MAGAZINE UCONNMAY 2016

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24 GINA BARRECA ON WRITING ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE

26 WOMEN HUSKIES MAKE SOME SERIOUS HISTORY!

30 A SCIENTIST WHO WELCOMES HER RESEARCH SUBJECTS INTO HER LAB

38 WANT TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS? WORK ON THAT EQ SNAP!

Stars Over Jacobson Barn

The iconic red clapboarded barn on Horsebarn Hill, a favorite spot for graduation photos, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Farwell Barn, named for its original owners. Even the official register, though, nods to the familiar “other name” Jacobson Barn, for the subsequent owners who sold it to UConn. The listing describes it as “one of a dwindling number of historic resources that recall Mansfield’s long history as a primarily agricultural community.” UConn videographer Angelina Reyes, who captured this shot, says, “I waited for a clear night. No clouds. Just stars. I took one photograph with a 30-second exposure every two seconds over a two-hour period. I then went into Photoshop and stacked each image on top of the other to create star trails.” Watch a time-lapse video of the stars and see historical photos of the barn at s.uconn.edu/barn.

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 CONTENTS | MAY 2016 VOL. 17 NO. 2

FROM THE EDITOR

Stories abound about what a certain professor can do to inspire a single student. How WEB one lecture, one class, one thesis can be life-changing, even world-changing. EXCLUSIVES It was a community college biology instructor who introduced author Rebecca magazine.uconn.edu Skloot to the name “Henrietta Lacks.” After his lecture about cell division that included a bit about Lacks’s now famous He-La cells and the doctors who harvested them without her consent, Skloot asked for more information about Lacks. Her professor said he CURLING WITH didn’t know anything more, and why didn’t she do some research and write a paper STEVE EMT for extra credit? Twenty-two years later she sent him that paper — in the form of her See Emt tell the story of how best-selling book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. he went from UConn basketball I heard Skloot tell that story at UConn’s Jorgensen Auditorium last fall. She was walk-on to Paralympic curler. And there because John Malone and Mark Longo, professors in UConn’s Department of watch some curling, of course! Molecular and Cell Biology, had assigned Skloot’s book to their Introduction to Genetics s.uconn.edu/steveemt. class. They had then listened and responded when their students were so enthusiastic about the book they asked those professors to help them get Skloot to campus so they A HIGHLY SELECTIVE could meet her. HISTORY OF UCONN ROTC Putting this issue together I found myself thinking about Skloot and Lacks often Celebrate the 100th anniversary because of another inspirational UConn genetics professor, Stormy Chamberlain. If of the nation’s ROTC program only Henrietta Lacks had known Stormy Chamberlain! with these eclectic photos from 14 19 24 30 Chamberlain invites the families of her research subjects, who have a disease called the University Archives. Angelman Syndrome, to open-lab days at her UConn Farmington facility. At the most s.uconn.edu/rotc. recent of these, I was struck by the knowledge and passion her graduate students dis- FEATURES SECTIONS played while fielding questions from parents of Angelman children. “I do this as much SWEET POTATO FRIES for the grad students as for the parents,” Chamberlain told me as the day was getting WITH MAPLE DIPPING BLACK HATS, CYBER BOTS, 4 under way. “They will be more engaged in their research if they know who it is for.” 14 SAUCE QUICK VID ZOMBIES, AND YOU UCONN NOW I can’t help but envision these lab-coated students as the next generation of ge- Not sure how to slice a curved This Storrs campus Cybersecurity Lab is beating Austin Stowell ’07 — who netics professors and wonder if, inspired by this one professor, they will take research sweet potato into straight planks? computer hackers at their own game. just starred in a Steven Spiel- transparency to yet another place we cannot envision today. s.uconn.edu/springrecipes. berg film, a record-breaking Or perhaps they will become science writers like Skloot. After all, it was yet another ROCK ON 19 Huskython, vaccines for professor who put Skloot on that particular path. A writing professor, whose class she A geology professor digs up some rock wall history that ovarian cancer and Zika, a A GEOLOGIST’S TOUR was taking to satisfy an elective during her quest for a Biology degree, told her she includes evidence of UConn’s first student protests. class on Sherlock Holmes, a OF STORRS CAMPUS would make a terrific science writer and not to be afraid to give up a long-held goal in favor of a new goal. 24 GINA BARRECA ON WRITING campaign button collection, Get your rocks on with The English professor and humorist discusses writing sweet potato fries with maple Professor Robert Thorson. Had she not taken his class and had he not given her that advice, Skloot said during about those we love, and shares an excerpt from If You dipping sauce, and much more. s.uconn.edu/stonewalls. her talk at Jorgensen, she would be a veterinarian today and she would still be wonder- Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down Your Blouse? ing who Henrietta Lacks was. As would the rest of the world. Skloot added, “You never 40 CAMPAIGN SEASON know what random sentence from a teacher might change a student’s life.” THE BIG FOUR FOR THE BIG FOUR 26 UCONN NATION Wondering who Sullivan was or The records that toppled in the wake of Stewie, Mo, Tuck An alum whose job is diving why they didn’t want Eleanor? and Geno. And the fourth senior: Briana Pulido. with dolphins, another who Get campaign button info. is teaching in Las Vegas in a s.uconn.edu/buttons. AMONG ANGELS 30 most unconventional way, Stormy Chamberlain, a scientist who is unafraid to let her TOM’S TRIVIA research subjects have names and faces — and families. a third who won a Marshall Scholarship for fine arts, four Find out how your UConn knowledge stacks HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS questions for Stu Rothenberg 38 up against Tom’s. WITHOUT REALLY CRYING ’77 Ph.D. on the political s.uconn.edu/maytrivia. Making it to the next management level may have a lot climate in the country today — more to do with your EQ than your IQ. and class notes, of course.

Cover Illustration by: Hoodzpah Design Co. Vice President for Communications Tysen Kendig Assistant Vice President for Brand Strategy Patricia Fazio ’90 (CLAS), ’92 MA Director of Strategic Marketing Communications John Morawiec Editor Lisa Stiepock Art Director Christa Tubach Photographer Peter Morenus Intern Megan Krementowski ’16 (CLAS) Student Table of Contents Photo/Illustration Worker Crystal Mastrangelo ’17 (CLAS) Contributing Writers Kenneth Best; Tom Breen ’00 (CLAS); Amanda Falcone ’05 (CLAS); Sheila Foran ’83 (BGS) ’96 Ph.D.; Elaina Credits, clockwise from bottom left: Hancock; Nick Hurley ’13 (CLAS); Kim Krieger; Grace Merritt; Elizabeth Omara-Otunnu; Colin Poitras ’85 (CLAS); Jesse Rifkin ’14 (CLAS); Katharine Whittemore; Lauren Chris Piascik , Hoodzpah Design Co., Woods Copy Editor Gregory Lauzon Contributing Designers John E. Bailey ’84 (SFA); Web Designers Christine Ballestrini ’03 (SFA); Yesenia Carrero. Peter Morenus (4). UConn Magazine is produced three times a year (January, May, and September) by University Communications, University of Connecticut. Email: uconnmagazine@uconn. edu. Letters to the editor and other comments are welcome. Send address changes to The University of Connecticut Foundation, Records Department, Unit 3206, 2390 Postdoctoral researcher Jack Hsiao explains some of the work he does with genetics Alumni Drive, Storrs, CT 06269. professor Stormy Chamberlain to Angelman families during an open-lab day.

2 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 3 UCONN NOW

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT “BRIDGE OF SPIES” ACTOR CREDITS UCONN FOR HIS MAGNANIMITY Stowell’s advice to aspiring When Austin Stowell ’07 ’60s, the lighting crews who His big break came in 2009 actors: “It is so difficult to get your (SFA) works on a film, had set lights a mile across when he landed the role of first break out here. People ask for he always tries to thank the water, the extras sitting Jesse in the TV series “The advice all of the time, and it is so everyone on set — from the perched in the guard towers Secret Life of the American hard to know what to say, because other actors to the light and for hours without complaint Teenager.” Next came the everyone has a different story. Put sound crews. Every film is a ... It was this giant, collabora- movie “Dolphin Tale” and the in the work, and control what you team effort, and each person tive effort, and I was so proud TNT series “Public Morals.” can.” involved has a dream and a to be a part of it.” He’s worked alongside Holly- vision, says the 31-year-old A Kensington, Conn., na- wood greats and even spent What can you control? “You can “Bridge of Spies” actor. It’s a tive, Stowell picked up acting holidays with them. control your looks and you can lesson he learned at UConn, in high school after he was “Mr. Hanks and Mr. control whether you are prepared: and one he vows not to forget. sidelined by a sports injury Spielberg invited me to whether you are well-studied and In his dramatic arts and friends encouraged him Thanksgiving dinner,” says know the material.” classes, Stowell says he was to try out for his senior play. Stowell. “The restaurant had required to participate in “I just fell in love with prepared the meal based on His big break: “The Secret Life of all aspects of a production, acting,” Stowell says. “I just their mothers’ recipes, and the American Teenager” which makes him grateful for immersed myself in it.” to top it all off, my brother the work of everyone around He still keeps in touch happened to be in town and His favorite UConn memory: him. He adds that his perfor- with a few UConn professors was invited to join us as well. “The two [basketball] champi- mances at the Connecticut and credits them for his suc- Plenty to be thankful for that onships happened my freshman Repertory Theatre gave him cess, in particular assistant day.” —AMANDA FALCONE ’05 year [2004]. It was amazing. I still the stage experience he need- professors Kristin Wold and (CLAS) watch every game.” ed to win roles. Greg Webster and retired Most recently, he played professor Robert McDonald, American U2 spy plane who established an endow- pilot Francis Gary Powers in ment fund that helps acting Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge students study in London. of Spies,” which received six It’s an opportunity Stowell Academy Award nomina- wishes he had had. Travel- tions and won one for Mark ing abroad is important for Rylance as Best Supporting growth as an actor and as a Actor. person, he says. Stowell’s character is After graduating from captured behind enemy lines UConn, Stowell stopped and eventually is part of the briefly in Martha’s Vineyard prisoner exchange that the before making his way to Los entire movie revolves around. Angeles, where he auditioned “My favorite days were on for film roles during the day location [in Berlin] for the and bartended at night. final exchange,” says Stowell. “Trying to make it as a “Despite the cold and long bartender-actor out here is hours, it was incredibly really not an easy gig,” he surreal to look around and be says, explaining that he had surrounded by such talent. to work late nights and then The talent went far past that wake up early to learn scripts of Spielberg, [Tom] Hanks, and attend auditions. He and Rylance. It was the team often lacked sleep. of production designers who Fortunately, Stowell no Left and above: Stowell as had transformed that bridge longer has to pour drinks to Francis Gary Powers in “Bridge of Spies” to its appearance in the early pay the bills.

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Jaap Buitendijk/DreamWorks MAY 2016 5 UCONN NOW COLLECTIONS

COVETED CLASS ENGL 4600W: Sherlock Holmes and Comparative Media

The Instructor Pamela Bedore, associate professor and writing coordinator, Avery Point campus. Bedore’s courses The Vampire in Liter- ature and Culture and The Monster in Literature and Culture, known affec- tionately as “Vampire Lit” and “Monster Lit,” have been extremely popular with students. She’s taught all manner of courses, including Stephen King and Cul- CAMPAIGN tural Theory; Gender Theory and Genre BUTTONS Fiction; American Detective Fiction; The Thomas J. Dodd Research and Modern Canadian Literature (she Center is home to hundreds of political pins dating from grew up in Ontario); as well as undergrad 1936 to 1968. This memorabilia is part of a collection donated by staples, such as Freshman Writing; The Herman Wolf, who worked on the Short Story; and Poetry. campaigns of many Connecticut politicians, including Governor John Dempsey and Senator Class Description Abe Ribicoff.Wonder who Sullivan is? Go Sherlock Holmes and Comparative to s.uconn.edu/ Media examines the phenomenon of buttons. Holmes both as a literary character in the 60 canon stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and as an iconic figure ap- pearing across multiple media, including print, graphic novel, film, and television. English professor Pamela Bedore in the Branford your own identity? And what do writers “The question I want to get at,” says House on the Avery Point campus. Bedore get out of it?” Bedore, “is why this character is such a teaches popular classes, such as “The Vampire in Popular Literature and Culture” and “Sherlock persistent cultural icon. Why are there Holmes and Comparative Media” at Avery Point. When and Where TV series and movies every year when Fall 2016 at UConn Avery Point campus this is an effete brainiac detective from 1887? “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” Why We Want to Take It Ourselves “Writers have been picking this char- and “Mr. Holmes.” Because Bedore consumes knowledge acter out and writing new stories around By week four, students will have chosen like a vampire, sleuths out fun teaching him almost from the beginning. Watson, an individual research topic about techniques like a dime store detective, too, of course. And Irene Adler — she which they will write 500 to 1,000 words and is fiercely passionate, really funny, only appears in one story. Moriarty? weekly. They will read one another’s and consistently thought-provoking. He only appears in two. Why do those work in groups while continuing to read Her ardor for her subjects is addictive, characters get so much prominence in from Doyle’s canon and the “fanon” — contagious. And it takes us to surprising our culture? There are scion societies, stories by contemporary authors starring places. who meet and do Holmes quizzes and Holmes and crew. When asked whether she might teach presentations, all over the country. Why? All along, the students are asking those a class called Zombie Lit, she delivered a I’ll hold off on answers and let students central questions of why the character discourse in what seemed like one breath ponder these questions.” has endured and what is his impact on that began with the fact that her Monster popular culture. Lit capstone includes zombie literature Bedore’s Teaching Style “But,” says Bedore, and she may as well “because it’s fascinating,” picked up Students will “acclimate,” says Bedore, be rubbing her palms together, “now we speed when she mentioned how “it’s real- by reading 10 short stories and all get to the subquestions: Is pop lit subver- ly easy to think of zombies as consum- four novels from Doyle’s canon, which sive or conservative? Is it opium for the ers,” and ended in a mini lesson on this comprises 56 shorts and the novels. masses, or really challenging people to country’s ongoing financial crisis and They’ll also watch the current TV shows think about issues? What does this text the statement, “That’s why they’re “Elementary” and “Sherlock” and recent do for us culturally? If you’re a big fan of called zombie banks and vampire loans.” movies, such as “Sherlock Holmes,” Sherlock Holmes, what does that mean to —LISA STIEPOCK

6 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU (2) Morenus Peter MAY 2016 UCONN NOW

UCONN TALKS

“THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF We could INFORMATION — AND THE FEAR THAT see the [red tide] IT CAN BE MANIPULATED — HAS NOT “I DON’T CHANGED. WHAT HAS CHANGED IS HOW “ THINK UCONN from space. It’s WE ARE INFORMED ABOUT POLITICS OR EVER HAS A ANYTHING ELSE, OR HOW WE AREN’T.” the first time REBUILDING anyone’s ever YEAR. I DON’T Michael P. Lynch, professor of philosophy, on how “Googling is believing.” THINK WE done that.” REBUILD. WE The New York Times, March 9, 2016 Heidi Dierssen, associate JUST RELOAD.” professor of marine sciences — SENIOR BREANNA and geography. She was part of STEWART, AFTER “IT’S LIKE CARRYING A a team that identified plankton WINNING HER CASINO IN YOUR POCKET.” from space using images from FOURTH NCAA David Greenfield, professor of psychiatry, on the dangers a camera at the International TITLE AS A HUSKY. of cellphone addiction. Space Station.

