Boehringer Ingelheim-WestConn partnership continues to grow

Pre miere Issue Spring 2005
James W. Schmotter installed as the
university’s eighth president.
Meteorology student has a future on his
radar; now made easier with scholarship.
See page 6
See page 3
Thank
You!
A comprehensive listing of our most
recent donors
See page 5
The newsletter for friends and supporters of Western Connecticut State University
Giving
opportunities
at WestConn:
One is right for you!
Whether you’re an individual, family,
corporation, small business, community
organization or charitable foundation, there’s
a way to support the university that’s right
for you.
The WCSU Foundation Inc. receives and
manages charitable gifts, ranging from cash to
real estate to personal property and more, for
the support of the university. There are many
ways you can contribute to the ongoing
For more
success of WestConn
and our hard-working
information
students.
about
You can donate
cash, gifts-in-kind,
developing
stocks, bonds, mutual
a scholarship,
funds and real estate.
Wills, trusts, insurplease see story
ance policies and
on page 6.
other estate planning
methods allow you to
support the university. You can generously
respond to the university’s Annual Fund telephone and mail appeals or attend a special
fund-raising event, such as the annual
President’s Gala, Holiday Wine Tasting and
WestConn Society Luncheon.
Once you’ve decided what you want to
give, you may have a say in how it’s used.
With an unrestricted gift, WestConn will use
your donation where it’s needed most. Or,
you can designate that your restricted gift
support a particular school, department, facility or program. If you’d like to create an
endowed fund and provide a predictable
income, you can create support for student
scholarships, buildings, equipment, athletics,
please turn to page 7
WestConn Photos/Peggy Stewart
Above: Boehringer President & CEO J. Martin Carroll
Right: WestConn Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Eugene Buccini (left) and Boehringer Senior Vice President of Human
Resources David W. Nurnberger
Boehringer Ingelheim-WestConn
partnership continues to grow
Western Connecticut
State University’s
more-than-100-year
history is built on
powerful, enduring
relationships with
community organizations and corporations. These bonds have provided the university with the opportunity to offer
students outstanding programs and facilities,
while providing the
community with well-educated employees to fuel
the region’s success.
Boehringer Ingelheim Corp., a powerhouse in
Boehringer
support
honored at
May 7 gala
the U.S. human and animal healthcare products
industry, is one of the university’s strongest
partners. WestConn honored Ridgefield-based
Boehringer and its commitment to that
partnership during the annual WCSU President’s
Gala on May 7.
“We are proud to count Boehringer among the
university’s greatest allies,” WestConn President
James W. Schmotter said. “As we move into the
university’s second century, we look forward to
continuing to work with all our friends at
Boehringer Ingelheim. Together, we will make a
difference in the lives of WestConn students.”
please turn to page 7
2
WestConntributors, Spring 2005
Scholarship recipient makes the most of her education
With a 3.97 grade point average (G.P.A.), a
number of volunteer roles, and a year of study
abroad, WestConn junior biology major Galina
Filipova is making the most of her education —
both in and out of the classroom.
The 19-year-old Oakville resident is the recipient of an Isabelle T. Farrington Scholarship, the
School of Arts and Sciences W. Jason and Ellen
M. Hancock Scholarship, and a WCSU Alumni
Association Scholarship for the 2005-06
academic year. She says these and several other
scholarships she’s received since enrolling at
WestConn in the spring of 2003 have helped
her excel.
“Receiving these scholarships has not only
been helpful to my financial situation, but it also
has been a great motivation,” Filipova wrote in a
recent essay. “Knowing that my hard work and
efforts are being recognized has prompted me to
perform even better and to aim higher.”
Filipova’s outstanding WestConn G.P.A.,
which is just shy of a perfect 4.0, is part of her
long history as a diligent student: Born in
Bulgaria, she moved with her family to Botswana
in Southern Africa in 1997. Studying in a foreign
country and in a foreign language (English), she
went on to graduate from a prestigious private
high school in Botswana’s capital city, Gaborone,
with a record of outstanding academic
achievement in several subjects. Filipova also
earned third place in the Botswana National
Mathematics Tournament in 2000.
