Neag School Accolades – June-August 2018

Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items and story ideas to neag-communications@uconn.edu.

In addition to the Dean’s Office and Department achievements, explore this edition’s list of Accolades for the following: Faculty/StaffAlumniStudents, as well as In Memoriam.

Dean’s Office and Departments

The Neag School welcomes four new faculty members this August — two in the Department of Educational Leadership and two in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. In addition, René Roselle has been named interim director of teacher education for a two-year term. Donald Leu announces his retirement, effective Sept. 1, after 18 years with the Neag School. Read more.

Gladis Kersaint was named to a 44-member advisory search committee to recommend the next president for the University of Connecticut, to replace Susan Herbst, who is ending an eight-year stint as president and going to a faculty position at the Stamford campus.

 

Department of Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI) and Teacher Education

The Teacher Education program launched a new teacher certification program in Mandarin Chinese, in response to a need for Mandarin elementary and high school teachers at the state and national level. In June, Elizabeth Howard and Michelle Back had testified at the Connecticut State Board of Education in Hartford about the proposed program.

The Neag School of Education Alumni Board and the Teacher Education Program hosted Strong Beginings Workshop for first- and second-year teacher education students. The workshop was held at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington, Conn. on Aug. 18.
The featured speaker for the Strong Beginnings Workshop was Dennis Fowler, a history teacher from Lewis Mills High School, in Burlington, Conn. who spoke about connecting with kids. (Frank Zappulla/Neag School)

The Teacher Education program, along with the Neag School Alumni Board, hosted a Strong Beginnings Workshop for alumni who are now serving in their first or second-years as teachers. Attendees had the opportunity to work with seasoned educators and administrators, gaining insights to help them navigate their careers as educators. The workshop was held at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington, Conn. See photos from the event.

The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) collaborated with the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Conn., for a free STEM academy for grades six through eight, while Neag School students in TCPCG got hands-on experience working with the middle-school students. Check out a photo album from the program.

The Neag School’s Reading and Language Arts Center hosted “The Reading Brain’s Lessons for Literacy and Dyslexia,” featuring Maryanne Wolf, an award-winning dyslexia scholar and best-selling author. Organized by Rachael Gabriel, the event was held in May at the Storrs campus. See photos from the event.

Glenn Mitoma and Alan Marcus co-led a workshop in August at the Dodd Center for teachers and administrators in response to the new Connecticut state law mandating Holocaust and genocide education. Requested by the Connecticut State Department of Education, their workshop was one of four held at different locations throughout the state. Watch a video of the workshop, filmed by CT-N.

The Neag School of Education co-hosted a Dual Language Symposium on July 31, 2018 at the UConn Law School. Co-sponsors included MABE and DuLCE.
Elizabeth Howard, a faculty member at the Neag School, served as co-coordinator of the Dual Language Symposium, held at the UConn School of Law in July. (Frank Zappulla/Neag School)

The Neag School co-hosted a Connecticut Dual Language Symposium in July at the UConn School of Law. Co-hosts included Multistate Association for Bilingual Education (MABE) and Dual Language Connecticut Educators (DuLCE). The half-day symposium, co-coordinateed by Elizabeth Howard, was designed to celebrate the successes of existing dual language programs; brainstorm challenges and solutions for expanding dual language education in the state; and promote awareness of resources to support dual language program implementation. The event brought together professionals in bilingual education; leadership teams from school districts; policymakers; and State Department of Education staff. Check out photos from the event.

 

Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR)

The Center for Education Policy Analysis released three issue briefs over the course of the summer, each authored by current doctoral students. Chelsea Connery ’13 (ED), ’14 MA examined the impact of undocumented status on children’s learning; Alexandra Lamb wrote about preparing school districts for 1:1 technology initiatives; and Samuel J. Kamin’s issue brief focused on current trends in career and technical education.

