In This Section:
2004 graduates celebrate Commencement
Help with the Huskies Road Show
Mansfield Downtown Partnership names planning group
Online calendar for UConn events debuts
The home of champions in 2003-04
4 Huskies football games on ESPN Networks

2004 graduates celebrate Commencement

Photo: Lanny Nagler

Above: Dove A. E. Burns '04 J.D. sings the National Anthem during the School of Law Commencement ceremony. Below: Rebecca Maclure donned a personalized mortarboard to celebrate her degree in animal science during the morning Commencement ceremony at Gampel Pavilion.

Photo: Peter Morenus

Photo: Dollie Harvey

Daniel Bostic, Jonathan Bostic, Naresha Moore, and Brandi Tape, smile during the afternoon undergraduate Commencement ceremony.

The Class of 2004 was urged to "have the courage to stick with your instincts," by John W. Rowe, M.D., an expert on geriatric medicine and chair of the UConn Board of Trustees, during undergraduate Commencement ceremonies for more than 3,000 graduating seniors on May 9.

Rowe, chairman and chief executive officer of Aetna Inc., one of the nation's leading health care organizations, was a professor of medicine and founding director of the division on aging at Harvard Medical School.

"Be open to change, be resilient, find some balance and be very open to opportunities as they come your way," Rowe told the graduates.

Two honorary degrees were also presented during the undergraduate ceremonies. David Macaulay, an artist and illustrator known worldwide, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree, and Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education at Stanford University, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Graduate School students who earned master's and doctoral degrees were addressed by Gene E. Likens, an expert in the study of forest, stream and lake ecosystems and winner of the 2002 National Medal of Science. Likens received an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the ceremony, along with Iogna'id G. O'Muircheartaigh, president of the National University of Ireland, where he was instrumental in establishing a prestigious center for human rights.

Author Francisco Jimenez, who has followed and written about the plight of migrant workers in the United States, delivered remarks to 104 new doctors and dentists at the UConn Health Center on May 16. Many of the graduates participated in a Health Center program helping migrant farm workers in Connecticut. An honorary Doctor of Science degree was presented to Gerhard H. Giebisch, the Sterling Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Former Detroit mayor Dennis Wayne Archer, now chairman of the firm of Dickinson Wright PLLC and former president of the National League of Cities, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree after delivering remarks to 138 graduates of the UConn School of Law on May 23.

Photo: Peter Morenus

John W. Rowe, M.D., chairman of UConn's Board of Trustees, delivers the morning Commencement address.

Are you a Huskies football road warrior? If so, we'd like your help.

If you plan to travel beyond the confines of Rentschler Field to see the Huskies compete on the gridiron or if you live outside of Connecticut and will be supporting the UConn football team at a game on the road this season, we'd like to see photos of you and other UConn alumni enjoying the game at the stadium or in gatherings on the road.

We'd prefer high resolution digital pictures that can be sent via e-mail, but high quality photo prints are also requested. Please be sure to identify all UConn alumni in the pictures with their year of graduation and their school or college and let us know who took the photo.

E-mail your digital photos to: uconntraditions@uconn.edu. Please mark the SUBJECT line in the e-mail as FOOTBALL PHOTOS. Mail photo prints to UConn Traditions, 1266 Storrs Road, Unit 4144, Storrs, CT 06269-4144.

A team of architects, investors and planners has been named by the Mansfield Downtown Partnership to develop a plan for transforming about 35 acres of land off Route 195 into a village of retail, cultural and residential activity that will enhance the campus experience for UConn students, faculty, alumni and staff and Mansfield residents.

The team is led by master developer LeylandAlliance, a development group based in Tuxedo, N.Y. Consulting partners include BL Companies, an engineering firm from Meriden, Conn.; Herbert Newman & Partners, architects from New Haven, Conn.; and Intrawest-The Village People, retail consultants from Montreal, Canada.

"We have a talented group of skilled professionals. They are fully aware of the unique character of Mansfield and the opportunities presented in developing the plan. They're excited to get started," says Thomas Q. Callahan, special assistant to University President Philip E. Austin and finance committee chair for the Downtown Partnership board of directors.