Filipova, the daughter of WestConn Computer
Science Professor Dr. Todor Ivanov, has continued her diligence throughout her college career.
She’s consistently earned a spot on the School of
Arts and Sciences Dean’s List each semester, is a
member of WestConn’s honors program and
received the Most Promising Biology
Underclassman Award.
While in high school, Filipova participated in
several sports and was active in many clubs and
organizations. Since her family moved to the
United States in September 2002, Filipova has
continued her volunteerism as a classroom tutor
at Watertown High School and a member of the
Program Activities Council at WestConn. These
good works are among the things that made her
eligible for the Isabelle T. Farrington
Scholarship, which requires students be “of
demonstrated good character.”
Filpova’s volunteerism also earned her praise
from Dennis Leszko, a programming assistant in
the Student Center/Student Life Office. Leszko
serves as the faculty adviser for the Program
Activities Council and wrote a letter recommending Filipova for the 2005-06 scholarships.
“Out of the many students who attend a
Contributed Photo
Scholarship recipient Galina Filipova enjoys the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.
university, there are very few who take full
advantage of all the opportunities made available
to them,” Leszko said. “Galina Filipova is a
student who has used many of those opportunities to grow as a well-rounded student leader.”
Filipova left the WestConn campus in the fall of
2004 to pursue yet another element of her education. She’s participating in a yearlong student
exchange program, studying in Amiens, France.
“So far, this has been an amazing experience
that has provided me with an opportunity to
improve both my knowledge of the French
language and culture,” Filipova wrote. “Being
submerged in this environment has allowed me to
learn and personally experience the French
customs and traditions.
“It is thanks to the scholarships that I received
that I was able to participate in this program of
study abroad — a very valuable experience that I
am thoroughly enjoying.”
For more information about ways to help
WestConn students excel, call the Office of
Institutional Advancement at (203) 837-8298.
3
Mottley scholarship recipient
says donor support inspires
Parents establish
scholarship to
honor son’s memory,
support other
meteorology majors
Before his death in March 1996, 28-year-old
Jonathan Mottley had turned his enthrallment
with meteorology into the pursuit of a
WestConn bachelor’s degree in the field.
“Weather and meteorology had always
interested him,” Jonathan’s father, Lewis
Mottley, said during a recent telephone
interview.
“He was fascinated by the changes in
weather,” added Jonathan’s mother, Mary
Ellen Mottley.
In fact, the former Army soldier and New
Canaan volunteer firefighter was so focused
on his goal that he met personally with thenMeteorology Professor Dr. Melvin Goldstein
and asked to join one of his classes in 1995.
Goldstein, recognized as “Dr. Mel” and best
known as the chief meteorologist for WTNHTV, was convinced; Jonathan joined the course
and he earned an A.
“This was something he really wanted,”
Mary Ellen Mottley said.
After Jonathan’s death, Goldstein was
among the many WestConn students and
faculty members who attended his funeral.
Goldstein later suggested the Mottleys create a
scholarship fund for meteorology students as a
way to honor the young man’s life and support
his interest. Goldstein, who regularly contributes a weather column for The Hartford
Courant, also suggested the Mottleys team
with the newspaper to secure additional
funding for the endowed scholarship fund.
“We thought it was a great idea to help students get an education,” Lewis Mottley said.
The first $1,000 Jonathan Mottley
Meteorology Scholarship was awarded in
1997. Each year, the junior or senior full-time
student with the highest grade point average
please turn to page 7
People of all ages look to the sky and wonder
why it rains, question what causes hurricanes
and ask what will happen next.
Twenty-two-year-old WestConn junior meteorology student Carrington “C.J.” Klopfer said his
interest in meteorology began with the musings
so many of us share.
“I’ve been interested in weather — its causes
and effects — for a long time,” he said.