The Neag School of Education's Executive Leadership Program (ELP) hosted a celebration to recognize the completion of the program. The event was held on June 28, 2018 at UConn Downtown Storrs and featured special speaker James Thompson, Bloomfield Public School's superintendent and CAPSS Superintendent of the Year. Thompson is also a frequent ELP clinical mentor and guest instructor.
James Thompson, superintendent of Bloomfield (Conn.) Public Schools, speaks to the Executive Leadership Program’s graduating 2017-18 cohort in June. (Frank Zappulla/Neag School)

The Department of Educational Leadership hosted the Windham Teacher Leadership Fellows program, which supports the Windham (Conn.) Public Schools in developing and implementing a teacher leadership initiative that aims to provide a sustainable professional development structure in every school in Windham. The program was held on the Storrs campus in June and is entering its third year. See photos from the workshop.

The Executive Leadership Program celebrated the graduation of its 2017-18 cohort in June at the Hartford campus. The event featured James Thompson, superintendent of the Bloomfield (Conn.) Public Schools, as the guest speaker. View photos from the celebration.

 

Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY)

The UConn Two Summers Master's in Educational Technology Online Program is up and running with the new 2018-2019 cohort. In the initial week-long face-to-face session, the emphasis was on sharing, designing, and reflecting on a variety of potential classroom tools and practices. This includes exciting, emergent technologies like virtual reality, robots, drones, games, and more.
Michael Cho, a new student in the Two Summers Program checks out the virtual reality equipment. (Frank Zappulla/Neag School)

The Neag School hosted the 8th annual Modern Modeling Methods (M3conference on the Storrs campus in May. Mis an interdisciplinary conference designed to showcase the latest modeling methods and to present research related to these methodologies. Keynote speakers included Susan A. Murphy from Harvard University, Tenko Raykov from Michigan State University, and Peter Molenaar from Pennsylvania State University. See photos from the conference.

The Two Summers Master’s in Educational Technology Online Program welcomed new students for the 2018-19 cohort and held an orientation week in July on the Storrs campus. In the initial weeklong face-to-face session, the emphasis was on sharing, designing, and reflecting on a variety of potential classroom tools and practices. This included emergent technologies like virtual reality, robots, drones, and more. View photos from the event.

Professor Scott Brown celebrates in Hartford this spring with Tamika La Salle, left, recognized at the Capitol Building with an AAUP Award for Teaching Innovation, and Jaci VanHeest, who received an AAUP Award for University Service. (Photo courtesy of Tamika La Salle)
Professor Scott Brown celebrates in Hartford this spring with Tamika La Salle, left, recognized with an AAUP Award for Teaching Innovation, and Jaci VanHeest, who received an AAUP Award for University Service. (Photo courtesy of Tamika La Salle)

The Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development hosted the 41st annual Confratute, a summer institute on enrichment-based differential teaching. The weeklong program was held on the Storrs campus and drew attendees from across the U.S. and 12 countries. Check out photos.

The Neag School’s Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability hosted the 30th Annual Postsecondary Disability Training Institute (PTI), which seeks to assist professionals in meeting the unique needs of college students with disabilities.

Fifty-nine students from across the U.S. participated with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars Program in July on the Storrs campus. The program was launched by the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. Check out pictures from one of the student/faculty partnerships.

The Neag School’s Center for Behavioral Education & Research hosted its second annual Summer Behavioral Institute — a one-week intensive program presented by national experts designed to develop positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) skills — on the Storrs campus in July. Check out photos from the program.

 

A student from Texas collects leeches on the Storrs campus this summer as part of a program launched by the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. (Frank Zappulla/Neag School)
A student from Texas collects leeches on the Storrs campus this summer as part of a program launched by the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. (Frank Zappulla/Neag School)

 

Faculty/Staff             

Joseph Abramo
Joseph Abramo, assistant professor of music education in the Neag School.

Joseph Abramo co-published with another colleague “What Cooperating Music Teachers Say About Educative Mentoring: A Focus Study Research Project” for the June issue of Research Studies in Music Education. Abramo was also appointed to the editorial board of the Journal of Music Teacher Education. He was one of three faculty members selected for a three-year team out of 32 nominees.

Michele Back co-edited with another colleague a new book Racialization and Language (Routledge, 2018).

Ronald Beghetto was interviewed by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) an audio segment titled “Teaching Students to Solve Overwhelming, Complex, and Uncertain Problems,” during which he discussed his recently published book What If? Building Students’ Problem-Solving Skills Through Complex Challenges (ACSD, 2018).