The downtown center will be located on land behind the two retail shopping strips near the School of Fine Arts. The LeylandAlliance plan is expected to include a mix of uses for the property, a list of potential tenants and a refinement of a physical plan for the area.

"We're making great progress on the village center," says Cynthia van Zelm, director of the partnership. "We're looking forward to continuing to work with the community, including UConn students, faculty and alumni, to review the latest concepts of the village plan."

LeylandAlliance is expected to prepare a business plan and a municipal development plan within the year. Development will begin once the University and the town of Mansfield approve final plans and permits are in place. Updated information is available at www.mansfieldct.org. Follow the Partnership link.

A new comprehensive online calendar of events for the University will debut this fall.

The calendar, which will be updated continuously, will include for the first time in one location information about events happening at all UConn locations including the main campus, the Health Center, the regional campuses, the schools of law and social work, and the agricultural extension centers.

The listing will include alumni activities, arts and entertainment, athletic events, meetings, lectures, and conferences, among other events. The calendar will allow alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, and interested members of the public to search a database by type of event, date or location.

"A comprehensive up-to-date events calendar will be a more centralized and efficient way of communicating the many activities UConn sponsors and informing alumni and other members of the University community about where and when events are occurring," says Scott Brohinsky, director of university relations.

The Web site for the calendar will be events.uconn.edu. The calendar will also be accessible through the University's home page (www.uconn.edu).

The 2003-04 winter and spring sports seasons solidified UConn as the "Home of Champions." The most tangible evidence of this was when UConn became the first Division I university to win the NCAA championship in both men's and women's basketball in the same season. (See related story.)

Photo: Stephen Slade

Paul Pisano '04 (SAH), the first three-time Big East javelin champion. Below: Jacquelyn Craft, '07 won Big East titles in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke events.

Photo: Bob Stowell

The men's indoor track and field team won the Big East Championship for the second time in the past three years. Will Thomas '04 (ED) won the heptathlon and was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer while Logan Jones '06 won the 800 meters and was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer. Head coach Greg Roy and his assistants were named the Big East Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year. The team went on to also win the New England Championship while Thomas earned All-America honors in the heptathlon. During the outdoor season, Paul Pisano '04 (SAH) became the first three-time Big East champion in the javelin and Joel Legare '05 (BUS) earned All-America status in the 800 meters at the NCAAs.

In women's track and field, the indoor and outdoor seasons were highlighted by Deidre Mullen '04 (SFS) who earned All-America honors in the high jump for the third and fourth times in her career at the NCAA Championship.

The men's ice hockey team was led by forward Tim Olson '05 (CLAS), who was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year after leading the Huskies with 41 points.

Freshman Jacquelyn Craft '07 became the first Husky to score points at the NCAA Championship for women's swimming and diving as she finished 12th in the 200 meter breaststroke. She also won the Big East titles in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke events.

The women's lacrosse team had two players named first team All-Big East Conference in Melissa MacDougall '04 (CLAS) and Tracey Mullaney '05 (CLAS).

The Husky golf team finished second at the New England Championship while Jordan Burke '05 (BUS) finished in third place overall.

The UConn baseball team opened a new era as Jim Penders '94 (CLAS) '98 M.A. took over the head coaching reins, in a season highlighted by a nine-game winning streak.

UConn will be the only school in the Big East Conference to play seven home games during the 2004 football season and one of just 16 schools nationally to do so. It will also mark the first time in school history that UConn football will play on national television.

"There is tremendous excitement about UConn football with our entry into the Big East Football Conference and four national television appearances, the most of any team in the conference," says Jeffrey Hathaway, director of athletics. "We look forward to welcoming alumni to our home games at Rentschler Field and at games on the road."

The UConn Alumni Association will host Pre-Game Huddles for all Rentschler Field home games and is organizing alumni trips to all away games. For information, check www.uconnalumni.com or call Deb Crary at (888) UC-ALUM-1.