalardo
Eastern’s alumni have always held
fond memories of their years spent
living on campus. However, on-
campus residence halls were not
always the norm at Eastern. Prior
to 1921, student housing at Eastern
Connecticut State University —
known as Willimantic State Normal
School at the time — was limited to
boarding houses, typically located
in Willimantic’s Hill section. In
September of that year, the school’s
first dormitory opened. Burr Hall
remained an all-female residence
hall until going coed after a
renovation in 2006.
Because teaching had been primarily
a profession dominated by women
for much of the past century, male
students continued to commute or
rent locally until Beckert Hall on
Valley Street was opened as the first
men’s residence hall in 1959. Another
option, Knight House, was available
to men during the 1950s. The Knight
property, which included a house and
20 acres, was purchased in the late
1940s. The house switched back and
forth as a men’s and women’s residence hall over the next 10 years.
of living situations ranging from twoperson rooms to four-person suites
and apartments. Amenities vary by
hall but include computer and study
rooms, game rooms and exercise
rooms, air conditioning, kitchen
facilities and laundry facilities. High-speed Internet access and cable television are the norm.
While these modern conveniences
attract today’s students, older alumni
still wax nostalgic about their oncampus experiences during times that
mandated restrictions that would
surprise today’s students.
In a 2004 interview, Cecile Lafreniere Allen ’32 remembered, “We
were not allowed to leave Burr Hall,
not even to go to the library across
the patio in the normal school, without signing out with the proctor in
the foyer and then signing in at the library with another proctor.” For
years family members were required
to wait in hall lobbies or living rooms
instead of going to a female student’s
room to collect her or her belongings.
Curfews were strict and even trips
to shops on Main Street were few in
number and required an escort.
Above, at left: One of the boarding
houses in the Hill section of Willimantic that served as a residence
for students prior to 1921. Above,
at right: Niejadlik Hall, which
opened in 1998. It was named in
honor of Bernice (Clark) Niejadlik,
a 1930 graduate of Willimantic
State Normal School. Right: During
the 1950s, Burr Hall was the main dining spot on campus.
In keeping with its undergraduate
liberal arts focus, Eastern now boasts
12 residence halls housing more than
2,700 students. Halls feature a range
EASTERN
Winter 2010
15
Luva Mead Hoar ’42,
recalled, “We were not allowed to sit down for dinner and start
eating until the dean had done so. I
also remember that even during those
days of penny loafers, we were not
allowed to wear ankle socks while we
were teaching children. They told us
that the children would not respect
us if we did. Needless to say, we were
all very pleased that we were allowed
to wear them on weekends when we
were permitted to go for hikes on
Hosmer Mountain.”
Mead Hoar and her friend, Bernice
(Bunny) Niejadlik ’30, were each
honored by having residence halls
named for them. Both women had
been staunch supporters of higher
education and were extremely active at Eastern. “I was, and still am,
extremely humbled to have had Mead
Hall named after me. I only wish
that Bunny had lived to attend the
ceremony when Niejadlik Hall was
named after her,” said Mead Hoar.
Niejadlik died in 1998.
Goodwin ’69 said, “I still
remember the walk from our
residence, Nathan Hale, to the dining
room at Burr Hall every night for
dinner. We were required to dress up
in skirts or dresses for dinner every
night — it was such a delight to walk
all the way from Main Street in full
dress attire.”
Today’s students are equally effusive about their residences. “I think
Eastern’s residence halls are some of
the best in the CSU System if not
all of Connecticut,” said Mita Lad,
a senior from South Windsor who
serves as the president of the Student Government Association. “I definitely recommend living on campus,
because living conditions have a great
impact on your academics. Living in
Laurel Hall, where I have my own
kitchen, cook my own meals and
have my own room, helps me
focus on my studying.”
So while the days of curfews
and dressing for dinner are
long gone, replaced by iPods
and a more open campus
environment, current students
agree that time spent living at
Eastern counts among their
most cherished memories.
Even as things livened up on campus during the 1960s and some of
the rules were relaxed, others were
still somewhat strict. Carla (Banelli)
Descending order, from top right: The Archery Club practices on the lawn of Burr Hall in 1928; students participate
in the Dean’s Cup, an annual competition involving all students residing in Eastern’s 12 residence halls; Luva Mead
Hoar ’42 (on left) and Bernice “Bunny” Niejadlik ’30 pose
with former President David G. Carter; Constitution Hall
Director Kemesha Wilmot and student office assistants
Calia Cross, William Gonzalez and Caitlin Riley welcome
new arrivals during Move-In Day in September 2009.
16 EASTERN
Winter 2010
Investing in
Connecticut’s Future
2008-2009 DONOR REPORT
A Message from the Foundation President
Dear Friends of Eastern:
We have been very pleased to see the annual Honor Roll of Donors
grow in number over the past several years. Once again we are humbled
that our alumni, parents, friends, foundations and businesses have made
Eastern students a priority through their generous philanthropy in fiscal
year 2009.
An important measure of the vitality of a university is the engagement
and commitment of its donor constituents. The active participation of
our alumni and other donors in financially supporting the University is an indication that our
graduates place a high value on their Eastern experience. The number of donors is also critically
important because it is a primary measure recognized by organizations that annually rate the
quality of colleges and universities. When the university receives high ratings, the value of an
Eastern education is elevated for all those who hold an Eastern diploma.
Another important measure of Eastern’s value to the state of Connecticut is the fact that
more than 90 percent of our graduates remain here to work and bring up their families. Most
importantly, the generous contributions we receive bolster our financial standing and allow the
ECSU Foundation, Inc. to help more students who have unmet financial need after they have
exhausted other sources of financial aid.
Accordingly, our primary focus continues to be to increase endowed scholarships, so that we
can ensure the long-term availability of funds to support students with unmet need. During
the past fiscal year, as a result of the collapse of financial markets, our endowment portfolio lost
value. Despite this sobering reality, thanks to the stalwart support of our dedicated donors we
were able to award nearly as many scholarships to current students as we did the year before.
This was possible because a number of donors who had given generously and funded their own
endowed scholarships stepped up with additional giving to make the awards possible.
The ECSU Foundation is stronger, thanks to your belief in Eastern and your heartfelt generosity. Eastern remains committed to its mission of providing access to all students with the
promise of a first-rate liberal arts education. We are proud of all those who are listed in this
year’s Honor Roll of Donors and equally humbled by your belief in Eastern’s mission and your
ongoing support. Please know that your generosity is important and needed. We are grateful
that we can count you as a friend of the University.
Sincerely,
Timothy H. Coppage, President
ECSU Foundation, Inc.
Cover: Luva Mead Hoar ’42 (center)
approaches the J. Eugene Smith Library
along with family and friends for the
start of the ECSU Foundation Donor
Recognition Luncheon in October 2009.
Luva received the ECSU Foundation
2009 Donor of the Year Award.
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
ii
Businesses, Foundations
& Organizations
Tower Society - Platinum
Connecticut Light and Power
SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc. *
The Nellie Mae Education
Foundation, Inc.
United Illuminating Company *
Tower Society - Diamond
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company *
The Williams Family Fund
Tower Society - Gold
Chartwells
The Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear Family Foundation, Inc.
Tower Society - Silver
Barnes & Noble Coll. Bookstores, Inc. *
Chester Kitchings Family
Foundation *
Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, Inc.
Tower Society - Bronze
AT&T Foundation *
Bouchard Coastwise
Management Corp.
Incentra
NewAlliance Bank *
People’s United Bank
The Good News Theater Company
The Sandra and Arnold Chase
Family Foundation, Inc.
F.R. Noble Associates
Aetna Foundation
Aetna Foundation Matching Gift
Altrusa International, Inc.
AT&T
Babson Capital Management LLC
Beaudoin Construction, Inc.
BKM Enterprises, Inc. *
Blum Shapiro Foundation, Inc.
Carlson Therapy Network, PC
CFM Construction Corp.
Charter Communications *
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.
Commencement Flowers
Connecticut Orthopaedic and
Hand Surgery Center
Constitution Coach, Inc. *
Dell Inc.
Dominion Foundation
Dunkin Donuts
ECSU Student Government
Association
ExxonMobil Foundation, Inc.
Fastenal Company Purchasing
Hans Weiss Gallery & Studio
IBM International Foundation
Jain Center of Greater Hartford, Inc.
KAMATICS Corporation
Laz Parking Ltd.
Liberty Bank Foundation
M.A.L.E.S.
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Orthopaedic Sports Specialists
People For Prague
Progressive Sheetmetal, LLC
Rizzo Corporation
Sallie Mae Fund *
Savings Institute Bank & Trust *
Shaboo Productions
SimplexGrinnell
Ten Companies, Inc./The Hartford Steam Co.
The Hartford
The Lester & Phyllis Foster
Foundation
The Lyle Group, LLC
Wal-Mart Foundation
Windham Community Memorial Hospital
Wyeth Matching Grants Plan
The 1889 Society
B-G Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
Becker Professional Review
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of Massachusetts
Don Morrison Inc.
Fairfield County Community
Foundation, Inc.
Falck Eye Center, LLC.
First Investors Corporation
Forensic Accounting Services, LLC
ING Foundation
J.H. Cohn LLP
Kahan, Kerensky & Capossela, LLP
Kaplan
Kids World Childcare, LLC
Legacy Sourcing, LLC
Liberty Mutual
Matthew Raynor DMD/James
Raynor DDS/Louis Cano DDS
New England Design, Inc.
Nicola, Yester & Company PC
Northeast Utilities Foundation, Inc.
Northeastern University
Pfizer Foundation Matching
Gifts Program *
Potter’s Oil Service *
RTT Development
Ryan Business Systems, Inc.
S/L/A/M Collaborative *
Sandler & Mara, P.C.
The New England Center for Children
The Travelers Foundation
United Technologies Corporation
Verizon Wireless
Whittlesey & Hadley, P.C.
The President’s Circle
Blarney’s Cafe
Charles Pasteryak, Jr., Inc.
Asphalt Paving
Diamond Glass
Elm Discount Package Store
Entrepreneurs Pursuing
Business Excellence
Integrated Financial Systems, Inc.
Karl Storz Endovision, Inc.
Mackey’s Inc.
Mountain High Resort
My Sports Dreams, LLC
The Metropolitan District
The Signature Salon & Day Spa, LLC
The Sports Bar
The Walton Group
Triple J. Construction, Inc.
Willimantic Brewing Company *
The Century Club
AAA Appliance Repair, Inc.
Adpap, Inc. d/b/a Friendly Pizza
Apollo Restaurant and Pizza
Bentley Management Group, Inc.
Berniker Decorators, Inc.
Bey Sell Construction Co. of CT., LLC
C. Wright Contracting Corp.
Commercial Moving Services, LLC
CSU American Association
of University Professors
Davidson Company, Inc.
Department of Commerce-Census
Devitt Spellman Barrett, LLP
Dime Bank
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastern Federal Bank
ECSU Public Safety
Edwards-Hunt Group LLC
Emerson College
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
Fabrizio & Fabrizio
Fairfield Dairy Queen
Fairfield University
Farmington Valley Orthopedic
Associates, PC
Funaro Insurance Agency
Gates GMC
Grant Brothers, Inc.
Graphic Group Studio
Hebron Ace Hardware
Hot Shots Cafe
Jet Refrigeration & HVAC, LLC
Killingly Intermediate School
Liberty Bank
Lincoln Financial Group Foundation
Massachusetts School of Law
Maureen Sullivan Associates
Meyburd Associates
Nathan Hale Inn & Conference Center
Nickerson Campground
Northeast Utilities
Old Mill Inn
Para-Pharm Inc
Phoenix Realty Management
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
ProDirect LLC
Production Equipment Company
R.L. DePanfilis & Company, LLC
Sartron Company
Savings Bank of Rockville
Lorraine McDevitt visits with Sandra Roth ’71 during the Donor Recognition
Luncheon held on campus last fall. They are the founders of the Mariaelana
McDevitt Memorial Scholarship and the David M. Roth Memorial Endowed
Scholarship, respectively.
Scoreboard Enterprises
Shell Oil Company
Shuvarna Enterprise, LLC
Sumner & Sumner, Inc.
Swansons Professional
Baseball Instruction LLC
The Berry Group
The Hartford Matching Gift Center
The Harvey Hubbell Foundation
The PNC Foundation
TJS Woodworks
Underwater Construction
Corporation
USA Today
Wachovia Foundation
Matching Gifts
Webster Financial
Corporation
Willimantic Car Wash
Willington Pizza House
Windham Wine and Spirits
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers
of Connecticut, Inc.
Wolf ColorPrint
Yankee Remodeler of
New London, Inc.
Gift Levels
The Tower Society
Platinum $50,000 +
Diamond $25,000 to 49,999
Gold $15,000 to 24,999
Silver $10,000 to 14,999
Bronze $5,000 to 9,999
F. R. Noble Associates
$1,000 to 4,999
The 1889 Society
$500 to 999
The President’s Circle
$300 to 499
The Century Club
$100 to 299
Friends of Eastern
$50 to 99
Donors
$1 to 49
Friends of Eastern
Advanced Prep-Coat, Inc.
Air & Liquid Systems, Inc.
Argonaut Management Services, Inc.
Black Duck Cafe
Chrisobi Soccer Academy
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Dell Direct Giving Campaign
Henderson Global Investors
J Dempsey Associates, LLC
Kenneth Przybysz, LLC
LMW, LLC
Lockheed Martin Matching
Gift Program
M & R Construction and
Landscaping, LLC
Mullaney & Associates LLC
Pocasset Machine Corporation
Roberts Physical & Aquatic
Therapy, LLC
Skyview Realty LLC
Ted’s Inc.
Thames Valley Council for
Community
The Garden Shoppe, Inc.
The Home Depot Foundation
True Value Cash Home Center
Walt Disney Company Foundation *
Windham IGA
Eastern Donor
AGF Incorporated
Bank of America
Matching Gifts
ECSU Education Club
Gina Marie’s Family Restaurant
K & D Enterprises
MassMutual The Matching Gift Center
Mercy Center
Silver Dragon Tai Chi & Qi Gong, LLC
Technical Associates Group, Inc.
The Package Store
The Shoe Smith
The United Congregational Church of Bridgeport, Inc.
Transactions Solutions LLC
Wellpoint Foundation
Zorn Family
Chiropractic LLC
Individual Donors
TOWER SOCIETY - PLATINUM
John Hicks †
Joseph & Dorothy Zaring
TOWER SOCIETY - GOLD
Barbara Candales ‘74
TOWER SOCIETY - SILVER
Teresa James ‘49
William Wilson Jr.
TOWER SOCIETY - BRONZE
Morton Bouchard III
Frederic & Mary Lou Gahagan
Luva Mead Hoar ‘42 *
Daniel & Susan M’80 Leach
Keith & Cynthia McFetridge
Richard Smith ‘74 *
Thomas Sweeney ‘83
F.R. NOBLE ASSOCIATES
Jacqueline Abbott
Katherine Ballis
Jeffrey Baylock & Georgina Benoit ‘89
Myra Berghane
Madeline Bernstein *
Thomas Buckley
Cameron & Dorothy ‘56 Carlyle
David Carter Sr. & Sandra Holley
Sheila & William Church
Hope Marie Cook
William Cousineau
Lewis & Kimberly Crone *
Kenneth DeLisa *
Philomene Ducas *
Ingrid Feddersen
David Foster
Edward Gaffney Jr. ‘69
iii
Francis Geissler * †
David Gilbert
Dennis Hannon & Joanna St. Pierre Hannon *
Richard Horrigan
Barry Huber & Barbara Cignotti-Huber
Brian & Catherine Hull
Marie Love Johnson *
William ‘82 &
Elizabeth ‘82 Kelly
Michael Kingsley
Karl Krapek
Michael Lamb ‘82
Kathleen Lynch ‘78
Eugene & Georgia Mittelman
Craig Musson
Elsa Núñez
Ann Marie Orza *
Michele Orza
John & Lindsay Parke
Mary Rogers
Ruth Rosebrooks ‘54 *
Deborah Roth
Sandra Roth ‘71
Daniel Sabia *
Sarah Sardo
Michael Scanlon Jr. ‘75 *
Steven ‘86 & Dawn ‘07 Shane *
William Sisco *
Paul Snider ‘77
John Sweeney *
Patricia Veber
James Watson & Ellen Lang ‘81 *
Claudia Widdiss
Joyce Wong *
THE 1889 SOCIETY
Roger Abell ‘70
Michael Adams
Craig & Lourdes Ardel *
Robert Asher & Carol Williams *
Adam ‘88 & Sandra ‘88 Baldinger
Patricia Banach *
Kenneth ‘78 & Beverly ‘79 Bedini
Guy Blackburn ‘08
Tracey Boyden ‘89
Evelyn Brown ‘77 M’80
Davis ‘64 & Christine ‘65 Burton
Paul Cammuso
Daniel Canavan ‘97
Hunter Caron
Peter ‘80 & Margaret ‘87 Caton
Carmen Cid
Timothy Coppage
Ann Curran
Peter Dane
Susan Darby
Walter Diaz *
Mark Dressler ‘79 & Sandra Jaros ‘78 *
Grace Enggas
Rhona Free *
Tina Fu *
Jeffrey Garewski
Rochelle Gimenez *
Gregory Goblirsch ‘89 & Shirley Lasch-Goblirsch ‘88
Diane Holmes
MJ Holowaty-Hobbes
Kristin Jacobi *
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
iv
Michael ‘97 & Amy ‘98 Johnson
Steven Kalmin
Danielle Kaminski *
Patricia Kleine *
Robert Kuchinsky
Paul Lariviere
William Leahy *
Linda Lennox ‘80
Fred Loxsom *
Barbara Magliola
Frederick Mahoney ‘49
Steven Matthess *
Denise Matthews *
Mary Mattke
Joseph McGann *
Roger Muchnick Sr.
Robert Palo
Stephen Pedneault ‘89
David Perkins ‘74
Maureen & Michael Pernal *
Francis Perrotti ‘51 *
Rosemary Perry
Russell Petrucci
Raymond Jr. ‘96 &
Marlene ‘95 M’99 Piche
Sonia Rivera
Kathleen Roan
Ryan ‘00 & Carrie ‘01 Rose
Anthony Ross Jr. ‘80
Walter Sabroski
James Schult
Dean Scinto ‘87 *
Marjorie Skidmore ‘97
Scott ‘92 & Dianne M’99 Smith
John & Donna Snell
Michael Stenko
Elizabeth Thomas ‘94
Joseph Tolisano
Charles Webb *
Craig Yarde
Kathleen York
Ralph Jr. & Ruth ‘83 M’86 Yulo *
THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
Jane Arisco
Neil Axel
David Belles *
Jennifer Bothwell ‘83
Jeffrey Bukowski
Barbara Castagnaro ‘54
Richard Clarke
Mary Lou DeVivo ‘60 *
Christopher Dorsey ‘96 *
Glenn Eigabroadt ‘82
John Fechtmann
Jeannine Frink
Richard Ganoe
Edward Giard M’00 *
Carla Goodwin ‘69
Robert Griffin *
Jose Manuel Guerra Garcia
Saras Jain *
Donna Keys
Nancy Labonne ‘02
Paul Lankarge ‘69
Barbara Liu *
Margaret Martin
Robert McDonald *
Stanley Morytko Jr. ‘74 *
Justin Murphy ‘99
Ronald ‘79 & Nancy ‘88 Ouellette
Dimitrios & Sterie M’96 Pachis *
Annette Papillo ‘99
Kathleen Regan-Pyne ‘79
Stanley Rybarz ‘92
Laurence Rubinow, chairman, SBM Charitable Foundation Board (center), shares a
story with ECSU Foundation Board members and Eastern administrators at the Donor
Recognition Luncheon in October. From left are Mary Mattke, Sandra Roth, Kenneth
DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement, President Elsa Núñez, Luva Mead
Hoar and Michael Scanlon.
