STORRS, CT. – Impressed by UConn’s research in ecology and evolutionary biology, an anonymous donor has given $3 million to endow two research positions in the University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The unprecedented gift means the university will be able to recruit and retain two of the best scientists in the field.
“This gift will elevate the College’s already innovative research and education in ecology and evolutionary biology, sciences that are increasingly relevant in the modern world,” says Juli Wade, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Transformative gifts like these help us attract and keep the best researchers and educators, who enrich the entire University and the state of Connecticut.”
The gift speaks directly to UConn President Thomas Katsouleas’s goal of doubling UConn’s research enterprise over the next 10 years. UConn, a top 25 public research university, carries out research within its 14 schools and colleges and 80 research centers and institutes.
“This is completely unprecedented,” says Eric Schultz, professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. “No department in the University has been granted two endowed chairs simultaneously like this. It represents a substantial and absolutely incredible opportunity for us.”
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology faculty and staff investigate and teach about the earth’s heritage of biological diversity, an important area of research given the high rate of human-caused extinctions, says Schultz.
The two positions can be used to recruit scholars to the department or to support current faculty members. The chairs will be named after the Shakespearean characters Titania and Prospero in honor of the donor, a lifelong student of the Bard.
Sitting on a low, granite wall, warmed by the sun and soothed by the mulchy smell of well-tended gardens, UConn students have an extraordinary new spot on campus to meet with friends, enjoy lunch or listen to a lecture.
And that’s exactly what pharmacy alums from the class of 1978 intended. Thanks largely to a fundraising drive by the class, a modern medicinal garden has been installed in front of the School of Pharmacy building, which opened in 2005.
The class raised funds for the project based on their own fond memories of hanging out in the medicinal garden at the old School of Pharmacy building, then located next to the Student Union.
“It was a little refuge where you could sit with your friends. It was a hidden place. A lot of people didn’t know it was there,” said Barbara Deptula ’78 (PHM). “We just remember being crazy kids sitting in the old medicinal garden and have great memories of that.”
“Our class wanted to create a similar environment for the next class, the next generation, so they can experience same things we did,” she said.
In all, the class raised $82,000 to celebrate its 35- and 40-year reunions. The funds are being used to maintain the garden and provide scholarships for pharmacy students.
Designed by a Boston-based landscape architect and UConn’s Planning, Design, and Construction Department, the garden features a hardscape pattern of three linked circles. The design is based on the chemical structures of menthol and salicylic acid – one of the first pharmaceuticals isolated from plants in the modern pharmacopeia.
Tucked within and around the hardscape are lush garden beds filled with more than 40 medicinal plants such as rosemary, lavender, salvia, and sweet woodruff. Each is labeled with its common and Latin names. An accompanying garden web page describes each plant’s medicinal uses. The seasonally rotating plant display draws visitors through a winding pathway.
The garden hardscape, which includes footpath lights, also incorporates about 50 pavers inscribed with the names of class members, professors, and others who donated to the fundraiser. The UConn Foundation offered pavers or “bricks” inscribed with donors’ names, a nod to the original garden’s brick house and class’s informal theme song of the same name by the Commodores.
“A bunch of the guys in our class used to dance to ‘Brick House.’ That was like the joke song. When it would come on, they’d start dancing and singing,” Deptula said.
Andrea Hubbard, associate professor of pharmaceutical science, sees the garden as a useful stage for outdoor lectures, not only for pharmacy courses but also for classes from the School of Agriculture, ecology and evolutionary biology, and as preparation for a study abroad program on traditional Chinese medicine.
A summer internship is a great way to explore a career, network, and build a professional skillset – and getting a paid internship is even better.
The good news is that the number of paid internships is on the rise in many fields, and UConn’s Center for Career Development can help you find one.
Not only are paid internships becoming more commonplace, but paid interns are more likely to land a job and a higher starting salary than unpaid interns when they graduate. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that 66.4 percent of graduates who were paid interns received at least one job offer compared to just 43.7 percent of unpaid interns. And graduates with paid internship experience start out making $51,930 per year compared to $35,721 for those with unpaid internship experience.
So how do you find a paid internship? UConn’s Center for Career Development counselors have the following tips:
1. Network before you need it
Before you start your search, network with alumni in the field so you know what you’re walking into. You can find alums to talk to for free through the Husky Mentor Network on the Career Center’s website. Students can use the website to schedule a time to talk with someone and ask them about what to expect from an internship in their field. This is the perfect opportunity to find out whether internships in your chosen field are generally paid or unpaid.