Klopfer’s interest was fueled by additional
curiosity as the Cromwell resident pursued an
associate’s in environmental science degree at
Briarwood College. Since transferring to
WestConn in fall 2004 to pursue his bachelor of
science degree, Klopfer has immersed himself in
the subject; he took three meteorology courses at
once during the spring semester. He also earned
the highest grade point average in his major,
making him the recipient of the Jonathan
Mottley Meteorology Scholarship for the
2005-06 academic year.
“It’s a wonderful incentive to keep up my
grades and keep going for my degree,” Klopfer
said of the $1,000 scholarship. “I’m very appreciative because it will help me continue going to
school.”
Lewis and Mary Ellen Mottley, the parents of
deceased WestConn meteorology student
Jonathan Mottley, established the endowed
scholarship in their son’s memory after his 1996
death in a car crash. They said they want the
scholarship to help students interested in the
same field that fascinated their son.
“We see it as a way to honor students’
accomplishments in the pursuit of meteorology,
and it gives them some money to continue their
studies,” Lewis Mottley said. “We also hope
other students will hear about this scholarship.
Our wish is that it might entice more young
people to pursue their interest in meteorology.”
Klopfer said he is grateful to the Mottleys and
others who have donated to the scholarship fund
for their generosity. He urges those who may be
thinking about creating or donating to a
scholarship fund to understand that their giving
has a direct impact on students’ lives.
“Scholarships definitely help a great deal,” he
said. “They can make a real difference for students.”
With the support of the Mottley Scholarship,
Klopfer said he’s looking forward to his senior
year, and he’ll keep trying to answer those ageold questions about the weather.
Call the Office of Institutional Advancement at
(203) 837-8298 for more information about
ways you can support students’ educational
pursuits.
Carrington “C.J.” Klopfer is one of many WestConn students inspired by donor support.
WestConn Photo/Peggy Stewart
4
WestConntributors, Spring 2005
Science building on track for fall 2005 opening
Since the September 2003 official groundbreaking, construction has continued on the new $48million science building on the WestConn
Midtown campus.
In the two years since the ceremony, the
building has been transformed from a stark
exoskeleton of concrete and steel to a stylized
three-story structure.
This state-of-the-art science building will
house the biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy
and meteorology departments. It will replace the
88,000-square-foot Higgins Hall, which was
built in 1949, as the home to these departments.
When it opens in the fall of 2005, the threestory building also will house the WCSU
Weather Center. Offering 122,000 square feet,
the new structure will contain science
laboratories, general classrooms, lecture halls, an
astronomy observatory, a greenhouse, faculty
space and administrative areas.
The science building is the first state-funded
building project to seek Leadership in Energy &
Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The
Center for the Arts
WestConn’s proposed Fine and Performing
Arts Center will provide performance space,
including an 800-seat concert hall, a 500-seat
proscenium theatre, a 200-seat recital hall,
and a 200-seat studio. It will include classrooms; conference rooms; labs for
graphic arts, sculpture, painting, ceramics
and photography; choral and orchestra
rooms; 52 practice rooms; a recording studio
and rehearsal rooms; and space for theatre
instruction. The facility also will offer public
gathering spaces to support its use as a fine
and performing arts center.
If you are interested in donor opportunities
related to the Center for the Arts, call the
Office of Institutional Advancement at
(203) 837-8279.
U.S. Green Building Council works to promote
environmentally responsible and sustainable
designed buildings.
If you are interested in donor opportunities
related to the university’s science programs or the
science building, call the Office of Institutional
Advancement at (203) 837-8279. Donor
support options include naming opportunities
for laboratories and classrooms, as well as the
sponsorship of distinguished and visiting
lecturers.
WestConn hosts honors ceremonies
Hundreds of proud WestConn students received
awards and scholarships when the university’s
three schools and the Division of Graduate
Studies hosted honors convocations before the
May commencement exercises.
The Honors Convocation is a major university
event, one that celebrates outstanding academic
achievement and permits faculty and administrators the opportunity to emphasize academic
excellence as one of the university’s major
priorities. Each year, departments present
awards to students; students also receive scholarship awards contributed by donors.