Sharon Schmiemann
Patricia Thomson
K. Umesh Vig ‘01 *
Saul Wendroff
Brenda Whalen *
John & Lucille M’72 Wisted
Robert & Sandra ‘70 M’74 Wojick
Charles Wynn *
THE CENTURY CLUB
Deborah Abate ‘75
Roger Adams
Ruffo Alessandro
Megan Ambrose ‘08
Jay Anderson ‘92 *
Heather Andreana ‘94
Raymond Aramini
Elizabeth Archer ‘46 *
Marguerite Armstrong
Philip Arnold
Pamela Aubin M’96
Ernest Jr. & Debra ‘91 Avery *
Kathleen Avery ‘77
Justin Axel
Joan Ballestrini ‘57
Diane Bancroft ‘84
Diane Bardsley ‘69
Barbara Barnes
Glynn Baron ‘90
Linda Barrett
Daniel Barrows
Michael Bartuner
Kenneth Bean
Rhonda Beaulieu ‘74
Jared Beazley ‘98
Stanley ‘73 & Karen ‘72 Bebyn
Robert Beckius ‘92
Melissa Beers
Donald Beerworth ‘61
Deborah Bellody ‘90
Wayne Benjamin ‘89
Scott Berniker ‘00
David Berube ‘84 *
Scott Besade
Laurel Best ‘75
William Betterini
Christian Beukman
Lydia Bicocchi
Russell Bilodeau
Denise Bitel
Cary Blocker ‘95
Lula Blocton *
Glenn Blonshine ‘81
Barbara Boehme
Nancy Boutot
Patrick Bowman ‘88
Mark Bradley ‘91
Charlotte Braziel ‘80
Kenneth Breault
Kenneth Briggs ‘03 M’06
Gary ‘74 & Paula ‘73 Brine
Jeffrey Brown ‘79
Gail Bruce ‘77
Gayle Bruce ‘77 M’82
Susan Brunell
Paul Bryant
Robert ‘69 & Antoinette ‘70
Brzozowski
Concetta Bucko ‘98
Olive Buddington ‘47
Matthew Burbine ‘02
Jacqueline Burgess ‘62
Irene Burke M’90
Nancy Burnett
Marilyn Cannata
Andrew Carey III ‘80 & Del Anne
Carey ‘65 *
Fern Carlson ‘43 * †
Josef Carlson M’89
John Carney Jr.
Daniel Carter ‘05
David Caruso ‘95
Jessica Cass ‘98
Gerard Cassagne
Paul Ceplenski
Domenic Cessario
Stephen Chapman
Thomas Chapman ‘72
Robert Charron
Jason Cichowicz ‘03
Alex Citurs
Betsy Cogliano
Karen Collins *
Robert ‘86 & Lisa ‘87 Constantine
Jennifer Contino ‘91
Wayne Cormier ‘92 *
David Corsini
Arthur Cote III ‘74
Bruce ‘72 & Judy ‘71 Cox
Kenneth Crosby
Walter Crosby ‘80 *
George Crowley ‘73
Richard ‘52 & Lucille ‘54 Curland
Carol Cyr ‘95
Donald Cyr
Christopher D’Amato ‘99
Antonio D’Ambrosio
Gregory D’Auria
Richard D’Orsogna ‘74
Stephen Dagle ‘83
George ‘61 & Elizabeth ‘59 Dargati
Sandra Davis M’92
Linda de Groot
Donna Deabay
Nancy DeCrescenzo
Kathleen DeFranco ‘96
Philip Dei Dolori ‘81
Nicholas Delisle ‘06
Jean Derby ‘53
Robert DeRose ‘78
Alan ‘79 & Charlene ‘80 Desbonnet
Christopher Desimone ‘83
Gregory Deveau ‘87
Anthony Dias
William ‘62 &
Rosemarie ‘67 Diffley
Christopher Dodd
Christian Doheny
Nancy Dorchester ‘90
Lynne Dowden M’03
Sonia Dudas ‘82
Michael Dufraine
Francesca Dussault ‘52
Leo Duval ‘79
Joseph Eaton Jr. ‘67 *
Robert & Donna Edwards
Timothy Egan ‘82
Jeffrey Eilenberger
Marguerite Eliason ‘08
Andrew ‘93 & Nichola ‘92 Elston
Kevin & Eileen ‘78 Emmons
Wendy Ernst ‘93
Katherine Escobar
Robert & Barbara Eshoo
Kathleen Fabian ‘72 *
Eugene Fantl
June Farnsworth ‘77 *
Doreen Fazo
James Fedigan
John Ferreira ‘86
Beth Ferri ‘88
Calvin ‘54 & Carole ‘55 Fish
Shirley Fishbein ‘54
Morris ‘57 & Jean ‘57 Fishbone *
Carrie Fitts ‘81
Abigail Flynn ‘55
Maureen Flynn
Ann Folan M’92
Eva Folsom ‘50
Mildred Frances ‘70
Maureen Frank
Evelyn Franson ‘53 *
William Freeman ‘51
Heather Fried ‘01
Lauren Friedman
Penny Fryer
Gary Funaro
Charles III M’69 & Frances Funk
Michael Gable *
Gary Gamache ‘82
William & Sandra Gamzon *
Brenda Garrison-Gonzalez
Brian Gauthier ‘81 *
David Gauthier
David Gay ‘82
David Geissler *
Donald Geissler *
Thomas Geissler *
E. William Geitner
Ford Gerritt ‘73 *
Cynthia Gianfrancesco ‘88 *
Barbara Gilblair
Kevin Gill
Robert Gingerella
Birgit Girshick ‘00
William Goba M’71 & Joan
Russoniello Goba M’69 *
John Golas Jr.
Jaime Gomez
Dale Goodwin ‘76
Richard Gority
John ‘97 & Linda M’99 Gorman
Laureen Gosselin ‘86 *
Lorraine Gosselin ‘69 M’73
Louis & Wendy ‘98 Griffith
Russell Gross Jr.
Ann Gruenberg M’80 *
Elizabeth Haarke ‘87 *
Robert ‘86 & Ann ‘86 Hacker
John Hale
Sandra Hale
Robert Handfield Jr. ‘86
Jeffrey Handler ‘91
Roslyn Haney ‘61 *
Stanley Harris M’98
Henry Haynes III
Paul & Ruth M’77 Heller
Laura Hesterberg
Susan Heyward *
Richard Hill ‘73 *
Kimberly Hoag
Conor Hobbes
Cale Holman
Timothy Hoppey
Joan Hutchinson ‘83 *
Charles Iadaresta ‘74 M’87 *
Dennis Insogna ‘98 *
Barbara Jacobsen ‘70 *
Khosrow Jahandarie
Fatou Sallah Jallow
Jane Joesten ‘85
Eric Johnson
Frederick ‘78 & Cynthia ‘78 Johnson
Raymond Johnson
Ronald Jones
George ‘82 & Susan ‘83 Jordhamo
Lorna Joseph ‘74
William Juzwic ‘62
Steven Kegler
Ken Kezer
Mizan Khan
Sandra Kiger ‘71 *
Gary ‘73 & Pamela ‘89 Kinel
Matthew Kingsley
Lisa Kirk ‘84
Karin Kline ‘83 *
Katherine Knapik ‘72
Charleen Knapp ‘77 M’85 *
Thomas Koch ‘06
William Koch Jr.
Laurel Kohl ‘01
Jack M’79 & Ellen Kornacki *
Michael Kornfeld ‘90
Mary Kovacs
John Kuchinsky Sr.
Wayne Kukucka
Alice Kuzel ‘03
Jean Lacey
Myles Laffey
Guy LaHaie
Claire Lakner
Gregory Lane
Kathleen Lanzalotta ‘75
Maureen LaPorte
Richard Larson ‘85
Brian Lashley
William Lawler ‘87
Shawn Lawton
Eric Lazo-Wasem ‘79
Karen Leemon Murphy ‘76
Ernest LeFebvre
David ‘92 & Mira ‘92 Leibstein
Terry Lennox
John ‘71 & Paulann ‘64 Lescoe
Chris Lester ‘79
Louis ‘57 & Frances ‘58 Leta
Betty Levey ‘52
Martin Levin
Susan Linden ‘70
Kristin Link ‘89
Mary Liu ‘78
J. Thomas Lombardo ‘51
James LoMonaco *
Glenn Lungarini ‘98
Albert Lussier
Martin Lynch ‘98 *
Kathryn Macary ‘90
Mary & Russel MacDonald
Patricia Maciejewski ‘76
Jennie Macione ‘69
Pauline Magliocco ‘49
Mark Massaro ‘96
Marianthi Matsikas
Kevin ‘74 & Katherine ‘74 Matsil
Derrick & La Shawn ‘94 McBride
William McCloskey ‘83
Roger ‘86 & Deborah ‘78 McCrackan *
Doris McDuff
Edward McGrath
Kathleen McGrory
Susan McKee ‘73
Lucy Mclaughlin
John ‘88 & Susan ‘88 McNally
Thomas McNally ‘80 M’85
Michael McTygue
Richard Memmott Jr. ‘93
Sharon Mendes ‘04
Roy & Hilda ‘80 Merolli
Nicholas Messina
James Meyer ‘87
Thomas Meyer Jr. ‘06
Joan Meznar
Kathleen Mills ‘88
Dorothy Mishley
Duane Mitchell ‘97
Thomas & Clarice ‘92 Mitchell
Spencer Montgomery Jr.
Brendan Moriarty ‘75 *
Jennifer Morrison ‘84 *
Patricia Morrissey ‘60
David Morse
Peter Mott
Edwin Muenzner ‘95 *
Nancy Muller M’97
Joanne Munson ‘93
Mari Muri ‘79 M’82
James Murphy Jr.
Anthony Muscente
Trust Company of CT, a Division of NewAlliance Bank, was a leadership level
sponsor at the annual Golf Tournament held in June at beautiful Lake of Isles
Golf Course. The Trust Company of CT foursome (above) was comprised of
Dave Frese, VP - new business development, Rick Davis, district manager for
Kelly Services, Steve Bright, CFA and first VP, and Dr. Fred Bogin, pediatrician
with St. Francis Hospital.
Anne Mahalawich ‘44
Coleman Mansfield
Harry Mantzaris ‘65 *
Karen Martinelli
Martin Marx ‘87
Anthony Mascolo
Mark & Shari Masinda
Tara Nalencz
Joseph Narotsky ‘54
Lynn Nauss ‘87 *
Christopher Nickerson ‘84
Ashan Nilaweera ‘92
Yaw Nsiah
Kenneth Nyser ‘85
v
Rheo Brouillard, president of Savings Institute Bank and Trust and Ryan Rose,
Eastern’s associate director of alumni affairs, look on as Ed Palomba, Savings
Institute branch manager, prepares to hit his drive at the annual golf
tournament at Lake of Isles.
Luke & Betty ‘87 O’Connor
Elizabeth Obernesser ‘78
Karen Ogorzalek ‘88
Leigh Olinski ‘79
Inaki Ormaechea ‘06
James Orosz ‘91
Edward Osborn *
Gayl Osuba *
Paul Otto ‘73
William ‘82 & Laurie ‘80 Paetzold
Frank Palermino Sr.
Michael Pallein
Diane Panciera ‘54
Marion Papapietro
Kevin Paquin ‘98 *
Thomas Parker ‘94
Joseph Parks ‘90
Judith Parmelee ‘77
Bruce Paro
Edwin Parry ‘78
Margaret Pavia
Charles Peacock
Jean Pisciotta ‘68
Barbara Pittman ‘94
Thomas Poirier ‘76
Robert Jr. ‘86 & Lori ‘85 Polito
Matthew & Lana ‘93 Pontbriant *
Mary Ann Pontrelli
Raymond Prifty
David & Laurie ‘86 Pudlo *
Lynn Pulito ‘84
Robert Rametta ‘92
Christopher Randall
Barbara Rau
James Raynor
Theresa Reardon
Elizabeth Regan ‘79 M’89
Carol Reichardt
Pamela Riccio ‘87
Tamara Rich ‘69
Beverly Richards
Edith Ritz M’91
Joann Robertson ‘69
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
vi
Laura Robinson ‘08
Amanda Rockwood ‘99
Roger Rodrigue ‘84
Laraine Rodriquez ‘73 M’81 *
Richard Rollason-Reese
John Rotchford Jr. *
Robert & Karen ‘83 Roveto *
Arthur Rovozzo ‘85
Norman Russell
Raymond Russell
Timothy Samelak ‘95
Michael ‘79 & Jane ‘79 Sangeloty
Rexford Santerre ‘78
Leon Sarin & Dorothy Phillips *
Richard Savage
Stephen Savino ‘78
Stephen Scarangella
Joanne Schirone
Robert Schmidt ‘00
Diane Schneeloch
Tammy Schondelmayer ‘90
Nancy Schwanda ‘69
Aaron ‘85 & Michelle ‘84 Schwartz
Jeanette Seeman
Ezequiel Seguro
Janet Selavka ‘54
Paul Serignese
David Setchim
David Shaffer ‘92
Joshua Shaffer
Susan Shea ‘06
Omar Jr. & Shirley ‘57 M’89 Shepard
Joseph Siciliano ‘78
Marc Siciliano
Kimberly Silcox
Jack Sirotnik ‘77 *
Barry Smith
Charlotte Smith ‘87
Geoffrey ‘79 & Patricia ‘80 Smith
Janet Smith *
Laurens Smith ‘77
Brendan Sobolewski ‘96
Matthew Solak ‘05
Lois Southwick ‘54
Linda Soychak
Patricia St. Pierre
John & Marilynn ‘92 St. Onge
Kenneth Stachurski
Frank Stahlinski ‘76
Kathleen Stango ‘75
Barbara Staples *
Pamela J. Starr *
Lorraine Stec
Lisa Steubing ‘80
John Stevens
Barbara Stockton ‘39
David Stoloff *
Virginia Stone ‘87 M’89
Sally Storms
Robert ‘63 & Judith ‘65 Strouse *
Ronna Stuller ‘90
G. Elizabeth Surprenant M’54
Nathan Suver ‘97
Timothy & Virginia ‘94 Swanson *
Anna Sweeney
Ronald ‘09 & Lorraine ‘03
Swierbitowicz
Leah Tanger
Catherine Tannahill
Nicholas Tempesta ‘03
Arthur Thibodeau ‘84
Susan Thibodeau
Katharina Thody ‘76
Gregory Thomas ‘85 *
John Thomas
Arthur ‘56 & Dorothy ‘54 Thompson
Mary Thompson
Nancy Tinker M’05 *
Margaret Toner ‘42
John Torrey Jr. ‘70 *
David Trainor *
Andy Tran ‘08
Kenneth M’75 & Joyce ‘76 Tremblay *
Stephen ‘93 & Lisa ‘92 Trimper
Peggy Turner ‘88
Frances Vaida ‘39 †
Daniel Verboven ‘96 & Lauren Perrotti-Verboven ‘91
Kyle Verona *
Richard Walker
Genie Wallingford
Richard Ward ‘85
Eleanor Waring ‘51
Norman Warrender ‘54
Matthew Watson ‘81
Lee Watts †
Jay Wederstrom ‘78
Russell White ‘81 *
George Whiting
Carly-Gene Wickson
Dwight Wildman
Neil Williams
Susan Wilson ‘73
Jeffrey & Mary ‘86 Withey
Albert Wojtcuk ‘54
Jason Wolfradt ‘03
Norman ‘90 & Raylene ‘93 Worthington
Alan & Olga Wright
Rosalie Wyman
Michael Yasevac M’87
David & Suzanne M’91 Yeo *
Bruce ‘74 & Donna ‘69 Young *
Ralph ‘51 & Dorothy ‘51 Young *
David Yutzey *
Thomas Zakowicz ‘06
Joseph & Emerald Zimmerman
FRIENDS OF EASTERN
David Abel ‘08
Chelsea Adams ‘07
Laura Alessio
Trent Alexopoulos ‘70
Peter Alfieri
President’s Legacy Society
The President’s Legacy Society was established to recognize and
show appreciation to those individuals who have informed Eastern
of their plans to provide for the
University by means of a bequest,
gift of life insurance, or a life
income fund. Requests for
anonymity are honored. The
current members are as follows:
Anonymous (2)
Dr. Jacqueline Abbott
Milton Anderson
Madeline Bernstein
Estate of Dorothy E. Brown
Dorothy ’56 and Cameron Carlyle
Mary Carnwath
Dr. Fred Cazel
Dr. Carmen Cid
Gary Dazy
Estate of Olof Erlandson
Estate of Dr. Elizabeth Chappell Hansen
Estate of John Church Hicks
Luva Mead Hoar ’42
Jacqueline Holbrook
Estate of Paul Kaplitz
Deborah Kleckowski ’84
Ellen Lang ’81and James Watson, MD
Elena D. Lupinacci ’42
Kathleen McLaughlin ’88
Dr. Bertram Nussbaum ’63
Lori A. Polito ’85 & Robert F. Polito, Jr. ’86
Senator Edith G. Prague ’65
Dr. Charles Prewitt
Patricia Reardon, MD
Mr. Aaron Rutherford
Leland Stoppleworth
Dr. Margaret C. Toner ’42
Estate of Elizabeth M. Wright’30
Dorothy and Joseph Zaring
Estate of Captain Karl O. Zittel
For more information on how to
make a gift in your will or trust
and/or a life income gift, contact
Kenneth J. DeLisa, Vice President
for Institutional Advancement, at
(860) 465-5267.
Debra Amato
Sharon Ambrose ‘74
David Anderson ‘81
Gale Anderson ‘73
Anita Annunziato
Doreen Antonaccio
Joseph Antonelli ‘03 *
Mary Archambault M’99
Betsy Armitage
Georgia Asselin
Marie Baer ‘86
James Baldwin ‘80
Edward Baniak
Patricia Banning ‘54 †
Arlene Baril ‘69 *
R. Bradley Barron II
Lena Barry
Louis Battipaglia
John Beck ‘06
Barbara Belknap M’94
Jean Bell M’86
Patricia Bennane
Margaret Berthiaume ‘42 *
Roseanne Bilodeau ‘70
Lore Blanchard ‘84
Luis ‘02 & Hillary ‘99 Borges
Maureen Bortolot ‘67
Mary Bott
Joseph Bourassa ‘95
John Bova
Theresa Broadbin
Benjamin Broderick
Karen Broderick
Patricia Brown ‘87
Raymond Brown ‘57
Edith Buck ‘55
Jason Budahazy ‘09
L. Russell ‘53 & Gertrude ‘80 † Burgess
Jeffery Burks ‘83
David Burr ‘08
Sandra Byrne
Raphaele Cacio ‘04
Marian Call
Anita Calvo
Marcia Campbell
Charles & Beverly Canfield
Cheryl Caouette ‘94
Matthew Carden
Meghan Carden
Lynn Carey
Charles Carroll M’81 *
Jamey ‘02 & Courtney ‘02 Carroll
Marcella Carroll
Jenna Castle ‘07
Howard Charbonneau ‘89
Joy Chartier
Charles Chatterton
Sue-Ellen Chieffalo
Krystyna Chmielewski
Keith Christoffers ‘96
Gladys Chudy ‘71
Clifford Clauson
Julie Clement ‘85
Carolyn Coates *
Robert Coldwell
Kimberly Coleman
James Colford
Jacqueline Colgan ‘80
Cathryn Collins ‘70
Gloria Colurso
Eileen Colwell ‘98
Thomas Connors ‘80
Denise Cooke
Shawn Corey ‘94 M’08
Anne Costa ‘79 *
Andrew Cote ‘75
Anthony Cristi ‘97
David Cummings *
Debra Curran
Richard Curran
Roberta Czarsty ‘50
Camilla Dahl
Mark ‘79 & June ‘79 Dalidowitz
Wendy Daly ‘75 *
Carolyn Dawkins ‘63
Lauren DeLisa ‘08
Carolynne DeLoreto
Jaclyn DeMaio Cabrera ‘92
Jerome Dempsey ‘94
Janice Deskus ‘88
Marie-Pierre Diana M’88
Richard & Karen M’90 Dibala
Theodore Diebolt ‘83
James Doheny
Elizabeth Dominguez
Lauren Doninger
John Donnelly ‘85
Vicki Dougherty
Diane Dowd
James Doyle Jr. ‘81 *
James Dufraine
Elaine Dugas Shea ‘66 *
Anita Dugatto-Coscia ‘79
John Dunnack *
Marie Duquette ‘81
Margaret Durham ‘28
Marvin Edelman ‘52
James Elsner
Mildred Engberg
David Engelson ‘70
Linda Ericson
Carole Erlandson
Mary Evans
Randy Ewart
Hendrick ‘99 & Melissa ‘98 Facas
Maureen Fargo
Mary Fatsi ‘56
Joseph Ferron III ‘85
Gary ‘79 & Beth ‘79 Fetzer
Joan Fidler ‘78
Helen Fink
Barbara Fischetti
Valerie Fitzpatrick
William Flannery
Stephen & Cynthia Fleischer
Silvia Flynn
Beverly Follis ‘70
Francis ‘51 & Patricia ‘51 Franz
Bonnie Freeman ‘68
Marc Freeman ‘93 & Amy Sheehan ‘94
Kathy Freidenfelds
Eugene Gaddis
Doris Gagnon ‘70
Richard Galipeau M’01
Maria Gallo
Ronald Gambrell ‘94
Nancy Garry
Melissa Geissler
Kathleen Gerardi
Shirley Gillis M’75
Rebecca Giulietti
Sean Glasgow ‘85
Shirley Glenney ‘93
Jean-Pierre Godbout
Edward Goldberg
Richard Greeley
Suzanne Grella
Wendell Grigely Jr.
