May 2015

UConn Health

RELEASE: Coach Calhoun Launches Event to Raise Dollars for Research and Care at UConn Health

Jennifer Doak-Mathewson

2 min read

Event to place major emphasis on dollars for medical research

Farmington, Conn.: Beginning in May of 2015, Coach Jim Calhoun will be hosting a signature event for UConn Health called the Jim Calhoun Ride and Walk for Lifesaving Research and Care. The official date for the event is May 30th.

Coach and the UConn Foundation have taken this step because federal and state dollars, as well as corporate support for important, cutting edge medical research and care, has been declining for years. This event, known formerly as the Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride and Walk, is being created by Coach and the University to raise dollars specifically for the advanced medical research and care taking place at UConn Health.

“Giving UConn Health’s talented researchers and staff the tools they need to conduct cutting-edge research and provide exceptional care is one of our top priorities,” President Susan Herbst said. “We’re grateful to Coach Calhoun for partnering with us on this important endeavor, and we encourage the entire UConn community to get involved.”

The 2015 Jim Calhoun Ride and Walk for Lifesaving Research and Care will take place on May 30th and will start and finish at Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford. The event will feature rides of 12, 36 and 60 miles and a 5K walk, and as the day ends, there will be a celebratory cookout for all participants. Ninety cents of every dollar contributed by riders and walkers and their supporters will go directly to the cause and every UConn Health department will be eligible to receive funds raised annually by this event.

“For years, Coach Calhoun has been a leader in efforts to raise funds for the important work of UConn Health,” said Josh Newton, president of the UConn Foundation. “This new event will allow us to raise millions of dollars for one of the premier healthcare institutions in America.”

Coach Calhoun is seeking teams as well as individual riders and walkers from throughout the University community and from every corner of the state.

All funds raised by the Jim Calhoun Ride and Walk for Lifesaving Research and Care will benefit the UConn Health Research and Discovery Fund—a fund to support research aimed at curing disease and improving human health.

To register to ride or to walk, please visit www.calhounride.com or call (860) 674-1500.

UConn Health includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Home to Bioscience Connecticut, UConn Health pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service.

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Emeritus Foundation Board Chair, UConn Alum Elected New York Life President

Jennifer Doak-Mathewson

< 1 min read

Congratulations to John Y. Kim ’87 (MBA), a former chair of the UConn Foundation Board of Directors and current member of the Founders Society, who was recently elected president of the New York Life Insurance Company. He’ll also retain the roles of CIO and vice chairman.

Kim received his MBA from UConn in 1987 and is widely recognized as a leader in the financial services sector. He’s been with New York Life since 2008 and was inducted into the School of Business Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Children Honor Mother By Funding UConn Scholarship

Jack Kramer

2 min read

Clare Bernstein was far from the traditional University of Connecticut student and her two children, also UConn graduates, want to make sure her legacy endures.

So Richard Bernstein and Judith Peritz recently established the Clare and Herbert (their father) Bernstein Scholarship Fund to, in Richard Bernstein’s words, “honor the memory of our parents.”

Richard Bernstein said his mother felt “that UConn provided her, a very nontraditional student, a warm and helpful welcome and a chance to make up for lost time at a reasonable cost. In recognition of that, about 20 years ago, she made a modest donation to create a small scholarship to go to some deserving needy student.”

Clare Bernstein emigrated from Hungary when she was two years old, but, in her son’s words, “never had a chance to go to college (unlike her three brothers) who became, respectively, a dentist, a business executive and a psychiatrist.”

“When she was in her 50s,” Bernstein continued, “and my sister and I were more or less grown up, she went to UConn, got her BA and then her MA, which led to a job with the state of Connecticut’s Welfare Department, where she worked for 20 years.”

Clare Bernstein passed away last year, at age 94. Her husband, Herbert, died in 1992.

“She also created a charitable foundation, the funds to be distributed by her two children after her death,” said Bernstein. He and his sister, Judy—both UConn alumni—decided to use some of the foundation’s assets to increase Clare’s initial donation, so that the university would be able to award one full tuition scholarship a year.

Judy Peritz, after UConn, got MA degrees in both education (Harvard) and public health (NYU) and worked in both fields, as a public school teacher, and as assistant to the director of emergency medicine at Belleview Hospital in New York. In her last job, she worked as a special education teacher in Wilton, Conn. She’s married with three children and divides her time between New York and New Hampshire.

Richard Bernstein, after UConn, spent five years studying Chinese and Chinese history at Harvard, and then embarked on what became a 35-year career as a journalist, first for Time magazine, and then for The New York Times. He was a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong and Beijing. He is also the author of nine books. He lives with his wife and son in Brooklyn, NY.

