MAGAZINE UCONNFALL 2019

The Shape of Storrs Pg. 18

FALL 2019 SNAP!

Huskies Come Home

At a press conference on June 27 in Madison Square Garden many Huskies got the news they’d been waiting for: UConn is back in the Big East. A founding member of the conference 40 years ago, UConn won 80 conference championships in its 34 years there. Rivalries renewed include Georgetown, Marquette, Providence College, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and Villanova.

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 CONTENTS | FALL 2019 FALL 2019 | CONTENTS

UConn Magazine FROM THE EDITOR VOL. 20 NO. 3

UConn Magazine is produced three times a year (Spring, Summer, and Fall) by University Communications, University of Connecticut.

Editor Lisa Stiepock Art Director Christa Yung Photographer Peter Morenus

Student Worker Sarah Negron ’20 (CLAS) Class Notes Grace Merritt Copy Editors Sheila Foran ’83 (BGS), ’96 Ph.D., Gregory Lauzon

18 28 34 38 Cover Consultant 2Communiqué Web Designers Christine Ballestrini ’03 (SFA), Yesenia Carrero, Kathleen (McIntyre) Cosma ’14 (SFA)

University Communications “OUR STONEHENGE” SECTIONS FEATURES Vice President for Communications Tysen Kendig If you spend any time on Horsebarn Hill — and who doesn’t? — you’ve likely seen our cover artist Blanche Serban. She is out there every day creating “a pictorial Associate Vice President for Creative Strategy & Brand Management calendar” of 365 HBH paintings. Patricia Fazio ’90 (CLAS), ’92 MA The plein air piece is vital to the project, says Serban. “Being outside, you get 1 18 THE SHAPE OF STORRS ideas, watching the light.” Like right now, she says, she is painting against the light. This geology professor believes that Storrs is Storrs “The sun is exactly where it shouldn’t be if you’re playing by the rules. But it makes UCONN NOW and UConn is UConn because Horsebarn Hill is for an interesting subject this way.” The Class of 2023 by the Horsebarn Hill. By Robert Thorson Email: [email protected]. Serban came to the U.S. from Bucharest, Romania, in 1996 to get her graduate numbers; a drug that Letters to the editor and other comments degree — in psychology — at Syracuse. That’s where she met her husband Blair could combat sickle cell; are welcome. Send address changes to Johnson, now a UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Psychology. soccer in a new stadium; UConn Foundation Records Department, He stuck with psychology and she turned her lifetime passion for painting into engineering a UConn Unit 3206, 2390 Alumni Drive, Storrs, CT 24 I. AM. OUTRAGED. her profession. They have two daughters, the youngest of whom is a senior in high undergraduate career; Why fake news catches fire and spreads so quickly on 06269 school. Typically, both mom and dad travel a lot to professional workshops and the the Keet sisters return to social media. An excerpt from the newly published like. But, says Serban, “I made the decision not to travel this year, until her gradua- Storrs; the UConn alum “Know-It-All Society.” By Michael Patrick Lynch tion.” So the idea to paint Horsebarn Hill in person 365 days popped into her head. behind the Impossible There are a lot of things that attract her to this particular subject. One is “the sky. Whopper; and more. You really get to see the sky. It’s like our Stonehenge. You get to see the sunrise and 28 IF YOU BUILD IT . . . sunset and the eclipses.” She remembers bringing her kids here when they were 44 A peek inside the newly opened Student Rec Center. Cover painting by Blanche Serban little for solar and lunar eclipses. And exploring one place opens up possibilities for By Lisa Stiepock Snap! photo by Peter Morenus an artist, she says. “The constraint forces you to get out of a groove and see the same UCONN NATION Table of Contents: Serban; Morenus (2); subject with new eyes, in a new light.” Will it get old? “No, I’m an artist. I can always Alums who are restoring Judy (Hall) Robinson-Cox ’71 (SFA) see something new.” From the Editor Peter Morenus wooden ships, training THE WAIT IS OVER So far Serban has painted lots of Hill landscapes, as well as a huge fox that wan- 34 Tom’s Trivia Bettman/Getty Images women to run for political Bongi Magubane ’76 (CLAS) is determined to fix the dered into the frame one morning (“at first I thought someone had left their golden office, selling sneakers in Connecticut DMV. By Rand Richards Cooper The University of Connecticut complies with all applicable federal retriever”), a couple walking the path, deer leaping through the valley (“so high they the big leagues, design- and state laws regarding non-discrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action and does not discriminate on the basis of race, could have jumped over me”), even a selfie. “A couple of days ago I was in the new ing mini golf courses, color, national origin, disability, sex, age or other legally protected characteristics in all programs and activities and supports all state parking area at the Dairy Bar and I painted my reflection on a car.” and federal laws that promote equal opportunity and prohibit dis- and finding the secret to crimination, including the provision of reasonable accommodations People see her out here and tell her they can’t believe how much she paints. “This TINY for persons with disabilities. To request an accommodation or for minimizing stress. Plus 38 questions related to the University’s non-discrimination policies, please contact: Title IX Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity; is nothing,” she tells me. “I do this and then I go home and do studio work for eight Class Notes, Tom’s Trivia, The Lilliputian Landscapes of Judy (Hall) 241 Glenbrook Rd., Unit 4175; Storrs, CT 06269; Phone: (860) 486- 2943; [email protected] (non-discrimination policies); ADA Case hours. It’s a discipline that takes practice and work — like any other job.” and more. Robinson-Cox ’71 (SFA) shine a spotlight on Manager, Department of Human Resources; 9 Walters Ave., Unit 5075; Storrs, CT 06269; Phone: (860) 486-3034; [email protected] small. By Catherine Newman (accommodation requests).

2 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 3 UCONN NOW UCONN NOW

LETTERS Greeks came out in full force to welcome UConn’s newest president. We’re talking, of course, about the nation and not the nation of fraternities. Many readers were captivated by Thomas Katsouleas’s Greek origins and tales of summers spent swimming off those coasts. These days @PrezTomKat, as he’s known on Twitter, can be found swimming laps at the just-opened Student Rec Center (see page 28 for more on that topic). And please: Get in touch! Email me at [email protected] or post on our website at magazine.uconn.edu.

The Next Wave through ROTC. Col. Katz was one of and (then) U.S. 44-A had not been built. ➼ I received my masters in chemical the best commanders I served under The logistics alone of moving every- engineering from UConn and we both in my 27-plus years. May he have many thing from Hartford to Storrs would are Greek citizens, so I look forward more years! Alan Glaubinger ’62 (BUS) have been quite an undertaking. Then to meeting President Katsouleas. Juan Louisville, Kentucky, via e-mail again, strange schemes by our state Nicolaidis ’75 MS, Judibana, Venezuela, government didn’t start in the 21st cen- South America, via e-mail and web ➼ Thank you Loretta for this great sto- tury. I always look forward to the trivia ry of a truly great American! Mr. Katz questions even though (like most) I ➼ Tell the new boss he’s about an hour is a genuine role model, particularly was only on campus for a few years. and a half away from Matunuck, Rhode for our four sons, all of whom attended Keep ’em coming. Carl Robbins ’72 Island, home of the best reef break on UConn — two are still there and our el- (CLAS), Hamden, Conn., via our website the East Coast. I’ll keep an eye peeled dest is in medical school. Mike McGlone, for the guy with the upside-down Weston, Conn., via our website The Fortunate Ones? Jonathan logo on his fin. Go Huskies! ➼ I belong to an organization called Lee Fontaine ’88 MBA, Wakefield, R.I., Tom’s Trivia Friends of Pleasant Bay on Cape Cod, via e-mail ➼ I did not think the answer to # 3 and we have sponsored research could have been C (that in the late ’50s about, and harvesting of, horseshoe 100 and Counting UConn Storrs would be used as the crabs. Although I have followed ➼ It was great catching up with Col. state capital in the event of a nuclear those studies, I learned a great deal Morton Katz in the summer issue. I attack). Although the Wilbur Cross from this article. Thanks for a great joined the 411th Civil Affairs in June of Highway was in place in 1958, the magazine. Roy Terwilliger ’58 (MS), 1962, after receiving my commission Route 195 connector between Route 32 Harwich, Mass., via e-mail

INSTAGRAM

OFF CAMPUS

Forward Yamilee Eveillard ’21 from Valley Stream, New York, sends the ball flying on the way to a 3–1 rout of Boston University in early September at Dillon Stadium in Hartford’s South End. UConn men’s and women’s soccer teams are A team of UConn students traveled to Africa Were you one of almost 1,100 (!!) students Just moved in the second of-fish-al mascot temporarily playing at the newly renovated multipurpose facility, which is home to the Hartford Athletic of the United to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro this summer with to attend the annual Sunset Yoga on of #UConnNation. Everyone, meet Charlie Choose A Challenge USA after raising Horsebarn Hill event last week? the Fish, our newest resident of Towers. Soccer League, while they await completion of Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at the Rizza Family Soccer Complex in Storrs. $65,000 for Make-A-Wish CT  @UConn  @miltonlevin  @preztomkat Play is slated to pick up there for the 2020 season.

4 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Photo by Peter Morenus FALL 2019 5 UCONN NOW

CHECKING IN WITH... debut album “No. 1” came out in August “Band instruments can be cool! You don’t have to play the sity’s help in 2016. UConn Marching 2014. Then the band backed Dispatch traditional music. It’s a way to take what we’ve learned and Band members give Hartford students during a sold-out July 2015 concert at in-school tutoring, and free meals are MIDTOWN FUNK Madison Square Garden. “That was the inspire other students to pick up instruments, younger sent down from UConn Storrs. single most memorable experience of students who are just starting out.” —Colin Walters ’14 (SFA) McNeill talks about giving one stu- From a European tour to Madison Square Garden, the Funky Dawgz Brass Band is my life,” says Weeks, “not just with the dent a trombone. “He said the program on a serious roll. And it all started as a one-credit class at UConn. band.” really sparked his interest to continue “I traveled with the pep band to New Orleans for the women’s basketball In March 2017, Funky Dawgz played playing. Now he’s the top trombone championship in 2004 and saw these brass bands on the street,” says Marvin Florida’s Okeechobee Music and Arts The band topped out at 10 members, traditional music,” says alto saxophon- player at his school and was invited to McNeill ’97 MM, then assistant director for the UConn marching band. “I was Festival, which attracted such major but is down to a core of six or seven ist Colin Walters ’14 (SFA). “It’s a way the Litchfield Jazz Camp.” inspired. Maybe one day we could start that up here.” No wonder he felt optimistic acts that year as Usher and The Roots. since the student members all graduat- to take what we’ve learned and inspire — UConn defeated Tennessee for the title that week. Their sophomore album “Place 2 Be” ed around the mid-2010s. The biggest other students to pick up instruments.” Next up “Only years later did we have the right group of students in the marching band was released in September 2017. And challenge now is coordinating rehears- It all culminates with a public per- Where do they go from here? that I thought could pull it off. I sent them an email, described the idea for the brass a 2018 European tour took them to als with members in every corner of formance, usually at the Hartford Pub- “The end goal is to become full-time band, and sent links to some YouTube videos,” says McNeill, now trombonist for the England, Ireland, and Spain. Connecticut instead of all on campus. lic Library event space’s concert series. professional touring musicians,” says Funky Dawgz and the only member outside the Millennial generation. “Plus, I came Through all the upward momentum, Recent songs at their public perfor- drummer Jon Singngam ’13 (CLAS), up with the name,” he adds, “even the z.” they never became set in their ways — Hometown heroes mances have included the Mardi Gras noting they each hold day jobs at the The Dawgz started practicing weekly, as a one-credit class. Tenor saxophonist including when it came to membership. They get together for more than just staples “Iko Iko” and “When the Saints moment. “There’s a big bus somewhere Tommy Weeks ’13 (SFA) remembers their first show at von der Mehden recital When trombone and sousaphone practices. Funky Dawgz Brass Brand Go Marching In,” but also “Havana” by with our name on the side.” hall on campus. The crowd loved it, jumping out of their seats and dancing. “Our player Mike Marsters ’16 (SFA) saw the Camp, created with the nonprofit Camila Cabello, last year’s #1-charting “After college, most college bands first show off campus was at the Arch Street Tavern in Hartford,” says Weeks. “Soon Dawgz at an ice cream social on campus, Spread Music Now, is an after-school song that features Caribbean-style grow apart,” says Marsters, but since after that, we played Pub 32 and the place was so packed they couldn’t let people in.” he approached McNeill and asked to and summer program that provides brass.“We’ve also helped the kids write UConn, “we’ve only grown closer.” That was when they knew they had something special. join. “Absolutely,” said the frontman. instruments and music instruction for their own songs,” says McNeill. “One’s —JESSE RIFKIN ’14 (CLAS) “I was only a freshman at the time,” Hartford elementary and high school called ‘Charter Oak Groove’ and anoth- Tracking says Marsters, “performing with all students who might not otherwise be er is called ‘Go Bananas.’” At Hartford Jazzfest this summer left to Then things really started to escalate: Two videos went semi-viral: a February 2014 these juniors, seniors, and even a pro- able to afford them. Anne D’Alleva, dean of UConn’s right: Jeremy Baouche ’19 (ENG), Aaron cover of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk and Pharrell Wil- fessor. People would ask how I joined “Band instruments can be cool! School of Fine Arts, greenlit a plan to Eaddy ’14 (ENG), Singngam, Walters, liams and an April 2015 cover of “Uptown Funk!” by Bruno Mars. Between those, a the band — because I asked!” You don’t necessarily have to play the expand the program with the Univer- Marsters, and McNeill.

