August 2017

The Doctors Will See You Now–At the Ballpark

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Tiffany Ventura Thiele

3 min read

Dr. Tom Winters ’80 MD and Dr. Rebecca Moroose ’80 MD are doctors by day, Fire Frogs by night.

Rebecca and Tom are co-owners of the Florida Fire Frogs, a Class-A-Advanced affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves. They’ve owned the team for 12 years when the Fire Frogs were known as the Brevard County Manatees, a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate. The UConn alums have also owned World League of American Football and arena football teams in the past, but baseball is their favorite sport.

“I’m a big baseball fan,” Tom explained. “When I was a kid, my father and I were Cincinnati Reds fans. We used to sit out in the driveway of our home in Norwich, Connecticut, and listen to the Reds game, because we couldn’t get it on the radio in the house.”

Rebecca admits she became a sports fan through marriage, but she also appreciates the ballpark experience.
“I was athletic, but I wasn’t a big sports fan,” she said. “I enjoy it because it’s a good time to get together with friends and family.”

The couple has seen many future baseball stars come through their stadium in Kissimmee, Florida, including Milwaukee Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun, Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar, and even former Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar. But beyond the hot dogs, peanuts, and the crack of the bat, the couple’s favorite part of owning a team is the community camaraderie.

“What I really enjoy are the nights at the ballpark when we get to pay tribute to the armed services and first responders, and host cancer awareness nights,” Rebecca said. “Those nights mean a lot to me, because it’s the spirit of the whole game and minor league baseball to keep it in your community.”

In 1986, shortly after finishing their medical residencies, Tom and Rebecca moved to Central Florida. The couple met in their first year at UConn’s School of Medicine.

“I loved my first years in medical school,” Tom said. “I’m a nut for saying that, but it was like a small high school with 80 medical students and 40 dental students. We had a homeroom and lockers, and we used to go out and play flag football or basketball in the city of Farmington. It was a good time for us. There was no competition at that time–we all knew that we would get residencies afterwards, so everybody helped each other out every day.”

Both say their successful medical careers are due to their UConn education. It comes as no surprise that Tom the sports fan owns a sports medicine practice.

“I couldn’t hit a curveball; I didn’t have a big enough arm to play quarterback,” Tom explained. “When I went into medicine, and I started in orthopedics, sports medicine was a natural choice.”

Rebecca runs the cancer research and genetics program at the University of Florida Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health, where patients work with genetic counselors to assess whether they have a hereditary predisposition to certain cancers. She also teaches at the University of Central Florida, where she was a founding faculty member of their College of Medicine. The two work across the street from each other, keeping their work in the community.

It was this community that rallied around Tom and Rebecca after their son Nate, a high school pitcher, lost his left leg after a boating accident in 2010. As detailed on ESPN’s E:60 television program, many athletes and friends came to Nate’s side: Ryan Braun, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke, who once pitched in the same league as Nate, and current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. At the end of a long recovery, Nate returned to the mound with a prosthetic leg and pitched again for Winter Park High School.

“The outpouring from the community was unbelievable,” Tom said. “That night while Nate was in surgery for the first time, more than 150 people came to the hospital and sat with us. Everyone was so supportive when he went back to school. Then he decided to run for class president and won in a landslide. I could go on and on, but his friends and the community turned this into something we will never forget–for how nice people really are!”

As the summer days begin in earnest, Tom and Rebecca will enjoy the warm Florida nights at their local ballpark among friends and family, rooting for the home team. And they’ll always have a special place in their heart for where their journey together began: UConn.

“Last year, Rebecca and I went back for our 35th reunion, and it was neat to go back,” Tom said. “It was good to see some former classmates. You went into a field together and grew up together. It’s nice to see what your classmates are doing with their lives. The best thing about UConn is that you really felt like you were working together for a common cause.”

Find your UConn community!

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Visionary Leader in Fabulous Heels

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Grace Merritt

3 min read

One of the driving forces behind the new UConn Women and Philanthropy initiative is co-chair Melinda (Tishler) Brown ’77 (BUS), ’85 MBA.