Student Science THE WASHINGTON POST, FEB. 10, 2016 Dec. 1, 2015 The Associated Press April 6, 2016 “MANY PEOPLE ARE IN A CIRCADIAN FOG, In a democracy (or at a public land-grant WHERE OUR PHYSIOLOGY IS CONFUSED. university) that protects freedom of expression, THE CIRCADIAN SYSTEM IS NOT GETTING there are“ still two options when encountering speech we find offensive: Filter out the speech with a A CLEAR SIGNAL OF DAY VERSUS NIGHT.” ‘safe space’ or counter it with robust speech of our

Richard Stevens, cancer epidemiologist at the School of Medicine, Archives of Connecticut University own. What college needs to be is a hybrid of those two on how light pollution is having adverse effects on our health. options — it should be a safe space for debate.” The New York Times, April 7, 2016 TRADITIONS Marie Shanahan, assistant professor of journalism The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jan. 31, 2016 HOLD YOUR FIRE IN DEVELOPMENT For the country’s 100th OVARIAN CANCER DOESN’T NEED TO BE A DEATH SENTENCE anniversary of ROTC, we asked former cadet Nick Ovarian cancer relapses are deadly, but a pioneering vaccine that could prevent them has just MAKING GOOD Hurley ’13 (CLAS) ’15 entered clinical trials at UConn Health. The experimental vaccine, named OncoImmunome, is MA, who now works at the administered as a simple injection in an outpatient setting. University Archives, to find It works by boosting the patient’s immune response to enable it to destroy ovarian cancer cells HUSKYTHON ’16 and caption photos, including so that they do not replicate. RAISES MORE this one taken in the Armory The genetic differences between the surface proteins on a patient’s healthy and cancerous THAN $700,000 circa 1920. “Based on their cells constitute the fingerprint of that particular patient’s cancer, which is unlike the fingerprint surroundings, the fact that of any other person’s cancer. Based on these variations, scientists create a personalized vaccine. This year’s Huskython saw they are so close to their “This is the first vaccine of its kind developed for women diagnosed with advanced ovarian more than 2,500 students targets, and that other cadets cancer,” says Dr. Pramod K. Srivastava, the vaccine’s developer, a leading cancer immunotherapy dance 18 hours and raise a are in the line of fire, I’m expert, and director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at UConn Health. record-breaking $716,395 for confident this is not a live-fire “The personalized vaccine is specifically created using a patient’s own genomics information to the Connecticut Children’s exercise,” says Hurley, with a prevent an often life-threatening recurrence of the disease and to extend survival.” Medical Center — enough smile. “They are likely being There is no early screening test for ovarian cancer. When a woman with the disease starts to to build a recovery and rehab taught marksmanship basics. actually experience nonspecific abdominal symptoms such as bloating, the disease has often addition. It also caught the They would then move to the already advanced to stage III or stage IV cancer. Further, there is no effective long-term treat- attention of Taylor Swift, basement, where the live-fire ment for ovarian cancer. Even after a woman is successfully treated with traditional surgery and who donated $1,989 on behalf target practice would take chemotherapy, the disease has a very high recurrence rate within just two years. Tragically, most of fan Igor Lekontsev ’18, place.” women die within five years of their diagnosis. shown at left with his team. For much more, go to But Srivastava believes that appropriate immunotherapy may stop an ovarian cancer diagnosis —MEGAN KREMENTOWSKI ’16 s.uconn.edu/rotc. from becoming a death sentence. —LAUREN WOODS The Daily Campus The Amar Batra/

8 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 9 UCONN NOW

Have you always been interested in engineering? Always. I’ve always loved engineering. As a kid I would take my gifts apart — like electric cars — and make something else out of them. When I got older and stopped getting gifts, I got into coding. So the only question is, what kind of engineer will I be? For a while I was moving from electrical to civil, but now I’m back to electrical. I want to design an electric car. I can’t discuss the details, but it will be different from anything out there now. I’m always building things. When I was 15 or 16, I asked my dad what I could do to help the family, and he said he had some beekeeping stuff. So I started raising bees, making honey. And then I found other beekeepers and started a cooperative.

It sounds like you’re interested in business, too. I did the [School of Business] Innovation Quest. It was a great experience finding so many people who think alike.

Innovation Quest matches students who have ideas with mentors who can help them. What was your idea? I’m working on a website that helps student entrepreneurs find the tools and people to help them create something. It’s called COSUP, for college start-up.

Name a favorite class. Economics 1200. I love it. It makes you think a different way. I feel like I can apply it to everything. We had a lesson in

opportunity cost, and I’ve already started being more efficient. Morenus Peter For instance, I changed the routes I took to classes today. BRICKS & MORTAR Will you go back to Haiti after graduation? Yes, of course. This is what motivates me. I want to be able to HAIL AND FAREWELL help the people of Haiti. I’ll continue beekeeping and work to expand agricultural growth. That’s what the country needs. UCONN JOHN DEMPSEY HOSPITAL NEW TOWER, Engineering is to accomplish my dream. Agriculture is to help FARMINGTON people. —LISA STIEPOCK The new patient care tower (above) at UConn John Dempsey Hospital on the campus of UConn Health in Farmington, Conn., comprises 11 floors and houses key patient areas, including the emergency department, surgery suite, MRI suite, renal IN GOOD HEALTH dialysis, respiratory therapy, inpatient rehab (orthopaedics, rehab gym, and work space), clinical support, and patient Nathan Oldham Nathan HELP FOR ANXIOUS PARENTS WHO education space. There is an upper-floor walkway that connects the new tower to the existing hospital. STUDENT PERSPECTIVE WANT THEIR KIDS FREE FROM ANXIETY

Children of anxious parents are at an increased risk for develop- DISCOVERY DRIVE IN STORRS: A NEW CAMPUS ing the disorder. Yet that does not need to be the case, accord- ENTRANCE VINCENT TURNIER ’19 ing to research by UConn professor of psychiatry and UConn A new road called Discovery Drive now connects North Health psychologist Golda S. Ginsburg. Hillside Road to Route 44, providing access to the site of the For this freshman engineering student from Port-au-Prince, How was the transition from Port-au-Prince to Storrs? Ginsburg and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University tested in-progress UConn Technology Park and easing traffic con- Haiti, UConn is a land of opportunity. I did not think winter was going to be that cold — compared to a one-year family therapy intervention and found that only gestion on Route 195. The extension includes a two-lane road, 90-degree weather all the time! No, but the biggest difference is 9 percent of children who participated in a therapist-directed bike lane, and sidewalk. Large culverts under the bridges along you have a lot more opportunities here. So many more, compared intervention developed anxiety after one year, as compared the drive allow wildlife to pass under the new road. Along with Why did you choose to come to UConn? to Haiti. Here, if I’m motivated to do something, I’m sure I’ll find to 21 percent in a group that received written instruction and access to the Tech Park, Discovery Drive provides a new route I wanted to go to a school where there’s a lot of school spirit, people who can help me and who will push me to do it. 31 percent in a group that did not receive any therapy or written to the heart of the campus, including the North Garage, which where kids really love their school. instruction. improves the flow of event traffic. Did anything else about campus surprise you? “The finding underscores the vulnerability of offspring of Has it met those expectations? It’s so big. In Haiti you know everyone; it’s easy to talk to people. anxious parents,” says Ginsburg. She wants to do something TORRINGTON CAMPUS CLOSES Oh, yes! Anywhere you go and see someone who goes to UConn Here you can meet someone one day and never see them again. about that vulnerability. “If we can identify kids at risk, let’s try UConn will shutter its Torrington campus at the end of the it’s an instant connection. My parents say it’s like I’ve joined a It’s harder to make friends. So now I’m more open to everything. and prevent this.” —KIM KRIEGER spring semester, based on declining enrollment. Every UConn cult. They used to tease me about it more. Now when I talk to I’ve learned not to wait for people to come to me. I have to make Torrington student will have the opportunity to continue at my dad he’s like, “Go UConn!” it happen. Learn more at s.uconn.edu/anxiety. another UConn campus.

10 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 11 UCONN NOW

TASTE OF STORRS

Named for UConn benefactors Charles and Augustus Storrs, Chuck & Augie’s is a professor hangout and a favorite place to FIELD NOTES take parents. We especially love their farm-to-table menu A perpetual in spring and summer, when local goods abound. best seller UCONN’S ALT SPRING BREAK PHENOMENON

SWEET POTATO Alternative Spring Breaks are a growing trend at UConn, and our campus ranks fourth FRIES WITH MAPLE in the nation for students who participate in the trips. I was one of 350 students who went on 16 Community Outreach trips this year that focused on such diverse topics as DIPPING SAUCE homelessness, HIV/AIDS awareness and advocacy, coastal environment preservation, rural poverty, urban poverty, civil rights, and public health. To make the Sweet Potato Fries: 2 sweet potatoes I chose to go on a Mystery Trip this year, so I knew the topic would be rural poverty, 4 cups vegetable oil but found out at the last minute our destination would be West Virginia. Fifty-one Crystal ¼ teaspoon salt students from the Storrs and Stamford campuses traveled there to work with the Peel sweet potatoes and cut off ends. Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) on substantial rehabilitations of homes for Slice potatoes into ¼-inch-thick planks. Then slice planks into V-inch low-income families in Fayette County. I was inspired to see firsthand the beauty of strips. Soak in water for 1 to 2 hours. what a community can do when it comes together to address an issue, such as poverty. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Heat The people there rely on one another, their faith, and organizations like SALS to educate oil in pan and bring to 350 degrees. Carefully themselves both academically and skillwise so that they can obtain food, housing, and place planks in oil and fry for 4 to 5 minutes. jobs to support their families. Everyone deserves to have these basic needs met, and Remove fries and place on paper towels to absorb excess grease. Sprinkle with salt I’ve been inspired by my Alt Break experiences to use my education — a double major and serve with Maple Dipping Sauce. in Psychological Science and in Human Development and Family Studies — to help my own community. Whether as a school guidance counselor or a direct social worker, I To make the Maple Dipping Sauce: plan to continue my passion for service. —CRYSTAL MASTRANGELO ’17 (CLAS) 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Grade A local maple syrup 8 ounces confectioners’ sugar 3 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl IN DEVELOPMENT and whisk until smooth. Leftovers? Ice a cake! A VACCINE FOR ZIKA? Paulo Verardi was working on a Zika virus vaccine before most of us knew the disease existed.

Pathobiology and Veterinary Science professor Paulo Verardi started designing a vaccine for the Zika virus last fall. As told to Elaina Hancock: Spicy I’m originally from Brazil, and I read the Brazilian news in Portuguese every day Tuna Salad during my lunch break. Back in October, I was particularly puzzled by the news that this one particular hospital reported two babies being born with microcephaly on the same day. Microcephaly is rare, so at that point Brazilian health officials quickly considered a link between the Zika infection and the birth defect, and in November they found the virus in the amniotic fluid of two pregnant women whose fetuses had microcephaly. In January, a Brazilian research team showed that the virus seems to cross the placental barrier that normally protects the fetus from infections. Since past outbreaks were uncommon and the disease typically mild, no vaccine or therapies for the disease have yet been developed. So back in November, as I read the news about the outbreak, I immediately started working on the development of a vac- For more from Verardi on the cine. I specifically work on vaccine platforms and, together with my students at UConn, vaccine and the virus, including had just finished the development of a new method to quickly develop vaccines. I then how best to protect yourself, go asked Brittany Jasperse, a pathobiology Ph.D. student in my laboratory, to use our to s.uconn.edu/zikavirus. method to design a number of vaccines for Zika. Brittany is now working diligently to advance this process, and we expect to test the immunogenicity of these new vaccines very shortly. The Brazilian ambassador contacted me and helped expedite the process of getting Zika samples to our team. How far off is a vaccine? The pathway to a licensed vaccine is a long one. First, vaccines must be developed and tested in preclinical trials with animal models. That is what our group is doing now. If the vaccine is shown to be safe and efficacious, it eventually pro- gresses into human clinical trials. The whole process takes years; just consider the fact that we still don’t have a licensed Ebola virus vaccine, although we are close to it. This is truly a very special emerging disease. Unlike Ebola virus infection that causes severe symptoms and in most cases death, Visit s.uconn.edu/springrecipes for infection with Zika virus is typically asymptomatic, but sadly extremely consequential for pregnant women and their babies. It’s really Mediterranean the salmon and tuna recipes and an unprecedented, fluid situation, with much more to learn. Salmon to watch the fries being made.

10 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Courant Hartford Schneiderman/ Lauren bottom: Rowe; Paulina top: Morenus; page: Peter Facing MAY 2016 13 BLACK HATS, CYBER BOTS, ZOMBIES, AND YOU

This Cybersecurity Lab Is Beating Computer Hackers at Their Own Game.