Aarti Bellara presented “Extending the Curve of Factor Models to Accommodate Non-Ignorable Missingness” at the M3 conference on the Storrs campus in May with doctoral students Anthony Gambino and Kevin Agnello. She also presented “Evidence in Teacher Preparation: Establishing Reliability and Content Validity of Educator Preparation Program-Developed Rubrics” with George Michna at the Association for Assessment and Learning in Higher Education Conference in June in Salt Lake City.

Melissa Bray co-published with other colleagues “Academic Stress: What Is the Problem and What Can Educators and Parents Do to Help?” in the July issue of Positive Schooling and Child Development.

Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo served as a co-panelist in May at the Latin American Studies Association meeting in Barcelona. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo)
Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo served as a co-panelist in May at the Latin American Studies Association meeting in Barcelona. Pictured here are (L-R) Katie Daly (York University, Toronto), Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo (UConn, U.S.), Sabina Inetti Pino (Universidad de la República, Uruguay), and Maikel Pons Giralt (Universidad de Camagüey, Cuba and Brasil la Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais). (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo)

Rebecca A. Campbell-Montalvo co-presented on educational inclusion at the Latin American Studies Association meeting in Barcelona in May.

Todd Campbell co-published with colleagues “Science Education and Student Autonomy” for the June issue of Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education. In August, Campbell hosted a two-day teacher professional learning workshop for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Academy on the Storrs campus in August. Neag School research assistant and alum Laura Rodriguez ’16 (ED), ’17 MA led the workshop. Campbell also worked closely with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History to provide teacher curriculum for UConn’s Bug Week, held in July on the Storrs campus.

Milagros Castillo-Montoya presented at University of Southern California’s Equity Minded Teaching Institute in Los Angeles in June.

Sandy M. Chafouleas co-authored “Accessing Behavioral Health Services: Introduction to a Special Issue of Research, Policy, and Practice” for the June issue of School Mental Healthas well as “Examining the Stability of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Risk Status: Implications for Screening Frequency” in the May issue of School Psychology Quarterly. With D. Betsy McCoach and other colleagues, she also co-published “Methods Matter: A Multi-Trait Multi-Method Analysis of Student Behavior” in the June issue of Journal of School Psychology.

Running back Lyle McCombs
Joseph Cooper penned original commentary for The Conversation titled ”Dangerous Stereotypes Stalk Black College Athletes.” Read it here.

Joseph Cooper penned original commentary for The Conversation about damaging stereotypes regarding black college athletes.

Michael Coyne published “Evaluating the Effects of Supplemental Reading Intervention Within an MTSS or RTI Reading Reform Initiative Using a Regression Discontinuing Design” in the May issue of Exceptional Children.

Morgaen L. Donaldson and Sarah Woulfin co-published “From Tinkering to Going ‘Rogue’: How Principals Use Agency When Enacting New Teacher Evaluation Systems” for the July issue of Educational Evaluation and Policy AnalysisDonaldson also co-published “Principals and Teacher Evaluation: The Cognitive, Relational, and Organizational Dimensions of Working With Low-Performing Teachers” in the June issue of Journal of Educational Administration, and “The Structure of Tracking: Instructional Practices of Teachers Leading Low- and High-Track Classes” in the June issue of American Journal of Education.

Hannah Dostal co-published with a colleague “If You Use ASL, Should You Study ESL? Limitations of a Modality-B(i)ased Policy” for the June issue of Language. In the July issue of Exceptionality, she also co-published “A National Survey of Teachers of the Deaf on Disciplinary Writing.”

Elizabeth Howard and Tom Levine co-published “What Teacher Educators Need to Know About Language and Language Learners: The Power of Faculty Learning Community,” a chapter in the new book What Teachers Need to Know About Language (Multilingual Matters/Channel View Publications, 2018).

James Kaufman, Joseph Renzulli, and Sally Reis,along with other colleagues, co-published “Characteristics of ADHD Related to Executive Function: Differential Predictions for Creativity-Related Traits” for the August issue of the Journal of Creative Behavior.

