Month: June 2012

Twins run in the Honors family

 

  • Reese brothers
    Spencer Reese ’13 and Tyler Reese ’13

By Cheryl Cranick, Honors Program

Currently in the UConn Honors Program, of the roughly 1,600 students enrolled or who have just graduated, 22 do not just have a sibling on campus; they have a physical double. In 2011-2012, the Honors Program included eleven sets of identical twins. The presence of identical twins is not unusual for the Honors Program, which has had twins in previous graduating years. Continue reading

Honors Class Notes (Spring 2012 eNewsletter)

1960s

William Cremins ’69, ’73 is the Administrative Judge for the Waterbury Judicial District, a member of the State Judicial Review Counsel, and a member of the State Marshal Commission.

1980s

Dr. Lisa D. Brush ’85 is a sociology professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her new book, Poverty, Battered Women, and Work in U.S. Public Policy (Oxford University Press), was named a CHOICE outstanding academic book for 2011. She was in Storrs this May to address the UConn women’s studies students at their Commencement celebration. Robert Rzewnicki ’88 is owner of the FISC Help and Information Desk at Aetna, providing business and technical support for the company’s group and health insurance underwriting and accounting operations. Continue reading

Honors Program Alumni eNewsletter (Spring 2012)

A Message from the Director

To our Honors alumni,

It is with mixed emotions that I write this Director’s Note, having just celebrated my last Medals Ceremony with Honors students and their families in the role of Director. We graduated more than 300 students, our largest number of Honors Scholars in the history of the program.

This year has brought many exciting changes, and some sad ones, as Honors said goodbye to its great friend and one of Honors’ first directors, Dr. John Tanaka, who passed away this April. But as we marked the loss of this important educator, we also paused to realize the advancements of this program under the leadership of its various directors. I am proud that I was able to contribute to its development and participate in the education and success of so many outstanding students. Continue reading

Honors celebrates scholars, faculty, and alumni at the 2012 Medals Ceremony

Hettinger, DeWalt, and Kennedy
Award winners Dr. Virginia Hettinger, Dr. Bill DeWalt, and Ms. Marian Kennedy. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Hurlbut)

The Honors Medals Ceremony is a time for the Honors Program to individually recognize each graduating Honors Scholar before family, friends, and the university community. Seniors are presented with commemorative medallions to wear at Commencement and keep as a reminder of their successful completion of a rigorous Honors curriculum. The event also celebrates the contributions of Honors faculty members and marks the accomplishments of Honors alumni, highlighting the circular relationship of educators, students, and graduates. This year, three members of the extended Honors community were recognized. Continue reading

Top U.K. grad programs have Honors Scholars within their ranks

By Cheryl Cranick, Honors Program

Nestled in the quiet country town of Storrs, accomplished students are hard at work preparing for what waits after graduation. These Honors Scholars eventually disperse across the country and beyond; some settle close to home, while others cross an ocean. Two alumni—one an economist, the other a molecular biologist—graduated from the Honors Program just two years apart. They both pursued competitive funding for graduate schools in the United Kingdom—programs with only a handful of slots—and both were successful. They now reside relatively close to each other, though they’ve never met. What they have in common is the firm foundation they gained here at UConn Honors. Continue reading

Understanding culture makes Honors alum a musical visionary

By Cheryl Cranick, Honors Program

Building exterior
Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Ariz. (Photo courtesy of the Musical Instrument Museum)

In the desert of Phoenix, Ariz., is a sprawling $250 million, 200,000-square-foot facility that blends into the arid background. But inside the walls is a collection of instruments that brings to life the world’s music. The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), led by UConn Honors alumnus Dr. Bill DeWalt ’69, ’76, is not just a museum that displays devices for sound. MIM has a deeper mission: to create an all-encompassing sensory journey around the globe. It promises to be “the most extraordinary museum you’ll ever hear.”

Continue reading