The Clare and Herbert Bernstein Scholarship Fund comes at the same time the UConn Foundation has kicked off its “Transform Lives” campaign, a five-year, fundraising initiative that will double the amount of financial support—including merit and need-based scholarships—that the Foundation raises for the benefit of the UConn student body.

“As UConn adds more students over the next decade, the need for scholarship and fellowship support will grow considerably,” said Josh Newton, president of the UConn Foundation. “The UConn Foundation’s $150 million initiative will bring a UConn education within reach of more families and strengthen the University’s standing among top public institutions.”

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Coming to Hartford in 2017: A new UConn campus and opportunities to transform lives

Jennifer Doak-Mathewson

2 min read

Yesterday, UConn students and administrators, joined by state and local officials, celebrated the start of construction on the University’s new downtown Hartford campus by breaking ground and raising the flag at that site.

Today, UConn plants its flag in downtown Hartford! pic.twitter.com/MiDnZtH3XN

— UConn (@UConn) May 18, 2015

The new Hartford campus will provide donors with ample opportunities to invest in Connecticut’s capital city and its residents, including the Foundation’s Adopt a Husky program, part of its Transform Lives scholarship initiative.

“It takes more than bricks and mortar to build a great campus,” said Joshua R. Newton, president & CEO of the UConn Foundation. “For as little as $10,000 over four years, donors will be able to support a Husky at the Hartford campus and help build a solid foundation for these students.”

The new downtown Hartford campus, which will be located at the former Hartford Times building, will be home to 2,300 students and 250 faculty members.

Groundbreaking in downtown Hartford for UConn. pic.twitter.com/6KZmlWezHv

— Jeff Cohen (@jeffcohenwnpr) May 18, 2015

“With the creation of this downtown campus, we are helping to create a brighter, better tomorrow for students living in Hartford and nearby communities,” said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

“This neighborhood campus will be a vibrant part of downtown and will be deeply engaged in the life of the community, bringing tremendous benefits to both the city and our students,” added UConn President Susan Herbst.

President Herbst at UConn Hartford groundbreaking: “This is a great day for Connecticut and its capital city.” pic.twitter.com/Pjvswm7JHV

— UConn (@UConn) May 18, 2015

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RELEASE: New UConn Hartford Campus Creates Giving Opportunities

Jack Kramer

2 min read

Philanthropists looking to transform a college student’s life have a myriad of opportunities to realize that goal—including a new scholarship program—at the University of Connecticut’s downtown Hartford campus, slated to open in the fall of 2017.

The goal of the Adopt-a-Husky program is to ensure that the Hartford campus is accessible and affordable for all students. Close to half of the 2,300 students are expected to be first generation college students and many will seek financial aid.

“Philanthropy will play an important role in attracting students to the campus and in providing a high-quality education, helping to make UConn Hartford a success while adding new vitality to the downtown neighborhood,” said UConn President Susan Herbst.

The Adopt-a-Husky program includes many options for donors:

$2,500 pledged over four years, or $10,000 in total, to Support a Husky at the Hartford campus.
$50,000 or more to establish an endowed fund that provides annual support for a student at a specific college or school at UConn Hartford.
With an endowed fund of $100,000 or more other criteria can be added; for example, a preference for students from a particular region.

Tuition and fees at the campus, currently located in West Hartford, are $10,658 annually.

The downtown space for the campus encompasses 217,000 square feet and will bring students closer to potential internships, service projects, and jobs in urban K-12 schools, government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and other entities.

The main building, the former Hartford Times newspaper headquarters, will accommodate approximately 70 percent of the academic programmatic needs, and is scheduled for completion by July 2017. The UConn Hartford campus will also be home to 250 faculty members.

The Adopt-a-Husky program is part of the UConn Foundation’s “Transform Lives’’ initiative, a five-year effort to double the amount of financial support—including merit and need-based scholarships—that the Foundation raises for the benefit of the UConn student body, at all the university’s campuses.

The Foundation, in its mission statement, said: “The University’s strong upward trajectory comes at a time when, nationwide, the cost of higher education is soaring. Now, more than ever, farsighted, caring donors are essential to bringing an education within reach of every deserving student.’’

Beyond Adopt-a-Husky programs, there will be also other opportunities for donors to invest in students at the UConn Hartford campus.

Naming rights include:

$1-2 million for a research/laboratory center
$500,000-$1 million for a lecture hall
$250,000-$500,000 for a seminar room
$25,000-$50,000 for a student study lounge

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VIDEO: Scholarships are Transforming Lives at UConn

Jennifer Doak-Mathewson

< 1 min read

Three UConn students show how receiving a scholarship has transformed their life on campus and beyond.

Transform the lives of students like Trayvonn, Ashwini, and Rebecca today.