Written by Colin Poitras ’85 (CLAS) Illustrations by Hoodzpah Design Co.

It’s finals week and Tom, a UConn Tina’s bogus network and straight to her are getting stronger. Her mother cries out senior, is crazed. He has three tests in hard drive. She sits back and smiles. Tina in pain. Lisa calls frantically for Sarah. No two days. His car loan is due. His student has bills to pay too. And Tom’s informa- response. Her mother goes limp. loan payment is due. His roommate is tion was just what she was waiting for. Back in the kitchen, Sarah quietly shuts an all-day partier who never gives him a down her iPad and walks toward the moment’s rest back at the dorm. Desper- Lisa wasn’t looking forward to the bedroom. ate for a quiet place to work, Tom heads confrontation. Her aging mother, bedrid- to a library off campus. It’s one of his den with different ailments and depen- Megan is driving her new sedan to favorite places to study and it offers free dent on care, was really angry this time. the mall to get her nails done before going Wi-Fi. He throws down his backpack and For months she had suspected Sarah, her to work at the deli down the road. She pulls out his laptop. Finally. Peace. He live-in nurse, was stealing her money. And decides she has time for a coffee and heads logs on. The laptop immediately attaches now, the latest bank statement confirmed for her regular caffeine spot, where barista to the library’s wireless connection. Tom it. On top of it all, Sarah always seemed Tim likes to flirt with her by writing funny calls up his bank, logs in to his checking to be on her iPad when Lisa’s mother names on her cup. Never just “Megan.” account, and makes a quick loan payment needed her. The chest pains were back. She waits for the oncoming traffic to clear for his car. Done. Now the student loan. The small automatic defibrillator under and turns left into the plaza. But the car He logs in to the loan service, accesses his her mother’s skin activated twice in the keeps going straight. She spins the steer- account. Paid. Done. past two months. The stress wasn’t good. ing wheel. Nothing. Pumps the brakes. In a study carrel in another part of the Lisa enters the house. She eyes Sarah, Nothing. The car accelerates toward the library, Tina, a bright young lady with a who is standing, her back to her, at the next intersection while Megan continues gift for computing and a keen resentment kitchen counter — again on her computer. pumping the brakes wildly. Nothing. for all of the preppy college kids in town, Lisa walks into her mother’s room, careful She’s about to collide with a black has set up an alternate Wi-Fi base on her to speak softly so their conversation won’t pickup truck covered in skull decals when laptop. Her network identifies itself by the be overheard. Within a few minutes, Lisa the car slams to a stop. The light turns same name as the library’s network and notices her mother’s color start to change. green. Traffic moves forward. With her is coded to override it. Library visitors’ She seems to have trouble breathing. foot pushing the brake pedal to the floor laptops recognize the familiar Wi-Fi and Sweat builds on her upper lip. She tells as hard as she can, Megan’s car rockets automatically connect. All of their infor- Lisa she feels strange, like her heart is forward. Two towns away, Brian leans mation — the sites they visit, their logins, racing out of control. The device in her back in his ergonomic desk chair, grinning their passwords, their emails, their Face- chest keeps vibrating, sending sharp at a wall full of screens depicting moving book posts — are now funneling through shocks into her heart muscles. The shocks cars — including Megan’s.

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 15 yberattacks come in all shapes another left, up a ramp, through some fire filled with hackers and malicious machines and sizes. And while the scenarios doors, past the locked doors of several known as zombies, or computer bots, which C here are fictitious, experts say it large humming mechanical rooms, anoth- hackers have seized via remote control and could be only a matter of time before they er right, another left, yet another right, and without their owners’ knowledge or per- pose a real threat to our daily lives. The finally a quick left, and you are there. Or mission. Those machines are constantly electronic devices in our world today are you might be. It’s hard to be sure, because scouring the Internet trying to steal infor- interconnected like never before. Our cars there is absolutely no indication of where mation from your, my, and everyone else’s are no longer machines but rolling PCs the lab is on any of the directional office computers. From the moment you open with different components constantly signs. Even next to the lab’s main door your laptop and connect to the Internet, talking to one another. Our watches are there is only a small 9- by 6-inch plaque your computer is likely getting assaulted telephones. Our telephones are high-speed in letters slightly larger than what you are by malicious attacks, Michel says. If your computers. And with all this increased reading here. computer’s security is good and you keep convenience comes greater vulnerability. current with all the latest security updates, In the constant rush to get new products WHITE HAT HACKERS chances are you’re successfully fending off to market, security can be an afterthought. Talk to Michel or Chandy for a few min- most of them... for now. But hackers are Fortunately, a crack team of cybersecuri- utes and you begin to get a sense of what a relentless and mischievous bunch. All ty specialists, led by John Chandy, an elec- life is like in their world of electronic it takes is one click on a bogus email, one trical and computer engineering professor, espionage. And if you leave feeling a little click on an infected website, and the black and Laurent Michel, an associate professor paranoid, well, that’s to be expected. hat hackers are in. of computer science and engineering, Michel will tell you that the world is The good news is that amid the piles is working to protect our of green motherboards, information. UConn’s Com- electrical wiring, testing cast Center of Excellence equipment, and computer for Security Innovation consoles, Chandy, Michel, is advancing research to and a team of about a strengthen the nation’s half-dozen very talented electronic information graduate and undergraduate networks and training a new students are playing the role generation of hardware, of said hackers. Here, how- software, and network secu- ever, they are the good guys. rity engineers to protect the Michel likes to describe the integrity of everything from team as “ethical hackers,” small consumer electronics white hats probing ever to the complex computer deeper into Comcast’s systems running our major hardware and computing industrial, financial, and systems to expose potential transportation systems. vulnerabilities. Secured behind passcode- The battle between the protected entry doors, the white hats and the black Comcast lab is embedded hats is constant. Cyberse- deep inside one of UConn’s curity is an ever-shifting CSI CYBER — UCONN main academic buildings. landscape as new technolo- Getting there can be an gies, system updates, viruses, More than 20 faculty members and more than 100 graduate students in the schools of Engineering and Business are conducting adventure. worms, and attack strategies research through the Connecticut Cybersecurity Center at UConn. They are examining cryptography and cryptanalysis; data security If you visit the lab via the emerge on the Internet. and privacy; information fusion and data mining for Homeland Security; and trustable computing systems. building’s main door, you “John and I are constantly The academic research building that houses the Comcast Center of Excellence for Security Innovation houses two other major cyber- must go down a set of stairs, on the lookout for what’s security labs. The Center for Hardware Assurance, Security, and Engineering (CHASE) contains some of the most advanced equipment along a long hallway to the happening,” says Michel. available to conduct security analysis on nanoelectronics. Its research focuses on counterfeit device detection and preserving the integ- rear of the building, then “What are the new vulnera- rity of silicon microchips, the very cornerstones of the worldwide computer industry. The building also is home to the Center for Voting it’s a quick left, quick right, bilities? What are the latest Technology Research (VoTeR Center), which investigates new technologies to ensure the integrity of the electronic voting process.

16 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 17 it, that means a hacker can do it, too.” As an academic lab, the Comcast Center is also a place of learning. The testing that is done here is not a matter of repetitive trial-and-error assaults, but a more delib- erative, targeted, scientific process. “Think of it like a game of Clue,” says ROCK ON Michel. “It’s not like we try something just to find out if it works or not. As we attempt Geology professor Robert M. Thorson is crazy about stone walls. He spent years an attack, we gather evidence along the trying to dig up proof that former University president Homer Babbidge shared that way. That evidence may betray some- thing about the platform, the device, the love — and along the way found evidence of UConn’s first recorded student protests. software that we are trying to test. Once we have that information, we regroup and By Robert M. Thorson discuss what we have learned and its im- attacks? To do this properly, you have to be for a university,” says Chandy. “A lot of plications, and then we try to develop more like a surfer. You have to be on top of the times, the way we get into these systems experiments and high-end scenarios so we wave, not behind it. You have to keep mov- is not necessarily through back doors. I can learn more. So it’s not like we have this ing and always stay a little bit ahead.” would call them testing and debugging dictionary of twenty different attacks and If the lab is successful at breaking into phases,” Chandy says. “One of the things we try them all sequentially. It’s a much a system, that’s a good thing. Exposing a a vendor wants to do when they release more principled approach.” vulnerability in the lab gives vendors the these systems is they want to test it. So The students working in the lab operate opportunity to correct a problem before a they leave the interfaces open so we can in silence. A young woman types away in- product goes to market or to fix a problem do just that.” tently on her keyboard. A bearded student if the product is already in circulation. in a New York Giants T-shirt sighs heavily, If the research team fails to get into a THE INTERNET OF THINGS steps away from his computer for a brief system, well, that’s okay too. That means Some of the latest technology on the break, then returns. Focused. Once again the system’s designers are on top of their market involves what Chandy calls, the engrossed with the task before him at his game and did a great job protecting the Internet of Things. People used to have work station. Two sage-green walls in the system’s integrity and locking it tight. a personal computer that did one job. A rear of the lab are covered with black ink Since it opened, Chandy says the lab has watch that did another. A telephone that diagrams and hastily scrawled text. made significant discoveries that helped had its uses and a TV or thermostat with An eviscerated teddy bear sits on a vendors and saved consumers considerable separate functions. Now, with the Internet desktop. headache. But because of the often secre- of Things, all of those devices are capable of “Stress relief, John?” a visitor asks, tive nature of the lab’s work and its basis interacting and talking to one another. You pointing to the multicolored wires ripped in security, the limelight of commercial can turn up your home thermostat from out of the bear’s abdomen. success doesn’t always extend to the lab’s work using your smart phone. You can “Side project,” Chandy answers with a cubicles and workbenches. check your email on your watch and pay sly grin. Then he explains that even a chil- When students find a potential vulner- your bills through your TV. dren’s toy as innocuous as a teddy bear can ability in a system, the lab immediately But with all that convenience and be a personal security threat. In this case, notifies the vendor or system provider so interconnectivity comes increased the interactive bear has a small computer the weakness can be addressed. A lot of vulnerability. Keeping your information inside that Chandy’s lab found lacked au- times, news of the discovery stops there. safe on all those different platforms is thentication protection. It could be hacked, Chandy recounts a time when he and other this team’s task. potentially exposing the owner’s and other lab members heard of a significant system “We’re mainly looking at things from bear owners’ personal information with a vulnerability being discussed at a national a hardware level, those devices that are few strokes of cyber sleight-of-hand. cybersecurity conference. It sounded fa- going out in the field and whether they are “The students here are developing skills miliar. Chandy turned to his colleagues and properly protected. We try to come up with that none of them had a year ago,” says whispered, “Didn’t we find that months scenarios that make sense from an attack- Chandy. “The skills they are developing Atop Horsebarn Hill, ago?” Such is the nature of the business. er’s perspective,” says Chandy. “We take on would make them great hackers. But it is Storrs Campus “The lab we have here is pretty unique the role of the hacker because if we can do also making them great engineers.”

18 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Morenus Peter MAY 2016 19 View of campus with stone walls bordering a field in the early 1900s, from the University Archives

Homer Babbidge Jr., a beloved former president of the University of Connecticut, was head-over- heels in love with New England’s historic stone walls.

Or so I heard when I arrived on campus to teach geology in 1984. I heard through the grapevine that during the ’60s, Bab- bidge required students to build walls in order to graduate…that he taught credit courses on their construction…that this or that was a Babbidge-built wall…and that he left a legacy of materials documenting its grand opening reception. What a wonderful night it was. Homer’s memory of that night lay bur- his efforts in the University archives. One of those summer people in the audience was Alex Babbidge, Homer’s son. The ied during the transition from University Being curious, I started trying to Babbidge family has lived and summered on this beautiful island on the west side of student to University president. “Now substantiate these rumors, asking around Penobscot Bay since the age of sail, when their family business used clipper ships for another twenty years have passed,” he the Storrs campus during the late 1980s. the Atlantic trade. For reasons I can’t remember, Alex, Jack, and I ended up on the writes in his speech, “and I still haven’t I remember asking the reference staff of front porch of the traditional Babbidge family place, eating snacks, drinking cold beer shaken the effects of that evening. I still the Babbidge Library to investigate on my and lemonade, smelling the salt air, and discussing island geology. Waiting for the right grapple, in odd moments, with the elusive behalf. They found nothing. In the mid- moment, I finally asked Alex if the stories about his father’s interest in stone walls were ‘elves’ of Mr. Frost’s skepticism, and try 1990s, shortly after the Thomas J. Dodd in fact true. to reconcile them with my continuing Research Center was up and running, I “Yes,” he replied unequivocally, saying he had run across something in the family affection for the stone wall.” asked its archivists the same thing. Noth- papers a few years earlier. Before we got down to details, however, we were interrupted ing. When the University’s official history by a child needing to be put to bed. As we bid each other a hasty good night, I wondered was published in 2006 as Red Brick in if I’d ever hear anything more. “I still believe in the stone wall” the Land of Steady Habits, I searched Two years whizzed by. Then, in December 2005, I received an unexpected email from By the time he had finished typing his every page. Nothing. I even asked its lead long-lost Alex. He had rediscovered the manuscript he had alluded to in Islesboro, and speech, Homer had ironed out the wrin- author, Bruce Stave, if he had run across had already popped it in the mail. Within a few days, I was reading the unpublished text kles of his feelings about stone walls in anything connecting Babbidge and stone of a speech Homer had given to the Monday Evening Club in Hartford on Dec. 3, 1971, general and the line “good fences make walls during his research. Again, nothing. during the final phase of his presidency. This civic organization had been operating con- good neighbors” in particular. After rumi- Gradually and grudgingly, I concluded tinuously in Hartford since the first decade of the 19th century, when fieldstone walls nating for a few paragraphs, he concludes: that the link between Homer Babbidge were rapidly criss-crossing the agricultural landscape of the new republic. “It seems important, if I am to have my and New England’s famous stone walls “How to Build a Stone Wall,” the title of Homer’s speech, was clearly a ruse. His main hobby [of building walls] and my con- consisted of nothing more than a few just- purpose was to confess — unabashedly — his “love affair with the New England stone science, too, that the point be made — at so stories bundled into oral tradition and wall.” His strong feelings on this subject had been ignited when he was a student living least among friends — that stone walls are crystallized into institutional mythology. in a far-off land devoid of stone walls: Ann Arbor, Mich. There, he realized how much he not simply or even necessarily, devices Then, totally out of the blue, I learned missed historic stone walls as an evocation of his New England homeland and a memori- for fencing in or fencing out…. The New that the rumors were true. al to the hard work of previous centuries. England stone wall is nothing more or less During his exile, Homer read and reread a favorite poem, “Mending Wall” by Robert than a tidy waste-disposal system.” No “The land of steady habits” Frost, as a “source of comfort and reassurance.” Homer also recalls a poignant moment longer need they symbolize the “dark and In 2003, I traveled to Islesboro, Maine, during a return to New England after some time away: “Having left the Grand Central hidden motivation” of excluding neigh- to give a speech on historic stone walls Station at dawn, I caught sight of the first stone wall I’d seen in years. I felt I was home bors or, worse, of confining one’s self away for Jack McConnell. He’s a professional again; home in the land of steady habits, a land of ordered, mutually respectful relation- from significant others. Having found this photographer extraordinaire who, while ships symbolized by those walls.” personal middle ground, he concludes: “At recovering in the hospital from a heart op- A decade later, Homer’s romantic attachment to stone walls was ruptured by none other any rate, I think I am now at peace with eration, read one of my books and became than Robert Frost himself. As a Yale graduate student, and the youngest fellow of its myself on the subject of stone walls.” infected with the stone wall virus. Jack’s Pierson College, Homer attended a reading of “Mending Wall” by the elderly poet, then Near the end of his speech, Homer reca- reaction was to change his trade name to the most senior fellow of the college. Homer listened in “shocked disbelief” while the pitulates by asking: “Is building or mend- “Stonewall Jack,” hit the back roads with poet “ridiculed his farm neighbor, as he recited with nothing less than contempt, the ing walls a form of anti-social behavior?” his camera, print and frame dozens of en- line I most revered, ‘good fences make good neighbors.’” Frost, he concluded, wrote the He answers no. Resoundingly so. “I still largements, open a gallery for Islesboro’s poem as a “trite hand-me-down” to his thoughtless and ignorant neighbor, who epito- believe in the stone wall,” he continues, summer people, and invite me to speak at mized the old Yankee ways in southern New Hampshire. “not to exclude others, but to describe my

