Category: Alumni


Read stories about Neag School of Education alumni.



Jamelle Elliott

UConn’s Jamelle Elliott: Where She is Now

July 1, 2019

There are times, says Jamelle Elliott ’96 (BUS), ’97 MA, when she sticks her head in to watch the UConn basketball players practice for a few minutes, because she misses the sweet echo of a bouncing basketball.

Elliott spent four years on the women’s team, and during her junior year, the undefeated women Huskies won the 1995 NCAA National Championship over the Tennessee Lady Vols, sparking a 10-year rivalry. Elliott was just the second player to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her 135-game career as a Husky. What’s more, the alumna of the School of Business and Neag School never missed a game, or a practice, in four years.



Obituaries: Mary Mazurek Heslin

June 24, 2019

Mary Mazurek Heslin 89, a life-long resident of the City of Hartford, died peacefully on Friday, June 21, 2019. The University of Connecticut always had a special place in her heart and she served as chairman of the Neag School of Education Advisory Board and was recognized by receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award.


Teacher of the Year Named in Southington

June 21, 2019

A social studies teacher with more than two decades of experience at Southington High School has been named the district’s Teacher of the Year for 2019-2020. Heather Allenback has been teaching in Southington since 1995, and attributes her love of social studies to being part of a military family with a vast appreciation for history.



New D-Y Principal Sees Himself as ‘Lifelong Learner’

June 13, 2019

When Paul Funk assumes the top job at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School next month, he’ll have nearly two decades of classroom experience to guide him. “I think it’s absolutely crucial for an administrator to understand the ins and outs of the educational process at the classroom level,” said Funk, who taught science for 18 years before transitioning to administration. “I really believe that the gains that are made, are made at the classroom level with the teachers.”