Suzanne Saunders Taylor: A Leader and Advocate for Women

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Forty years ago, Suzanne Taylor was one of the key players in getting the Commission on the Status of Women launched in Connecticut. Just a few years prior, in the summer of 1970, she completed a Ph.D. at UConn and at the same time became divorced and responsible for two children, ages 10 and 12. On Oct. 1, 2013,  the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women will receive the prestigious award “One Woman Makes a Difference”  to mark their four decades as the state’s leading force for women’s equality.

Along the way, she became involved in the women’s movement as she researched women’s history in education and studied attitudes toward women in leadership through her doctorate program. Taylor met and interacted with many women leaders who were—or would become—superintendents, law professors, university provosts, and other selected officials.

While experiencing personal discrimination in trying to gain access to credit and employment, she worked with women leaders who collectively believed that in order to gain equal rights for women, legislative action was required. They began to publish ALERT, Women’s Legislative Review, and lobbied to create the Commission on the Status of Women.

Her dissertation “Attitudes of Superintendents and Board Members in Connecticut Toward Employment and Effectiveness of Women as Public School Administrators” would serve as a grounded focus and inspiration for her and women around her.  A fellow Ph.D. student, Mary Lou Bargnesi,’71, ‘75, replicated her research and went on to become a Connecticut schools superintendent. Taylor’s thesis did not gather library dust but was replicated in many other states over the ensuing years and reposes in Harvard yard by being included in the archives of Radcliffe College’s Murray Research Center.

Bargnesi, who at the time was one of just a few women on a career path in education administration, found Taylor’s work  both instructive and dismaying learning that attitudes at the time (especially among women board members) were a little shy of Neanderthal.”

Bargnesi also found Taylor to be not just a good friend, but a source of support and knowledge: “She shared her expertise and experience generously, especially during early years when I basically knew nothing.”

Taylor considers herself fortunate to have worked in the College of Education Dean’s office with a noted school finance colleague, Harry Hartley, who later became president of UConn.  She also found valuable inspiration from Professors Pritzkau and Gruhn as well as working with the former US Commissioner of Education, Sam Brownell.  Taylor was the first woman to receive the Ph.D. in educational leadership.

Taylor’s professional career began at UConn where she received a BA with a major in English and a minor in Industrial Relations along with several courses in Landscape Architecture.

“Not allowed to be fully employed after she and her first husband adopted their two children she did go back to school and studied English at the University of Scranton and then moving back to Connecticut pursued an MS degree at Southern Connecticut State University. After graduating in 1965, she taught English and drama at a high school, where she also helped start a theater program.  Then she left to become the director of the Lower School at Williams in New London which led her to starting the UConn Ph.D. program.

In 1972 with doctorate in hand, Taylor was hired as the first professional woman on the staff of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA). While directing the CEA’s research and retirement planning department, she became involved with providing educational data to state legislators as well as to members for use in collective bargaining.  She also focused on women’s issues for teachers and sponsored a major conference on the status of women called the 51% Majority which was published by the National Education Association and headlined by Matina Horner, president of Radcliffe College.

She also focused on retirement issues and was granted a sabbatical where she spent a year at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania under the sponsorship of the Pension Research Council where she conducted major research on teacher retirement systems across the entire United States.  Her work was subsequently published by Cornell University, ILR Press.

Following  her career with CEA Taylor was hired as the executive director of the University of Rhode Island American Association of University Professors in 1992.  She was familiar with the campus as she had been hired in 1988 as a full professor to teach a class on pensions and  health insurance for the Labor Research Center.  She continues teaching graduate students in the center and also continues doing research on pensions, health insurance, and retirement issues. She also practices what she preaches as she has chaired the town of Old Saybrook’s Pension and Benefits Board for more than the past 10 years.  She is the author of a book on Health Insurance as well as a study of how faculty retire in the UK and US.  She is invited to speak on these topics at various national conferences.

Taylor’s interest in equality for women continued throughout her various careers.  Before retiring from her position as executive director at URI AAUP she was instrumental in resolving a major sex discrimination complaint against the URI College of Engineering.  The settlement resulted in improved working conditions and support for female faculty and students.   She continues her interest in women in higher education by serving on the national AAUP Committee for Women in the Academic Profession.

Her professional life is blessed with her marriage on March 17, 2001 to George R. Brown, a former UConn alum and trustee.   They live in Old Saybrook, and are staunch supporters of both the athletic and art programs of UConn. Taylor is also a URI and a Connecticut Master Gardener.   Taylor’s children continue to live in Storrs and her granddaughter will be married on the campus this fall.

Over the years, she’s been inspired by many women, and has had numerous women mentors, including Gail Shea (past UConn assistant provost), Sheila Tobias (past provost at Wesleyan), Audrey Beck (past state representative from Mansfield, CT), She is also listed in Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975, edited by Barbara J. Love, University of Illinois Press, 2006.

Taylor’s mother, who was a nurse, was also inspirational, though she passed away when Taylor was only 30. Taylor became close to her aunt, Edna May Sole, who started her career as a teacher in 1921 in a rural school in Monroe, CT. Her aunt taught for 48 ½ years at Central Connecticut State University and held numerous leadership positions in local and statewide organizations.

Taylor’s aunt also fought throughout her life to protect the rights of women and children. Although she passed away in 1996, she and Taylor had a close relationship, and Taylor saw her as “not only inspirational, but a role model.” Forthcoming is a new book, edited by Taylor, about Edna May Sole and her late husband’s Williams College roommate, who became an Episcopalian monk.

Edna Mae Sole’s life was an extraordinary one as she married for the first time at the age of 45 and when her husband died 25 years later she renewed a friendship with his college roommate for the next 20 years.  Their correspondence, letters to her from him and from her to him, is to be published as Love Letters to a Monk.  The letters reveal their thoughts and friendship as they often met near and far in such places as: Santa Barbara, London, and even New York City as well as in Connecticut and at Williams College reunions. When Rev. Spencer was sent to Ghana in his 80s to teach seminarians the discussions are most intriguing. Taylor noted that she did not read the letters until after Aunt’s death, as she had been asked to keep track of them during her aunt’s later years. The book is well over 200 pages.