Doris Griscom
Joanne Gyure ‘94
Loretta Haeger ‘95
David Haines
Gretchen Hall
James Halliday
Natalie Harbeson ‘77
Nancy Harding M’90
Patricia Harkins
Rex & Sue ‘87 Harkness *
Diana Harlow
Christine Havens ‘79
Robert ‘64 & Elizabeth ‘64 Henseler
Frederick Herbert
Noreen Hershelman ‘89
Elaine Hess M’89 *
Tyler Hewes ‘02
Catherine Hiller ‘55 *
Jeffrey Holt ‘97
James Homiski ‘72
Robert Horrocks *
Delores Houle
Frederick Jr. ‘87 & Virginia ‘87 Hughes
Susan Hutchens ‘69 *
John Insalaco
Pamela Irvine
Harriett Ivey ‘73
Aaron Izaryk
Charles Izzo ‘92
Joan Jackson
Brian Jacobson ‘07
Lorie Jakubowski ‘88
Patricia James ‘93
Mariann Jensen
Angela Jimenez
Thomas Laboy ‘79
Kelly LaForest
Joseph LaFrance ‘77
Lewis ‘54 & Jane ‘53 Lamb
Carl ‘04 & Jill M’04 Langlais
John LaPorte
Beth Larkins-Strathy ‘74 *
Leonard Lavallee ‘52
Richard ‘66 & Mary ‘66 Lavatori
Ronald ‘76 & Julie ‘78 LaVigne
Doris Lee
Kevin Lemieux ‘98
Teri Lemieux
Marilyn Levine ‘68
Michael Lillpopp
Anthony Littizzio
Sandra Long ‘73
Pamela Lothrop
Arthur Lovelace
Elizabeth Lowell ‘51
Stephen Lowrey ‘80
William Lugo
Michael & Elizabeth Lunny
The SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc. is represented by, from left, Doreen
Downham, associate executive director and corporate secretary; Sheila
Flanagan, executive director; and board member, Thomas Toomey at the
ECSU Foundation Donor Recognition Luncheon. The SBM Foundation
received the ECSU Foundation Board of Directors Donor of the Year Award
for its generous support of Eastern’s early childhood education programs.
Julia Joffe
Roland ‘60 & Nancy ‘69 Johndrow
Constance Johnson ‘87
Hazel Johnson ‘51
Margaret Johnson
Cheryl Kaake ‘80
Gregory Kane
Stephen Kania ‘78
Nathan & Sarah ‘03 Kannas
Karen Kilby ‘80
Barbara Kinahan
Linda Kinsley
Hari & Sita ‘02 M’08 Koirala *
Bertram Koppisch
Laurie Kosich
Monique Kouassi
Harold & Claire ‘67 Krause
Angela Krok ‘05
Peter Krol
Patricia Kucharski ‘04
Evelyn Kuck ‘39
Elena Lupinacci ‘42
Joanne Luppi ‘53
Gregory Lyon ‘81
Aileen Lyons ‘92
Mildred MacDonald
Michael ‘89 & Heidi ‘89 Madow
William Mahoney Jr.
Rita Malenczyk
Jerry ‘75 & Alice ‘75 Marchon
Beth Markiewicz
Clifford Marrett ‘03
Loris Masterton
Torey Matthess
Mabel McCarthy
Mary McCarthy ‘63
Judith McChesney M’84
Laurel McCollam ‘08
Marita McComiskey ‘89
Patricia McGill ‘68
John McIsaac
Alice Meisinger
vii
Gene Phaneuf ’59 poses with President Núñez as she presents his “Golden Diploma”
as part of his 50th Class Reunion celebration in May. Gene, along with his wife
Carol ’59, are leadership donors for the newly established Class of ’59 Scholarship.
Richard Menard
Cynthia Merrill ‘90
Neil Mesick ‘65
Andrea Messier ‘69
Alane Messina
Joel Meyers M’06 & Gail Gelburd
Michael Miarecki ‘91
Phyllis Michaud ‘50
Eleanor Miller
Peter Miller ‘89
Philip ‘90 & Renee ‘88 Miller
Sherri Miller ‘84
Lucille Mirante
Ellen Moilanen ‘43
Timothy ‘88 & Melissa ‘04 Moore
Julio Morales Jr.
Andree Morin ‘86
John ‘70 & Dorothy ‘73 Morrill
Clare Morrison
Cathy Morrow
Dorothy Mrowka ‘88
David Munson ‘69
Eileen Murphy ‘73
Patricia Murphy
Kathleen Murray
William Nagy ‘75 M’78
Jean Newbury ‘77
Jo Ann Newmyer * †
Jadwiga Newton
Arlene Norman ‘44
Gerald Novick M’06
Frances Nugent
Bertram Nussbaum ‘63
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
viii
Timothy O’Brien ‘94
Kenneth Otzel ‘79
Michael Pagano
Arlene Pappas
Liliana Parico ‘95
Diane Parker ‘63 *
Christine Parks
Carol Parmelee-Blancato ‘68 *
Jennifer Pasieka ‘06
Karen Patterson
Jacqueline Pentalow
Yolanda Pereira
Michael Perone
Diane Petersen
Ruth Phelps ‘41
Donald ‘82 & Joanne ‘76 Philips
Glenn Pianka ‘86
John Piccochi
Raymond Plassmann ‘50
Frank Pokorny ‘03
Norma Posocco ‘73
Karen Price ‘66
James Provera
John ‘87 & Allison M’87 Prusak
Kenneth Przybysz
Nancy Purvis *
Nelson Quinby III ‘63
Timothy Quinn ‘77
Patricia Radocy ‘71 *
Sebastian & Mary M’96 Ragno
Elaine Ransom
Doreen Ann Rao
David Rappe
Philip Rapuano
Michael Ratway ‘80
Scott Redman
Christine Regan M’93
Scott Rhoades ‘73
Margaret Richardson ‘64
Donald Richmond ‘74 *
Sandra Rijs M’89
Michael Ringbloom ‘94
Jessica Ringsted ‘88
John & Rita ‘88 Risley
Diane Rizzuto
William Robbins ‘86
Noreen Robinson
Molly Roehl ‘05
Lyn Romano
Michael Romanski ‘75 *
L. Michael Romeo Jr. ‘86
Mirian Rook ‘73 M’77 *
Marc ‘88 & Joy ‘87 Rosenberg
Barbara Rosenthal ‘51
Marvin Ross ‘63
Ada Roth ‘54 *
Marjorie Rousseau ‘51
Lisa & Henry Rubio
Ruth Russian ‘42
Anita Russo
Teresa Russo
Jacques Saint-Phard
William & Alison Salka
Kenneth Sayers ‘08
Matthew Schardt M’01
Carol Schimmelpfennig
Laurie Schiro
Frederick Schram
Jeremy Schwartz
Lisa Scott ‘88 *
Lois Scranton ‘80
John Shaw Jr.
Nancy Shay ‘99
Susan Shumard
Paul ‘73 & Deborah Simpson
Kathleen Sims
Gussie Sitkin ‘43
Lori Skelton ‘04
Catherine Skiba ‘79
Jean Slaney ‘68
Joyce Solomon ‘49
Gail Stafford ‘65
Megan Staples
Kenneth Straus
Anthony ‘53 & Marie ‘54 Strazzo
Ian Sullivan ‘07
Mary Sweeney ‘54 *
Janet Sweeten
Andrew Taddei Jr. ‘87
Ellen Tambornini ‘62 M’89
Linda Tipping ‘90
Roland Trailor Sr. ‘61 &
Colette Trailor ‘61 *
Mary-Jane Traska ‘72 *
Joan Tremberth
Kathryn True ‘79
Jeannine Upson ‘86
Karen Van Riper
Sandra Vann
Sharon Vece ‘78
Steven Vendetta ‘86
Margaret Vested
Nancy Vignone
Michael Vollono
Robert Wade ‘62
Cristine Waldron M’91 *
John Walker ‘82
Mary Walker
Stephen Walker
Ivan Walrath M’03
Denise Walsh ‘94
Richard ‘81 & Carol ‘81 Walsh
Richard ‘51 & Margaret ‘50 Waterman
Beverly Webb ‘51
Robert Jr. & Wendy Whitmore
Gregory ‘79 & Cynthia ‘79 Wilby
Terri Wilson ‘82
Felix Winters ‘52
Laura Wirtz
Karen Wojnarowski ‘06
Barbara Yohe ‘74
Anthony Zaccaro ‘79
Mark Zurzola ‘88
EASTERN DONORS
Carol Abatelli *
Joan Abbey ‘80
Julie Abbiati ‘81
Erin Abrahamson ‘09
Peter Adams
Gerelyn Adcock ‘04
Elaine Agard ‘09
Eileen Ahern ‘82
Stephen ‘81 & Claudia ‘81 Ahern
Dorothy Aiksnoras-Vallee ‘71
Dana Albee
Mark Aldo ‘09
Gabrielle Aldrich ‘83
Julie Alexander ‘90
Jean Allbee ‘74
Lorraine Allen ‘73
Scott Allshouse ‘87
Scott Almeida
Mark Altier ‘78
Cynthia Altieri
Kristen Altieri
Linda Altieri
Gary Ambukewicz ‘73 *
Ann Anderberg
Delia Anderson
Linda Andrews
Denette Anthony ‘87
Susan Antonaros
Susan Antonucci
Linda Appel
Virgilio Arcega Jr. ‘91
Naida Arcenas ‘88
Lynn Archambault
Douglas Sr. & Karen Archer
Stacey Arena ‘09
Alice Armstrong ‘75
Tracey Arnold ‘89
Janet Arnone ‘73
Deborah Arvai
Timothy Ashburner
Elizabeth Ashe †
Paul Aube ‘09
David Autencio ‘08
David Avenia
Raymond Axelrod
William Ayer ‘61
John Babbitt
James Babiarz ‘98
Lisa Bacchiocchi
Peter Bachiochi
Beverly Backstrom ‘68
James Baker ‘09
Kathryn Baker ‘09
Raymond Baker Jr.
Leigh Balducci
Daniel Ballek ‘08
Meagan Bannell ‘09
Kathleen Bannon ‘90
Nicholas Bard ‘09
Kevin Barnett
Edith Baron ‘76
Kimberly Barravecchia ‘09
Amy Barrett ‘09
Eastern Pride Society
The Eastern Pride Society recognizes Eastern’s most loyal donors: those
who have given for the last ten fiscal years or more. We thank you.
Roger Abell ‘70
Roger Adams
Elizabeth Archer ‘46
Debra Avery ‘91
Madeline Bernstein
Lula Blocton
Charles Butremovic III ‘95
Charles & Beverly Canfield
Keith Carlough ‘79
Fern Carlson ‘43 †
Charles Carroll M’81
David Carter Sr.
Chester Kitchings Family Foundation
Karen Collins
Anne Costa ‘79
Kimberly Crone
Walter Crosby ‘80
David Cummings
Annabelle Curran ‘67
Jane Denault ‘74
Jean Derby ‘53
Walter Diaz
Philomene Ducas
Elaine Dugas Shea ‘66
John Dunnack
Kathleen Fabian ‘72
Ingrid Feddersen
Evelyn Franson ‘53
Rhona Free
Tina Fu
Michael Gable
William Gamzon
Brian Gauthier ‘81
Donald Geissler
David Geissler
Francis Geissler †
Ford Gerritt ‘73
Ann Gruenberg M’80
Elizabeth Haarke ‘87
Elsie Hale ‘44
Dennis Hannon
Rex & Sue ‘87 Harkness
Susan Heyward
Richard Hill ‘73
Luva Mead Hoar ‘42
Robert Horrocks
Kristin Jacobi
Barbara Jacobsen ‘70
Saras Jain
Marie Love Johnson
Danielle Kaminski
Stephen & Faith Kenton
Patricia Kleine
Charleen Knapp ‘77 M’85
Hari & Sita ‘02 M’08 Koirala
Kannangath Kutty
Ellen Lang ‘81 & James Watson
Beth Larkins-Strathy ‘74
Regina LaRose ‘65
John ‘71 & Paulann ‘64 Lescoe
James LoMonaco
Martin Lynch ‘97
Anne Mahalawich ‘44
William Marsh ‘89
James Jr. ‘75 & Janine ‘73 Masso
Martin Mlyniec ‘95
Jennifer Morrison ‘84
Stanley Morytko Jr. ‘74
Mari Muri ‘79 M’82
Lynn Nauss ‘87
Dimitrios & Sterie M’96 Pachis
Maureen & Michael Pernal
Jeannie Pogmore M’90
Lana Pontbriant ‘93
Laurie Pudlo ‘86
Hermine Purvis ‘55
Nancy Purvis
Patricia Radocy ‘71
Christine Regan M’93
Mirian Rook ‘73 M’77
Ruth Rosebrooks ‘54
Ada Roth ‘54
Leon Sarin & Dorothy Phillips
Karen Scotti ‘91
Jack Sirotnik ‘77
David Stoloff
Robert ‘63 & Judith ‘65 Strouse
Mary Sweeney ‘54
John Sweeney
Nancy Tinker M’05
John Torrey Jr. ‘70
David Trainor
Kenneth M’75 & Joyce ‘76 Tremblay
Charles Webb
Carol Williams
Margaret Wilson 45 †
Lucille Wisted M’72
Joyce Wong
Charles Wynn
David & Suzanne M’91 Yeo
Ralph Jr. & Ruth ‘83 M’86 Yulo
David Yutzey
Joanne Bartmess
Elizabeth Bartol ‘77
Kristine Bastura ‘09
Nicole Bates ‘09
Terri Bauman ‘74
Susan Beaudoin ‘87
Thomas Beaulieu
Carrie Becker M’04
Brenda Bedford
Kyle Bedini ‘09
Brian Beechinor
Lori Beechinor ‘08
Jo Ann Begley
Ann Behfar ‘87
Esther Beierle ‘60
Vincentia Belbruno ‘57 M’71 *
John Bell Sr. ‘08
Maureen Bell
Megan Benard ‘09
Marybeth Bender
John Bennett Jr. ‘77
Helen Benzinger
Winona Berdine ‘07
Alison Bergeron ‘09
Dolores Bergeron
Joshua Bernegger ‘95
Harold Bernstein ‘80
Kristopher Bertelli ‘09
Amy Berthiaume ‘09
Natalie Bessios ‘09
Crystal Bidwell ‘09
Irmina Bieda
Leo ‘78 & Ellen ‘78 Bienvenue
Denise Bierly *
Gloria Bigenski M’68
Richard ‘62 & Margaret ‘62 Bilda
Donna Bilodeau
Sarah Bilodeau ‘09
Rachel Bissonette ‘09
Thomas Blake ‘75
John Blanchette ‘93 *
Andria Blanton ‘90
Steven Blethen ‘09
Margaret Blevins ‘95
Lisa Blume ‘09
Judith Boligan ‘65
Sarah Bombria ‘55
Amber Bonchuk ‘09
Charles Booth
Patricia Boothroyd ‘76
Robert Borello ‘71
Dean ‘86 & Kimberly M’91 Bosse
Karen Bouchard ‘79
Kathleen Bouchey Hopkins M’68
Sarah Bourbeau ‘09
Timothy Bowen M’99
Kevnesha Boyd ‘09
Teresa Brastow ‘68
Steven ‘80 & JoAnn ‘81 Breaux
Meghan Breen ‘09
Amy Brenner-Fricke
Natasha Brielmann ‘09
Cathy Brierley
Daniel Brierley ‘09
Shelly Briscoe
Terry Britner ‘09
Lora Brodeur ‘81 *
Melody Brohinsky
Cynthia Brokaw
Sharon Bromfield ‘80
Amy Brosnan ‘09
Nancy Brouillard
Beverly Brown ‘50
Dawn Brown M’92
Justin Brown ‘09
Linda Brown ‘70
Patrick ‘70 & Gail ‘68 Brown
Raymond Brown ‘09
Richard Brown ‘68
Elise Browne
John Bruce
Maureen Bruce
Andrew Bruhn ‘09
Laurie Brunsdon M’91
Carol Brusseau ‘69
Marian Bundock
Diane Burke ‘83
Patricia Burns
Carol Bush ‘57
Evelyn Bushkoff
Kelsey Bushkoff ‘09
Brian Butler
Holly Butler ‘08
Charles Butremovic III ‘95 *
Lura Butt ‘80
Beverly Byron
Janice Caleshu-Roth ‘97
Robert Caless
Kelsey Caliento ‘09
Christopher Calvo ‘09
Donna Campanello
Faith Campbell Powers ‘92
Dora Campoli
Florence Capiga ‘65
Ronald Capozzi ‘73
Lynsey Card ‘09
Hector Cardona ‘99
Judith Cardona
Mary Anne Carlin
Keith Carlough ‘79 *
Christopher Carmean ‘08
Brendan Carney ‘01
Christine Carpenter
Jennifer Carpenter ‘09
Elizabeth Carter
Julie Caruso
Robert Casey Jr. ‘79
Donald Cashman M’67
James Cavaliere
Margaret Cavaliere
Paul Cavaliere
Michael Cavallaro ‘09
Amy Cave
Gail Ceccarelli ‘94
Grace Cedrone
Jameson Chace ‘89
Leanne Chace
Mary Chalupsky
Colin Chamberlain ‘09
Graham Chamberlain ‘09
Roseanne Chandler
Scott Chandler ‘94
Beverly Chapman ‘03 M’06
Christine Chapman ‘06
Mary Chapman
Mark Chappell ‘73
Patrica Charamut
Bertice Chepyha ‘83
Stuart Cherney
Diane Cheslick
Sarah Cheslick ‘09
Kim Chiarella
Miriam Chirico
Henryka Chmielewski
Jerzy Chmielewski
Joseph Chmielewski
Cherie Chobot
Lois Choquette
Nooram Choudhury ‘09
Erik Christensen ‘08
Phillip Christopher ‘09
Cecilia Chrosny ‘09
Sharon Ciarlo
Kathleen Claprood M’05
Amanda Clark ‘09
James ‘79 & Mary Beth ‘79 Clark
Julie Clark
Robin Clark
Denise Cloutier
Jayne Coale ‘58
Beth Coccia ‘00
Elizabeth Cocola
Jennifer Cody
C. William Coldwell
Willie Coleman III
Robert & Jill ‘06 Collins
Robert Collins
Edward Colon
Harry Colonis ‘93
Peter Colonis M’68
Christine Comeau ‘73
Isabel Compasso ‘76
Stephanie Conforti ‘08
Louis Congemi
Patricia Connor ‘84
Jennifer Conover ‘00
Anthony Conte
Suzanne Conte ‘69
Allison Cook ‘08
Denise Cooley M’80
ix
Moira Cooney ‘09
Theresa Cooper M’96
Teresa Coperine
Stephen Coppa ‘87
Daniel Coppinger ‘90
Donald Corcoran Jr.
Nancy Cordes M’90
Luis & Joanne Cordon
Diana Cormier ‘86
Aqualina Corn ‘93
Hector Cortes
Carol Cory ‘79
Alison Costa
Marianne Cote ‘71 M’78
Elizabeth Cowles
Alan ‘85 & Maureen ‘94 Cox *
Phyllis Craig ‘75
Constance Crawford M’84
Debra Crookston
Lucy Crosbie
Donna Cunningham ‘00
Dustin Curotto ‘09
Annabelle Curran ‘67 *
Barbara Curran
Dawn Curran
Linda Curran
Eileen Curtin ‘91
Courtney Cuttler ‘09
Anna Czercowy ‘08
Christian D’Ambrosio
Bonnie Daigle
Jordan Daigneault ‘08
Carl Dal Bon ‘75
Crystal Dame ‘09
Shelton Daniels
Salem David ‘47
Arnold ‘73 & Barbara ‘74 Davis
Patricia Davis ‘69
David Dawson ‘75
Renee De Pastino ‘96
Jackie DeBois
Janet DeCarolis ‘63
Lisa DeFanti ‘85 M’90
Anthony Del Grego
Marlene DelGallo
Danielle DelGrego ‘09
Christopher DelMastro ‘93
Lori Delsole
Vincent DeLuca ‘09
Sarah DeLucco ‘09
Jane Denault ‘74 *
Krystle Denny ‘09
Anne Dente M’02
Susan Denz ‘75
Melissa DePaola M’06
David DeSanti ‘09
Eleanore Deschene ‘70
Cynthia Deshefy
Kayla Desjardins ‘09
Molly Desjarlais ‘09
Lori Deslandes-Paz ‘88
Andrea Desrosiers ‘09
Nancy Desrosiers
Dan & Linda Devlin
Lucilyn Diaz
Carol DiRienzo ‘09
Cristina DiSorbo ‘09
Madeline DiStasio
Jody Diulio
Kevin Doheny
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
x
Michael Doheny
Alexandra Dominguez ‘09
Bianca Donihee
Kevin ‘98 & Allison ‘98 Donnelly *
Barbara Dorman M’94
Nancy Dotterer
Zachary Doty ‘09
Joan Dower ‘88
Julie Dowling ‘95
Christopher Doyle ‘09
Clarissa Dozier ‘09
Dawn DuBaldo
Jessica Dubois
Joan Duell ‘81
Lindsey Duerr M’06
Karen Dufraine
Kathryn Dufraine
Sarah Dugas ‘08
Susan DuGrenier ‘73
Ann Duhamel
Victoria Dundics M’82
William & Lorraine Dunn
Lois Dupointe ‘85
Joann Dupre
Lisa Durham-Maurer
Janice Dutram ‘73
Jonathan Duvall ‘08
Christa Eadie
Macpherson Eghianruwa ‘08
Richard Ehrhardt III
Linda Ehrler
Patricia Elliott
Raymond Elliott
Ellen Embardo
Rachael Epstein ‘09
Laurie Ereshena ‘79
Sharon Eschrich ‘88
Carlos Escoto
Jerri Eubank ‘05
Gregory Evans
Melanie Evans
Wendi Everton
Sally-Ann Exley ‘95
Michael Eza ‘08
Brent Faherty ‘08
Gail Faherty ‘03 M’05
Kelsey Famosi
Joan Fargo ‘57
David Farrell ‘09
Marie Farrell ‘09
Donald Farrington
Veronica Faugno
Joan Fazo
Joyce Feen ‘58
Lori Ferranti ‘09
Candida Ferreira
Brian Festa
Irene Ficara ‘96
Gail Filippetti ‘86
Donna Fink
Kelly Finlay ‘09
Nancy Fischer ‘55 *
Alexander Fisher
Janet Fisher
Kathaleen Fisher ‘09
Melissa Fitzgerald
Michael ‘70 & Tuula ‘91 Fitzgerald
Frederick & Andrea Fitzner
Kerri Fitzsimons ‘09
Michael Fleming ‘92
Michael Fleming II ‘09
Judith Flynn ‘72
Spencer Flynn ‘09
Mary Lou Folan
Caitlin Foley ‘09
The Millstone Chemistry Department led by Lew Crone (standing 3rd from left) joins his
wife Kim Crone, director of admissions (far left) and President Núñez (standing 3rd from
right) at the annual Bowlathon held in March. The Millstone teams were again the top
fundraisers for the event which supports scholarships for local Eastern students.