2. Start looking now
The best time to line up internships is in the fall before the following summer because that’s when many industries start recruiting. “They recruit in the fall for the following summer, which always feels really early to students and parents. But if you miss that fall window, you miss a lot of the larger, more established opportunities,” said Ana Clara Blesso, associate director of career coaching and experiential learning. This is particularly true of larger organizations, such as Cigna, that have a more formalized intern program.
3. Where to look
Schedule an appointment at the UConn Career Center to meet with a career coach. They can help you pinpoint your field of interest, direct you to websites like Husky Career Link that list thousands of internships, and guide you through the application process.
4. Cast a wide net
Make connections with faculty who have worked in your field and with alums who are currently in the field you’d like to enter. Check with your academic department and work with your academic advisor to help find an internship. Parents should check their own networks as well. Do their colleagues or customers have internships? How about their neighbors or friends?
5. Go to the Internship Fair
Go to UConn’s Internship Fair held every February in the Student Union.
6. Don’t accept the first internship you’re offered
It’s easy to get excited and just accept the first internship offered to you, even if it’s unpaid. But it’s better to graciously ask the company for a day or two to consider the offer and then talk to a UConn career counselor. The counselors can assess the offer and possibly coach you to negotiate for a better deal—or steer you toward a comparable paid position elsewhere.
7. Even if you get an unpaid internship, you can still ask for compensation
Students usually don’t think of asking for compensation beyond an hourly wage. But you can ask—politely—about whether they can be reimbursed for small expenses, such as parking, transportation, or other job-related expenses.
8. Get some financial assistance
Apply to UConn’s new Opportunity Fund, which provides financial support for professional opportunities such as internships. The fund, which assisted 11 students this past summer, is designed for students who want to do an unpaid or minimally paid internship but simply can’t afford it.
9. Consider a co-op
If you want to go a step further than an internship, consider doing a co-op. A co-op is essentially taking a pause from academic work for a semester to work full time for the purpose of gaining real work experience. Co-ops are always paid experiences. Find more information about UConn’s Co-op Program here.
My company is looking for interns. How can I recruit UConn students?
Email the UConn Center for Career Development at [email protected] and go to the employer page for information on UConn’s internship program. Or call Ashley Browning, assistant director of corporate partner relations, directly at the Career Center at 860-486-3013.
Help continue career programs and resources like the Opportunity Fund at UConn with a gift to the Center for Career Development.
Scholarships: Leadership Scholarship, University of Connecticut Fine Arts Talent Scholarship, Cynthia Reeves Watercolor Scholarship
Hometown: Quaker Hill, Connecticut
Why did you choose to study painting and biology? I wanted to study art. It’s what I love doing. I wanted to improve my skills while learning more about the art world because it wasn’t something I was exposed to that much growing up. However, I also wanted to keep learning especially in the biological field. I was always fascinated by how living organisms worked and how they interacted. It only made sense to study both and UConn allowed me to do that.
James Keth ‘19 (SFA) working on his senior project in his studio at the School of Fine Arts, Art Building on March 25, 2019. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
What did you accomplish during your college experience that you’re most proud of? I got to have my own solo art exhibition thanks to the IDEA Grant that I received through the office of undergraduate research. The grant allowed me to travel to Cambodia for three weeks to collect inspiration for the show. The exhibition was a collection of pieces that explored these multi-dimensional feelings of being first generation Cambodian-American born after the Khmer Rouge genocide that my parents went through. I gained a lot in accomplishing this project such as learning how to write for a grant, creating work for an exhibition, and installing for an exhibition.
What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan on applying to post-baccalaureate art programs in order to take time to prepare and apply for graduate school.
How has UConn shaped you as a person? UConn not only helped me develop my skills and knowledge, but it gave me the environment to develop as a person. It put me in a space where I could explore who I am, but also knowing that I always had a support system if I ever needed help.
If you could summarize your experience at UConn in three words, what would they be? Challenging. Interdisciplinary. Rewarding.