6 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Photo by Peter Morenus FALL 2019 7 UCONN NOW

UCONN TALKS

On marijuana and the On why vaccines should become a policy issue: munchies:

“18 months of “There are so many other things in society that could be data shows that a personal decision, but for the good of society we make after recreational them a legal decision: like wearing a seatbelt.” marijuana was legalized in Jeannette Y. Wick, professor of pharmacy, Pharmacy Times, July 4, 2019 Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, sales of ice cream On discovering that walnuts could help ward off On her study showing ulcerative colitis: that regular aerobic rose by 3.1%, sales exercise lowers blood of cookies increased “We are hoping that we’ll be able to pressure an average of five to seven points: by 4.1%, and sales determine the active compounds — of crisps jumped nutrients, phytochemicals — in walnuts “Imagine if an by 5.3%.” that cause protection.” individual with overweight/ Michele Baggio, Daniel Rosenberg, professor of genetics and genome professor of economics, sciences, Consumer Affairs, Aug. 13, 2019 obesity lost five MONIKERS The Economist, Aug. 16, 2019 to seven pounds NORTH CAMPUS a serious housing shortage in the late 1940s, the University after a single built the 11 dormitories of North Campus in time for the On abandoning the term “high-functioning autism”: bout of For decades at UConn, if you asked directions to the North arrival of students in the fall of 1950. On temperature exercise?” Campus dormitories, you would most likely be met with The standard assumption is that North became known as predictions for Tokyo “We should call people what they a puzzled expression. If you asked where the Jungle was, the Jungle because of the rowdy behavior of the vets, a claim next year: though, chances are your interlocutor would have no trouble made by, among others, Evan Hill, former head of the journal- want to be called.” Amanda Zaleski, steering you in the right direction. ism department, in an unpublished history of the University. postdoctoral fellow That this has changed is unthinkable to some Huskies who In the early 1950s, there was indeed plenty of rowdy behavior in kinesiology, “It’ll be the graduated before the early 2000s, when the place’s reputa- coming from North Campus. In October 1954, for instance, Medicine News hottest Inge-Marie Eigsti, professor of clinical psychology and tion began to change. The Jungle was made alcohol-free in there was a mass march on South Campus for a water fight Line, July 1, 2019 Summer brain and cognitive sciences, Spectrum, July 3, 2019 2002, a decision so at odds with its reputation that it prompt- with the female students living there, followed a week later ed a story in The New York Times. by a “military-type” explosive being detonated outside New Olympics in “I was a freshman in Northwest in ’05 and we definitely London Hall. But surprisingly, the Jungle was not yet the history.” just called it ‘North,’ but the story of it being called ‘The Jun- Jungle. On seeing a wreckfish eat a shark off the coast of South Carolina: gle’ was very well known,” says Sean Rose ’09 (CLAS). “The day will come,” vowed North Campus judiciary board The legends of the Jungle are many, from mass snowball member Gordon Leibowitz to the Connecticut Campus, Doug Casa, head of “This rare and startling event leaves us with more questions fights between the “jungle rats” and the residents of South “when North Campus will no longer be called ‘The Den of An- UConn’s Korey Stringer than answers, but such is the nature of scientific exploration.” Campus to requisitioning dining hall trays to serve as surf- imals’ or ‘The Catacombs.’” He was right, although he might Institute, The Washington boards down the muddy slope of the hill where the dorms not have been thrilled to know that “The Den” spent decades Post, July 15, 2019 Peter Auster, research professor emeritus, Fox News, July 8, 2019 stand. Perhaps no story of mayhem is as familiar as the one as “The Jungle” before becoming known as North Campus. about returning veterans who were students on the GI Bill — Of course, whether you call it North, the Jungle, the Den of in some tales, from World War II; in others, it’s the Vietnam Animals, or something else (for the first 70 years of our his- On research that says global tree restoration could erase 100 years of carbon emissions: War — who rode motorcycles through the hallways. tory, before residence halls were built there, students knew it The motorcycles may be apocryphal, but the history of as Cemetery Hill), what’s indisputable is that it’s been a home “If we don’t make fundamental changes, conditions for humanity will only get worse. North Campus is bound up with returning veterans. Af- away from home for generations of Huskies who will cherish Reforestation can solve a lot of problems.” ter the Allied victory in Europe and Asia, U.S. universities their memories of it for as long as they live. experienced a surge of enrollment that lasted well into the Just remember to park your motorcycle outside. —TOM Robin Chazdon, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, National Geographic, July 4, 2019 subsequent decade. UConn was no exception, and faced with BREEN ’00 (CLAS)

8 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 9 UCONN NOW

ment portfolio directed by teams of into my classes. The material is always Why We Want to Take It Ourselves: undergraduate and graduate students. updating, because we are in a dynamic Home ownership, educational opportu- Gilson at the Graduate Business Learning Center at “The SMF,” he proudly notes, “usually world.” nity, and retirement are all affected by UConn Hartford. outperforms the market.” The real-world approach, he believes, monetary policy enacted by the Federal resonates with the many students who Reserve through the banking system. Class Description: take Financial Services right around the Understanding how the system oper- A popular undergraduate business time they’re going into their job search- ates is as fundamental as knowing the school elective, FNCE 4306 examines es. “The skills they learn are applicable ingredients in our groceries or heeding the roles played by financial institu- to many different institutions and jobs the warning labels on our medicines. tions in the global economy. In addition in the financial services industry.” “What does it mean that right now to traditional banks and insurance Another classroom winner: funny the yield curve is low across its whole companies, the class looks at the stories about money. “Students love section and is fairly flat?” Gilson asks. shadow banking system of private those,” Gilson says. Like the time he “What is that saying about future inter- capital, such as hedge funds and private tried to play defense against market est rates? Is there a recession coming? equity. Students expand their knowl- turmoil by acquiring options on Intel, Red lights are flashing. But there’s so edge of capital markets beyond the then losing track of the expiration date. much cash around. Fifteen trillion stock market, learn the role of money He wound up with a big chunk of stock dollars in negative-interest-rate debt. in the economy, and are introduced he never intended to buy and a nice We are in a mad world.” to new types of investments, such as letter from the SEC saying, “Don’t ever One way to make some sense of it is credit derivatives. These ideas are seen do that again.” to learn the numbers. —KEVIN MARKEY in the context of finacial institutions, with a focus on risk measurement and management. “Students get their hands dirty with real data,” Gilson says. “They find what’s going on in the world outside the class- room, what’s going on in the markets, what the yield curve is telling us, what the Federal Reserve is doing. Each class begins with a discussion on some cur- rent topic on the Bloomberg screen.”

Peter Morenus Peter In group projects, students might act as bond traders who are specifically COVETED CLASS ies at Georgia Institute of Technology. not investing for the long term, or they Gilson looked at “all the fun she was might put together portfolios of having” and enrolled at Georgia Tech. cryptocurrencies and then use up-to- For his dissertation, he applied game the-minute data to estimate how much FNCE 4306: theory to the interactions between en- risk the portfolio contains. “What is trepreneurs and the venture capitalists market risk?” Gilson asks. “Market risk FINANCIAL SERVICES who fund them. is how much money you lose if tomor- “If I’m an investor in Apple, I’m one row’s a bad day, and things go pear The Instructor: of millions,” he explains. “It’s very shaped. That’s market risk.” Associate professor-in-residence in finance, Paul Gilson grew up in the Thames Riv- diffuse. But in a start-up business, the er town of Gravesend, 20 miles east of London, and earned a degree in mathematics shareholder structure is lumpy. You’ve Gilson’s Teaching Style: from Bristol University. His plan was always to go on to a Ph.D. “But first,” he says, got a founder who has a different opin- “I don’t like textbooks,” he says. “I tend “I needed a job.” So he went to work in London for KPMG, the global accounting ion than an investor. Coalitions become not to use them.” Instead, he pulls important. I use game theory to under- giant. His first day at the office, stock markets around the world collapsed in the together readings from sources that REMEMBER THIS? Black Monday crash of 1987, still the greatest one-day loss by percentage in Dow stand those relationships and convert students will actually use when they go history. During the long recovery that followed, KPMG was kept very busy, and lumpiness to relative strength.” to work — financial industry news- THE WORLD WIDE WEB Gilson gained extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, a specialty of his Gilson is the academic director of letters, Barron’s, Bloomberg. He also department. “The late 1980s in London,” he says. “It was an exciting time.” the undergraduate finance major and regularly surveys former students for When this photograph was taken in 1995, the “world wide web” was still in its early By 1990 he was ready for a change and transferred to KPMG’s Atlanta office for an serves as the department’s honors feedback on what they do in their jobs. days, and UConn students like the one pictured here had plenty of questions about 18-month assignment. Three years and many IPOs later, he decided to complete his advisor. Since 2016 he also has been a “I ask them, What skills are useful? it. Today, the University is blanketed with Wi-Fi service that brings the internet to own long-postponed doctorate — in finance instead of math. By then Gilson’s wife faculty mentor to the Student Managed What do they wish they had known? faculty, staff, students, and visitors ­— and they don’t even need to find a telephone Lucy, now associate dean of UConn’s business school, was deep into graduate stud- Fund, the nearly $6 million invest- And I try to incorporate those insights jack. —TOM BREEN ’00 (CLAS)

10 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 11 UCONN NOW

ON CAMPUS

THE CLASS % members of Learn- 41 students of color ing Communities OF 2023 including 580 in the Honors Program 176 valedictorians and salutatorians

3,650 incoming freshmen at Storrs From 35 countries

1,296 average SAT score 39,000 total applications for UConn Class of 2023 — 3 times as many as 10 years ago

12 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Photo by Peter Morenus FALL 2019 13 UCONN NOW