UConn, the Neag School of Education and women across Connecticut  and Rhode Island are better due to the efforts of  Taylor, sentiments that Taylor’s colleague and friend Bargnesi has repeated several times: “Suzanne is a genuine ‘true believer’ who’s never waivered from her efforts to do right by people for whom she was responsible. She was focused on her tireless work for women and for educators.”

 

 

 

 

Neag School of Education Unleashes Leadership with New Hires

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In 2012, UConn announced plans to embark on an ambitious, multi-year hiring initiative. Seeking to strategically expand its faculty in key research and teaching areas, UConn is hiring 500 tenure-track faculty members over the next four years. The Neag School of Education is proud to be part of this effort, adding 17 new faculty members.

“The focus of our faculty hires is researching causes and consequences of the achievement gap, along with analyzing policy and researching solutions designed to close it,” said Dean Thomas C. DeFranco.  “Additional faculty will help fulfill the school’s goal to promote program growth and stability.

New faculty members at the Neag School will help transform education.

Dorothea Anagnostopoulos headshotDorothea Anagnostopoulos – Associate Professor and Executive Director of Teacher Education

Anagnostopoulos brings proven leadership and experience working with students and educators in culturally and linguistically complex school systems. Extensively published, she comes to UConn from Michigan State University, where among other roles she directed the Chicago-based urban teacher preparation program. She taught high school English for several years in Chicago and California. A leading scholar on school reform, Anagnostopoulos holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Chicago.

 

Ron B.Ronald Beghett0 – Associate Professor of Educational Psychology

Beghetto currently serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Education Studies at University of Oregon’s College of Education. He is an expert on classroom creativity, having authored two books and published numerous articles and chapters on the topic. He is the incoming Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Creative Behavior and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and has been recognized with several outstanding research and teaching awards. Beghetto holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology from Indiana University.

 

Todd David “Todd” Campbell – Associate Professor of Science Education

A researcher on the factors that influence science education reform, Campbell comes to UConn from the STEM Education Department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he was an associate professor. He is the principal investigator for a five-year National Science Foundation $2.5M project focused on integrating technology into science instruction. A former junior high and high school science teacher, he’s also served as a science education professor at Utah State University. He holds a doctorate from the University of Iowa in Science Education Curriculum and Instruction.

 

HeadshotMilagros Castillo-Montoya – Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs

Castillo-Montoya’s research focuses on teaching and learning in urban colleges and universities with particular attention to the learning and development experiences of first-generation African American and Latino students during their undergraduate years. Author of the book Cubans in New Jersey: Migrants Tell Their Stories (2012), she most recently served as an instructor for Teachers College, Columbia University Department of Organization and Leadership’s Higher and Postsecondary Education Program. Bilingual and a presenter at several national conferences, she holds a doctorate in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

 

CooperJoseph Cooper – Assistant Professor of Sport Management

Cooper’s research focuses on Black male student athletes’ experiences and outcomes at institutions of higher education in the US. Cooper comes to UConn from the University of Georgia, where he recently earned a doctorate in Kinesiology (Sport Management and Policy) and served for three years as a graduate teaching assistant and undergraduate instructor, a position he also held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

 

Hannah Dostal – Assistant Professor of LiteracyHannah Dostal

Dostal bring extensive leadership experience as a professor, writing intervention coordinator, and special education consultant. Her research focuses on writing instruction of linguistically diverse students and the impact of interactive instruction on language development. Dostal served as a special education and reading assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University, instructional consultant for the American School for the Deaf and teacher at the Tennessee School for the Deaf, among other positions. She earned a doctorate in Education with a concentration in Literacy Studies, and a cognate in deafness, from the University of Tennessee. She also has a degree in American Sign Language interpreting.

 

 

Shaun Dougherty

Shaun Dougherty – Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy

A fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Center for Education Policy Research for the past four years, Dougherty’s research focuses on the impact of educational policies and curricular interventions in middle and high school. He previously served as an instructor in Brown University’s Urban Education Policy Master’s Program, among other teaching positions. Dougherty recently earned a doctorate in Quantitative Policy Analysis in Education from Harvard and also served as an editor and editorial board member of the Harvard Educational Review.

 

JenniferJennifer Freeman – Assistant Professor of Special Education

With research expertise on dropout prevention and positive behavior supports, among other areas, Freeman recently earned a doctorate in Special Education from the Neag School of Education. Widely published and a presenter at several national conferences, she’s served as an elementary and middle school special education teacher and instructional consultant in Maine and Michigan. She is a member of the Association for Positive Behavior Supports, among other professional organizations.

 

PrestonPreston C. Green III – John and Carla Klein Professorship for Urban Education

A leading scholar in the fields of law and urban education, and educational policy, Green comes to the Neag School from Pennsylvania State University, where he was Harry L. Baschelet II Chair of Educational Administration and professor-in-charge of Educational Leadership. Before that, he was an education professor and assistant dean of Pre-Major Advising Services at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He will teach at both the Neag School and UConn School of Law. The author of four books and numerous articles and book chapters, he earned a juris doctor degree from the Columbia University School of Law and a doctorate in Educational Administration from the Teachers College at Columbia.

 

JamesJames Kaufman – Professor of Educational Psychology

Kaufman comes to the Neag School from California State University at San Bernardino, where he was a professor and directed the Learning Research Institute. The author or editor of 24 books, much of his work and research has focused on creativity, for which he’s considered an international expert. President of Division 10 of the American Psychological Association’s Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts division, his doctorate is in Cognitive Psychology from Yale University.

 

HeadshotJustin LaFerrier – Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Board-certified in orthopedics, sports, and assistive technology, LaFerrier has focused much of his work on improving the health and lives of military service members and veterans living with paralysis, limb loss and polytrauma injuries. He comes to the Neag School from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, where he served as an adjunct faculty member. Laferrier is a veteran of both the US Marines and the US Army. His clinical experience includes serving as a VA physical therapist/research scientist at Human Engineering Research Laboratories, and serving as officer in charge of Walter Reed’s and Brooke Army Medical Center’s amputee sections. He earned a doctorate in Rehabilitation Science and Technology from the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Tamika La Salle – Assistant Professor of School Psychology

La Salle’s research efforts have focused on the effects of culture and school climate. She comes to the Neag School with a recently earned doctorate from Georgia State University’s Department of Counseling and Psychological Services. A former educational consultant for the Mississippi and University of Pittsburgh departments of Education, her work experience includes serving as a clinical psychometrician, school psychologist, and special education teacher.

