University of Connecticut ||
Spring 2009
Vol. 10, No. 1
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Around UConn
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Photo by Peter Morenus |
Michelle Prairie ’09 (CLAS), a UConn Presidential Scholar with a 4.0 GPA in economics, is one of 40 Marshall Scholars named by the British government. She will spend the next two years in the United Kingdom studying for two master’s degrees in development economics. Scholarships are extended to “intellectually distinguished young Americans, their country’s future leaders.”
Prairie is the only student at a public institution in New England chosen for a Marshall this year and only the second UConn student to receive the honor. Other Marshall Scholars from the Northeast include students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Boston College, Princeton and Middlebury.
Former Marshall Scholars include Roger Tsien, a 2008 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. UConn’s first Marshall Scholar was Virginia DeJohn Anderson, ’76 (CLAS), professor of history at the University of Colorado.
BGS gets facelift
The 30-year-old Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) is getting an academic facelift by creating an interdisciplinary major that will help meet changing needs in the workplace.
The move is consistent with a number of recent developments, including an emphasis on interdisciplinary education in UConn’s new academic plan and the increased value being placed by employers on interdisciplinary education, says Peter Diplock, director of the BGS program.
The BGS interdisciplinary major must fall broadly under one of seven approved themes, which include human services, social science, arts and humanities, society and justice, diversity and multiculturalism, community and public engagement, or international.
The BGS program is the fourth-largest degree program at UConn and enrolls about 1,000 students annually, primarily at UConn’s regional campuses, most of whom are balancing school with work and/or providing care for their family.
BGS students range in age from 21 to 78. Although every BGS student is unique, most arrive at UConn with 60 earned credits or an associate’s degree and a GPA of 3.0, says Diplock.
New dean for Neag
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Photo by Frank Dahlmeyer |
The Neag School of Education will change leadership this summer when Thomas DeFranco, associate dean for the past six years, takes the reins from Richard Schwab ’78 M.A., ’80 Ph.D. Schwab is stepping down after 12 years to return to teaching and will continue his work with CommPACT Schools, an urban school reform model he helped establish.
“Under the visionary leadership of Rich Schwab, the Neag School has experienced impressive growth, and its national rankings reflect that growth. We need a leader who can keep that momentum going,” says Provost Peter J. Nicholls.
“Dr. DeFranco is a great asset to the School and the University. He has a national reputation in teacher preparation, and he successfully managed much of the Neag School’s day-to-day operations with the guidance of Dean Schwab.”
DeFranco, a professor of curriculum and instruction who holds a joint appointment in the math department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is credited with leading successful collaborations between the Neag School and K-12 districts in the state and with pioneering joint ventures between schools and colleges on the UConn campus.
A passionate mathematician who began teaching at the elementary and secondary levels, DeFranco earned a bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at New Paltz, a master’s degree from Seton Hall University and a Ph.D. from New York University. He taught math at St. John’s University in New York and later mathematics education at the University of Hartford.
He joined the UConn faculty in 1991 and was named a 2001 Teaching Fellow, one of the University’s highest honors. Last year, he received the American Association of University Professors’ Teaching Innovation Award. He is co-director of the Center for Research in Mathematics Education and his research focuses on math problem solving and on the teaching and learning of math.
Theatrical Collaboration
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| Photo by Andrew Rothenberg |
Christian Levatino ’98 (SFA) performed the title role in the 2008 Burbank, Calif., production of “Woyzeck,” the story of a working-class German soldier driven to violence.
The play was directed by Robert McDonald, professor of dramatic arts in the School of Fine Arts, who adapted the play, which is considered among the most influential in German theater.
UConn voices at The White House
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Photo by Grant Milller |
The CONN-MEN, one of the University’s widely popular a cappella student singing groups, performed as part of the 2008 holiday season tour celebrations at The White House in Washington, D.C.
The group was hosted by Anita Bevacqua McBride ’81 (CLAS), former chief of staff for First Lady Laura Bush and Assistant to the President.