Brown, a straight-talking, no-nonsense executive at Coach Inc., set fundraising goals and helped shape the group into a social network for like-minded women in 2016, its inaugural year.

The fledgling campaign just passed the one-year mark with great success. It met and surpassed its initial membership goal of 100 alums and supporters around the country to donate $500 each to establish a permanent scholarship. In fact, it lined up 104 donors and raised $137,030, including a matching gift from Brown.

As a result, the group will be able to award scholarships to 10 UConn freshman women this fall and establish an endowment.

Brown, a member of the UConn Foundation’s Board of Directors, is pleased with what has been accomplished to date, but is focused on how to convert the first year’s success to an expanding perpetuity that will support even more UConn women during the entirety of their undergraduate education.

If we women don’t take care of our own, who will?
– Melinda Brown

Year Two is focused on doubling membership, maintaining the active engagement of the Year One members, and growing the base of women committed to giving year after year. Brown hopes to see the number of members grow each year, pointing out that UConn has 50 years of female alums from which to draw. She feels an emotional commitment to the group’s mission and says it has been gratifying to see others react the same way.

“If we women don’t take care of our own, who will?” Brown said. “That’s what this is all about. This is women taking care of women.”

Eventually, the group hopes to broaden its scope beyond fundraising to also mentor and advocate for UConn women, from supporting undergraduates and endowing female faculty positions to recommending female graduation speakers.

Encouraging like-minded women to invest in UConn

The group regularly holds social events, such as UConn Women basketball pre-game receptions and cocktail parties, so members can not only expand their personal networks, but encourage like-minded women to invest in the future of UConn and its women.

“It’s provided a new venue for women to engage. It easily generates an emotional commitment that has an immediate and long-lasting impact,” Brown said

Marilda Gándara ’78 JD, the group’s other co-chair, said Brown is well-suited to steering the group forward.

“She’s dynamic, experienced, clear-thinking, and an excellent communicator. These are qualities we need to create a strategy that can generate a sustainable impact,” Gándara said. “She is focused on balancing the short term with a long-term investment that ultimately can deliver beyond fundraising.”

Brown was raised in Norwalk, the daughter of a local garment manufacturer. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom who worked briefly for an accountant and encouraged her daughter to follow a career path in accounting.

Brown graduated early from Norwalk High School and enrolled at UConn for the spring semester, simply due to expediency. She had thought she would ultimately transfer to another university, but in fact never did.

“I loved UConn,” she said. “Campus life was varied and easily tailored to what captivated you that week. Because it is such a large campus, even after four years, there were always new people to meet and engage with. I loved my whole experience.”

From PepsiCo to Coach

She began her career in public accounting, eventually landing at the Financial Accounting Standards Board. While working, she earned her MBA evenings at the UConn Stamford branch and spent nearly 30 years at PepsiCo, where she held various leadership roles, retiring as senior vice president of global shared services and productivity. In 2012, she joined Coach Inc., serving as senior vice president and corporate controller.

While she didn’t envision herself becoming successful top-level executive growing up, she is clearly aware that her career has been a critical enabler to her personal growth.

“Anybody should want to be in my shoes. And I really do mean that,” joked Brown, who is known for her collection of fabulous footwear.

Brown, has two adult children and a granddaughter. She splits her time between homes in Stamford, Conn. during the week and Madison, Conn. on the weekends. When she’s not working, she loves to be at the beach with friends and family.

Donate to the Women Transforming Women scholarship

Learn more about the Women and Philanthropy group

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UConn Foundation Reaches Donation Milestone

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Suzanne Morrissey

3 min read

Student scholarships, UConn Endowment are big winners in the FY17 totals

The UConn Foundation has raised nearly $72 million in FY17. Over the last three fiscal years, donors to the University have made commitments and gifts totaling $227 million, by far the best three-year period in UConn’s history.

The $71.8 million in new contributions and pledged commitments comes from 22,243 gifts – most of which were less than $1,000. It is noteworthy that the Foundation reached the $70 million threshold without a gift of more than $4 million, evidence of its emerging strength in its mid-level giving tiers. In FY17 there was a 20 percent increase in the number of gifts between $25,000 and $500,000.