 

StephanieStephanie Mazerolle – Assistant Professor of Athletic Training

Mazerolle has served as director of the Neag School’s Undergraduate Athletic Training Program since 2006, as well as an assistant clinical professor teaching classes related to athletic injury assessment and rehabilitation and counseling related to athletic injuries. She researches the barriers that keep athletic trainers from living a balanced life as well as factors that influence job retention and is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Athletic Training and the Athletic Training Education Journal. She has a doctorate in Sports Management from the University of Connecticut.

 

BiancaBianca Montrosse-Moorhead – Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology

Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead’s research agenda seeks to advance knowledge on the impact of K-12 policies, practices, and programs in chronically under-performing and under-served schools; to provide credible, relevant, and useful evidence to the policy community; and to contribute to the development of stronger evidence-based evaluation practices, models, and theories.  She previously served as an assistant professor of educational research at Western Carolina University and as a research and evaluation specialist at the Southeast Regional Educational Laboratory.  The author of numerous articles and a presenter at several national conferences, she has a doctorate in Psychology from Claremont Graduate University.

 

PluckerJonathan Plucker – Neag Endowed Professorship

Widely recognized as an expert in evaluation and educational policy, Plucker is a UConn alumnus who most recently served as a professor and director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University, where he also directed the Consortium for Education and Social Science Research. The author of more than 100 papers and the editor of two books, he is a former president of the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. At UConn, Plucker earned a bachelor’s in Chemistry and master’s in Educational Psychology. He earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia.

 

JennieJennie Weiner – Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership

With a doctorate in Educational Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Weiner comes to the Neag School from the Boston University School of Education, where she served as an adjunct, and Prescott College, where she served as a doctoral mentor. A former teacher, senior research associate for the Teacher Advancement Program at the Milken Family Foundation, and consultant at the Rhode Island Department of Education she has extensive experience in school improvement including building leadership and collaboration among teachers. Her recent work has focused on developing effective leadership teams and entrepreneurship in education. In 2012, she was named a Fordham Foundation Emerging Education Policy Scholar.

 

WilsonSuzanne Wilson – Neag Endowed Professorship, Teacher Education

Wilson was most recently a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, where she also served on the faculty in the Department of Teacher Education for 26 years and as chair for the last six.  Her research interests focus on teacher quality and she has written extensively about teacher learning, professionalism, and education policy. She also started MSU’s Center for the Scholarship of Teaching, and has served as a visiting scholar at the American Museum of Natural History and Hebrew University. She holds a doctorate in Education from Stanford University.

What Matters in Teacher Preparation?

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What Matters in Teacher Prep 2In recent years, concerns have emerged regarding the preparation of new teachers and their ability to work effectively in today’s complex classrooms.  Some entities have criticized traditional teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities particularly, focused on perceived weaknesses in content courses and field experiences.

The Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut has been preparing teachers for almost 75 years and is a recognized leader in teacher preparation by organizations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, particularly in the areas of program innovation and school placements.  We conduct world-class research and collect extensive data from our students, graduates, and school districts that keep us focused on what works about our program and where we need to improve. Based on the evidence we have gathered, we can say unequivocally that high quality teacher education programs include the following elements.

First, it is our firm belief that not all can be teachers.  Teacher preparation programs must be selective in admissions.  They should not only examine the applicants’ GPA but also their academic course work to ensure extensive subject knowledge.  They should evaluate applicants’ emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, require experiences in working with educators and students, and establish their commitment to education, social justice, and equity.

Second, effective teacher preparation programs must combine strong content preparation with pedagogical knowledge and skills.  Professors in education must work closely with professors in arts and sciences and school partners to ensure what is being taught reflects the reality of the schools and is aligned with standards.  This means, for example, that students in mathematics teacher preparation programs have a solid grasp not only of mathematics, but also how to teach math effectively in real-world classrooms.

Third, teacher preparation programs must instill in their students the dispositions required to be effective teachers.  Future teachers must become reflective practitioners so that they have the ability to ask critical questions about their own practice.  They must possess a high commitment to teaching as a profession; and to equity, fairness, and diversity.

Fourth, according to national experts, a key element for successful learning is the opportunity to apply what is being learned and refine it; teacher preparation is learning about practice in schools.  Professor Linda Darling-Hammond at Stanford University suggests that strong teacher preparation programs have “a common clear vision of good teaching that permeates all course work and clinical experiences…” and they have “extended clinical experiences … that are carefully chosen to support the ideas presented in simultaneous, closely interwoven course work.” Such meaningful field experience must be extensive and involve experiences working with learners from diverse socio-economic, ethnic, cultural, religious backgrounds, and those who have special learning needs including English as a second language.

Finally, it is imperative that teacher preparation programs establish a systemic mechanism to gauge the learning of their students.  Through a series of key assessments from the beginning to the end of the preparation programs, students must demonstrate how well they have learned the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to be good initial teachers.  Strong programs collect, analyze, and report student performance data so that they cannot only help individual students, but also make overall program improvements.  Teacher preparation programs should also track their graduates and understand how they perform in schools after they become teachers.

Selectivity, strong content and pedagogical knowledge, dispositional training, field experiences throughout the program, along with systemic assessment mechanisms matter the most to a successful teacher preparation program.  This spring, the Connecticut Educator Preparation Advisory Council has reaffirmed the value of these elements in their guidelines.  Such guidelines reflect knowledge and evidence from teacher preparation educators, school leaders, and policy makers.  The Neag School of Education at UCONN is committed to supporting this work and is looking forward to discussing the specifics with the Council in the coming year. While we are always open for feedback, we are confident that we have a strong and effective teacher education program.  We are confident that our efforts to assess our program are comprehensive and valid.  Our confidence is evidence-based and in the University’s long tradition of service to the State.

At the Neag School of Education of the University of Connecticut, Dr. Yuhang Rong serves as the Assistant Dean, Dr. Marijke Kehrhahn serves as the Associate Dean and Dr. David M. Moss serves as the Interim Director of Teacher Education and as an associate professor for elementary education. All three contributed to this article.