Four Corners where Cumberland Farms is now, for casual suppers. And, of course, the Dairy Bar figures prominently in their stories. Many of their memories are per- sonal and reflect their close relation- ship. Christine says she still has the gold Husky charm her sisters gave her when she turned 18 in October These four Keet sisters of her freshman year, and Mary Lou were UConn under- remembers the opal earrings given grads in 1969; they to her by Nancy when they were the gathered at Mirror only sisters on campus. “She bought Lake this summer, 50 them in a little store that no longer INFLUENCER years later, so the mag- exists — probably where Storrs Cen- azine could re-create ter is now ­— but I remember loving this historic photo (in them,” she says. WHERE’S THE BEEF? both pics it’s Nancy in In addition to the quality family the driver’s seat, then, time, they all made good use of their Burger King’s Impossible Whopper isn’t aimed at the demographic you think clockwise, Mary Lou, time in UConn’s classrooms as well. it is, says Christopher Finazzo ’04 (CLAS), who this year became president of Eileen, and Christine). Mary Lou majored in French and Burger King Corporation, Americas, just as the company was poised to roll out went on to a 35-year career as a this meatless patty. French teacher at Avon High School. “While the burger is plant-based, it’s not just for vegetarians,” he says. “It ap- Eileen taught in elementary schools peals to what are called flexitarians — around 90% of people who eat plant-based in Franklin and Hebron, and also burgers also eat meat.” And the financials were real, he says, citing the plant- had a home daycare business. Nancy based market holding a $4 billion–plus marketshare. majored in geography and became Still, messing with beloved products can be risky. Remember New Coke? Un- the executive director of the USDA’s less Burger King wanted late night TV hosts to have a field day with the Impossi- ON CAMPUS New Haven–Middlesex County Farm ble, they had to feel success wasn’t exactly that, says Finazzo. Service Agency, and Christine used “We did a routine market test back in April of this year, and the market test her degree in clothing, textiles and alone generated around 10 billion total media impressions and it was actually one UCONN MAG related arts (then in the School of of the most talked about moments on Twitter for us as a brand that we’ve ever Home Economics) to work in retail had,” he says. MEETS THE interior design services. For a longtime marketer like Finazzo, launching the Impossible Burger is like The four remain devoted followers getting to play in the World Series. Which reminds us of another sporting event KEETS of UConn sports. Mary Lou, Chris- earlier this year where BK got in the game by creating a Super Bowl ad with noth- tine, and Eileen all claim women’s ing but footage of Andy Warhol eating a Whopper. Meet the Keet sisters. When the basketball star Jen Rizzotti ’96 “Core to our DNA is being a bold challenger brand,” says Finazzo, who’s held oldest, Mary Lou (Keet) Erardi ’69 (CLAS) as their favorite athlete of six other positions at BK since coming to the company from Macy’s, where he was (CLAS), ’71 MA, chose to attend all time. For Nancy, it’s Wes Bialo- manager, customer strategy and intelligence. UConn she not only found the perfect suknia, who was a star on the men’s Finazzo says his marketing passion was ignited at UConn, citing becoming spot for herself, she started some- basketball team from 1964 to 1967. president of the American Marketing Association chapter here as a watershed thing of a family affair. Nancy (Keet) “I met my future husband on a moment. “Up until that point I’d never been in any leadership roles,” he says. Welsh ’70 (CLAS), Eileen (Keet) blind date and we went to a men’s “Tasked with being the president of the association meant having to organize Baukus ’71 (ED), ’76 MA, and Chris- basketball game. We married the an agenda, think about how we wanted to run it, and ultimately what we wanted tine Keet ’72 (HE) followed in short summer I graduated from UConn, to accomplish. That was one of the first times I had been put in that position. I order. The fact that the four siblings and we’re still married and still fans think that really feeds who I am and how I think about building a business and an graduated in consecutive years — and decade later, a fifth sister started her UConn career, Betty Anne (Keet) Morrow of UConn sports,” she says. organization today.” were enrolled at the same time during ’81 (CLAS). Mary Lou’s family reignited the An even larger key to him is the network the school provided. In fact, when he the 1968-69 academic year — was a “One year our mother put almost 50,000 miles on the car, most of it from driv- academic tradition with son Scott was thinking about making the Home of the Whopper his own home, it was the first for UConn. ing us back and forth from campus to our home in Waterbury or to our family’s Erardi ’95 (CLAS), ’97 MA, who input of an old Husky floormate, Ryan Krieger ’05 (BUS), that was influential in As it turns out, the sisters ended cottage in Rhode Island,” says Christine. “We loved UConn and we also loved teaches as an adjunct in communi- his decision to join. up enrolled for two consecutive years being with our family.” cations at UConn Hartford. So far, so good on the new whopper. But will this even be their last big market- as Mary Lou started studying for her They reminisce about their parents treating them to dinner at the former It’s all in the (Husky) family. ing play of the year as winter beckons? master’s degree in 1969. And nearly a Altnaveigh on Route 195 for special occasions and of going to Kathy John’s at the —SHEILA FORAN ’83 (BGS),’96 PH.D Says Finazzo, nothing’s impossible. —ERIC BUTTERMAN

14 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Illustration by Kyle Hilton; photo (left) by Peter Morenus FALL 2019 15 UCONN NOW

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE asked him, along with a few other science fiction. I like weird authors! THIS JUST IN questions. Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov (Robert, Arthur, and Isaac) and I also like Kurt SICKLE CELL DRUG BERK ALPAY ’21 (ENG, CLAS) You spent time on the UConn Storrs Vonnegut even though he isn’t strictly campus before enrolling here be- speaking a science fiction writer. I SHOWS PROMISE When Berk Alpay ’21 (ENG, CLAS) cause your father S. Pamir Alpay is grew up reading about ideas, thinking mentions the future, he’s not talking a professor of materials science and about the future — the dangers — what An investigational drug for the treat- about what he’s going to have for the associate dean of engineering. could go right or wrong. ment of sickle cell disease is showing dinner (Hint: Chang’s Garden on Route Did anything surprise you when you early promise in clinical trials for 195 has been a favorite since he was a actually started as a freshman? What would surprise people to impacting biomarkers of the disease kid.) or what courses he’d like to take Everything! I lived in honors housing learn about you? in patients, reported UConn School next semester. Not even what his plans and I was so surprised at how smart I love music. I played the viola in high of Medicine researchers at the Euro- are for after he graduates with a dual everyone was. Some people were just school and now I play guitar and piano. pean Hematology Association Con- degree in computer science and math, brilliant. I was impressed by everyone’s I like Muse and ABBA a lot and, thanks gress in Amsterdam this summer. although he briefly mentions a Ph.D. thirst for knowledge and interest in to my father’s influence, I’m getting The drug IMR-687 was shown to and a career in research. research, even as freshmen. into John Mayer’s music. reduce both the sickling of red blood No, when Alpay talks about the cells and blood vessel blockages, future, he’s talking about the role of Your parents came to the United Okay, so what is the point of predict- the two major culprits that lead to artificial intelligence (AI) and how States from Turkey. In Turkish, the ing crystal structure properties in sickle cell disease’s debilitating pain, our lives may change in the coming name Alpay means “stouthearted, compounds? The short answer! organ damage, and early mortality of decades. brave, chivalrous, daredevil, and Once these properties are established, patients — who have an average life For some of us, AI may sound like a gallant.” Berk means “solid, strong.” we can infer how a material composed expectancy of 40. scary proposition. Not so much for Al- That’s a lot to live up to! On a scale of a compound behaves and, therefore, After 13 weeks of testing in its cur- pay. He’s intrigued by the possibilities of 1 to 5 — with 1 being “not so much” whether the material would suit a rent clinical trial, the orally adminis- while urging us to take precautions in and 5 being “exactly right” — where given application in industry, such as tered, once-a-day phosphodiesterase developing new AI systems. would you place yourself? Were for turbine blades or semiconductors 9 (PDE9) inhibitor in adult patients “Right now in its current form, AI your parents accurate in choosing in electronics. with sickle cell disease is demon- is pretty docile. But I do think that if your name? strating tolerability and the ability to some key steps occur, they will have (Laughing) I’m not sure I want to give We decided to track down Alpay’s cal- impact both red and white blood cell a huge impact. I don’t know exactly myself a rank, but I think of myself as culus teacher at South Windsor High, biomarkers of the disease, says Biree what they could be. But for instance, someone with a strong character. I’m Mariamma Devassy-Schwob ’90 Andemariam, lead investigator for if someone found a way to increase a a firm believer in human kindness and (CLAS), to see how she remembers him: the clinical trial, associate professor machine’s intelligence and whenever compassion, and I try to bring this of medicine at UConn School of the machine takes a step it gets more perspective to my everyday life. “First, I’m so happy to hear Berk is Medicine, and director of the New intelligent — and this could go on doing so well. I knew he’d be a super- England Sickle Cell Institute at indefinitely — there will be no stopping What about academics? Favorite star! It made me laugh when you said UConn Health. it, and everything will change.” courses? Favorite teachers? he enjoyed our class, as his was the “These initial Phase 2a data He makes this statement in a matter I loved Big Data Analytics with Pro- rowdiest AP calc class I have ever had demonstrate the potential of IMR- of fact way that piques our curiosity, fessor Raj [Board of Trustees Distin- in 26 years of teaching. It was quite 687 to significantly impact key rather than scaring us silly. guished Professor and department fun though. biomarkers associated with the pa- This South Windsor native is a 2019 head of computer science and engi- “As far as what kind of student Berk thology of this serious disease,” she Goldwater Scholar — the nation’s neering Sanguthevar Rajasekaran]. was or what I remember most about says. More clinical data is expected premier scholarship for undergradu- And at South Windsor High School, him, it was his reaction after asking a to be shared later this year.

ates studying math, natural sciences, of Berk Alpay Courtesy it was Mrs. Devassy in AP calculus. question. He would very calmly ask a “We are so proud of the efforts and engineering. He was also a Holster Berk Alpay during his internship this summer with the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Until I took that class, I really didn’t high-level question, and after I would of the clinical and research staff Scholar in 2018. This is a highly selec- Planck Society in Berlin, Germany. like math — but after calculus, I loved give him my best theoretical answer at UConn Health who have been tive enrichment opportunity for first- it. She was such a great teacher, and I could almost see the wheels turning vital to the success of this clinical year Honors Program students that counter — the paths of storm damage. And this past summer he had an that class changed my way of thinking. in that amazing brain of his. He would trial so far, always putting first the promotes independent research during Alpay continues to do research at the internship at the Fritz Haber Institute Now I’m a math major with a statistics ponder my answer and then fully un- high-quality care and future health the summer following a student’s Eversource Energy Center, working of the Max Planck Society in Berlin, minor. derstand and respond with a confident of sickle cell patients,” says Ande- freshman year. Alpay’s project was under Professor Emmanouil Anag- Germany, where he focused on da- nod. He was not only so smart but an mariam. Thunderstorm Outage Prediction Us- nostou. He also has recently begun ta-driven prediction of crystal struc- When you’re not studying or amazing teacher to other students in ing Deep Learning, an effort supported research in bioinformatics with Derek ture properties in binary and inorganic working, what do you do in your the class too. He is a memorable stu- For more on how this study was by Eversource Energy and UConn’s Aguiar, a professor in the Department compounds. spare time? dent of mine for all good reasons!” conducted and what’s next, visit partnership to help predict — and of Computer Science and Engineering. What exactly does that mean? We I like to read and I’ve always been into —SHEILA FORAN ’83 (BGS),’96 PH.D s.uconn.edu/sicklecell.

16 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 17 The Shape of Storrs

Geology professor Robert Thorson would become my topographic tonic. When life got rough, its and overlooks our great university today. The gilded cupola raphy dominated by African American voters, which was a sweeping curve smoothed out my sharp edges. When I felt of Wilbur Cross (1939) marked our metamorphosis into a historical legacy of early 19th century chattel slavery, which says UConn is UConn because down, its high profile lifted my mood. When I felt confined, liberal arts university, and the silver dome of Gampel Pavilion aligned with a belt of soils perfectly suited to cotton, which 20 000 the panoramic view from its summit reminded me that I’m (1990) marked our emergence as an athletic dynasty. Both are developed on a black belt of marine shale deposited about 75 glacial ice slid by , years ago surrounded by a vast expanse of rural woodland beauty. splendid icons. But let’s not forget that these architectural million years ago when sea level was much higher than it is and shaped the landscape that today Today, Horsebarn Hill lies beneath a blanket of atmo- achievements came much later and were built on the same today. Modern American politics traces back — step by step — sphere. My sights and sounds are of clouds, birds, breezes, stuff from which Horsebarn Hill was made. into deep time. includes our iconic Horsebarn Hill and cattle making milk for Dairy Bar ice cream. Yet scarcely A similar linkage of historical contingencies took place in 20,000 years ago, that same hill lay beneath a blanket of Storrs. But instead of a black belt of clay-rich Confederate glacial ice sliding southward. My only sight would have been eing a teacher, I know that when learning some- soil ideal for cotton plantations, we had a rolling gray patch of resting the wooded hill on Highway 195, we began of perpetual darkness. My only sounds would have been me- thing challenging, it helps to kick-start the process loamy Yankee soil ideal for the growth of grass, the anchor for our southerly descent into Storrs. Abruptly, our chanical — the grinding, crushing, scraping, and shattering with something simple. So, before I get down to New England’s agricultural economy. Grass is what livestock eastern horizon expanded to reveal the gracefully of rock residues being pulverized, and the smearing noises of B the nitty-gritty of UConn’s creation story, I’ll offer graze upon in open pastures; it is the hay cut for winter fod- C curved profile of Horsebarn Hill. That smooth sil- a landform being shaped by glacial erosion. These cold dark a parallel example from America’s Deep South. During the der and the cereal grain we grind to make our daily bread out houette, that whaleback shape, that green ellipse is the single acts of creation gave rise to the rich moist soils and smooth U.S. presidential elections in 2016, an anomalous swath of of corn, rye, wheat, oats, or barley. most beautiful thing on the UConn campus. slopes that attracted pioneering farm families of the late 17th blue Democratic counties supporting Hilary Clinton curved UConn’s brotherly benefactors Charles and Augustus That’s what I decided during my first visit to Storrs, which century to settle here, and the farm educators of the late 19th through a red sea of Republican counties supporting Donald Storrs donated the farm on which our main campus would I made to interview for the professorship I still hold. Within century to plant the seeds of UConn Nation. Trump. Though this anomaly puzzled political scientists a month, I would be uprooting my Alaskan family to teach Horsebarn Hill symbolizes that creation story, making it sifting through surface data, the geoscientists went down into at a red-brick university with the most beautiful skyline in my candidate for UConn’s most essential icon. It overlooked their earthly cellar to find an answer. This so-called “black Paintings by Blanche Serban New England. During the decades to come, Horsebarn Hill the birthing ceremony of Storrs Agricultural School in 1881 belt” of politics was the statistical expression of a demog- Photographs from the University Archives

18 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 19 grow. Their bucolic childhood landscape was lovingly de- scribed in general terms by the Reverend Timothy Dwight’s “Travels in New England and New York” (1820). When read- ing every page of this three-volume doorstopper 20 years ago, I discovered why such land was so prized:

The hills of this country and of New England at large, are per- fectly suited to the production of grass. They are moist to their summits. Water is everywhere found on them at a less depth than in the valleys or on the plains. I attribute the peculiar moisture of these grounds to the stratum lying immediately under the soil, which throughout a great part of this country is what is here called the hardpan.

