owl sightings summer 2011

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Congratulations Class of 2011! United in accomplishment and pride, some 1,500 members of the Class of 2011 were honored at Southern’s undergraduate commencement ceremony, held on May 27 at the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven. Byron Pitts, chief national correspondent for “CBS News,” delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance of humility. “Be humble, yet bold,“ said Pitts, an Emmy Award- winning journalist, who is also a contributing correspondent to CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “Each of you has the power to be a leader, but seek to be a servant leader.” Southern also held two graduate commencement exercises on May 26 in Southern’s John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts. Carol Stiff, ’83, vice president of programming and acquisitions for ESPN, spoke at the afternoon ceremony for the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, and Health and Human Services. Bishop Theodore L. Brooks Sr. delivered the graduate commencement address for the School of Education at an evening ceremony. Bishop Brooks is the pastor of Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church in New Haven, the president and chief executive officer of the Beulah Land Development Corporation, and serves on the board of directors of many organizations. OWL Dear Friends of Southern, The lazy days of summer are upon us, but life is far from slow here at Southern. As you will read in this supplement to Southern Alumni Magazine, we are about to undertake one of the busiest summer construction programs in recent years, highlighted by the renovation of the former student center as a new home for our School of Business. Also beginning this summer is our new Southern Academy, an intensive six-week program aimed at providing young New Haven children with the essential educational tools they need for success in school and in life. In addition, we present some of the highlights of an outstanding past year, filled with academic accomplishment, inspiring special events, and athletics triumphs. I wish you an enjoyable summer with friends and family and thank you for your ongoing support of Southern Connecticut State University. Stanley F. Battle Interim President a news supplement for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University Summer | 11

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A news supplement for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University

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Page 1: Owl Sightings Summer 2011

Congratulations Class of 2011!United in accomplishment and pride, some 1,500 members

of the Class of 2011 were honored at Southern’s undergraduatecommencement ceremony, held on May 27 at the ConnecticutTennis Center in New Haven.

Byron Pitts, chief national correspondent for “CBS News,”delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance ofhumility. “Be humble, yet bold,“ said Pitts, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, who is also a contributing correspondent toCBS’ “60 Minutes.” “Each of you has the power to be a leader,but seek to be a servant leader.”

Southern also held two graduate commencementexercises on May 26 in Southern’s John Lyman Center for thePerforming Arts. Carol Stiff, ’83, vice president of programming and acquisitions for ESPN,spoke at the afternoon ceremony for the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, andHealth and Human Services. Bishop Theodore L. Brooks Sr. delivered the graduatecommencement address for the School of Education at an evening ceremony. BishopBrooks is the pastor of Beulah Heights First Pentecostal Church in New Haven, thepresident and chief executive officer of the Beulah Land Development Corporation, andserves on the board of directors of many organizations.

OWL

Dear Friendsof Southern,The lazy days ofsummer areupon us, but lifeis far from slow

here at Southern. As you willread in this supplement toSouthern Alumni Magazine, weare about to undertake one ofthe busiest summer constructionprograms in recent years,highlighted by the renovation ofthe former student center as anew home for our School ofBusiness. Also beginning thissummer is our new SouthernAcademy, an intensive six-weekprogram aimed at providingyoung New Haven children withthe essential educational toolsthey need for success in schooland in life. In addition, wepresent some of the highlights ofan outstanding past year, filledwith academic accomplishment,inspiring special events, andathletics triumphs. I wish you anenjoyable summer with friendsand family and thank you foryour ongoing support of SouthernConnecticut State University.

Stanley F. BattleInterim President

a news supplement for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University

Summer | 11

Page 2: Owl Sightings Summer 2011

OWL Sightings

Legendary comedian Bill Cosby madehis second visit to the New Haven area thisspring, stopping at Southern and localneighborhoods, speaking at elementaryschools, and stressing the importance ofeducation. NBC’s “The Today Show,”chronicled his most recent day in the city,later interviewing Cosby and InterimPresident Stanley F. Battle live at NBC’s NewYork studios.

Cosby’s message is in step with effortsby the university and the city to bridge theachievement gap and to help students ingrades K-12 realize that going to college is anattainable dream.

This summer, Southern launches theSouthern Academy, designed to help cityschool children enhance their skills in keyacademic areas, from reading to calculus. (For more on Southern Academy, see right.)

Other initiatives include: a summerliteracy camp for elementary school studentsand their teachers planned by MichaelSampson, dean of the School of Education,who is a nationally recognized expert inreading; a conference for New Haventeachers focusing on classroom supporthosted by the School of Education; and apilot program designed to infuse Southernfaculty and students into New Havenelementary schools beginning in the fall of2011. Southern faculty and New Haventeachers also are working together to write anew curriculum that will better meet theneeds of urban learners.

A New Home for BusinessOn May 19, Southern broke ground

on the future home of the School ofBusiness — a state-of-the-art facility to becreated by renovating SCSU’s formerStudent Center. Construction is slated tostart this summer and be completed inabout a year. Depicted in the artist’srendering at left, the redesigned 23,000square foot building will houseclassrooms, faculty offices, meetingrooms, a stock trading room, and thelatest in technology.

“The faculty, staff, students, andmembers of the business communityunderstand the value of a business schoolthat provides 21st century technology andfacilities,” says Ellen Durnin, dean of theSchool of Business. “It will assist us inpreparing graduates in high-needworkforce areas.”

