SPRING 2021 SNAP! Downhill From Here? Co-captain and veep of UConn’s Ski Team Sydney Murner ’21 (ENG) competes in the giant slalom last year at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York, where the team placed in the top five. Covid-19 canceled the team’s season this year, so Murner has had more time for studying and for job applications — she hopes to do fieldwork for an environmental engi- neering firm. Murner, her ski teammates, and her Delta Zeta sisters also have been working on numerous fundraisers for Connecticut Children’s Hospital through Huskython. UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU SPRING 2021 CONTENTS | SPRING 2021 SPRING 2021 | CONTENTS UConn Magazine FROM THE EDITOR VOL. 22 NO. 1 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 Class Notes Grace Merritt Copy Editors Gregory Lauzon, Elizabeth Omara-Otunnu Web Designers Christine Ballestrini ’03 12 14 40 (SFA), Yesenia Carrero University Communications Vice President for Communications Tysen Kendig Associate Vice President for Creative FEATURES Strategy & Brand Management Patricia Fazio ’90 (CLAS), ’92 MA GOOD PEOPLE When we decided to make this issue a front-to-back compilation of UConn people doing good in the world, it was because we thought everyone could use a hit of 14 DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD happiness right now. We found out near press time in January that our friend and We could easily fill every issue of this magazine with stories of Huskies doing good works Class Notes: [email protected] colleague Dee Rowe had died, and it became, also, a fitting tribute to this UConn Letters to the Editor: for people and for the planet — it seems to be in the genetic makeup of our blue blood. icon who was as good as good gets, and who left a lasting impression on every [email protected] But this seemed like a season where we all could use the feel-good inspiration of these human being he met. Address changes: UConn Foundation stories a bit more than ever. So, from the front cover to the final page, get to know some Records Department, 2390 Alumni Drive, Six years ago, almost to the day, as I looked out my new office window at Swan of our favorite Husky humanitarians, philanthropists, climate crusaders, and more. Unit 3206, Storrs, CT 06269 Lake and the Chem Building stacks, my computer pinged with the first external email to my uconn.edu account. It was from my dad. After I got settled in my new job, he asked, could I please try to find an old friend of his he’d lost touch with, a longtime UConn coach and athletic administrator named Dee Rowe. My initial SECTIONS Cover Mary Kate McDevitt Snap! Peter Morenus search failed when I looked for Rowe in the ranks of the retired — the Athletics Table of Contents Peter Morenus, Mary communicator who ultimately shared his contact info said, “He still has an office Kate McDevitt, Guy Mendes in Gampel, comes in most days.” Rowe was 86 at the time. From the Editor Stephen Slade ’89 (SFA) Dad introduced me to Dee at halftime of a local high school basketball game UCONN NOW 1 where the son of a friend of his was playing. It was his fourth basketball game or Huskies making meaningful music and movies, spreading joy, creating creators, saving scrimmage of the day and he was headed to another. Indeed, Rowe had a singular lives, change-making at the Pentagon and the West Wing, and much more. passion for the game and is credited with helping make UConn men’s and wom- en’s basketball, and athletics in general, what it is today through his post-coaching career as a fundraiser. Rowe was a friend and trusted advisor to countless UConn 36 UCONN NATION coaches, athletes and, yes, presidents, deans, faculty, and staff. Alums show their Husky — and civil — spirit by busting monopolies, helping prisoners get “He took the time to really get to know people and wanted to help them,” says degrees, mentoring young social work students, and turning ’60s campus memories into The University of Connecticut complies with all applicable federal my colleague Mike Enright who worked with Rowe for years. “When you went to and state laws regarding non-discrimination, equal opportunity and novels. Plus Class Notes, Tom’s Trivia, and more. affirmative action and does not discriminate on the basis of race, an awards dinner or a game with Coach Rowe, one thing was certain, you would be color, national origin, disability, sex, age or other legally protected characteristics in all programs and activities and supports all state and federal laws that promote equal opportunity and prohibit dis- the last to