Florence Denmark, a legendary psychologist and former president of the American Psychological Association, presented Professor James Kaufman with the Florence L. Denmark Award this past May in New York, N.Y. (Photo courtesy of James Kaufman)
Florence Denmark, a legendary psychologist and former president of the American Psychological Association, presented Professor James Kaufman with the Florence L. Denmark Award this past May in New York, N.Y. (Photo courtesy of James Kaufman)

James Kaufman was featured in an article titled “Creativity as a Sliding Maze: An Interview with Dr. James Kaufman” in the May issue of Association for Educational Communications & Technology. Kaufman also co-published with a colleague “The Siren Song of Aesthetics? Domain Differences and Creativity in Engineering and Design” in the May issue of Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, along with “The Road to Uncreative Science Is Paved With Good Intentions: Ideas, Implementations, and Uneasy Balances” in the July issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science. With his wife, Allison B. Kaufman, he co-published Pseudoscience: The Conspiracy Against Science(MIT Press, 2018), which was featured in a blog titled “The Inquisitive Biologist.” He also co-published “The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Domain-Specific and Domain-General Creativity” in the August issue of Journal of Creative Behavior. In May, he was recognized with the Florence L. Denmark Award, given by Pace University for his work with the American Psychological Association, at the Pace University Psychology Conference in New York, N.Y.

Devin Kearns presented on data-based decision making at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, Nethlerlands, in June.
Devin Kearns presented on data-based decision making at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, Nethlerlands, in June. (Photo courtesy of Erica Lembke)

Devin Kearns presented on data-based decision making at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, Nethlerlands, in June. In May, he co-published “Reading Comprehension and Co-Teaching Practices in Middle School English Language Arts Classrooms” in Exceptional Children, and in July he co-published “Envisioning an Improved Continuum of Special Education Services for Students With Learning Disabilities: Considering Intervention Intensity” in Learning Disabilities Research & Practice.

Donald J. Leu co-published with colleagues “Reading to Learn from Online Information: Modeling the Factor Structure” for the July issue of Journal of Literacy Research.

Catherine Little wrote original commentary for the National Association for Gifted Children in July about peer tutoring and gifted learners.

Erik Loken was part of a research team that studied how a responsive parenting intervention can result in lower body mass indexes (BMIs) for young children. The findings were released in the August issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Allison Lombardi and former Neag School faculty member Shaun Dougherty, along with graduate student Jessica Monahan, co-authored “Students With Intellectual Disabilities and Career and Technical Education Opportunities: A Systematic Literature Review” for the April issue of Journal of Disability Policy Studies.  

Joe Madaus' book.
Joseph Madaus co-edited Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities (Routledge, 2018).

Joseph Madaus edited with other colleagues Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities (Routledge, 2018). The book features a chapter on increasing college and career readiness for all students, co-authored by Allison Lombardi.

Alan Marcus wrote original commentary for The Conversation about rethinking how the Holocaust is taught.

Betsy McCoach and Aarti Bellara co-authored a paper with current graduate students Graham H. Rifenbark, Sarah D. Newton, Xiaoran Li, Dani Yomtov, andAnthony J. Gambino, as well as alumna Janice Kooken15 Ph.D., “Does the Package Matter? A Comparison of Five Multilevel Modeling Software Packages?for the May issue of Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics. McCoach also co-published “Stability of Intelligence from Infancy Through Adolescence: An Autoregressive Latent Variable Model” in the July-August issue of Intelligence.

Teachers, parents, and community members gathered at E.O. Smith to participate with the Campus Dialogues Fellowship.
Teachers, parents, and community members gathered at E.O. Smith in Mansfield, Conn., this summer to participate in a Campus Dialogues Fellowship led by Glenn Mitoma. (Photo courtesy of Glenn Mitoma)

Glenn Mitoma worked with E.O. Smith High School in Mansfield, Conn., this past year on a community outreach program, which received a Humanities Institute Initiative on Campus Dialogues Fellowship. Mitoma trained about 80 students on facilitating deliberative forums in the style of the Kettering Foundation’s National Issues Forums. This summer, they facilitated a forum with most of the E.O. Smith faculty, and with about 30 classes.

Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead is serving as a co-PI on a project that has received $2.2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. The project, titled “Integrating Computational Thinking in Mathematics and Science High School Teacher Professional Development,” will focus on developing a comprehensive online professional development program for high school science and mathematics teachers.

Joseph Renzulli published “Common Sense About the Under-Representation Issue” for the August issue of the International Journal for Talent Development.

Lisa Sanetti co-published “Evaluating the Fit of Ecological Framework for Implementation Variables” in the June issue of Assessment for Effective Intervention.

Richard Schwab has been appointed to the Dean’s Advisory Board of Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education. He was also nominated and will be voted on for the National Advisory Board of Discovering Amistad in early September.

John Settlage co-published “Writing Worth Reading: Science Methods Textbooks and Science Education Articles” this past spring in Science Education.

George Sugai was a featured presenter during the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Commission on School Safety field visit to a school in Maryland in May. Read more. Sugai also moderated a panel session for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, that looked at the systems of support to maximize students’ time in instruction. The panel was held in July in Washington, D.C. This August, he spoke at the Southbridge (Mass.) Schools convocation, an event led by alum Jeffrey Villar ’96 MA, ’99 Ph.D.

Jennie Weiner co-published with doctoral student Shannon Holder Why Lead?”: Using Narrative to Explore the Motivations of Those Aspiring to Be Principals in High Needs Schools” in the July issue of International Journal of Leadership in Education.

Sarah L. Woulfin co-published with a colleague “Editor’s Introduction: Organizational Perspectives on Leadership Development” for the August issue of Journal of Research on Leadership Education. She also published “Mediating Instructional Reform: An Examination of the Relationship Between District Policy and Instructional Coaching” for the August issue of AERA Open.

 

Students

Ellen Agnello, a second-year doctoral student in educational psychology, published “Why Are We Doing Math in English Class? Building Qualitative Literacy to Improve Expository Text Comprehension” for the July issue of Advancing Education in Qualitative Literacy.

Francisca Quainoo (pictured in the middle) gathered with Tamika La Salle (on the left) and Melissa Bray at the CAPS meeting
Francisca Quainoo, center, celebrates her UConn Intern of the Year award, presented by the Connecticut Association of School Psychologists this June, with Tamika La Salle, left, and Melissa Bray. (Photo courtesy of Tamika La Salle)

Emily R. Auerbach, a graduate student in educational psychology, co-published with Sandra M. Chafouleas and Neag School alumna Amy M. Briesch 05 MA, 09 6th Year, 09 Ph.D.State-Level Guidance on School-Based Screening for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Risk: A Follow-Up Study” for the June issue of School Mental Health.

Tatianna A. Montalvo, an undergraduate student in sport management, was recognized with the Outstanding Senior Women Academic Achievement Award by the UConn Provost’s Office, UConn Alumni, and the Women’s Center. The award recognizes undergraduate and graduate female students who have excelled academically within each School/College and demonstrated high achievement in research and service to the University community.

Francisca Quainoo, a graduate student in educational psychology, was recognized by the Connecticut Association of School Psychologists (CASP) as the UConn Intern of the Year. Quainoospent her internship at East Hartford (Conn.) Middle School, where she has engaged in clinical work and developed innovative programming for students. She was recognized at CASP’s annual meeting in June in Fairfield, Conn. 

 

Alumni    

Parag Bhuva ’12 (CLAS), ’13 MA, a world history teacher at Washington Latin Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., traveled this past summer on an expedition to the Arctic with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions, through its Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. Starting in Bergen, Norway, the group traveled up the coast of Norway to Svalbard, an island archipelago in the Arctic to view polar bears, walruses, and seals, and to learn about the ecosystems and culture of the area.

Parag Bhuva ’12 (CLAS), ’13 MA, a teacher in Washington, D.C., traveled this past summer on an expedition to the Arctic with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions, through its Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. (Photo courtesy of Parag Bhuva)
Parag Bhuva ’12 (CLAS), ’13 MA, a teacher in Washington, D.C., traveled this past summer on an expedition to the Arctic with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions, through its Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. (Photo courtesy of Parag Bhuva)

Kristi Gebler Carriero 04 (ED), ’05 MA, an assistant principal at Norwalk (Conn.) Brien McMahon High School, was hired to serve in the same role at New Canaan High. She began the new role in July.