The past fiscal year also saw the Foundation surpass the halfway mark on its multi-year hallmark initiative: Transform Lives scholarship initiative. The Foundation publicly launched Transform Lives to raise $150 million for scholarships and student support in January 2015. Adding $22 million for this initiative in FY17 and reaching $77.1 million overall is a major source of pride for donors and staff.

“Our commitment to students who dream of a UConn education but think it is financially out of their reach is strong,” said UConn Foundation President and CEO Joshua R. Newton. “We want every deserving student who wants to be on a UConn campus to have that chance. Reaching this milestone in the Transform Lives initiative shows our donors, alumni, and friends feel the same way. It is inspiring.”

Of the total funds raised last fiscal year, $5.7 million was in support of capital improvements at UConn, $22 million for scholarship and student support, $25.7 million for program support, $7.4 million for faculty support, and $11 million for research. All told, $42 million was designated for current operations and $29.8 million earmarked for the endowment, which now stands at more than $400 million, with an increase of more than 10 percent since the end of the last fiscal year.

Within these totals are some exciting gifts and commitments worth highlighting. They include:

  • $4 million in support of Environmental Research, the Music Department and Biomedical Engineering
  • $3 million for Athletics, supporting the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center
  • $3 million for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) in support of an endowed professorship in Psychology
  • $2 million for the School of Social Work supporting scholarships
  • $2 million for the School of Fine Arts in support of Illustration and Graphic Design
  • $1.9 million for the Humanities Institute within the CLAS
  • $1.5 million for the School of Business
  • $1 million for the School of Business supporting scholarships
  • $1 million for Athletics in support of baseball
  • $1 million for the Hartford Regional Campus supporting scholarships

“As chairman of the UConn Foundation Board, I’m proud of the contributions we’ve made to extend UConn’s excellence,” said Dan Toscano. “We must continue to grow the endowment, to partner with donors, and to secure UConn’s future.”

The Foundation has taken bold steps in the last year to strengthen giving on all levels, including the creation of its first-ever Office of Principal Giving, focused on securing transformative gifts, and increasing overall donor count through new methods of engagement with smaller-level donors. With these industry-leading changes and continued support from donors, the University, and the Board of Trustees, the Foundation is well-positioned for a very successful FY18. The fundraising goal for FY18 is $85 million, the largest total for any fiscal year in the UConn Foundation’s history.

“I’ve never been more excited to begin a new fiscal year than I am right now,” Newton said. “Our principal giving program is already producing dividends, and philanthropy will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in moving the University forward. There are great days ahead for UConn Nation.”

“Our generous donors are key to UConn’s continued climb among the finest universities in the nation,” said UConn President Susan Herbst. “We see the power of philanthropy every day on our campuses throughout the state. UConn’s donors help scholarship students achieve their dreams and fund vital research university-wide. We are incredibly grateful for their friendship and support. Together we look forward to another successful year.”

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Will Athletic Trainers Make High School Sports Safer?

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Grace Merritt

2 min read

NFL Taps UConn to Administer and Research Athletic Trainer Program

Hoping to make high school sports safer, the NFL Foundation has tapped UConn to administer and research a program to get athletic trainers in high schools in four states this fall.

Under the pilot program, the NFL will award grants to place athletic trainers in 75 high schools in Oklahoma, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon.

“You cannot overstate the value of having a medical professional right there on the sideline regarding medical care and ongoing treatment,” said Amy Jorgensen, director of health and safety initiatives for the NFL. “Overall, the current research states that 30 percent of high schools don’t have an athletic trainer program. There seems to be a real need.”

At each school, the trainer’s priority will be football games and practices, but he or she will attend to other high school sports as time permits, Jorgensen said.

“The NFL’s overarching goal is how to make high school sports safer in America” said Douglas Casa, CEO of UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute (KSI), which will run the program. “Athletic trainers deal with prevention and treatment, yet one-third of high schools in America have no access to athletic trainers.”