 

 

Matt Ross: From Eager College Student to Technology Leader and Father

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Matt Ross stands among the servers that help power the Neag School of Education's technology. Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay
Matt Ross stands among the servers that help power the Neag School of Education’s technology. Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay

After working for the Neag School of Education at UConn for almost half of his life, Matt Ross, ’01, ’07, recently announced that he’s leaving the world of technology in higher education to direct technology for the Farmington School District. A resident of Farmington for almost 10 years, he will be responsible for technology design, implementation and evaluation throughout the school district.

“Matt has had an integral role in the implementation and support of technologies available to Neag School of Education faculty, staff and students,” said Dean Thomas C. DeFranco. “Most, if not all, of us have benefitted from his knowledge, skills and dedication. The Neag School has also provided Matt with countless personal and professional opportunities for growth and experience.”

Ross, in fact, literally grew up here. Hired as a student employee in 1998 when he was sophomore, Ross’ first job was in the Dean’s Office, where he was responsible for designing and executing the conversion of student files from a card catalogue to a computer database, and eliminating unnecessary paperwork.

“We’ve been his second home and family for more than a decade,” DeFranco said. “Many of us have watched him grow from an energetic college student to his present role as a professional colleague and dad to his two young children, Nate and Ella.”

He originally chose UConn to study computer science and engineering, which was the right fit for his career aspirations. Although he wasn’t sure exactly where his studies would take him, he knew his long-term goals included providing technical advice and knowledge designed to improve others’ work effectiveness and overall work days.

Recalling the early days of technology at the Neag School, Ross said he well-remembers when “desktops were the norm and file sharing was new to everyone.”

“Y2K preparation was in full swing,” he continued, “and under the direction of a PhD student, the school’s technology included one server that was the file server, print server, web server, and database server. Today, we’ve grown to 15+ servers, laptops for every faculty member, video conferencing at the desktop and more,” he said. “It’s no longer what you have, but what you can get to as more data is stored in data clouds.”

Although over the past decade Ross left UConn to venture out into “the real world” for short stints at a bank and insurance company, he said he was drawn back to the Neag School by his love of the academic atmosphere, the beautiful campus and the many people he’s enjoyed working with.

Like family members, colleagues nurtured, encouraged and, when needed, critiqued Ross’ skills and abilities to help him learn and grow. “The environment has always been focused on learning,” he said. “It’s OK to make a mistake now and than, as it’s part of the learning process.”

When thinking of all the people he’s worked with over the years, he noted there are “too many to name without forgetting someone, but if I had to pick one, I’d recognize Rich Schwab (who was dean from 1997 to 2009).”

“Rich provided me with advice—personal and professional—as well as opportunities to grow. I have watched and been a product of his vision for the Neag School and the field of education,” he reflected. “Rich has a way of knowing what seeds to plant, and buttons to push, to bring out the best in an individual. He helped push me to get my MA.”

“Matt is an outstanding professional and even more important a wonderful person,” said Dr. Schwab, dean emeritus of the Neag School. “I have had the great pleasure of watching him grow from a freshman work study student in the Neag School through his degree program, to meeting his wife – also a Neag Alum — to working with him as a professional and watching him grow as a Dad. He is a special person who will be greatly missed.”

“I am proud of his accomplishments and wish him great luck in this new, exciting venture at the Farmington Public Schools. They are fortunate to have hired Matt as their Director of Technology,” he continued.

Because Ross wanted to understand the business of the environment he worked in and to successfully bridge the gap between technology and education, graduate school—as Schwab recommended—was Ross’  next step. Along the way and after graduating with a master’s in educational technology, Ross’ hard work earned him numerous promotions, and he ventured into becoming an adjunct instructor for the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG). He’s taught two sections of “Enhancing Classroom Curriculum with Media and Technology” and will continue as a TCPCG instructor.

A resident of Farmington since 2004, he owns a house that has passed from his great-grandparents, to his grandparents and now to him. “My children are the fifth generation to run up and down the stairs,” he said.

He added that he’s excited  for the opportunity to work in his hometown and with the Farmington School District, which has proven its commitment to providing “an excellent intersection of technology and application to education.” It will also allow him to spend more time with his family.

A part of his heart, however, will always remain with UConn and the Neag School of Education. “I look at this life event not as the end of a relationship, but as the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between the Neag School and myself. I hope to continue working with all my colleagues at UConn in this new capacity far into the future,” he said. “Thanks to everyone for their support.”

Thank you, Matt Ross, for all you’ve done for the Neag School of Education.

 

REALL Makes Real Learning Possible For ELLs

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Eliana Rojas (pictured on the left) discusses the progress of the REALL program with Mary Doyle, head of the Curriculum and Instruction Department.
Eliana Rojas (pictured on the left) discusses the progress of the REALL program with Mary Anne Doyle, head of the Curriculum and Instruction Department.

It didn’t take long for New Britain fifth-grade teacher Kim Rosa Gionfriddo to realize the strategies she learned as a Neag School of Education REALL fellow to better teach students with limited English proficiency could  benefit native English-speaking students, too.

“It’s a simple thing, but just by being more explicit and taking time to define terms—reminding students, for example, the difference between a product and a quotient—can help keep them focused and ensure they keep up with the lesson, rather than wonder, become confused or fall behind,” said Gionfriddo, one of 45 Connecticut teachers accepted into the graduate-level Raising Expectations for All English Language Learners (REALL) program.

Developed in 2007 by Neag Assistant Professor Eliana D. Rojas, Ph.D., and funded with a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the REALL program graduated its final fellow this past May. Experts, however, expect the skills and strategies fellows learned to improve ELLs’ academic achievement will have long-term and far-reaching effects.

Focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers working toward their master’s or Sixth Year degrees, the program was designed to contribute to efforts to close Connecticut’s achievement gap. Perhaps more importantly, it was also designed to give teachers the ability to show Latino and other ELL students they aren’t the “failures” standardized tests and assessments say they are.

“ELL students deserve the same opportunities for academic achievement as their English-speaking peers. They have just as many abilities, but many need to be taught differently,” Rojas said. “Similar to students with physical disabilities, ELLs have special needs to be accommodated, and it’s our job as educators to find best practices to do that—to make these students feel passionate about learning, rather than to make the experience of learning frustrating, or to make them feel like failures.”