Yvonne Condell 58 MA, 65 Ph.D.was honored in June with a humanitarian and philanthropic award from Minnesota State University, where she was a longtime faculty member.

Viviana Conner 17 ELP has accepted a position with Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools as the executive director for elementary and middle school grades. Most recently, she was at Greenwich (Conn.) Public Schools, where she was responsible for aligning the world language curriculum to the Connecticut Common Core Standards for English language arts.

Alanna Cooney ’17 (CLAS), ’18 MA is featured in this fall’s recruitment campaign for the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG). A grad of TCPCG at the Avery Point campus, she will be starting this coming school year as a seventh-grade science teacher at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury, Conn. Watch her video.

Photo of Anna Cutaia-Leonard.
Anna M. Cutaia-Leonard ’07 ELP, ’13 Ed.D. has been named superintendent of Milford (Conn.) Public Schools. (Photo credit: New Haven Register)

Anna M. Cutaia-Leonard 07 ELP, 13 Ed.D. has been named superintendent of Milford (Conn.) Public Schools. Cutaia-Leonard, former superintendent of schools for Regional District 14, and former director of elementary education in Fairfield, started her new position in August.

Jon Dahlquist ’03 (ED) is dean of wellness and athletics at Eagles Catholic High School in Manchester, Conn.

Chris Dailey 99 MA, associate coach from UConn women’s basketball, was inducted into Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame this June. The event was held at the Tennessee Theater, in Knoxville, Tenn. She became the fifth person from UConn to be inducted. Dailey has coached for 33 seasons in Storrs, having come to Connecticut with Geno Auriemma in 1985. Together, Auriemma and Dailey have combined to lead UConn to an all-time record 11 NCAA National Championships.

Peter Dart 09 6thYear, 16 ELP has been named principal of Dorothy C. Goodwin Elementary School in Mansfield, Conn. Most recently, he served as a principal of the Mary Hooker Environmental Science School in Hartford, Conn.

Jamelle Elliott 96 (BUS), 98 MA was named associate athletic director for the National “C” Club for UConn student-athletes. Ellliott most recently served as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati from 2009-18 after working on Geno Auriemma’s coaching staff from 1997-09.

Chris Dailey, left, is escorted by Geno Auriemma at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn., this June. (Photo credit: Lisa Hudson/Courant)
Chris Dailey, left, is escorted by Geno Auriemma at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn., this June. (Photo credit: Lisa Hudson/Courant)

Elena Forzani 16 Ph.D. has been appointed assistant professor of literacy education at Boston University (BU). Prior to joining BU, she was a researcher at Boston College. Forzani began her professional career as a high school English teacher in New Haven, Conn.

Maryanne Garry ’93 Ph.D., a professor at Waikato University in Tauranga, New Zealand, gave a free lecture on the science of memory this August.

Brett Gottheimer 09 (CLAS), 09 (ED),17 6th Year was appointed dean of teaching and learning for Center Woods Upper Elementary School in Weare, N.H. Gottheimer formerly served as the fine arts department head at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H. Prior to his move into school administration, he taught music in high schools and middle schools in Connecticut for 13 years.

Meghan Hanrahan ’02 (CLAS),’04 MA was recognized by Hartford Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” honoree. She is UConn School of Business’ director of the business analytics and project management graduate program at UConn Hartford and Stamford campuses. Hanrahan has worked for UConn for 14 years and served in a variety of roles across the institution. As director, she manages an $8 million program for the school and supports more than 450 students recruited from around the world.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt 88 (ED), 97 MS, an author of children’s books, was recognized with a 2018 William Allen White Children’s Book Award for her book Fish in a Tree.

Scott Hurwitz ’93 (CLAS), 08 6th Year has been appointed principal of Irving A. Robbins Middle School in Farmington, Conn. He most recently served as the acting middle school principal of Gideon Welles School in Glastonbury, Conn.