20 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 21

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land, and in doing so, help to define myself.” students simply refused to continue the 1. Given the speech’s historic context, I strongly suspect that “my land” in the sentence Neolithic practice of picking stones from above refers to the campus he presided over. And that the phrase “to define myself” farm fields. To rouse the crowd during refers in part to the Babbidge presidency. Indeed, with his own hands Homer helped their protests, they wrote what the cam- build the University of Connecticut into a modern university by gracing its grounds pus newspaper called “the most popular Robert M. Thorson’s with walls built from the residue of an earlier era, when Charles and Augustus Storrs song of the day.” were thinking of donating their fields and pastures to the state for use as an agricultural Here are the lyrics from the 1890s, as school. quoted by Homer in his speech: Walking Tour Homer guided the University from 1962 to 1972, a decade of turbulent unrest asso- ciated with civil rights, political assassinations, environmental politics, the women’s A freshman once did come to Storrs 1. Painted Rock movement, and the Vietnam War. During this time of profound societal disorder, To see what he could see. A geologist can see through the layers of Homer worked hard to impose architectural order on stone, to transform random frag- But when he saw the rocks that lay of Storrs Campus JORG paint (students paint this rock at least once a ments of rock into stable and beautiful dry-stone walls. Stonework became a hobby that Scattered all over, he swore day in peak season) to focus on the shape, in SU this case a triangular slab with foliation and defined who he was. As a freshman sometimes will and said fractures. This strongly suggests the rock is His stonework also can be seen as a physical metaphor for the use of his presidential I won’t pick rocks anymore. Illustrations by Virge Kask ’79 (CLAS), ’84 MA local high-grade metamorphic rock and was authority to help prevent campus from being heaved apart…whether by frost in the therefore encountered somewhere nearby ground or foment in the air. Indeed, the chaos of continuous culture change and of natu- And here is the chorus, as published in during a construction phase. It was likely ral soil processes is tireless. For Homer, dry-stone masonry was also a meditation in UConn’s official history: STUDENT dropped by the ice sheet that left here about which muscle, intellect, and soul came together in an outdoor setting. UNION 17,000 years ago. I won’t pick rocks anymore MALL “I won’t pick rocks anymore” I have picked for years 2. Sundial On my father’s farm and To help assuage the unrest of the late ’60s and early ’70s, Homer pulled another trick The shadow the dial casts proves that the I won’t pick rocks anymore. from his bag. He reached deep into campus history to the year 1899, to a “Victorian Earth is a planet that spins on its axis and version of the student uprising.” This event was a mass campus protest against the revolves around the Sun. The base is made

The students won their 1899 protest G requirement that students pick and haul stones and convert them into walls under the ROWE of a dense igneous rock known as gabbro. against forced field labor. But physical l HBL e This specimen, called Prairie Green, is from pretense of “instructive labor.” This quote — from the desk of the president himself — exercise remained crucial in the minds of n Quebec City. confirms that wall-building by students was indeed mandatory and therefore required 2. educational reformers. UConn athletics b of graduates, whether explicitly or implicitly. r — if not born in that moment — surged o With the New England farm culture in decline, with industrialization accelerating, o 3. Harvest Joy in importance as a part of campus life. WBMA k and with an agricultural school being transformed into an academic college, UConn The estate of Italian-American sculptor Stretching the truth just a bit, I assert Paolo Abbate (1884–­ 1973) gifted this bust, that the conversion of field-picked stone R Ba o titled “Harvest Joy,” to the The William Ben- into walls was UConn’s original sport, the OAK a ton Museum of Art. It’s made of a massive, b 3. d foundation of its athletic dynasty. b coarse-grained, bedded limestone, probably

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walls. He would have understood that d the outward growth and expansion of a 6. House of Many Stones modern institution requires a solid inner The stone house was built mainly of hand- core tied to the past, especially in a state selected local stone and mortar by a former During his first 20 years at UConn, Robert M. Thorson taught within the Department of Geology known as the “Land of Steady Habits.” faculty member. Inside is a collection of the official stone from each state. Connecticut’s and Geophysics. In 2005, he joined the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Perhaps each succeeding UConn pres- 6. state rock is brownstone, an iron-stained Department of Anthropology (Archaeology), with major commitments to the Center for Integrative ident should heft a stone or two, if only Geosciences and the Honors Program. He is the author of five books, including the best-selling Stone sandstone. The one on display here is a to honor this great man’s insight and the Storrs

by Stone. He is shown here giving a community lecture in Bolton, Conn. Roadad breccia, formed in a fault zone, in which H

plain fact that this great University began fragments of H brownstone are encased in or

Visit s.uconn.edu/stonewalls for an interactive version of the geological tour at right. as a 19th-century agricultural school. vein-fillings or of barite and quartz.

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memoir about my time as one of the first women at Dartmouth I try to write about teaching, writing, my professional life, College titled Babes in Boyland, and my first book, They Used to and my own relationships with honesty as well as humor. When “It’s time to write, Call Me Snow White but I Drifted, draws deeply on my Italian I write about my friends and family, I ask their permission to tell upbringing), this latest collection takes more risks. their stories as well as my own. Most of the time they’re generous For example, in a section titled “If You Met My Family, enough to grant it. to read, and to You’d Understand,” there’s a chapter about questions I wished The excerpt below is from an essay about my husband, I’d asked my mother before she died (she was 47 and I was 16). Michael Meyer, on the day he retired from the English There are essays about how my parents’ troubled marriage Department at UConn. I first published it withThe Chronicle of helped clarify what I wanted from my own. And while deep fears Higher Education, but even though he’s the focus of the essay, aren’t necessarily funny, there’s an essay about my own panic I did not, in this case, show it to him first. I wanted it to be a attacks that includes an incident with a butterfly net. There’s also surprise. It was a delight to adapt it for If You Lean In and to drive with the top down.” a section titled “If You Run With a Bad Crowd, Can You Call It have it here in UConn Magazine, since Michael was everybody’s Exercise?” “Real” humor is real. favorite professor of American Literature.

“Save the Last Michael has always been one of those hear me clicking down the hall as I approach. Class for Me,” an teachers admired and respected by those Michael and I are almost as different as excerpt from If You he’s taught; the Meyer Diaspora of successful it’s possible to be and still be part of the same Lean In, Will Men former UConn students offers testimony department — let alone part of the same Just Look Down to that. marriage — so it’s no wonder our students Your Blouse? His current students can’t believe he’s are shocked to discover we’re together. been doing this since before their parents They’ll miss him, as will our colleagues. were born. But, as Michael says, “It’s time.” The son What they also can’t believe is that the of a longshoreman and a factory worker, My husband is teaching a class on the two of us are married to each other. Michael’s held a job since he was 15. He’s now poetry of Emily Dickinson this morning. Michael looks and often sounds like 65. It’s time to write, to read, and to drive He’s been teaching Dickinson for 40 years; an English professor out of central casting. with the top down. it’s not like there was a lot of prep involved. This morning, for example, he left for After all, as a friend of ours said, “After But today is different for two reasons: work wearing a tweed jacket, blue shirt, you turn fifty, you’re cramming for finals.” Not only is it the last class of the semester; and striped tie, with his briefcase firmly in Dickinson suggests as much in it’s also the last class my husband, Michael hand. His salt-and-pepper beard was neatly “Apparently with no surprise” when she Meyer, is going to teach. After today — or, combed, his dark eyebrows lifted in his usual writes about the inexorable and indifferent to be more precise, after next week’s expression of amusement, and his glasses passage of time, as “The Sun proceeds exams — he will have retired from his were — as they always are — spotless. This is unmoved/to measure off another Day.” work as a university professor. no rumpled academic. This is the Man. He’s Of course I’m looking forward to the next It’s not like Michael’s going out of distinguished, handsome, and authoritative. several years being as best described by business entirely, since he edits all those Me, I go to school looking like either the title of another Dickinson poem, “Wild Gina Barreca’s latest book is as funny and forthright as her previous memoirs. versions of The Bedford Introduction to Anna Magnani or Ethel Merman. After 23 Nights — Wild Nights!” Literature that you see everywhere, but years of teaching in Connecticut, I still look To my distinguished colleague: But this one, she says, is even more personal and more revealing — examining relationships she he’s done with the classroom part of it. like I’m there to deliver a pizza rather than Congratulations on years well spent and holds most dear, including that with husband Michael Meyer, who also taught English at UConn. Maybe I should say he’s done with the teach a class. I still sound like I’m from New classes well taught. “office” part of it. York and I wear heels so that my students Well done. I had enormous fun writing If You Lean In, Will Men Just Look is an accomplishment. It’s one of those areas of expertise that Down Your Blouse? And I learned a lot. Yes, this book takes on takes at least 10,000 hours to learn. At a certain age, you finally a number of social and cultural issues — everything from the become the indisputable authority on the subject of yourself. “Twilight” and “Fifty Shades” phenomena to the powers of Spanx I know I’m getting braver as I get older — and that won’t and Goji berries. But it’s different from most of my earlier work, come as a big surprise to anybody. Having taught creative writing because it’s more personal and unguarded. classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level, I’ve always We get braver and more honest as we get older. I don’t know emphasized the need for writers at every level to figure out what if it’s true that we women become invisible as we age, but we story they’re really trying to tell. It’s usually buried four or five certainly become more audible. We become more politicized, paragraphs deep and embedded in a particularly sharp, fierce, less willing to simply nod and smile if we disagree, and more sometimes off-the-cuff line the writer might have been surprised willing to stand up for ourselves and others (instead of leaning in to hear herself or himself say. It’s rarely the well-groomed, — I’m not a Sheryl Sandberg fan, and that’s where the title comes much-rehearsed, and overwritten sentence that grabs a reader from; there’s a chapter about my issues with her work). And by the throat. both women and men, somewhere between 40 and 50, begin to I tried to respect that in my own writing while completing distinguish what actually makes them happy from what they’ve this manuscript. While nobody could accuse me of keeping always done to please others. Being able to define that difference my personal life out of my earlier books (after all, I wrote a Gina and Michael, who have been married for 24 years, share a piece of carrot cake at the Aero Diner in Willimantic, Conn.

Find more photos and info about If You Lean In at s.uconn.edu/barreca.