Lauren Forbes ‘09
Catherine Forgine
James ‘63 & Elizabeth ‘66 Forrest
Carol Foss ‘68
John Fournier ‘09
Richard Fournier ‘63
Dana Fraioli ‘09
Janice Franklin ‘09
Courtney Fraser ‘09
Scott Fraser ‘93
Jennifer Frechette ‘06
Roland Jr. ‘85 & Susan ‘98 Frechette
Kelly Freitag ‘09
John Freudenstein ‘62
Peggy Fricks ‘76
Susan Fritch
Patricia Fritz ‘79
Danielle Frost ‘09
James Frost Jr. ‘52
Karen Frugale
Joseph Frutuoso
Ronald Fuller ‘86
Michael Gadoury ‘02
Susan Gagliardi
Lyn Gagne M’07
Alicia Galanto ‘09
Michael Gale ‘09
Dennis Galipeau Jr.
Carly Garrett ‘95
Melissa Garrett ‘93
John Gasper Jr. ‘79 *
David Gauthier ‘99
Diane Geer
Paul & Marlene ‘91 Genereux
Novagrami George ‘09
Stephanie George ‘08
Donna Georgescu
Linda Geraghty
Matthew Gerardi
Michael Gerich
Eric Germain
Elaine Gernux
Marcel Gervais ‘09
Stephanie Gilbert ‘09
Jessica Giordano ‘08
Patricia Gizinski ‘09
Elizabeth Glaude ‘72
Bonnie Godin ‘73
Gretchen Golnik ‘09
Celia Golub ‘93
Jessica Goodrich ‘81
Karen Goodwin
Rosalynn Gordon ‘71
Joan Gorlach ‘76
Dorothy Grady ‘89
Meghan Grady ‘09
Chelsea Graham ‘09
Cathy Gramling M’99
Louis Grasso
Rachel Gratton ‘09
Ryan Greco
Eric Greenier ‘09
Tom Greenless
Martha Greenwood ‘58
Heather Greiser ‘09
Stephen Grenier
Elizabeth Grieder ‘09
Ann Griffin
Beth Griffin
Paul Griffin ‘81
Lauren Griffith
Lacey Gross ‘09
Amy Grover ‘09
Beth Gruessner
Stephanie Gruessner ‘09
Linda Guerard
Karen Guerri
Tracy Gulick ‘88
Ergys Guni ‘09
Chris Gustavel ‘09
Edward Guyer ‘87
Amanda Gyenizs ‘08
Jeanne Haas
Jenna Hagist ‘09
Martina Haiderer
Royal Jr. ‘70 & Kathleen ‘69 Hale
June Haley ‘67
Elsie Hall ‘63
Tina Hall ‘09
Kathryn Hamilton ‘76
Kelsey Hamilton ‘09
Nikki Hammon
Kathryn Hammond M’87
Sara Hanrahan ‘09
Richard Hanson ‘82
Judith Hany ‘62
Jeffrey ‘73 & Marcia ‘83 Hardell
Paula Harold ‘89
Nancy Harrington ‘61
Cindy Harrison
Janelle Harrison ‘09
Juliann Harrison ‘09
Carolee Hart ‘68
Irene Hartley ‘53
Timothy Hartley ‘80
Lorraine Hastings ‘07
Lawrence & Marlene Hayes
Paula Hebb M’88
Barbara Heckendorf ‘46
Audrey Heidel ‘76
Sylvia Hellstrom ‘70
Donna Hendrickson
Yolanda Hennigan
Richard Hernandez ‘09
Emily Hernberg ‘09
Susan Herrick ‘00
Michael Hershman
Meghan Hickelton ‘09
Ann Hickey
Margaret Hickson ‘55 *
Ann Higginbotham
Daniel Higgins ‘09
Sarah Hills ‘09
Fatima Hinds ‘09
June Hnath ‘80
Tristan Hobbes ‘09
Cynthia Hodis ‘82
David Hoffman ‘70
Barbara Hogan
Susan Holmes ‘07
Wayne Hoover ‘83
D. Amy Hopkins M’92
Marcia Horan ‘90
Therese Horvath ‘09
Kristie Howard ‘09
Laurie Howe
Donald Hoyle
Addie Hoyt ‘85
Lori Hubeny
Lynn Hudak ‘09
Katherine Hughes ‘09
Kathy Hurd
Tara Hurt *
Susan Husta
Claire Jackson
Megan Jagaczewski ‘09
Elizabeth Jalkanen ‘69
Betty James ‘57
Jean Jamieson ‘55 M’82 *
Peter Janetatos
James Jarboe
Kerin Jaros-Dressler ‘09
Carole Jeffries ‘91
James Jennings
Eileen Jensen ‘69 *
Brittany Johnson ‘09
Linda Johnson
Reid Johnson ‘93
Tammy Johnson
Christina Jordan
Katherine Jordison ‘09
Ashley Jose ‘09
Rose Joyner
Christina Juber
Richard & Loresa Julius
Clara Juncadella ‘09
Katrina Kadyszewski ‘01
Stephen Kalos
Rena Kameros ‘47
Jacqueline Kane ‘09
Philip Kane
Carmelina Kanzler M’73 *
Karen Karas
Ruth Katten ‘57
Lewis & Shirley ‘72 Katz *
Salvatrice Keating
Sean Keaveny ‘09
Sean Kegler ‘09
Michael Keleher ‘80
Edward Kelley ‘95
Christopher Kellner ‘09
Joyce Kelly ‘90
Kimberly Kelly ‘09
Lee Kelly ‘95
Roxanne Kelly
Debra Kendall ‘93
Kelsey Kendall ‘09
Susan Kennedy
William Kennedy
James Kent Jr. ‘93
Visual Arts Professor Claudia Widdiss, pictured here with her students, established the Alexander “Sandy” Taylor Scholarship this year. A highly-regarded
poet, professor and publisher, Taylor’s life mission was to publish creative
literature that promoted human rights and intercultural understanding.
Alicia Kern ‘09
Catherine Kerr M’00
Jennifer Keyes ‘09
Susan ‘09 & Trevor Kiddy
Kris Kimbro ‘06
Carolyn King
Carl Kirchner ‘08
Bridget Klebaur ‘09
Ruth Kneier M’71 *
Linda Knight M’00
Ann Knipe M’65
Laura Kolar ‘09
Kimberly Kolpak ‘05
Estelle Konesni ‘34
Sara Kopacz
Eleanor Koss ‘64
John Kostecki ‘08
Nicole Krassas *
Judith Krochmalny
Michael Kubelle ‘09
Jeanine Kuchta
Jacqueline Kulhowvick
Gene Kupec-Iovine ‘72
Samantha Labansky ‘09
Mark Labas ‘91
Cathleen LaBombard ‘80
Marlene Lacz
Linda Lafontaine
Maria LaForge ‘09
Doris Lake ‘84
Katie LaMarr ‘09
Richard Lamb
Scott Lambeck ‘03
Hille Lamothe
Robert Lamphere ‘09
Loren Lane
Matthew Langlais
Lani Langlois ‘72
Kathleen LaPlante
Andrea Lapointe ‘83
Samantha Larkin ‘09
Regina LaRose ‘65 *
Dayle Larson
Gregory Lasota
Jodi Lavoie ‘09
Lydia Lavoie ‘77
Michelle Lawlor
Christine Lawrence
Talia Lazaro ‘09
Amanda LeClerc ‘09
Anita Lee
David Lee ‘09
LaRonya Lee ‘92
Gregory Leeser ‘09
Robert Leighton ‘96
Amanda Leonard ‘09
Karen Lepak ‘86
Danielle Letourneau ‘09
David Levanto
Timothy Leveille ‘69
Paul Levesque
Nicole Lewis ‘09
Sabrina Lewis ‘09
Linda Lindsay
Elyse Littizzio ‘09
Weiping Liu
Joseph Lobe ‘03
Nancy Lombardo M’04
Anthony Lonardelli Jr.
Marie Long ‘57
Randall Loomis ‘08
Robert Loomis II ‘09
Felicia Lorenzo
James Loughran ‘82
Ashley Lowe ‘09
Gift Levels
The Tower Society
Platinum $50,000 +
Diamond $25,000 to 49,999
Gold $15,000 to 24,999
Silver $10,000 to 14,999
Bronze $5,000 to 9,999
F. R. Noble Associates
$1,000 to 4,999
The 1889 Society
$500 to 999
The President’s Circle
$300 to 499
The Century Club
$100 to 299
Friends of Eastern
$50 to 99
Donors
$1 to 49
Walter Lowell
Jennifer Lubszewicz ‘08
Christine Luc
Paul Lupinacci
Peter Lupinacci
Cynthia Luty M’95
Maribel Luzunaris ‘95
Jennifer Lynch ‘93
Jennifer Lynch ‘09
Kara Lynch
Sarah Lynch ‘09
Margaret Macaluso
Erin MacDonnell ‘88
Donald Machado
Stanley Machnik ‘84
Charles MacKenzie M’00
Darlene Mackey
Brian Maglione ‘09
Nancy Mahoney ‘74
Andreina Mailhot
Lindsey Malchow ‘09
Andrea Maletta ‘08
Christina Malizia ‘09
Kimberly Mancinelli
Katherine Mann M’76
Abbey Manzone ‘09
Donna Maramo ‘02
Mary Maranell M’88
Natalia Marcantonio ‘09
Ronald Marciano
Patrick Marcoux ‘91
Thomas Mariconda ‘76
Patricia Marino ‘78
Antonio Marrero
Jose Marrero
Briant Marsh M’80
William Marsh ‘89 *
Jennifer Marshall ‘86
Ann Martell
Daniel & Mary ‘82 Martin
Eric Martin
Pamela Martin ‘75
Mark Maruscsak ‘78
Michael Masterson
Donna Matthews ‘75
Candace Maynard
Malachi Maynard ‘09
Elizabeth Mazzola ‘49
Kimberly McAdam M’99
xi
Turquoise McBride ‘09
Heather McCaslin ‘92
E. Rochelle McCauley
Kathleen McCrossan
Kimberly McDermott ‘90
Suehellen McDougal ‘09
Lori McDougall ‘88
Mary Ann McDuff
Ashley McFarland ‘09
Marcia McGee
Kate McIntyre
Amanda McJunkins ‘09
Robert McKay ‘79
Darlene McKinstry
Brian McLaughlin ‘76
Kelly McLaughlin ‘08
Sean McLaughlin ‘09
Alice McMahon ‘58
Kelly McMenamey ‘09
Pietra McNamara ‘94
Jennifer McPhee ‘06 M’08
Shauna McSherry
Marianne Meaney ‘67
Claire Meikle ‘94
Joyce Melaragno
Lisa Melaragno
Patricia Mellen ‘72
Laura Mello ‘95
Karen Menard
Anthony Mendes ‘09
Nancy Mendonca
Donna Mendyka
Katrina Mercer ‘08
Jodi Merusi ‘77
Cecelia Messore ‘63
Dorothy Metz ‘49
Lewis Middleton ‘71
Maioleen Mihkel
Maureen Miles ‘87
Meghan Milewski ‘95
Adrian Miller ‘09
Jillian Millette
Jennifer Miner ‘09
Kayleen Misale ‘09
Kelly Misterka ‘09
Arthur Mitchell ‘62
Beth Mitchell ‘08
Erik Mitchell
Martin Mlyniec ‘95 *
Patricia Monnerat
Tracy Monopoli
Geoffrey Monsonis ‘09
Lisa Montanaro
Ashley Moore
Erin Moore ‘08
Lynn Moore ‘65
Judy Moran
Ashley Morgan ‘09
Donna Moriarty
Nancy Moriarty ‘81 M’85
Bruce Morin ‘90
Rachel Morosky ‘82
Patrick Morrell ‘87
Gloria Morrison M’93
Margaret Morrison ‘93
Marie Motes ‘89
Julie Moulin ‘09
Jean Mudgett ‘71
Alysyn Mullen ‘95
Brian Murphy ‘79
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
xii
Matthew Murphy ‘09
Shannon Murphy
William ‘70 & Nancy ‘69 Muszynski
Jean Myers ‘86
Judith Nachilo
John ‘73 & Michele ‘71 Nahas
Steven Nasso ‘09
Thomas Nasso
Elizabeth Nave
Rachel Neagus ‘09
Susan Neff ‘85
Christopher Nelson ‘74
Jane Nelson ‘09
Jeffrey Nelson
Jonathan Nemergut ‘07
Kayla Nickerson ‘09
Rachel Ninteau ‘09
Michael Noel ‘83
Catherine Nolan
Patricia Nolan ‘90
Michael Nucci
Sandra Nuccio ‘63
Asa O’Brien ‘02
Samantha O’Brien ‘09
Margaret O’Connell ‘86
Heather O’Day ‘09
Heather O’Neil
Deborah O’Sullivan
Joseph O’Sullivan
Mary Oakes ‘48
Dorita Oakley
William Odackal ‘09
Rachel Opito ‘09
Maureen Opperman ‘73 *
Rose Otten-Paggioli M’90
J. Roger Ouellet
Holly Ouellette ‘09
Daniel Ouimet ‘66
Whitney Packer ‘09
James Pagano Jr. ‘09
Monica Page ‘09
Marta Pallein
Dorothy Palmer ‘69
Richard Palmer ‘03
Valerie Palmer
Michele Palulis ‘94
Michael Palumbo
M. Jean Panciera
Joseph Pardee
Therese Parent
Amy Parker ‘09
Nancy Parker ‘55
Erin Pascale
Helen Pastore
Padna Patel
Neal Pearson ‘09
Karen Peck ‘81
Paul Pelletier ‘93
Robert Pelletier
Sara Pelletier ‘09
Theresa Pelletier
Marianne Pemberton ‘94
Katie Pensiero
Ryan Pentsak ‘09
Kathleen Pepin ‘70
Jeremy Perron ‘09
Ronald & Sharlene Peter
James Peters ‘90
Jeffrey Peters ‘09
Gregory Peterson
Theresa Peterson ‘06
Janice Petit
Sandy Petkus ‘71
Sandra Petrella ‘91
Rosann Petriello
Elizabeth Petruzzi
Sharon Petsa M’92
Dennis Pettway
Joyce Phagan ‘94
Nancy Phan ‘09
Ed Phinney
Jennie Pica
Felix Piersa ‘86
Ryan Pierson ‘09
Samantha Pina ‘09
Ivan Pinder ‘09
Christine Piro
Mahaik Pirzada ‘09
Sandra Plaza ‘09
Jeannie Pogmore M’90
Glenice Poletti
Edward Polnik
Valerie Redman
Jerome Reed ‘75
Thomas ‘83 & Mary ‘83 Reynolds
Pat Riccitelli ‘80
Kimberly Rich ‘09
Joann Riddell ‘54
Tammy Riley ‘85
Kenneth ‘90 & Kathleen ‘51 Ring
Samuel Rios ‘09
Katherine Riotte ‘09
Janet Riquier ‘93
Ivonne Rivas ‘08
Kathy Rivera ‘09
Joyce Rivers
Judy Rivers
Marianna Rivers
Roger Rivers
Frank Perrotti ’51, Foundation Board member and recipient of the 2009 Distinguished
Service Award sits with Bill Hargreaves, president of the class of ’59, at the honoree
table during the President’s Jubilee Luncheon. Frank, a long-time educator and
administrator and valued Eastern volunteer joins a select group of alumni who have
served on both the Alumni and the ECSU Foundation Boards. Bill worked with his class
this past year to establish the new Class of ’59 Scholarship in honor of its 50th reunion.