Emphasizing math, REALL provided fellows with proven ELL teaching models. Strategies and tools for better cross-cultural communications and building a more culturally responsive learning environment were stressed, including web-based technology that allows ELLs to work on their individual challenges. Bilingual math teachers were taught a proven intermediate algebra/pre-calculus teaching model.

REALL fellow Andrea Handler-Ruiz, a science teacher in the Arts & Humanities Academy at Windham High School in Willimantic, walked away from the program with not just more effective teaching strategies, but a “fortified” belief that great teaching is not just about providing an effective education, but an equal education.

“The importance of programs like REALL cannot be overlooked,” Handler-Ruiz said. “The readings and dialogues we took part in showed us how to embrace diversity in the classroom, as well as solidly argue in favor of integrated teaching approaches that best serve multicultural students.”

Rojas, whose continued dedication to strengthening the abilities of ELL educators has made the Neag School of Education a leader in the field, echoed Handler-Ruiz’s beliefs: “How do we target students who face the biggest challenges, without diluting expectations? Materials and standards don’t need to be ‘dumbed down’ for ELLs, but presented differently. REALL gave educators the tools to do the important work they are committed to. And the benefits? The results we’ve seen are that everyone wins.”

 

Transcendental Meditation May Boost Student Grades

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New research suggests that Transcendental Meditation, taught to The Beatles by Indian Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (pictured), can boost brain function and improve exam grades by up to 25 percent. (Photo credit: Google Images)
New research suggests that Transcendental Meditation, taught to The Beatles by Indian Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (pictured), can boost brain function and improve exam grades by up to 25 percent. (Photo credit: Google Images)
A study of school pupils by Dr. Robert Colbert found that performing two 20-minute sessions of Transcendental Meditation each day improves academic achievement.  “While there are bright spots in public education today, urban schools on the whole tend to suffer from a range of factors which contribute to poor student academic performance and low graduation rates,” according to lead author, Robert D. Colbert, Ph.D., associate professor, and director of Neag School of Education‘s Diversity Council at University of Connecticut. “Students need to be provided with value-added educational programs that can provide opportunities for school success. Our study investigated one such program, Transcendental Meditation, which appears to hold tremendous promise for enriching the lives of our nation’s students.”
 Read more in Medical News Today.

 

NFL Players Association Helps UConn’s
 Korey Stringer Institute Beat the Heat

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From left, James Gould, director, KSI Board of Advisors; Kelci Stringer; and DeMaurice Smith, executive director, NFL Players Association.
From left, James Gould, director, KSI Board of
Advisors; Kelci Stringer; and DeMaurice Smith,
executive director, NFL Players Association.

With warm weather settling in, most of us start thinking of beaches and cookouts, but the arrival of summer has more serious implications for the National Football League Players Association.

Mindful of the danger of heat for its members, the NFLPA sponsored a fundraising dinner for the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, which works to prevent sudden death in sport and physical activity.

“The sold-out event was held during the week of the NFL draft, an event that focuses lots of attention on football, not only by players and fans but also by sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, and coaches,” says Douglas Casa, Ph.D., a professor and director of athletic training in the Department of Kinesiology at the Neag School of Education and chief operating officer for the Korey Stringer Institute. “The NFLPA’s support for our health and safety initiatives allows us to continue our research and campaign for better policies for athletes and others involved in physical activities outdoors, such as soldiers and laborers.” Twelve current NFL players and 10 former players attended the event, which raised more than $30,000.

“The Korey Stringer Institute’s mission is one that aligns with the NFLPA’s focus on establishing a safer work place and a broader culture of safety,” said NFLPA staff counsel Sean Sansiveri. “The KSI has done so much to address athlete-specific health and safety issues such as hydration and heatstroke, the NFLPA was proud to support the Institute on its third anniversary with the ‘Players Helping Players’ gala. It was a sophisticated event that allowed current and former players to interact directly with individuals making a difference in the medical and patient-awareness fields. Holding the event in New York City the week of the Draft and on the eve of the NFLPA’s Mackey-White Committee meeting allowed us to introduce many of our medical advisors and business partners to the KSI and its work.”

Founded by Kelci Stringer, wife of Minnesota Viking lineman Korey Stringer who died in 2010 from exertional heat stroke during a preseason football practice, the institute provides research and advocacy for health and safety initiatives that help prevent sudden death in sport. The KSI has four corporate partners: the NFL, Gatorade, Timex, and CamelBak.

Casa has produced more than 140 peer-reviewed publications on heat and hydration topics and he helped develop health-acclimatization guidelines for secondary school athletics designed to reduce the risk of exertional heat illness during preseason practice periods. The guidelines have been adopted by 10 states and the institute is working with 15 other states to get them to adopt the guidelines. They eliminate intense two-a-day workouts at the start of preseason and allow athletes to adjust to exertion in hot weather through phased-in practices.

“Today, 10 states have adopted the guidelines, compared to none two years ago,” says Casa.  “It can take baby steps,” says Casa, who survived heatstroke as a teen distance runner.  “When Texas first approved guidelines, they didn‘t meet our minimum standards, but advocates kept working at it. Now, there’s some momentum for the guidelines tugging at states a little bit.  Our goal is to them approved before there is a tragedy.”

More than 9,000 high school athletes are treated for exertional heat illness annually, according to a 2010 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research by the Korey Stringer Institute with Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina found that nearly 75 percent of the cases of heat illness occurred in football. The study analyzed data collected from 2005 to 2011 by the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System.

“We are working to get the information out to physicians, athletic trainers, teachers, coaches, parents, and athletes that death from exertional heat stroke is 100 percent preventable, and that many policies need to change to enhance the health and safety of athletes” says Casa.

Neag Students Take a Refreshing and Eye-Opening Break to Jamaica

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Alexandria Cipolla (top) and Shelby Flynn and another student enjoy drinking coconuts with students from Cove Elementary School in Jamaica.
Alexandria Cipolla (top) and Shelby Flynn and another student enjoy drinking coconuts with students from Cove Elementary School in Jamaica.