30 Years of One Ton Sundae
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Photo by Peter Morenus |
The annual One Ton Sundae began in 1979 when ice cream from the popular Dairy Bar was piled up on a table so students could make their own sundaes during Winter Weekend.
The tradition continued in February with the 30th anniversary of frozen treats warming up a winter’s day.
New dental implant center for UCHC
A new Center for Implant & Reconstructive Dentistry has opened at the UConn Health Center with a team of nationally recognized experts who provide a full range of dental implant services.
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The new Center for Implant & Reconstructive Dentistry at the UConn Health Center in Farmington. Photo by Lanny Nagler |
The Center has eight state-of-the-art treatment rooms and sophisticated equipment, including a tomography unit that quickly and precisely captures 3-D and 2-D images of jaws and teeth.
“We offer patients today’s best technologies as well as the highest quality care from leaders in the field of dental implant therapy,” says Center director Donald Somerville ’97 D.M.D., an accomplished prosthodontist who has lectured extensively at national and international professional organizations about advances in dental implant techniques.
UConn has been at the forefront of dental implant care, education and research for many years. The new Center for Implant & Reconstructive Dentistry will support many research initiatives, including projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, to improve dental implant and restorative techniques, promote bone growth and develop new materials for implant prostheses.
It brings together research initiatives from the School of Dental Medicine and the New England Musculoskeletal Institute, UConn’s signature program in bone biology.
“Our specialists with the New England Musculoskeletal Institute and the UConn School of Dental Medicine are leading innovative research initiatives to improve care,” says Somerville.
National and local studies, including a 2007 UConn survey, report very high patient satisfaction rates with dental implants. Many patients reported increased comfort and confidence with talking, chewing or smiling.
Hi and Lois
Recent panels of the popular syndicated comic strip “Hi and Lois” have featured a UConn banner on the wall and a UConn shirt. We wondered how this happened.
The answer: Robin Browne ’09 (CLAS), the daughter of comic artist Chance Browne and his wife, Debra, is a student at the Storrs campus.
Readers of “Hi and Lois” often see references to well-known Connecticut landmarks near the Browne’s Fairfield County home. The comic strip appears in 1,100 newspapers worldwide.
It is written by Brian and Greg Walker and focuses on the family life of the Flagstons – Hi and Lois and their children, teenager Chip, twin youngsters Dot and Ditto and baby Trixie.
Then & Now: Icy North Eagleville Pickup Game
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| Winter at UConn has meant playing hockey outdoors on the ice pond on North Eagleville Road for more than a century. Once known as the Duck Pond, the small body of water in front of the Chemistry Building today is called Swan Lake. In the black-and-white photo above, dated circa 1900, students set up benches to help mark their rink. Earlier this year as temperatures dipped well below freezing, students shoveled snow off the ice to mark their rink boundaries, set up goals and chose sides before squaring off in a pickup game. Photo by Sean Flynn |
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Student nurses complete clinical work in Africa
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Carrie-Ellen Flanagan ’09 (NUR) was among 14 undergraduate students from the School of Nursing who completed their clinical studies this past fall by working in labor and delivery wards in Cape Town, South Africa.
The students worked under the supervision of Lisa-Marie Griffiths, assistant clinical professor of nursing, and Arthur J. Engler, associate professor of nursing, who guided the students in their clinical studies in Cape Town with a particular focus on childbearing and child rearing.
The students supplemented their clinical work with readings about African history, current culture, politics and how South Africa today has left behind the notorious civil-rights atrocities and apartheid of its past.
Inside look at U.S. Justice Department
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Photo by Spencer Sloan |
Former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani, right, and Kevin J. O'Connor '92 J.D., former U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, participated in a School of Law panel discussion on “40 Years Inside the Department of Justice” moderated by Evan D. Flaschen '82 J.D., a partner with Bracewell & Giuliani LLP.
Alumni names sought for military Roll of Honor
The University is working to create a Roll of Honor to remember alumni who died of wounds or injuries sustained while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Any former student who earned at least 12 credits from UConn qualifies as an alumnus.
A Memorial Committee is seeking help in gathering names from all wars and conflicts in which the United States has been engaged since the founding of the University as the Storrs Agricultural School in 1881.