“At the end, we give out the dean’s award to
the outstanding student in the business school,
and this student talks about his or her
accomplishments, what he or she has learned and
what WestConn means to them,” said Dean of the
Ancell School of Business Dr. Allen Morton.
“We have a strong group of students who have
worked hard earning honors,” said Dean of the
School of Arts and Sciences Dr. Linda VadenGoad. “It is really very exciting for us, and one
way we celebrate what we do.”
The dean also praised the “generosity of our
community and different individuals” who
donate scholarship funds. Vaden-Goad said
instead of giving birthday presents, she is giving
scholarships in her father’s and brother-in-law’s
names.
“I started to think about the kinds of things
they care about and decided to do it,” she said.
“They are excited about it, too.”
Dean of the School of Professional Studies Dr.
Lynne Clark also commended various donors
whose generous contributions add to the success
of the ceremony.
“The School of Professional Studies awarded
some 45 scholarships to students on May 4,” said
Clark, adding that those who attended the ceremony included faculty members, students who
received scholarships and other academic awards,
and their parents and family members.
The WCSU Alumni Association Inc. also
presents awards to deserving students each year.
WestConn Photo/Peggy Stewart
Donor Jason Hancock and graphic design student Lynn
Ullman, a scholarship recipient, know first-hand about the
importance of recognizing student achievement.
5
Our Donors
Our thanks to all the university’s supporters. This list represents donations received between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2005.
If your name is missing or misspelled, please call (203) 837-8279. Your gift is important to us. Thank You!
Jeffrey Abbott
Adherent Technologies, LLC
Joseph Aina
Kathleen Albano
Robert & Mary Alberetti
Robin Alexanderson
Diane Alexanian
Ruth Allen
Jerry Allford
Donna Ames-Trudell
Mary Anne Ammerman
Steven Anderlot
Irene Anderson
William Anderson
Koryoe Anim-Wright
Anonymous Donor
Sally Arconti
Thomas Arconti
Pauline Argeros
Arnhold Foundation
Joanne Baldauf
Peter Baldino
Bridget Banic
Bank of America
Richard Bassett
Thomas Beardsley
Carol Beers
Morris Beers
Rudy & Mary Behrens
Lori Beirne
Richard & Marjorie
Bellesheim
Kerry Bender
Robert Bender
John Benn
Barbara Bernstein
Lois-Jean Berry
Bertha M. McCollam Inc.
Bertozzi Electric
Daniel Bertram
William Bey
Dorota Biernat
Slawomir Biernat
Carol Bills
Bridget Bishop
Louann Bloomer
Mark Blore
Jose Boa
Mary Bonaccorso
Naomi Bonnell
Donna Bowe
Margaret Boyle
Ariel Brandt
Branson Ultrasonics Corp.
Robert Brno
Daryle Brown
Suzanna Burch
Eileen Burke
Theresa Buzaid
Anthony & Roberta
Caraluzzi
Ann Carey
Gertrude Carey
Thomas Carlone
Ruth Carlson
Michael Casale
Jessica S. Casey
Nancy Cassidy
Bruce Cavanaugh
Denise Christopher-Papp
Virginia Ciccarone
Mark Cioffi
Lynne Clark
Abigail Clarke
John & Marie Cochran
Joan Conn
Conn. Student Loan
Foundation
Monica Connor
Mary Consoli
Fred Cratty
Maria Craye
Herbert Crocker
Carolyn Currie
Mark Curti
Linda Curtis
MaryAnne Cutrali
Sandra Cvanciger
William Daly
Rita D’Amico
Joseph DaSilva
Linda DaSilva
Biruta David
Roy Dellinger
Sharon Dellinger
Augustine DeLuca
Loretta DeLuca
Jack DePace
Aileen Dever
Gregory DiOrio
Toni Doherty
Patricia Domnarski
Kathleen Donatucci
Mary Donaty
Peter Donaty
Adelino DosSantos
Michael Driscoll
Johanna Dubauskas
Robert Dubauskas
Stephen Durci
John Dye
Theresa Edwards
Robert Eisenson
Simon Elsinger
Mavis English
Karen Engstrom
Kenneth Erdmann
Veronica Erdmann
Efrain Escobar
Lori Esposito
Mark Esposito
Estate of John A. Johnston
Estate of Natalie F. Johnston
Isabelle T. Farrington
Charles Fenwick
Mark & Teri Fernand
Lois Fernandes
Maija-Liisa Fink
Fiorita, Kornhaas & Van
Houten, P.C.
