Desi Nesmith, currently the chief turnaround officer for the state Department of Education, has been named interim commissioner of the department.

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.

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.

The sound of ukuleles may be resonating across Guilford this summer. Sarah Ryan has found a note that sounds sweet to many throughout the Guilford Lakes elementary school.

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.”

UConn Today (Neag School alumna and associate athletic director for the UConn National ‘C’ Club, Jamelle Elliott, is featured)

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.

Neag School alumni Jamie S. Baker ’03 (ED), ’04 MA, and Ronall L. Cannada ’05 (ED), ’06 MA visited the UConn Storrs campus this past spring to attend the inaugural 2019 Black History Month Networking Night, held to connect students from UConn’s ScHOLA2RS House, led by the Neag School’s Erik Hines, with alumni and friends of the University. They each reflect here on the impact of the event, as well as on their careers in education since graduating from the Neag School.

Starring alums Karissa Niehoff ’10 Ed.D. and Jesús Cortés-Sanchez ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, plus appearances by music ed majors and Jonathans XIII and XIV, Neag School Commencement Weekend was full of Husky spirit.

University of Connecticut baseball coach Jim Penders ’94 (CLAS), ’98 MS became the all-time winningest coach in program history on Thursday night as the Huskies defeated Tulane by a 8-5 score in New Orleans.