UConn archives have provided many names up through World War II and the Korean War, but there is little documentation for the Vietnam era, which the U.S. military dates from the mid-1950s, when advisers were first deployed to the Southeast Asian country of South Vietnam, into the period from 1964, following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to the end of hostilities in the mid-1970s.
Anyone who may have information about UConn alumni who died during the Vietnam War, or any other war or military engagement in which the United States was involved, is encouraged to send the information to Betsy Pittman, University archivist at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, 405 Babbidge Road - Unit 1205, Storrs, CT 06269-1205, or by e-mail: betsy.pittman@uconn.edu.
Husky bars for troops
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT 2nd) ‘78 J.D. distributed UCONN Husky chocolate bars, donated by Munsons Chocolates of Bolton, Conn., to United States military personnel during a trip to Iraq in December.
Shaman grave found
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Archaeolgoist Natalie Munro working on the site of a 12,000-year-old grave discoverd near the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Photo by Naftali Hilger |
UConn archaeologist Natalie Munro is part of a research team working with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that discovered a 12,000-year-old grave in Israel containing the remains of a woman which provides some of the world’s earliest evidence of a religious practitioner.
Munro, associate professor of anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, says the interment rituals and the method used to construct and seal the grave suggest that it is the burial site of a shaman – one of the very earliest on archaeological record and the oldest ever found in that region.
The grave includes 50 complete tortoise shells and select parts of other animals, including a wild boar, an eagle and a cow as well as a complete human foot that is not her own. Carbon dating of the site established the period when the woman lived.
The grave was discovered near the Sea of Galilee, about 6 miles from the nearest known settlement. The woman was one of the Natufians, the first people to routinely bury their dead, but the grave was distinct from that period or those preceding it.
“What sets her gravesite apart from others is the multitude of animal parts placed near and around her,” says Munro. “This provides strong evidence that she held a unique position in her society and is very likely an early shaman.”
The research results were published this past fall in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Building medical info data
The School of Pharmacy will join with the Connecticut Pharmacists Association and a newly created network of Connecticut pharmacists to build an electronic medication information exchange for the state that proponents hope will be a major step forward to improve health care delivery while reducing health care costs in Connecticut.
The overall goal of the program is to improve patient health and quality of care for Medicaid patients, as well as reduce overall health care costs. In other areas where such programs have been implemented, participating employees visited local hospital emergency departments at a rate one-third the national average.
Their employers’ direct medical costs declined by between $1,622 and $3,356 per participant and one employer had an average reduction in program participant sick days of 41 percent.
The pilot program was funded to determine how well pharmacist-led medication management and adherence programs would work in Connecticut and how pharmacists can assist the state in developing a comprehensive electronic health and medication information exchange database.
The database will contain all of a patient’s pharmacy insurance claims, his or her medication prescription record, lab test data and notes about potential medication allergies, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements and past medication adherence rates.
This electronic health information will then be available to any licensed health care professional seeing the patient at a hospital, emergency room, clinic, pharmacy or other health care location.
The program will use $781,000 from a federal grant to the Connecticut Department of Social Services to develop comprehensive medication profiles for 1,000 Connecticut Medicaid patients and medication therapy management and adherence pilot programs for 200 Medicaid patients. The School of Pharmacy will report its findings in 2010.
Breakthrough in stem cell lines
Connecticut’s vision to move forward with a pioneering stem cell program has been rewarded with a milestone reached by UConn scientists who created two new human embryonic stem cell lines that are being made available to academic researchers to study the therapeutic potential of the cells.
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The state’s early funding for UConn’s Stem Cell Core laboratory at the UConn Health Center led to the development of two new lines of embryonic stem cells. Photo by Lanny Nagler |
The ability to provide human embryonic stem cell lines is essential for investigators to make discoveries that can be translated into new treatments and cures for diseases and was a primary factor when the state committed $100 million to fund stem cell research and training programs over 10 years.
The Stem Cell Investment Act approved by the General Assembly made Connecticut the third state in the nation to provide public funding for embryonic and human adult stem cell research.
