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Eastern Hires Information Technology Chief
Joseph Tolisano, former chief information officer at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts, has been named Eastern’s chief information officer. Tolisano began work on Jan. 18 and will report to Eastern President Elsa M. Nuñez.
At Holyoke Community College, Tolisano was responsible for developing, planning, budgeting, and executing the college’s long-range technology goals in telecommunications, distance learning, video networking, website, and portal development. Previously, as Holyoke’s director of academic computing, Tolisano managed the college’s computer network and audiovisual center.
Before his retirement from the U.S. Air Force in 2003, Tolisano worked in various Air Force support and administrative roles in information technology systems, communications, and training and financial operations management. Most recently, Tolisano was senior officer in the Connecticut Air National Guard’s Connecticut Emergency Management Center, developing state plans for the deployment of forces post-9/11.
Since 2002, Tolisano also has served as director of emergency management for the Town of Somers, where he recently was elected to the Board of Selectmen.
Tolisano earned his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts.
Eastern Celebrates National African American History Month
Eastern is observing National African American History Month in February with more than a dozen events, including documentaries, story-telling, book displays and discussions, theatrical presentations, poetry readings, game shows, and much more. The public is invited. Admission is free to most events.
• Eastern began its celebration early on Jan. 21 with the broadcast of “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Look Back,” a TV series originally produced in 1983 by Dwight Bachman, public relations officer.
• On Jan. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Student Center Theatre, the university presented “Tony Brown’s Essay on Martin Luther King,” a film tribute to King.
• On Feb. 2, Step Afrika will perform a traditional celebration of culture through dance.
• On Feb. 4, Eastern’s Campus Activities Board will show “Do It: A Hip Hop Documentary.”
• On Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., Eastern’s West Indian Society and Intercultural Center staff will present West Indian and African American storytelling and food tasting.
• Beginning on Feb. 7, and running throughout the month, the J. Eugene Smith Library will display an exhibit of African American writers.
• On Feb. 12, Actor Mel Johnson, Jr. will present “Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery.” On Feb. 13, Johnson will present an encore performance of “Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery” and will also conduct a University Hour lecture on the show.
• On Feb. 20, “Our Voices,” a series of theatre monologues from prominent African American leaders throughout history, will be presented.
• On Feb. 22, the Intercultural Center will host a dinner and discussion of Toni Morrison's novel, “The Bluest Eye,” followed by a trip to the Hartford Stage.
• On Feb. 24, cash prizes will be given to the winners on an African American History Game Show.
• On Feb. 25, noted law professor and author, Dr. Charles Ogletree of Harvard University, will be our guest speaker.
• On Feb. 27, Bennie McMorris, vice president of student affairs at Hampton University, will discuss Lorraine Hansberry’s book, “Young, Gifted, and Black.”
• On Feb. 27, Eastern will present three individuals -- an Eastern student; an Eastern faculty or staff member; and a member of the community, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Awards.
• On Feb. 29, Def Poet Bassey Ikpi will perform at the fourth annual Def Poetry Jam.
• For more information, visit www.easternct.edu/AAHM
Eastern is accepting nominations for the 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Awards. Nominees may be a part of the university community or from the greater Windham community. Nominations will be accepted through Feb.1, 2008.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Conference Room of the J. Eugene Smith Library.
To access the nomination form, please visit www.easternct.edu.
Eastern Police Train with Willimantic Police for Emergencies
On Jan. 12, Eastern’s Police Department and the Willimantic S.W.A.T. Team conducted a simulated shooter response drill at the Wilson Child and Family Development Complex. With the assistance of housing professional staff and the environmental health and safety coordinator as role players, officers from both departments responded to several scenarios involving an active shooter or multiple shooters and hostage situations. The officers’ training and experience were put to a test as they attempted to find, isolate, and stop the shooter from advancing.
The exercise gave both police departments a chance to work together and enhance their communication and response time to a critical incident. It also allowed the officers to understand the differences between a police patrol response and a police tactical response to similar incidents.
Eastern police officers secure a hallway and
prepare to search a classroom for an active
shooter during a training simulation.
(Simulation) Willimantic S.W.A.T. officers successfully engage
an active shooter and prepare to search for additional threats in
the building during a training simulation.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ’01 Named Nigeria, West Africa’s Artist of the Year!
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ’01 has won yet another prestigious award. She has been named Nigeria, West Africa’s Artist of the Year! Earlier this year, Adichie won the Orange Prize for Fiction, Britain’s top literary prize, for her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006). Adichie, 29, became a nationally acclaimed author with her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus (2003), which received wide critical acclaim. One reviewer called Purple Hibiscus “a monumental literary achievement and a prayer for Nigeria.”
(For more on Chimamanda’s latest book, visit http://www.halfofayellowsun.com/)
Matthew Mitchell, a senior majoring in sports and leisure management, was named the recipient of a $500 scholarship from the Connecticut Parks and Recreation Association during its annual conference in November. More than 600 college students, university professionals, and park and recreation employees from throughout the state attended the event, held at the Mohegan Sun Conference Center. The scholarship was awarded to Mitchell for his scholastic achievements and volunteer work in his local community.
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