High school sports account for an estimated:

  • 2 million injuries
  • 500,000 doctor visits, and
  • 30,000 hospitalizations each year

The NFL Foundation gave a $900,000 philanthropic grant to KSI to administer and award grants for trainers and assess the program. KSI’s mission is to research, educate, advocate, and consult to maximize performance to optimize safety and prevent the sudden death of athletes, soldiers and laborers.

The four states in the pilot program were chosen because they were geographically diverse and had a high volume of student athletes and, at the same time, relatively few athletic trainers. A total of 288 high schools from the four states applied for the program.

“After the grant is used up, the hope is that the schools would develop a sustainable program over the course of that time,” Jorgensen said. “This helps them get started.”

In addition to administering the program, KSI will oversee a large-scale research study at all the schools. KSI researchers will examine the hiring process, injuries, catastrophic injury prevention, epidemiology, how and when injuries occur, and the financial impact on the school.

The project is being done in collaboration with Professional Football Athletic Trainers’ Society, Gatorade, and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Help Support the Korey Stringer Institute

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Birding, Learning, and Adventure in the Foothills of the Himalayas

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Christina Jackson

3 min read

 

Hollywood parodies of a typical American vacation invoke imagery of a testy ride in a wood-paneled station wagon to sandy beaches, log cabins, or theme parks.

In the real world, vacation travel has rapidly evolved: Many modern travelers are eager consumers of adventure and enlightenment that take them to exotic, less familiar destinations.

Many rewards await birders, adventure travelers, and nature enthusiasts on this trip, including the sizzling colors of Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, the majesty of Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, and the large and vocal Great Slaty Woodpecker.

In some cases, the adventure focuses on an experience that’s exclusive to locations. These travelers are looking for an underwater cave to explore, an ashram for spiritual nourishment, or rainforests full of exotic species of plants and animals.

Similar to the adventure traveler, the birder targets destinations that are home to winged species they haven’t seen and documented on, what birders call, their formal “life list.” The foothills of the Himalayas in India are known as a birder’s dream, with more than 1,300 species in one of the world’s most breathtaking natural settings.

Morgan Tingley, UConn associate professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is leading a UConn Alumni Relations tour titled, “India—Birding the Foothills of the Himalayas,” scheduled for May 7-19, 2018.

Many rewards await birders, adventure travelers, and nature enthusiasts on this trip, including the sizzling colors of Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, the majesty of Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, and the large and vocal Great Slaty Woodpecker.

When travelers aren’t focused on the sheer delight of spotting a new avian species, they can soak in panoramic views of the Himalayas and the natural beauty of mountain forests and wetlands. Toward the end of the journey, a morning tiger safari safely takes you to the natural home of one of the earth’s largest felines.

photo of a purple sunbirdThis trip offers the camaraderie of traveling with fellow members of UConn Nation. Plus, it offers the enrichments of tour leader, Prof. Tingley who received the Young Professional Award by the Cooper Ornithological Society in 2012 and, in 2014, a “Wings Across America” award from the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

All of Tingley’s knowledge and expertise is accessible throughout the trip, fielding questions and verifying species along the way. “One of the important things I can do is talk about bird biology and their behavior,” said Tingley. Given his background, Tingley can discuss regional and environmental issues. “I can add a broader educational environment and connect their lives to what they’re experiencing on the trip.”

Tingley is also accompanied by a local, Indian bird guide with intimate knowledge of the birds and the land, offering further insights and observations.

“Some travelers will view this tour as an opportunity to experience the sheer beauty of nature in this part of the world,” said Tingley. “Others will relish both the aesthetics and the chance to understand what bird populations can tell us about anthropogenic change.”

Deb Crary, Director of Alumni Events, organizes the Alumni Travel program at UConn, and said, “It might be hard to imagine experiencing this natural grandeur narrated by a renowned, academic expert. But this trip to the foothills of the Himalayas is a real opportunity for birders, adventurers, and anyone who would welcome the chance to step into the pages of National Geographic magazine.”

For more information or to register for this trip, visit our UConn Alumni Relations website or call (877) 907-5360.