Funds awarded in April 2007 were used to establish a $2.5-million Human Embryonic Stem Cell Core laboratory at the UConn Health Center.
“When we committed $100 million over 10 years there were some who asked ‘Is it worth it?’” says Gov. M. Jodi Rell. “The world-class researchers and scientists in Connecticut are answering that question just 18 months after receiving funding. We are getting great returns on that investment, and we know the possibilities for health care therapies from this cutting-edge research are limitless.”
“Connecticut has emerged as a national leader in stem cell research and it didn’t happen by accident,” says Senate President Donald E.Williams Jr.
“Three years ago we passed legislation that set the course for where we are now. The investment will continue to pay dividends, especially for Connecticut’s economy, and it is critical that we make its survival one of our highest priorities as we balance the budget.”
The UConn Stem Cell Core facility serves as a storage, distribution and training center where researchers are developing new human embryonic stem cell lines and new stem cell technology.
The facility has served as a training ground in stem cell culture for more than 100 researchers and graduate students and continues to provide technical support for research and training throughout the state.
For more information, go to http://genetics.uchc.edu/stemcell/index.html.
Sociologist recognized by Alumni Association
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Photo by Peter Morenus
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Nancy Naples, professor of sociology and women’s studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, received the 2008 UConn Alumni Association Faculty Excellence in Research Award in Humanities and Social Sciences for her extensive contributions to the field of sociology.
A prominent scholar, she specializes in gender; feminist theory; the intersectionality of race, class and gender; community sociology; social movements; social policy and qualitative methodology.
She devotes her time not only to research but also to her students as well, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the sociology and women’s studies programs.
She also serves as the president-elect of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and has served as president and vice president of Sociologists for Women in Society.
M.B.A. rank moves up
UConn’s full-time M.B.A. program in the School of Business is now listed in the top ranks of M.B.A. programs in the United States according to Business Week Best B-Schools rankings for 2008.
The program is ranked in the top 45 M.B.A. programs in the United States, among the top 20 public institutions nationally and remains the No. 1 public M.B.A. program in New England.
Business Week also ranked the UConn M.B.A. program 16th globally and seventh nationally in the “return on investment” (ROI) category. When surveyed, UConn business graduate students raved about the program’s great value.
“We’re very proud of the strides our program has made,” says Christopher Earley, dean of the School of Business.
“We’re particularly excited about our ROI ranking, which confirms what we’ve known for years: that the smart money comes to UConn.”
APA honors James O'Neil
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Photo by Frank Dahlmeyer |
James M. O’Neil, professor of educational psychology in the Neag School of Education and professor of family studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, received the 2008 Distinguished Professional Service award from the American Psychological Association for his cumulative research on male gender role conflict.
The award was presented through the APA’s Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, of which O’Neil is a founder.
A recognized expert on gender role conflict, he created the Gender Role Conflict Scale, a widely used measure of men’s conflict with their gender role.
Up close and personal at the Super Bowl
Kyle Carney ’11 (CANR) won the 2008 Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Scholarship, earning the second-year turfgrass science student the opportunity to participate in Super Bowl XLIII helping National Football League turf specialists prepare the game field and practice facilities at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
As part of his application, Carney produced a booklet with photographs depicting how he created a mini 20-by-20-foot NFL field in his parents’ backyard, complete with a hand-painted Super Bowl XLIII logo.
Researchers study addiction treatment
Researchers in the School of Social Work have received funding for three studies directed at improving outcomes of criminal offenders released from prison. The research is supported by a five-year $3.5-million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Linda Frisman ’72 (CLAS), research professor in the School of Social Work and director of research for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, is principal investigator of the project, which will be conducted through the Connecticut Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies Center, one of nine such centers in the United States.
Her project co-director is Daniel Bannish, director of behavioral health with the Connecticut Department of Correction.
The research focuses on prisoners who have addictive disorders and how to best continue treatment once inmates are returned to the community at large, says Frisman.
“We’re studying how best to use already established evidence-based practices,” she adds.
“We’re especially interested in the community re-entry transition. That’s where prisoners can either make it or break it. We have to start using procedures that will maximize their chances of success.”