This past spring break the UConn Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life took their first alternative spring break to help out two different schools in Jamaica.

Alexandria Cipolla and Shelby Flynn were among two of the ten UConn students involved in the trip, and both are Neag School of Education students.

Flynn, a special education major, found the experience to be very eye opening.

“Speaking to teachers and principals and the students was inspiring,” said Flynn. “Two things that really stood out to me were the mottos of the schools. ‘Hard work brings true joy’ and ‘perseverance brings success.’ The schools promoted literacy and really emphasized the power of reading.”

The first half of the week was spent in Negril, at an elementary school called Cove School. At Cove School, they helped scrape rust off the gates at the school, sand them down and then repaint them. They also painted the entire outside of the school. The second half of the week was spent in Treasure Beach where the students helped out with a mural painting at another elementary school and an infant school (what Jamaica considers a school for pre-school and kindergarten).

Cipolla found that the alternative break was a good educational experience, both as a Neag student and as a member of a sorority.

“It was an amazing educational experience,” said Cipolla, an elementary education major. “I learned a great deal about global education, and was able to see how the education system works in a completely different area.”

The two students also found that the value of education in other countries is viewed and treated differently than in the United States.

“Education is not a ‘right’ in Jamaica and is funded by the families,” said Cipolla. “It is also a very different system, and was very interesting to observe.”

For Flynn, the week in Jamaica was a refreshing experience to see how education was viewed in Jamaica.

“Students are encouraged to be hard workers,” said Flynn. “When they enter the sixth grade at some of the schools, they have to take a test to attend high school. Most of the students expressed an interest for math or language.”

Both students found that their group’s work for the week not only gave the schools an extra pair of hands, support and resources but also gave the students of those schools new college role models that they could look up to.

“The PTA at Cove School was so grateful for our time. Every day we were at the site, he brought all of us a coconut as a sign of his appreciation for our work,’ said Flynn. “He had two children who attended Cove School and he was thankful for us being there. We were able to first drink the juice from the coconut and then [he] taught the correct way to eat a fresh coconut.”

As a part of Neag, Flynn and Cipolla found the experience even more rewarding and encourage more Neag students to consider attending alternative breaks.

“Being able to serve a community and a cause that we are already passionate about made the trip even more rewarding,” said Flynn. “I would definitely recommend any type of service trip to other Neag students.”

While most of the students feel as though they accomplished what they had originally set out to do, they realize that there’s always more work to be done and would gladly go back and continue lending a hand.

“The work is never finished,” said Cipolla. “If given the opportunity, I would go back to serve in Jamaica in a heart beat.”

Accolades: Read About the News and Accomplishments from our Students, Alumni and Faculty/Staff

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104516017-hands-clapping1-300x2001Accolades – below are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to shawn.kornegay@uconn.

Students

Jenna Apicella has been selected as a recipient of the 2013 American Kinesiology Association Graduate Student Writing Award. Apicella was the first author on the manuscript entitled “Betaine supplementation enhances anabolic endocrine and Akt signaling in response to acute bouts of exercise” which was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

Lindsey Gervais selected as this year’s Saint Joseph’s College Young Alumni Service Award winner.   The Young Alumni Service Award is presented to a graduate of the past ten years who has demonstrated a history of service.  The graduate lives the core values of Saint Joseph’s College and serves as an example for other young alumni.

Jennifer Kowitt was invited to review submissions for SIG-Special Education Research for the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Laura Kunces (doctoral student) earned an “EAS Scholarship Award” for leadership in nutrition. Currently serving as social chairman for fellow graduate students at the Neag Graduate School of Education, Kunces serves as advisor to dietetic interns and consultant to all lab groups and research studies in the Department of Kinesiology. A varsity swimmer while earning her BS degree in nutritional sciences at UConn, Kunces earned an MS in clinical nutrition from the University of Memphis and an MS in exercise science from UConn.

Hayley Root (master’s student) and Brittanie Volk (doctoral student) were named recipients of the 2013 Outstanding Graduate Student Scholarship Award by the American Kinesiology Association (AKA).

Doug Sekorski was recognized by the UConn’s Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes with the 2013 Outstanding Tutor Award. This award is given to one tutor who is exceptional in their commitment, responsibility, and tutoring ability. This year Sekorski has received tremendous feedback from our students for his knowledge, innovation, creativity, and dedication.

Alumni

James F. Abromaitis, ‘79 BA (CLAS), ‘82 MA in special education, was named director of athletics at Albertus Magnus College. Prior to becoming AD, he was the executive director of the Capital City Economic Development Authority in Hartford.

Denise Smith Bortner, ’82 BA in recreational service education, was inducted into McSherrytown Women’s Hall of Fame. Bortner was one of the first local athletes to participate in Division I college athletics. While attending UConn, her team won the 1981 Division I NCAA National Field Hockey Championship, the first women’s sports team to win an NCAA national championship. Later, she served as a physical education teacher at St. Francis Xavier School and St. Joseph School.

Burr R. Carlson, ’56 BS in physical education, ’64 MA in kinesiology, was elected to the New England Basketball Hall of Game.  He was the first UConn basketball to be drafted by the NBA after playing the 1951-52 season. He chose to be a coach and educator rather than pursue a professional sports career. He coached high school for many years, then UConn in the 1960s and moved on to teaching.

Len Carlson, ’62 BS in education, ’63 MS in education, a longtime assistant for the August State and August College men’s basketball program, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in Worcester, Mass. Carlson made his mark on the court in high school before becoming the leading scorer at the University of Connecticut during his junior and senior seasons. Carlson came to Augusta as an Army lieutenant in 1963. He was a standout player in the Army, and he played professionally from 1965-68 in Belgium. But knee injuries derailed his career — he’s had 24 knee operations. Carlson began coaching at Augusta State in 1968, working as an assistant under Marvin Vanover. During the 1975-76 season, Carlson took a leave of absence to coach professionally in Belgium for one season. He returned to Augusta State and continued as an assistant until 1982. He later returned in 2006 to help the program.

Catherine Carter, ’07 BS in social science-sport leisure, ’13 MA in higher education administration, was appointed assistant director for student services in the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University. Before joining Quinnipiac, Carter worked on her master’s degree at UConn, where she was an academic adviser in the School of Business, first-year experience course instructor, senior-year experience course facilitator and graduate assistant in the Office of Student Services & Advocacy.

