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Eastern’s South Residential Village Awarded LEED® Green Building Certification
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 Left, Eastern’s Director of Facilities Management and Planning Nancy Tinker, President Elsa Núñez and Dennis Hannon, vice president for finance and administration, pose in front of the recently awarded LEED® Green Building certification plaque.
Eastern’s South Residential Village housing complex has been awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The South Residential Village project received points for the certification based on such categories as site selection; availability of alternative transportation, alternative fuel refueling stations, and bicycle storage; reduced site disturbance; rate, quantity, and treatment of stormwater management; water efficient landscaping; water use reduction; and ozone protection. The South Residential Village, composed of Constitution, Nutmeg, and Laurel Halls, provides on-campus, apartment-style housing for 750 students. “The LEED certification is a mark of distinction for Eastern,” says Eastern President Elsa Núñez. “It attests to the dedicated effort that we have made at the University to become an environmentally responsible partner in the local and national community. We will continue to strive toward the goal of increased sustainability.”
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Acclaimed Writer Kim Addonizio Visits Eastern |
On March 26, Kim Addonizio, acclaimed poet and novelist, visited Eastern as part of a two-day visit in which she conducted a poetry workshop with Eastern students; performed several readings; and answered questions from the audience regarding her life as a writer and teacher.
Addonizio is the author of the poetry collection “Tell Me,” which was a finalist for the 2000 national book award; the short fiction collection “In the Box Called Pleasure”; and the co-author of “The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry,” among others. Her latest collection of poems is entitled “What is This Thing Called Love.” |
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“Miles of Smiles” at Akus Gallery
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The Julian Akus Gallery at Eastern presented the exhibition, “Miles of Smiles: Pamela Butler and Yang Mian,” in April. The exhibition, was curated by Marion Callis and featured selected drawings and paintings by American artist Pamela Butler and Chinese artist Yang Mian. |
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First Annual Eastern Online Expo |
Shelly Gimenez, dean of the School of Continuing Education, with Marny Lawton, instructional developer for the Institute for Teaching and Learning at UCONN. Lawton was the keynote speaker at the First Annual Online Expo held on April 25 in the Betty R. Tipton Room.
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Celebrating the Caribbean Woman |
Puerto Rican author and scholar Mayra Santos-Febres told a Student Center Theatre audience on April 8 that “gender is global,” and described a growing world feminism. But “literature is language bound,” she said, encouraging writers to learn other languages so that they can appreciate literature written in the authors’ native tongues. Santos-Febres read from her first novel, “Nuestra Señora de la Noche,” and said she enjoys creating characters who have been marginalized by society. “Writing is ultimately not about self-expression,” she declared. “It is about uncovering that which has been silenced by society.”
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Alani Olabanji ’99 featured in CRN Magazine |
Alani Olabanji Kuye,
’99 who majored in business information systems, was recently featured in
CRN Magazine. Kuye is the president and founder of Phantom Data Systems Inc., a Norwalk-based provider of disaster recovery, data storage, and management solutions. “We hear about mergers and acquisitions daily in the technical space,” said Kuye. “The business of technology itself is very different from technology in its raw form.” The essence of the article was to correlate market feedback and industry recognitions on who the next generation of technology visionaries will be.
“At Eastern, I learned the importance of setting goals and following through on every iteration, in addition to paying my fees on time!” said Kuye. |
“The Latino force” was out in numbers on April 5, when the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) developed and hosted an all-day event to encourage Latino middle school and high school students to stay in school and prepare for college. Fuerza Latina attracted 75 schoolchildren from across the state, including kids from Windham Middle School, Windham High School, Willimantic Teen Center, Bullard Havens Technical High School, and others. Educational preparation, financial considerations, applying to college, and career issues were covered throughout the day. |
Know Someone Who Gambles Too Much? |
Sociology/Social Work Professor Thomas Broffman was recently the keynote speaker at Gambling Awareness Week in Maine. Broffman has more than 30 years of experience in employee assistance programs, mental health, addictions, problem gambling, and co-occurring disorders. “Problem gambling is an emerging issue in our society, as legalized gambling has proliferated across all sectors,” said Broffman. “Two to three percent of the U.S. population, or six to nine million Americans, have a gambling problem in any given year. It can affect men or women of any age, race or religion, regardless of social status. With gambling on the rise, communities and states believe it is important to be aware of the consequences of problem gambling.”
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Fox 61/WTIC-TV Anchorwoman Visits Eastern |
On March 25, Rebecca Stewart, the morning anchorwoman on Fox 61-WTIC, visited the Women’s Center. Stewart discussed how she juggles the demands of a journalism career with her personal and family life.
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New Time for Commencement! |
Some changes in the Commencement schedule for this year! First, the Baccalaureate Service will take place in the Betty R. Tipton Room of the Student Center on May 17 at 4 p.m. “Eastern Celebrates,” the University’s annual barbeque in honor of the Class of 2008 and their families, will follow at 5 p.m. at the Outdoor Athletic (baseball) Complex.
On May 18 from 8-9 a.m., a continental breakfast will be served at two locations: near the parking garage and on the lawn between the J. Eugene Smith Library and Webb Hall. The student “Make a Wish” Commencement procession will begin at 9:45 a.m. Commencement exercise will begin at 11 a.m. and end about 1 p.m. In case of inclement weather, Commencement will be held in the Sports Center’s Geissler Gymnasium.
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It’s Back to Carnegie Hall!
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Eastern’s Concert Chorale has been invited to sing Mozart’s “Requiem” at Carnegie Hall on Jan. 19, 2009! The conductor is Dirk Garner, a nationally-known scholar and musician at Oklahoma State University, who has given lectures and master classes at Eastern in the past. “This invitation is another indicator of the hard work and dedication our students, faculty, staff, and community have put into making Eastern Concert Chorale an ensemble of distinction in our region and beyond,” said David Belles, director of the Concert Chorale. |
- On April 1, The (Willimantic) Chronicle featured a front page story on Eastern’s Town Meeting, as did The (New London) Day.
- On March 28, Sociology Professor William Lugo and Eastern student Grishma Shrestha were guests on “The Wayne Norman Show” on WILI-AM Radio (1400) to discuss alcohol use on college campuses and to promote an April 1 forum on the subject in Willimantic.
- On April 7, Chimamanda Nogzi Adichie, ’01 was featured in
The Nigeria Daily Sun for being named the recipient of the “Eagle on the Iroko” Award.
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