Jo-Ann Pomo
Barbara Porebska ‘08
Erika Potter
Randy Poulter
Andrew Powaleny ‘09
Denise Powers ‘08
Thomas Powers
Richard ‘79 & Joanne ‘79 Presto
Cynthia Preston
Kathryn Priebe ‘91
Arnold Prince
Cheryl Proctor ‘97 M’04
Nicole Proffitt ‘09
Hermine Purvis ‘55 *
Meagan Puzacke ‘09
Matthew Pyne ‘09
Dacia Quandt
Tracy Quinn
Margaret Rackliffe M’84
Christina Radcliffe ‘09
Linda Rallo M’01
Shari Ramponi
Richard Ranzinger
David Raszka ‘09
Pearl Rathbun ‘99
Bernadine Rawling
Mary Alice Raymond
James Redman
David Robakiewicz ‘84
Emily Robakiewicz ‘88
John Robbins ‘81
Scott Roberge
Darren Robert ‘92
Heidi Roberto
James Roberts ‘07 M’09
Scott ‘83 & Margaret ‘82 Roberts
Anne Robinson
Gregory Robinson
Scott Robinson ‘79
Jaclyn Rocco ‘09
Lawrence ‘76 & Deborah ‘76
Rodriguez
Paulina Rodriguez ‘09
Heather Rohan
Denise Roman ‘93
Judith Romano ‘63
Wendy Rondeau ‘79
Raymond Roode ‘06
Margaret Rosa ‘84
Sandra Rosado
Steven Rosato ‘88
Ruth Rosiene ‘55
Barbara Ross M’00
Steven Ross ‘93
Joseph Rossi ‘91
Ina Rothenbuecher
Daniel Routhier ‘09
Kim Roy
Stella Ruddley ‘30
Marcia Ruggiero
Natalie Ruggiero ‘09
Andreas Ruiz-Diaz ‘99
Heather Russell ‘09
Melissa Russell ‘09
Patricia Rust ‘60
Matthew Ryan ‘09
Candice Rzeznikiewicz ‘09
Alyssa Sadowski ‘09
Alexis Safo-Agyeman ‘09
Mik Saksith
Priscilla Salvatore ‘66
Robert Sampson
Catherine Sampson Marshall ‘85
Doris Samson
Rosita Sanabria
Kimberly Sanchez ‘09
Maribel Sanchez ‘05
Amanda Sandberg ‘09
Ruth Sangree M’91
Douglas Sanna
Sarah Sansom
Michael Sansone
Kathleen Santoro
William Saunders
Doreen Sauve
Elizabeth Savoie
Stephanie Savoie ‘09
Stephen Sawtelle ‘91
Broderick Sawyer
Kevin Scanlon ‘09
Dylan Schlender ‘09
Katherine Schmitt ‘45
Steven Schneider
Jason Schulte ‘92 & Brenda
Mozdzierz Schulte ‘92
Scott Schultz
Janet Schwabenbauer ‘09
Louis & Karen ‘91 Scotti *
Robert Scutt ‘85
Scott Seaman
Catherine Seaver M’07
Scott Seder ‘91
Marianne Sedgwick ‘80
Gail Seiferman ‘85
Edmond Seney ‘53
Kristie Serra
Joshua Sgandurra
Ashley Shattuck ‘09
Katherine Shaw ‘09
David Shepard
Jennifer Sheridan ‘09
Michelle Shevin
Rose Shewchak ‘42
Marilyn Shirley ‘85
Dana Shoenthal ‘09
Janet Sicilia ‘82
Carol Sielaff
Sandra Sievers ‘69
Joseph ‘79 & Ellen ‘79 Silva
Debra Simpson
Linda Sinko
Amy Sipuleski ‘91
Kenneth ‘82 & Elizabeth ‘82 Skov
Faye Sleeman M’07
Carol Slicer ‘84
Jill Smachetti ‘77
Alyssa Smith ‘09
Arline Smith M’86
Ashley Smith ‘09
Doreen Smith
Garth Smith ‘80
Holly Smith
Jessica Smith ‘09
Nancy Smith ‘57
Sharon Smith ‘80
Bernice Smith-Hewes ‘70
Jonathan Snedeker ‘08
Amanda Snow
Christine Soares ‘82
Patricia Sobieski
Daniel Soda ‘09
Laurie Sorder
John Sorrentino ‘09
Samantha Sosnowitz ‘09
Harrilyn Sottile ‘52
Lea Soucy ‘06
Mary Spellman ‘55
Clifford Spelman
Judith Spencer M’91
Kate Spodobalski ‘06
Courtney St. Jacques ‘08
Jean Stafford-Hohler M’07
Deborah Stanizzi
Mark Stanwich
Darrell Stark
Janet Starr
Michael Stauckas
Sondra Stave
Karen Stearns
Jeffrey Stevens
Kerry Stoecker ‘09
Mary Stone ‘73
Paul Stone ‘08
Kara Stuart ‘09
Thomas Succi
Richard Sulinski ‘74
Barbara Sullivan
Eugene Sullivan
John Sullivan ‘77
Lisa Sullivan ‘91
Mark Sullivan ‘72
Mark Sullivan
MaryAlice Sullivan ‘86
Susan Sullo
Michael Surber ‘94
Sharon Swaney
Verna Swann M’01
Dorothy Swanson ‘57
Ruth Swift ‘64
Daniel & Kimberly M’87 Switchenko
Ann Szafranski
John Szymanski
Shannon Tamosaitis ‘09
Jess Tanguay-Colucci ‘09
Kathleen Tanner M’90
Andrea Tardif
Mary Tauro ‘74
David Tavernier ‘73
Patricia Tedford ‘91
Cathy Terrall
Mary Terrance ‘82
Melinda Testori ‘07
Peter Testori ‘03
Patrice Thomas ‘02
Shirica Thomas ‘09
Brendan Tiani
Erik Tilton ‘09
Nancy Tingle
Wanda Tolliver ‘95
Nancy Tomasch ‘84
David Touger ‘09
Anita Towhill ‘77
Charles Trahan
Ann Tremblay ‘79
Laura Trostel ‘07
Rachel Tucker ‘09
Nanette Tummers *
Kailey Tuthill ‘09
Faith Twining ‘86
Elizabeth Tyrrell
Nicholas Ugolik ‘06
Maureen Ulsamer ‘82
Michael Urban
Thomas Urcinas
Chadwick Vale ‘09
Anthony Vallombroso ‘90 M’99
Louise Varanelli
Susan Varano
Nelson Vasquez ‘09
Sandra Vasquez ‘09
Bruce Vaughan
Jane Veit ‘82
Kathryn Veneziano
Vita Veronesi
Kathryn Verrastro
Jonathan ‘97 & Lucia ‘97
Vervoort
Anne Victorin ‘09
Ricardo Vilfranche ‘09
Virginia Viteri M’04
Cynthia Vivolo
Susan Volovski ‘09
Debra Wagner ‘76
Linda Waitkus ‘95
Lorraine Waldron ‘46
Pamela Waller
Maryann Wallington ‘09
Carol Walters
Kimberly Walters
Katarzyna Wandas
Michael & Joan Warford
Daniel Warren IV
Pamela Warrick
Robert Watson
Katherine Weaver ‘88
Ryan Webber ‘09
Viola Weber ‘75
Mary Webster *
Anita Weeks ‘85
Judith Welling
Katharina Welti ‘78
Joan Weltner
William Welz Jr.
Sean Werkhoven ‘09
Mary Wescott
Karl Westberg ‘93
Harold Weymouth ‘69
Nicole Wheeler ‘09
Diane Wicks ‘75 *
Edward Wiezbicki ‘63
Danielle Wilby ‘09
Nicole Wilkins ‘08
Nancy Willcox
Ethan Willett ‘09
Patricia Williams ‘72
Margaret Wilson ‘88
Randal Winfield
Steven Wise
Dawn Witham ‘09
Vickie Witham
Ashley Witkoski
Rosemary Witkoski
Katherine Witkowski ‘79
Karen Wnek
Jennifer Wolf ‘09
Jacky Woo ‘09
George Woods
Tasha Woodworth ‘09
Stanley Woronik ‘76
Andrea Wright ‘84
Clayton ‘72 & Shirley M’91 Wright
Trenton Wright Jr. ‘76
Norma Wu ‘65
Christian Yankov
Este Yarmosh ‘09
Gail Yother ‘55
Polly Zagorski
Barbara Zamagni ‘70
Julie Zander ‘79
Joanne Zarnoch ‘87
Althea Zesk
Mariann Ziembroski
Roger M’91 & Maryann ‘77 Zotti
Paul Zukowski ‘92
Andrea Zullo ‘09
Elizabeth Zupka ‘09
Elizabeth Zurmuhlen
Scholarships
Dr. Jacqueline A. Abbott
Academic Achievement
Cecile I. Allen
Alston Memorial
Altrusa International, Inc.
Barnes and Noble Endowed
Dr. Stanley F. Battle and
Judith Rozie-Battle
Hermann Beckert Music
Charlotte Biederman French
Studies Award
Dr. Juliette P. Burstermann
The Paul Burton Memorial
Doris K. Brown Endowed
Connie Campo Memorial
Arturo and Elba Candales
Memorial Endowed
Dorothy N. Carlyle Endowed
Chartwells
Marlin S. Clark Endowed
Class of 1994 Achievement
Class of 2008 Endowed
Class of 2009 Endowed
Continuing Education
The Curran Family
Jarrell Cuyler and Angelica
Padilla Memorial
Bruno Czech Memorial
John J. Delmonte, Jr.
Dr. Robert W. Dolph
Alf E. Dyrland Memorial
Eastern Chapter SUOAF Endowed
ECSU Alumni Association
ECSU Foundation
ECSU Foundation Community Youth
ECSU Foundation Faculty/Staff
ECSU Foundation Fine Arts
Program Award
ECSU New London High
School Endowed
Grace F. Enggas
Neil R. Esposito Memorial Endowed
Founders of Accounting
Michael F. Gable Biology
Student Assistantships
Thomas W. Gavigan Endowed
Francis E. and Dorothy M. Geissler
Memorial Endowed
Todd Greenberg Memorial
John D. Heredia Endowed
Edith, John & Chandler Hicks Family
Luva Mead Hoar Endowed
Maximilian E. and Marion O.
Hoffman Foundation
xiii
Class of 2010 Gives a High5 to Eastern
On February 25, the Class of 2010 launched its High5
senior gift campaign in style with a cappuccino party in the
Betty Tipton Room in the Student Center. “This year, the
senior committee has worked hard to plan senior events
that not only celebrate the countdown to graduation, but
also highlight the importance of giving back to Eastern,”
said Casey Bandarra, assistant to the director of student
activities and the committee’s advisor.
The High5 initiative, an affordable five-year pledge program, starts with a $5 donation. The senior gift increases
each year by $5, ending with a $25 gift in year five. The
Class of 2010’s High5 donations will establish an endowed
scholarship for Eastern students. “The tradition of funding
a scholarship as a senior gift started with the Class of 2008
and fits well within the mission of the university,” said
Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. “As the graduating seniors from the Class of 2010
establish this scholarship in perpetuity, they not only help
build their class legacy, they carry on the proud tradition
of their fellow Eastern alumni — giving on an annual basis
to their alma mater.”
Above: Nicole Letourneau ’10 autographs her High5 handprint after donating
to the Class of 2010 Scholarship during the senior gift launch event. Her High5
will be added to the donor wall with those of her classmates, Brett Lukaszek ’10
and Rebecca Quinn Samson ’10 (pictured below).
The first-ever High5 donor wall was introduced at the
launch event. As graduating seniors from the Class of 2010
make their first gift and commit to the five-year pledge
program, they autograph a High5 hand print and place it
on the donor wall. Seniors will have the opportunity to add
their High5 hand print to the wall by pledging at senior
events throughout the semester and by contributing on-line
via emarketplace or at the information desk at the Student
Center. “Our goal is to fill the donor wall and ultimately
endow our class scholarship,” said Senior Class President
Amanda Winters. “We’re going to proudly display it at
Commencement exercises on May 23.”
Carleton P. and Teresa H. James
Endowed
Sophie L. Jenkins
Dr. Arthur L. Johnson Unity Fund
Paul E. Johnson, Sr.
Andy Jones Visual Arts
Mae K. Kaplitz Memorial Music
Stephen A. Kenton Endowed
Megan L. Kleczka Memorial Endowed
Albert James Kline
Howard S. Kniffin Endowed
The Konover Endowed
Dr. K. Narayan Kutty Endowed
The Earle M. Lacey
Ellen L. Lang Endowed
Lauter-Greer-Flanzer
Liberty Bank Foundation
John Lombard
MassMutual
Mead Citizenship Award
† Deceased Donor
* Donor for five or more consecutive years
xiv
The Meehan & Daughters Real Estate
and Development Endowed
Bernice Clark Niejadlik Endowed
Juan & Carmen Núñez Endowed
NRY
Dr. Ann Marie Orza Endowed
Kenneth Parzych
Peace Through Education
Daniel Pearl Memorial
David and Janet Philips Endowed
The Edith and Franklin
Prague Centennial
The Virginia and Charles Prewitt
Peace and Human Rights
Studies Endowment
Kathleen W. Roan Endowed
Rogers Endowed Teaching
David M. Roth Memorial
SBM Charitable Foundation Early
Childhood Education Endowed
Richard A. Savage
Tammy E. Schaeffer Memorial Endowed
Scholarship for Entrepreneurial Creativity
The George Shafer- Frederick
Noble Endowed
Miriam E. Silcox
Smith-Snider-Clebnik Founders of
Environmental Earth Science
Student Government Association
Nancy K. Sulinski
Elizabeth A. Thomas Endowed
Betty R. Tipton Memorial
Traveler’s Endowment
Ann and Kenneth Tucker
United Technologies Endowed
Rosalie Vernon Memorial
Sidney Vernon, M.D. Endowed
Veterans
Randy D. Walmsley, Jr.
Lee B. Watts Endowed
Andrée & C.R. Webb Endowed
Hans Weiss Visual Arts Award
Priscilla Saunders Wilcox Memorial
The Windham Pepsi-Cola
Bottling Co., Inc.
Margaret S. Wilson Endowed
Henry N. and Frances Z. Winiarski
WTIC/Perry Ury
Yankee Gas Endowed
Frances Karlyn Zittel Endowed Award
Faculty, Staff &
Emeriti Donors
Carol Abatelli *
Jacqueline Abbott
Michael Adams
Claudia Ahern ‘81
Trent Alexopoulos ‘70
Ann Anderberg
Susan Antonaros
Craig Ardel *
Lourdes Ardel *
Justin Axel
Peter Bachiochi
Leigh Balducci
Patricia Banach *
Daniel Barrows
John Beck ‘06
Kenneth Bedini ‘78
David Belles *
Dolores Bergeron
Denise Bierly *
Lula Blocton *
Team members from Charter Communications, a lead sponsor of the
Bowlathon each year at WilliBowl, pose with President Núñez.
Charles Booth
Amy Brenner-Fricke
Kenneth Briggs ‘03 M’06
Cynthia Brokaw
Elise Browne
Paul Bryant
Lura Butt ‘80
Beverly Canfield
Charles Canfield
Meghan Carden
David Carter Sr.
Mary Chalupsky
Charles Chatterton
Miriam Chirico
Carmen Cid
Alex Citurs
Carolyn Coates *
Karen Collins *
Gloria Colurso
Hope Marie Cook
Joanne Cordon
Luis Cordon
Elizabeth Cowles
Kimberly Crone *
David Cummings *
Richard Curland ‘52
Ann Curran
Christian D’Ambrosio
Peter Dane
Nancy DeCrescenzo
Kathleen DeFranco ‘96
Kenneth DeLisa *
Nicholas Delisle ‘06
Alan Desbonnet ‘79
Walter Diaz *
Christopher Dorsey ‘96 *
Philomene Ducas *
John Dunnack *
Lisa Durham-Maurer
Jeffrey Eilenberger
Ellen Embardo
Grace Enggas
Katherine Escobar
Carlos Escoto
Barbara Eshoo
Jerri Eubank ‘05
Melanie Evans
Wendi Everton
Kathleen Fabian ‘72 *
Rhona Free *
Kathy Freidenfelds
Lauren Friedman
Tina Fu *
Michael Gable *
Michael Gadoury ‘02
William Gamzon *
Richard Ganoe
Jeffrey Garewski
Francis Geissler * †
E. William Geitner
Gail Gelburd
Michael Gerich
Eric Germain
Kevin Gill
Rochelle Gimenez *
Jean-Pierre Godbout
Jaime Gomez
Dale Goodwin ‘76
Doris Griscom
Ann Gruenberg M’80 *
Martina Haiderer
David Haines
John Hale
Dennis Hannon *
Rex Harkness *
Sue Harkness ‘87 *
Ruth Heller M’77
Frederick Herbert
Susan Herrick ‘00
Susan Heyward *
Ann Higginbotham
Cynthia Hodis ‘82
Robert Horrocks *
Tara Hurt *
John Insalaco
Kristin Jacobi *
Khosrow Jahandarie
Saras Jain *
Sandra Jaros ‘78 *
Danielle Kaminski *
Gregory Kane
Karen Karas
Salvatrice Keating
Susan Kennedy
Mizan Khan
Matthew Kingsley
Patricia Kleine *
Laurel Kohl ‘01
Hari Koirala *
Nicole Krassas *
Angela Krok ‘05
Patricia Kucharski ‘04
Nancy Labonne ‘93
Guy LaHaie
Brian Lashley
William Leahy *
Anita Lee
Terry Lennox
David Levanto
Martin Levin
Barbara Liu *
Weiping Liu
James LoMonaco *
Fred Loxsom *
William Lugo
Rita Malenczyk
Antonio Marrero
Eric Martin
Margaret Martin
Mark Masinda
Shari Masinda
Denise Matthews *
Derrick McBride
La Shawn McBride ‘94
Joseph McGann *
Pietra McNamara ‘94
Roy Merolli
Nicholas Messina
Joan Meznar
Eleanor Miller
Donna Moriarty
Edwin Muenzner ‘95 *
Joseph Narotsky ‘54
Jo Ann Newmyer *
Yaw Nsiah
Elsa Núñez
Heather O’Neil
Inaki Ormaechea ‘06
Ann Marie Orza *
Edward Osborn *
Gayl Osuba *
Dimitrios Pachis *
Michael Palumbo
Kevin Paquin ‘98 *
Yolanda Pereira
Michael Pernal *
Lauren Perrotti-Verboven ‘91
Sharlene Peter
Janice Petit
Dorothy Phillips *
Jo-Ann Pomo
Lana Pontbriant ‘93 *
Laurie Pudlo ‘86 *
Nancy Purvis *
Mary Ragno M’96
Carol Reichardt
John Risley
Darren Robert ‘92
Heidi Roberto
Gregory Robinson
Mary Rogers
Heather Rohan
Richard Rollason-Reese
Sandra Rosado
Ryan Rose ‘00
Kim Roy
Alison Salka
William Salka
Rosita Sanabria
Leon Sarin *
Richard Savage
Carol Schimmelpfennig
Steven Schneider
Tammy Schondelmayer ‘90
Paul Serignese
Kimberly Silcox
Deborah Simpson
Linda Sinko
William Sisco *
Scott Smith ‘92
Sharon Smith ‘80
Donna Snell *
John St.Onge
Pamela J. Starr *
Michael Stenko
David Stoloff *
Mark Sullivan
Timothy Swanson *
Anna Sweeney
John Sweeney *
Daniel Switchenko
Leah Tanger
Catherine Tannahill
Nancy Tinker M’05 *
Joseph Tolisano
Colette Trailor ‘61 *
David Trainor *
Nanette Tummers *
Kathryn Veneziano
Kyle Verona *
K. Umesh Vig ‘01 *
Daniel Warren IV
Lee B. Watts †
Charles Webb *
Brenda Whalen *
George Whiting
Claudia Widdiss
Carol Williams *
Neil Williams
Robert Wojick
Joyce Wong *
Alan Wright
Olga Wright
Charles Wynn *
Christian Yankov
David Yeo *
Ralph Yulo Jr. *
Please note: Every effort has been made
to ensure the accuracy of donor listings. We
regret any errors in the spelling of names or
omissions, and we request that you notify us
with corrections. Because we operate on a
fiscal year from July 1 to June 30, it is possible
for donors to give in consecutive calendar
years and still miss a fiscal year. For example,
a donor’s gift in May 2009 would be credited
to FY 2008-2009. If that donor’s next gift
were made in September 2010, it would be
attributed to FY 2010-2011. Hence, no gift was
made in FY 2009-2010, so this donor would
not appear in the 2009-2010 Report of Donors.
Please contact us with any questions, concerns
or corrections:
Office of Institutional Advancement
Eastern Connecticut State University
83 Windham Street
Gelsi-Young Hall
Willimantic, CT 06226
TEL (860) 465-5531
FAX (860) 465-4518
Thank you!
xv
Alumni Association Officers and Board of Directors as of December 9, 2009
PRESIDENT
Daniel Canavan ‘97
Counsel
Northeast Utilities Service Company
Berlin, CT
Chelsea Adams ‘07
Internal Communications Specialist
Hartford Public Schools
Hartford, CT
Kenneth Briggs ‘02 M’05
Assistant to the Director of
Financial Aid
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
VICE PRESIDENT
Mark Bradley ‘90
Director, Claim Business
& Account Management
The Hartford
Hartford, CT
Mary Lou DeVivo ‘60
Owner/President
Willimantic Waste Paper Co.
Willimantic, CT
SECRETARY
Ellen Lang ‘81
Health and Fitness Coach
Better Than Ever
Mansfield Center, CT
Christopher Dorsey ‘96
Assistant Director, Admissions
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
TREASURER
Wayne Benjamin ‘89
Senior Project Manager
City of Hartford Economic
Development
Hartford, CT
Keri Ellis ‘03
Channel Marketing Manager
Honeywell Consumer
Products Group
Rogers, AR
DIRECTORS
David Abel ‘08
Financial Services Representative
Barnum Financial Group
Wethersfield, CT
Kelvin Harris ‘05
Community Director, Office of
Residential Life
University of Maryland
Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD
William Murphy ‘98 Applications Engineer
MKS Instruments
Andover, MA
Bert Nussbaum ‘63
Student Teaching Intern Supervisor
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ
Lauren Perrotti-Verboven ‘91
Operations/HR/Project Management
Innovative Computer Solutions
Farmington, CT
Jennifer Roberts ‘97
Director of Development
Care Net Pregnancy Center of NECT
Storrs, CT
Maribel Sanchez ‘04
Program Advisor
UConn – Educational Talent
Search Program
Storrs, CT
Amanda Winters ‘10
Senior Class President
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Holly Butler ‘08
Mental Health Worker
CarePlus
Groton, CT
Kate Fortier ‘03
Writer/Virtual Assistant
Lebanon, CT
Paulette Haines ‘94
CEO – Consultant
Creative Non-Profit Solutions, LLC
Marietta, GA
The ECSU Foundation, Inc. Officers and Directors as of December 9, 2009
PRESIDENT
Timothy Coppage
Vice President of Housing
Development
Connecticut Housing Finance Authority
Rocky Hill, CT
Pedro Johnson
North Windham, CT
VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Scanlon ‘75
Newtown, CT
Joseph Lobe ‘03
Senior Financial Analyst-Mergers
& Acquisitions
Mohegan Sun
Uncasville, CT
SECRETARY
Sandra Roth ‘71
Mansfield Center, CT
TREASURER
Brian Hull
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Savings Institute Bank & Trust
Willimantic, CT
DIRECTORS
Kenneth DeLisa, Ex Officio
Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Staff Liaison to the Foundation
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
Luva Mead Hoar ‘42
Brimfield, MA
Mita Lad
Student Representative
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
Mary Mattke
Advisor Representative
Sagemark Consulting
Windsor, CT
Eugene Mittelman
Palm Beach, FL
Justin Murphy ‘98
Attorney at Law
Kahan, Kerensky & Capossela, LLP
Vernon, CT
Dr. Elsa Núñez, Ex Officio
President
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
Carol Pandiscia ‘89
Senior Vice President, Strategy
& Technology Operations
ESPN
Bristol, CT
Francis Perrotti ‘51
Mansfield, CT
Christian Renstrom ‘93
Director of Development
& Marketing
The Worx Group
Prospect, CT
Pamela Riccio ‘87
VP, Worldwide Events
Gartner, Inc.
