2014-15 Faculty Member of the Year Award: Mark Boyer

May 2, 2015

Mark A. Boyer is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Director of UConn’s Environmental Studies program, and a Scholar-in-Residence for the Center for Environmental Science and Engineering. This is his twenty-seventh year at UConn. His research areas include global politics, climate change as it links the global to the local, and innovative pedagogy.

Starting July 1, he becomes Executive Director of the International Studies Association, with ISA’s headquarters relocating to UConn from the University of Arizona. He is past editor of International Studies Review (2008-2012) and International Studies Perspectives (2000-2004). He was also a 1992-1993 Pew Faculty Fellow in International Affairs and a 1986-88 SSRC-MacArthur Fellow in International Peace and Security.

As an educator, Mark works closely with students at all levels, including undergraduates and graduate scholars. He appreciates the unique experience of working with Honors students, specifically during their early years. “It’s simply more fun, and more intellectually challenging, to help provide the foundation for future scholarship, intensive learning, and even career development than it is to refine what is already a decided path into the future.”

Mark holds a B.A. in political science from Wittenberg University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Maryland. He is well published in his field.

2015 Distinguished Alumni Award: Robert LaBarre

Robert LaBarre has enjoyed a thirty-seven-year career as an industrial mathematician at United Technologies Research Center. He is currently Principal Mathematician and Group Leader, System Dynamics and Optimization, responsible for fifteen Ph.D. research scientists. In 2010, he was elected to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.
Dr. LaBarre received his Bachelor of Science (University Scholar) and Master of Science degrees in mathematics from the University of Connecticut in 1976 and 1978, respectively. In 1987, he began working part-time on a Ph.D., which he completed in 1992, also in mathematics from the University of Connecticut.

As an industrial mathematician, he has made numerous original contributions supporting the businesses of United Technologies Corporation, many used in our everyday lives. His cryptographic methods can be found in automotive key fobs and keyless door locks. He co-developed a stochastic optimization methodology resulting in a widely used, computationally efficient gradient-free scheme. His work in algebraic graph theory—recognized with a UTC Senior Vice President Award—provides an understanding of uncertainty propagation through complex systems. Additionally, Dr. LaBarre’s work in stochastic analysis led to the generation of bounds on elevator dispatching times—recognized by a UTRC Outstanding Achievement Award. His work in unstructured grid generation provided a time-efficient, density-varying methodology that was shown to accommodate second-order accurate numerical solutions to divergence form partial differential equations. He has authored or co-authored more than forty technical papers and has been awarded six patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Dr. LaBarre also makes a difference for people. He has mentored two generations of industrial mathematicians at UTRC; taught graduate and undergraduate courses as an adjunct faculty member during a twenty-year span at RPI-Hartford, UConn, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute; participated on three Ph.D. advisory committees (two currently completed); and been an active member of the Mathematical Sciences Advisory Board at WPI. He has participated in summer NSF-sponsored programs helping high school mathematics teachers understand mathematics outside of the educational framework. He has worked in the community by mentoring Honors Algebra students at East Hartford High School, and he has interacted with some of the best and brightest high school students around the world via the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair as a judge for the UTC student awards program.

Bob and his wife Mary (UConn ’79, B.S. in Animal Science), live in Ashford and have been married for thirty-five years. They have three adult children: Kyle (UConn ’06, B.S. in Finance); Kelly (UVM ’08, B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science); and Brenna (Cornell ’12, B.S. in Computational Biology), who is currently working on a Ph.D. in BioInformatics at the National Institutes of Health (in conjunction with Boston University). His experience playing soccer in high school and at UConn have instilled a long association with the game at all levels, which continues feverishly to this day.

2015 Distinguished Alumni Award: Patricia Friar

Patricia Friar retired from General Electric (GE) with more than twenty-six years of finance, human resources, and executive development experience. She was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for GE’s Consumer Finance – Americas business with responsibility for more than 15,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, India, Mexico, South/Central America, and Puerto Rico. In this role she became Quality and Process Management certified and shrewdly deployed her financial and process skills to deliver more than $100 million in productivity to the business. In addition, she led the HR due diligence processes and integration for more than twenty business acquisitions, which contributed to business income growing from $75 million to $1 billion net income.

