FALL 2014 The Trinity REPORTER JOANNE BERGER-SWEENEY The Reporter talks with Trinity’s 22nd president FROM HARTFORD BEYOND THE NATIONAL INSIDE TO HOLLYWOOD CLASSROOM CHAMPIONS Four Trinity graduates Experiential learning Women’s rowing share their stories at its best captures NCAA title FALL 11 Cornelia Parsons Thornburgh ‘Community’ is key 2014 12 FEATURES Joanne Berger-Sweeney The 22nd president of Trinity College For more Summer Science Research Program photos, podcasts, and videos, please visit commons.trincoll.edu/reporter. 802 / The Trinity Reporter / CONTEN TS DEPARTMEN TS 18 28 02 Beyond the Classroom Think Outside the Box ALONG THE WALK Trinity boasts experiential learning at its best What can you do with an art history degree? 06 22 32 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT From Hartford Opportunity, Passion, 07 to Hollywood & Gratitude AROUND HARTFORD Four Trinity graduates share their stories Scholars embrace all aspects of the Trinity experience 36 ATHLETICS 41 CLASS NOTES 73 IN MEMORY 78 ALUMNI EVENTS 80 ENDNOTE The Trinity Reporter Vol. 45, No. 1, Fall 2014 Published by the Ofce of Communications, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106. Postage paid at Hartford, Connecticut, and additional mailing ofces. The Trinity Reporter is mailed to alumni, parents, faculty, staf, and friends of Trinity College without charge. All publication rights reserved, and contents may be repro- duced or reprinted only by written permission of the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the editors or contributors and do not reflect the ofcial position of Trinity College. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Trinity Reporter, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106 The editor welcomes your questions and comments: Sonya Adams, Ofce of Communications, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106 or sonya. [email protected]. www. trincoll.edu ON THE COVER Joanne Berger-Sweeney, the 22nd president of Trinity College PHOTO: AL FERREIRA ON THIS PAGE Andy McTeague ’12, Tracey Suter ’11, Jackie Gottshall ’13, and Julie Svedova ’11 serve as alumni panelists during a June lunchtime gath- ering of Trinity’s Summer Science Research Program. The four, along with Daisy Ramos ’10 and Gabe Hayek ’12, spoke of their post-Trinity experiences and provided a wealth of informa- tion on postgraduate study and career options to students enrolled in the annual program, which runs from mid-May to mid-July. Now in its 10th year, the program, sponsored by Trinity’s Science Center, provides about 80 students with intensive research experience that is key when applying to graduate school, professional school, or jobs. Weekly events, including alumni visitors, supplement the research projects stu- dents are working on with Trinity faculty. PHOTO: JOHN ATASHIAN PHOTO: AL FERREIRA PHOTO: / Fall 2014 / 1 ALONG THE WALK 2 / The Trinity Reporter / At Trinity’s 188th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18, the College awarded 550 undergraduate degrees and 26 master’s degrees. Commencement 2014 The valedictorian was Tram Ngoc Luong of Vietnam, who graduat- ed summa cum laude with honors in international studies: global studies, and the salutatorian was Hannah Brickley of Melrose, Massachusetts, who graduated summa cum laude in biology. The Trustee Award for Faculty Excellence went to Paul Lauter, Allan K. and Gwendolyn Miles Smith Professor of English, and the Trustee Award for Staff Excellence was awarded to Jason Rojas, director of community relations. Two students—Gaurav Inder Singh Toor and Luong—received the Trustee Award for Student Excellence. Gerald Moshell, professor of music, was presented with the Thomas Church Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence, and the Arthur H. Hughes Award for Teaching Excellence was given to two faculty members: Emilie Dressaire, assistant professor of engineering, and Kifah Hanna, assistant professor of language and culture studies. Commencement speaker Katie Couric, an acclaimed broadcast journalist and a cancer awareness advocate, delivered an inspiring and entertaining address that then-President James F. Jones, Jr. called “one for the memory books.” Couric told the members of the Class of 2014 that passion is “absolutely indispensable” to a successful professional life. “Passion is the fuel of high perfor- mance. ... If you’re passionate about something, you’re probably already good at it. And, if not, that passion will give you the tenacity you’ll need in order to excel.” Couric received an honorary doctor of letters degree and was joined by five other distinguished honorands: Julieta Castellanos, a human rights activist and Honduran university president; Eric Roy Fossum ’79, an engineer, physicist, professor, and inventor; Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., a distinguished lawyer, civil rights