Stamford, CT
Kay Roan
Willimantic, CT
Magdalena Rodriguez
President and Chief Executive Officer
Community Renewal Team, Inc.
Hartford, CT
Michael Romanski ‘75
Senior Vice President/
Commercial Lending
Farmington Bank
Farmington, CT
Dr. William Salka
Faculty Representative
Associate Professor of
Political Science
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT
Dr. Robert Spillane ‘56
Regional Education Officer for Europe
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
Hans Weiss
Fine Art Studio & Gallery
Manchester, CT
MEMBERS
Roger Abell ‘70
Vice President
Potter’s Oil Service
North Windham, CT
Roger Adams
Executive Director Windham Region
Chamber of Commerce
Willimantic, CT
Andrew Carey ‘80
South Windham, CT
Walter Pawelkiewicz
Windham, CT
Dr. Colette Trailor ‘61
Norwich, CT
xvi
campus news
Eastern’s Student Activities staff honored
By Emily Bonoyer ’10
Casey Bandarra, assistant to the director of the student center and student
activities; junior Sarah Potrikus, a
communication major from Somers;
and the University’s Campus Activity
Board received awards at the National
Association of Campus Activities
(NACA) regional conference, held
Nov. 12–15 at the Hartford
Convention Center.
Each year, NACA recognizes staff and
students in the Northeast region who
have demonstrated commitment to the
field of student activities on their campuses and to the NACA organization on
the regional and national level. The Campus Activity Board (CAB) was
recognized for its outstanding programming efforts for the past year. Eastern’s
CAB programs were voted to be among
the most creative, the most diverse
among institutions similar in size and
the best marketed and promoted. Bandarra received the David A. Ross
New Professional Award for her contri-
butions to Eastern’s campus and for her
efforts as CAB supervisor and senior
class advisor. This award is given each
year to someone whose efforts have
greatly impacted students.
Dr.
Núñez joins the
Presidents’ Trust
Potrikus received one of only five
student leadership awards. This award
brings with it a scholarship as well as
money from the Annual Ross/Fahey
Golf Tournament. Potrikus has been
on CAB for two years, serves on the
Senior Class Committee and the People
Helping People student club, and is
a member of the advanced tier of the
Pathways to Leadership program, a
three-tiered personal student leadership
program developed as part of Eastern’s
Strategic Plan. She plans to pursue a
career in student affairs.
Ken Bedini, vice president of student
affairs, presented the Kenneth M. Bedini Student Leadership Award, named
in his honor, to Potrikus. This award is
given every year to outstanding students
for programming and leadership efforts
on their campuses.
Members of Eastern’s Campus Activity Board, which won a National Association of Campus Activities
award include, front row, from left: Brett Lukaszek,Tunde Olatinwo, Shelley Ericson, Marlana Carroll, Jessica
Ruddy, Stephanie Boccanfuso, Sarah Potrikus and Meghan Mizak. Back row, from left: Joe Saad, Chris
Loveland, Ben Foran, Eliza Poulos, Kevin Porter, Brian Ratte, Casey Bandarra and Jessica Lupinacci.
On November 20, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
announced that Eastern President Elsa Núñez
has joined the Presidents’ Trust, a new group
formed by AAC&U. Núñez and an esteemed
group of 81 other college and university leaders from around the country have formed
the trust to make the case for liberal education and its value in today’s world. Núñez is
the only public university president in Connecticut to join the Presidents’ Trust.
“The Presidents’ Trust represents a significant body of work that my distinguished
colleagues have developed over time,” said
Núñez. “It reflects a new reality in our country — that a liberal education is no longer
just for the elite and privileged. Today’s
liberal arts colleges, both public and private,
are providing access to a new generation
of students that reflects the breadth of our
modern society. The economic and social
transformation occurring in our nation
requires a citizenry that is able to adapt to
change. I believe a liberal education can best
provide today’s college students with those
adaptive skills.”
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
17
campus news
Pride Room opens
in Student Center
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Awards
Eastern honored three
individuals at its annual
Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. Distinguished Service
Awards reception on
Feb. 24.
For 31 years, Windham
schoolteacher B. Lynn
Frazier ’78 has provided
instruction at the elementary, middle and high school
levels while simultaneously
creating and coordinating
programs to assist, empower and educate at-risk
students. Kim Y. Ward serves as the coordinator of Eastern’s
Developmental Math Program; as director of the University’s
Mathematics Achievement Center (MAC); and as an instructor and mentor in Eastern’s STEP/CAP Program. Jordan
Lorrius, a senior communication major from Haiti, has
taken part in student government; participated in Eastern’s
“Day of Giving” and the People Helping People student club;
and served as a group leader with Habitat for Humanity.
Eastern Connecticut
State University held a
ribbon-cutting ceremony
on Feb. 18 for the opening
of the Pride Room, a new
resource room for Eastern’s lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT)
community.
Michelle Delaney, student
activities and Student
Center director; Kenneth
Bedini, vice president for
student affairs; and the
student-run group AlEastern President Elsa Núñez and Jennifer
lies
worked with Eastern
Paradis ’09 cut the ribbon to open the
faculty,
staff and students
Pride Room. Paradis began the process of
organizing the opening of the room while
to create the Pride Room.
she was still a student.
Committees have also
created a mission statement and advisory board for the room as a first step toward
developing a center for Eastern’s LGBT community.
“Help for Haiti” a night of tears, inspiration
The evening of Feb. 5 was filled with emotion as students, faculty and staff, and
residents from the Willimantic community and surrounding towns showed their
support for the Haitian people in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake
that shook the island on Jan. 22. “Help for Haiti: A Night of Reflection, Inspiration and Action!” brought with it speeches, stories, tears, musical and dance
performances and a silent auction. The event raised $1,000 for Haitian relief.
“This night was an example of the true essence of higher education,” said
Monica Rochon ’09, event organizer and one of Eastern’s AmeriCorps VISTA
Community Service Coordinators. “Collaboration, participation, engagement,
reflection and action shined brightly during the event.”
Eastern’s Performing Arts Department also hosted a concert in Shafer Hall on
Feb. 28 to support relief efforts in Haiti.
Maiyah Gamble-Rivers, a sophomore from Providence, RI, performed at the “Help for Haiti” event.
18 E ASTERN Winter 2010
campus news
E
At left: Jeff Benedict ’91 lectures about property rights and eminent domain. At right: Marc Freeman
’93 provides insight into cutting-edge research being done on glial cells and nerve development.
University Hour offers
lectures by prominent alumni
By Jack Meltzer ’10
Jeff Benedict ’91, best-selling author
and professor of advanced writing at
Southern Virginia University, lectured
on Nov. 4 as part of Eastern’s University Hour series. Benedict’s lecture,
“The Story Behind Kelo vs. New London,” provided an account of the New
London court case regarding eminent
domain laws of transferring land from
one private owner to another to further
economic development. The case has
been ongoing since 2005. Benedict’s
most recent publication, “Little Pink
Houses: A True Story of Defiance and
Courage,” is the story behind the U.S.
Supreme Court’s decision in this case.
Benedict is the author of nine books,
some of which have been the basis for
features on “60 Minutes,” ABC News’
“20/20,” “Dateline,” HBO’s “Real
Sports” and the Discovery Channel.
Marc Freeman ’93, assistant professor of neurobiology at the University
of Massachusetts Medical School in
Worcester, MA, gave a presentation on
astern named a
“Great College
to Work For”
Eastern Connecticut State University has
made the list of “Great Colleges to Work
For,” according to a survey done for The
Chronicle of Higher Education. ModernThink
LLC, an independent research company,
surveyed 247 colleges and universities and
more than 41,000 employees at those institutions to develop its findings. The program
is the second largest workplace recognition
program in the country, after Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
program.
“The Fruit Fly” at Eastern on Nov. 19.
Freeman recently won a five-year Howard Hughes Early Career Award as one
of the nation’s leading young scientists.
He is studying fruit fly genes to understand how the glial cells that support
and protect neurons are involved in
the way injured neurons behave, which
could help develop potential therapies
for spinal and nerve injury and neurodegenerative disease.
Freeman also receives grant funding
for his research from the Christopher
Reeves Spinal Cord Foundation. He
said that 90 percent of the cells in the
human brain are glia cells, but that
less than one percent of research has
been done on glia cells. According to
Freeman, he uses flies for his research
because “we can do in one year with
a fly what would take 5-10 years with
mice.” He said the greatest thing about
going into work every day is that “I get
to play with things.”
Freeman has been widely published in
scientific journals. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Eastern and
his doctorate from Yale University.
In addition to being recognized as a “Great
College to Work For,” Eastern ranked high
in two of the 26 subcategories in the survey,
placing in the top 10 among medium-sized
colleges for “Collaborative Governance” and
“Post-Retirement Benefits.”
“It is an honor to be included in ‘Great Colleges to Work For,’” said Eastern President
Elsa Núñez. “Being recognized by The
Chronicle of Higher Education as a quality
workplace in the world of higher education is
very gratifying. We believe in operating as a
team on our campus, and this report tells me
that our faculty and staff believe the process
is working.”
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
19
campus news
E
astern community
spends “An Evening
with Martin and Langston”
More than a thousand people packed
Geissler Gymnasium on Feb. 9 to hear movie
actor Danny Glover and his friend and fellow
actor Felix Justice stage “An Evening with
Martin and Langston.”
Lauren Armistead
NASA awards fellowships
to two Eastern students
By Emily Bonoyer ’10
The evening began with Justice’s moving
portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which
focused on King’s last speech in Memphis,
TN, on April 3, 1968.
Justice was in full character as King, reciting
sections of the famous “I Have Been to the
Mountaintop” speech delivered the day before the civil rights leader was assassinated.
“There’s a little bit of Dr. King in all of us,”
he said.
Glover then entered the stage to bring life
to some of the legendary poet Langston
Hughes’ more memorable poems, including
Hughes’ first poem, “The Negro Speaks of
Rivers,” as well as “The Weary Blues” and
“Let America be America Again.” During
the question-and-answer session, Glover
expressed his support for arts education by
recalling a conversation with his friend and
fellow actor Ossie Davis, who said that “art
will save us from the machines.”
The performance concluded Eastern’s
2009–10 Arts and Lecture Series, which
also included presentations by Academy
Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and
Cromwell Crawford, author and professor
of religion.
20 E ASTERN Winter 2010
Eastern students Lauren Armistead,
a sophomore from Lisbon majoring in
business administration, and Connor
Morrison, a junior from Coventry with
an individualized major, have been
awarded undergraduate fellowships
from the Connecticut Space Grant
College Consortium (CSGCC), a
member of the NASA-funded national
Space Grant College and Fellowship
Program. CSGCC promotes and
supports aeronautic- and space-related
research in Connecticut.
capacitors have the potential to replace
batteries as the main storage device used
in renewable energy applications.
Armistead and Morrison, working
under the supervision of Smirnova, are
conducting their research in the new
environmental earth science research
facilities in Eastern’s Science Building.
The results of both projects will be
presented at the School of Arts and Science’s Research and Exhibition Conference in March 2010 and at the Materials
Research Society national meeting in
Boston later this spring.
The two students are conducting their
research under the guidance of Professor Alevtina Smirnova, who teaches
sustainable energy science in the Environmental Earth Sciences Department.
Smirnova is a leading research scientist
in a rapidly developing field that uses
nanotechnology to develop fuel cells, solar cells and high-density storage devices.
Armistead is using her fellowship to
develop miniature fuel cell components
from ceramic materials. Fuel cells
convert fuels such as hydrogen, methane
hydrates and natural gas directly to
electricity with high efficiency. Morrison
will synthesize new aerogels that will be
used to make super-capacitors. Capacitors store electric energy, and super-
Connor Morrison
campus news
Freshmen teach civics at Sweeney Elementary School
First-year students enrolled in Political Science Professor Nicole
Krassas’ “Introduction to American Government and Politics” course
last fall got the chance to make a little history. The students taught
civics lessons to third- and fourth-grade pupils at W.B. Sweeney
Elementary School in Willimantic as part of a service learning project
arranged through Eastern’s Center for Community Engagement.
The Eastern students prepared the curriculum and taught the lessons,
incorporating movies, PowerPoint presentations, worksheets and
reading assignments into the classwork. The Sweeney pupils learned
the basic functions of the United States government, including the
branches of government and the processes by which laws are created.
Professor Nicole Krassas (left) with Eastern freshmen Justin Mazzucco,
Ashley Frank and Amanda Barney.
Economic professors conduct
impact study for CL&P
that CL&P has more multidimensional
economic impacts on the state’s citizens
and businesses than any other Connecticut-based company.
Economics Professor Dimitrios Pachis
and Assistant Professor Jennifer Brown
recently collaborated on a report that
studied Connecticut Light & Power
Co.’s impact on the state’s economy.
The 28-page study employed an analytical approach to estimate benefits such
as economic output, income, jobs and
other short- and long-term effects.
“We collected data and information
on investments, revenue, economic
data and reports and examined the
impacts of on-going investments that
CL&P makes in the state,” said Pachis.
Added Brown, “We wanted to find
out the value of what was produced in
Brown, who joined the faculty in 2006,
has an expertise in energy and the
environment; Pachis, a member of the
Economics Department for 32 years,
has also conducted economic impact
studies in conjunction with Eastern’s
Institute for Sustainable Energy.
Connecticut — do those investments
provide well-paying jobs and how much
of that spending stays in the state?”
According to the study, CL&P makes
annual investments that generate thousands of jobs statewide. It concluded
CL&P, a unit of Northeast Utilities,
funded the study. The study received
wide circulation among news media
across the country, appearing in publications from New England to California
and Washington, DC. The full report is
available at www.cl-p.com.
“As You Like It” staged in Harry Hope Theatre
Eastern’s Theatre Department performed Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”
from Nov. 3-8 in the Harry Hope Theatre. Directed by Jerry Winters,
part-time professor of theatre, the popular play shows the collision between
the worlds of the medieval court and countryside as it explores the themes
of love, betrayal and human follies. Eastern’s production gave Shakespeare’s
plot a modern twist by replacing the original Elizabethan aristocracy with
the media empire of Duke Frederick, and provided court entertainment in
the form of recorded and live video, which senior Kara Williams produced
with the help of Communication Professor Denise Matthews.
Laura Cuffe ’12 and Nick Perry ’11
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
21
philanthropy
It was a full crowd for dinner in Hurley Hall on Nov. 25 as Eastern hosted the third annual Day of Giving event.
Eastern sets the table for third annual Day of Giving
Approximately 400 local Willimantic
residents enjoyed a special meal of
turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green
beans and various desserts at Eastern’s
third annual Day of Giving on Nov. 25.
Students, faculty and staff volunteers
served the meal in Eastern’s Hurley
Hall, with food donated by Chartwells
Food Services, local grocery stores and
the ECSU Foundation, Inc. In addition
to a Thanksgiving repast for community residents who might otherwise
not have had a holiday meal, Eastern
students led a month-long canned good
drive for local food pantries.
“The Day of Giving is such a dynamic
project because it brings so many people
together for one common goal. The
Eastern campus community comes
together to put on the actual event, to
collect food in the residence halls and
to go out to the stores on the weekends
and collect food,” said Amy Gorman.
Gorman, a junior from Cromwell, is
chair of the Day of Giving Planning
Committee and president of the student
22 E ASTERN Winter 2010
club People Helping People (PHP).
“The community makes this event possible by generously donating food at the
stores for the local food pantries.”
“Our Day of Giving is one of the most
important community events at Eastern,” said Eastern President Elsa Núñez.
“Part of our students’ educational
experience is for them to work on initiatives that focus on giving back to the
community, and this event is a special
opportunity for them to do that.”
The Day of Giving was created in 2007
by Jason Budahazy ’09, who hoped to
see the project become an annual event.
With the counsel and support of the
Office of Institutional Advancement,
Budahazy’s original idea of hosting a
meal for Willimantic’s less fortunate
has become an annual community-wide
food drive for local pantries and soup
kitchens and a Thanksgiving feast enjoyed by hundreds of grateful local residents. Gorman led this year’s event with
volunteers from PHP and other student
clubs and organizations, including
the Student Government Association,
Habitat for Humanity, the Competitive
Cheerleading Squad and others.
For five weekends before Thanksgiving,
the Day of Giving Committee worked
with local stores, Eastern’s Offices of
Community Service and Institutional
Advancement, the Center for Community Engagement, and the Office of
Housing and Residential Life in collecting more than 12,000 nonperishable
food items. The food was donated to the
Northeast Food Collaborative, which
includes the Covenant Soup Kitchen,
Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army
and Access Agency.
Local businesses and Eastern offices that
donated food or offered assistance included Wal-Mart, Shaw’s Supermarket,
Bob’s Windham IGA, the Willimantic
Food Co-Op, Willimantic Housing Authority, Fowler Produce, New England
Linen, WILI Radio, Chartwell’s Dining
Services, Eastern’s Office of Institutional Advancement and the Office of
Housing and Residential Life.
philanthropy
“Body Armor” challenge
benefits scholarship for veterans
As a part of the University’s observation of Veterans Day
on Nov. 11, Eastern’s Veterans Center hosted the first-ever
“Veterans Day Challenge.”
The challenge was a team event composed of two dominant
workouts involving nothing more than each competitor’s
own body weight. It was run in honor of Lieutenant Michael
Murphy, United States Navy (SEAL), of Patchogue, NY, who
was killed in Afghanistan by enemy forces in 2005. Murphy
trained using a similar exercise, which he called his “body
armor challenge” because he wore body armor weighing approximately 20 pounds during the entire workout.
veterans have served our country, and how we can continue
to give back to the community at large,” said Diebolt. “It is
also very encouraging to see the community contribute to our
veterans’ scholarship.”
All proceeds raised from the event were used to benefit the
newly established Eastern Veterans Scholarship Fund,
which will assist current students who have served in the
military when it is fully endowed.
The challenge was also part of the University’s Dean’s Cup
competition among residence halls, an academic-and servicerelated event that promotes spirit and collaboration among
students living in the residence halls on campus.
The scholarship and the event were spearheaded by senior
sociology major Caleb Diebolt, a U.S. Navy veteran who
completed deployments in the Mediterranean and the Persian
Gulf. “The event was a positive reminder about how our
Persons interested in contributing to Eastern’s Veterans
Scholarship should contact Joseph McGann, director
of institutional advancement, at (860) 465-4514 or
mcgannj@easternct.edu.
she was a mentor, a role model and a very special friend who I
will miss greatly. She was the consummate chair: professional,
efficient and astute, yet with personal warmth that made it a
pleasure to work in our department.” A significant endowed scholarship has been established by
Watts’ husband, Steve, an emeritus professor of political
science at UConn, to recognize her love for Eastern and
her tremendous admiration for the many colleagues in the
department. New scholarship named for Professor Lee Watts
LeClaire (Lee) B. Watts of Storrs, one of the most respected
and beloved professors in Eastern’s history, died on Dec.
25, 2009, in Mansfield. Watts taught Spanish and Spanish
Literature at Eastern after earning her Ph.D. at the University
of Connecticut in 1968. She eventually created Eastern’s
Modern Language Department and chaired it for many years.
“Lee was a visionary with the discipline and spirit to captivate
and motivate students to aspire to their potential,” said
Professor Emerita Sonia Cintron-Marrero, Watts’ long-time
colleague. “She instilled a love for Spanish and encouraged
her students to belong to professional organizations. To me,
“Lee truly had a passion for teaching, and for interacting with
young people,” he said. “This was an easy gift for me to make
knowing how much Eastern meant to her. Her goal in life
was to inspire young people to pursue the study of language
and this endowed scholarship not only recognizes and honors
her but also provides financial support for deserving students
who have a keen interest in Spanish. It is certainly a legacy
that would make Lee very happy.”
Anyone interested in contributing to the scholarship in
memory of Professor Watts should contact Kyle Verona in
Eastern’s Development Office at (860) 465-0003 or veronak@easternct.edu.
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
23
athletics
Eastern coaches and alumni achieve wins, honors and awards
Jody Rogers
Butera ’93…
Named AVCA
Division II
National
Coach-of-theYear in women’s
volleyball.
Now in her
13th season as head volleyball coach
at Indianapolis University, the former
Eastern volleyball standout led the
Greyhounds to an overall record of
38-2 this past fall and into the Elite
Eight of the NCAA Division II tournament. Butera has compiled a record of
324-155 for a .675 winning percentage
at Indianapolis, which is her first head
college coaching position. While at
Eastern, Butera helped the Warriors to
two ECAC tournament berths and an
overall record of 68-21.