Brian T. Keating 93 (ED), 94 MA has been named the interim program administrator after participating in the Alternative High School Design Team during the 2016-17 school-year to develop the Windrose Program. He joined Greenwich High School in 2001 as an English teacher with the GHS Community Learning Program and served as Clark House assistant dean.

Stephen Kilgus ’06 (CLAS), 07 MA, 11 Ph.D., 11 6th Year is associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to UW-Madison, Kilgus worked at the University of Missouri and East Carolina University.

Neag School alumni Holly Korona ’13 (ED), ’14 MA and Daniel Bronko ’15 (ED), ’16 MA celebrate their wedding day with UConn’s mascot, Jonathan. (Photo credit: AP)
Neag School alumni Holly Korona ’13 (ED), ’14 MA and Daniel Bronko ’15 (ED), ’16 MA celebrate their wedding day with UConn’s mascot, Jonathan. (Photo credit: AP)

Holly Korona 13 (ED), 14 MA and Daniel Bronko 15 (ED), 16 MA, who originally became known nationally for having UConn’s mascot Jonathan help with their engagement proposal, celebrated their wedding day with numerous fellow Huskies by their side. Their wedding photos — also featuring Jonathan — made national news in such outlets as SFGate, NBC New York, and the Associated Press.

Wally Lamb ’72 (CLAS), ’77 MA was Norwich Free Academy’s Class of 1969 50th reunion speaker. He was a member of that graduating class, and had served on the faculty as an English teacher for 25 years.

James E. “Jim” Main ’79 MA has been appointed executive vice president for administration and chief financial officer for the University of North Texas Dallas in Dallas. He most recently served in a leadership role at the University of Nebraska.

Tina Mannarino 02 ELP, 03 Ph.D. has been appointed superintendent for public personnel services for Westport (Conn.) Public Schools. She previously served as director for the Department of Programs and Services for Young Children and Families for LEARN – Regional Education Service Center in Old Lyme, Conn.

Ralph F. Mayo ’06 ELP has been selected as interim superintendent of schools for Greenwich (Conn.) Public Schools. Mayo, a Greenwich High graduate, has been an educator with Greenwich Public Schools for 41 years, an administrator for 26 years, and, for the past 14 years, principal of Eastern Middle School.

Yvette T. McDonnell 99 (CLAS), 01 MA has been named dean of community and work at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vt. McDonnell will oversee a broad range of programs and services that support the well-being and holistic education of Sterling College students.McDonnell has more than 15 years of experience working in the field of student affairs.

Wally Lamb ’72 (CLAS), ’77 MA was Norwich Free Academy’s Class of 1969 50th reunion speaker.(Photo credit: Tim Martin/The Day)
Wally Lamb ’72 (CLAS), ’77 MA was Norwich Free Academy’s Class of 1969 50th reunion speaker.(Photo credit: Tim Martin/The Day)

TJ McKenna 18 Ph.D.has accepted a faculty position at Boston University. Most recently, he was led science education at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, Conn.

Ty McNamee 15 MA was profiled in the Star Tribune out of Wyoming. McNamee is currently a doctoral student at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, N.Y.

Maureen Mitchell 76 MA has been installed as president of Sisters of Mercy Northeast Community. Mitchell recently served as Northeast Community’s vice president. Before entering Community leadership, Mitchell ministered for over a quarter century as a clinical pastoral education supervisor — most recently for the Veteran’s Administration New York Harbor Health Care System, where she taught seminarians and military chaplains how to spiritually accompany veterans.

Chantelle (Hennessy) Palumbo 96 (ED), 97 MA has accepted a position as the middle school special education supervisor for Norwalk (Conn.) Public Schools. Most recently, she was the special education program administrator for Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Conn.

Sean Palziere 18 (ED) was featured in UConn Magazine as part of a series welcoming incoming freshmen.

Diana L. Payne ’07 Ph.D., education coordinator at Connecticut Sea Grant, co-edited Exemplary Practices in Marine Science Education (Springer, 2018), the first international book on marine science education and ocean literacy, which will be a resource for undergraduate and graduate courses in science education.

Daniel Pichette ’04 MA, ’11 6th Year is assistant principal for Rockville (Conn.) High School.