What did receiving a scholarship mean to you? I guess the obvious answer would be that I could actually afford an education. Both my parents are refugees from Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge genocide and I am very fortunate for all of their hard work in allowing my brother, sister, and me to live comfortably, despite them coming to America with nothing. Education, however, is still very expensive and it is not something we can just afford. We three kids all are or are going to be in college. That in itself is a huge financial obstacle, so any amount of help really did matter. Being a scholarship recipient not only helped me and my parents but also indirectly helps my brother and sister seek higher education. I am very thankful for the education I received at UConn but also thankful for the financial aid I was given especially through scholarships.
As part of their reunion on September 29, Medical and Dental School alumni honored four faculty members who built exceptional careers in teaching, research, and health care leadership.
One of the highlights of the 2018 School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine Reunion was the Distinguished Faculty Awards Reception, where UConn recognized four faculty members who have had an indelible impact on medical and dental education at the University.
The Medical and Dental Alumni Boards presented awards to Dr. Marja Hurley, Dr. Martha Lepow, Dr. Alan Lurie, and Dr. Richard Topazian.
Dr. Hurley is a renowned physician-scientist, whose contributions to orthopedics and the medical profession include seminal research related to bone density, excellence in teaching, and leadership in fostering the career development of students in biomedical science at every level.
She serves as a professor of medicine and orthopedics, a member of the Institute of Systems Genomics, and director of the Health Career Opportunity Program at the School of Medicine. She is also the first woman of color to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree from the School and the first to be a tenured full professor here.
Although she could not be at the reception, she videotaped a message about her deep connection to UConn: “I am pleased to have witnessed the trajectory of the medical school over these many years, in terms of the increased number of students and the basic science and clinical advancements that we’ve made.”
She also indicated that she considers fellow honoree, Dr. Martha Lepow, to be a mentor. At the age of 91, Dr. Lepow is considered a pioneer in pediatric infectious diseases. During her residency in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1950s, Dr. Lepow worked under Nobel laureate Dr. Frederick Robbins, administering clinical trials that brought a polio vaccine to the public. Dr. Lepow and her late husband, Dr. Irwin H. Lepow, later became founding faculty members at the UConn’s School of Medicine, where she started the department of pediatrics and he was the chair of pathology.
“We really bonded with the first classes,” says Dr. Lepow. “They were new, and we were new. That’s why coming back for this reunion was such a great experience. I was able to renew the associations and friendships with those students and talk about our lives. That was my favorite part of the weekend.”
At UConn, Dr. Lepow conducted multiple studies on lead poisoning with medical students, culminating in testifying before a congressional committee for the Clean Air Act. She was also part of a team that worked to implement trials of meningococcal vaccine in infants and children. Today, she is professor emerita at Albany Medical College, where she has taught and conducted clinical research for 40 years.
From the beginning, the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine featured a unique integration of the two fields. This philosophy is what brought Dr. Alan Lurie, a specialist in maxillofacial radiology and diagnostic sciences, to UConn from Southern California. He has now been a part of the UConn community for 45 years.
“It was one of the few places in the country that was doing this work,” he says. “Now, I’ve taught almost every student that has gone through the dental school. But I was still unprepared to get this award. It’s extremely meaningful because it’s given by your colleagues and peers. That is the ultimate form of recognition.”
During his career, Dr. Lurie has led humanitarian and training trips to South America, where students provided dental services to people in remote and resource-challenged areas. His service to UConn has included leadership of the oral and maxillofacial radiology residency program and the DMD/Ph.D. program.
The final honoree was Dr. Richard Topazian, who began his academic career at the University of Kentucky and the Medical College of Georgia before becoming the chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UConn. He is now Professor Emeritus at the UConn School of Dental Medicine.
His career has been marked by a dedication to teaching and service, both on the Farmington campus and overseas. Like Dr. Lurie, Dr. Topazian has accompanied dental students on humanitarian trips and spent a portion of his career instructing dental practitioners in places like India, Ecuador, Trinidad, and the Dominican Republic. In particular, his overseas work has focused on cleft palate correction surgery.
UConn is fortunate to have benefitted from the contributions of these dedicated faculty members. The legacy they have built reverberates throughout the community through the work of our medical and dental graduates.
We have much to celebrate at UConn Health, and much to be grateful for, thanks to the enduring bonds between the school and you—our alumni. We hope you’ll consider donating to one of the funds we presented at the event.