The first study will examine ways to employ evidence-based practices successfully in assessment. Subsequent studies will focus on evidence-based practices in treatment and HIV/AIDs prevention. The research should reveal the best ways to implement these practices more widely.
Laurencin honored by chemical engineers
Medical school dean recognized for research in tissue engineering
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Photo by Lanny Nagler |
Cato T. Laurencin, vice president for health affairs at the UConn Health Center and dean of the medical school, has been named among “100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era” by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
The recognition from the world’s leading organization for chemical engineering professionals acknowledges Laurencin’s work in tissue engineering to develop materials to promote bone repair and wound healing.
Laurencin, who also has an appointment as a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in UConn’s School of Engineering, specifically was recognized by AIChE for developing a novel polymer-synthesized, ceramic composite-based system for bone repair and in vitro evaluation.
An orthopedic surgeon as well as a chemical engineer, Laurencin has focused much of his research on the development of materials to assist in treating orthopedic trauma and performing reconstructive surgeries and arthroplasties.
The synthetic materials are biodegradable polymers or plastics made from specific compounds that are absorbed into the body as part of the healing process.
“Dr. Laurencin has helped to expand the boundaries of chemical engineering and its influence on emerging technologies through his research and training activities in regenerative medicine and advanced polymer synthesis,” says Mun Y. Choi, dean of the School of Engineering.
“We are very fortunate to have someone of his stature and reputation as a colleague at UConn.”
Around UConn - Investing in the Future
Gift expands TEAI
Travelers will commit up to $1.6 million to expand the successful Travelers Education Access Initiative (TEAI) at UConn, a program designed to enhance academic, outreach and diversity programs at the University.
The program, established by TEAI in 2007 with gifts totaling $630,000, improves access to higher education for underrepresented populations and builds awareness about careers in insurance and finance.
“UConn is uniquely positioned to help Travelers remove barriers to higher education and careers that underrepresented students face,” says Marlene Ibsen, vice president of community relations at Travelers.
“Travelers and UConn are structuring a comprehensive approach that we believe is a formula for success.”
The inclusive program offers a wide range of efforts, such as mentorship and youth outreach in Greater Hartford school districts.
Scholarships are a signature component of the Travelers initiative for students who demonstrate a commitment to multicultural diversity through leadership in activities at UConn or in their communities, as well as opportunities to help enhance their educational experience and improve retention through graduation.
“The TEAI program helps us by supporting community and school-based efforts to keep students on the path of achievement from middle school to a rigorous high school curriculum,” says UConn President Michael J. Hogan.
This new commitment strengthens the longstanding partnership between UConn and Travelers, which employes more than 700 UConn alumni.
Segerson named to Austin Chair
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Photo by Peter Morenus |
Kathleen Segerson, a professor of economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been named by the Board of Trustees to hold the Philip E. Austin Chair for a three-year term.
The chair was established with contributions made in honor of Austin, who stepped down last year after serving 11 years as president of the University.
Segerson, who specializes in environmental and natural resource economics, law and applied microeconomics, joined the University in 1986 and served as chair of the economics department from 2001 to 2005.
Endowment starts new fellowship
A new graduate fellowship endowment is supporting graduate training in clinical psychology, with priority given to students with an interest in studying the effects of family dynamics or childhood disorders on personality development in children.
The endowment was created with a $150,000 gift from Carolina Herfkens, widow of psychology professor J. Conrad Schwarz, who died in 2003.
Schwarz joined UConn’s psychology department in 1972, serving in the clinical division, and was the founder of UConn’s on-campus Psychology Services Clinic, a training facility for graduate students in clinical psychology that provides campus-based mental health services.
Much of Schwarz’s research examined the effects of family dynamics on personality development in children. Remembered for his commitment to graduate education, he published more than 100 papers during the course of his career. He maintained a private clinical practice while advising many students.
Library exhibits "Endangered Species" installation
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Photo by Peter Morenus |
Internationally known artist Werner Pfeiffer donated his installation sculpture “Endangered Species” to the Homer Babbidge Library. Located in the Bookworms Cafe, the work, created from used books, includes sealed and multilated books, making a compelling statement about the power of the written word and censorship.