Chris Dailey, ’01 MA in educational administration, UConn’s associate head women’s basketball coach, was honored with a $125,000 scholarship fund in her honor through Jim Agonis ’71 (BUS). The Chris Dailey Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide financial support to students who are not players but are involved with the women’s basketball team.

Tamara Fisher, ’04 MA in gifted and talented (three-summers program), was honored as Montana Gifted and Talented Teacher of the Year. Fisher is finishing her 17th year of teaching in Polson, Montana and has seen hundreds of gifted and talented students pass through her classes.

Thomas C. Healy, ’11 Sixth-Year Diploma in educational administration, was named New Western Middle School Assistant Principal. Previously, he was assistant dean of student life for Clark House and a social studies teacher at Greenwich High School.

Victoria Herbst, ’11 BS in animal science, ’13 MA in curriculum and instruction with a minor in science, was tapped to run the family horse farm as the youngest member of her family. A lifelong horseback-riding enthusiast, she will run the horse farm, called Herbst Arabians. Herbst is also currently searching for a teaching job at a vocational agriculture school, such as the institute at Lyman Hall High School or Middletown High School.

Colleen A. Kelley, ’83 Ph.D. in educational studies, recently hosted an illustrated presentation at Southbury Public Library on the current issues plaguing the Middle East. Kelly has worked as a history and Asian studies teacher in New York and Connecticut and taught comparative education and current issues at Central Connecticut State University.

Jack Lichtenthal, ’55 BA, shares that he directed and produced a film on his research “China and the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum.” He currently resides in Stamford, CT.

Michael Moynihan, ’09 Sixth-Year Diploma in educational administration, was appointed principal of Waddell Elementary School in Tolland. Prior to that, he was assistant principal at the Birch Grove Primary School in Tolland.

Cindy Ratchelous, ’88 BS in special education, was appointed principal of North Haven’s ACES Mill Road School. Prior to her appointment, she was the assistant principal at ACES since 2007.

Andrew Rockett, ’90 MA in educational administration, ’03 JD, was named principal of Rockville High School in Vernon. Most recently, he served as principal of Killingly High School.

Barbara F. Palmer, ’42 BS in home economics, ’63 MS in guidance counseling, recently passed away at the age of 92. As a parent in 1949, she worked with other mothers to establish the Tolland Parents and Teachers Association for the town’s newly consolidated elementary school. She was instrumental in establishing the first hot lunch program for that school.  When the town voted to establish its own high school, she was a member of the general and the departmental curriculum committees.  She taught home economics in Rockville High School.  In 1967, she moved to the newly opened Tolland High School, working there as a guidance counselor until she retired in 1985. Her daughter, Carol Cadman, works at the Neag School of Education.

Nathan D. Quesnel, ’01 BS in English, ’02 MA in curriculum and instruction, was named to Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” for 2013. He’s the superintendent for East Hartford Public Schools.

Dick Quinn, ’72, ’75 MA in educational administration, reports that he’s a retired schoolteacher and principal. One of his favorite professors, was Dr. Frank Ballard, ace-puppeteer. In his first six years of teaching, two of his classes in Waterford, CT received the Eugene O’Neil Theater Award. After moving to California, musicals performed by his classes were responsible for his accepting an award from Garry Marshall at the Los Angeles Music Center. The “BRAVO” Award is given to one elementary classroom teacher for work in the arts, and one secondary arts teacher. Retiring after 30+ years in education, he is still in contact with students who have gone into television, and other areas of the arts.

Lauren B. Rodriguez, ’03 MA in gifted and talented, ’07 Sixth-Year Diploma in educational administration, was named principal of Southeast Elementary School in Mansfield. Prior to joining Southeast, she was a site facilitator for under-performing suburban and elementary schools through the Neag School of Education.

Sara Renzulli, ’11 MA, ’13 Ph.D. both in educational psychology, and her advising professor, Jim O’Neil, were featured authors by APA division 51 (Society for the Psychology Study of Men & Masculinity) for their publication “Introduction to the Special Issue: Teaching the Psychology of Men – A Call to Action.” http://www.division51.org/publications/authorspotlight.htm

Jasdeep Sing, ’02 BS in biological sciences, ’03 MA in curriculum and instruction, was named principal at Wolcott Elementary School. A West Hartford resident, Sing was a former middle school science teacher and then interim assistant principal, who took over for Dr. Plato Karafelis – also a Neag alum — who retired in June.

Carol Virostek, ‘96 Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, was honored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) with an endowment in her honor, called the Carol R. Virostek Campus Leadership Opportunities Fund. The Fund recognizes her dedication to the growth of AAUW’s popular campus leadership programs and the inspiration she provided during her four years as chair of the national AAUW College/University Committee. She is also a former adjunct professor in the Neag School of Education.

Joseph A. Whelton ’79 BS in rehabilitation services, was named boys basketball coach at Sarasota Christian School, in Sarasota, FL. Prior to joining Sarasota Christian School, he was head coach at State College of Florida and the former sports director of YMCA Venice.

Steven Woznicki, ’05 Sixth-Year Diploma in educational administration, returned to West Hartford to be principal at Braeburn Elementary School. Woznicki worked the first 17 years of his career in West Hartford, then left to become assistant principal at Bristow Middle School in Bristol in 2005 and then lead Jennings School in Bristol, which closed last year.

Faculty/Staff

UConn’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development welcomed almost 700 (100 more than expected) educators from across the US and 10 countries to Confratute recently to the Storrs campus. Over the past 36 years, Confratute has attracted more than 20,000 educators worldwide for a highly acclaimed, enrichment-based program. The weeklong program was geared toward providing educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and talented students.

UConn’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development welcomed 75 high school juniors from across CT and the US for Mentor Connection, the an annual three-week summer program for academically talented secondary students. Housed in the Neag School of Education’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, the program ran from July 7-26, 2013 and was designed to provide students with opportunities to participate in creative projects and research investigations under the supervision of university mentors.