The hills Dwight refers to are mainly drumlins, a Gaelic word for “rounded hill.” They’re moist enough to maintain good pasture during drought, fertile enough to sustain demanding crops, and smooth enough to allow easy access in every direction. This smoothness is what makes Horsebarn Hill a popular sledding destination. And for a while there was even downhill skiing. When on field trips, my students inter- pret its derelict towrope as evidence for climate change. The earliest aerial and hilltop photos of UConn — some, like the one shown at right, taken from biplanes with cloth wings — reveal that the historic campus lay within a cluster of rounded hills cast from the same mold and aligned in the same direction as Horsebarn Hill. Our first large campus building — the wood-framed Old Main (1890) — was perched on the crest of one of these low, streamlined eminences. Sur- rounding it were rolling pastures crisscrossed by fieldstone walls. Our first large, red-brick building, Storrs Hall (1906), was aligned with the southeasterly glacial grain, initiating a layout grid for future buildings parallel and perpendicular to the rake of the ice. UConn’s Great Lawn, which sweeps uphill from Highway 195, is the eastern flank of a formerly rounded ridge — its

Above: White Spirals Build the Air Over the Hill. Right: 1925 aerial biplane photograph shows Mirror Lake to the right and Horsebarn Hill to the left.

20 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 21 “During the decades to come, Horsebarn Hill would become my topographic hen I moved to New England from Alaska, UConn met all three of my geographic job tonic. When life got rough, its sweeping curve smoothed out my sharp edges. search criteria in ways that other universities W and colleges could not. I wanted to live north When I felt down, its high profile lifted my mood." of the glacial border, accessible to the ocean, and at some distance from the nearest metropolis. Storrs met all three criteria, the last being the most restrictive. Though nearly crest was flattened for Beach and Gulley halls and the Family eventually picked up and moved to the largest patch of lodg- perfect for livestock tillage, the features of this rolling plateau Studies Building. During my pedestrian commute, I walk ment till in a wilderness that would soon become the town of deterred urbanization: It was too high, too inland, too far up and down that hillside between home and office, seldom Mansfield. Generation after generation of his family prac- from natural transportation corridors, and its streams were Top: 1908 photo shows Jacobson Barn just right of failing to give thanks to its icy maker. ticed an agricultural economy that historians call mixed too small to power industrial mills. center at the top of the hill. Above: Light and Shadow Dwight’s hardpan is what we now call till, a Scottish word husbandry. I prefer the term livestock tillage because it’s The result was a rural patch of good grazing surrounded Play Their Drama in Stillness (Purple Clouds). for a “kind of coarse and obdurate land.” Actually, it’s a spe- gender neutral, free from any suggestions of bigamy, and by rougher, rockier, more steeply sloping soils. In 1698, this cial type called lodgment till, a sediment pasted to the land it emphasizes grass-fed livestock via pasturing and hay- inland island attracted a pioneering English yeoman and his like crunchy peanut butter being smeared on a firm piece of making for cattle, sheep, and horses, and the tillage of family. In 1881, their successful descendants created Storrs bread. In the glacial case, the material being smeared was a grass for cereal grains. Agricultural School. In 1893, that school was upgraded with stiff mixture of pulverized rock and uncrushed fragments To a garden shovel, lodgment till replies with a firm thud, federal funds to become the state’s land grant institution, the walls have been hauled away into oblivion, and the hills (the crunchy bits) being lodged to the land surface under often accompanied by a clank of stone. Like pottery clay Storrs Agricultural College. In 1899, that name was broad- flattened to make room for the masonry buildings, lawns, and great pressure by slowly moving ice. In Connecticut, thick fresh from the package, the till is weak enough to have been ened to reflect the new statewide mission, becoming Con- paths of our beautiful, historic campus. Yet throughout it all, patches of lodgment till are generally restricted to the molded by passing ice into a smooth mathematical curve necticut Agricultural College. By 1939, after four decades of Horsebarn Hill remained largely untouched. Its graceful sky- rounded hills decorating elevated plateaus. Our state’s most but strong enough to withstand thousands of years of gully construction and growth, the college’s name was broadened line curve and its ornament of old fieldstone walls symbolize extensive patches create especially scenic inland towns like erosion. Till soils keep pastures verdant, even through the to the University of Connecticut. Since then, its enrollment, the creation story of UConn Nation and the almost magical Litchfield and Woodstock. dog days of August. Rain and snowmelt soak easily through mission, and geographic breadth have gone global. That suc- substance from which it was made. In 1698, the founding patriarch of UConn Nation, Sam- the root-stirred topsoil but are blocked from infiltrating cess traces back — step by step — into deep time. uel Storrs, pioneered one of those plateaus on the drainage down to the water table by hardpan at shallow depth. The Given the frenetic pace of cultural and environmental Professor Thorson would like to note that he penned this love divide between the Fenton and Willimantic rivers. Having soil is loamy enough to retain copious water for plant roots, change today, it is hard to believe that Horsebarn Hill, less letter to Horsebarn Hill in celebration of the new Department emigrated from Nottinghamshire, England, in 1663 to the and highly fertile because it contains billions of crushed min- than a century ago, was one of a cluster of streamlined hills on of Geosciences in UConn’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. dry, sandy, lowland soils of Barnstable, Massachusetts, Sam eral grains that release and bind nutrients for plant growth. a pasture campus crisscrossed by fieldstone walls. Since then, Want to dig deeper into the subject? Visit s.uconn.edu/hill

22 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 23 I. Am. Outraged.

When we share media stories increased tribal bonding, still exist and Why fake online we are sharing information are possibly amplified, while the risks we believe and/or endorse, right? of expressing outrage are lessened — news catches Wrong. on the internet, it is harder for those First, studies show we do not read you are yelling at to strike back with fire and spreads what we are sharing. Second, they violence. Moreover, outrage can itself show that we do share content that simply feel good. so quickly on gets people riled up. And since our digital platforms are Research has found that the best designed to maximize shares and eye- predictor of sharing is strong emotions balls on posts — and outrage does that social media — both emotions like affection (think — it is not surprising that the internet posts about cute kittens) and emotions is a great mechanism for producing like outrage. One study suggests that and encouraging the spread of outrage. morally laden emotions are particular- As the neuroscientist Molly Crock- ly effective: Every moral sentiment in ett puts it, “If moral outrage is like fire, a tweet increases by 20% its chances of then social media is like gasoline.” being shared. Put together, these points — what And plausibly, social media actu- we are doing with our shares and what ally tends to increase our feelings of we are not doing — make it difficult to outrage. Acts that would not elicit as believe that the primary function of much outrage offline elicit more on- our communicative acts of sharing is line. This intensification may be due in by really either assertion or endorsement, part to the fact that the social benefits even though that’s what we typically Michael Patrick Lynch of expressing outrage online, such as think we are doing.

24 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 25 communication is also compatible react to posts that we share with one read — because we would be thinking with the fact that we do form beliefs another. It used to be that one could of people’s reactions as being “If moral outrage and convictions as a result of sharing only “like” a post or refrain from hinged not on their outrage or joy but attitudes. liking it. But now Facebook offers more on the evidence they perceive Compare “team-building” exer- the choice of a few different reac- the piece to communicate. It might is like fire, then cises. These kinds of exercises (like tions, each corresponding to a basic encourage some of us to be falling back into your colleague’s emotion and represented by easily more skeptical, and humbler, waiting arms) are not directly aimed recognizable emoticons: frowny face, ourselves. social media is at conveying information or chang- happy face, surprised face, and of But unless the basic digital econ- ing your mind. They are aimed at course, angry outrage face. omy changed, my hypothesis is that building emotional bonds with your My experience in using these eventually, we would start treating all like gasoline.” coworkers. But if all goes well, that emoticons, which I suspect is widely three buttons emotively. Eventually will have a downstream effect on reflected in others’ use as well, is that — as the old expressivists would have —Molly Crockett, neuroscientist what you believe. In learning to trust they have a deep impact on how you predicted — we would start to use your team members, you will come to think about the pieces being shared. the language of evidence to express believe that this is the team you want For one thing, the emoticons that feelings, not considered opinions. to be on. other people in your network choose We could play on the emotions of A similar thing happens during the in reacting to a post can strongly others to get them to rate as “justified training of military recruits. Many affect how you yourself react. That by the evidence” items that nonethe- of the exercises that new soldiers effect is similar to the effects of social less go unread. And we might engage are put through are aimed at build- pressure offline. in spreading fake news and mislead- ing trust and self-confidence. But If everyone in your workplace ing evidence. So, not as much might especially in wartime, they are also dislikes something someone said or be gained as we would wish. aimed at making soldiers hate the en- did, it is difficult not to show a similar Yet even if, in the way of thought We think we are sharing news Digital platforms are intention- emy. This aim, too, has downstream reaction. Similarly, if your friends experiments, this one is idealized, it stories in order to transfer knowledge, ally designed to convey emotional effects: The soldiers come to believe express outrage at a news piece, it can highlights a crucial point. but much of the time we aren’t really sentiment — because the designers they are fighting on the right side. feel awkward not to do so yourself. Just changing the surface appear- trying to do that at all — whatever we of those platforms know that such Social media is like boot camp And independently of that factor, the ances of our social-media platforms may consciously think. If we were, sentiment is what increases reshares for our convictions. It bolsters emoticon you choose can help condi- won't help. As long as we ignore the we would presumably have read and ups the amount of attention a our confidence, increases trust tion how you comment on the post, fact that their underlying econo- the piece that we’re sharing. But particular post gets. And whatever in our cohort, and makes us if you do comment. If you choose the my rewards the expression of most of us don’t. So what are we does that makes money. loathe the enemy. But in doing angry emoticon, for example, it is strong emotion over reflection, doing? I am not saying that we don’t so, it also makes us more vul- extremely unlikely that you will then we will continue to deceive ourselves A plausible hypothesis is that the endorse and assert facts on social nerable to manipulation and feeds comment by saying that the piece in about the real nature of much of our primary function of our practice of media. Of course we do — just as some our hardwired penchant for being question really made you think. communication on those platforms. sharing content online is to express of us read what we share. Moreover, know-it-alls. Now consider a thought experi- We will continue to contrib- our emotional attitudes. In particular, it is plausible to take ourselves to be We think we are playing by the ment. ute, unwittingly or otherwise, to a when it comes to political news stories, endorsing or asserting that part of a rules of rationality — appealing to Imagine that instead of the corrupted information culture. And we often share them both to display shared post that we typically do read: evidence and data. But in fact, the emoticons, we had a choice of we will continue to make ourselves our outrage — broadcast it — and to the headline. Our communicative acts rules we are playing by are those three buttons that we could use vulnerable to information polluters induce outrage in others. online can do many things at once. that govern our self-expressions and when sharing a news story or who revel in that corruption and take As Crockett has noted, expression of But if you want to understand what social interactions — the rules of the other claim to fact: “justified by advantage of our naïveté — all the attitudes like moral outrage is one way I’m calling the primary function of playground, the dating game, and the evidence,” “not justified by while complaining that our critics are that tribes are built and social norms a kind of communicative act, you the office watercooler. These rules the evidence,” and “need more peddling fake news. enforced. Social media is an outrage need to look at the reason that the have more to do with generating information.” factory. And paradoxically, it works be- act continues to be performed. And and receiving emotional reactions, How might having these choices cause most folks aren’t aware, or don’t in the case of sharing online content, solidifying tribal membership, and — instead of emoticons aimed at the This article was excerpted from Michael want to be aware, of this point. But it that reason is the expression of emo- enlarging social status than with most basic human emotions — condi- Patrick Lynch’s latest book, “Know-It- is just this lack of awareness that trolls tional attitudes — particularly tribal what is warranted by the evidence tion how we would engage with what All Society: Truth and Arrogance in and other workers in the fake news attitudes. and what isn’t. we share and what we don’t share? Political Culture,” published in August industrial complex find so useful. Why? Because expressions of tribal This emphasis on emotional One thought — no doubt overly by Liveright, a division of W. W. Norton Purveyors of fake news are keenly emotional attitudes like outrage reactions is perhaps most obvious on hopeful — is that they would make & Company. Lynch is a Board of Trust- aware that when we share, we’re doing are rewarded by the amount of Facebook where the stated goal, after at least some of us more reflective ees Distinguished Professor of philoso- something different from what we shares and likes they elicit. all, is emotional connection. Consid- or thoughtful. We might even be less phy and director of UConn Humanities think we’re doing. The expressivist account of online er how the platform encourages us to eager to share something we haven’t Institute.