Each year, UConn students have the opportunity to participate on the Connect & Challenge Wellness Retreat, a two-day excursion designed to give students the resources they need to overcome the challenges of college life.
The retreat is one of many mental health programs supported by the Parents Fund at UConn.
Justina Petrullo ‘20 is currently a junior studying Mind, Body, and Health
A trip to the Berkshires for the weekend with no electronics might not seem like a popular excursion for a bunch of college students. However, that is exactly what the Challenge and Connect Retreat, hosted by Counseling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) and UConn Recreation (UConn Rec) provides UConn undergraduates. The retreat connects students to nature, to others, and to themselves through outdoor adventure challenges and reflective activities.
Even though Fall 2018 is my first semester at UConn, it is my fifth semester as a college student. Coming from rural New Jersey to rural Connecticut, I was excited by the opportunity to connect to nature and myself in my new home. I am in the process of creating an individualized major called Mind, Body, and Health, and I was especially eager to use this trip as a way to investigate the correlations among these aspects of myself and my peers at UConn. I wanted to make new friends and connections as a transfer student while exploring the forest, one of my favorite activities. Challenges such as whitewater rafting and less obvious ones like trying not to miss my cellphone were added bonuses and opportunities for reflection.
CMHS and UConn Rec provided students with a pre-trip meeting that outlined some of the activities planned and gave participants a chance to meet and get to know one another. We discussed aspects of the trip that we felt would be challenging and those that would be exciting and fun. Some of these aspects looked the same to us, and some looked different, but we knew there wasn’t any one person who didn’t have any challenges awaiting them.
Many participants, including myself, were there to make new friends, experience nature, and try something new. One girl was from Taiwan and had never tried a s’more before (she loves them now!). One was a rower from Massachusetts who studies engineering. Another was from Connecticut, deciding what to study and eager to get to know everyone. I saw qualities in them that I saw in myself, but I also heard about new ideas and experiences that I had never considered. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, we became close and filled practically every minute with conversation and laughter.
From gathering at the meeting place the day of departure to heading back to our dorms two days later, all of the participants, including the facilitators, supported and encouraged each other in everything we did. We had tasks, such as sharing a story of empowerment, examining and writing about what the words challenge and connect meant to us, and designing a nameplate for ourselves. We shared our stories of empowerment around a campfire, wrote in journals that accompanied us on walks to a nearby river and the cabins we stayed in, and gave our nameplates to a stranger who would become a friend by the end of the weekend.
Both nights in the Berkshires consisted of campfires, delicious food, good company, and activities such as coloring, basket making, and team-building riddles. Sleeping in a cabin brought me back to the peace, quiet, and darkness that isn’t usually found on college campuses. Waking up soon after the sun for a hike energized me in a way that waking up for school never did. Some activities, such as hiking and meeting new people, were within my comfort zone and were things I didn’t think twice about. However, one activity in particular did make me think twice—whitewater rafting. I wasn’t the only one who was getting in a river raft for the first time. Most of my friends and cabin mates were also new to the rapids. This made it easier for me to get on the raft and gave me the resolve to actually participate in the experience.
Being at the mercy of the river, I thought of how fitting a metaphor it was for life. As a participant in life, a college student, a parent, an educator, and a person, you try to prepare as much as you can for what comes your way. I did the same by wearing a wetsuit, a fleece, a helmet, a life jacket, and wielding a paddle to help push myself through the rough spots. I got in a rubber raft with my peers and two facilitators, all of us wearing the same gear and ready to safely and enjoyably make our way down the river. Our guide warned us of potential dangers and told us what to do and where to go, while we worked as a team to get from the rough sections of rapids to the calm inlets to rest. As we went from calm waters to swift and choppy rapids, it became more difficult to paddle. We could cringe and hold on to the rope for dear life, like I wanted to do, or we could envision ourselves as floating leaves on a stream, calm but also doing our best to paddle through rather than constantly worrying about falling off. School put a barrier between us in terms of “teacher” and “student,” but we all had to equally work together and paddle hard that day.
That experience of whitewater rafting was the most memorable activity that I brought back to school with me. It meant that I did something scary, loved it, and learned that control is an illusion; all you can do is breathe, do the best you can, and try to enjoy each moment. So, when I’m taking an exam, or in a crowded dining hall full of people I don’t know, I remember to breathe, relax, and float on with a positive attitude, knowing everyone is in the same boat. And if we happen to fall out, my fellow participants (now friends) and I know that CMHS and UConn Rec are there to throw us a rope and pull us back in, helping us to forge ahead.