24 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Morenus Peter by Photos MAY 2016 25 consecutive4 National 39.9average points by which National 11Championships for consecutive NCAA4 D1 Basketball titles Championships (an NCAA these Huskies won Coach Geno Auriemma for Jefferson, Stewart, and Tuck — first Women D1 Basketball first) NCAA tournament games collegians, male or female, to win four THETHE BIGBIG FOURFOUR FORFOR THETHE BIGBIG FOURFOUR Stewie, Mo, Tuck – and Geno

By Elizabeth Omara-Otunnu

The UConn women’s basketball (though that number hasn’t yet surpassed team made more than a little history the Huskies’ previous winning streak of this spring with their 82–51 win 90 games from 2008 through 2011). over Syracuse in the NCAA National Dozens of former players were Championship game. among the fans watching the game in The numbers are extraordinary:­ Indianapolis, including UConn greats one program, 11 national titles, six Sue Bird ’02 and Maya Moore ’11. In undefeated seasons; four years, addition, Shea Ralph ’01 was on the four national championships; sidelines as assistant coach; Rebecca three seniors — Breanna “Stewie” Lobo ’95 was onsite as a commentator Stewart, Morgan Tuck, and Moriah for ESPN; and Carla Berube ’97 was in “Mo” Jefferson — with four the house coaching her own team, Tufts, championships apiece. in the DIII Final Four. A few weeks later, Those same three seniors were when the 2016 Olympics Team USA selected one, two, and three in the was announced, it included five former WNBA draft — the first time any Huskies: Bird, Tina Charles ’10, Moore, single school has done that. Stewart, and Diana Taurasi ’05. ’89 (SFA) ’89 And there are other numbers From a team that once played in the Tuck, Stewie, Geno, and Mo embrace that reflect just what this program Field House with just a handful of friends during the final minutes of the is made of: Stewart’s four-in-a-row and families to cheer them on, over the past 2016 NCAA Championship game. honors as NCAA Final Four Most 30 years head coach Geno Auriemma and Stephen Slade Stephen Outstanding Player; the team’s associate head coach Chris Dailey ’99 MA current unbroken stretch of 75 wins have built the preeminent women’s 659 – 2,676 years 4and a 151 5 record 4 career assists for Moriah Jefferson, Tournament Most Outstanding points, 414 blocked shots, and 400 breaking the record set by UConn’s Player Awards for Breanna Stewart UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDUcareer assists for Breanna Stewart Diana Taurasi in 2004 MAY 2016 27 college basketball program in the country. SheSHE shootsSHOOTS... The records set this season are THETHE FOURTHFOURTH going to be hard for any team to beat — except perhaps the Huskies themselves. SENIOR This season was the sixth SENIOR undefeated season for Auriemma. Briana Pulido The last time the women came up less than victorious was on Nov. 17, 2014, in an 88–86 overtime loss at Stanford. Among the records set this season: The women’s NCAA basketball championship game against Coach Auriemma passed legendary Syracuse was filled with high points and memory makers UCLA men’s basketball coach for Husky fans. But for many, their favorite moment came with the three bigs — Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, “You can’t stumble into and Morgan Tuck — on the bench. They had just come out of the game in UConn uniforms the history books... for the last time, there were just under two minutes left You need to break to play, the team had a comfortable 82–49 lead, and the already cacophonous crowd managed to get even louder through the finish line, as they cheered the subs off the bench. not stumble across it.” One of those subs was the fourth senior, Briana “Polly” Pulido, a pre-med student who had been a walk-on for the —Geno Auriemma team since her sophomore year and became “our biggest sheSHE scores!SCORES! hype man,” as Jefferson put it. John Wooden for the most NCAA Sophomore Napheesa Collier caught the inbound pass basketball titles of all time — 11. He and tossed it to Pulido outside, just shy of three-point has never lost a championship game. territory. And suddenly the crowd was quiet. As her “What those eleven championships teammates behind her mean to me is how many great players silently willed her shot to go I’ve had the opportunity to coach,” in, Pulido did what she always “I probably jumped the Auriemma said in a press conference did in practice: drained it. following the most recent title. “How highest I’ve jumped all “To see Polly make that many great people have come through shot? That was the perfect season when she shot that the program. It doesn’t matter whose ending to the game,” said name is above, or whose name I’m shot. We were so excited for Stewart. under. As long as I have those players For her part, Pulido called her, and to end the game the in my memory, I’m good.” it the highlight of her year. Reflecting on the past four years way she did. It was great!” And she says she wasn’t at the same press conference Stewart surprised at her teammates’ said, “If we were to come to any other —Moriah Jefferson exuberant reaction. school as a group, we wouldn’t have “I guess they’ve seen how hard I’ve worked these done what we did here. And that’s three years and the things I’ve done throughout and the crediting a lot to Coach, to the (SFA) ’89 transformation I’ve made. They’re happy for me and I’m other coaches, to the other players going off as a senior and they know that, too,” said Pulido. we’re playing with. He pushed us to While the others go off to the WNBA, Pulido will begin levels that we didn’t know we could

the grueling process of applying to medical school. Slade Stephen even reach or play at. And once we “Somewhere warm,” says the Florida native, who admits bought into that, it was a great she just can’t get used to New England weather. journey to be on.” She also admits that playing on the best basketball team in the country while on the rigorous path to medical school Her teammates and coaches react as former  Find out how Pulido ended up on has not been easy, but she says she never entertained walk-on Briana “Polly” Pulido makes the this team after coming to UConn on a thoughts of quitting. championship game-ending shot. track and field scholarship, how it felt when “To a lot of athletes, ‘student athlete’ can sometimes she blocked a Stewie shot, and more at mean athlete first. In my case it always means student s.uconn.edu/pulido. first.” —LISA STIEPOCK

28 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 29 AMONG ANGELS Stormy Chamberlain is a new breed of scientist unafraid to let her research subjects have names and faces —– and families.

Joey Moretti loves to open doors. And this one gives way to the Cell and Genome Sciences Building, a glassy hive By Katharine Whittemore of labs and offices in the UConn Health corridor in Farming- ton, Conn. It’s the last day of March. The wind blows helixes Photos by Peter Morenus of leaves into the sky. Joey, who is 4, is here because Stormy Chamberlain invited him, along with a dozen other children and their families, to tour the works. And so begins three hours of cheerful pandemonium. Some kids tool around touching everything, their parents exerting mild but practiced vigilance. Others lean from their strollers. As Chamberlain bumps the group erratically forward, her blonde ponytail lifting as she kicks up speed, she points out various sights: centrifuges, pipettes, microscopes, trays of cell cultures. She and her four graduate student assistants also answer these parents’ informed questions. Words cut through the commotion: neuron, deletion, imprinting, RNA. Chamberlain is an assistant professor of genetics and genome sciences. And, it’s fair to say, she’s a big deal: The day before this tour, she was named one of the “nine best female scientists you should know” by the website Fiat Physica. She’s a graduate of Princeton. She’s worked at some of the top genet- ics labs in the country. She’s won prestigious awards for both her teaching and her research. But this 40-year-old mother of two hardly stands on ceremony. Indeed, she had to scare up a white lab coat for the occasion, and when asked if she has any hobbies, she jokes they are (1) “running, then drinking beer” and (2) “yelling at my kids — and I’m getting better at it.” There’s another reason Chamberlain is at home with today’s tumult: she comes from a big ranching family in Wyoming, and has been on plenty of cattle drives. So she’s perfectly fine when Joey, smiling broadly, adores doors. Click, thwack, go the metal lab doors. Bang, bang, BANG, goes the janitor’s closet. “Open- ing and closing doors, that’s a big accomplishment for Joey,” explains his dad, Joe, who oversees his son’s labors while also corralling two-year-old Luca, Joey’s little brother. Joe Moretti is VP of operations at The Edge Fitness Club, but these last few years he’s become something of an amateur geneticist. As the doors whoosh and clang, he strains to hear Chamberlain describe her team’s latest research. It concerns Angelman syndrome, the chromosomal abnormality Joey and all these kids share. Harry Angelman was a British pediatrician who, in 1965, noticed that three similarly disabled children were admitted STORMY CHAMBERLAIN AND to his ward at the same time, “purely by chance,” as he wrote JOEY MORETTI IN THE LAB decades later. Each had a jerky gait, a large mouth and

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 31 widely spaced teeth, almost no speech, and excessive laughter. about this, and was systematically, even hostilely, marginalized Angelman wrote a paper on the children, which fell into ob- from the research practiced on the cells of their loved one. “I need scurity until the 1980s, when the disability began to be studied Times are different now. But Lacks’ story is one reason there in earnest. Since then, scientists have learned that Angelman remains tension, even distrust, between the world of research this human syndrome is a rare neurogenetic condition that occurs in 1 in and the researched. If the days of the worst transgressions are 15,000 live births. It results from a problem with a single gene over, the era of eugenics and uninformed consent, there’s still a called UBE3A that lies on the 15th chromosome inherited from clinical depersonalization, a dearth of interchange. Today, most connection,” the mother. research subjects are a number, not a face. And those subjects Angelman syndrome causes severe cognitive delays, seizures, rarely actually know the researchers — much less are Facebook Chamberlain and impaired bodily coordination. Most of the children visiting friends with them, like today’s guests and Chamberlain. Or have today walk with a hitch. Some can’t walk without assistance. attended ad hoc Genetics 101 classes like the ones Chamberlain Most speak fewer than 50 words. None is likely to ever live is giving here. Or strode beside each other at walkathons for the admits. “As independently. Angelman Syndrome Foundation. But this chromosomal malfunction, for reasons yet unknown, Clearly, the research is personal for Chamberlain. “I need scientists, also produces a surprisingly sunny disposition. Angelman kids this human connection,” she admits. “As scientists, we’re trained — often, understandably, called “angels”— smile and laugh a to be really focused on the science and to prize that ahead of we’re trained great deal. The Scottish poet Richard Price has a daughter with everything else. But I don’t think so. I think that the goal is to Angelman syndrome, and in his poem “Hand Held” he writes, use our talents for good. What is my intrinsic motivation? It’s to “We are champions of grin.” ultimately help these families that I’ve gotten to know.” to be really Or as Joey’s mother Tai puts it, “Joey makes you feel you have Leah Boice, who’s here today with her 9-year-old daughter to be happy — because he is.” Emily, has spearheaded those ASF walkathons locally. As Emily focused on the That’s the unexpected thing, maybe — that happiness is the pulls her close, Boice gets up to thank Chamberlain for all she presiding emotion at the lab today. This doesn’t discount the does: “My friends involved in other causes are jealous of us exhaustion the families feel over the challenges of raising dis- because our researcher comes to our walks.” This gets a laugh. science...but... abled children. Nor the frustration the researchers feel, even if Then Chamberlain adds her own thanks to all the families for they’re getting closer to understanding what causes Angelman their inspiration and support, giving a special nod to the Morettis’ I think that the — and how gene therapies may reduce its effects in the coming charity, the Fighting Angels Foundation, which recently awarded decade. It’s just that the kids are so endearing. And the parents her research team a grant. She knows that funding for rare are so tolerant. diseases is limited, and that staying close to the Angelman goal is to use “These lab tours are such a great chance to connect with the community can only help their cause and hers. other families and meet the researchers,” says Bob Dell. “This “Stormy totally hears us,” says Jim Kubicza, a big, friendly man our talents really fosters team-building and a sense of community.” Dell who’s visiting with his son Cole; along with mom Jenn and broth- manages to eke out these full sentences while his son, 9-year- er Lincoln, they’ve dubbed their road race team, in which Jim old Gabriel, enfolds him like an octopus. “He likes to use my pushes Cole in a stroller, “Team Cole Slaw.” Cole’s 6, and today for good.” ears as handles,” Dell says, smiling. Over in the lunchroom, presents a vision in red (his shirt), white (his fair hair), and blue Katie DeLucia, age 13, in a blue flowered dress, is half teaching (his sky-colored, past-its-prime nail polish). “She comes to all the recently viral “Whip Nae Nae” song to graduate student the events, and has a special connection with us,” adds Kubicza. Judy Bloom. Twirling, stumbling, giggling ensues. “Everyone in the Angelman community knows who Stormy is.” CHAMBERLAIN WITH In between these dance sessions, Bloom presents her own LIBBY GREGORY area of research to the families. It focuses on how Angelman BREAKING THROUGH neurons “talk” to each other. Picture a neuron as sort of a To be clear, Chamberlain is not drawing a battery of blood, skin, mushroom with nubs on it, she says. There are fewer nubs on or other cell samples from these families, so their situation is the Angelman neurons than on typical neurons. “My hypothesis not exactly analogous to the Lacks family’s. They hear — and ask is that those fewer nubs cause problems with communication,” — more about the research than clinically participate in it. Cham- game-changing technology. Hsiao has discovered a boundary element (he calls it a “stop she explains. So she’s creating mathematical models to figure berlain’s UConn team doesn’t need many samples from them “With CRISPR capability, we can find the specific neuronal sign”) that’s somehow been deactivated. If we could reinstall the out how, and how much, the neurons signal each other. because they have devised a way to grow their own “induced plu- dysfunction,” says Chamberlain. stop sign, maybe the antisense train would stop before it derails Down the hall, Chamberlain helps Joey climb onto her lab ripotent stem (iPS) cells.” Chamberlain made the first iPS cells in The most exciting work with these cell lines comes courtesy the UBE3A train. He’s found that the antisense is only made in swivel chair so he can make the world spin. Connecticut using Angelman syndrome fibroblasts, which reside of Chamberlain’s senior Ph.D. student, Jack Hsiao. Cole makes a neurons, so he deleted the stop sign in human iPS cells to find out in connective tissue that produces collagen and other fibers. beeline for Hsiao today, insisting on holding his hand and then how it works. BUCKING TRADITION These cells were derived from a family in Canada that has the swinging it with abandon. The Taiwanese-born scientist, whom “It’s just a novel regulatory element in the human genome,” If you know the remarkable and devastating story behind UBE3A mutation — of the four known pathways of Angelman, it’s Chamberlain admiringly calls “an expert question-asker,” is says Chamberlain. “And that’s super interesting.” the 2010 best-seller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by the only hereditary one. (See “Four Genetic Pathways for Angel- probing something called the “antisense transcript.” It’s a single Rebecca Skloot, you know that the Lacks family never man Syndrome” on page 37.) strand of RNA that silences the father’s UBE3A gene. In Angel- EASTWARD HO experienced a lab tour anything like this. Lacks was a poor “What we’re doing is we’ve taken an Angelman cell line and man syndrome, the mother’s gene is missing UBE3A, but the If you were wondering, Stormy is Chamberlain’s real name, not a African-American woman who had cervical cancer. Just before we’ve genetically corrected it,” Chamberlain explains. father has a spare. With this silencing, though, that spare is taken nickname. “It was a seventies thing,” she says with a laugh, add- her death in 1951, she became an unwitting source of cells. To do this, they use the CRISPR technique, a crisp acronym out of play, too. The father’s copy of UBE3A has been silenced by ing that she has cousins named Rainy, Reno, and Rebel. The name Those “HeLa” cells were cultured by clinicians, found to thrive, for a mouthful of a title: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short the antisense transcript. Hsiao helpfully conjures the metaphor also trended from the 1968 radio hit “Stormy,” by the Florida soft and became the first immortal cell line for medical research. Palindromic Repeat. CRISPR is actually a normally occurring of a train track here: Think of the antisense as one train on a rock band The Classics IV. Born in 1975, she’s the oldest of five, They were crucial to developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene bacterial process. Bacteria may incorporate foreign DNA and track. The father’s UBE3A is another train. They are barreling the daughter of cattle ranchers who have a 2,000-acre spread just mapping, and more, and are still used in labs all over the world. even, Pac-Man-style, scavenge damaged DNA from their envi- toward each other. For some reason, the antisense always wins, outside Casper, Wyo. But, as Skloot reveals, the Lacks family was not informed ronment. In other words, it’s a genetic pair of scissors — and a and bumps the UBE3A train off the track. “Ranchers have kids so that they have help, but I think my