26 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 27 The Students >> On August 26 at 6 a.m., the Asked For new Student Rec Center opened Badminton before midnight

Floor 4 Floor 3 Floor 2 • 3-lane, ⅙-mile track • 3 racquetball courts • wellness studios looks down at gyms • 4 full-size basketball courts • cycle studio and out at Gampel • multiuse gymnasium • functional training and Horsebarn Hill • 2 fitness zones • mind-body studio with outdoor terrace

Floor 1 • adventure equipment to rent • 8-lane competition and 3-lane leisure pools • café • 2 fitness zones • locker rooms • climbing center

The Students >> If you build it, they will come. If you build it according to their specifica- tions, they will come in droves: Some 6,000 students a day are spinning Asked For the turnstiles at the new Student Rec Center across from Gampel. They asked for enough gyms to accommodate both intramural play and random, anytime play. In addition to an enormous basketball court that can host four full-length or eight half-court games, there’s a multi- use gym engineered so the flip of a switch raises and lowers hoops and nets to allow badminton, volleyball, soccer, field hockey, basketball, or whatever merriment a whim desires. Beyond the court, no waiting was a big ask — and get — in the form of swimming lanes, exercise equipment including lots of ellipticals and Students were tired of waiting for intramural teams to finish playing before they could set up badminton courts free weights, room to climb and keep climbing, places to lay your mat and so intensely craved their badminton that they would come to the old gym to play in the middle of the Photos by and stretch, skip rope, or train to be the next great Ninja Warrior. night. A separate multiuse gym means intramurals can play on in the massive basketball court while birdies fly Peter Morenus Are there discounted alumni memberships? Yes. next door. Haowen Yang ’23 (ENG), from Wuxi, China, and his friends wasted no time taking advantage.

28 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 29 The The Students Students Asked For Asked For Bigger Ninja Warrior workouts pools

Two pools means lap swimmers and leisure swimmers, or polo players and movie watchers (yes, there are floating “Jaws” viewings planned), need not squabble. One floor up Titan/Ninja Warrior wannabes take to the turf for exercise that’s anything but ordinary. Jacob’s ladders, monster tires, and monkey bars answer students’ desire to mix it up. Brian Metro ’22 (CLAS) from Londonderry, New Hampshire, tried the arm-over-arm sled pull.

30 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 25 The Students Asked For More equipment — a LOT more

The Students Asked For A really, really tall Walk through the tallest collegiate rock wall in New England (56 feet tall) to get to the bouldering features on climbing wall the flip side. “It’s incredible — there’s something for all levels,” said New Haven’s Elie Azoff-Slifstein ’20 (ENG) — in the green shirt. You want way more machines? How’s 200? “This place is off the charts,” said Ellie Willis ’22 (CLAS), from Storrs, who was flexing her time management skills by simultaneously studying and working out.

26 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 33 Apart from the IRS, is there any gov- name, Pelegrine. Africans couldn’t ernment agency as universally dreaded use African names when they went as the Department of Motor Vehicles? to school, so we were baptized with In Connecticut, things at the DMV English names.” When the family hit a notorious low point in 2015, when landed in the U.S., they jettisoned the the department shut down for a week children’s English names. “My father, THE to install a new computer system, and that was his first act of defiance. So snafus in the reboot triggered days of when I landed in America, I was Sibon- six- and seven-hourlong wait lines. gile. I was in a new country with a new Such is the challenge facing the de- name.” partment’s new commissioner, former Her father, the late Bernard Ma- Aetna IT specialist and UConn alum gubane, went on to get a doctorate in Sibongile Magubane ’76 (CLAS). sociology and become a beloved pro- The DMV’s massive brick head- fessor at UConn. A celebrated scholar quarters sits amid stately houses in and activist, he was best known for WAIT Old Wethersfield, south of Hartford. his groundbreaking 1979 book, “The Magubane, who goes by the resonant Political Economy of Race and Class in nickname of Bongi, greeted me in her South Africa.” office, a large room with walls bereft of Bongi spent the second half of her decoration. She hadn’t had time, she childhood in California and then in said — from day one, on April 1, she’d Connecticut, adjusting to being Amer- been working nonstop. ican, learning English by watching TV I noted that April Fools’ Day might sitcoms like “Leave it to Beaver.” Her not be the most auspicious date to begin father encouraged a love of reading. IS running this state agency, and asked “On Saturdays he would work all Magubane if she agreed that her new morning, come home at exactly 1 p.m., department is the one Connecticut res- and pile us all in the car for a family idents spend the most time hating on. day trip.” Bookstores were a frequent “Absolutely,” she said. “And it doesn’t destination. “I knew every bookstore have to be like that. It is due to circum- between Connecticut and Washington. stances that are fixable.” If he came to my house today, he would see nothing but wall-to-wall books.” In the fall of 1972, Bongi Magubane OVER If anyone can fix it . . . enrolled as a 17-year-old freshman at Magubane knows something about dif- UConn, where she majored in math Bongi Magubane ’76 ficult circumstances. She was born in and formed lifelong friendships. One South Africa during the apartheid era. was with Elease Wright ’76 (ED) who, Is Determined to Fix Forget about registering a vehicle, Ma- like Magubane, went on to enjoy a long gubane had no birth certificate — black career at Aetna, where she rose to be- the Connecticut DMV babies weren’t issued them. She lived come chief human resources officer. in a two-family house in a township “My first impression back then of outside Durban, with no electricity and Bongi was that she was very smart 12 family members crowded into three and thoughtful,” Wright recalls. “And rooms. Her father was a university straightforward. She’s not pretentious, student active in the anti-apartheid and she always tells you the truth. She movement. “My grandmother washed doesn’t sugarcoat.” laundry for white people,” Magubane That trait should serve her well in recalled, then chuckled. “Rumor has it the administration of a new governor that she also brewed beer.” who, when it comes to the DMV, clearly Her family’s destiny swerved un- does not want to sugarcoat. Announc- expectedly when her father, through ing Magubane’s appointment, Lamont a connection in the anti-apartheid called the department, with its 674 movement, got offered a scholarship employees and $67 million budget, — to UCLA. And so in 1964, at age “overly bureaucratic and arduous,” and nine, Magubane boarded a plane to the introduced Magubane as “a sharp, solu- By Rand Richards Cooper United States. tions-oriented thinker with a strong Photos by Peter Morenus “I left South Africa with my English business acumen” who would innovate,

22 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 35 both personally and professionally. In the corporate world she came from, “I should be able to get online and register, reducing those long lines would be the top priority. “I don’t think we have then get a text saying, ‘Okay, come on over.’ done that here,” she said. She illustrated with a story. Since her first day on the job she has vowed Restaurants do it — why can’t we?” not to use the back door to her office but the main door, where she has to cross the wait lines. One morning she approached a man at the end of a tions closer to home. And getting PSAs That early childhood in South Africa long line and learned he was seeking out to tell about it all. is more than half a century past, and a a motorcycle permit. At the counter, “We need to be telling people what world away. But ties remain. Her family Magubane ascertained that he needed they need to know. And delivering still owns the house in the Durban to be directed upstairs to a different services 24/7, in the way that people township — an uncle lives there — and office to take a test. consume them. I should be able to get Magubane showed me photos on her “So I say to our agent, ‘Can you give online and register, then get a text say- phone of a small hillside structure at him a number so he can go upstairs?’ ing, ‘Okay, come on over.’ Restaurants the top of an imposingly steep flight of He says, ‘No, he has to wait in line.’ I do it — why can’t we? This is all about concrete stairs. said, ‘But how do you know that the really meeting people where they are.” “To this day I have a horrible fear of permit test upstairs is backed up?’ He stairs because of these guys right here,” says, ‘I don’t. But the process is to hold she said, laughing heartily. him downstairs.’” Magubane went up- The good stuff While Magubane likes to say that stairs and discovered that there was no Her ability to move the department in work isn’t everything, and stresses the line at all for testing. Motorcycle guy that direction has inspired optimism. importance of the work-life balance could have gone straight up. Connecticut House Majority Leader for DMV employees, it’s clear that she This is the all-too-typical kind of Matt Ritter ’07 JD believes that tech- herself is hard-pressed to get away DMV frustration that Magubane nology can solve a lot of the problems from her job. But she manages to de- intends to eliminate. “We need to be at the DMV, and that Magubane is the stress. She enjoys hanging with her two meeting people at the door and making right person to lead the effort. Shih Tzu–Chihuahuas, Leo and George. sure they have the right information “For the first time, we’re turning to Going to the occasional happy hour — and if they don’t, getting them out of someone with extensive private-sector with friends. Sharing online articles here as quickly as possible. And we can experience in implementing complex and jokes with her younger sister, Zine, do a better job communicating before technology upgrades,” Ritter says. a sociology professor at Boston College. they get here, so that we can actually “Bongi will bring these skills and her “I still read a lot,” she told me. “I love get it right.” tremendous team-building personal- really trying to understand what makes She has launched an initiative, Know ity to DMV. That is a great recipe for people tick.” Before You Go, to help ensure that success.” The challenge of transforming the people bring exactly what they need, Elease Wright agrees. She notes that DMV promises ample opportunity for and is setting what she calls “some the new commissioner has the rare that. I asked Magubane what she would very aggressive metrics” for first-time combination of strategic vision and a like Connecticut residents to be saying success rates. The goal is to be less like grasp of granular details. “I saw this at about the agency four years from now. a bureaucracy and more like a business. Aetna, where Bongi helped introduce She thought for a long moment. “I’d “We need to be more like the Apple new financial systems and make signif- like them to say that they had a great Store where, as you enter, somebody icant changes to the HR infrastructure. experience transacting with their gov- cut red tape, and make the agency more and I got here and waited in line, then “This past month we had 119,000 finds out: What are you here to do? And She’s a problem-solver who always fig- ernment when they needed it the most. user-friendly. found out my taxes weren’t paid. And people come through our doors, and then directs you to that place.” ures out what needs to be done to make My birthday’s tomorrow, my license “You’re not going to recognize DMV I was like, why couldn’t you have just 20,000 of them didn’t transact because Magubane plans other changes and a system work more effectively. Bongi is expiring, and the DMV was there to in four years,” the governor promised. told me? Tell me what I need to know they didn’t have the right materials.” innovations. Moving more trans- also knows how to take a team and hold say, ‘Hey, here’s your document. And before I come to you.” Magubane’s IT expertise — “DMV actions online. Developing kiosk them to very high expectations, then tomorrow you can get into that truck In what other areas of their lives, she by the numbers,” is how she describes machines for state residents who don’t support them in reaching that goal. She and drive and do your business.’” Do the math asked, do people drive somewhere to her approach — opens a window on have credit cards. Simplifying forms. knows how to pull people together.” The commissioner sighed. “That’s When I asked Magubane what she transact important business, then fail precisely what frustrates people so Creating a Net Promoter Score to help The English name that Magubane really what we need to be doing here. considers the department’s biggest to accomplish it because they didn’t much about dealing with the agency: the department assess how it is doing. was baptized with, Pelegrine, means Give people the information they need problem, she answered by citing her bring the right piece of paper? She information, or the lack of it. Improving the website. Leveraging re- “the traveler,” ironically the name to be successful, and get them out of own experience as a customer. “A few browsed through a sheaf of graphs, It’s clear that obstacles to better lationships with partners such as AAA she abandoned when her life’s travels here so they can get on with the rest of years ago I came for a registration, charts, and tables. information annoy the commissioner in order to offer people more transac- began. their lives.”

36 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 37 tiny.

Look: In one photograph, a crowd of museumgoers marvels at a trio of modern art masterpieces; in another, a swimmer strokes her way through a bubbly blue pool; in a third, a ker- chiefed farmer tends her field of golden plants.

Look again: Those paintings are postage stamps; the pool is the inside of an ice cube; the field is the spiraling, floret- and filament-studded inflores- cent center of a sunflower — who knew it was so elaborate?