Gifts to the Parents Fund support activities that enhance the UConn education and experience for students. Through the Parents Fund, the Division of Student Affairs works to enrich students’ experiences through supporting student health and well-being, celebrating our diverse environment, and building a brighter future for our local, national, and international communities.
Kick off homecoming weekend on Friday with a stroll (or ride) down memory lane. Hop on the Now & Then Campus Bus Tour and show the family all your favorite spots on campus, while checking out all that’s new. You’ll be surprised just how different campus is now.
Gear Up at the Bookstore
If you’ve worn your classic UConn T-shirt more times than you can count, it might be time for some new digs. Plus, check out the kids’ section so the whole family can rock their Husky pride at Saturday’s football game. Stop by the bookstore and show your Homecoming pin to receive 15% off your purchase.
Cheer on the Huskies!
It’s never too early to teach your kids the proper way to do a UConn chant. Sing along with the “Pride of Connecticut” UConn Marching Band at the Homecoming football game. Save on tickets for the whole family by using discount code HUSKIESFOREVER19.
Get Your Science On
Is your little one a budding biologist? Maybe the worlds next great engineer? Or do they just want to have fun with some really cool science? Science Salon Jr. is a free program, and every young scientist will receive a complimentary Science Salon Junior apron. Don’t wait to register, this event is sure to sell out again this year.
Head to the Races
Want to let your kids burn some energy before making the drive back home? Let them run their hearts out at the Lil’ Huskies Kids K. If you plan on running in the Huskies Forever 5K, activities will also be available for kids during the adult 5K.
End with a Sweet Treat
Does a trip to campus even count without stopping by the Dairy Bar? Enjoy your favorite flavor while overlooking Horsebarn Hill to make your trip complete. Remember that homecoming pin from the Bookstore? Show it at the Dairy Bar to receive 25% off your ice cream!
Michelle Dugan was amazed by the young women she met who had received scholarships from UConn’s new Women and Philanthropy group.
“They really wowed me as far as how worldly they already are at this point in life and how excited they are about the fields that they’ve chosen,” she said.
Inspired by the mission of the UConn Women and Philanthropy initiative, she decided to donate $50,000 to create an endowed scholarship that will help pay tuition for a female UConn student.
“In today’s world, women have better opportunities and they can become engineers and doctors. I’d like to be able to afford more women that opportunity,” she said.
Career options for women were far more limited when Michelle graduated from UConn in 1969.
“Basically, you could be a teacher or go into the health field in a supporting role. There were very few women who even thought about going beyond that because there just weren’t many opportunities for us,” she said.
Although UConn cost only $500 a semester when she went to college, Michelle is keenly aware of how much tuition has risen.
“I wanted to be able to help so that kids don’t graduate from college and find they have mortgage-like debt to pay off right when they are trying to get on with their lives.”
Upon graduating from UConn with a degree in Child Development and Family Relations, Michelle became a social worker at the Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, NJ. She married Gary Dugan ’69 PhD, whom she had met at UConn. They had two children, and she became a stay-at-home mom for several years. The expanded childcare network of today was non-existent back then for career families.
Later, she went back to school and earned a master’s in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. During her 25-year career, she worked for two towns, most recently serving as a combination Borough Administrator, Chief Financial Officer, Tax Collector, and Recycling Coordinator for Midland Park, NJ.
“It was a small town and you had to wear a lot of hats,” she explained. “I really enjoyed being in the public sector, especially the finances, most public meetings and interacting with the public. It was a great career.”
Michelle identifies with the #metoo movement. Although she never experienced sexual abuse or harassment on the job, she endured a more subtle form of sexism, marginalization. She says she did not always feel she was being treated as an equal.
Michelle is very optimistic about the Woman and Philanthropy initiative and looks forward to seeing it expand to assist women with career choices and moral support.
“I encourage women to consider joining the group so we can grow the network and help support more female students while they’re at UConn and help them launch their careers afterwards,” she said.
Chef David Bouley ’17H wants you to think about how food makes you feel.
