Newsflash
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Eastern President Elsa M. Nuñez gave a status report on topics ranging from the University’s budget to strategic planning to construction projects at this fall’s University Meeting held Aug. 31 in the Betty Tipton Room of the new Student Center. Several hundred faculty and staff listened intently as the president described progress being made in the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, the First Year Program, and other Eastern initiatives. Nuñez also noted that the Science Building is on schedule and informed the audience that the Brown Faculty House, part of a recent estate gift from the Dorothy Brown family, will be used as a faculty guest house, beginning with the upcoming fall visit of Professor Anchalee Wongla of Chiang Mai Rajabhat University in Thailand.
Nuñez closed her remarks by reflecting on a trip she took this past summer with her husband to southeastern Asia. She described seeing children in rags living on the streets, raiding garbage dumpsters in the hope of finding food: “I was unprepared for the level of poverty we encountered.” The president said she and her husband had long talks about the conditions they had witnessed and their hopes for a better life for the people of the world. “In the end, I thought about what we have the opportunity to do at Eastern. When we expose our students to new ideas and help them develop intellectually we are building the strength, the base, of this great democracy. We don’t have to have a world where children dig for food in garbage cans. We don’t have to live in a world where children sleep on the streets, robbed of their hopes and dreams. With the values we share in place, we can inspire our students to make the world a better place.”
Nuñez was referring to Eastern’s set of core values that were recently developed — Academic Excellence, Empowerment, Engagement, Inclusion, Integrity, and Social Responsibility. “Hearing these words gives me the motivation to get up in the morning and join you each day as we embark on our future together.”
In addition to welcoming new faculty and staff appointments, the University Meeting assembly joined President Nuñez in recognizing three members of the Eastern community who have completed 25 years of service — Early Childhood Education/CSU Professor Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, HR Assistant Doris Decyk, and Assistant Dean Nancy Tarkmeel of the School of Continuing Education.
Retirees Ron Weil, associate director of acquisitions, and Catherine Lynch, professor of history, were also honored.
Eastern Welcomes New Students
Convocation formally kicked off this year’s Welcome Weekend as more than 900 first-time freshmen and their parents gathered on campus on Aug. 31 to enjoy the first few days of the new year.
Paul Bryant, acting vice president for student affairs, energized the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium crowd, telling the freshmen they were embarking on an “extraordinary journey of achievement. If you’re ready, let’s get started!”
Margaret Martin, professor of social work and this year’s Distinguished Professor of the Year, described Eastern’s special brand of public liberal arts education as a combination of communication, critical thinking, and other academic skills, along with ethnics and practical knowledge. She encouraged incoming students to “ask the big questions” while developing “lifelong habits of the mind.”
In addition to hearing motivational speakers such as the popular Ed Gerety on Sept. 1, other Welcome Weekend activities included basketball tournaments, billiards contests, ultimate Frisbee, and a visit from illusionist Wayne Hoffman.
Student Center Dedication
Governor M. Jodi Rell will lead a long list of dignitaries who will join President Nuñez and the campus community when Eastern dedicates its new Student Center. The ribbon cutting-ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Sept. 25. Tours and refreshments will follow the ceremony. The remodeled and expanded student center has doubled in size and features a fitness center, theatre, coffeehouse, snack bar, several open lounge areas, conference and meeting rooms, and offices for student clubs and organizations.
The Capitol Steps
The political satire group, The Capitol Steps, will kick off the seventh season of Eastern’s popular Arts and Lecture Series on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. Known for poking fun at all things political, the troupe recently marked their 25th anniversary and have performed on PBS and NPR, and in concert tours around the United States. Come join in the hilarity!
Professor Stoloff to Visit Thailand in Fulbright Exchange
Professor David Stoloff, chair of the Education Department, has been granted a short-term Fulbright faculty exchange fellowship to visit Chiang Mai Rajabhat University (CMRU) in Thailand. Stoloff will be leaving for CMRU this November and staying through Jan. 5, 2008. Professor Anchalee Wongla of CMRU will be visiting our campus from Sept. 15 to Oct. 27, 2007. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website at http://exchanges.state.gov/
Eastern Student Wins NextGen Award
Katarina Russo, vice president of the American Humanities Student Association (AHSA) at Eastern, has been awarded a NextGen Leaders award from the Next Generation Nonprofit Leaders Program, an American Humanics, Inc. initiative. The award, a $4,500 scholarship, is intended to help Russo during her completion of a 300-hour internship in a nonprofit organization. Russo, a senior majoring in business administration, will complete her hours in volunteer management for the American Red Cross Connecticut Blood Services Region in Farmington.
Above, Russo, front center, is congratulated by Executive Vice President Michael Pernal, President Elsa Nuñez, University Judicial Officer Kimberly Silcox, Carter Lennon ‘07, and Business Administration Professor Eric Martin.
Out of 2,000 student applicants from more than 65 universities nationwide who applied through American Humanics, Inc., only 200 are selected to be awarded the NextGen Leaders award. The NextGen Awardees were selected from a national panel of university, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders.
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