The Trinity Reporter, Fall 2015
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FALL 2015 The Trinity REPORTER Trinity campus celebrates WHEN 45 years IN ROME … BRINGING TEDx THIS IS HER BANTAMS AT INSIDE TO TRINITY ‘FIGHT SONG’ THEIR BEST Student spearheads Rachel Platten ’03 soars Women’s varsity-eight crew successful efort with pop music hit wins fourth national title FALL 2015 16 20 26 This is her ‘Fight Song’ When in Rome Gender balance Rachel Platten ’03 soars with pop music hit Trinity campus celebrates 45 years makes good STEM Taking a look at Trinity and beyond FEATURES 2 / The Trinity Reporter / CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 02 ALONG THE WALK 06 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 07 AROUND HARTFORD 14 TRINITY TREASURE 36 ATHLETICS 41 CLASS NOTES 72 IN MEMORY 78 ALUMNI EVENTS 80 ENDNOTE The Trinity Reporter Vol. 46, No. 1, Fall 2015 Published by the Ofce of Communications, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106. Postage paid at Hartford, Connecticut, and additional mailing ofces. The Trinity Reporter is mailed to alumni, parents, faculty, staf, and friends of Trinity College without charge. All publication rights reserved, and contents may be reproduced or reprinted only by written permission of the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the editor or contributors and do not reflect the ofcial position of Trinity College. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Trinity Reporter, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106 The editor welcomes your questions and comments: Sonya Adams, Ofce of Communications, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106 or [email protected]. www. trincoll.edu ON THE COVER Livio Pestilli, bottom right, longtime director of the Trinity College Rome Campus, meets with his “Bernini and His World” seminar class in the sacristy of the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, also known as Chiesa Nuova. The group viewed Pietro da Cortona’s ceiling fresco (1633–35), which represents the symbols of the Passion of Christ. PHOTO: MAURO MARGUTTI ON THIS PAGE The Bantam Network planning group — composed of administrators, faculty, staf, and students — gathers 30 34 in Downes 201 for a meeting to discuss logistics of the new program, which supported members of the Bringing TEDx Changing lives Class of 2019 from the moment they stepped on campus Jim Cuminale ’75, P’09 inspires in September. Designed by students for students, the to Trinity others to give back Bantam Network’s goals include helping first-years connect Student spearheads successful efort with their peers, strengthening mentoring outside the classroom, and connecting students to Hartford. PHOTO: RICHARD BERGEN / Fall 2014 / 3 ALONG THE WALK 2 / The Trinity Reporter / Commencement Reminding2015 the 552 students who received their degrees on Sunday, May 17, of the vast opportunities ahead of them, the Reverend James Morris Lawson, Jr., delivered an inspiring Commencement address that asked the 524 undergraduates and 28 master’s degree students “to make your life count in every fashion possible.” Renowned as one of the most important advocates for nonvio- lence in American history, Lawson was once described by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., as the “leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” For Lawson, being invited to speak at Trinity’s 189th Com- mencement held personal meaning. He recalled his time in Los Angeles as pastor of Holman United Methodist Church. Among the congregants was the family of Joanne Berger-Sweeney, then a high school student. The 2015 ceremony was Berger-Sweeney’s first Commencement as Trinity’s president. The valedictorians were Donald L. McLagan Presidential Scholar Erin Carroll Barney of Stamford, Connecticut, who graduated summa cum laude with honors in engineering science and with honors in psychology, and Posse Scholar William Theodore Schreiber-Stainthorp of Chicago, Illinois, who graduated summa cum laude with honors in neuroscience. The salutatorian was Larsson Family Scholar Binod Giri of Nepal, who graduated summa cum laude with honors in engineering and mathematics. The Trustee Award for Faculty Excellence went to Dan Lloyd, Brownell Professor of Philosophy, and the Trustee Award for Staff Excellence was awarded to Alison J. Draper, director of the Science Center and lecturer in interdisciplinary science. The Trustee Award for Student Excellence went to Binod Giri and Caroline Benson Hayes. Daniel Blackburn, Thomas S. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Biology, received the Thomas Church Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence, and Daniel Mrozowski, visiting assistant professor of English, received the Arthur H. Hughes Award for Teaching Excellence. Recipients of Charles A. Dana Research Professorships were Sarah Raskin, professor of psychology and neuroscience; Stefanie Chambers, associate professor of political science; and Anne Lambright, associate professor of language and culture studies. Lawson received an honorary doctor of divinity degree. Other honorands were JoAnne A. Epps ’73, dean of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, who received an honorary doctor of laws degree; Jon A. Reynolds ’59, U.S. Air Force brigadier general, retired, and former prisoner of war, who received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree; and George Allen Weiss, founder of the nonprofit education organization Say Yes to Education, who received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. For more Commencement photos and a video of the ceremony, PHOTOS: AL FERREIRA PHOTOS: please visit commons.trincoll.edu/Reporter. / Fall 2015 / 3 ALONG THE WALK THOMAS CHURCH 2016 The BROWNELL PRIZE ELIGIBLE Brownell FACULTY MEMBERS for TEACHING The Brownell Prize was named for the EXCELLENCE first president of Prıze Trinity College, who served from 1824–1831. Calling on Trinity alumni to honor the professors who Rasha Ahmed Katherine Lahti Zayde Antrim Anne Lambright made an impact on their lives Carol Any Dan Lloyd E. Kathleen Archer Donna-Dale Marcano Raymond Baker Susan Masino Davarian Baldwin David Mauro Wendy C. Bartlett Lida Maxwell Did you have a teacher who changed the way you think? Influenced Jeffrey Bayliss Kevin McMahon your career choices? Helped you to wake up intellectually? Or in Barbara Benedict John Mertens Ciaran Berry Anthony Messina any other way altered your life? If so, you have a wonderful chance Sarah Bilston Takunari Miyazaki to pay tribute to that teacher. The Thomas Church Brownell Prize Harry Blaise Ralph Moyer for Teaching Excellence, which recognizes consistently outstand- David Branning Garth Myers ing teaching by a senior faculty member, is awarded annually at Joseph Byrne Jane Nadel-Klein Jean Cadogan Taikang Ning Commencement. All alumni are invited to submit nominations Stefanie Chambers Beth Notar explaining in 200 to 300 words why they believe a favorite profes- Lin Cheng Joseph Palladino sor deserves this prestigious award. Nominations should be sent to William Church Maria Parr Carol Clark Diana Paulin Nan Horton via e-mail ([email protected]) or postal mail Sean Cocco John Platoff (Ofce of the Dean of the Faculty, Williams Memorial 118 at the Robert Corber Mitchell Polin College). The nomination deadline is Friday, November 6, 2015. Kathleen A. Curran Vijay Prashad Tenured associate and full professors who have been at the Dario Del Puppo Michael Preston Pablo Delano Miguel Ramirez College for at least three years, teach full time, will not retire Jack Dougherty Sarah Raskin prior to June 30, 2016, and have not previously received the Kent Dunlap Gary Reger Brownell Prize are eligible for it. A complete list of eligible Andrea Dyrness David Reuman Jonathan Elukin Martha Risser faculty appears at right. Dario Euraque Dan Román The Brownell Prize Selection Committee hopes many graduates Diana Evans David Rosen will nominate someone whose teaching made a critical contribu- Johannes Evelein Paula Russo Lesley Farlow Todd Ryan tion to their education. Luis Figueroa Seth Sanders The Brownell Prize was created through an endowment gift Michael C. FitzGerald Mary Sandoval from an anonymous alumnus in 1986. Robert Stewart (mathemat- Robert Fleming Mark Setterfield ics) was the first recipient, followed in order by Diane Zannoni Andrew Flibbert Mark Silverman Lisa-Anne Foster Scott Smedley (economics), Drew Hyland (philosophy), Milla Riggio (English), Scott Gac Gregory Smith Dina Anselmi (psychology), Craig Schneider (biology), Dirk Kuyk Eric Galm Madalene Spezialetti (English), Henry DePhillips (chemistry), Jack Chatfield (history), Christoph Geiss Mark Stater John Georges Patricia Tillman Sheila Fisher (English), Ralph Morelli (computer science), Tim Alden Gordon Kristin Triff Curran (chemistry), Frank Kirkpatrick (religion), Ellison Findly Cheryl Greenberg James Trostle (religion), Sam Kassow (history), Gerald Moshell (music), and Adam Grossberg Stephen Valocchi Daniel Blackburn (biology). Hebe Guardiola-Diaz Erik Vogt Christopher Hager Maurice Wade Thomas Harrington Barbara Walden Christopher Hoag Chloe Wheatley Shafqat Hussain Johnny Williams Barbara Karger Gail Woldu QUESTIONS? If you have questions about the Brownell Prize, Jean-Marc Kehrès Nancy J. Wyshinski please direct them to Dean of Academic Affairs Sonia Cardenas Kathleen Kete Peter Yoon at [email protected]. Ronald Kiener Prakash Younger Robert Kirschbaum 4 / The Trinity Reporter / ALONG THE WALK NEW SENIOR New Faculty ADMINISTRATORS Members Trinity College welcomed two new members of the College’s senior team during THE FOLLOWING NEW TENURE-TRACK FACULTY BEGAN the late spring and summer: Angel B. Pérez began work as vice president for APPOINTMENTS AT THE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2015.