This concept has guided the career of the award-winning New York chef and restauranteur, who was rated number 1 on Zagat and awarded best restaurant in the country by Trip Advisor, along with several James Beard Foundation awards. He has also received lifetime achievement awards from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University and the Rogosin Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College, for his efforts in researching and serving foods tailored to diners with health concerns. He works with doctors to develop menus based on the idea that food can be a cure.
“We’ve learned that food is a conversation with the DNA in our bodies,” said Bouley. “We try to educate without making people feel that they have to change their life. The most exciting point that they often tell me is that they weren’t taught to think about food in this way.”
Bouley recently demonstrated his approach to food and wellness during an exclusive Founders and Charles Lewis Beach Society event at the Bouley Test Kitchen in New York City on April 19, hosted by Foundation board member Drew Figdor and his wife, Michelle. As a child, Bouley grew up near UConn and attended E.O. Smith High School. He recently received an honorary degree from UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources in 2017.
“I used to love to go and see the different kinds of classes that were offered,” he said. “I was very interested in the agriculture department. My mother was teaching early childhood education at the University, [and] my sister got her Ph.D. at UConn, so there’s always been a relationship there.”
After graduation, he was the restaurant manager at Pink Adobe in Santa Fe, owned by Rosie Murphy. He credits Murphy for encouraging him to pursue a career as a chef. Bouley studied at the Sorbonne in France, where he fell in love with the country’s food culture.
“I was so seduced by the level of commitment, passion, the relationship with farmers, and the entire environment,” he said. “I wanted to see how I could bring that to the States.”
His restaurants use fresh, organic ingredients in each plate, which is designed to demonstrate how food can improve and impact overall health. His Bouley at Home concept provides the comfort and familiarity of kitchen counters that serve as the dining space. He also offers hands-on cooking classes with professional chefs and doctors.
“People practice and get the teamwork that we’re looking for,” he said. “If you’re going to get healthy, your kitchen is ready for you.”
Bouley has traveled extensively around the world to learn about the healing science of whole foods and nature. It is his life’s work to inspire people to rethink their relationship with food.
“The favorite meal is the one that gives you happiness and enjoyment [and] gives you the same satisfaction hours later,” Bouley said. “It’s the food that makes you wake up one day.”
Chef David Bouley’s Three Tips for At-Home Cooks:
Organize your kitchen: learn how to build a Living Pantry so you can cook meals throughout the week.
Make an effort to buy organic goods. There’s lots of great items and new things on the market to try.
Approach cooking as something that’s fun. Be excited and share food knowledge while you build a community, happy family, and great health.
For more information about Chef David Bouley, visit davidbouley.com.
Ray Neag ’56 ’01H, of Goshen, Conn. and Wyomissing, Penn., a philanthropist who built his fortune in the medical device industry, died Thursday, April 19 at age 86.
He died at home with his wife, Carole Neag, by his side. He is survived by his daughter, Beth Lamoin and her husband Jim, son David Hogan and his wife Heidi, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and extended family.
“Ray Neag had a profound impact on the University of Connecticut and our entire state. With his first record-breaking gift to the Neag School of Education to his generous support for life-saving care at the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Calhoun Cardiology Center, and many other programs, he played an incredibly important role in our history,” said President Susan Herbst.
Herbst continued: “He keenly understood UConn’s potential to be a top public research university and academic medical center, and how to build the momentum to get there. Ray was a visionary who advocated tirelessly on UConn’s behalf and inspired so many other alumni to follow his lead. The entire UConn community sends its deepest condolences to his wife, Carole, and the Neag family. We are honored that Ray’s legacy will carry on here, where Ray and Carole’s support saves lives every day at UConn Health and graduates of the Neag School are teaching in nearly every school district across Connecticut and beyond.”
Andrew Agwunobi, MD, CEO of UConn Health and EVP for Health Affairs added: “UConn Health mourns with Carole and the Neag family today. Ray Neag was an inspiration to so many. He was unyielding in his generosity of time, talent, and treasure because to do any differently would have run counter to his compassion and munificence. Carole and Ray’s support for patient care, teaching, and groundbreaking research in the cancer and cardiology programs, diagnostic imaging, dermatology, and ophthalmology has made a difference in the lives of countless patients and their families. Ray was truly a wonderful man and will be missed by the whole UConn Health family.”