32 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 33 “Joey makes you feel you have to be happy — because he is.” MOM TAI WATCHES AS CHAMBERLAIN LETS JOEY UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU TRY ON LAB GLOVESMAY 2016 FOUR GENETIC “Sometime last year, I decided that I would be totally happy with my career PATHWAYS FOR ANGELMAN if I could say that I contributed to one therapy for Angelman syndrome.” SYNDROME

Right now, we know of four genetic causes for Angelman parents also like me,” she jokes. But the work was no joke. “I’d When Chamberlain decided to complete her postdoctoral syndrome that can be established get up at 4:30 a.m. and go out and milk a couple of cows by hand,” fellowship at UConn, she says, the stars aligned, because by genetic testing. They explain Chamberlain recalls. “At night, we loaded the feed trucks, and here she found Marc Lalande, professor and chairman of the about 85 percent of Angelman did chores from five o’clock to eight o’clock, so I didn’t start my Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at the School of cases, which means some 15 per- homework until late. I know I will never again work as hard as Medicine, who had a longstanding interest in Angelman and cent of Angelman cases are due to unknown causes. Of the known I did growing up in Wyoming. So now, when I have a grant due, Prader-Willi. causes, three — deletion, imprint- and I feel really stressed that there’s a ton to do, I’m like, ‘This is Looking back on how she got here from here, there, and every- ing, and UPD — are spontaneous nothing.’” where, Chamberlain turns to her faith: “I think God made me a mutations, and are not hereditary. Chamberlain notes that many scientists were raised on farms scientist and gave me the curiosity and the talents to do this, and or ranches. She thinks a natural curiosity springs from living off he has always provided the next opportunity to move forward in (1) DELETION: The UBE3A the land and tending farm animals, which morphs into scientif- the field.” And the big picture? gene is deleted on the person’s ic inquiry. There’s also a can-do attitude and a make-do knack “Sometime last year, I decided that I would be totally happy maternal chromosome 15. This is the most common cause for with my career if I could say that I contributed to one therapy for technology. “My first inclination is to fix things when they Angelman. How many affected? break,” she says. In childhood, she drove a tractor to cut hay, and for Angelman syndrome.” 70 percent. A child on today’s if the cutters on the swaths busted, she’d repair them in the field, visit: Joey Moretti. armed with wrenches and bolts. These days, she’ll get right in WRAPPING UP there and fix errant centrifuges in the Farmington facility. Although the research is her prime priority, team motivation is (2) UBE3A MUTATION: This In 7th grade, a teacher recognized her smarts and work ethic the close second. Her motivational techniques involve fun (she takes place due to a mistake in the genetic code of the UBE3A and suggested she go to a summer science camp at Iowa State. and Hsiao have a standing my-hypothesis-is-better-than-yours gene on the maternal side. This One summer in high school, she studied mouse genetics at the bet, with the winner getting an order of chicken wings). “In mistake can occur anywhere Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor, Maine. And then, college. science, there’s so much failure,” says Hsiao. “And it really helps on the gene, yet two particular “It was a huge culture shock to go from a ranch in Wyoming to to balance it with fun.” She’s also intentional about connecting regions (called Exon 9 and Exon Princeton,” she reflects. Chamberlain is a political conservative personally to her team, whose members are quick to tell me how 16) are more prone to mutations. and a Baptist (“but the live-and-let-live Wyoming type,” she much they appreciate that. “She has exceptional people skills,” The UBE3A mutation is heredi- tary and can account for multiple stresses). “There were kids there who came from highly privi- says student Carissa Sirois. The others share a significant look, Angelman births in one family. leged backgrounds. It just didn’t make any sense to me, and I and then all chime in at once: “Not many scientists are like that.” How many affected? 5–10 percent. had a hard time adjusting.” “The interaction with the families makes me so motivated,” Children on today’s visit: Libby On the positive side, she had the chance to study with Shirley adds Bloom. “It makes even the crappiest day in the lab worth it and Tyler Gregory. Tilghman, a renowned molecular biologist who later became the because, hey, I got to dance with Katie.” Darcy Ahern agrees: “It president of the university. Chamberlain became enthralled by makes my work feel much more important. Sometimes it’s like, (3) IMPRINTING: This happens Tilghman’s area of expertise, genomic imprinting, exploring how ‘these are just cells in a dish.’ But I won’t forget these faces.” when the mother’s chromosome 15 acts like the father’s chromo- As the tour winds down, the parents absently wipe those some genes are expressed only from the mother’s or father’s copy some 15, and is thereby silenced. of chromosomes, rather than both. She graduated in 1997 with lovely faces (Angelman kids are known to drool). Those faces How many affected? 3–5 percent. a BA in molecular biology and then did her graduate studies at that also carry a lot of energy and expression; the angels are A child on today’s visit: Katie the University of Florida College of Medicine. That’s where she pretty much all extroverts by nature and love the attention of DeLucia. worked with Camilynn Brannan, a professor of molecular fresh acquaintances. So energy, yes, but cacophony, no. You hear genetics and microbiology and another of Tilghman’s protégés. an occasional “Mama” but mostly, the young visitors gesture (4) UNIPARENTAL DISOMY (UPD): Two (di) copies of Her Gainesville stint imprinted itself on Chamberlain, judging rather than vocalize, or press the screen icons on their PODD chromosome 15 come from from the orange-and-blue Gator signs and coffee mugs in her (Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display) devices. Joey pushes one (uni) parent (in this case, Farmington office. And during those years — she’d get her Ph.D. the icon for “microwave,” for instance, and Tai laughs, guessing the father), rather than one in Medical Science-Genetics in 2003 — her biggest project it’s the closest symbol for what he really wants, the lab’s vending chromosome from each parent. involved studying mice with Prader-Willi syndrome, which machine, which (bonus) features a glass door. Because the maternal egg has is a disorder closely related to Angelman. In Angelman, the No one seems to want to leave. They can’t get enough of no chromosome 15, and thus no crucial maternal UBE3A gene, the affected genes are on the maternal copy of chromosome 15; in hearing about the research, but they’re realists. “I’m not wishful sperm will often duplicate its own Prader-Willi, it’s the paternal copy. One of the most galvanizing that Cole will become one hundred percent typical,” says Jim chromosome 15 so the baby will findings from her University of Florida research concerned how Kubicza. “It would help if he could walk unassisted, sure. But if have the right number (two) the antisense transcript negates the father’s UBE3A gene in gene therapies can’t help him in his lifetime, I’m good with help- of chromosomes. How many Prader-Willi — a relevant background for her current research ing the next generation.” Stormy riffs on what the future may affected? 2–3 percent. A child at UConn. bring. How she hopes newborn screening protocols will include on today’s visit: None. She next headed to the big mouse-genetics labs at the Universi- testing for Angelman syndrome. How the research they do at ty of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for postdoctoral work. It was at UConn might be applied to other chromosomal conditions. How UNC that she met her future husband, Scott Oloff. Scott ended up a clinical drug trial is a real possibility in the next 10 years. in a series of jobs in New England, which is what eventually landed A little way off, Joey admires his reflection in the glass door by Stormy at UConn. The couple now has two children, Marshall, 3, the vending machine. Then he opens it, shuts it, opens it, shuts TOP: KATIE DELUCIA and Josey, 5 (“She’s my nod to Clint Eastwood,” cracks Chamberlain, it. Stormy stays with her families and, taking his cue, talks about BOTTOM: TYLER GREGORY meaning the classic Western “The Outlaw Josey Wales”). all the doors she hopes to open. WITH MOM JOANNA

36 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT

REALLY CRYING BY KENNETH BEST

Making it to the next management level may have a lot more to do with your EQ (emotional intelligence) than your IQ. “Young managers with the ability to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions and the emotions of others handle challenges better,” says Dong. dentifying young managers with the potential to steadily acquire the skills “If you are developing someone and you needed to take on new and increasingly greater job responsibilities is one of the think they are promising, you want to keys to success in every organization. But the path to acquiring such develop- develop their emotional intelligence.” mental job experience is paved with challenges that must be faced and overcome. A Among the challenges faced by new new study indicates that whether a young manager is likely to succeed or fail at those managers are unfamiliar responsibilities, challenges is determined less by their intelligence, knowledge, or schooling than by the implementing change, higher levels of risk strength of their emotional intelligence or EQ — the ability to manage one’s own emo- attached to new responsibilities, working tions as well as read those of others. across supervisory lines with little author- Taking on new responsibilities that require on-the-job learning can push young ity, and leading people across different managers out of their comfort zones, which is when an individual’s EQ comes into play, cultural, racial, gender, or functional says Yuntao Dong, assistant professor of management in the School of Business. The backgrounds. question becomes whether the manager will find positive ways to meet challenges or fall “We think training will be helpful, par- into a negative mindset and a fear of failure. ticularly for their emotional preparation,” Dong, aided by University of Maryland management professors Myeong-Gu Seo and says Dong. “Even with training, they still Kathryn M. Bartol, studied 214 early-career managers enrolled in a can get overwhelmed because they part-time MBA program. They found that those with high emotional are getting more challenges.” intelligence were better able to cope with the struggles and challenges This dynamic plays out in other of new responsibilities, while the same struggles and challenges put Find more on arenas and in group situations, management those who demonstrated lower EQs at higher risk for leaving their too. Dong says she often sees mobility at jobs. Dong recommends that organizations gradually increase the level s.uconn.edu/ examples of varied emotional of new challenges for young managers and also provide more support succeed. intelligence in her students when for them as they encounter difficulty in working through their new they are assigned to work in small responsibilities. groups of four or five. “If they want to maintain their high potential employees, companies “I’ve seen groups that can’t need to have a flexible culture to allow them to make mistakes and give them opportu- work together on the simplest tasks,” nities to make up for their mistakes,” says Dong, who teaches classes in Managerial and she says. “They have little experience Interpersonal Behavior at UConn’s Storrs campus. solving problems. I have to teach them She cites one young manager studied, who was given the responsibility for several that avoiding conflict is never a good way elements of a major marketing campaign that required much travel and coordination of to deal with conflict. You have to face it, the project’s logistics. The manager became frustrated by the amount of detail involved, talk about it, and solve it. I also tell my said he felt underappreciated by supervisors, and subsequently left the company. students they have control over what will Another manager studied was assigned to lead a task force team in a government happen. You are the person who appraises agency with the goal of eliminating operational redundancy and increasing efficiency. the situation. When you are given autono- After some initial concerns about the scope of the assignment, this manager asked my you have to be able to deal with it and colleagues for advice and negotiated a change in some other responsibilities with her the challenges associated with that leader- supervisor that allowed her to successfully complete the project. She was promoted to a ship — and always look for the unexpected new position as a program director. outcome and be prepared for it.”

ILLUSTRATIONUCONN MAGAZINE BY CHRIS PIASCIK | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 39 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

➼ CLASS NOTES John Surowiecki ’67, Yankee Conference, won the of Umber trilogy, which was MA ’78 (CLAS) has won District 1 New England title, nominated for six regional the Encircle Publications and finished fourth at the book awards and translated (Farmington, Maine) College World Series. into multiple languages. 1950s Chapbook Contest for ➼ Michael Maslin ’76 As a UConn student, he Missing Persons, his 11th (SFA) published a biography, wrote a cartoon strip called book of poems. He has won Peter Arno: The Mad Mad “Bedlam Hall” for The Daily ➼ A photo of Lois Greene a number of poetry prizes World of The New Yorker’s Campus. He and his wife, Stone ’55 (CLAS) in over the years, including the Greatest Cartoonist, in April Lisa Stenza Catanese ’83 the Smithsonian National Poetry Foundation Pegasus 2015. ➼ Patricia Giordano (CLAS), live in Columbia, Museum of American History Award, the Pablo Neruda Horstman ’77 (CLAS) is Conn. ➼ Barbara Solomon has been selected to represent Prize, the Washington Prize, the owner of the Frederick Josselsohn ’83 MA teenage culture in the U.S. the White Pine Prize, and Inn Bed and Breakfast in released her first novel, The from the 1940s and ’50s. In the Sunken Garden National Buckeystown, Md., which Last Dreamer, in December the photo, which can be found Competition. His work has opened in August 2015. 2015. ➼ Thomas Parrino at http://amhistory.si.edu/ appeared in Alaska Quarterly ➼ Lynn Skene Johnson ’83 (CLAS), co-founder american-enterprise/teen- Review, Carolina Review, ’79 (ED), who is director and principal of Nusbaum & rooms, Stone, then a teenager, Mississippi Review, Poetry, of the Connecticut Birth Parrino, a Westport, Conn., is wearing a felt skirt with Prairie Schooner, Southern to Three System (early family law firm, has been horse appliques that her Review, West Branch, and childhood intervention), selected as a Connecticut Top father had commissioned to other journals. ➼ Len has received her Doctor of 50 Super Lawyer. This marks be designed and made for her, Yannielli ’67 (CLAS) has Education in Educational the third year that Parrino, of and a silk blouse she made. published his fourth book, Leadership from the New Canaan, has earned this The snapshot was taken at Hurry Down Gunntown. His University of Hartford. designation. ➼ Robert J. UConn in her dorm room, third book, Moon Shadow B. Lenhardt ’84 (CLAS) although the Smithsonian of War, incorporates some was elected to the board of superimposed the picture in of his time at UConn when directors of Houlihan Lokey, 80s a typical room of that time he lived in the Towers 19 a worldwide investment bank, period. Stone is a writer and during the Vietnam War. upon its IPO on the New York poet and has been syndicated ➼ Arno Zimmer ’68 Stock Exchange in August worldwide. Collections of (CLAS) reports that his ➼ Andy Young ’80 2015. In November 2014, he her personal items, photos, novel The Parlor City Boys (CLAS) reports that Young was named deputy general and memorabilia are in is now available as an ebook Ideas, his collection of essays counsel of its affiliate, ORIX major museums, including at amazon.com. ➼ David that have appeared in Maine USA. Active in pro bono work, 12 different divisions of the D. Perry ’69 (CLAS) has newspapers, has just gone he was also elected secretary