UConn’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development and the Renzulli Academy welcomed 63 students for the four-week Explorations and Investigations summer program. The students visited Talcott Mountain Science Center, learned about Math with Dr. Rachel McAnallen, Ph.D. ’12, at the UConn Storrs Campus, received technical insight through Technology: Developing a Digital Footprint and Interactive Video Games, and got creative at The Bushnell’s Summer Arts Program.

Postsecondary Disability Training Institute (PTI) had a record year while celebrating its 25th year anniversary with a successful weeklong professional development program. PTI used to be on campus (with no AC), and then moved out to Farmington in the early ’90’s. Since the mid-90s it’s moved around small cities in the Northeast (Newport, Burlington, Saratoga Springs, Portland) and more recently has been in Philadelphia and Boston. Pre-recession they would get about 270-280, and then during the recession, around 240-250. This year they reached over 330 participants. Next year will be in Philadelphia.

Sandy Bell did some work with the Cooperative Extension Educators in New Hampshire on “flipped classrooms.”

Cristina Colon-Semenza and Susan Glenney received a UConn Service Learning Fellowship. The Faculty Fellows program is a professional development and course creation opportunity where the Office of Service-Learning and Institute for Teaching and Learning assist committed faculty interested in teaching a service-learning course.

Lindsay DiStefano received a two-year grant ($150k) from the Charles H. Hood Foundation for Child Health Research, Boston MA. This grant will allow DiStefano to pursue injury prevention efforts in middle-school age children.

Morgaen Donaldson was selected as a 2013 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow. With the generous support of the Spencer Foundation, the Academy created this program to encourage outstanding researchers at the postdoctoral level to pursue critical education research projects. The fellowship award is a $55,000 grant intended to provide release time from teaching and administrative duties. Her fellow will focus on teacher evaluations in New Haven.

Doug Kaufman was quoted in El Mercurio from Chile about his work with writing and changing the culture of the teaching of writing in schools.

Stefanie Mazerolle participated in the EKIN nationwide Athletic Training search, and accepted the position of assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology.

Brandi Simonsen and George Sugai have in press, “PBIS in restrictive educational settings: Positive support for youth with high-risk behavior” for the publication Education and Treatment of Children.

Mary Yakimowski has a proposal that was accepted to the 2013 NNER Conference in Albuquerque. Her presentation is titled “Assessment Activities with Purposive Partnerships: Solidifying the Map for Continuous Improvement.”

Widely Used Exercise Guidelines Edited by UConn Fitness Expert

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Linda Pescatello, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and senior editor of the American College of Sports Medicineʼs Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, ninth edition. (File photo)
Linda Pescatello, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and senior editor of the American College of Sports Medicineʼs Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, ninth edition. (File photo)

A prescriptive handbook widely used in medicine, athletics, and fitness programs, was recently republished in its ninth edition, edited by UConn kinesiology professor Linda Pescatello.

The latest edition of the American College of Sports Medicineʼs Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription seeks to remove barriers that often delay or prevent healthy individuals from starting beneficial exercise programs.

The book is the most widely circulated set of exercise guidelines in the world, the “international gold standard” for all professionals conducting exercise testing or exercise programs, says Pescatello, senior editor of the ninth edition, and also associate editor of the eighth edition, published in 2009.

Previous editions of the ACSMʼs Guidelines recommended a medical examination and physician-administered exercise testing, or stress testing, as part of health screening prior to starting vigorous-intensity exercise for individuals at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease, in order to identify those at risk for a sudden adverse cardiac event during exercise.

The new edition of the Guidelines, presented by Pescatello at the ACSMʼs Health Fitness Summit in Las Vegas in March and ACSMʼs annual conference in Indianapolis in June, still recommends both a medical exam and physician-administered stress testing for individuals at high risk of, or with known, cardiovascular disease before they begin either a moderate or vigorous-intensity exercise program.

But the Guidelines no longer recommend these steps for individuals at moderate risk before they start a progressive exercise regimen, and no longer recommend stress testing for the same group before starting vigorous-intensity exercise.

ACSMʼs Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription is based on the most current evidence in the field, including ACSM position and statement stands, says Pescatello, UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and a principal investigator at UConnʼs Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP). She has focused her career on examining the connection between exercise and health.

“The updated guidelines for pre-participation health screening remove unnecessary and unproven barriers to starting an exercise program, and reinforce the public health message that the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks,” she says. “At the same time, the guidelines place a stronger need on identifying those clients with known disease, because they are at the highest risk for an exercise-related cardiac event.”

In place of previous emphasis on medical evaluation, the new pre-participation health screening guidelines place a greater emphasis on self-guided screening methods, encouraging all individuals who want to begin a physical activity program to complete a health risk appraisal questionnaire at a minimum, Pescatello said. The need for and degree of follow-up required can then be guided by the responses to the questionnaire.

“There are multiple considerations that have prompted these different points of emphasis,” Pescatello explains. “The risk of a cardiovascular event is increased during vigorous-intensity exercise relative to rest, but the absolute risk of a cardiac event is low in healthy individuals. Recommending a medical examination and stress test as part of the pre-participation health screening process for all people at moderate to high risk prior to initiating a light- to moderate-intensity exercise program implies that being physically active confers greater risk than a sedentary lifestyle.”

Hartford Hospital cardiologist Dr. Paul Thompson, a research collaborator of Pescatello since 1998, served as associate editor of the new Guidelines and wrote the introductory chapter for the book emphasizing the safety and benefits of exercise. He also authored what Pescatello describes as the “long overdue” second chapter, which contains the new pre-participation health screening recommendations.

Other new features of the ninth edition of the Guidelines include a new chapter about proven theory-based behavioral methods to increase adherence to exercise programs; more specific information about working with special populations, such as those who have had bariatric surgery or who have multiple chronic diseases and health conditions; and a new automated reference system that was developed by UConn medical librarian Jill Livingston.

Also for the first time for the ninth edition, Pescatello invited a clinical pharmacist – UConn assistant clinical professor of pharmacy practice and CHIP affiliate, Thomas Buckley – to prepare the appendix on commonly encountered medications among people that exercise.

Pescatelloʼs work on the ninth edition of the Guidelines began almost as soon as her work on the eighth edition ended.

“It is a professional honor to be selected as editor of the ACSMʼs Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription because of the significant impact they have on the work that we do in our field,” she says, “and it is a labor of love.”