Thomas Fogarty
Jeanne Fonfara
Eleanor Franck-Jimenez
Patricia Fusco
Fusco Corp.
Arlene Futch
Denis Gallagher
Francis Gallo
Susan Gankos
Rich Gerber
Margaret Glahn
Barbara Gorham
Edward Gross
Judith Grundvig
Rona Gurkewitz
Virginia Habbas
Ann Hagman
Janet Hall
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hall
Fredrica Halligan
Donald Hallquist
Elizabeth Hallquist
Helen Hamm
Kathryn Hand
Harry Hara
John Harris
Joan Harrison-Boughton
Juliana Hart
Mary Hatzis
Hawley Construction
Ervie Hawley
Meriel Held
Daniel Hepp
Francis Herbert
Barbara Heuer
Sean Hickman
Mary Hoddinott
Jacqueline Hogan
Drusilla Hoge
Mark Horton
Housatonic Valley Coalition
Patricia Hunt
Viola Huntoon
Robert Hutchings
William Hutchinson
Barbara Hymel
Donna Iacoviello
Patricia Ivry
Carolyn Jackson
Christopher Jackson
Marjorie Shafto Jameson
Henry Jensen
Lorraine Jowdy
George Kain
Dr. Michael Kane
Katherine Keating
Kathleen Keating
Patrick Kerin
Eileen Kessler
Sandra Kissel
Marilyn Kobara
Elizabeth Kocaba
Robert Kocaba
Jacqueline Kuegler
Karl Kuegler
Ronald Kutz
Margaret La Polt
Anthony Labate
Elaine Labate
Phyliss Lachance
Frank Lancaster
Andrew Langlais
Lucille Lausten
Anna Lavalla
Carol Lawlor
Frank Lazatera
Margaret Leahey
Charles Leety
Joseph Leheny
James Leonard
Dennis Levesque
Patricia Levesque
Carol Lieto
Marlene Lindquist
Katherine Loehr
Ellen Lyon
Peter Lyons
Jeffrey Maccarone
James Mackey
Deno Macricostas
Sandra & Frederick
Maidment
Kathleen Maloney
Anthony Markert
Linda Marottolo
Peter Martin
Marita Masuch
Mathew Abraham
Laura Mathison
Gail Matusovich
Joanne Maurer
Pauline McBride
Anne McCarthy
Andree McColgan
Thomas McCusker
Cheryl McDowell
Cheryl McIlroy
David McKane
Katherine McKay
Janet McKay
Beatrice McKirgan
Cornelius McLaughlin Jr.
C.M. Medford III
Yuan Mei-Ratliff
Margaret Meisenhelder
John & Susan Melillo
Stan Mersand
Polly Messer
Jennifer Michaud
Karin Miller
Arlene Minkin
Nicholas Mitchell
Norbet Mitchell
Irene Mlynar
Richard Molinelli
Janet Moore
Dana Moorer
Brian Morehouse
Genene Morehouse
Julie Morgan
Irene Morrison
Allen Morton
Lori Mott
George Mulvaney
Beatrice Murdock
Janice Murphy
Jennifer Nash
Emma Nau
Katherine Neilson
Robert Nemergut
The News-Times
Sandra Norelli
Thomas Norelli
Novella Development, LLC
Catherine Oberle
Beverly O’Boza
Sheryl O’Hurley
Sally O’Neil
Frederick & Patricia O’Neill
Rocco Orso
“Over the Hill” Farm Inc.
Tiziana Paniagua
Paul Paquette
Susan Paquette
Grace Parisi
Jeanne Parsley
Penn Gardner Inc.