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Mo’s letter

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UConn Foundation

< 1 min read

 

Dear Friends,

You may think summers are quiet here on campus, but there’s so much going on behind the scenes!

There’s a new roof going up on Gampel Pavilion. We’ve broken ground on the new student recreation center. And, we’re nearing the completion of our new Technology Park.

It’s all part of our master plan as we continue to expand and grow. All the work done now is a bridge to the incredible changes you’ll see when you come to campus for Huskies Forever Weekend. We can’t wait to see you Oct. 20-22.

There’s going to be something for everyone, so be sure to check out the schedule of events.

Also, don’t forget about our “Welcome to the Neighborhood” series in September. Around the country, we’ll be hosting events as we welcome new graduates and friends to connect with us. You can find the event closest to you here.

Every summer’s end brings with it the promise of another exciting year at UConn. I invite you to be a part of it.

Mo
Mo Cotton Kelly, Vice President for Alumni Relations

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A conversation with Randy Edsall

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UConn Foundation

< 1 min read

We sat down with UConn Football Coach Randy Edsall and asked him questions submitted by UConn Nation.

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Your Trip to UConn Just Got Better

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Grace Merritt

2 min read

Finally Complete, Storrs Center gives Alums and Parents a Vibrant College Town

UConn alumni who haven’t been to Storrs for a few years won’t believe their eyes when they see the new college town that has sprung up next to campus.

A small cityscape of four- and five-story apartment buildings anchored by retail stores and restaurants stands along Route 195 where lonely stores and rundown strip malls used to be.

Ice Monster, offering thin sheets of Thai ice cream rolled up like an eggroll, and Grille 86, a restaurant with 40 flat-screen TVs, filled the last two vacancies in the development this spring. A total of 81 shops and services, ranging from Insomnia Cookies (for midnight warm cookie cravings) and cafes to an Amazon pickup center and boutiques, fill the vibrant downtown area.

Returning alums and parents will find an array of restaurants to choose from, including pizza, frozen yogurt, sushi, Indian, and Korean choices.

“Our alumni simply cannot believe that there are stores, restaurants, and shopping available in Storrs!” said Montique Cotton Kelly, the UConn Foundation’s vice president for alumni relations. “As the town continues to evolve, we want to make sure that we continue to invite our alumni back to take part in helping to make this area a true destination.”

Nestled in the center is a town square with an outdoor stage and a smattering of red tables and chairs. On summer evenings, it is host to concerts and family-friendly movie nights. Locals and students come to a Celebrate Mansfield Festival in September, and the Storrs Stroll is now part of Huskies Forever Weekend every October.

“Before, if you were a student, there was really nothing going on beyond classrooms and sporting events,” said Philip Lodewick ’66 (BUS), ’67 MBA, ’14 H, who chaired the Mansfield Downtown Partnership that developed and helps manage the project. “We wanted to provide a sense of place, a destination where people would come and loiter.”

“Alumni reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. They love it. The main thing I hear is ‘Why wasn’t this here when I was here?’ ” said Cynthia van Zelm, executive director of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership.

The $220 million project, which is reminiscent of Blue Back Square in West Hartford, greatly expands Mansfield’s rental market. All of Storrs Center’s 618 apartments are all fully leased, mostly by students who enjoy the granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and rooftop terraces. Also, the project has 32 town homes and 10 condos, all but one of which is sold.

The compact development also includes a parking garage with free parking for the first two hours, encouraging folks to visit and wander. A new Price Chopper supermarket anchors one end of the project.

While talk of having a real college town in Storrs has been going on for decades, planning for Storrs Center actually began in earnest in 2002. Construction began five years ago and finished in November 2016. The Mansfield Downtown Partnership, a public-private partnership, developed and assists with managing the Center.

“The Storrs Center project to me is probably the most important project done at the University for decades,” Lodewick said. “It really allows the University and community to come together. The number one reason a lot of top students and faculty were not coming to the University before was that there was really nothing going on at the University. Now there is a walkable, viable, vibrant downtown. I think the project has had an immense impact on the University and the community.”

Learn more about Storrs Center on their website.