The people are train-set miniatures, perfectly scaled to their Lilliputian landscapes — which is what creator Judy (Hall) Robinson-Cox ’71 (SFA) has titled this series. And even though she has assembled and photographed more than 100 of these wee scenes, the majesty of tininess continues to amaze her. “When you take a camera and really magnify something, it’s incred- ible what’s there,” she explains. “It really opens up a sense of awe — of what nature itself is, of the world we live in.” At UConn, Robinson-Cox concen- trated on photography and painting, which she studied with the late Antho- ny Terenzio. “He made me understand abstract art, which I didn’t know how to relate to at first. He opened my eyes.” Her own paintings and collag- es were primarily abstract still-lifes and landscapes, and her photography was largely experimental, shot with high-contrast film to reduce the images to a gray-free black and white. She started graduate school here too, working with Clarence R. Calder Jr., an elementary educator and advocate for social justice who studied the impact of shop classes — what we might now call

By Catherine Newman

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 39 “When you look closely, the center of something like the pedagogy of engi- neering — and whose book of found-ob- a sunflower is actually made up of tiny ject projects she was illustrating. After a year, though, she describes being lured plants! And there are lots of similarities away by a “band of leather hippies.” to the human body, cells, and the universe, “These weird people had driven up in a bus to hold these leather workshops. the stars. It’s very intriguing . . .” And the belts they made were just like my abstract paintings! So I went to live with them in a big old house in Wood- stock, New York — like a commune — where we worked for an advertising executive who had quit his job to start this leather craft business.” (“Wow!” I keep saying, and she laughs every time.) Eventually she returned to school, studying graphic design at Philadelphia College of Art, where she met her hus- band, Tom Robinson-Cox. The two started working as fine-art photographers and moved to Glouces- ter, Massachusetts, where they now live and work, creating art of all sizes, which they show and sell at local galleries. Judy’s work includes seaside images of watery reflections, a series of concep- tual pieces called “Mindscapes,” and evocative New England collages, among others. But it’s the diminutive series that seems to bring her (and her fans) the most pleasure, and she’s taken to selling the dioramas themselves, in addition to the images of them. All that small-scale work started with a tiny plastic pig named Percy, whom Robinson-Cox had situated on a bunch of asparagus in order to liven up an image she was creating. Then Percy ended up on a head of broccoli, inside a pepper, and in a cluster of photographs, about which a curator in Boston said, “Why don’t you go all the way with this? Find some little people.” And so she did. (This story is told at greater length with delightful photographs in her Percy book, “Finding Lilliput.”) “I’m attracted to small things,” Rob- inson-Cox says. “And I think I’ve never really grown up.” As a child with three brothers, she says she didn’t play with dollhouses but had lots of experience creating little villages for everybody’s train sets. She now has, by her esti- mation, around 1,000 of the ¾-inch

UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 41 figures. Her work is inspired by the figures themselves, as well as by what- “I started freezing the ever theme she’s working with in the moment. These have included fruits, little people inside ice vegetables, flowers, books, postage stamps, and sushi, among others. cubes . . . I had a little egg “Every year I get interested in some- beater and I was furiously thing,” she explains. “One year it was ice. I started freezing the little people churning up the bubbles inside ice cubes. And bubbles! I had a little egg beater and I was furiously in my sink . . . I had to churning up the bubbles in my sink, work quickly.” putting them around these tiny pen- guins. I had to work quickly.” Other scenes require different feats of technological imagination: For a climber in a cavern, “I cut a bell pepper in half, then cut the back off of it. I put a tiny flashlight in the back so it looks like it’s glowing.” (See page 2 for a photo of this piece.) A favorite of hers — a trompe l’oeil beach scene — was created with corn- meal, dried beans, and bulgur wheat, with a puddle of olive oil for the water. An image called “Cabbage Sea” was inspired by the wavy ruffled leaves of a savoy cabbage: “It just looked like water. Then I had to figure out how to make boats.” (Pea pods, naturally.) “My goal in making the pictures is to make people feel good,” she says. “That’s really as complicated as it gets.” “But what’s the pleasure of tiny for the viewer?” I ask her. I’ve read articles suggesting that it’s a way for us to experience mastery over a minia- ture environment or that our love of cuteness evolved from the caretaking of babies. Neither of these quite captures the delight of Robinson-Cox’s work — of tininess expanding to fill the frame. She’s not totally sure either, though she jokes it might be because she’s 4-foot-11 herself. But really she thinks it has to do with the scale-shifting that comes with macro photography. “When you look closely, the center of a sunflower is actually made up of tiny plants! And there are lots of similari- ties to the human body, cells, and the universe, the stars. It’s very intriguing, a mystery.” A mystery, yes. And maybe something a little bit like magic.

26 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 43 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

CLASS NOTES Pyramid Award from the Integrated Defense Systems Commercial Finance Division New England chapter of the (IDS) division. Jeffrey was a of TIAA Bank. American Medical Writers’ systems architect and led a Association in 1994 and an number of defense electronic Award in Excellence from systems developments. He 1950s 80s the American Dietetics specialized in radar systems 19 Association Foundation primarily for surveillance and for her work in prenatal missile defense applications ➼ Proud alum Roger nutrition. She covered the on land, sea, and air platforms ➼ Marie George ’81 Shatanof ’56 (CLAS) of high-risk pregnancy unit for the U.S. Navy, Army, and (CAHNR, CLAS) was Coral Gables, Florida, spreads at Brigham and Women’s Air Force. He has written elected vice president of the UConn’s fame throughout the Hospital for more than 37 two technical books and two medical staff at Southwestern state. years. ➼ Richard T. Minoff music-related books. Vermont Medical Center, ’75 (CLAS), an associate ➼ David Scaccia ’76 where she is an infectious professor and director of (CLAS) was inaugurated disease specialist. ➼ Isabel the Undergraduate Business as president of the Maine (Munat) Cole ’82 (CLAS) Program at the University of Osteopathic Association was appointed by Gov. Jay the Sciences in Philadelphia, during its June 2019 con- Inslee to Washington’s Board received the University’s vention in Rockport. Board of Industrial Insurance William F. Homiller Award certified by the American Appeals, the state agency for Teaching Excellence. He is Board of Medical Specialties that hears all workers’ a member of UConn’s Charles in occupational medicine and compensation claims. Cole Lewis Beach Society. ➼ Carl by the American Osteopathic spent 22 years as an air Labbe ’75 (PHAR) has Board of Family Physicians in traffic controller and, during retired after a long career in family medicine, he practices her last three and a half 1960s pharmacy that began when he as a private occupational med- years, attended law school. hit the road after graduation icine physician consultant After passing the bar, she in a VW Rabbit for a cross- in Kittery, Maine. ➼ John represented injured workers. ➼ After serving as a board country trip. He ended McGrane ’78 (ENG) ➼ Jeff Denman ’82 MA director for six years, up in Arizona and stayed became a senior consultant just retired from 34 years of Christopher P. Mottern there. Initially, he managed for GEI, where he will help teaching world geography ’66 (BUS) was appointed Wastchak’s Pharmacy expand the company’s flood and U.S. history in the interim CEO of Farmer and developed a variety of management and municipal public schools in Brookline, Bros. Co. His 40 years in the nonprescription products. engineering practices Massachusetts. He recently food and beverage industry Eventually, he became across the eastern U.S. and published a book “Greene and include serving as CEO of manager of the Student elsewhere. McGrane spent Cornwallis in the Carolinas: Peet’s Coffee & Tea and Capri Health Center Pharmacy at more than 20 years in The Pivotal Battle of the Sun, Inc. and as president of Arizona State University. Hartford’s Department of American Revolution, 1780- The Heublein Wines Group. Later he became a pharmacy Public Works. ➼ Michael J. 1781.” ➼ Richard Goodwin ➼ Jacqueline Dembar preceptor, adjunct faculty in Sweeney ’79 MBA is senior Sr. ’83 MBA published Greene ’67 (ED) published the school of nursing, and a vice president, strategic “Running Life Matters; A her 41st YA novel, “Walk biology instructor. He also vendor programs for the Celebration of Running Till You Disappear,” set in developed a collaborative Arizona Territory in 1872. smoking cessation practice. She began her writing career He and his wife, Kathryn, with the encouragement also a pharmacist, have of Francelia Butler, who two grown children. ➼ taught children’s literature Tom Morganti ’76 at UConn. Greene lives in (CAHNR), a veterinarian Wayland, Massachusetts, with living and working in Avon, her husband, Malcolm R. Connecticut, published Greene ’65 (CLAS). a third YA novel, “In the Shadow of the Sun Dog.” ➼ Tom Jeffrey ’76 (ENG) became a Life Learn everything Cochran's been up 1970s Senior Member of the to lately — and hear him sing and Institute of Electrical and play guitar at s.uconn.edu/cochran. A New Song Electronics Engineers after ➼ Miriam Erick ’70 retiring from a long career Winning UConn QB Casey Cochran ’15 (CLAS) ’17 MS left the game after suffering his thirteenth concussion. Not long ago, a (CLAS), of Boston, updated in aerospace and defense her manual “Take Two electrical engineering. He chance encounter with a group of strangers at what was the venerable John’s Café in Mystic set him on a new course. They told him Crackers and Call Me in worked for seven years at about the restoration of the wooden ship the Mayflower II. Boats had never been a part of his life, but he signed on and “found some the Morning! A real-life the GE Aerospace Electronic ➼ Naya, a 3-year-old Husky, was the flower girl at the recent meaning in boatbuilding.” He took to the work, the atmosphere, and the crew. “I learned the steaming process of planking. In that guide for surviving morning Systems unit and 33 years wedding of her human companion Michael Lyon ’08 (CLAS) moment it brought me right back to what was good about football: a group of guys all on the same page.” —STEVEN SLOSBERG sickness.” Erick won the at the Raytheon Company’s to Corinna Edwards in Nashville, Tennessee.

44 UCONN MAGAZINE || MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDUMAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Photo (left) Peter Morenus FALL 2019 45 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

