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Issue: Aug. 2-22, 2011 |
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UNH Today / TOP NEWS
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Academic, Government and Business Leaders Launch Community Development Coalition
UNH President Steven H. Kaplan and West Haven Mayor John M. Picard announced the formation of the Allingtown Neighborhood Development Coalition.
The coalition partners academia, government agencies and private industry in a drive to enhance community development and revitalization in West Haven with a principal focus on the Allingtown district.
"The University is deeply committed to supporting the West Haven community, particularly those residents living in the Allingtown district," Kaplan said.
Other members of the coalition include Philip H. Bartels, attorney and vice chair, UNH Board of Governors; Brother James Branigan, president, Notre Dame High School; James P. O’Brien, chief, Center Fire Station and 6th District City Council member; Allison K. Schieffelin, chairwoman and chief executive officer, The Lighting Quotient; Christopher Suggs, 5th District City Council member; and George Synodi, UNH vice president for finance.
"By joining forces, we plan to apply for state, federal and private grants to address important community issues including economic development, improving blighted properties, addressing bulk trash pickup and enhancing street lighting," Kaplan and Picard said in a joint statement.
The coalition will host a town meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge of Bartels Hall on the UNH Main Campus to provide additional information to the community and solicit input from residents.
UNH students donated more than 15,000 volunteer hours during the 2010-11 academic year benefiting a variety of local charities and nonprofit organizations, many located in West Haven. In addition, the University helped organize the first Allingtown International Festival last October and contributed to the West Haven fireworks display on July 4. This spring, 40 UNH students volunteered to take part in the West River Park Clean-Up Day organized by the City of West Haven.
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UNH Student Participates in DOD War Games Alongside Top Military Leaders
Amid the intelligence officers, generals and commanders at a recent war games exercise in Washington, D.C., planned by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), sat UNH graduate student Richard Kania.
"The people there are so smart and they have such incredible resumes," says Kania, a master’s degree candidate in national security and public safety. "They are Marines who led combat units, scientists developing the technologies of tomorrow, and other military personnel who have done amazing things. It was great to be able to sit there and hear what they think."
Kania, a student employee at the UNH Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG), actually helped prepare some of the background reports analyzing three terrorist groups for game participants.
The four-part game took place in the D.C. metropolitan area from March to June and envisioned a war with an imaginary country in 2025. The final game, which Kania attended, gave him a glimpse into his future since he hopes to become involved with the intelligence community.
"It gives you direction about where you might end up some day. There were a lot of people there who advised me about where to apply for jobs and what to do in the future," he says.
Kania is a graduate of Villanova, where he majored in political science and Arab and Islamic studies. A resident of Southington, Conn., he began working for ISVG in January, first as an intern and later as a student worker. He plans to finish his degree in December.
Read more about his work or check out a story in the Record-Journal.
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Students Learn, Give Back through the President's Fellowship Program
Jeantel Speruthia, ’13, spent her summer helping to develop activities for youngsters at the Creating Kids Childcare Center in New Haven. "Education does not only come from being in a classroom or reading a book," says Speruthia. "Community service creates character, and develops career options and goals."
The project was part of Speruthia’s involvement in the President’s Public Service Fellowship, an initiative that placed 14 students in local non-profit organizations and government agencies for the summer. The students will reflect on their experiences during a presentation on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m. in the Henry C. Lee Institute, Room 301.
It is the 13th year UNH has sponsored the program that is designed to help students develop leadership skills and an awareness of the needs of the community, as well as foster positive relationships within the Greater New Haven area. To be selected for a fellowship, students take part in an interview process and are awarded placements based on their interests and backgrounds.
Patrick Kelland, ’13, worked in Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s office, where he's had the chance to interact with constituents who sought information on social security, immigration, health insurance and veteran’s affairs issues.
"I was hoping this would be my placement because I have a strong interest in politics, government and public service," says Kelland, a double major in political science and criminal justice. "The entire experience opened my eyes to issues that people face on a daily basis."
For her fellowship, Jennifer Nolan, '12, was part of a team working on the West Haven Emergency Operating Procedure. She collaborated with the West Haven fire districts and police department, as well as the Board of Education, Department of Transportation and Health Department.
"Thanks to the fellowship and the lessons I’ve learned, I have decided that an advanced degree in emergency management can prepare me for a variety of career opportunities that I never knew existed," says Nolan.
Vanessa Estime, ’13, spent the summer interacting with youngsters at Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in New Haven. She helped coordinate a summer camp that provides a positive environment and learning opportunities for area refugee children.
"Community service gives you a chance to learn more about yourself," says Estime. "As students, we should view volunteering not as an obligation but rather an opportunity to learn more about those living in our neighborhood and serving their needs."
"The community is just as much a part of the University of New Haven as its students, faculty and staff," adds fellowship participant, Shawn Tremblay, '12, who worked with the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. "We are fortunate to have such great relationships with the City of West Haven and the City of New Haven, and it is important that we, as students, do what we can to contribute."
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Softball Alumna Overcomes Leg Amputation to Earn Spot as U.S. Open Ball Girl
Less than two years after having her right leg amputated below the knee, Denise Castelli, ’08 B.S., earned a spot as a ball girl for this summer’s U.S. Open tennis tournament in Flushing, N.Y. One of two amputees selected, Castelli was chosen from among more than 500 candidates for one of the coveted 80 spots.
"My goal here is to try and change the way everyone thinks of disabilities," Castelli told Bloomberg News during the first round of tryouts. "Everyone thinks it’s crippling, and it’s not."
Castelli injured her leg in the spring of 2008 playing for the UNH softball team. Despite 37 surgeries, she had the leg amputated in November 2009 after developing infections and other complications.
Castelli, who was fitted with a prosthesis in March 2010, will take part in a training session before beginning her work as a ball girl during the U.S. Open qualifying tournament. If she does well there, she will have regular duty in the two-week tournament that begins August 29.
"I feel like I am exactly where I was before I was amputated," Castelli told the Star Ledger. "Nothing has been stopping me. It’s a really cool feeling."
Read stories about Castelli that appeared in the New Haven Register, Bloomberg News and the New Jersey Star Ledger.
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