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5 Questions with a Composer-Turned-College President

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Grace Merritt

3 min read

Revised May 21, 2021

Greg Woodward ’77 (SFA) is, at heart, a classical music composer who became a college president along the way.

Woodward moved back to his West Hartford roots last month to become president of the University of Hartford. Until now, he had been president of Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., and before that, dean of the School of Music at Ithaca College in upstate New York.

Woodward, who is often told he bears a striking resemblance to actor Albert Brooks, didn’t start off at UConn. After graduating from Hall High School, where he played clarinet and saxophone in the school’s famed jazz band, he went to Villanova University as a walk-on student-athlete. He transferred to UConn a year later because he missed music and Villanova didn’t have a music major. We caught up with him recently to talk about UConn, Hartford, and sports trivia.

Q. Why did you transfer to UConn?
A. It’s obnoxious to say, but I think I’ve led a charmed life and UConn was a huge part of that. I had never studied music before and it was fabulous at UConn. I met a very influential professor and award-winning composer there named Charles Whittenberg. He took on four or five of us composition majors and was our mentor. We would go to his house and to his concerts. For a young person, rubbing shoulders with an international composer was fabulous.

The common misconception about a giant, state school like UConn is that you get lost, and that you don’t have to do much because the classes are all big. The most powerful thing at UConn for me was the opportunity to create anything music-related, such as concerts, shows, or musicals.

Q. What would someone be surprised to know about you?
A. I deeply care about trying to break the cycle of poverty in America. I care about opportunities for kids to transform their lives and community. I know that when I retire, I’ll probably try to find a way to help with that.

Also, I’m a sports nut. I play a lot of tennis, golf, basketball, and racquetball and played soccer throughout my youth. I know a lot of sports trivia. I know it’s ridiculous: I’m a musician and a composer. I’m not supposed to know about that.

I’m a fairly outgoing, gregarious person when I’m around people. But I am, in essence, a rather internal, private person. I’m happy reading a book, staring at the lake, or going on a walk. I save all that energy to use on the job.

Q. What can the University of Hartford do to help the city of Hartford?
A. There are already a lot of things that the University of Hartford does. The University has internships and two magnet schools right on campus. The University also has the Hartford Scholars program, through which eligible graduates of Hartford high schools can attend the University at half the price of tuition. I’d love to expand that program. I’d also love to see our students go out and help in the community by being mentors, teachers, or tutors.

Q. How did UConn prepare you for success?
A. UConn gave me opportunities to create a range of music projects and be a leader. For instance, a bunch of us decided one day to do a show called Pizzazz. My friend and I wrote all the arrangements, got the musicians, rehearsed, and worked with the dancers. We did it all from scratch, made this whole thing happen. That happened over and over again at UConn. It was just like having an amazing laboratory in which to try things out and figure out who you were.

I’m very proud of being a UConn graduate. I had a great experience. It was hard and it was demanding and I’m proud of it.

Q. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to follow a career path like yours?
A. People might think that learning a lot about higher education is the path toward becoming a college president, but I think there’s a time for that later in life. Instead, I think that young people truly benefit from really engaging in a discipline, whatever it might be, to the point of giving up your entire being to try to do something really intensely.

That depth of learning and experience is profound and changes the way you think about things for the rest of your life. If you want to have a life as an educator, you have to go through that so that you understand that experience.

Do you have a suggestion for a “Five Questions With” alum story? We’d love to hear it. Please send it to gmerritt@foundation.uconn.edu.

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Tigers, Comedians, and Breakfast at Family Weekend

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UConn Foundation

< 1 min read

 

Parents and family are invited to return to campus Oct. 6-8 for a fun-filled Family Weekend featuring an exciting football game, a performance by comedian Billy Gardell, who played the character Mike in the CBS sitcom “Mike and Molly,” and the annual Legacy Breakfast.

The weekend will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday night with a football game at Rentschler Field in East Hartford as the UConn Huskies take on the Memphis Tigers.

