alumni

Paula Milone-Nuzzo (’89)- alum in the news

Nursing dean named president of MGH Institute of Health Professions

Editor’s note: This story, was originally posted on the Penn State News website on March 24, 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Paula Milone-Nuzzo, professor and dean of the College of Nursing, has been named the new president of the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Milone-Nuzzo will end her tenure at Penn State in August and a national search for her replacement will begin immediately.

MGH Institute of Health Professions is an independent graduate school in Boston founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and the only degree-granting affiliate of Partners HealthCare.

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Maria D. Martinez (’96) – alum in the news

Maria D. Martinez ’83 MSW, ’96 Ph.D. — Assistant vice provost at the Institute for Student Success in Undergraduate Education and Instruction at the University of Connecticut

Editor’s Note: This story, written by Neag School’s Shawn Kornegay, originally appeared on the Neag School’s website

Maria D. Martinez earned a master of social work degree from the University of Connecticut in 1983. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in professional higher education administration at UConn’s Neag School of Education in 1996. Prior to that, she earned her bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the City University of New York.

Martinez began her career at UConn in 1986 as a counselor within Student Support Services (SSS), where she worked with low-income, first-generation college students. She became the SSS program director in 1993. In 1995, Martinez became the director of the Center for Academic Programs, where she managed the operations of the TRIO Programs (Student Support Services, Upward Bound, and Talent Search).

In 2011, she was named assistant vice provost for ISS and UE&I, where she provides strategic and operational leadership for units and programs within ISS; oversees the delivery of services to facilitate the transition from secondary school to college; and manages the Institute’s budget.

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HESA alum and current instructor Fany Hannon (’08)

UConn Leader Recognized for Contributions to the Hispanic Community

Editor’s Note: This story, written by UConn Communication’s Kenneth Best, appears in UConn Today’s September 16, 2016 issue

During the upcoming celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on the American Spanish language television network Univision, one individual recognized for her contributions to the Hispanic community will be Fany Hannon ’08 MA, director of the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC).

Hannon’s work with UConn students will be seen by viewers of Univision’s affiliates in Connecticut and the Springfield, Mass., region as part of the network’s Nuestro Orgullo Hispano – Our Hispanic Pride – segments aired in commercial breaks as part of the month-long celebration, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Read the entire article here

Felix (’08) Graduates with Doctoral Degree from BGSU

We would like to congratulate an alumnus of our program, Vivienne Felix (HESA Class of 2008), on receiving her PhD in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University. Our program is always proud to see graduates continue on their respective journeys as scholar practitioners, and we are excited to follow your continued contributions to the field, Dr. Felix!

 

 

“Bringing Theory to Practice” – Hunter (’14) Starts STEM Student Mentoring Program

Truth Hunter (HESA Class of 2014), Assistant Director for Bard Educational Opportunity Programs at Bard College, started a peer mentoring program called “Bringing Theory to Practice.”

Hoping to help historically underrepresented students who are pursuing majors in the STEM fields, Hunter hopes that the program can provide students the opportunity to build “soft skills,” such as working effectively in groups and building networks, as well psycho-social skills that will increase students’ success in the classroom.

Hunter hopes that conversations with the Bringing Theory to Practice participants can minimize the stigma related to asking for help, encourage students to utilize their available resources, and spur students to create a network of support that serves as a source of motivation. A more detailed write up about Hunter’s efforts can be found in an article in the online magazine Oblivion, available at the following site: https://oblivionpub.wordpress.com/2016/04/08/bringing-theory-to-practice-creating-a-culture-of-support-and-collaboration-in-stem/.

Here at UConn HESA we are always proud to hear about the efforts of our graduates and the impact that they are able to make as their careers progress. We wish Truth the best of luck in her continued efforts at Bard, and appreciate her call to bring theory to practice in the field of student affairs.

 

Rapoport (’11) Selected for NACA Mid Atlantic Regional Conference Planning Committee

Elizabeth Rapoport (Class of 2011)  was recently selected to serve on the NACA Mid Atlantic Regional Conference Planning Committee as the Volunteer Center Coordinator; her fourth consecutive year serving as a part of the RCPC for this region. Elizabeth would be more than happy to connect with any students who are interested in a career in Student Activities to share with them how to leverage NACA as a graduate student and young professional!

DiGorio (’13) Presents #CSAM14: Moving into Your Role as a New Professional

 

Rollins College

Jeremy DiGorio, a 2013 graduate of the UConn HESA program, collaborated with colleagues from NASPA, Oregon State University, and University of Miami to present the ” #CSAM14: Moving into Your Role as a New Professional” webinar.

This dynamic webinar  incorporated the viewpoints of five new professionals in the field of higher education and student affairs who shared their confessions, job searching tips, and  lessons from their first few years in the field. Free to  both NASPA and non-NASPA members alike, this type of support for undergraduates, graduates, and new professionals bolsters interest our field and further backs the supportive nature of related professional organizations.

We are proud to recognize Jeremy’s contribution to the field and join him in celebrating “Careers in Student Affairs Month!”

http://www.naspa.org/events/csam2014-moving-into-your-role-as-a-new-professional

Austein ’06 Presents about Enrollment Management

Thanks to Chad K. Austein (HESA ’06) for sharing some presentations he completed this year!

  • “Ellucian Recruiter: Best Practices for a Successful Enrollment Management Operation,” Kean University, January 2014
  • “Implementing an Enterprise CRM Strategy,” American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), April 2014
  • “Ellucian Recruiter: Best Practices for a Successful Enrollment Management Operation,” New Jersey Association of College Admissions Counselors (NJACAC), upcoming presentation, June 2014

AFA Award Presented to Greg Fink, HESA ’11

AFA Outstanding Change InitiativeCourtney McKenna (Associate Director, Student Center & Campus Life, Quinnipiac University) and Greg Fink (Assistant Director) were honored with the Outstanding Change Initiative Award at the 2013 Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting.  Additionally, McKenna and Fink presented their 2-year transition for the fraternity and sorority community toward a university-centered learning paradigm.  Below is the presentation description:

“As institutions of higher education are forced to prove their value through scrutiny of what a college education currently provides, some institutions have begun implementing a learning paradigm–a philosophy that asks all community members (faculty, staff and administrators) to reexamine and rework policies and practices to ensure that student learning is at the core.  Presenters will provide insight into practices taken for a fraternity/sorority community to align itself with an institutional learning paradigm while simultaneously ensuring fraternities and sororities are reliable student learning vehicles.  Just as an intentional focus on values congruence can elevate a fraternity and sorority community through position actions, intentional focus on enhancing student learning can highlight why fraternities and sororities exist, while also supporting an institutional mission. ”

Well done Greg!