Gift supports women’s basketball
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The Gruner gift will assist the women’s basketball program in continuing to attract talented players such as All-American Renee Montgomery ‘09 (CLAS), who became the first active player recognized as one of the Huskies of Honor in February. |
Although she did not participate in athletics while pursuing her accounting degree at UConn, Colleen Gruner ’82 (BUS) was an accomplished high school athlete and feels that involvement in sports was important to her life’s success.
“Particularly when you play team sports, you learn traits like leadership, communication skills, collaboration and how to work toward common goals. These are skills that you can use throughout your life,” says Gruner, director of finance at Aetna US Healthcare in Hartford, Conn.
Gruner recently made a major gift to the UConn women’s basketball program, which continues her more than 20 years of support to UConn athletics and the School of Business.
She is a member of the Charles and Augustus Storrs Circle of the Founders Society at the UConn Foundation, which honors donors whose cumulative gifts and pledges total between $250,000 and $499,999.
“Basketball brought national prominence to an already good school. The entire University has benefited from its athletic success,” she says.
“It has helped UConn to recruit better students and student-athletes, attract donors and build up the entire University. I had a very positive experience at UConn, both academically and personally. My experience in the School of Business – particularly with accounting Professors Lawrence Gramling, Mohamed Hussein and Richard Kochanek – has given me the foundation for a successful career.”
Gruner credits the women’s basketball team with energizing alumni and fans, including her whole family, from an out-of-state niece who listens to UConn games on the Internet, to her 89-year-old father, who faithfully follows the Huskies.
“The women who play for UConn have become role models,” she says.
“They’re succeeding on and off the court. Hopefully, I’m giving these great young women a chance to succeed and grow even more.”
Presidential Challenge to spur scholarship giving
UConn President Michael J. Hogan earlier this year established a new Presidential Challenge program to raise $100 million in private funding for scholarships and graduate fellowships.
As an incentive to donors to participate in the program, Hogan says the University will use $50 million in existing scholarship funds to match scholarships awarded from new gifts to the UConn Foundation by contributors. The program has already attracted two major donors, a parent and an alumnus.
UConn parent Margaret Keane is chief executive officer of GE Retail Consumer Finance; her son, Brian Hajdarovic ’11 (CLAS), is studying communication sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
GE provided Keane with a performance award that allows her to make a gift of $15,000 to a charity of her choice. In addition, she added a personal gift of $10,000, which is matched by $10,000 from the GE Foundation, creating a $35,000 endowed scholarship.
“My son and I have been talking a lot about how students at UConn are really struggling financially in these very difficult times. I have always been a strong believer in public higher education,” Keane says.
“The President’s Challenge match provides an even greater incentive to give now because of the additional dollars that will be available to help deserving students complete their college studies.”
The alumnus, Doug Donaldson ’73 (ED), vice president of Subway Development Corporation of New England, has given $35,000 to the program.
“The matching funds from the University were the deciding factor in our decision,” says Donaldson, a member of the School of Nursing’s Advisory Board, who, with his wife, Lynn, gave the gift for nursing scholarships.
“Nursing students graduate with the highest debt load of any undergraduate major at UConn. Given that the President’s Challenge was available to make our money go further, we felt now was the best time to make a gift that helps the School of Nursing and may begin to address Connecticut’s growing shortage of nurses.”
The Presidential Challenge Fund will use existing University scholarship funds to match spending allocations of new scholarship and fellowship endowments generated by private funds over the next five years.
To qualify for the program, endowed gifts must be at least $25,000 and non-endowed gifts must be at least $10,000.
For more information go to: www.foundation.uconn.edu.
Around UConn - Huskymania
Life in the throw circle
McMillian and Dubs discuss shot put style
Tynisha McMillian ’10 (CLAS), a political science major, holds the UConn women’s record for throwing the shot put and won the 2007 ECAC Outdoor Championship. She qualified for the 2008 NCAA Championships during the past indoor season.