Festivities continue Saturday morning with a breakfast for alums who have a child, grandchild, or sibling currently attending UConn. Share memories and participate in a special pinning ceremony at the buffet-style Legacy Breakfast at the Alumni Center from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Current students and children under 10 are free. Find ticket information here. Legacy families are encouraged to wear their favorite UConn garb for the breakfast.

On Saturday night, Gardell will perform his comedy act at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m.

Learn more about Family Weekend and join us.

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Mystery Photo

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Suzanne Morrissey

3 min read

 

UConn has a mystery. Four, in fact. As the team in the University’s Archives & Special Collections works on digitizing the thousands of photos owned by the library, they occasionally come across images with little if any background information.

In each issue of Inside UConn Nation, we’ll give any clues we have to mystery photos, then we’ll need your keen eyes and strong memories to review the images. If you recognize anyone, or anything, that can help date the photo and explain what’s happening in it, let us know by filling out the form at the bottom of the page.

Our first batch of mystery shots comes from an ROTC collection that Archives researcher Nicholas Hurley has uncovered.

photo of four students training with a M1 81-mm mortar

1. Mortar Team

This is a mortar team, possibly, and instructor and three cadets in the mid-1950s. The weapon they are training on is an M1 81-mm mortar. Do you recognize anyone or the building behind them?
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mystery photo of a student wearing a gas mask

2. Mask Man

The insignia on the uniform indicates this man is an Air Force Staff Sergeant, and he’s obviously a “Radiation Monitor.” Can anyone tell us anything else about this image? A date range? More info about the Passive Defense School noted in the sign?
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mystery photo of three uniformed students taking an oath from a fourth student

3. White Uniforms

“We know the uniforms are Marine Corps, and it looks like three of the men are taking an oath, so this appears to be a commissioning ceremony for military officers. To my knowledge, however, UConn has never had a Marine Corps ROTC program, hence the confusion,” Hurley said. Could it be that UConn students had the option of accepting a commission into the USMC via a Naval ROTC program at one time? Do you recognize anyone?
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mystery photo of a protesting student

4. Protest

Hurley is fairly sure this photo is from the 1968 Military Day ceremony, an annual event held at Memorial Stadium where ROTC cadets received their officer’s commissions. “In 1968 the ceremony was the site of major Vietnam protests related to America’s involvement in the Vietnam War,” Hurley said. “I would just like to know more about this particular incident: Do any alumni know who these two men are? What else happened on that day?”
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Housed in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center in Storrs, Archives & Special Collections acquires and preserves specialized research collections and makes them available for students, faculty, staff, alumni, scholars, and the public. Plan a visit to see unique displays, including the Northeast Children’s Literature Collection. Or start by viewing the Digital Collections online—the most popular collections are Connecticut History, UConn (of course!), Activism, and Historic Maps. If you’re a history buff, you’re going to devour the scholarly lessons and quirky roads less traveled in the Archives blog.

You can support work of the Archives & Special Collections with a gift to Fund for Excellence in Archives and Special Collections.

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Question of the Issue

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UConn Foundation

2 min read

photo of uconn students listening to a lecture

As we gear up for a new academic year, we want to know: What was your favorite class at UConn and why?

Lisa DenBleyker ’90 (CLAS)

It was senior year, and I was an English major. I will never forget my Chaucer class with David Benson. The class was actually held in a science lab. He took our pictures to help remember our names. One day at the end of the term, we went out in the quad area in front of the science building and played softball. He also made us memorize a passage from a Chaucer piece and recite it to him in his office. He taught us how to read Middle English. The following year, when I went on to graduate school and took another Chaucer class, I read Chaucer aloud better than my graduate professor!

Chrissy Wakefield ’13 ENG, ’16 MS

Microcontrollers! I was an engineering major, and my core courses were taken care of but I needed an elective to be a full-time student my last semester. So my friend and I took Microcontrollers, which was basically just a lab. We learned to program a microcontroller and hook it up to a power source to actually do things! For our final, we had to do a project in teams of two. We opted to make a Whack a Mole game with these large, red buttons in a foam poster board. It was awesome!

Next Question

Freshmen will be arriving on campus in two weeks. What’s the one thing that should be on every incoming Husky’s bucket list?

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