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Philanthropy Brings Beautiful Music to School of Fine Arts

Jennifer Doak-Mathewson

< 1 min read

_{A look at the pianos’ delivery to the Music Department, featuring Director Eric Rice.

Many thanks to the Lawrence J. and Natalie D. Portell Foundation for their support!}

A walk through the Music Department wing of the School of Fine Arts building most times of the day provides a traveler with an eclectic mix of piano styles and sounds emanating from the 38 practice rooms spread throughout the building.

The recent delivery of 12 new pianos to the Music Department will make those sounds brighter for many years to come, part of the University’s effort to replace its inventory of 88 aging pianos with a median age of 60 years, including some that date back to the early 20th century.

The purchase of the new pianos is the fulfillment of private philanthropy and a gift made in 2012 by The Lawrence J. Portell and Natalie D. Portell Foundation. The new pianos will replace instruments that are 30 years old.

Read the full story on UConn Today

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Philanthropy: Helping Students Even After Graduation

Jack Kramer

2 min read

The more than 8,200 students who will receive undergraduate and graduate degrees from UConn this weekend face, on average, less debt than college students at other public and private universities.

Eighty-three percent of UConn undergraduates receive some form of financial aid and the average student loan debt at UConn is nearly 20 percent lower than the national average for students at public and private institutions as of 2013, the latest available data.

Additionally, data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that UConn’s student default rate of 3.8% is much lower than the national average of 13.7%.

There will be 6,000 bachelor’s degrees and 1,600 master’s degrees handed out to the Class of 2015 in different commencement ceremonies this weekend.

Without his Leadership Scholarship, Trayvonn Diaz wouldn’t be graduating. “I wouldn’t have been able to participate in activities around campus, such as concert performances, bus trips to New York City and Boston, my coed community service fraternity, local charity races, or other experiences that helped me enjoy the overall UConn experience.”

“Not to mention,” Diaz said, “that I would have struggled to purchase the textbooks I needed for required courses in my major.”

Added senior Claire Price, who will return to UConn this September to pursue her PhD, “I am just so grateful. Neither myself nor many of my friends could have attended UConn without scholarship money.”

Graduation arrives a few months into the UConn Foundation’s five-year, $150 million fundraising initiative, Transforming Lives, that has a stated goal of doubling the amount of financial support—including merit and need-based scholarships—that it raises for the benefit of UConn students.

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RELEASE: Two UConn Foundation Board Members Among Inductees into School of Business Hall of Fame

Barbara Moss

2 min read

A May 8th ceremony is slated for the Hartford Convention Center

Two UConn Foundation Board members are among the group of four alumni who will be inducted into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame this week.

In a ceremony scheduled for May 8th at the Connecticut Convention Center, the School of Business will honor: Brigadier General James S. Creedon ’53, David B. Greenfield ’84, Norman W. LaCroix ’72 MBA, and Wendy Reeves Watkins ’74. Both Mr. Greenfield and Mrs. Watkins are members of the UConn Foundation Board of Directors.

Established in 1993, the Hall of Fame recognizes alumni who have achieved outstanding success in their business careers, made a significant impact on their industry or business, and been actively involved in their communities. There are more than 100 UConn alumni who are already members.

David B. Greenfield is executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Hanover Insurance Group. Formerly, he held a similar position with AXIS Capital Holdings and spent 22 years at KPMG, where he rose to senior partner in the firm’s financial services practice.

Wendy Reeves Watkins has been active in volunteer work for more than two decades and has held board positions with several Chicago-area nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Her prior career began at Arthur Anderson & Co. and continued with positions at Martin Marietta Corp. and Continental Illinois National Bank.

“I’m thrilled that two of our board members, who have displayed such commitment and passion to UConn, are being recognized for their accomplishments in the business world,” said Joshua R. Newton, the UConn Foundation President and CEO. “I applaud their continued leadership and congratulate them on their membership in the School of Business Hall of Fame.”

General Creedon’s distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force was followed by government service with the Arizona Department of Transportation. He subsequently founded and served as president of Creedon Consulting. General Creedon is being honored posthumously.

Norman W. LaCroix is the CEO and a founding partner of Decision Analytics Group. Previously, he was senior director at Weil, Gotshal & Manges where he also held the positions of chief financial officer and chief strategy officer. He began his career at Arthur Young and then worked at AMAX, Inc. and Pitney Bowes. Mr. LaCroix and his wife, Celestine LaCroix, also established the Fund in Support of Veterans Outreach at the School of Business.

This year’s Hall of Fame event will feature a celebration of the School of Business’s longstanding commitment to veterans—a source of great pride.

If you would like to attend, please contact Amanda Spada via email or at (860) 486-5498.