activist, and former adviser to President Bill Clinton; Paul E. Raether ’68, P’93, ’96, ’01, the longest-sitting Board of Trustees chair in Trinity history, who retired June 30; and Jones, who also retired this year. For more Commencement photos and a video of the ceremony, PHOTOS: AL FERREIRA PHOTOS: please visit commons.trincoll.edu/reporter. / Fall 2014 / 3 ALONG THE WALK THOMAS CHURCH 2015 The BROWNELL PRIZE ELIGIBLE Brownell FACULTY MEMBERS for TEACHING The Brownell Prize was named for the EXCELLENCE first president of Prıze Trinity College, who served from 1824–1831. Calling on Trinity alumni to honor the professors who Zayde Antrim Robert Kirschbaum Carol Any Katherine Lahti made an impact on their lives E. Kathleen Archer Anne Lambright Raymond Baker Michael Lestz Davarian Baldwin Dan Lloyd Wendy C. Bartlett Donna-Dale Marcano Jeffrey Bayliss Susan Masino Did you have a teacher who changed the way you think? Barbara Benedict David Mauro Influenced your career choices? Helped you to wake up intel- Sarah Bilston Kevin McMahon Daniel Blackburn John Mertens lectually? Or in any other way altered your life? If so, you have Harry Blaise Anthony Messina a wonderful chance to pay tribute to that teacher. The Thomas David Branning Takunari Miyazaki Church Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence, which recognizes William Butos Theresa Morris consistently outstanding teaching by a senior faculty member, Joseph Byrne Ralph Moyer Jean Cadogan Garth Myers is awarded annually at Commencement. All alumni are invited Stefanie Chambers Jane Nadel-Klein to submit nominations explaining in 200 to 300 words why they Lin Cheng Taikang Ning believe a favorite professor deserves this prestigious award. William Church Beth Notar Carol Clark Joseph Palladino Nominations should be sent to Nan Horton via e-mail (nancy. Sean Cocco Maria Parr [email protected]) or postal mail (Ofce of the Dean of the Robert Corber Diana Paulin Faculty, Williams Memorial 118 at the College). The nomination David Cruz-Uribe John Platoff deadline is Tuesday, . Kathleen A. Curran Mitchell Polin November 4, 2014 Dario Del Puppo Vijay Prashad Tenured associate and full professors who have been at Pablo Delano Michael Preston the College for at least three years, teach full time, will not Jack Dougherty Miguel Ramirez retire prior to June 30, 2015, and have not previously received Kent Dunlap Sarah Raskin Andrea Dyrness Gary Reger the Brownell Prize are eligible for it. A complete list of eligible Jonathan Elukin David Reuman faculty appears at right. Dario Euraque Martha Risser The Brownell Prize Selection Committee hopes many Diana Evans David Rosen Johannes Evelein Paula Russo graduates will nominate someone whose teaching made a Lesley Farlow Todd Ryan critical contribution to their education. Luis Figueroa Seth Sanders The Brownell Prize was created through an endowment Michael C. FitzGerald Mary Sandoval gift from an anonymous alumnus in 1986. Robert Stewart Robert Fleming Mark Setterfield Andrew Flibbert Mark Silverman (mathematics) was the first recipient, followed in order by Lisa-Anne Foster Scott Smedley Diane Zannoni (economics), Drew Hyland (philosophy), Milla Scott Gac Gregory Smith Riggio (English), Dina Anselmi (psychology), Craig Schneider Eric Galm Madalene Spezialetti Christoph Geiss Mark Stater (biology), Dirk Kuyk (English), Henry DePhillips (chemistry), John Georges Patricia Tillman Jack Chatfield (history), Sheila Fisher (English), Ralph Morelli Alden Gordon Kristin Triff (computer science), Tim Curran (chemistry), Frank Kirkpatrick Cheryl Greenberg James Trostle (religion), Ellison Findly (religion), Sam Kassow (history), and Adam Grossberg Stephen Valocchi Hebe Guardiola-Diaz Erik Vogt Gerald Moshell (music). Christopher Hager Maurice Wade Thomas Harrington Barbara Walden Joan Hedrick Chloe Wheatley Christopher Hoag Johnny Williams QUESTIONS? If you have questions about the Brownell Prize, Barbara Karger Gail Woldu please direct them to Associate Academic Dean Sonia Cardenas Jean-Marc Kehrès Nancy J. Wyshinski at [email protected]. Kathleen Kete Peter Yoon Ronald Kiener 4 / The Trinity Reporter / ALONG THE WALK Stephanie Clemente ’14 New Faculty Appointed THE FOLLOWING NEW TENURE-TRACK FACULTY BEGAN APPOINTMENTS AT THE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2014. CHRISTINA HEATHERTON Assistant Professor of American Studies B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies, University of California, Berkeley M.A., American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California Ph.D., American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California Dissertation: The Color Line and the Class Struggle: The Mexican Revolution and Convergence Spaces of Radical Internationalism, 1916–1946 MOLLY HELT Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience B.A., Psychology, Smith College M.A., Clinical Psychology,