and Life Connections,” a named director of annual ’89 (CLAS) is director uals on strategic and oper- athletics. During stints at their families. ➼ Robert E. book that celebrates the giving for the Breck School of human resources for ational issues, earned a law the College Football 150th Grady ’99 JD has joined community of runners, in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Hertzbach & Co. She and degree from Washington Anniversary, the Big 12 and Shipman & Goodwin’s real particularly lifelong runners. Founded in 1886 and rooted her husband Brian live in University School of Law and Big East conferences, and estate practice group as a ➼ Brian Sprague ’84 in Episcopal values, Breck Maryland with their children an MBA from Washington Conference USA, he worked partner in the Hartford office. (ENG) joined MaxLinear is a pre-K to 12 college Meredith and Wyatt. University’s Olin Business on national, regional, and He was a founding partner of Inc. as vice president preparatory day school with ➼ Reina Weiner ’89 School. ➼ Brian Wolf ’92 local levels. ➼ David Unger Logan Grady LLC in Rocky and general manager for more than 1,100 students. (BGS) drew on her own (ENG) joined Hatch Mott ’95 (CAHNR) is senior Hill, Connecticut. broadband and consumer Cossette recently published experiences for her book MacDonald in Holyoke, vice president responsible products. He has worked in her first collection of poems, “Trust Your Doctor . . . But Massachusetts, as a principal for developing renewable a variety of engineering and “Peggy Sue Messed Up,” and Not That Much: Be Your Own project manager. ➼ Marci natural gas business projects marketing roles at United is active in the Minneapolis Best Healthcare Advocate.” (Castaldi) Hinton ’93 at Foristar, LLC. He was 2000s Technologies Corp., LSI Logic arts community. ➼ Stephen (CLAS), an educator in the director of renewable energy Inc., and Broadcom Corp. ➼ W. Aronson ’87 JD, a Waterbury public school at Waste Management, where Joanne C. Crevoiserat partner at Robinson & Cole, district for 22 years, was he oversaw the marketing and ➼ Chris Calio ’00 JD, ’00 ’85 (BUS) has been named was awarded Volunteer of 1990s selected as a 2019 Fund for development of beneficial MBA will be president of CFO of Tapestry, Inc., a the Year by the Pro Bono Teachers Fellow. She and two use landfill gas projects. the Pratt & Whitney division New York-based house of Partnership. ➼ Karen colleagues attended a bespoke ➼ Jasmine Alcantara of United Technologies, modern luxury accessories ➼ educator mindfulness effective early 2020. He has Avitabile ’88 (CLAS), Michael W. Glynn ’95 (BUS), ’99 MBA TRAJECTORY and lifestyle brands. She joins who majored in journalism at ’91 (CLAS), ’94 MS was training in Nepal to address opened Jasmine Yoga, a New served as president of Pratt Tapestry from Abercrombie UConn, was appointed editor named a partner in the student trauma related to a England–based health and & Whitney’s commercial & Fitch and previously held of The Catholic Transcript, New York City office of Fox peer’s murder and to facilitate wellness company. By pairing engines business since 2017. A Million Miles in His Shoes senior finance positions with a 175,000-circulation Rothschild LLP. His practice emotional regulation and her pre-med degrees with ➼ Michael A. Rueda ’01 Kohl’s Inc., Wal-Mart Stores, magazine for the Archdiocese centers on trade secret and healing within the school 20 years of health industry (BUS), who heads up the U.S. When Javier Macias ’05 (CLAS) graduated with a journal- and May Department Stores. of Hartford, which serves patent litigation with a community. ➼ Rabih M. experience, she created yoga sports and entertainment ism degree the job market was bleak. Though the Torrington, ➼ Gary L. McGuirk Hartford, New Haven, strong emphasis on Barakat, ’93 (ENG), ’09 and meditation programs team at Withers international Connecticut, native aspired to be a sportswriter, he found ’85 JD, a private wealth and Litchfield counties. ➼ pharmaceutical patents. MBA, who works at the for corporations, groups, law firm, was just made advisor at Merrill Private Jeanne Zulick Ferrulo’s ➼ Robert H. Bateman Jr. Connecticut Department of and individuals. ➼ Maryne partner. Rueda, who lives in himself in marketing, handing out Zippo lighters in loud bars Management, was named to ’88 (CLAS), recent ’91 MBA was named CFO Transportation, was elected Robin ’96 MBA was named Stamford, advises athletes to patrons willing to give him their email addresses. It wasn’t Barron’s Top 1,200 Advisors, children's book “Ruby in the and treasurer of Amerisure to the Connecticut Society vice president of operations and entertainment clients. what he pictured for himself, but it was a job. The Financial Times’ Top Sky” made The Washington Mutual Insurance Co. He was of Civil Engineers. ➼ Rob for Absolute Logic and ➼ Lisa Holloway ’02 Within months, he was promoted. Two years later he had 400 Financial Advisors, and Post summer reading list. CFO with Infinity Property Carolla ’94 (CLAS) will CyberGuard360. MSW is vice president of landed at the hotshot, global public relations agency Golin, Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth ➼ ➼ health services for The David Waren ’89 JD is & Casualty Corp. and held head up communications for David M. Silver ’96 in Chicago. There Macias worked with famous athletes like Advisors lists. He joined the new president and CEO numerous leadership roles XFL Dallas after spending MSW of West Hartford Kendal Corp., a senior living international soccer pro Clint Dempsey and went to the Merrill in 2002. of the Jewish Federation of at The Hartford. ➼ Thomas nearly 25 years as a sports and his wife Hilary became organization in Philadelphia. ➼ Richard S. Martin ’86 Greater Hartford. He was Huszar ’92 (CLAS) joined administrator. He was grandparents to Saul She had been vice president/ men’s World Cup in South Africa. When the agency signed on (BUS) has joined RentPath vice president of regional The Sullivan Law Firm as a president of the College Jonathan Langer, born administrator of health Adidas, Macias led a marketing campaign for the sportswear as CFO. He had been CFO of operations and advancement partner in its New York City Sports Information Directors in June in Washington, services at Duncaster, a giant’s Derrick Rose basketball line. Symphony Health Solutions. for the Anti-Defamation office. Huszar, who advises of America (CoSIDA), the D.C., David was executive retirement community in In 2015 Macias said goodbye to Chicago to join Adidas in ➼ Susan Cossette ’86 League. ➼ Ann Marie public and private businesses national organization for director of the UConn Hillel Bloomfield, Connecticut. Germany in global public relations roles that took him to six (CLAS), ’92 MA has been and high-net-worth individ- communicators in college Foundation from 1990 to ➼ Stephen Davis ’02 (Griskauskas) Hoffmaster of the seven continents, including to the track and field world 1993. ➼ Vincent Pace ’98 (BUS) of Burlington, JD, ’09 ML is assistant Massachusetts, is principal championships in Beijing. This March, after five-plus years general counsel at Eversource in the healthcare practice in Germany, Macias packed up all his Adidas gear and moved MAKING GOOD Energy. His practice area at executive search firm to Portland, Oregon, to become the company’s director of Jess includes state regulatory WittKieffer. ➼ Joseph U.S. public relations. He won’t travel nearly as much in his Jess Kelly Wants Women to Run proceedings in Connecticut, R. Sowin ’02 (BUS) new post, which he says he will miss, but he’s ready for a new Massachusetts, and New is co-chief investment challenge — a big one, he says. —AMY SUTHERLAND The first class Jess Kelly ’08 (CLAS) took at UConn was Hampshire. officer of Highland Capital women’s studies. And now, as the centennnial of the 19th ➼ Keith Moskowitz ’98 Management LP, where he Amendment approaches, she is chief of staff at Running Start, JD was named a Notable oversees investment activities Gen X Leader in the Law by for the firm’s multi-billion- Stamford. ➼ Commission’s Consumer a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that has trained more than Mohan Nair Crain’s Chicago Business. dollar alternative investment Manoj Kumar ’04 MS, ’06 and Governmental Affairs 15,000 young women to run for public office — and 90% of He is a partner at Dentons platform. ➼ Shawn M. Ph.D. is senior staff scientist Bureau. Zac was vice those who have run, have won. “I feel very strongly about in- law firm. ➼ Elena S. Bowman ’02 (BUS) is at LexaGene Holding Inc., president of government clusion and making sure that everybody has a voice and feels Trueworthy ’99 (BUS) president of the Wound Care a biotech company that affairs at the Wireless welcome at the table,” says Kelly, who has trained women in was named director of the Division of Sanara MedTech develops instrumentation Infrastructure Association. 21 states, Mexico, and Jamaica. She works with high school Connecticut Head Start State in Fort Worth, Texas. He for pathogen detection. He He and his wife Jane live in and college women running for student government and Collaboration Office, which has spent 18 years in the was at Beckman Coulter Washington, D.C., ➼ Phillip provides comprehensive medical device, biologics, and Molecular Diagnostics and Yu ’05 MS received the young women seeking all levels of public office. At UConn early childhood education, pharmaceutical industries. at Roche Molecular Systems. 3M Lean Six Sigma Green she trained Molly Rockett ’15 (CLAS) who, as a 20-year-old health, nutrition, and patient ➼ Alexander Hanna ’03 ➼ D. Zachary Champ ’05 Belt Excellence Award and student in 2013, won a school board seat in her hometown of involvement services to (BUS) is assistant principal (CLAS) is chief of staff of the Espirit Team Award for Somers, Connecticut. —TOM KERTSCHER low-income children and of Cloonan Middle School in the Federal Communications 2018. He was responsible for

46 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Photos courtesy of Jess Kelly (left); courtesy of Javier Macias (above) FALL 2019 47 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

The Warwick Middle School team and soldering,” says eighth-grader UPDATE after winning the 2019 Future City Xavier Flaiz. Part of the team respon- competition in Washingon, D.C., with sible for designing the model’s mov- teacher Michael Smith ’08 MS (back ing parts, he loved how the project row, second from left). rewarded creative problem-solving. “It was like a puzzle,” he says, “but more hands-on and very fun.” thinking and problem-solving abilities Smith has seen plenty of models as they work together. It’s like a perfect over the years, and he knew his team compendium of essential 21st-century had outdone itself with Toyama. After skills.” breezing through the central Penn- For the 2019 Future City campaign, sylvania regional, Warwick arrived in the 25-member-strong Warwick team Washington for the four-day national had to learn as much as it could about competition feeling hopeful. Still, modern energy infrastructure. The Smith advised the crew to try to students’ research led them to the chief relax and not get ahead of themselves. resiliency officer of Toyama, a flood- Against a deep and talented field stud- prone coastal city on Japan’s main is- ded with five past winners, including land of Honshu. During a Skype session the defending national champion, there with the class, he explained some of the could be no guarantees. Which made it Courtesy of Future City of Future Courtesy ways Toyama protects its power grid that much sweeter when Warwick was from natural disasters. The kids then called to receive the victor’s trophy. MAKING GOOD imagined what sorts of carbon-neutral

“When we won it felt like proof that Classen Ken technologies the city might employ 100 the future is going to be okay,” says years from now. Grace. “We took a city and we made it Sarah Thomas Sets Another World Record BUILDING FUTURES “We would all sit down around a ta- better. We had the chance to design the We told you about Sarah Thomas ’04 (CLAS) in our Summer 2018 issue after the ble and just throw out ideas and bounce city of our dreams, a place that every- former UConn swimmer’s many marathon swims and world records resulted in her At a small school in central Pennsylva- and their achievement.” He attributes things off each other,” says Grace Kegel, one would love to live in and that could induction into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. She told us then nia, Michael Smith ’08 MS has built Warwick’s remarkable success in part a seventh-grader who was one of War- withstand all and any obstacles that it that her next feat would be to attempt an 84-mile, four-way crossing of the English a national powerhouse. Eight regional to the training he received while getting wick’s three presenters in Washington. was faced with.” Channel, something that had never been done before. Well, it’s been done now. On titles in thirteen years. Six top-15 fin- his master’s degree in gifted education “I’d be lying if I said that these table “The kids are already meeting on September 17, Thomas, a breast cancer surviver, became the first person to swim ishes in the national rankings. The 2019 at UConn’s Neag School of Education. talks didn’t often end in small argu- Sundays to plan for next year,” Smith across the Channel four times without stopping. It took 54 hours. Congrats, Sarah! national championship. “I have never had an engineering ments that had to be settled.” reports. “And we don’t even know what Football? Basketball? class in my life,” says Smith, who began Among the solutions the team came the theme is yet!” —KEVIN MARKEY Find more online at s.uconn.edu/swim. Try engineering. his career as a social studies teacher. “I up with were solar roadways, hybrid A gifted support teacher at Lancast- learned how to think, how to compete, hydroelectric–nuclear fusion power er County’s Warwick Middle School, and how to win an engineering compe- generation, and embedded power lines. Smith guides a crew of seventh and tition thanks to UConn.” They then built an elaborate 50-by-25- VHB tapes and primers as and misappropriation, and eighth graders in the annual Future In his own classroom, Smith con- inch model to showcase their ideas. (CAHNR) Caitlyn degree. She works at Yale- senior product engineer in Willox-Biron ’06 (CLAS) New Haven Hospital and securities and government stantly looks for ways to make learning City competition, which challenges Constructed over the course of the Industrial Adhesives and welcomed their daughter lives in Derby, Connecticut, investigation matters. She students to conceive, research, design, dynamic for his students. Future City is hundreds of hours on mornings, Tapes Division. ➼ David Ruby in October 2018. with her husband Matt, their was a senior associate at and build scale models of sustainable one. The cross-curricular nature of the afternoons, and weekends throughout Agrawal ’05 (CLAS) is ➼ Natalie Wagner ’06 children Nathan and Lily, Kelley Drye & Warran LLP communities. For this year’s timely competition provides an ideal platform the fall, the final product was a thing associate professor with JD was named interim and their dog Bailey. in New York. ➼ As president theme, Powering our Future, kids had for collaboration.­ Applied math and of beauty. Along with lovingly detailed, tenure in the Martin School director of the Connecticut ➼ William A. Powers of Omni Food Sales in New to come up with power grids capable of science, public speaking, project man- snowcapped mountains and flowering of Public Policy and the Bar Foundation, a non- ’06 JD has joined Nossaman York, Zak Romanoff ’07 Department of Economics at profit that provides grants LLP in Washington, D.C., as (CLAS) found he was withstanding natural disasters. agement, effective technical writing, cherry trees, the students incorporated the University of Kentucky. to legal agencies who work a partner in the firm’s public getting a lot of requests to Competition is fierce, with some and blue-sky idea generation all come a magnetic transportation system and ➼ Matthew Fitzsimmons for communities that could policy practice group focused talk to media outlets about 40,000 children representing 1,500 into play as students design, build, and a sophisticated LED display that illus- ’05 JD has joined the law not otherwise afford it. on political law and campaign the food industry. So he schools from around the U.S., as well as present their models. trated the complex power grid they’d firm of Shipman & Goodwin She was counsel to former finance issues. started the podcast “The teams from Canada and China. Fewer “You need your artists, you need designed. The pièce de résistance was as a partner. He will be a Connecticut Gov. Dannel ➼ Kristina Allen Reliford Brand Advocate.” than 50 make it to the finals in Wash- your electrical technicians, you need a fast-flowing river whose floodwaters, part of the state attorneys Malloy and counsel at the ’07 (BUS) joined Bradley ➼ Dawit Zeweldi ’08 ington, D.C., each February. Science your computer programmers, you discharged by a pump hidden in the general and data privacy and Shipman & Goodwin law firm. Arant Boult Cummings as MS, ’10 Ph.D. joined protection practice groups. ➼ Liliana Alexandra an associate in the litigation Freese and Nichols Inc. as academies and STEM magnet schools need your presenters who will explain model’s base, were diverted into under- He was U.S. privacy officer Carlson ’06 (NURS) practice group in Nashville, a stormwater engineer in are disproportionately represented. the project to the judges,” he says. “No ground collection tanks. and lead cybersecurity graduated from Quinnipiac Tennessee. Her practice Dallas. Zeweldi, who has 20 “That’s what we’re up against,” says one person can do this. Everyone has “We would talk about the design, counsel at Cigna Corp. University in May with a includes complex contract years experience in water Smith. “I’m just so proud of my kids to draw on their creativity and critical draw it, and work on it, cutting, drilling, ➼ Matthew Biron ’06 Doctor of Nursing Practice disputes, fraud, trade secret resources planning, design,

48 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 49 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

LIFE LESSONS Cultivate Your Legacy STRESSED? When you make a planned gift to the University of Connecticut, BE STOIC you help guide UConn’s future and build your own personal legacy.