Carole and Ray Neag are among the most prominent figures in UConn’s 138-year history, next to brothers Charles and Augustus Storrs, who donated the land and funding in 1880 to start the University. As UConn’s largest donors, the Neags transformed the Neag School of Education and the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center and made significant contributions to many other programs. Their legacy, however, bespeaks more than philanthropic generosity. Through a deep connection to the institution and the UConn community, the Neags helped raise UConn’s national profile and elevate the UConn Foundation’s fundraising operation.
Neag was a visionary foremost. He approached philanthropic pursuits using the same acumen that enabled him to build a small medical device company that manufactured hypodermic and textile needles into a pioneering manufacturer of cardiac surgery devices, including the first polyurethane catheter—widely used today—in 1978.
In an interview with the Hartford Courant on February 23, 1999, Neag explained the timing of his $27 million (included a $4 million match from the state) gift—at the time, the largest gift ever to a public university in New England and the largest gift ever to a school of education in the country: “I worried about the commitment of other people to the university, but I could see it was starting to happen.”
Neag understood the dynamics of alumni engagement and how to build momentum. He wanted his gift—and the many that followed—to effect change. When the state voted to invest $1 billion to revitalize campus through the UCONN 2000 initiative and the UConn Foundation wanted to kick off the University’s first-ever fundraising capital campaign, Neag knew it was the opportune moment to make a major gift that would do more than help a program. He was right. It jumpstarted the capital campaign and helped the UConn Foundation’s earnest efforts to bring more and more successful alumni back into the fold.
This storied alumni relationship didn’t take off until decades after Neag graduated, following an inauspicious Thanksgiving in 1995.
Carole and Ray ’56 ’01H Neag
Neag, the youngest of eight children, grew up in Torrington, Conn. He started his college career at UConn’s Waterbury campus before joining the U.S. Air Force, and then completed a bachelor’s degree in political science at the main campus in Storrs in 1956, following in the footsteps of his brothers Traian Neag ’49 and Sevier Neag ’52. After graduation, Neag went on to study at Harvard University’s advanced management program and the American Graduate School of International Management. He started Arrow International in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1975.
Neag had been disconnected from UConn until he asked his niece, Sally Reis ’81 ’86, over Thanksgiving dinner about how much it cost to endow a chair. Reis and her husband, Joseph Renzulli, were faculty in the education school and leading experts in gifted education. Serendipitously, the UConn Foundation had recently brought in Edward Allenby, then vice president for institutional advancement, to take fundraising to a new level.
Allenby told the Courant in 1999 about their first meeting, “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Where have you been?’”
Shortly thereafter, Neag made his first major gift of $1.5 million in late 1996, naming a chair in gifted education in memory of his wife of 40 years, Lynn Neag, who had lost her battle with colon cancer earlier that year. A few years later, he stood at the state capitol with then-UConn President Philip Austin to announce the largest gift in UConn’s history for the School of Education, which was renamed in his honor.
Over the next two decades, Carole and Ray Neag became two of the University’s strongest advocates. They volunteered their leadership and invested in the cancer, cardiology, and orthopaedic programs at UConn Health, the School of Nursing, and the British literature program. Each donation has made a difference.
“My uncle was a kind and gracious man who never forgot the family lessons he learned of kindness, humility, gentleness, and generosity. Our family is proud of all he did for UConn, a place that gave him his academic start in life, and so grateful for the many gifts that he and Carole bestowed upon so many important causes. The Neag name will forever be linked to education and health and Ray’s spirit will live on in all of the good work that their gifts have inspired for generations to come,” said Reis, the Letitia Morgan Chair in Educational Psychology.
Since the first gift, the Neag School of Education has moved up from below 50 to be ranked in the top 25 public graduate schools of education in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. And 164 out of 166 school districts throughout Connecticut employ Neag School of Education graduates.
“To say that Ray Neag has had a life-changing impact on many thousands of individuals is no exaggeration. For one, UConn’s Neag School of Education would simply not be where it is today without the truly extraordinary support of Ray and Carole Neag. Ray, our longtime champion and hero, strongly believed in education as society’s ‘greatest equalizer.’ He understood the profound level of positive change that education can bring to the world. The legacy he leaves not only here at the Neag School, but also across the entire University, among generations of students and alumni, and with the wider community cannot be overstated. We share our very deepest condolences to his family and friends. We could not be prouder to have our school bear his name,” said Gladis Kersaint, dean of the Neag School of Education.