Denise Bierly…
Won her 300th game as Eastern’s head
women’s basketball coach.
On Dec. 5, Bierly won her 300th game
as a collegiate head coach — all at
Eastern — when the Warriors defeated
Rhode Island College, 59-55, in a Little
East Conference game at Geissler Gymnasium. Bierly became the 12th active
Division III coach in New England to
achieve 300 victories. At the time of her
300th victory, the Ohio native had lost
only 121 games for a winning percentage of .713.
Bierly’s first, 100th, 200th and 300th
victories all came at Geissler Gym. “The
players are the ones who win games, the
coaches just kind of guide them along,”
said Bierly. “I think my relationship
with my players has been the key to our
success, because I think that they know
it’s not just about basketball. I’ve always
tried to make clear to my players that
we’re all in this together.”
In 21 years as head coach at the college
and high school levels, D’Ambrosio has
compiled a record of 227-124-41 for a
.631 winning percentage.
Rick McCarthy…
Inducted into the Connecticut
Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.
A 2008 Eastern E-Club Hall of Fame
inductee, McCarthy was enshrined in
the Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation
Hall of Fame during Jan. 10 ceremonies
on the campus of Yale University. McCarthy, who has played and coached at
the high school, college and club levels
for 50 years, was one of seven individuals inducted.
A 1968 graduate of Yale, McCarthy is
a Marblehead, MA, native and Stonington resident who served as head
Helping Chris D’Ambrosio celebrate his induction
men’s lacrosse coach at Babson College,
into the CGSCA Hall of Fame were Joe Erardi
Eastern and Western Connecticut State
(left) and Beth Regan (right) -- two of the three
University for 13 years. He is now in
previous coaches in Eastern’s women’s soccer
program. Regan, the program founder who coached his fifth year as an assistant coach at
through the first six years, serves as chairman of
Wesleyan University.
the NSCAA Region I All-America Committee, while
Erardi was a founding member of the CGSCA and
past president.
Chris D’Ambrosio…
Inducted into the Connecticut
Girls Soccer Coaches Association
(CGSCA) Hall of Fame.
A winner of more than 100 matches
as a head women’s soccer coach on
both the high school and collegiate
levels, D’Ambrosio was honored during
CGSCA Hall of Fame ceremonies on
Jan. 10. D’Ambrosio is the winningest
Pictured with head women’s basketball coach Denise head coach in the 24-year history of the
Bierly on the occasion of her 300th career win were Eastern program, having compiled a
(from left) assistant coach Tiffany Kelver, co-captain
Jessica Moriarty, Bierly, co-captain Brittany Whiteley 119-60-16 record (.651) over the last 10
years. In an 11-year span as head coach
and associate head coach Stan Harris.
24 E ASTERN Winter 2010
at Coventry High School between 1987
and 1997, D’Ambrosio was 108-64-25
(.612).
McCarthy led the Eastern program to a
91-19 record and 11 conference regularseason and playoff championships.
Joining Rick McCarthy (center) at his induction
into the Connecticut Lacrosse Foundation Hall of
Fame were four of his former players. From left:
Christopher Strycharz ’04, Ryan Cavanaugh ’02,
Thierry Francois ’00 and Ryan Rose ’00.
athletics
Maureen Fahey…
Won her 100th dual meet as the only
coach in the 14-year history of Eastern’s
women’s swimming program.
Maureen Fahey receives congratulations from
well-wishers after recording her 100th dual meet
victory.
Five different Eastern swimmers captured one event to help lift the Warriors
to a victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Dec. 2 at the
Sports Center pool and provide Fahey
with her 100th dual meet win in her
14-year coaching career.
S
occer players net
academic honors
Two members of the Eastern Connecticut
State University men’s soccer program
were recognized recently for their academic
accomplishments by the National Soccer
Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA).
The only head coach in program history, Fahey had led the Warriors to 10 consecutive winning seasons heading into the current season. She had lost 65 and tied two
for a winning percentage of .605. Fahey reached the milestone with the program’s
largest senior class. Twenty-seven of the 100 victories came in the last four years
with her seniors, five of whom are four-year members of the program.
Fantl Bourdeau
Senior forward Maxim Fantl of West
Hartford has been selected first-team
All-America and senior midfielder Chris
Bourdeau of Thompson garnered honors as
honorable mention all-region as part of the
2009 NSCAA/adidas Men’s College Scholar
All-America program.
Holly E. Zimmerman Memorial Award
Stephanie Norell, a junior from Stratford, and Brittany Whiteley, a junior from
Windsor Locks, were honored with the Holly E. Zimmerman Memorial Award
during a ceremony held immediately following the women’s basketball game
on Feb. 13. The Zimmerman Award is presented annually in memory of Holly
Zimmerman, an Eastern athlete and physical education major who died in 1993.
The award recognizes significant academic, athletic and community achievements
and outstanding personal attributes. Celebrating at the award ceremony are, from
left: Kathleen and Richard Norell, Stephanie’s parents; Stephanie Norell; Brittany
Whiteley; committee chairman David Yeo; and Charles Whiteley and Debbie
Gifford, Brittany’s parents.
Vasil named to pre-season men’s lacrosse All-America team
Eastern junior faceoff specialist Eric Vasil of Southington
was named to the 2010 Face-Off Yearbook pre-season
Division III All-America honorable mention men’s
lacrosse team.
Vasil was one of eight faceoff specialists named to the
90-man pre-season All-America team. He was one of
three faceoff specialists from New England institutions
and the only pre-season All-America selection at any
position from a Little East Conference institution.
A physical education major with an overall
3.62 GPA, Fantl was one of only 22 players
chosen to the College Division All-America
team and was one of 11 first-team All-East
Region selections. A physical education
major with an overall 3.69 GPA, Bourdeau
was among 106 College Division selections
from the East Region, which was composed
of Division II and III institutions located from
Maine to Virginia and as far west as Ohio.
Candidates needed to have attained junior
academic status, to have at least a cumulative
3.30 GPA, be a starter in more than half of
their games and be a significant contributor.
First-year transfers were not eligible.
Fantl was also recognized for his academic
accomplishments as a second-team selection
to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine College
Division All-District I Team.
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
25
athletics
Eastern’s student-athletes: Champions on the field and in the classroom
Student-athletes at Eastern Connecticut State University have
a reputation as champions. They have won nine national
championships: five in softball and four in baseball. Over the
past five years, nine teams have qualified for national championship tournaments: four in baseball, women’s basketball
and women’s lacrosse; three in women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse
and men’s track and field; two in women’s soccer; and one in
men’s soccer. In the past five years, 13 student-athletes have
earned All-American Player of the Year honors.
Student-athletes succeed academically as well. “One of our
goals is to make sure our student-athletes succeed academically as well as athletically, which is part of our University
mission,” said Joyce Wong, Eastern’s director of athletics.
“We develop an understanding of what it is going to take to
succeed by stating our priorities. We attract good students to
begin with, and we encourage them to become good citizens.”
Many of the 360 athletes who participate in Eastern’s 17
intercollegiate teams do well in the classroom. More than
35 percent of Eastern’s student-athletes are on the Little East
Conference honor roll — the largest percentage in the conference. Just this past fall, 25 Eastern student-athletes in fall
competition earned spots on the 2009 Little East Conference
All-Academic Team, which recognizes student-athletes who
have attained sophomore academic status or higher and who
have compiled an overall grade-point average of at least 3.30
through last spring.
26 E ASTERN Winter 2010
By Kate Harner ’12
Earning spots on the team were seniors Sam Buczek of
Milford, David Tignonsini of Vernon, Kim Church of
Farmington, Sarah Swann of Oxford, Maxim Fantl of West
Hartford, Alexis Cavanaugh of Cheshire, Chris Bourdeau
of Thompson and Ashley Tuggle of South Windsor; juniors
Ken Landry of East Hampton, Amanda Ericson of Bolton,
Ashlee James of Franklin, Becky Knapp of Naugatuck,
Rachel Cocola of South Windsor, Stephanie Norell of
Stratford, Lauren Hickey of Southwick, MA, and Christina
Schirone of Pelham, NY; and sophomores Ryan Hughes of
Cheshire, Bryan Jorge of Bristol, Taylor Abelli of Cheshire,
Kristianna Ibsen of Shelton, Lauren Greeney of Bethel, Sam
Konopka of Hebron, Jo-Ann Merheb of Bethel, Katelyn
Vaughan of Hamden and Carl Appel of West Windsor, NJ.
For the coaches, academic success starts before the school year
begins. “I stress academics starting in the recruiting process.
I tell them that they are here for a quality education first and
foremost,” said Diana Pepin, head softball coach and aquatics
director. “If someone is struggling, I will devise a contract for
her to succeed, which may include tutoring, having study hall
hours and setting goals to achieve a certain GPA. I also guide
them to the resources available on campus.”
Men’s lacrosse coach Justin Axel agrees. Axel holds weekly
meetings with freshmen, transfer students and at-risk students
during their first year on the team. He also meets biweekly
with any players who seek extra help. During these meetings,
Axel and his student-athletes review their syllabi and tests,
athletics
prepare for upcoming papers and visit the Academic Services
Center. Axel encourages the players to manage their time
efficiently so that they can balance schoolwork and playing
time. “I want them to be proactive instead of reactive,” said
Axel. “My rule of thumb is that each student-athlete should
spend three hours for every credit hour. If they are taking five
courses, then they should spend 45 hours on their schoolwork
each week.”
The athletic department also offers programs that encourage
academic success among Eastern’s student-athletes. Janice
Patry, assistant athletic director for student development,
has created the program “Letting Each Athlete Reach NewHeights” (LEARN), based on the NCAA CHAMPS/Life
Skills program.
“LEARN emphasizes the five areas of academics, athletics,
career growth, personal development and service,” said Patry.
“It utilizes resources on campus, such as the Office of AccessAbility, the Academic Services Center, the Office of Wellness
and Promotion and more. We constantly tell our studentathletes about these resources so that they can take advantage
of them.”
The program provides workshops at the introductory level,
such as “How to Succeed in Math and Science Classes,”
presented by Sonia Mihok, learning specialist at tutoring
services; “Balance is the Key to Success,” presented by Pepin;
and “Syllabi Savvy,” presented by Patry. Workshops are also
offered at an advanced level, such as Judicial Officer Angelo
Simoni’s “What is Academic Misconduct?” and Director
of Career Services Nancy DeCrescenzo’s “Graduate School
Prep.” Each workshop consists of no more than 40 students so
that it can be interactive and informative.
Student-athletes agree that individual responsibility and the
support of their community contribute to a successful academic career. “One thing Eastern does more than any other
school I’ve been to is create a family-like atmosphere,” said
Little East Conference All-Academic Fall and Winter team
member and Miriam Silcox Scholarship recipient Lauren
Hickey, who plays on the women’s soccer and basketball
teams. “Everyone is supportive and it’s an institution where
you are not only allowed to, but encouraged to involve yourself in different activities. I’ve found that as long as you love
what you’re doing and you can prioritize your time in order to
do it, then it all works out really well.”
“My success in the classroom comes from taking my academics just as seriously as I take my athletics,” said senior Maxim
Fantl, co-captain of the men’s soccer team and midfielder on
the men’s lacrosse team, who was selected to the first team of
the 2009 National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America/
adidas Men’s College Scholar All-America program. “Playing
two sports here at Eastern forces me to manage my time
appropriately to make my sure my work is done — and
done well.”
Top from left to right: Jo-Ann Merheb of Bethel; Bryan Jorge of Bristol; David
Tignonsini of Vernon; Chris Bourdeau of Thompson;Taylor Abelli of Cheshire; and
Rachel Cocola of South Windsor.
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
27
class notes
’48
Ernest Dickson was featured on the
Westerly Sun’s website on Nov. 30,
2009. The article told of his time as principal of
West Broad Street School in Pawcatuck and the
30 years he spent leading Stonington schools.
Ernest and Kay, his wife of 65 years, live part of
the year in Westerly, RI, and the rest of the year
in Punta Gorda, FL. They have two children,
four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
’54
Ruth Rosebrooks was recently
honored by the Red Cross for her
55 years of volunteer service. Ruth started her
volunteer work with a group of friends while
attending Eastern in 1954. When asked about
why she was so involved Ruth said, “I felt that
it was a very worthy cause. Blood supplies are
always needed.”
’58
Geraldine Joyce Murphy writes
that she is “still in awe” of her 50th
Class Reunion: “It was a class act and we were
treated like royalty!”
ballroom dance competitions throughout New
England and also in Ohio, New York, New
Jersey and Missouri. She has won numerous
first-place ribbons in her years of competition.
’67
Gerald Taylor taught math and
science in Wallingford; with the U.S.
Department of Defense in West Germany; and
finally in Greece, NY, where he retired in 2006.
Gerald now operates his own business called
SeniorTech where he offers private computer
lessons to senior citizens.
’72
Carl Shillo and his band “Silverado”
have been playing at various locations
throughout the state. The band formed after
Shillo graduated college, but took a hiatus in
1982. In 2007 they regrouped to play a benefit
at the Hungry Tiger in Manchester and have
been playing ever since.
’59
Frank Badstuebner retired in 1990
from the Manchester school system.
He has spent the winter months in Florida since
1996. Frank has three sons who live nearby in
Connecticut and a fourth son in Seattle. Barbara (Fitts) Cairns wrote the book “Cracker
Cow: A Narrative of Florida History,” which is
now in its second printing. For more information, visit www.crackercow.com. Martha
(Scott) Bauduccio is a member of the New
London School Building and Maintenance Committee and the Winthrop Science Elementary
Magnet School Committee.
Muriel Miller had her large-scale,
acrylic landscape paintings on display
at the ArtSpace Gallery in Willimantic. Harvey
P. Regan retired from teaching for the Chesapeake public schools in Virginia in June 2009.
’77
Stephen Krajewski recently
celebrated 20 years of marriage to
his wife, Danielle. They have two daughters,
Meagan and Taylor. Donna Rand participated
in a NASA program which allowed her to experience weightlessness in a plane used to train
astronauts. She also visited NASA’s Langley
Research Center in Virginia where astronauts
discussed the possibilities of living on Mars and
the moon in the future. With information from
these experiences, Donna has been writing a
blog for her students at East Hartford-Glastonbury Elementary Magnet School that she hopes
to turn into a children’s book.
Peg Campanelli was recently
named interim president of the Smilers Sprague Senior Center. Since she retired
from her job as a Department of Corrections
nurse, Peg finds that the senior center has
renewed her energy. She is also a volunteer at
Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut and the
treasurer of Norwich AARP. She also serves on
Sprague’s Inland Wetlands Commission.
Bert Nussbaum reports that
Mickey Herman retired after 39
years of teaching and is still waiting for Bert to
pay him the 45 cents owed him from their last
game of pitch on campus!
’79
’64
28 E ASTERN Winter 2010
’76
’78
’63
Maria (Richards) Favale has seven
children (four by birth and three
adopted) and 14 grandchildren. She recently
retired as a disability coordinator for Headstart
preschoolers and is now tutoring. Eleanor
Koss retired from teaching in Bloomfield in
1999 and has been working at Mohegan Sun
Casino for the past seven years. John Poeton
is spending his retirement working as a librarian
at the East Barre branch of the Aldrich Public
Library in Vermont. He sends his thanks for the
inspiration he received from Professor Helen Sill
many years ago. Dorothy (Brehant) Taggart
retired from Horace W. Porter School in Columbia where she taught elementary school for
20 years. Dorothy writes for The Hebronian (a
local publication) and recently published a book
of poetry titled “Flowers in the Grass.” She
is also active with her church, working as the
historian and singing in the alto section of the
choir. Ruth (Standish) Swift has been taking ballroom dancing lessons for more than 20
years. She began dancing when her husband underwent a long hospitalization, and she needed
an outlet for her time and energy. Ruth has been
in many dance showcases and has attended
on the Wethersfield Board of Education for 20
years. Kathleen is a math teacher and cheerleading coach at Wethersfield High School. Their
daughter Kyleen is also a teacher. Francis
Falck is serving as the delegate from Connecticut on the Physicians Advisory Board for Responsible Health Care Reform, which is chaired
by Congressman Thomas Price of Georgia.
Susan (Hidler) Wilson ’73
’73
Susan (Hidler) Wilson will release
her sixth novel in March. “One Good
Dog” will be published by St. Martin’s Press. She
resides on Martha’s Vineyard, where she has
been weathering the recent winter storms fairly
well. “The boats still ran, and The New York
Times was delivered on time!”
’75
Robert Austin was recently named
interim principal of Lisbon Central School after spending 20 years teaching.
Anthony Brandenburg has joined JAMS, The
Resolution Experts, the nation’s largest private
provider of mediation and arbitration services.
As chief judge of the Intertribal Court in Southern California and a member of the National
American Indian Court Judges Association,
Anthony brings more than 25 years of experience in the field of Native American Law to
JAMS. John Cascio and Kathleen (Mulhall)
Cascio have been married for 33 years. John
is the executive director of the Connecticut
Funeral Directors Association and has served
Robert Cressotti was named to
the Class of 2009 Windsor Locks
Athletic Club Hall of Fame. He was a two-sport
athlete at Windsor Locks High, and was named
all-conference in baseball for three years and
All-State his senior year. He went on to play
baseball at Eastern for four years and was senior
captain for 17 years in the Greater Hartford
Twilight League. Harold Gagnon has been
married for 30 years and has seven children. In
his career with the United States Marine Corps
he is responsible for sustaining and developing
training for the USMC command and control
digital systems. Mari Muri (’79/’82 M.S.)
retired from her position as a State of Connecticut mathematics consultant in 2003 and has
kept busy consulting with elementary schools
around the state. Mari does her consulting
through her association with PIMMS (Project to
Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science)
at Wesleyan University. This keeps Mari active
in her profession while still giving her time
to travel around the country and outside the
United States with her husband, Dan Dolan.
Eleven grandchildren (none in Connecticut)
also help to keep the couple busy. Lorraine
(Murphy) Weil has been named Chief Judge
of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of
Connecticut. She is the first female chief judge
in Connecticut district history.
class notes
’80
Peter Caton is a retired U.S.
Department of State Foreign Service
officer, where he served in the Bureau of
Diplomatic Security and traveled to over 50
countries. He is currently living in Belgium and
working part time as a contractor.
’81
David Bass was named the 2010
District Teacher of the Year by
Region 15 colleagues, administrators, students
and parents. David teaches social studies at
Pomperaug High School in Southbury. Larry
Bumpus recently earned a fourth-degree black
belt in judo at the age of 54. Michael Cotela
has assumed the role of executive director at
the Stamford Boys & Girls Club. Michael, who
previously worked with the Shelton Boys &
Girls Club, was selected from a national and
regional search. Bruce Eber has worked as the
water quality inspector/water treatment plant
operator for the town of Wallingford for the
last 16 years. He has been married for 25 years
and has a daughter who is a junior at Roanoke
College. Craig Mackay is a quality control
manager-engineering manager for adhesives and
other polymer products at Emerson & Cuming.
He has been with the company for 28 years.
James Motyka (’81/’87 M.S.) has worked as a
teacher at Lyman Memorial High School for 28
years. He teaches geology, oceanography, physical science, meteorology and video production.
He also coaches high school sports and is an
adjunct professor at Eastern, teaching meteorology. Russell White is the assistant director
for collections at the Yale Peabody Museum of
Natural History. He has worked at the museum
for the past 26 years, which has allowed him
to travel all over North America and Europe
collecting Cambrian, Devonian and Cretaceous
fossils.
’82
Antonio Delgado is looking to
reconnect with the Class of ’82 and
welcomes e-mails at tonydel18@hotmail.com.
Christopher Penta is a licensed clinical psychologist serving people in Connecticut.
’84
David Adam is a senior project
geologist for HRP Associates, Inc.
Joel Coombs is the manager of engineered
wood products for Sun State Components in
Las Vegas, NV.
’85
Tom Guerra is a member of the
band The Mambo Sons, which played
at the last Third Thursday festival this summer.
The band now has four CDs out, with critics
saying things like “Here is music that Keith Richards and Johnny Depp would put on if they were
having a party.” Philip Toohey and Deanna
(Guglielmo) Toohey are married with three
children. Philip is an attorney with Lampert
Williams & Toohey, and Deanna is a teacher in
Shelton. Together with a partner they own Stanziale’s Restaurant in Stratford, which opened in
August 2009.
’86
Theodore Coogan has worked as a
project manager for ICF International
since 2002. Holly Amon-Cox is a special education teacher for the State of Connecticut.
’87
’89
Margaret Caton is living in Belgium
and serving as an economics officer
with the U.S. Department of State.
Stephen Pedneault released his
second book, “Anatomy of a Fraud
Investigation: From Detection through Prosecution.” The book walks readers through one
complete fraud investigation, from the original
tip to conviction in court.
