Alumni Find New Paths to Success. Page 14
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observerThe Magazine of The UniverSiTy of harTford Spring 2010 Changing Directions— alumni find new paths to success. Page 14 c1-c4obsv_spr10.indd 3 5/4/10 10:12:32 PM I received my BS in engineering from the University of Hartford by attending night classes while working full time. My professors were great, and they were well versed in their subjects. Because of the education I received, my career has advanced, and for that I’m very grateful. So grateful, in fact, that my wife, Claudia, and I encouraged our son, Dave, to attend the “ University. He’s an engineering major too and is off to a great start. We’d also like to see our daughter, Rachel, go to the University in a couple of years. I think we made the right choice. ” —David L. Kurtz III ‘99 You Loved It Here. They Will Too! David L. Kurtz III ’99 and Dave Kurtz ’10 Be an Ambassador for Your Alma Mater The University of Hartford welcomes your assistance in identifying The University is committed to meeting the financial needs of all our prospective students with academic potential who could benefit from the students, even in the current economy. Right now, more than 90 percent small class size, caring faculty, and wide range of majors that we offer. of our full-time undergraduates receive some form of financial assistance. Whether it’s a family member, a neighbor’s child, or the son or Prospective students and their families can learn more about daughter of a co-worker, tell them about your experiences at the the University of Hartford by going to our admission website: University and encourage them to apply. admission.hartford.edu. c1-c4obsv_spr10.indd 4 5/5/10 3:12:40 PM On our cover: Allison Beilke ’05, a graduate of the Hartford Art School, created the illustration on our cover. See more of Allison’s work at her website, www.allisonbeilke.com. 5 Dear Readers, It’s spring and that means it’s time to say a temporary good-bye to the approximately 1,300 members of the Class of 2010. We hope they will return to campus often and send us news of all their achievements out there in the world. A big Thank You ! to all of you who answered our call for Plan B career stories. Starting on page 14, about a dozen alumni tell us when, why, and how they changed their career paths. Read about the recently announced new men’s head 12 basketball coach, John Gallagher. Many of you will remember his name. He was the Hawks’ men’s associate head coach in 2006–08. I’d like to hear from alumni whose spouses are also graduates of the University of Hartford. I know there are a lot of you out there, so if you are willing to tell the story of how you met and became a couple in a future Observer article, please contact me. Enjoy your summer! Trish Charles Editor-in-Chief [email protected] 14 Read the Observer online at www.hartford.edu/observer. Contents 2 3 10 14 24 From the On Campus On the Special Section: Alumni President Commencement 2010 Scoreboard 9 to 5, Act II Connections Prompted by a stroll across preview, a new Master of New men’s basketball Alumni tell us about some Photos from the Hartford campus, President Walter Fine Arts in Photography, coach, 2010 America East pretty surprising career College for Women reunion, Harrison explores the a $2.4 million grant, Tournament wrap-up, moves they have made alumni trip to Ireland, different ways students and Community Day, and more. and a year of firsts for and how their University more Alumni Board others learn on this campus. women’s basketball. degree helped prepare members, and more. them for changes. Observer Staff © 2010 University of Hartford. TheObserver is published three times a year for alumni, Editor-in-Chief Trish Charles parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the University of Hartford. All rights reserved. Class Notes Editor Beverly Kennedy Produced by the Office of Communication, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, Design WondriskaRusso West Hartford, CT 06117. Circulation Manager Sharon Scorso The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official University of Hartford policy. 01-32obsv_spr10.indd 1 5/4/10 10:16:15 PM Provost Lynn Pasquerella and President Walter Harrison enjoy a cup of tea at the Hartford College for Women reunion at Butterworth Hall in March. From the President The Joy of Learning Imagine walking across the University of Hartford campus on whether in a book or through an electronic device of some sort, is a warm, sunny day in April. Outside the Integrated Science, still vital. But more and more often, our students help teach each Engineering, and Technology complex, two young women are other in small group environments. I think that form of learning tossing a football back and forth. Inside the complex, in the is more active and, hence, more lasting. acoustical engineering suite, three groups of students are huddled So what does tossing a football have to do with any of this around computers working on projects with various industries besides the sheer joy of relaxing and having fun? Simply this— in the area while Professor Bob Celmer occasionally looks over much of the learning on this campus, as on any other, goes on their shoulders. outside of a strictly academic environment; it goes on through In the Koopman Commons of the Hartford Art School, Mary learning about ourselves, often not in organized group activities. Frey, professor of photography, sits on a bench talking to seven We should celebrate that form of learning as well. students sitting on chairs and the floor around her. In a seminar This summer, our provost, Lynn Pasquerella, will be leaving room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, a group of communication the University to become president of Mount Holyoke College. students works together on a public relations campaign for a national In her too short two years here, one of the most important things competition. And from the windows of the Alfred C. Fuller Music she has taught me is that the life of the mind is the most important Center, the mellow sounds of a jazz saxophone fill the air. thing that a college or university can inspire. In her own work in I witnessed these events on a short walk I took this spring; philosophy, or in the work she inspired or supported here in others, I didn’t pick them to illustrate anything. But I think they do she helped me realize every day the importance of encouraging and illustrate something that I believe is worth noting. Each of these celebrating learning. learning situations, with the exception of the football toss, was a One of Lynn’s most memorable contributions here was to start a preprofessional activity. Each, with the possible exception of the group she called “difficult dialogues.” In this group Lynn encouraged jazz saxophone solo, was a group activity; each—to some extent— faculty and staff to talk with each other about the topics we usually was informal. avoid discussing, such as disability, gender, and race bias. Like all While academics, including myself, love to argue about how the activities I described above, this was an informal learning important the liberal arts are, I think we sometimes miss an environment. I know from the participants that their time together essential point: learning is learning. The aims of education—liberal, challenged and stimulated everyone who took part. For me, it professional, or artistic—are to encourage critical thinking, good exemplified learning of the highest sort. communication skills, and the power of analysis. Every major has This column is for Lynn. I am sure she will stimulate such at its base the mastery of a discipline, not only because the subject learning among faculty, staff, and students at Mount Holyoke. matter is important but also because it fosters habits of thinking She has left her mark here. We will all miss her. that will last a lifetime. Secondly, each activity I saw was a small group-learning environment. I believe that is the most significant change in learning I have witnessed since I was an undergraduate 45 years ago. We learned in two essential ways then: in a class or by ourselves, reading books. We still have great classes and great teachers—many Barney graduates will remember Professor Charles Canedy—and reading, 2 OBSERVER 01-32R1obsv_spr10.indd 2 5/7/10 2:02:58 PM On Campus Despite some drizzly and raw weather, the inside of Gengras Student union was packed, as some 1,400 attendees enjoyed music, food, lots of activities for kids, interactive health– and–wellness displays, a bicycle safety clinic, a circus workshop, and much more at the university’suniversity’s annual Community Day. outsideo Gengras, visitors found a mobile petting zoo, a performance of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Dramatis personae, and the always popular opportunity A DAmpAmp to “Be an anchor” at the university’s television studio, among other activities. Some of the day’s options featured a Mark twain theme in recognition of the 175th anniversary of the birth of the Hartford icon and the 100th anniversary but of his death. an actor portraying Mark twainwain gave several performances during the course of the day and participated in the president’spresident’s College— sponsored marathon reading of Mark twain’s Tom Sawyer. Delightful old-time trolley rides took attendees to university High School of Science and engineering, where students and teachers demonstrated student-built robots and other projects.