Media Watch (June 26 – July 3, 2006)

Professor Devdas Shetty, dean of research in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, was quoted in a story about how the state’s universities are offering new degree programs to counter labor shortages. The University of Hartford recently launched specialized degree programs in laser engineering. “People have to replace conventional manufacturing with laser applications because, although there is some initial capital investment, the return is much better because the quality is better,” said Shetty. (Connecticut Business Magazine, June ‘06 issue)

John Feierabend, director of The Hartt School's Music Education Division and a noted expert on children’s music, was quoted in a feature story about the dramatic growth in rock music aimed at young children. “The Wiggles are the ultimate insult to children,” he said, adding that while he applauds the use of music in children’s lives, he is a fierce advocate of using the right music — not just anything with a beat. (Hartford Courant, July 2)

Up Aerospace, a commercial space company based in Hartford, plans to launch its first scheduled flight into orbit on Aug. 14 from New Mexico’s Spaceport, a new take-off point for spacecraft. The Aug. 14 flight will carry scientific experiments from the University of Hartford, University of Colorado, Brown University, Central Connecticut State University and New Mexico State University. Also, 40 experiments created by U.S. high school students will be on board the rocket in partnership with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology and the National Aerospace Leadership Initiative. (CNET News.com, June 30)

Mary Jane Williams, the new acting chair of the Department of Nursing in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, was quoted several times in a feature story on the root cause of the nursing shortage in Connecticut. Williams is past president and chair of the government relations committee of the Meriden-based Connecticut Nurses Association, a professional association for registered nurses. (Business New Haven, June 26)

The Hartford Courant profiled “Cybercamp,” a summer program for technology-minded young people. The program, which now has about 40 sites nationwide, is in its fifth year in rented classrooms and dorm space at the University of Hartford campus. It began here in 2001 with 10 campers. It has triple that now, and it’s growing. (Hartford Courant, June 30)

In its “Education Briefs” column, the Hartford Courant noted that Paula S. Steinberg, former chairwoman of the board and president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, has been named chairwoman of the board of visitors of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford. She succeeds Philip Feltman, who had served as chairman of the board of visitors since 1992. (Hartford Courant, June 27)

The life of 22-year-old University of Hartford student Richard “Todd” Greenleaf, which was cut short by a motorcycle accident on his way home from work, was celebrated by a packed house of family and friends at a funeral service at Carter Memorial United Methodist Church in Needham, Mass. (Needham Times, June 29)

University President Walter Harrison, who was inducted into the 2006 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of Southwest New England earlier this year, was featured in a photograph from the induction ceremony. (Connecticut Magazine, June ’06 issue)

The University of Hartford,along with Wesleyan University, was among four East Coast universities that were test sites for a web-based career mentoring and counseling site, called CareerDNA, aimed at helping recent college graduates get jobs, based on individual traits and talents. The program was developed by two entrepreneurs in Darien. (Stamford Advocate, July 3)

University of Hartford alum Patrick Sheehan grabbed a lot of attention during the second round of the Buick Championship golf tournament in Cromwell when he scored his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour, hitting a 3-iron from 223 yards on the fifth hole that earned him a $20,550 Presidential Rolex watch from Lux Bond & Green. When asked about winning the Rolex, he said with a smile, “I’m scared to wear the thing. I’m afraid I'm going to lose it. I’m on my fourth cellphone already this year.” (Hartford Courant, July 1)

University of Hartford alum Tim Petrovic, also competing in the Buick Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, called WTIC Radio’s “Sports Talk” program on Thursday night unsolicited after callers bemoaned the fact that the Buick is devoid of star power. (WTIC-AM, June 29; Hartford Courant, July 1)

The lead item in the sports news briefs column noted that the University of Hartford women’s basketball team will be playing (and hosting) its first preseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) against Dartmouth, on Nov. 10 at Chase Arena. “The Hawks, coached by Jennifer Rizzotti, are coming off the most successful season in school history, going 27-4, winning a second consecutive America East championship and their first NCAA Tournament game, defeating then-No. 19 Temple,” noted the item. (Hartford Courant, June 29; Journal-Inquirer, Manchester, June 30)

“The Playbook for Life,” Hartford Financial Services Group’s award-winning educational program designed to give college students a solid grasp of personal finance, was presented to a different audience recently — the more than 400 members of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics attending their annual convention in Pittsburgh. One of the presenters was Bill Poutre, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and head coach of the men’s golf team at the University of Hartford. (Yahoo News.com, June 26)

Other News

Federal authorities are investigating how Yale accounts for millions of dollars in government research grants. Yale received three subpoenas last week from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Defense Department and National Science Foundation seeking grant documents. Authorities also have been interviewing university employees about accounting issues. In an e-mail to faculty and staff, Yale President Richard Levin urged employees to cooperate with investigators. (Hartford Courant, July 3)

Goodwin College in East Hartford is on the verge of an $80 million expansion with construction of a new campus along the Connecticut River. The college plans to begin construction this summer. There are 18 accredited degree and certificate programs, and new programs are planned in homeland security, criminal justice, environmental studies and paramedic training. The college is also in the process of creating four-year degree programs. (Hartford Courant,July 3)

University of Connecticut Dean of Engineering Amir Faghri, who was abruptly demoted on June 2, blasted the university, saying he was denied due process and that leadership had it in for him because he spoke out on key issues. Neither the provost nor Faghri would comment on why he was suddenly demoted, but the move came on the heels of a “no confidence” type petition circulated by some tenured faculty upset about a plan to merge the materials science and chemical engineering departments. (Hartford Courant, June 30)

An ethics law intended to clean up Connecticut’s contracting process could force state educators to refuse equipment, scholarship money and other corporate donations intended to benefit students. State officials worry that the new rules could end a practice that they say lowers costs and tuition rates while giving students hands-on experience on donated machinery and computers. (Hartford Courant, June 30)

On July 1, Lawrence Summers will no longer be Harvard University’s president and new family-leave guidelines kick in. The guidelines are a result of faculty demands after Summers’s controversial remarks suggesting that innate differences between the sexes might help explain the small number of high-level women in the sciences. The incident instead brought renewed attention to academia's structural and cultural barriers to women, particularly in the sciences. (Christian Science Monitor, June 30)

While tuition rates and student indebtedness continue to rise, quality of education, access to full-time faculty, and any guarantee that a college diploma ensures financial stability are evaporating. This imbalance is cause for concern and action. Students and their parents should demand to know why they are paying significantly more for school these days and receiving substantially less. (Newsday, June 29)

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has decided not to give Harvard University his planned gift of $115 million because Lawrence Summers stepped down as Harvard’s president this month after a stormy tenure at the university. Ellison began to reconsider his donation when it appeared that Summers would step down. (Associated Press, June 29)

A draft report released by a national commission on higher education calls for more federal money to help low-income students attend college, and places much of the blame for rising prices on the inefficiencies of colleges themselves. The report calls for a significant overhaul of the 17 different programs in the federal financial aid system, which it calls “increasingly dysfunctional, inefficient, and inadequate.” It also says schools “have shown little inclination to cut costs and improve their productivity.” (Associated Press, June 27)

Upcoming

Associate Professor Al DiChiara, head of the criminal justice program in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed by U.S. News & World Report magazine for a story about increasing violence among young people in the nation’s urban areas.

Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is expected to attend the Hartford Rising Stars baseball team’s home game against People’s Bank on Wednesday, July 5, the Hartford Courant reported. The Hartford Rising Stars, playing in their first season in the Greater Hartford Twilight League, found a home at the University of Hartford, which is hosting all 12 of the team’s home games at its new field free of charge.