Prior to this role, Pat served as the first global Diversity Leader for GE Financial Services, where she partnered with the CEO’s leadership team in creating environments, practices, and educational experiences to accelerate business and personal growth in increasingly global markets. Pat’s efforts were featured in the December 2002 cover story of Working Woman magazine.

Prior to the Diversity leadership role, Pat was the Human Resources Leader for GE Capital’s Global Finance, Treasury, and IT functions, reporting directly to the SVP of Human Resources and the Chief Financial Officer simultaneously. She led all generalist, recruiting, and succession planning functions, as well as leading both the Connecticut Area Financial Management Program and the Information Technology Training Programs.

Before joining GE Financial Services, Pat worked at GE Neutron Devices in St. Petersburg, Fla., as Supervisor of Accounting, Benefits, and Statistics. Prior to that, she completed multiple six-month rotations as part of GE’s Financial Management Program, at GE’s Distribution Equipment Division in Plainville, Conn.

Pat joined GE directly after graduating from the University of Connecticut’s School of Business and Honors Program. Her thesis evaluated the process, outcomes, and lessons-learned from the problematic Heublein-KFC merger.

Pat is an active member of the School of Business Leadership Cabinet serving Dean John Elliott, and presents in Executive MBA programs in both Hartford and Stamford. Pat was elected to the UConn Founder’s Society in 2005 and the School of Business Hall of Fame in 2009. Additionally, she was integral in the development and roll out of the highly successful Risk Management curriculum. She’s equally active in her community as an executive coach, as a volunteer and member of her church, as Tim’s spouse, and as Mom to two great daughters, Christine and Catherine.

LLAS 3998-005: Variable Topics: Legal Institutions and Social Change (Conversion opportunity)

April 20, 2015

Legal Institutions and Social Change: From Latin America to the United States by Way of Europe

Instructor: Ángel Oquendo

While this is not an Honors course, Prof. Oquendo welcomes Honors students of any major and would be happy to offer Honors conversions for interested students.

This course deals with constitutional law, as well as with specific areas of private law, such as civil law, civil procedure, and business law, and considers how legal institutions further social change. It first introduces the civil law tradition, as well as legal history, comparing Latin America to the United States and Europe. The discussion then shifts to constitutional law: to the notion of constitutionalism, to basic principles, to the vindication of rights, and to second and third generation entitlements. Thereafter the focus will be civil law–i.e., civil codes, interpretation, combating codified sexism, and civil remedies–and on civil procedure–specifically on the attainment of legitimacy through procedure, on procedural guaranties, and on collective actions. The class closes with an exploration of corporate law.

Professor Oquendo is a George J. and Helen M. England Professor of Law at UConn School of Law. He has lectured and published extensively in five languages and is an authority worldwide on comparative law and international litigation. He graduated from Yale Law School and clerked for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

For additional information contact: El Instituto, Anne Theriault, at 860-486-5508.

UNIV 1995: Special Topics: Next Generation STEM Skills

One credit, Honors.
Instructors: Jaclyn Chancey and Kaitlin Heenehan

As the next generation of innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers, STEM students will need 21st Century Skills: collaboration & communication; critical thinking & problem solving; and creativity & innovation. While these skills may develop over time through courses in students’ majors and other enrichment opportunities, they are rarely taught directly. This course, associated with a new speaker series, will engage students in the development and application of 21st century skills within an interdisciplinary STEM context–one that is focused beyond the undergraduate curriculum.

Course structure: This class will meet for two hours each Friday. The first hour (2:30 – 3:20) will be devoted to the speaker series and will be open and advertised to all interested students. The second hour (3:35 – 4:25) will consist of additional discussions and small group activities limited to those enrolled in the course.

A preview of the speaker series:

  • Dr. Colleen Spurling, Molecular and Cell Biology, will speak on communicating STEM to non-STEM audiences
  • Dr. Mike Miller, Communication, will speak on the science behind relationship building
  • Dr. Lucy Gilson, Management, will speak on effective and innovative teams
  • Dr. Scott Brown, Educational Psychology, will speak on problem solving strategies in STEM
  • Dr. Allison MacKay, Civil and Environmental Engineering, will speak on human rights and STEM
  • Dean Kazem Kazerounian, Engineering, will speak on innovation and creativity in STEM professions

A permission number is required. Please email kaitlin.heenehan@uconn.edu and include your name and 7-digit Student Admin number.

