Author: Shawn Kornegay


Symbols of the Confederacy Are Slowly Coming Down From US Military Bases: 3 Essential Reads

May 11, 2023

Alan Marcus and Walter Woodward have been studying the role of Confederate monuments and other nostalgia in American memory.

“Historical monuments are intended to be timeless, but almost all have an expiration date,” they wrote. “As society’s values shift, the legitimacy of monuments can and often does erode.”

This is because monuments, including the names of U.S. military bases, reveal the values of the time in which they were created and advance the agendas of their creators.




The Ride of a Lifetime: Reflecting on Career Teaching Ag Educators

May 10, 2023

A young girl’s love for horses and FFA was the impetus for a rewarding career teaching agriculture. Sarah LaRose’s passion for all things equine began at age 10. Her military family moved to Virginia, where she began riding lessons at a local stable.

“When we moved to Connecticut, my guidance counselor at Ledyard High School said in passing, ‘Oh, we also have an agriculture program,’ and passed me a brochure with a horse and rider on the front,” she recalled.


Special Feature: Commencement 2023

May 2, 2023

The members of the Class of 2023 arrived at UConn as part of a diverse and academically accomplished cohort, determined to make their mark on the state’s flagship public university. They did that and more, navigating the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic while setting new standards in sustainability, entrepreneurship, activism, and student scholarship. And, on their way to their next adventure, they got to celebrate the first NCAA men’s basketball national championship in nearly a decade.



2023 Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients

April 20, 2023

Amanda Slavin is the co-founder of CatalystCreativ/CatalystU, a creative agency that empowers brand success by forging deep audience engagement. Slavin’s work has merited Cannes Lion Awards, and the business of such clients as Google, the New York City Ballet, NPR, the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL, and more.


Dr. Madeline Negrón Tapped To Lead New Haven Public Schools

April 20, 2023

The New Haven Board of Education has appointed Dr. Madeline Negrón as superintendent of schools, effective July 1, 2023.

“Dr. Negron knows New Haven and its schools very well,” said Board President Yesenia Rivera. “At the same time, her experience in Hartford has encompassed many of the same issues we face here in New Haven. She can bring a fresh perspective and a strong leadership voice to our ongoing conversations about strategy in all aspects of our mission.”



UConn Mourns the Loss of Carole Neag, the University’s Most Generous Benefactor

April 19, 2023

Carole (Vestali) Neag, a philanthropist and retired registered nurse whose generosity transformed UConn, died Sunday, April 16, at age 80. Neag, the widow of philanthropist Ray Neag ’56 ’01 H, is survived by her son David Hogan and his wife Heidi, her daughter, Elizabeth Lamoin and her husband James, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and extended family. A native of Torrington, Conn., Carole spent her later years in Wyomissing, Penn.