“Ray Neag was the personification of a true gentleman and philanthropist. Over my 14 years as dean, he became my friend, mentor, and trusted adviser. He believed that teachers are some of the most important people in our society,” added Richard Schwab, the Ray Neag Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership and emeritus dean of the Neag School. “His generosity and support for the Neag School is unmatched by any other philanthropist in the nation who believes in the importance of education. In the years to come, generations of teachers, administrators, and families will benefit from his love and generosity.”
At the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, their funding supports life-saving patient care and immunology research. Today, the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center is leading the world’s first-ever ovarian cancer vaccine clinical trial; the vaccine boosts patients’ immune response to destroy cancer cells.
“Ray Neag was a star—luminous, warm, and brilliant. He radiated light, light of generosity, light of love of others. The body of the stars eventually disappears, but their light travels forever. The light of Ray Neag’s generosity similarly continues to illuminate the world in so many brilliant hues today, as it will in the times to come,” said Pramod Srivastava, Ph.D., MD, lead researcher for the ovarian cancer vaccine trial, director of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, and recipient of the 2016 Carole and Ray Neag Medal of Honor.
The Neags’ desire to stay connected beyond their philanthropy has led to a remarkable partnership and extraordinary patient care. The Neags made it possible for UConn to be the first hospital in the state to offer TomoTherapy for precise radiation. When they heard that patients were receiving chemotherapy in outdated chairs, they stepped in with a one-time gift to purchase state-of-the-art infusion recliners.
The Neags have also funded major strides in the cardiology and orthopaedic departments. Through the Ray Neag Distinguished Chair in Vascular Biology, they have contributed toward research breakthroughs in the signaling mechanisms that regulate cardiovascular functions by chairholder and renowned cardiologist Bruce T. Liang, MD, dean of the School of Medicine.
“UConn Health has lost a great friend in Ray, but will always remember and celebrate his successes and all the wonderful things he has done. We will always be reminded and inspired by his humanism, selflessness, and dedication to helping others including those who are less fortunate, and his unfailing positive views on life, friendship, and family. We send our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Carole Neag and the entire Neag family. He has left an indelible mark on UConn Health and his legacy will live on in the many centers, departments, programs and initiatives he has made possible,” said Liang.
The Neags have been recognized by numerous organizations in Connecticut and Pennsylvania for their philanthropy. The Warner Theatre in Torrington, Conn. named the Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center in 2008. UConn named its most prestigious award in the couple’s honor to recognize donors and faculty who, like the Neags, make remarkable contributions to the field of medicine and UConn Health. Recipients of the Carole and Ray Neag Medal of Honor carry on the legacy of the most generous supporters in UConn’s history.
If you would like to share a message of condolence or share a memory with Carole and the Neag family, please fill out the form below. As appropriate, the UConn Foundation will present personal messages from the UConn community to the family in the coming days.
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Support UConn where it’s needed most: undergraduate and graduate education, research initiatives, multicultural affairs, and more.
From gathering at the meeting place the day of departure to heading back to our dorms two days later, all of the participants, including the facilitators, supported and encouraged each other in everything we did. We had tasks, such as sharing a story of empowerment, examining and writing about what the words challenge and connect meant to us, and designing a nameplate for ourselves. We shared our stories of empowerment around a campfire, wrote in journals that accompanied us on walks to a nearby river and the cabins we stayed in, and gave our nameplates to a stranger who would become a friend by the end of the weekend.
Being at the mercy of the river, I thought of how fitting a metaphor it was for life. As a participant in life, a college student, a parent, an educator, and a person, you try to prepare as much as you can for what comes your way. I did the same by wearing a wetsuit, a fleece, a helmet, a life jacket, and wielding a paddle to help push myself through the rough spots. I got in a rubber raft with my peers and two facilitators, all of us wearing the same gear and ready to safely and enjoyably make our way down the river. Our guide warned us of potential dangers and told us what to do and where to go, while we worked as a team to get from the rough sections of rapids to the calm inlets to rest. As we went from calm waters to swift and choppy rapids, it became more difficult to paddle. We could cringe and hold on to the rope for dear life, like I wanted to do, or we could envision ourselves as floating leaves on a stream, calm but also doing our best to paddle through rather than constantly worrying about falling off. School put a barrier between us in terms of “teacher” and “student,” but we all had to equally work together and paddle hard that day.