Andrew Dubs ’09 (ED), a coaching and administration major, is a co-captain of the men’s track team and serves as president of UConn’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee. He won consecutive Big East Championships in 2007 and 2008. The two student-athletes discussed life inside the seven-foot circle that serves as the launching pad for shot put competition.
What should people know about throwing the shot put?
Tynisha: It’s not as easy as it looks. It’s not just throwing.
Andrew: It takes a lot more than people think. There’s more behind-the-scenes work.
How did you decide the shot put would be your event?
Tynisha: Basketball was my first sport, but the coaches came to find me in high school and asked me to throw. That’s all I can see myself doing now.
Andrew: I played soccer, but in elementary school my church youth organization had a track team. I was a long jumper, but the coach said because I was tall I should try throwing. I’ve been doing it since sixth grade.
How much time do you spend on technique versus strength training?
Andrew: I’ll practice an hour with Coach [Ted] Gibbons and then on my own I’ll break down each phase of the technique – coming out of the back of the ring, the sprint across the ring and then the power position to throw – making sure I’m always getting in the right position and knowing how it feels.
Tynisha: With the glide, it’s recovering the right foot – getting it underneath so you can have that lower body power to push up.
Apart from throwing technique, how do you train to build power?
Tynisha: I do box jumps to make sure the right foot tucks underneath. The legs are where you generate all the power in the glide. You also have to worry about not shifting your weight too early, making sure you get both feet down at the same time as soon as possible.
Andrew: Most throwing events are more legs than upper body. If you can’t squat 500-600 pounds, you can’t throw it that far. I do explosive lifts and a lot of leg work.
What is your routine before a competition?
Andrew: I’ll start getting prepared an hour and a half before a meet. Fifteen to 20-minutes before the event starts they allow you to start throwing. I try not to talk to anybody. I like to be kind of quiet and not let other events distract me.
Tynisha: I’m pretty much the same. I try to visualize what I’m going to do. During the event, it’s all about the ring and the shot put. Afterward, I’ll talk to people.
During a competition do you look at the leader board and distances to see where everybody is?
Tynisha: I think about what I have to do to get the distance, which is my technique. If I’m in second place, I don’t really think about the distance, but instead I’ll think about what I’m not doing right.
Andrew: I always want to throw as far as I can and get a personal record. There are only two meets a year when I care what place I get – the Indoor and Outdoor Big East Championships. I want to get points for my team and win.
Is there a track event you wish you could do?
Tynisha: The long jump. I always joke around with my coach about that.
Andrew: I’ve always wanted to pole vault.
What events do you watch when you are done competing in a meet?
Andrew: I like to watch our 800-meter guys run.
Tynisha: The sprinters. We have so many on our team at such a high level.
Road to Final Four passes through Storrs
In early February, the men’s and women’s basketball teams both held the No. 1 spot in the weekly Associated Press rankings for the first time since the historic 2003-04 season, when Storrs was transformed into the focal point of the basketball world with twin No. 1 rankings and UConn later became the first university to win both NCAA basketball championships in the same year.
The first time UConn topped both the men’s and women’s rankings was on Feb. 13, 1995, just weeks before the women’s team won the first of its five NCAA championships with a perfect 35-0 record.
During the 1998-99 season both teams were ranked No. 1 for six weeks and the season culminated with the men’s first NCAA championship. Both teams held top rankings in the pre-season polling for 1999-2000.
Three years later, the Huskies were the pre-season favorites in both AP rankings and jointly held the top spot for five weeks early in November and December 2003, before ending the season by bringing two more NCAA titles back to Gampel Pavilion in April 2004.
Perfect ‘Huskies of Honor’ Induction
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Photo by Stephen Slade |
The 1994-95 NCAA National Championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 35-0 record, was inducted into the “UConn Huskies of Honor” on Nov. 16 during halftime of the UConn-Georgia Tech game before a crowd of 8,871.