leave. He had to see everyone. To thank them and make sure they were crimination, including the provision of reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. To request an accommodation or for doing OK. He loved sitting down for a cup of coffee and a muffin to talk about life, questions related to the University’s non-discrimination policies, please contact: Title IX Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity; family. He always said that to know the right thing to do is easy, it is just hard to do 241 Glenbrook Rd., Unit 4175; Storrs, CT 06269; Phone: (860) 486- 2943; [email protected] (non-discrimination policies); ADA Case it sometimes. Dee helped people do the right things in life.” Manager, Department of Human Resources; 9 Walters Ave., Unit 5075; Storrs, CT 06269; Phone: (860) 486-3034; [email protected] (accommodation requests). 2 UCONN MAGAZINE | MAGAZINE.UCONN.EDU SPRING 2021 3 UCONN NOW LETTERS We want to hear from you — good, bad, just not ugly. Please share thoughts, insights, discrepan- cies, recollections, and how’s your Tom’s Trivia win-loss percentage coming? Post to our website at magazine.uconn.edu, email me at [email protected], and send by regular mail to UConn Magazine Letters, 34 N. Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06268-3144. Cliff Robinson better numbers and be a part of signifi- I have not returned to UConn since ➼ Your story on the tragic passing of cant championship teams. I graduated, yet I have often wondered Cliff Robinson certainly evoked some I’m certain there were several NBA if the initials three of us carved in the memories of what seems like an era teams in the 1990s who looked back maple tree near the entrance to Fair- long since passed. He’s the bridge be- at the 1989 draft and wished they had field still remain. tween the mediocre teams of the mid- chosen him. Susan Hollister ’71 (CLAS), via e-mail ’80s and the ascension to glory a few Gone way too soon. years later. I remember the first time I Rick Darling ’84 (BUS), via e-mail Campus Update? heard about him. I used to subscribe to ➼ I love my UConn Magazine. Well the old Husky Blue and White publi- Lego done! As an older alum, I’d love to see cation, which covered UConn sports ➼ I had the chance to work with Meg you feature a new map of the Univer- back in the day. [Hall ’08 (CLAS)] in her agency days. sity and surrounding town. So many In one of their issues probably Savvy, smart, and a lover of all things alums would love it. #BleedBlue back in early 1985, there was a men’s Connecticut. Happy to see her still do- Ann McGreevy ’84 Ph.D., via mail basketball recruiting update with two ing great things here in Connecticut! players mentioned, one of whom was Eric Panke ’93 (SFA), via our website ASL Cliff Robinson — “6’ 9” forward from ➼ I have a teen very interested in Buffalo, New York.” I remember say- Women in the Jungle learning ASL. She was unable to take a ing to myself “Wow — this guy actually ➼ I would like to clarify that the first high school course. Perhaps next year, sounds like a good player.” And he was females took up residence in “The for she aspires to attend UConn and indeed beyond good. He’ll always be Jungle” in the fall of 1967. [“Jungle work with children with hearing and my UConn favorite, even if several Reunion, Class Notes,” Spring 2019] speech difficulties like herself. other players went on to amass slightly I resided in Fairfield. Lorraine MacIntyre, via our website MAKING GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA THE KEY OF LIFE Brianna Chance ’23 (SFA) says the philosophy of “try every- “I didn’t realize research could be going out and gathering thing” is what led her to rewarding research experiences people’s stories.” during her first year at UConn. The music education and Chance hopes to apply her newfound data-collection skills vocal performance major from New Haven, Connecticut, next to questions that may have been overlooked surround- joined La Comunidad Intelectual, a Latinx living and learning ing students of color in the arts. “I really want to connect community, where she says she and her peers quickly rec- what it means to be a student of color and be pursuing the ognized there were relatively few Latinx people working in arts and not be tokenized.” higher education. Chance plans to be a music educator and credits the music So she joined communication professor Diana Rios in col- educators in her life with helping her through difficult situ- lecting testimonials and data about Latinx students’ experi- ations. “They were the people I could rely on,” she says.