Newsflash

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Eastern Hosts Laurel Girls State

Eastern hosted more than 180 Connecticut high school juniors for the Laurel Girls State program from June 17–22. Laurel Girls State prepares young ladies for careers in government through hands-on citizenship and democracy experience. Participants elect officials; write bills and enact legislation; and focus on patriotism. Guest speakers included Eastern President Elsa Nuñez, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, State Treasurer Denise Nappier, and Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz.

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Eastern To Host AP Subject Sessions

Eastern Connecticut State University is hosting several advanced placement sessions this summer that focus on the subjects of history, biology, and Spanish. The sessions, which run for five days in July, are for high school teachers who wish to teach college-level (AP) courses as part of their curriculum. Now in its ninth year, the program focuses on teaching practices and methods for the respective subjects. Beginning Educator Support and Training Program (BEST) portfolios, which are required of Connecticut teachers, are also covered. This year’s biology theme focuses on organismal relationships, which are the forms and functions of different organisms.

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Eastern Student Wins Whitewater Award

Sarah Hemenway ’07 received the Volunteer of the Year Award at the June 4 annual meeting of the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership (WWP). She redesigned the WWP website and also created an online member management system. Eastern also received an award as Volunteer Organization of the Year for its continued involvement to the WWP cause. President Elsa Nuñez praised the initiative and congratulated Hemenway on her award and Eastern professors Eric Martin, Miriam Chirico, and Denise Matthews for their support and collaboration with the WWP and the Willimantic community. The WWP’s goal is to recapture the waterfront of the Willimantic River by restoring the river through revitalizing surrounding trails, creating a regional swift water rescue and training center, encouraging scientific research, developing an urban waterfront and whitewater park, and celebrating and expanding the trans-cultural arts and enterprise zone in Willimantic. For more information, visit www.willimanticwhitewater.org/

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Eastern in the News

On June 12, the Manchester Journal Inquirer noted that Eastern graduates Judy Schumacher, Joan Moser, and Sue Stack, who met while pursuing their master’s degrees at Eastern, are retiring this year from Ellington’s Windermere School, along with another close colleague. The four educators have 105 cumulative years of teaching experience. Norma Vivar Orum was featured in the May 17 issue of the Norwich Bulletin, demonstrating alternative and sustainable energies during the environmental fair held at the Integrated Day Charles School in Norwich. On June 4, the Manchester Journal Inquirer reported that Eastern President Elsa Nunez delivered the commencement address at Asnuntuck Community College’s 34th commencement. On June 13, Businessweek.com featured Eastern professor of American Studies Emile Pocock’s comments on the economic success of malls in the face of higher gas prices and wider availability of online products. On June 14, the Jamaica Observer ran a story on the success of Maureen Malcolm, an Eastern graduate with a degree in Sociology and Applied Social Relations, who is teaching at Lucea Primary in Montego Bay, St. James. Eastern pitcher Jason LaVorgna was selected by the New York Mets with the 1,078th pick (35th round) in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. On June 12, the Norwich Bulletin reported that Charles Wynn, Eastern professor of chemistry, has been named the Willimantic Lions Club president. On May 24, the Stamford Advocate reported that Melinda Maher, an early childhood education and psychology major at Eastern, had organized a benefit dinner in Sherman for her father who was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. On June 6, the online newspaper VoiceNews.com wrote that Eastern athletes Jessica Keogh (volleyball), Bridget Durette (basketball) and Pat Kozloski (soccer) received Scholar-Athlete awards at the annual Athletic Awards Banquet. The Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) honored ’07 Eastern graduate Lisa Jablonski with its CSCPA Merit Award. The story appeared in the June 3 edition of The Day. The June 5 edition of the Norwich Bulletin noted that ’05 Eastern graduate Jennifer Sanquedolce competed for the title of Miss Connecticut on June 22 and 23 at the Garde Arts Center in New London. The June 8 issue of the Norwich Bulletin mentioned Eastern's renewable Energy Workshop running July 23-24. The June 21 issue of the Norwich Bulletin noted that Eastern has received a GreenCircle Award from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Shirley Bergert, a member of the Institute for Sustainable Energy's Advisory Board, had an Op-Ed article featured in the Hartford Courant on June 28.

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