From L-R: associate head coach Chris Dailey ’99 M.A., assistant coach Meghan Pattyson-Culmo ’92 (CLAS), Jill Gelfenbien ’95 (SFS), Jennifer Rizzotti ’96 (CLAS), Kelley Hunt-Gay ’98 (CLAS), Carla Berube ’97 (CLAS), Brenda Marquis-Wilson ’99 (CLAS), Nykesha Sales ’98 (BUS), head coach Geno Auriemma, Kara Wolters ’97 (CLAS), Sarah Northway-Maria ’97 (CLAS), Rebecca Lobo ’95 (CLAS), Missy Rose ’97 (ED), Jamelle Elliott ’96 (ED), ’97 M.A., and Kim Better-Thompson ’96 (ENG).
Unable to make the ceremony were Pam Webber-Mitchell ’95 (ED) and assistant coach Tonya Cardozza, now head women’s basketball coach at Temple University.
Four members of the team were among the first group of 2007 inductees to the “Huskies of Honor” as All-Americans: Lobo, Rizzotti, Wolters and Sales.
Husky [STATS]
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Three runners competed in the NCAA Regional Championships: Scott Johnson ’11 (CLAS), Andrew Judd ’12 (CLAS) and Luke Albertson ’12 (CLAS).
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Five runners competed in the NCAA Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships: Rebecca McCollum ’09 (CLAS), Kaitlin Vaughn ’09 (CLAS), Sara Leslie ’10 (CLAS), Meghan Bowden’11 (CLAS) and Courtney Dinnan ’12 (CLAS).
FIELD HOCKEY
The team reached the first round of the NCAA Championships. Jennifer Kleinhans ’09 (ENG): Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-America, first team; All-Mideast Region, first team; 2008-09 Big East Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Lauren Aird ’09 (CLAS): Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-America, third team; All-Mideast Region, first team. Lindsey Leck ’09 (CLAS): All-Mideast Region, second team. Meghan Wheeler ’09 (CLAS): All-Mideast Region, second team. Melissa Gonzalez ’11 (CLAS): Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-America, third team; All-Mideast Region, first team; All Big-East, first team; 2008 Team USA, Pan American Junior gold medal.
FOOTBALL
The Huskies won the 2009 International Bowl, defeating Buffalo 38-20. Donald Brown ’09 (ED): MVP, 2008 International Bowl; Sporting News All-America, first team; Associated Press All-America, second team; Walter Camp Football Foundation, second-team; Big East Offensive Player of the Year; All-Big East, first team. Darius Butler ’09 (CLAS), Will Beatty ’09 (CLAS) and Cody Brown ’09 (CLAS): 2009 Senior Bowl; All-Big East Team, first team. Dahna Deleston ’09 (CLAS) and Julius Williams ’09 (CLAS): Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Team. Moe Petrus ’11 (CLAS): Sporting News All-
Freshman Team.
MEN’S SOCCER
The team reached the third round of the 2008 NCAA Championship. O’Brian White ’09 (CLAS): NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I Men’s All-America, third team; NSCAA All-Northeast Region, first team; All-Big East, first team; 2008 Big East Offensive Player of the Year. Toni Stahl ’10 (CLAS): NSCAA All-Northeast Region, first team; All-Big East, first team. Akeem Priestley ’09 (CANR): NSCAA All-Northeast Region, second team; All-Big East, second team. Dori Arad ’09 (CANR): 2008 UConn Big East Scholar Athlete Award.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Stephanie Labbe ’09 (ED): NEWISA All-New England, first team; NSCAA/adidas All-Northeast Region, third team; All-Big East, first team; All-Big East 2008 Goalkeeper of the Year; NEWISA Senior Bowl. Brittany Tegeler ’09 (ED): NEWISA All-New England, second team; All-Big East, second team; NEWISA Senior Bowl. Elizabeth Eng ’09: (CLAS) NEWISA All-New England, second team; NEWISA Senior Bowl. Lauren Ebert ’10 (ED): NEWISA All-New England, second team. Kacey Richards ’11 (ED): NEWISA All-New England, second team; All-Big East, second team. Annie Yi ’10 (ED): All-Big East, third team.
VOLLEYBALL
Annie Luhrsen ’12 (CLAS): AVCA 2008 Regional Freshman of the Year for the Northeast.