Some people when stressed ask: What would Jesus do? or What would Luke Skywalker do? Massimo Pigliucci ’94 How will you leave your mark? Ph.D. asks: What would Epictetus do? Pete Sepe ’76 MS and his wife, Carol Sepe ’78 MA, retired teachers and owners of Pigliucci believes the teachings of ancient Stoic philosophers like Epic- Sepe Farm in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, have made a planned gift to ensure that tetus can help us temper our response UConn’s Teacher Preparation in Agriculture Education program thrives and to the everyday tensions of life. In “A Handbook for New Stoics: How to grows well into the future. The program trains prospective agriculture education Thrive in a World Out of Your Control,” teachers, who will serve in schools across Connecticut, the Northeast, and other he provides 52 weekly lessons applying states to inspire future generations of students to pursue careers in agriculture, the teachings to modern life. Although he credits stoicism with food, and the environment. alleviating the daily stressors of his personal, public, and social life, Pigli- ucci hasn’t always been a Stoic — or even a philosopher. After getting his The key to personal modern happiness, says Pigliucci, just might be found in the doctorate under Carl Schlichting, head ancient Greco-Roman philosophy of Stoicism — which he discovered on Twitter. of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biol- ogy (EEB) Department at UConn, he became an assistant professor in EEB one — or at least try to develop as much the first Stoic principle of focusing at the University of Tennessee, where of an attitude of equanimity toward the on the things within our control as he made significant contributions to second as is humanly possible. opposed to those beyond our control, the field and even won the Theodosius For Pigliucci, a recent test involved even if they find it difficult in practice Dobzhansky Prize for outstanding his friends and family in Italy. “There is — after all, it shares the basic premise young evolutionary biologist. a northern Italian separatist move- of the famous Serenity Prayer penned Then “I had a midlife crisis of sorts,” ment called Lega that’s essentially a by the American theologian Reinhold he says. “The year I turned 40, I got di- xenophobic group of people. It pains Niebuhr: “God, grant me the serenity vorced and my father died. So I started me to see Italy in that situation and it to accept the things I cannot change, feeling that, professionally, I needed pains me even more because some of courage to change the things I can, and to do something else.” Hence, gradu- my own relatives are on board.” The the wisdom to know the difference.” ate school for philosophy — which he Stoics believed that nobody does evil Pigliucci also realizes that not every- considers one of the best decisions of on purpose; they’re simply misguid- one will agree with the Stoic idea that a his life. ed. Pigliucci realized that engaging in friend or family member posting bigot- But that’s not what brought him to discussions with family on Facebook, ed ideas is simply a misguided person Stoicism. Twitter did. He saw a “Help us for example, was futile. “I tried several whom they must bear with magnanimi- celebrate Stoic Week!” tweet, decided ty — and he’s okay with that. to try it out, and was so impressed that “Stoicism is simply one of a number he wrote “How to Be a Stoic” about his “Some things are up to us, of options that are available,” Pigliucci experience while on sabbatical in Italy. and some things aren’t.” says, “and which one clicks with you So how can Epictetus and company depends on a number of things, like help us today? When his own world your predispositions, how you grew Learn about how planned gifts can help you support this turns stressful, Pigliucci often turns to times, and it wasn’t going anywhere,” up, your culture. It may even depend same goal and others at s.uconn.edu/giftplanning or one of the fundamental principles of he says. “But these are good people, on your stage in life. I don’t think that stoicism: Some things are up to us, and they’re just mistaken, so why would Stoicism is the only answer, but it cer- contact the Gift Planning Office at (860) 486-6135. some things aren’t. Epictetus says that I want to ruin my relationship with tainly is a good answer.” a good life is one in which you focus on them?” Spoken like a true philosopher. And the first category and ignore the second Pigliucci realizes most people accept Stoic. —STEVE NEUMANN

50 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU Photo by Mark Abramson FALL 2019 51 UCONN NATION | ALUMNI

SHARE YOUR two seasons she was host people. He was also involved was packed with Huskies, NEWS WITH of Amazon Prime/Science in hurricane relief efforts in including Lindsay Kovacic UCONN NATION! Channel’s “Science Works,” Houston and in the U.S. Virgin Schaffer ’13 (BUS) and an educational series Islands and will be heading ➼ alumni-news@ Will Schaffer ’12 (BUS), uconnalumni.com showcasing how science, to Guatemala later this year Kimberly Wilson Fillion technology, engineering, for another school build. ’14 (CLAS), Shreena Alumni News & Notes and math are applied to ➼ Michael Chase ’11 JD Desai ’13 (ENG), Jacob UConn Foundation real-life careers. ➼ Maya published “How to Become a Orbach-Smith ’16 (CLAS), 2384 Alumni Drive (Merson) Shagas ’10 Federal Criminal,” illustrating and Caroline Dunn.They Unit 3053 Storrs, CT 06269 (BUS) published “Numbers bizarre and outdated federal moved to Sacramento, where Submissions may be edited for Game: The Practical Guide to laws, most rarely or never Elizabeth is digital strategist clarity or length. Getting the Job You Deserve,” enforced. He is an associate at for Toni Atkins, California a book on recruiting, hiring, Shipman & Goodwin LLP in state senate president pro tem. interviewing, and entering Hartford and owner of the @ ➼ Igers Vangjeli ’15, LLM, the workforce. ➼ Emily CrimeADay Twitter account. ’17 JD was hired by Cordell & Kozak ’10 (BUS) and ➼ Kyle Campbell ’12 Cordell, a litigation firm that and implementation, earned Chris Halloran ’10 (CLAS) (CLAS) is director of game represents men in family law his bachelor’s in irrigation tied the knot in May in day entertainment with the cases, in their Independence, engineering from Arba Charleston, South Carolina. New Orleans Saints. He says Missouri, office. He says he is Minch Water Technology They met sophomore year the football team was ranked drawn to family law because Institute in Ethiopia prior at Hilltop Suites, where they #1 in game day entertainment it lets him help families to coming to UConn. lived on opposite sides of the and overall game day through a difficult time. ➼ ➼ Salay Stannard ’09 same floor. They reconnected satisfaction in the NFL for Juanita Austin ’16 (SFA) (ENG), ’13 MS is materials after college and, after living the 2018 season. He oversees launched Cultured AF, an arts engineering manager at in Manhattan and Brooklyn, all entertainment in the and culture lifestyle brand. Joining Technologies, Inc., relocated to Charlotte, North Mercedes Benz Superdome, She also opened Cultured an innovator in industrial Carolina. Among the Huskies including the national Studios, an arts and social laser applications. ➼ Michael at the wedding were Ariel anthem singers, color guard, lounge that features visual Cohen ’09 Ph.D. is senior Grossman Winkley ’10 halftime entertainment, and performing arts, in New vice president and chief (BUS), Rebecca Levine player introductions, music, London. ➼ Leo S. Lo ’17 data science and analytics Hadfield ’11 (BUS), Lisa and PA announcements. MA is associate dean for officer at Marketing Mutnick ’10 (CLAS), Ilana ➼ Samantha (D’Angelo) learning, undergraduate Evolution, a provider of Eides ’11 (BUS), Lyndsey Wiegel ’12 (SFA, ED) services, and Commonwealth marketing measurement and Sonkin ’10 (NURS), received an MA in teaching Campus Libraries at optimization solutions. He Jennifer Pagano ’10 in May from Sacred Heart Penn State. ➼ Joseph P. was at Oath: Data Products (CLAS), Matt Bahr ’10 University, where she won the Mortelliti ’17 JD joined and on the faculty at New (CLAS), Pat Swidler ’10 2019 Outstanding Master’s Kahan Kerensky Capossela Morenus Peter York University’s Stern (CLAS), Mike McManus Degree Award. ➼ Ryan V. LLP as an associate in the School of Business. ’10 (CLAS), Michael Dealy Powell ’13 (CLAS), ’18 JD firm’s real estate, litigation, JOB ENVY ➼ Ryan DiLeo ’09 (BUS), ’10 (BUS), Blake O’Brien is an associate in the workers’ and land use departments. ’10 MS married Meghan ’09 (CLAS), Lukasz Dec compensation practice group ➼ Emily Forauer ’18 Swiss Miss Willen in May. They live in ’11 (CLAS), Kate Halloran at Goldberg Segalla’s Hartford (CAHNR, CLAS) was Orlando, where they tell us ’07 (CLAS), and Adam office.➼ Salman H. Al- named the first David Theno If you happen to be driving through the junction of Routes 44 and 202 in Canton, Connecticut, between April and November, they are starting a family. Porter-Price ’06 (CLAS). Zayani ’15 Ph.D. won the Food Safety Fellow by Stop you might want to tap the brakes and give a yodel or two as you pass the Matterhorn Mini Golf Course. Better still, pull in and They certainly bleed blue! Medical Award for Excellence Foodborne Illness during say hi to Autumn (Backman) Sutherland ’91 (CLAS). She owns the place, and if you tell her you’re a UConn grad, she might ➼ Emmanuel Omokaro in Community Medicine 2018 the annual conference of the even introduce you to her dog, a Coton de Tulear named Mulligan, while she shares some secrets about the course she designed. ’11 (ED) was named ESPN’s from the Venus International International Association 2010s A former world-traveling “governess and accidental actress,” Sutherland ended up creating a Swiss-themed mini-golf course Volunteer of the Year. As Foundation in Chennai, India. for Food Protection. The team leader for BuildOn he ➼ Elizabeth Crowley fellowship honors Theno’s when the site it’s on, an iconic property then in disrepair, went up for sale in her hometown. Why mini-golf and why the Swiss helped raise nearly $40,000 to ’13 (CLAS) and Kevin work by promoting food theme? “I can never explain exactly where my ideas come from,” says Sutherland, “but our culture tends to put people on ➼ Noelle Lara Horelik build a school in Senegal, and Scheller ’13 (CLAS) safety education and by superhighways and the focus is almost always on staying on track toward a single goal. I prefer to take the byways, to keep all my ’10 (CLAS), a TV writer went to Senegal to oversee married on Dec. 15, 2018, in helping students pursuing options open, and to go where my brain tells me to go.” for Dreamworks, is working the construction. In Chad Mystic, Connecticut, six years careers in food safety. She The family attraction she lovingly created and tends has received glowing reviews since its 2015 opening. It was named one on a kids’ animated comedy he and friends built water after meeting at The Daily will be working with Stop of the top ten miniature golf courses in America by USA Today in 2016, the 100th anniversary of the founding of miniature golf, set for Netflix this fall. For pumps to get clean water to Campus. The wedding party Foodborne Illness in Chicago. and one of Yankee Magazine’s Editor’s Choices for Connecticut attractions in 2017. With a sense of whimsy and attention to every detail, the Matterhorn’s tricky yet fun holes are accompanied by informational signs covering everything from the history of Swiss banking to the number of cows in the country (1.5 million). There’s even one named “Atom Blaster” designed to evoke images of the Hadron Collider — the research facility where physicists test their theories of particle physics. And at the end of IN MEMORIAM your 18 holes? There’s Swiss Swirl ice cream to top off your visit. — SHEILA FORAN ’83 (BGS), ’96 PH.D.

Please visit s.uconn.edu/octobits2019 to find obituaries for alumni and faculty. And please share news of alumni deaths and obituaries with UConn Magazine by sending an email to [email protected] or writing to Alumni News & Notes, UConn Foundation, 2384 Alumni Drive Unit 3053, Storrs, CT 06269. To see more of the course and hear how Sutherland gets her ideas, go to s.uconn.edu/minigolf.

52 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU FALL 2019 Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hartford, CT 34 NORTH EAGLEVILLE ROAD Permit No. 4759 STORRS, CT 06269-3144

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO TOM'S TRIVIA! Go to s.uconn.edu/fall19trivia to see if you know as much as 1. Until 1985, when Connecticut raised the drinking age to 21, King of UConn Trivia Tom Breen ’00 (CLAS). UConn operated an on-campus TOM'S bar in the Student Union that was a focal point of social activity. What was its name? TRIVIA A: The Trumbull Pub B: The Thirsty Husky C: The Anonymous Pub D: The Blue and White Tavern

2. In UConn’s history, plenty of bars, coffee houses, and restaurants have sprung up near campus to cater to students. Which of these was not among those establish- ments? A: The Nine-Foot Drop B: Wizard’s C: Blood & Bones D: Schmedley’s

3. In 1984, author Stephen King visited Storrs, not to terrify stu- dents but to campaign on behalf of a presidential candidate. Who was it? A: Ronald Reagan B: Gary Hart C: Walter Mondale D: Jesse Jackson

4. During the deadly Hartford circus fire of 1944, a 13-year-old boy cut a slit in the tent canvas, allowing scores of people to escape. UConn rewarded him with what honor? A: A scholarship named in his honor B: A plaque near Gulley Hall C: A full undergraduate scholarship for him D: both A and C After 75 years, the legacy of Hartford’s deadly circus fire is still felt at UConn in many ways. Read all about it at uconn.edu/fire.