Burton Peretti
Susan Pochal
Robert & Barbara Pokorak
R. Scott & Sharon Porter
Joan Potenza
Jordan Powell
Kathleen Powell
Powers - Powers
Barbara Pretto
Sharon Pritchard
Elaine Puzzo
Shouhua Qi
Kelly Ralabate
Rachel Ramsey
Barbara Rasp
Margaret & Thomas
Reardon
Richard Reimold
Elizabeth Reis
Glenne & June Renzulli
William Robbins
George Rogers
Rose and Kiernan
Charitable Foundation
Janet Ross
Alison Roth
Noel Roy
Thyra Salonen
Kenneth Saloom
Phyllis Saltzgaber
Patricia SalvateRiley
Katherine Santuro
James Sarath
Arthur Sarnecky
Randall Sayers
Michael Scalera
Joan Scattolini
James Schmotter and
Daphne Jameson
William Schnitzel
Linda Schramm
Kay Schreiber
Kathryn Sharkis
Linda Sheldon
Michael Sheldon
Mildred Siegel
Veronica Smith
Alicia Snakard
Kurt Solek
Keli Solomon
Lisa Sorrentino
Elizabeth Speglevin
Charles & Denise Spiridon
Amy Stanzione
Arlene Stewart
Peggy Stewart
Marguerite Straiton
Richard Sullivan
Rosemary Sutich
John & Rosemary Sutich
Katrina Swann
Kathi & David Swanson
Barbara Talarico
Laura Taylor
Frederick Tesch
Donald Thoren
Vera Tisdall
Joseph Tomaino
Union Savings Bank
Nancy Urell
Linda Vaden-Goad
Frances Van Zanten
Virginia Villegas
Paula Vitetta
James & Florence Vulcano
Helen Wahlstrom
Emile Waite
John Wallace
William & Lois Warner
Barbara Webber
John Webber
Diana Wellman
Eric Wellman
Jason Wells
Marion Wells
Tara Wertel
Karen Wescott
Steven Wescott
Edward Whitcomb
Harold & Barbara Wibling
Fritz Wieting
Margaret Williams
Alleen & Arthur Willman
Ronald Wilson
Kathryn Wiss
Susan Wolf
John Wrenn
Linda Wrenn
Julie Wright
Susan Wright
Charles Wrinn
A. Rodger Wutzl
Joan Wutzl
Marie Young
Roy & Ginny Young
Helen Zampiello
Frederick Zarnowski
Clare Zimmitti
6
WestConntributors, Spring 2005
WestConn inaugurates eighth
president: James W. Schmotter
WestConn Photo/Peggy Stewart
On April 15, 2005, WestConn did
something it has done only seven times in its
more-than-100-year history: inaugurate a new
president. It was with great excitement and
expectation that Dr. James W. Schmotter was
officially installed as the university’s eighth
president at a ceremony in the William A.
O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center on
the Westside campus.
To commemorate the significance of the
event, the university offered a full schedule of
activities beginning Saturday, April 9, and
leading up to and after the ceremony.
Schmotter’s chosen inaugural theme was
“Changing Lives,” so many of the Inaugural
Week events celebrated the impact WestConn
has had on its students and the Greater
Danbury community.
Throughout the week, faculty, staff,
students and local residents joined to celebrate
their individual accomplishments, group
achievements and common future goals. It was
clear during the festivities that WestConn has
changed lives in a very positive way — and
will continue to do so under its eighth president’s leadership.
Creating a scholarship
is as simple as one,
two, three & four!
This year WestConn awarded more than 60
student scholarships from funds created by
donors like you, with most of the awards ranging
from $500 to $1,000 each.
You can create your own scholarship with an
annual contribution in the amount of your
choice, usually $500 to $1,000. Or, you can
create an endowment that will generate a
predictable income to provide the scholarship
funds. Endowments usually start at $10,000; we
recommend $20,000 to generate a good-sized
scholarship that can make a real difference.
The key word with WestConn scholarship
funds is flexibility. You can make a series of
smaller contributions, one large gift or a combination of the two. You can choose your favorite
academic area, require a specific grade point
average, emphasize community service, or
combine all three.