Stephen Slade ’89 (SFA) Slade ’89 Stephen Smithsonian. She is married retired as a public high school into its fifth printing. Young is general of the World Boxing to Gerald E. Stone, and they principal and professor at a high school literacy teacher Council in 2014. ➼ Capt. have 15 grandchildren and the University of New Haven in Kennebunk, Maine, and Angela M. Martinelli UConn Nation Represents in Indy! three great-grandchildren. and is now an author. Perry, the father of a 9th, a 7th, and a ’85 MSN recently retired ➼ Francis “Tony” A. who lives in Florida with his 4th grader. Anyone interested from 30 years of service Manning ’59 (CLAS) wife, Carmen, has written in obtaining a copy of the (active and reserve) in the UConn Nation came out in full blue force to watch the women’s basketball team make history in has retired from political Bluff, Bluster, Lies and Spies: book can contact him directly U.S. Air Force, Army, and Indianapolis this spring. The stands were full of cheering students and alumni, including these for- cartooning for the The Lincoln Foreign Policy at [email protected]. Public Health Service. She is Want to test your mer players who posed in front of the team and coaches for fans and photographers after the game. Southington News and The 1861–1865. ➼ currently a clinical professor knowledge of former Jane Dewey ’81 (SFA) Record Journal after 50 years. was recently named 2015 at Sacred Heart University Fourth (back) row, left to right: Katie Lou Samuelson ’19; Chris Dailey ’99 MA (associate head players? Instead of looking He created cartoons of the Arts Citizen of the Year by the in the College of Nursing in coach); Gabby Williams ’18; Jasmine Lister (graduate assistant); Breanna Stewart ’16; Moriah at the caption at left, you football team for the campus Danville-Boyle County Arts Fairfield, Conn. ➼ Allen Jefferson ’16; Geno Auriemma (head coach); Morgan Tuck ’16; Kia Nurse ’18; Saniya Chong ’17; can select a player and, on 70s newspaper while at UConn. 19 Commission. She has been Tierney Lawlor ’17; Courtney Ekmark ’18; Briana Pulido ’16; Natalie Butler RS ’18; Napheesa your computer or tablet, Gary Palmer ’85 (CLAS) He was a vice principal the director of Arts Education and Andrew Schaffer Collier ’19; Marisa Moseley (assistant coach); Shea Ralph ’01 (assistant coach). click to reveal names and history teacher in the for the Danville Independent ’88 (CLAS) were included Third row, left to right: Kalana Greene ’10; Kaili McLaren ’10; Paige Sauer ’92; Peggy (Walsh) and graduation years at Plainville, Conn., public ➼ School District since 2000 in the 2015 Super Lawyers s.uconn.edu/photoquiz. James Szerejko ’70 Myers ’86; Svetlana Abrosimova ’01; Cassie Kerns ’09; Stacey (Wetzel) Bayley ’92; Debbie schools. (CLAS) has been named and currently serves as the List, a nationally accredited (Baer) Fiske ’92; Nicole Wolff ’06; Ashley (Valley) Woodward ’05; Maya Moore ’11; Stefanie to the 2015 Super Lawyers facilitator for the Kentucky rating service of lawyers who Dolson ’14; Tina Charles ’10. List, a nationally accredited Coalition for Arts Educators. have attained a high degree Second row, left to right: Jennifer Rizzotti ’96; Colleen Healy ’94; Brenda (Marquis) rating service of lawyers who She lives in Danville, Ky., with of peer recognition and Wilson ’98 (played until 1996); Asjha Jones ’02; Maria (Conlon) Rinaldi ’04; Audrey (Epstein) 1960s have attained a high degree her husband and two sons. professional achievement. Polinsky ’86; Pam (Rothfuss) Switzer ’92; Meghan (Pattyson) Culmo ’92; Mel Thomas ’08; of peer recognition and ➼ Paul W. Catanese ’83 ➼ Peter LaPorta ’86 Renee Montgomery ’09; Ann (Strother) Abromaitis ’06. professional achievement. (CLAS) has published a new (CLAS) published a sixth ➼ Front row, sitting and kneeling left to right: Sue Bird ’02; Diane Poletti-Metzel ’86; Caroline ➼ Wilma Bor Davidson Charlie Horan ’73 novel, Donny’s Inferno, the book, Normandy Nights, a announces was recently named story of a 12-year-old boy historical romance based Doty ’13; Kelley (Hunt) Gay ’98; Heather (Buck) Bennett ’13. ’65 (CLAS) (CLAS) that St. Martin’s Press has to the Worcester Athletic who must prevent the new, on a true story that takes **At game but not pictured were Rebecca Lobo ’95 (on set with ESPN); Carla Berube ’97 (with published the third edition Hall of Fame in Worcester, kinder, gentler underworld place during the invasion of her DIII team, Tufts, coaching in the Final Four); Willnett Crockett ’06 (on the coaching staff at of Business Writing: What Mass. Horan was a three-year from returning to its previous Normandy. He is president of Temple); Jamelle Elliott ’96 (head coach at Cincinnati women’s basketball); and Morgan Valley Works, What Won’t, a book starter on the UConn baseball terrifying incarnation. He LaPorta Enterprises, a global ’04 (with her Washington team that played in the Final Four). that offers wit and wisdom team and was a tri-captain has written eight other consulting firm. about writing quickly and of the ’73 team. The 1972 novels for middle school ➼ Dr. Allen R. Jones Jr. well in the workplace. team went undefeated in the readers, including The Books ’87 (CLAS), owner of

40 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 41 JOB ENVY

As founder and director of the Dolphin Communication Project, Kathleen Dudzinski ’89 (CLAS) has a job description that includes swimming with dolphins to record and study the tactile, behav- ioral, and acoustic signals they use to communicate as individuals within groups. Could this get any better? Well, yes. Her research time collecting data is spent chiefly among three destinations: the Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS) in Honduras; Dolphin Encounters at Blue Lagoon Island in Nassau, the Bahamas; and at Zoo Duisburg in Duisburg, Germany. Dudzinski is shown here recording spotted dolphins in the Bahamas.

To learn more about the Dolphin Communication Project and Dudzinski’s work, visit s.uconn.edu/dolphins. John Anderson

UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

Dominion Physical Therapy ’88 MPA has been promoted advisor and counsel to the was recently promoted to first novel, Bait and Switch, ➼ Matthew Necci ’03 publications, pro bono work, & Associates and Dominion to executive human resources New York City Mayor’s Office vice president of sales for was published in December and and peer recognition. 2000s (CLAS) Brian E. Tims Pediatric Therapy, has been business partner at GE of Pensions and Investments. North America at Trilliant 2015 by Touchpoint Press. ’05 (BUS), ’08 JD were ➼ Christophe Pane elected vice president of the Power–Gas Power Systems in ➼ Andy Heidel ’91 Networks. ➼ Jim Jinks She describes the novel as a selected as Rising Stars on ’05 (BUS) has joined the Virginia Board of Physical Windsor, Conn. ➼ Joseph (CLAS) reports that after a ’94 (CLAS) was named blend of humor and suspense the 2015 Super Lawyers List, strategy practice of KPMG Therapy. He also received Dec ’88 (CLAS), ’04 10-year career in publishing vice president of business against the backdrop of a ➼ Kristy (Rebello) a nationally accredited rating as a director in its New York the Distinguished Public MBA has accepted a position as a publicist, he started development at Mediabids, a World War II New York Murray ’00 (CLAS) was service of lawyers who have office. He helps corporations Service Award from the as corporate controller at his own business. The Way direct-response advertising City rife with Nazi Fifth married on Oct. 4, 2014, to attained a high degree of peer and private equity firms with Virginia State University Voalte Inc., a health care Station bar and music venue, company. In 2015, he was Columnists. ➼ Lynne Christopher Murray. They recognition and professional issues related to corporate Alumni Association, communications company in Prospect Heights, N.Y., is in appointed to the Cheshire Bourassa ’96 (CLAS) are proud to announce the achievement. ➼ Melanie strategy and due diligence. Peninsula Chapter. ➼ Dr. headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. its fifth year of operation. (Conn.) Planning and Zoning married Anthony Bittues on birth of their daughter, Dykas ’04 (CLAS), ’10 ➼ Devon (Martin) Tiani Peter Oettgen ’87 MED ➼ Scott D. Camassar ’92 Commission, and will Halloween 2015. The couple Isabella Juliet, in Nov. 2015. JD has been chosen as a ’07 (ED) and Timothy was recently named EBSCO (CLAS) was made partner complete a master’s degree currently resides in Picayune, ➼ Theresa Cramer ’03 member of the Connecticut Tiani ’07 (BUS) are proud Health DynaMed editor in 1990s of the law firm now known as in public policy from Trinity Miss. ➼ Julienne Carey (CLAS), editor of EContent Law Tribune’s New Leaders to announce the birth of a chief. DynaMed is a reference Stephen M. Reck & Scott D. College in May 2016. He ’98 (CLAS) was recently magazine, has published a in the Law, an honor that baby girl, Taylor Elizabeth. tool that provides health Camassar LLC, a personal- lives with his wife and four named director of marketing new book, Inside Content recognizes her qualities as She was born in May 2015. care providers with the latest ➼ Philip L. Dukes ’91 injury firm based in North children in Cheshire, Conn. for Michelle&Company at Marketing, about how to a forerunner in the areas ➼ Matthew Allen ’08 information from medical (CLAS), ’99 MBA was Stonington, Conn. ➼ Sharon Healy-Yang William Raveis Real Estate in create meaningful content of firm leadership, bar (CLAS) received a master of experts. ➼ Anne Alzapiedi recently named senior policy ➼ Tim Crader ’94 (BUS) ’95 Ph.D. reports that her Westport, Conn. marketing strategies. association efforts, casework, arts in geography from the

42 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 43 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

State University of New York ➼ Mike Berka ’08 wedding officiant and at Buffalo and has accepted a (CLAS) was promoted cousin of the groom; Dr. Jay 2010s position as an urban planner to director of sales for the Sher ’72 (CLAS), uncle of for the town of Groton, Conn. West Coast for Invoke the bride; and many friends ➼ Rebecca Auger ’08 Solutions’ entertainment from UConn. ➼ Kelly (CLAS), of Hampstead N.H., research business unit. He Pielech ’08 (CLAS) and ➼ Richard Kremer ’10 and Robert Ryan McHardy has been with the company Sean Lawler ’08 (CLAS) (CAHNR) was named ’09 (CLAS), of Bentonville, for four years, having were married June 21, 2015 assistant superintendent Ark., were married on June started as project manager in Topsfield, Mass.Kristijan at the Hop Meadow Country 27, 2015, at St. Christopher’s at the company’s Boston Begic ’08 (CLAS) was Club in Simsbury, Conn. Church in Chatham, Mass. headquarters. the best man and several ➼ Jordan Bennett ’11 Many UConn alumni ➼ Michael Bogatz ’08 UConn alumni were there (CLAS) was recently were present, including (BUS), whose last name was to celebrate. ➼ Lauren promoted to deputy press groomsmen Robert Connerty when he graduated, (Foster) Tenenhaus ’08 secretary for Muriel Bowser, Slattery ’09 (CLAS), and Sapora Turenshine (CLAS) and her husband, mayor of Washington, D.C. Ryan Krompinger ’06 ’08 (CLAS) were married Brian, welcomed a baby girl ➼ Lynsey-Lyn Genauer (CAHNR), and Benjamin on Oct. 11, 2015, in Brookfield, named Mila Grace in Sept. ’13 Pharm.D., a pharmacy Lavoie ’07 (ENG) and maid Conn. In attendance 2015. ➼ Jennifer Mathieu manager for CVS, has of honor, Natasha Nejdl were Debbie Bogatz ’09 (CLAS) and Patrick been selected for the ’11 (ED). The couple ’74 (ED), mother of Murphy ’08 (BUS) were CVS Emerging Leaders currently resides in Norwalk, the groom; Rabbi Dana married Aug. 1, 2015, in Program for pharmacy Conn. Bogatz ’84 (CAHNR), Connecticut. supervisors.