Reuben Pierre-Louis 17 (ED), 18 MA was welcomed as a newly hired special education teacher at Westhill High School in Stamford, Conn.

Amanda Powell ’10 (CLAS), ’11 MA was honored as Bloomfield (Conn.) Public School’s Teacher of the Year. (Photo credit: Stan Godlewski/Courant)
Amanda Powell ’10 (CLAS), ’11 MA was honored as Bloomfield (Conn.) Public School’s Teacher of the Year. (Photo credit: Stan Godlewski/Courant)

Amanda Powell 10 (CLAS), 11 MA was honored as Bloomfield (Conn.) Public School’s Teacher of the Year. At Bloomfield High, Powell teaches algebra, geometry, and AP statistics.

Jessica Raugitinane ’13 (ED), 14 MA was featured on the Alma Exley Scholarship website in a piece about her experience teaching English as a second language in Quito, Ecuador, through a volunteer program called WorldTeach.

Maureen McSparran Ruby 77 (CLAS), 78 MS, 82 DMD, 07 Ph.D.was recognized by Sacred Heart University with the 2018 Outstanding Administrator Award. She received the award in Fairfield (Conn.) in May. Ruby is the assistant superintendent in the Brookfield (Conn.) Public Schools.

(Photo courtesy of Manchester Public Schools)
Kelly Shea ’11 (CLAS), (ED), ’12 MA was recognized as Manchester (Conn.) Public School’s Teacher of the Year. (Photo courtesy of Manchester Public Schools)

Kelly Shea 11 (CLAS), (ED), ’12 MAwas recognized as Manchester (Conn.) Public School’s Teacher of the Year. Now in her sixth year of teaching at Manchester High, Shea teaches English, acting, and humanities, a course she co-created with a colleague.

Tyler Sheikh10 MA has been appointed head coach of men’s soccer at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Most recently, Sheikh was the men’s soccer coach at Knox College.

Amanda Slavin08 (ED), 09 MA was a featured speaker at the 2018 Big Omaha conference in August in Omaha, Neb.

Emma Smith 01 (CLAS), 14 MA, 18 6th Year published “Exploring Survival: A Student-Led Unit in the Seventh-Grade English Classroom” for the May issue of English Journal.

Joshua Smith XX ELP was named superintendent of New Milford (Conn.) Public Schools. Smith, who grew up in Southbury and graduated from Pomperaug High School, started his 22-year education career as a student teacher at Rochambeau Middle School.

Elsie Torres 18 ELP has been selected as the assistant superintendent of East Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools.

Kristina Wallace 09 (CLAS), 12 MA, 17 6th Year has been hired as the associate principal of Naugatuck (Conn.) High School. Most recently, she was the lead school counselor at Windsor (Conn.) High School.

Christopher Winters 05 ELP, 13 Ed.D. has accepted a position with Greenwich (Conn.) Country Day School as head of the new Upper School. Most recently, he served as Greenwich High’s headmaster for the past 10 years.

In Memoriam

Stephen August 58
Ina Ruth Sarin Beck ’90
Raymond A. Bolduc
64
Katherine E. Bombara
61
Joseph D. Bridgeforth
80
Robert J. Caffrey
89
Robert Carchman
88
Norma Cherlin
73
Jack W. Cohen ’65
Theresa A. Delillo
58
Roger R. Festa
82
Eleanor S. Forslund
51
David A. Fowler
81
Katherine E. Flynn
70
Myra S. Froman
53
June E. Hardy-Greengrass
78
Lester M. Harston
59
John J. Kolesko
79
Dorothy D. Kubachka
67
Lucille E. Kuhnly
52
Thomas R. Lawson
55
Deborah Leff
56
Romeo J. Martens
50
Carroll D. Mason
59
Patricia L. Mereen
70
George Mitchell
54
Michelle Musler
60
Francis E. Nelligan ’59
Edmund J. Nocera
86
Gregory R. Palmer
82
Barbara M. Reinsch
77
Jan Richards
74
Andrea G. Rosenstein
78
Dorothy D. Roberts
69
Lori A. Tomasetti
94
Sharon S. Torrant
73
Sally A. Welch
70