Funding for the $6.6 million projectcomes from several sources, includingallocations from the state BondCommission and CSUS 2020, a capitalimprovement project for the ConnecticutState University System.

Bill Cosby Shines Spotlight on Education

This summer, the university welcomes a promising new group of students to campus — 25 fourth

graders who comprise the first class of Southern Academy. The newly launched academy was

developed to help city school children enhance their skills in key academic areas, from reading to

calculus to computer science. The on-campus program, which runs for six weeks, provides

the students with classroom learning opportunities, as well as exposure to other

aspects of university life, including athletics and the performing arts.

Looking forward, tutoring also will be available for the children during

the regular school year, and their academic and social progress will be

tracked through the middle school years into high school.

Community involvement, including mentoring, is critical to the

success of the initiative. Educational opportunities also are available to

parents, who are asked to join their children in signing a contract of

commitment to the program. There is a strong incentive for the children

to participate: those who graduate from high school and meet Southern’s

application standards will earn scholarships to attend the university.

Next year, the academy will be expanded to 75 students of varying

ages, building to a final capacity of about 200 students in the future.

Southern Academy Launched

Interim President Stanley F. Battle [CENTER] and Bill Cosby met with community and campus leadersin March, prior to a rally for education awareness at Lincoln-Bassett School in New Haven.

Page 3: Owl Sightings Summer 2011

Southern Brings Music to New HavenDiane Bish, one of the world’s most popular and influential organists and host of the “Joy of Music”television series, performed to an enthusiastic audience of more than 500 at Yale University’s BattellChapel on April 9. Bish appeared with a choir composed of local and campus vocalists. The event raisedalmost $15,000 to support arts programs at Southern, including the SCSU Choir’s trip to London toparticipate in the celebratory events before the 2012 Olympic Games.

Page 4: Owl Sightings Summer 2011

Summer | 2011

outhern was one of only 12colleges and universities in thecountry invited to join theHoward Hughs MedicalInstitute’s Science Education

Alliance (SEA) this year as a full member.As part of the alliance, nearly two dozenfreshmen in Southern’s Honors Collegewill collaborate with hundreds ofundergraduate students from throughoutthe country in SEA’s first project, theNational Genomics Research Initiative.

Students in the program willcomplete two research-driven courses, inwhich they will study bacterial virusescollected from local soil. The courses willbe repeated with a new group ofincoming freshmen at the start of thenext three academic years.

Southern is the only university orcollege in Connecticut selected for fullmembership since the program waslaunched three years ago. The recognitionbuilds on several recent achievements inthe sciences. In November, Southern waschosen as the host site of theConnecticut State University SystemCenter for Nanotechnology, the firstfacility of its kind in the state. Southernalso will begin offering classes thissummer for a graduate certificateprogram in nanotechnology and amaster’s degree in applied physics ispending final approval.

Michael J. Fox, who rose to fame playing a variety of iconic roles —

including Alex P. Keaton on the NBC hit “Family Ties” and Marty McFly

from the “Back to the Future” trilogy — delivered the Mary and Louis

Fusco Distinguished Lecture to a sold-out audience of 1,500 at Southern

on May 13. In his compelling lecture — “Always Looking Up: The

Adventures of an Incurable Optimist” — Fox drew on his characteristic

humor and wit to tell the audience how he became a happier, more

satisfied person despite battling Parkinson’s disease.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds support Southern’s Endowed

Awards of Excellence, a merit-based scholarship program.

Southern Slated for Prestigious Science Program

Incurable Optim

ist

Southern

Associate Professor of Biology Nicholas Edgington and Assistant Professor of Biology ElizabethLewis Roberts will team teach courses to freshmen in the Honors College as part of the NationalGenomics Research Initiative.

S

Page 5: Owl Sightings Summer 2011

OWL Sightings

October 29 An action-packed,

campus-wide celebrationfor the entire family.

In the next issue of Southern Alumni Magazine . . . • Owls for Peace: In 2011, the Peace Corps is

celebrating its 50th anniversary. At least 66 Southerngraduates have volunteered with the organization —including two who are currently serving. Read about some of their life-changing experiences.

• Plus the latest news and developments from campus.Owl Sightings is a supplement to Southern Alumni Magazine,which is published two times a year.

2011

Catch the Owl Spirit!

Keep a Southern education in reach of talented and deserving students and helpthe university create a climate of excellence.

Please make a gift

to our students today by

returning the envelope provided

or visit us online at www.giving.SouthernCT.edu.

Your gift has a real impact . . .&Distinguished

&Outstanding

Alumni AwardsOctober 28

Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom

Join Southern incelebrating this year’s

honoreesFor more information

call Alumni Relations at (203) 392-6500.

Page 6: Owl Sightings Summer 2011

Meet NATIONAL CHAMPION

Amanda Thomas

ompeting at the NCAA Division II national championship, sophomore swimming sensation

Amanda Thomas took first place in the 200-yard individual medley — finishing with a time of 2:00.88, just .32 seconds less than the NCAA record. (The individual medley consists of four strokes: the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.)

Other strong performances followed at the championship. Thomas was the runner-up in the 400-yard individual medley,breaking the previous NCAA record with a time of 4:15.59. She also finished second in the 200-yard butterfly and fourth in the200-meter backstroke. In all, Thomas collected All-America honors in four events at the championship, which was held in SanAntonio, Texas, in early March.

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