FREN 1177-002: Witches & Wizards in France

March 30, 2015

Magicians, Witches, Wizards: Parallel Beliefs and Popular Culture in France
Instructor: Anne Berthelot

This course will focus on the search for traces of a counter culture which grew out of pagan beliefs and remained latent despite the domination of Christianity from the Middle Ages to modern times. It will entail the survey of tales of magic and witchcraft, as presented by texts and films. Texts will include both primary and secondary sources, and will vary in genre, providing students with a wide range of perspectives and insights into the evolution and diversification of this counter culture. Special attention will be given to well-known supernatural figures including the witch, the vampire, and the were-beast, as well as key themes including witch-hunts, witch trials, spiritism, and voodoo.

The honors discussion section, which meets in addition to the lecture class, provides students with an opportunity to more deeply explore and discuss particular topics covered in lecture. Through a combination of discussion in a smaller group setting and individual research projects, students will gain insight in breadth and depth on topics related to those covered in lecture.

(CA 1, CA 4-Int)

EEB 3205: Current Issues in Environmental Science

March 13, 2015

Instructor: Chris Simon

This interdisciplinary class designed specifically for honors students of all majors provides a broad overview of environmental issues and their impact on society. Topics address breaking news about the seven most serious problems facing our world today:  1) loss of biodiversity; 2) climate change/energy sources;  3) emerging diseases/drug resistance;  4) toxic and solid wastes; 5) food/agriculture/genetics/nutrition;  6) overpopulation/unequal distribution of wealth; and 7) resource depletion (water, soil, air, minerals). We explore environmental problems in depth through lectures, readings, weekly current events, video clips, class discussions, visiting speakers, a tour of an energy efficient house, and a final project in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

 

HRTS 3295-001: Special Topics: International Human Rights Law (Conversion opportunity)

March 10, 2015

Instructor: Molly Land

The Human Rights Institute has reserved a few seats in this course for Honors students of any major, and Prof. Land would be happy to offer Honors conversions for interested students.

This course will survey the theory and practice of international human rights law. We will examine the historical foundations of international human rights law; the primary international and regional human rights instruments; and the domestic, regional, and international forums that human rights advocates use to increase respect for international human rights. The course will also address the roles, activities, and obligations of corporations and non-governmental organizations; mechanisms and strategies of human rights enforcement; and selected current issues in the field, such as the right to health, international criminal law, trade, national security, self-determination, and women’s human rights.

GEOG 1700-004: World Regional Geography

March 9, 2015

Instructor: Dean Hanink

World Regional Geography concerns a variety of global geographical patterns: environmental, cultural, economic, and others, that are related to the way the world works.  This course provides a brief survey of the patterns in general and then takes up selected continental-scale regions in turn for more specific investigation. World Regional Geography meets both the multicultural diversity (international perspective) and social science requirements of general education at UConn.  In meeting both it emphasizes the interaction between diverse groups of people both across and within many regions of the world. The course has ten writing assignments, three tests, and a weekly meeting for student presentations and discussion.

(CA 2, CA 4-Int)

Public Opinion with Pres. Herbst

We are excited to announce Pres. Susan Herbst’s first course at UConn!

POLS 3625-001: Public Opinion

Instructors: Susan Herbst, Richard Orr

What is public opinion?  Why and how does it matter in a democracy?  And how can we connect the “vox populi” with American public policy?

Public opinion is the basis for democratic theory and practice.  Without the considered, thoughtful voice of the people, it is impossible to fulfill the goals of the Founders or to match preferences of voters to the public policy that dictates their lives. The goal of this course is to evaluate and conceptualize the role of public opinion, considering its power, authority, and limitations.

We will begin with some larger theoretical ideas and debates, to introduce the context for our policy cases and visitors close to home, here in Connecticut.

Grades will determined by a combination of a take-home midterm exam, a 10-15 page final paper, and class participation.

Note POLS 3625 is coded at the catalog level as “open to juniors or higher,” but this section is open to all Honors students. If you will not have junior or senior standing in fall 2015, email honors@uconn.edu and include (1) your name; (2) your 7-digit Student Admin number; (3) the class number (10996); (4) the course number and section (POLS 3625-001); and (5) confirmation that there are seats available in the course.