We manage scholarships for the highest
academic performance in a particular major. We
also offer them for international students,
students involved in extracurricular activities,
graduate students and undergraduate students.
We can design a scholarship program based on
nearly any special interest you or a loved one
prefers. Athletic scholarships are one exception;
NCAA regulations prohibit them in our division.
To get started today, please take these three
simple steps:
1. Call Director of Institutional Advancement
Michael Driscoll at (203) 837-8419.
2. Tell Driscoll about your preferences and
discuss your options.
3. Make your gift.
As the fourth and final step, you’ll be able to take
pride in knowing you are helping WestConn
students achieve their dreams!
Tuesday, July 19, at Watertown Golf Club
WestConn Photo/Peggy Stewart
Ancell School of Business Dean Dr. Allen Morton (left) and WCSU Foundation Inc. board member Roy Young
I p.m. shotgun start
Dinner and awards at 5:30 p.m.
$175 per person
Call (203) 837-8290
7
Commencement
gives degree
candidates
something
to celebrate
Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 22,
the dreams of nearly a thousand men and
women will become reality when they
receive bachelor’s or master’s degrees during
the 106th annual WestConn commencement
exercises.
Joining the 764 bachelor’s candidates and
193 master’s candidates on the athletic
practice field on the Westside campus will be
WestConn’s newly inaugurated eighth
president, Dr. James W. Schmotter, who will
preside over his first commencement ceremony at WestConn.
During the ceremony, Dr. Jack S.C. Fong,
chairman of the department of pediatric
medicine at Danbury Hospital, will be the
2005 Presidential Medal recipient. Fong will
be recognized for his strong support of the
university and the community, as well as his
tireless dedication to promoting quality
education and health care for Danbury
residents.
Bruce Goldsen will receive the
Distinguished Alumni Award. Goldsen, who
earned a bachelor’s degree in communications
& theatre arts from WestConn in 1982, is
president and co-owner of Jackson Radio
Works in Jackson, Mich.
President Schmotter will deliver the commencement address.
Boehringer support continues
WestConn and Boehringer have teamed up for
more than 25 years. The relationship formally
began when Boehringer first donated equipment
and chemical abstracts to the university.
Donations of equipment and chemical abstracts
continue to be an important component of the
alliance that so richly benefits students.
Then, in 1986, Boehringer became one of the
first corporate donors to the university, providing
a $100,000 donation to establish WestConn’s first
state-of-the-art biochemistry lab. Understanding
the importance of maintenance, Boehringer also
established an endowment fund to support the
facility’s ongoing operation in Higgins Hall. The
Boehringer Ingelheim Biochemistry Laboratory
has been the major teaching laboratory for
students in WCSU’s biochemistry program, with
both formal laboratory classes and undergraduate
research projects conducted there. Since then,
Boehringer has reaffirmed its support
many times.
This partnership is key to the continuing
growth and success of WestConn students’
scientific study. One example is the university’s
new $48-million science building, scheduled for
completion later this year. The facility will house
WestConn’s biology, chemistry, physics,
astronomy and meteorology departments. The finished structure will offer classrooms, research
laboratories, lecture halls, a greenhouse, an
observatory, and the WCSU Weather Center.
During the university’s first capital
campaign, Boehringer made a $100,000 corporate gift donation. This will establish a
Boehringer Ingelheim Biochemistry Laboratory
in the new science building and create an
endowment fund to benefit the lab.
Boehringer Ingelheim Senior Vice President of
Human Resources David W. Nurnberger pointed
out that Boehringer also has benefited from its
support of the university, with many talented
WestConn graduates becoming employees of the
company. In 2005, Boehringer employed about
150 WestConn alumni.
“On behalf of our senior management team
and all our employees, we are pleased to continue
the long and mutually beneficial partnership we
have with Western Connecticut State
University,” said Nurnberger, who is a WestConn
alumnus. “The university has become an important resource for us, not only in terms of
supplying us with talented graduates, but also by
joining with us to train more than 200 of our
managers through a specially tailored program
taught by professors from the Ancell School of
Business. We look forward to continuing our
partnership in the future.”