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH UCONN NATION! Your classmates want to know about — and see — the milestones in your life. Send us news about weddings, births, new jobs, new publications, and more — along with hi-res photos — to: ➼ [email protected] or via snail mail to Alumni News & Notes, UConn Foundation, Amanda Slavin with actress Rosario Dawson, 2384 Alumni Drive, Unit 3053, Storrs, CT 06269. Submissions may be edited for clarity or length. one of the Learning is Beautiful speakers at the 2015 Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas. Courtesy of CatalystCreativ Courtesy

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

THIS IS NOT YOUR MOTHER’S WAY OF TEACHING

Amanda Slavin ’08 (ED), had to call in extra security.” initiative by Tony Hsieh of “A lot of events are open ’09 MA is using her degree to Which, Slavin asserts, proves Zappos, Downtown Project bars,” says Slavin. “People go, teach, but in a most uncon- her theory that people crave invests in small businesses to mingle, and leave not really ventional way. “I want to education, and if you give it energize the city’s center. any different than when they use events to educate and to them in engaging ways, Slavin met Hsieh at a came. I wanted speakers, inspire,” says Slavin, founder they will come. conference during which she workshops, and — just like and CEO of the marketing While working toward her says he invited her to come with my thesis — ways to company CatalystCreativ. master’s in UConn’s acceler- see him in Las Vegas. “When engage people in the city or Twins Ettore and Angelo Rossetti (both’92 ED) set a new UConn Nation at the wedding of Michael Bogatz ’08 (BUS) As an example, one of her ated 5-year Neag program, I got there we started to talk environment they are in.” Guinness World Record for longest tennis volley at 30,576 hits. and Sapora Turenshine ’08 (CLAS) in Brookfield, Conn. clients is the huge Las Vegas Slavin did the usual teaching and he said, ‘I don’t really When it started with music festival Life is Beauti- stints. But it was the work on remember you.’” Hsieh, CatalystCreativ em- ful, to which Slavin and her her thesis that inspired her Nevertheless, the two kept ployed just Slavin. It now has colleagues added a Learning atypical career path. talking and ended up in a two full- and eight part-time is Beautiful complement of “I worked with classroom business partnership that employees creating marketing speakers and workshops. engagement and found that saw Slavin moving to Vegas to and brand campaigns on- Even Slavin seems amazed the most successful way to start CatalystCreativ. and offline. The team works at its success. “We had five engage students was to get It turns out that Slavin had entirely remotely from Los hundred to a thousand peo- them outside and working been percolating on a project Angeles, Atlanta, Milwaukee, ple coming to these talks — within their communities,” like this since her UConn New York, Philadelphia, and during a music festival!” she says. graduation, when she entered Las Vegas. Rosario Dawson speaking It was “that exact same a recessed job market and Working from Philly is about Voto Latino was a big thing that got me so excited zigged from her expected creative director and fellow draw, says Slavin, but the about the Downtown Project teaching path to accept a UConn alum Mike Mason real shocker was Bill Nye the in Las Vegas,” says Slavin. full-time job with the New ’10 (BUS), ’13 MS. He and Science Guy. “Two thousand The Project was Catalyst- York restaurant company Slavin met in Storrs when Capt. Matt Marcella ’08 (CLAS) shared his pride from Newly hatched members of UConn Nation, twins Owen and people were screaming, ‘We Creativ’s first client — and its she’d done party planning for they both lived at Carriage Afghanistan with a little help from Sgt. William Evola. Elliot Marie, showed their spirit this April at UConn Health. want Bill, we want Bill.’ We inspiration for being. A private during school. House. —LISA STIEPOCK

44 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Evola. Janine Gelineau; Sgt. William Michael Bogatz; courtesy left: Susan Warner; top from Clockwise MAY 2016 45 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

would sketch it or record it through UConn “was a weirdly fortunate accident variety of creative ways. photography and video. In this way, art that ended up being perfect.” In her letter of recommendation, became an alternative yet intuitive form Anne D’Alleva, now dean of the School of communication.” Mixed media of Fine Arts, said: “Many of our graduates IN MEMORIAM Entering UConn in fall 2012 as a mem- During his undergraduate years, he was go on to successful careers in a variety ber of the Honors Program, he graduated a founding member of Everybody Arts, of artistic fields and endeavors. But once Below is a list of deaths three years later magna cum laude as a a student organization dedicated to arts in a while, an extraordinary student reported to us since the last University Scholar, the University’s high- outreach on campus and at local schools; comes along who has the ability to be issue of UConn Magazine. Full est academic distinction. Along the way, served on the School of Fine Arts Stu- something more, a true leader in culture obituaries for many can be he was the recipient of both Summer dent Advisory Council; and curated his and the arts, a distinctive voice for found at s.uconn.edu/mayobits. Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) senior thesis project — a solo exhibition change — these alumni are our New Please share news of alumni Yorker cartoonists, our Twitter and deaths and obituaries with and IDEA (Imagine, Develop, Engage, titled “This Uncommon Language” — UConn Magazine by sending Apply) grants to study experimental combining sculpture, painting, poetry, Facebook design executives, our an email to alumni-news@ book formats and installation art. and installation art. Guggenheim-winning artists. It’s clear uconnalumni.com or writing to Campelli says coming to UConn was During the summers, Campelli con- already that Antonio will be part of this Alumni News & Notes, UConn the best choice he could have made, tinued a longtime tradition of joining his select group.” Foundation, 2384 Alumni although he was not aware of that when church group when they traveled to rural In his Marshall application, Campelli Drive Unit 3053, Storrs, he was choosing his college. West Virginia to rehabilitate houses and wrote, “Recently I have moved past the CT 06269. “I initially thought I’d be attending organize events for impoverished local sky above my house and I am transition- Antonio Campelli ’15 (SFA) in a drawing class art school,” he says, “because I thought I children. ing to places where the stars are entirely taught by Professor Deborah Dancy in the School needed to be among other artists all the He also worked as an assistant cata- new.” Faculty & Staff of Fine Arts. time. As it turns out, what I really needed loguer at the William Benton Museum of In his case, the sky above him will be

➼ Carroll Osborne Campelli of Antonio Courtesy was the space of a big university and the Art, painted murals for both private and over England, where he plans to attend “C.O.” Bennett chance to be with people who were doing public patrons, coached preschool gym- Goldsmiths, University of London to Jan. 9, 2016 KUDOS lots of other interesting things — English nastics, and held a number of part-time pursue an MFA. ➼ Charles Owen Woody Jr. majors and political science majors and jobs to help fund his education. Previous UConn Marshall Scholars Feb. 13, 2016 people with all sorts of ideas so I was Those who recommended Campelli to were Ethan Butler in 2012, Michelle ➼ Gaston Eduardo having lots of different conversations all the Marshall committee portray him as Prairie in 2009, and Virginia DeJohn Hernandez Diaz FINE ARTS GRAD WINS the time.” not only extremely competent academ- Anderson in 1976. —SHEILA FORAN ’83 June 13, 2015 MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIP He smiles when he says that coming to ically but delightfully accomplished in a (BGS), ’96 PH.D. Alumni Recent graduate Antonio Campelli ’15 (SFA) has been named a winner of the ➼ Aaron Anderson ’87 (CLAS) Feb. 7, 2015 prestigious Marshall Scholarship. He is one of just 32 selected from among ➼ Donald W. Linskey Sr. 916 applicants this year. ’60 (BUS) March 12, 2015 As the fourth Marshall recipient in learned about wiring a house for electric- ➼ Fred Charamut ’54 (BUS) UConn history — and the 10th finalist ity and how to shingle a roof while still Aug. 15, 2015 since the 2005–2006 academic year — a preteen, guided by his dad and friends ➼ Patricia Grace (Ingraham) Campelli joins an impressive lineup of from church. Vinsonhaler ’74 (CLAS), ’79 MFA students who have gained the attention He started picking vegetables for a Sept. 8, 2015 of the Marshall selection committee. local farmer when he was 11, took the ➼ Stanley Perkowski Jr. ’72 Of the 10, Campelli is the first to have makings of a greenhouse she offered him, (ENG) graduated from the School of Fine Arts; Dec. 17, 2015 and built his own flower propagation ➼ Robert G. Feller ’50 (ENG) the others have come from a variety of business in his backyard. He used the Dec. 23, 2015 majors in the College of Liberal Arts and money he made through this business to ➼ Paul J. Lombardi Sr. ’63 Sciences and the School of Engineering. start attending Manchester Community (CLAS) The Marshall Scholarship is Britain’s College when he was 15. Dec. 24, 2015 flagship government-funded program ➼ Paul Alan Tibbitts ’53 (CLAS) for American students who represent For the record Jan. 6, 2016 some of the finest and brightest college In his personal statement, Campelli told ➼ Linda Y. Dods ’69 Ph.D. graduates in the United States. It is the selection committee that he didn’t Jan. 7, 2016 named after former Secretary of State immediately decide to be an art major. ➼ Leon C. Kirk ’53 (ENG) George C. Marshall, and was established Jan. 9, 2016 He had not experienced any organized as a gesture of gratitude to the people art education through his high school

➼ Susan Quenk Lehr ’49 Sean Flynn (CLAS) of the United States for the assistance years, and was interested in investigating March 1, 2016 the United States provided after WWII as many subjects as possible. REMEMBER THIS? ➼ Ernest A. Moeckel ’68 (BUS) under the Marshall Plan. “Art developed as a means of recording March 23, 2016 Campelli, who grew up in Tolland, that which captivated me,” he wrote. The weather cooperated for the 33rd year of UConn’s OOzeball tradition with light rain and the temperature hitting 60 degrees. Conn., was home-schooled by his mother “If I experienced or learned something More than 300 teams competed this year, prompting University President (and participant) Susan Herbst to suggest that next in traditional academic subjects. He also remarkable, I would write about it; I year she wants to see all 30,000 students competing. Find more pics and a video at s.uconn.edu/ooze.

46 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU MAY 2016 47 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

election more bitter, nasty, and foul.

Last December in your “Best and Worst” Roll Call column you said the weirdest thing in 2015 was the Trump candidacy. Has anything else surpassed that so far this year? It’s Trump as the likely Republican nominee. We never thought he was going to run, never thought he’d want to spend months on the campaign trail. We thought this was to enhance his market appeal for the next TV show. Now he’s the Republican frontrunner drawing huge

Tom Williams/Roll Call Williams/Roll Tom crowds to rallies — that’s even stranger than the fact that he was in the race in December, FOUR QUESTIONS FOR... leading in the early polling.

One of the things you’ve Many in Washington are STU ROTHENBERG talked about many times describing this as a crazy is the partisanship in election cycle. How does it Washington and how it stack up to what you’ve seen ’77 Ph.D. has been exacerbated. Is before? that part of why we have the We’ve had crazy elections Stu Rothenberg ’77 Ph.D. race for the presidential situation we have now? over the last 35 years, but is the founding editor and nomination. Often voters That’s a part of it. I think it never anything as crazy as this. publisher of The Rothenberg flirt with quirky, unusual, plays a role in the nomina- This is a reality show that has UConn Nation Needs You & Gonzales Political Report, interesting candidates with tion process. Republicans taken over American politics. a nonpartisan newsletter personalities. But when they are so contemptuous of the The language that is being National college rankings such as U.S. News and World Report are based covering U.S. politics, and a get down to nominating a Democrats that they’re not used, I don’t even know how regular columnist for Roll candidate, they want some- looking for a candidate who to explain it. It’s so strange in part on alumni giving rates. And that doesn’t mean the number of dollars Call, Capitol Hill’s premier body who has experience, is talks about getting things done that if you made it a TV show raised, it means the number of donors. So whether you give $1 or $1,000, newspaper. He is one of the measured, thoughtful, and and compromising. They’re 10 years ago, nobody would most respected political ana- knowledgeable — someone looking for a candidate who have thought it was serious or your gift helps push UConn closer to being the Number One public university lysts in Washington, and has who I would say has the says: We have to stop com- credible. The Democrats have in the country. served as an election night dignity associated with the promising and have to roll the an avowed socialist in the race. analyst for PBS, CBS News, presidency. This time, the Democrats. You have an entertainer who and CNN. He recently talked Republicans are poised to The Democrats say it’s will be the Republican nomi- Want to know how close we are? Last year the Huskies had a 16% average with UConn Magazine about nominate somebody who all about how scary Donald nee and you had an ideologue, the 2016 presidential election doesn’t have any of the tradi- Trump and Ted Cruz are and Ted Cruz, as Trump’s alterna- alumni giving rate, and only five schools on the Top 20 public universities list campaign. tional qualities. how they’re going to destroy tive. The GOP establishment topped us: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Michigan Ann What you’re seeing in the women’s rights and put people had no serious alternative at Arbor, University of Virginia, College of William and Mary, and Georgia Tech. In the past, Republicans Democratic Party is the exact out on the streets. Each side the end of the race. It’s just nominated the next person same development, but it is demonizing the other side totally different than anything in line and Democrats were hasn’t reached the level of constantly, and so it polarizes we’ve ever seen. A gift before June 30, 2016, will affect the 2017 rankings. more flexible. It seems where the Republicans are, the voters. I can only assume in 2020 they’re reversing that in part because we’ve had a For the Republicans, the or 2024, the Democrats will Visit s.uconn.edu/countmein or call 800.269.9965 for more information—­ history. Democratic president for the idea of another Clinton and be nominating Kanye West and get #UConnNation to the top spot! Long ago, I threw out the rule past eight years. But you can four more years of essentially and the Republicans will be book of all the things that I see the Democrats looking a third Obama term is driving nominating Curt Schilling. had learned both in graduate more at an outsider than in them crazy. For Democrats, —KENNETH BEST school and in life over the last the past. You don’t get much the idea of Trump being nom- 35 years that have proven to more outsider than Bernie inated is totally unacceptable. For more of our interview, go be untrue in the Republican Sanders. It’s only going to make this to s.uconn.edu/rothenberg. SOURCE: U.S. NEWS ACADEMIC INSIGHTS UNDERGRAD RANKINGS DATA INSIGHTS ACADEMIC NEWS SOURCE: U.S.

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CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO TOM'S TRIVIA! Go to s.uconn.edu/maytrivia to see if you know as much as King of UConn Trivia and University Deputy Spokesperson Tom Breen ’00 (CLAS). TOM'S 1. UConn’s Department of Journalism turns 50 this year, but the history of news reportage at the University TRIVIA goes back to 1896, when the prede- cessor of today’s Daily Campus was founded. What was that newspaper called? A: The CAC Gazette B: The Lookout C: Nutmeg Notes D: The College Standard

2. The first-ever graduating class from the institution that became UConn had six members. What did some of them go on to do next? A: Finish high school B: Attend divinity school C: Join the army D: Enroll in graduate school

3. Until the end of the 1960s, what were UConn freshmen required to wear during Orientation Week? A: Blue and white sweaters B: Roller skates C: Beanies D: T-shirts emblazoned with the letter F for “Freshman”

4. The Connecticut General Assembly passed a law allowing women to attend what is now UConn in 1893. What year did women actually start attending class? A: 1894 B: 1881 C: 1900 D: 1890 5. Jonathan the Husky has been UConn’s official mascot since 1934. Prior to the pup’s arrival, though, which animal unofficially represented the University at state fairs and agricultural gatherings? A: Royal Otis, a bulldog B: Flossie, a dairy cow C: Clement, a goat D: Dragon Jr., a horse