’90
Ronald D. Adams has been
mobilized and activated for deployment overseas in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Yvette Soto brought her Kerygma
Theater Company to the Capitol Theater on
Main Street in Willimantic on March 12 and 13
to present “Caras de Vida” (Faces of Life), a musical that she wrote, produced, and directed.
’91
Peter Blume (’91/ ’03 M.S.) is
celebrating 14 years of coaching
seventh- and eighth-grade boys basketball and
baseball. He recently held his first annual can
drive to support the Ashford community. Eric
Singer recently got to experience the glamour
of Hollywood for about a week in Atlanta while
he was a paid extra on an episode of the TBS
show “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns.” He
played a male nurse in an episode titled “Meet
the Loot.” Two days later he had a paid audition
for a Warner Brothers movie called “Life as
We Know It.” Eric reports that he did not get
the part “but I was paid $25 to try out, have
fun and meet the director, Greg Berlanti.” Eric
was recently in Connecticut to attend several
tributes to his mother, Isabelle Singer, in honor
of her 25th year as executive director of the
Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in
New London.
’92
Amy (Rich) Benigni married Mark
Benigni in July 2005. They have two
children, Bria and Blake, and reside in Meriden.
Dawn (Walmsley) Brolin (’92/’05 M.S.)
was recently named to The CPA Technology
Advisor’s “40 Under 40” list. Dawn is a partner
at Premiere Business Services PC, where the
majority of her time is spent teaching, training
and consulting with regards to QuickBooks
software and technology solutions for small
businesses. Michael Lavery recently became
a FCC-certified Amateur Radio Operator,
General Class.
’93
Stephen Federocko is working for
Sysco Foods of Denver. He and his
wife Jennifer have three sons, Kirby, age seven,
Connor, age four, and newborn Gavin. Marc
Freeman visited the campus in November
to present a University Hour lecture about
“The Fruit Fly.” Marc is assistant professor of
neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts
Medical School in Worcester.
’95
Juan Morales has been a business
broker in Puerto Rico for the past 10
years, helping individuals start, expand, buy and
sell businesses. In addition, he has published a
book titled “How to Franchise Your Business,”
which can be found on www.lulu.com.
’96
Pamela (Welz) Aubin (M.S.) is
the new superintendent of schools in
Montville. She began on Jan. 4 after working in
the Norwich school system since 1999. Mary
greetings from the alumni association
Eastern has a long, proud history of training educators and developing the education field in Connecticut. Our teachertraining programs have adapted and grown over the years, from the men and women who taught multiple grades in the
traditional one-room schoolhouse, to today’s educators who specialize in mathematics, biology, psychology and other
fields of study. Our alumni proudly serve as team leaders, department chairs, principals, superintendents and professors,
touching the lives of thousands, including those with special needs.
While most of us are not formally trained educators, all of us can emulate their dedication and commitment to the future. Many of us can touch the lives of our current Eastern students by sharing our knowledge and experience. Opportunities exist for alumni to speak to Eastern classes or create internship opportunities with their employers. Now more
than ever, access to experiential learning will give Eastern students the ability to put academic theory into “real-world” practice, while making our
graduates more attractive in an increasingly competitive job market. To our alumni who already serve as supervising teachers, internship coordinators and mentors, please accept our collective thanks for your time and dedication. The entire Eastern community is grateful for your example and
leadership. We are especially grateful to all the alumni donors who contribute financially in support of Eastern’s students and programs.
Anyone wishing to explore opportunities for creating internships for Eastern students should contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (860) 4655302 or at alumni@easternct.edu for more information.
Daniel R. Canavan ’97, president of the ECSU Alumni Association
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
29
class notes
Ragno (M.S.) received her Doctor of Education Degree from Teachers College at Columbia
University in New York. She retired in 2005
following a 25-year career as an administrative
consultant in the Connecticut State Department of Education. Mary has been a part-time
lecturer at Eastern since 1999, teaching courses
in the Organizational Management program
and now in the Health and Physical Education
Department.
’97
Daniel Canavan recently resigned
from his position at a prominent
Hartford law firm to serve as counsel to the
Northeast Utilities Service Company, where he
will provide legal counsel to the parent company
and its family of regulated and unregulated subsidiaries. Paul Provost was recently promoted
to publisher at the Norwich Bulletin, where he
had served as advertising director since 2005.
Paul lives in Colchester with his wife and three
sons.
’98
’99
Nancy (Wengertsman) Grasso is
married to Brett Grasso. They have
three children: Anthony, 9; Kayla, 7; and Grace, 3.
in Windham Center and the First Congregational Church in Andover.
’02
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was
included on the shortlist for the 2009
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, which celebrates the
best works of literature (fiction, non-fiction,
poetry or drama) by a United Kingdom or
Commonwealth writer aged 35 or under and
is the second oldest literary award in the UK.
Theresa Eckstein received her M.B.A. from
Wesley College in 2009. Kimberly HatcherWhite was the guest speaker at the Friends
of the Woodbridge Library annual Purves
Lecture. Kimberly is the executive director of
the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research
Center. Marcie Burch is a faculty member at
Three Rivers Community College. She recently
earned her certification as a development education specialist through the Kellogg Institute
for the Training and Certification of Developmental Educators at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Tianne (Phoenix)
Curtis is the new zoning enforcement officer
for Norwich.
Colleen Lugauskas was named the
2010 Killingly Teacher of the Year.
She is a reading specialist at Killingly Central
School where she works with an average of 45
children a day on comprehension, fluency and
strategy skills. “It’s humbling to be recognized
for something you consider your job. But teaching doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The support of
colleagues helps me become a better teacher.
You hear about how it takes a village to raise a
child, but here we have an army,” she said.
’00
Donald A. Courtemanche has
been named the Springfield Business
Improvement District’s new executive director.
He was previously the executive director of the
New Britain downtown district for nine years.
Robert Gnida has worked at Sikorsky Aircraft
in Stratford for 27 years. He has also been an
Inland Wetlands commissioner for more than
three years and has three beautiful grandchildren.
’01
Nicole Freidenfelds has been
working at the Langkilde Lab at
Pennsylvania State University since 2008. Her
research interests include the conservation
ecology of amphibians and reptiles. Before joining the lab she worked as a biological technician
at Cape Cod National Seashore surveying for a
variety of herpetofauna species. Nicole earned
her master’s degree from the University of New
Hampshire in 2006. Brendan Carney was
named sports director for the New Canaan
YMCA. He will be responsible for providing leadership to the youth and adult sports
programming. Gary Goeschel is the director
of planning for the Town of East Lyme, where
he lives with his wife and their three beautiful
children. Thayer Kitchen is a member of the
a cappella chorus group Take Note!, which recently performed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
30 E ASTERN Winter 2010
Yovan Reyes ’04 and Danielle (Strout)
Reyes ’04 and their child, Kian Ramesh
’03
Carrie Dorfman is a licensed
clinical social worker with Morris
Heights Health Center in the Bronx. Troy
Schinkel received his master’s in education at
the University of New Haven. He is now in his
fifth year of teaching ninth-grade earth science
at Southington High School. Troy is working
on a master’s in earth science from Central
and is planning to marry his fiancé, Holly, this
summer. Robin (Goldstein) Tinnel married
William Tinnel Jr. and reports that she “became
stepmother to two amazing girls: Tabitha, 12,
and Elizabeth, 11.” After graduation she received
her master’s from Rutgers University School of
Social Work and is now a licensed social worker
in New Jersey.
’04
Lona Baker recently purchased
the All Friends Animal Hospital in
Norwich. Lona has worked at the hospital ever
since high school. She said, “I never want to
see the clients feel like they are just a number.
Our core values will stay the same, and we’re
going to build off that. It’s a family atmosphere.”
Danielle (Strout) Reyes and Yovan Reyes
welcomed a new addition to their family, Kian
Ramesh Reyes, on Sept. 24, 2009. Amber
(Drake) Tucker and Bradford Tucker welcomed their first child, Isabella Alice, on May
31, 2009. Melissa (Spence) Bezanson is an
assistant geoscientist at Weston Solutions, a
private environmental engineering firm. She has
been there for almost five years and finds her
career enjoyable and rewarding. Melissa does
everything from soil and water sampling to acting as a site manager on environmental remediation projects. She travels all over New England
and is occasionally sent out to help other offices
in emergency response projects like Hurricane
Katrina and Hurricane Ike. Heath Carlson
teaches environmental earth science at South
Windsor High School. He is also an adjunct
instructor for the Frontiers and Explorations
programs offered through the Greater Hartford
Academy of Math and Science. Heath recently
accepted a position as the math and science
G.E.D. instructor for the adult education
program in Stafford. Megan Parr worked for
two years as a hydro-geologist at Fuss & O’Neil
in Manchester before returning to school and
getting her certification and master’s in teaching.
She now teaches sixth-grade science. Rebecca
Stearns joined the Columbia Republican Town
Committee and now serves on the Columbia
Economic Development Commission and on the
Board of Selectman as deputy selectman to the
first selectman. She recently opened The Book
Bar, a bookstore in Columbia with a small cafe
offering a wide reading selection and hosting
local and national authors, artists and entertainers.
’05
Kelly Barrett received her physician
assistant certificate from Quinnipiac
University. Andrew Bessette is the Northeast
Division Manager for Stamen Medical Systems.
He is working on opening New England and
New York regions for the company. Heidi
(Stearns) Goeger returned to campus in
October for the Phoenix New Play Series,
where a staged reading of her play “Evolution
to Dust” was performed. After graduating from
Eastern, Heidi attended Chapman University in
California and earned her Master of Fine Arts in
Scriptwriting. She wrote “Evolution to Dust” as
her MFA thesis play.
’06
Tara Parkinson was recently hired
as a fourth-grade teacher at Griswold
Elementary. Carl Segura was selected with
18 others for the prestigious NCAA Internship Program, out of more than 400 applicants. Through the internship he is working
for the year at the NCAA National Office in
Indianapolis, primarily with the Division I and
class notes
II governance structures. Heather Capalbo
has fulfilled the requirements to be a Certified
Public Accountant (CPA). The requirements
include passing all parts of the rigorous CPA and
ethics exams, five years of college education and
two years of experience. Heather is a senior accountant with Marien and Company in Norwich.
’07
Lauren Curcio and Tim Kramar
’08 will be married on May 7, 2011.
Lauren is a reading assistant with the Naugatuck
Public Schools and Tim is a customer service
representative with Verizon Wireless in Old
Saybrook. Victoria (Gorham) Ywarsky is
an employee at The New England Center for
Children and was married to John Ywarsky on
Oct. 11, 2008.
’08
In January, Kristopher Dziewaltowski was deployed to Iraq with the
Army National Guard 250th Army Corp of Engineers. Alyssa Goodin moved to Philadelphia
for graduate school and got her MSW from the
University of Pennsylvania last spring. She is now
working as the Children’s Systems Advocate at
the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP). At MHASP, Alyssa
works on advancing children’s mental health
policy, as well as policies in the school system,
juvenile justice system and children’s mental
health system. Tiffany Jablonski is coaching basketball and cross country at Horace W.
Porter School in Columbia. She will be finishing
her master’s degree in Educational Leadership in
fall 2010. Tim Kramar and Lauren Curcio
’07 will be married on May 7, 2011.
’09
Niece Hanna is attending Columbia
University School of Social Work for
her Master’s of Social Work in Policy Planning.
She will be applying for a position at the FBI
upon graduation. Sara Hanrahan will have
her mathematics honors thesis published in
“Involve,” a journal that promotes mathematical
research by students. This is the second journal
that has accepted Sara’s thesis for publication.
France-Lyz Honore is working in quality
control at a research lab at Yale University. She
plans on entering medical school in 2011. Jaclyn
Kregling is working as a marketing consultant
executive for B. United International. The job
is close to her major in visual arts and incorporates her love of multicultural experiences,
keeping her in daily contact with a multitude
of people from locations both national and
international. Jaclyn can’t wait to see what travel
experiences the job will give her. Andrew
Powaleny is living in Washington, D.C., and
was recently hired by the lobbying firm Haake
and Associates as their executive assistant.
Devon Thornton was featured as a newsmaker of the day on the Norwich Bulletin website
on Dec. 2, 2009. A part-time worker at the
Uncas Health District, Devon is coordinating
a new program overseeing a three-year heart
disease and stroke prevention grant that targets
black residents. Devon lives in Norwich with his
wife and two children, ages 9 and 3. Julie Ward
was recently hired as the client services associate at Indeed.com in Stamford. Esté Yarmosh
is in her first year at Simmons College studying
for her M.A. in English.
e
in memoriam
Marriages
Kristen Dibble ’03 to Jonathan Klaus ’02
on Sept. 4, 2009
Amy Rossel ’04 to Justin A. Ross on July 5,
2009
Joshua Esposito ’04 to Karen Taber ’07
in October 2009
Kristina Riccio ’07 to Garrett Dukette ’07
on Nov. 28, 2009
In Memoriam
Florence (Martin) Zuill ’27
Thelma (Carr) Woodbridge ’32
Ann (Postemsky) Rafferty ’39
Frances (Morrow) Vaida ’39
Pauline (Moskowitz) Pevner ’40
Fern (Fuller) Carlson ’43
Bertha (Wallace) Whitehead ’60
Benedict Minikowski ’80
Eileen (Wardwell) Wilson ’82
Elizabeth (Cook) Putman ’83
Jessica Wills ’01
Fernando Luis Olmo ’03
Courtney Hei-Ra Smith ’09
g
LeClaire (Lee) B. Watts
Jan. 10, 1928 – Dec. 25, 2009
Professor Emerita LeClaire (Lee) B. Watts died Dec. 25, 2009, at Mansfield Center for Nursing in Storrs.
Watts arrived at Eastern in 1968 and soon became one of the most respected and beloved professors
on campus. She taught Spanish and Spanish Literature and headed the Modern Language Department for
many years. During that time, she developed the Spanish major and internship program and founded the
Nu Chi Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish honors society.
Very interested in the teaching of foreign languages in elementary and high schools, as well as at the university level, Watts organized and headed the Alliance of Foreign Language Teachers of Eastern Connecticut. She also served on and chaired the State Language Advisory Committee. Among the many honors
she received were the Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award for 1987, Eastern’s Hermann
Beckert “Friends of the University” Award in 2001, and the Council of Language Teachers award recognizing 36 years of service to the profession. Even after her retirement in 1995, she attended conferences
and maintained her expertise in the field.
Former students remember her fondly. “She was a wonderful Spanish professor, an ambassador for Latino culture and a friend to Latino college students. She often invited us (students from the 1970s) to her home for good discussion and a great meal when we were
only a few attending Eastern,” said Barbara Candales ’74. “Dr. Watts was the most helpful and personable advisor I ever had the benefit of knowing,” added Bill McKee ’73. “When I was a student she invited us every Christmas to her house for her homemade goodies
and ‘pou de crème,’ which is the richest dark hot chocolate ever. She was a character who loved to wear funny wigs to class and acted
like a kid when she read ‘Don Quixote’ out loud to give us a sense of what Cervantes was thinking since he had a vivid imagination –
like she did!” said Terri (Knoblauch) Wilson ’82.
Watts is survived by Steve, her loving husband of 57 years. A scholarship in her name has been established at Eastern. For details, see
p. 23.
E ASTERN
Winter 2010
31
final thoughts
T
he spotlight of this issue of EASTERN Magazine has been on our longstanding commitment to training teachers, largely to serve in the school systems of
Connecticut. Since 1889, Eastern faculty and their predecessors at Willimantic
State Normal School, Willimantic State Teachers College and Eastern Connecticut
State College have developed outstanding teaching practices for their students and the
communities of Connecticut.
Some of the stories in this issue recall people who made their mark on Eastern over the
past 120 years, while other articles provide you with a contemporary view of what is
happening in today’s classrooms. A look at the residential experience at Eastern helps
round out the picture of life on our campus.
Reading these stories has reminded me of the scope of Eastern’s role in the state of Connecticut. Certainly graduates in majors ranging from accounting to biology are making
a difference in their workplace and home towns. But the impact of Eastern graduates
who end up teaching reaches across the entire state. Over time, our education alumni
have had a positive effect on families and communities in ways that cannot be overstated. Just as Eastern’s faculty members glow with pride when former students return to
campus to tell their success stories, the army of Connecticut teachers who experienced
their professional beginnings at Eastern can look across our state with a sense of accomplishment in having prepared so many young people for productive lives and careers.
Eastern is the state leader in preparing early childhood educators, and one of the leaders
in preparing math teachers. Graduates of our health and physical education program
are widely recognized for their talents and contributions. Other education graduates
frequently win local, regional and national awards for their accomplishments in the
classroom, including Philip Marvin ’97, a first-grade teacher recently named as Glastonbury’s 2009–10 Teacher of the Year. Taken together, the time, expertise and devotion
to their students evidenced by thousands of Eastern education graduates over the years
constitutes a powerful investment in the people of Connecticut.
It is truly heartwarming to see so many of these graduates show up in the list of donors
that is included in this issue of EASTERN Magazine. Other donors have also provided
important financial support to Eastern’s educational programs and budding student
teachers. This generosity and investment in Eastern gets multiplied immeasurably when
our alumni graduate to teach in Connecticut’s 169 towns, villages and cities. Our state
is stronger for it. Thank you to all our donors and supporters for being part of this
enduring story.
Kenneth J. DeLisa
Vice President
Division of Institutional Advancement
32 E ASTERN Winter 2010
Alumni Reunion Weekend Promises a Full Slate of Fun
The Office of Alumni Affairs and the ECSU Alumni Association invite
alumni to return to campus for a very special weekend of activities
surrounding the 2010 Commencement Weekend.
Friday, May 21 • 8 to 11 p.m.
“Young Alumni Bash”
Classes of 2000-09
Student Center Parking Lot
Saturday, May 22 • 4 to 5 p.m.
Optional tours of campus (walking tour) or the
Child and Family Development Resource Center
(shuttle transportation provided)
Come back to campus and reconnect with your
friends for a great evening “under the big tent!” DJ Flip (Jay Crisante ’06) will spin the music you
remember. Free admission and bar snacks. Cash bar available, with the first two drinks (beer or
wine) compliments of the Alumni Association.
Saturday, May 22 • 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Reunion Luncheon & Tours
Class of 1950 - 60th Reunion
Class of 1955 - 55th Reunion
Class of 1960 Jubilee Reunion
Class of 1970 - 40th Reunion
Campus Lantern - 1980-86
Saturday, May 22 • 5 p.m.
“Alumni March”
Saturday, May 22 • 5 to 8 p.m.
“Big Tent Barbeque and Concert”
Watch your mail for details and registration materials. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs
at (860) 465-5302 or at alumni@easternct.edu.
Saturday, May 22 • 1:30 to 4 p.m. Alumni Reunion Reception hosted
by President Elsa Núñez
Student Center
Classes of ’30, ’35, ’40, ’45, ’50, ’55, ’60, ’65,
’70, ’75, ’80 and ’85 and Campus Lantern 1980-86
Everett Watson ’54 and Lucille (Caisse) Curland ’54 led a grand march of
more than 150 Eastern alumni from the Reunion Reception in the Student
Center to the “Big Tent Barbeque” where they joined the Class of 2009 and
their families at last year’s reunion festivities.
Eastern Newsflash:
Your Monthly Link to Campus
Keep up with all the latest news from
campus through Eastern’s e-newsletter,
“Newsflash.” To make sure you don’t
miss anything, send your e-mail address to the Office of Alumni Affairs at
alumni@easternct.edu.
Connect with Eastern alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
More than 1,100 alumni have joined Eastern’s Facebook group. Stay connected
with other alumni and share your thoughts and ideas with Eastern’s Alumni
Affairs staff. Visit Facebook and register today! Search “ECSU Alumni
Association.” You can also stay connected with other Eastern alumni on
LinkedIn by searching “Eastern Connecticut State University Alumni – ECSU”)
and on Twitter by searching “ECSU Alumni Assn.”
Nonprofit Org.
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“The scholarships I received from the ECSU
Foundation enabled me to make my mark on
campus as a resident assistant and as president
of the Student Government Association. The
ability to receive additional financial aid and
support from Eastern was also a strong incentive to excel academically.”
Sulthana Sayed ’09
Staff Consultant
RMI Corporation, Avon, CT
A Tradition of Giving
Alumni, parents, friends, corporations and foundations
support the public liberal arts mission of Eastern Connecticut
State University in many different ways. The gifts received
from private donors help ensure that Eastern students
receive an outstanding liberal education. Each year, gifts
to the Eastern Annual Fund support student scholarships,
academic programs, technology enhancements, student life,
intercollegiate athletics and many other programs. No gift
is too small! Every gift, no matter the size, has a positive
impact on the lives of Eastern students.
To make a gift, contact us at:
Development Office
Gelsi-Young Hall
Eastern Connecticut State University
83 Windham Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
(860) 465-5267