For more information about creating a
partnership to benefit WestConn students and
the community, call the Office of Institutional
Advancement at (203) 837-8298.
Giving opportunities abound
library services, supplies, programs or
specific departments.
There are also ways to make your gifts go
further: The State of Connecticut is
considering a new program to supplement
endowment gifts, and many companies will add
to gifts made by employees, their spouses or
Managing Editor ......G. Koryoe Anim-Wright, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Editor ..........................................Yvonne Johnson
Assistant Director, Office of Public Relations
Layout & Design ..................................Jason Davis
Director of University Publications & Design
Please mail your comments or suggestions to:
Dr. G. Koryoe Anim-Wright, WestConntributors,
181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810. You may also
call (203) 837-8486 or send e-mail to pr@wcsu.edu.
in the meteorology major receives the scholarship.
Twenty-two-year-old Carrington “C.J.” Klopfer, a
junior meteorology major, is the recipient of the
scholarship for the 2005-06 academic year.
“We believe education is so important,” Mary
Ellen Mottley said. “We see the scholarship as a
way to invest in a person, that person’s education
and that person’s future.”
Lewis and Jonathan Mottley were both members of the New Canaan Volunteer Fire Company,
so his parents also established a fund in
Jonathan’s memory to support education of the
continued from page 1
retirees. Contact your human resources office
about your company’s matching policy.
Call the Office of Institutional Advancement at
(203) 837-8298 for more information about
giving opportunities.
Mottleys establish scholarship
WestConntributors is published quarterly by the
WCSU Office of University Relations.
continued from page 1
continued from page 3
department’s members.
Lewis Mottley said he hopes his family’s story
will help others see the benefit of supporting
scholarships. “We all know that students are
faced with a number of challenges,” he said.
“They’re working incredibly hard, so providing
recognition and some support is really
important.”
Call the Office of Institutional Advancement at
(203) 837-8298 for more information about
establishing a scholarship.
Save
Date
the
Mark your calendars and
please join us for the following
upcoming events:
May 20 & 21, Dinner theatre for “Blue
Window” play, 7 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m.
theatre production, Alumni Hall, Midtown
campus, $15 for play only, $35 for dinner
& play
May 22, Commencement, 10:30 a.m.,
Westside campus
July 19, Alumni Golf Outing, 1 p.m.,
Watertown Golf Club, $175 per person
Sept. 28, Scholarship Donor/Student
Reception, Warner Hall, Midtown campus
Oct. 15, Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,
10 a.m., Warner Hall, Midtown campus
Nov. 13, Wine Tasting, 4 - 7 p.m.,
Warner Hall, Midtown campus,
$50 per person
Jan. 18, WestConn Society Luncheon,
11:30 a.m., Warner Hall, Midtown campus
WCSU Foundation Inc.
Board
G. Koryoe Anim-Wright
Richard Arconti
Anthony Caraluzzi
Thomas Crucitti
Michael Driscoll
Theresa Eberhard-Asch
Isabelle Farrington
Katrina Ferrigno
Josephine Hamer
Carol Hawkes
Gary Hawley
M. Farooq Kathwari
Deno Macricostas
David Nurnberger
Bernard Reidy
Gerard Robilotti
James W. Schmotter
Donald Weeden
Harold C. Wibling
Roy Young
WCSU Alumni
Association Inc.
Board
Virginia Crowley
Thomas Crucitti
Theresa Eberhard-Asch
Mary Figueroa
Sharon Fusco
Leonard Genovese
Gordon Hallas
Jeffrey Heyel
Peter Howland
Jan Maria Jagush
Sissy McKee
Jack Quinlan
Kay Schreiber
Richard Stabile
Neil Wagner
Eric Wellman
Non-Profit Org
US Postage
Paid
Danbury, CT
Permit No. 40
Office of Institutional Advancement
181 White Street
Danbury, CT 06810
Address Service Requested