Virginia Cabrera (HESA Class of 2016) and Louis Cameron (HESA Class of 2016) were recently accepted to present at the New England Latino Student Leadership Conference (NELSLC) at Dartmouth College.

The pair of first year students will present a session titled, “Ethical Decision-Making in Student Leadership.” Virginia and Louis’ presentation will be part of the larger NELSLC program from April 24-25, 2015 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.

 

Congratulations to both Virginia and Louis, and we wish you luck in your preparation!

EDLR’S Dr. Milagros Castillo-Montoya has been awarded a grant through the UConn Vice President for Research Scholarship Facilitation Fund.  Each year, the Scholarship Facilitation Fund works to advance faculty research interests and aids in the continuation of their contributions to their respective fields.

Dr. Castillo-Montoya received this grant for her project, “Higher Education and Student Affairs Administrator’s Learning of Assessment, Evaluation and Research.” As a co-instructor for the HESA program’s year-long service-learning course Assessment, Evaluation and Research in Student Affairs, Dr. Castillo-Montoya will be able to directly apply the knowledge she gains from this research to enhance her students’ learning and classroom experience.

Blanca Rincon, who will be joining the HESA program as a full-time faculty member in the fall of 2015, serves as the co-principal investigator for this project and as a co-instructor for the HESA program’s assessment, evaluation, and research course. We wish both our faculty the best of luck in their research endeavors!

Two first-year students in the HESA Program recently received scholarships from the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.

Robert Valentin (HESA Class of 2015) was nominated for and received the Sidney P. Marland, Jr. Fund Award. This award aims to provide scholarships for minority undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Educational Leadership.

Nancy Wong (HESA Class of 2015) received the Peter J. Nicholls Scholarship. This award is aimed at providing financial support to graduate students enrolled in the Higher Education & Student Affairs Program in the Department of Educational Leadership who demonstrate strong academic achievement.

Congratulations to Robert and Nancy to two well-deserved awards!

Shanna Graham (HESA Class of 2015) will be recognized for an award at the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) Phenomenal Women of Power Leadership Breakfast on March 14, 2015. Shanna was selected for an award due to her efforts in supporting mentoring programs for underrepresented student populations and for “[embodying]  the character and commitment of the College’s founder, Audrey Cohen.”

Following the breakfast, a “Phenomenal Women of Power” roundtable discussion will be held at MCNY, where Shanna will be able to share insights into her experiences. The discussion will be centered on issues that impact women educators and will be led by women currently setting the course for the field of education.

Proceeds from this breakfast and event will be donated to the Melvin I. Douglass Scholarship for Urban Education at MCNY. The fund is the first at MCNY dedicated to students in the Masters of Science in Education program, and the first fund established by an African American man at MCNY.

For more information on the event, feel free to visit http://www.mcny.edu/news/newsdetail.php?id=500 and https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phenomenal-women-of-power-breakfast-to-benefit-the-dr-melvin-i-douglass-scholarship-fund-tickets-15207714684. Congratulations once again to Shanna Graham on being recognized for her dedication to education and steadfast support of mentoring programs for underrepresented students.

As the spring conference season continues its approach, we have received word that more HESA students and UConn staff will take part in presentation efforts of the NASPA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jack Nguyen (HESA Class of 2015), Sarah Lindahl of the Student Activities Programs Office, and Angela Rola, Director of the Asian American Cultural Center, will present, “Peer Mentorship: Journey to Student Success in the Asian American Pacific Islander Community.”

Nguyen, Lindahl, and Rola will be presenting at the NASPA Annual Conference on Tuesday, March 24, from 11:05 – 11:55 Am in Room 209 of the Convention Center. Congratulations again!

Danielle DeWeese (Class of 2015) and Krista O’Brien (Class of 2012) recently presented at the Leadership Educators Institute (LEI) in Fort Worth, TX. The pair of past and current HESAs presented, “Building Institutional Support through the Leadership Legacy Experience.”

Danielle and Krista were not the only HESAs in attendance! Pictured above are seven HESAs, both current and alumni,  that attended LEI as well this past week. From left to right: Jeremy DiGorio, Danielle DeWeese, Krista O’Brien, Alicia Harley, Greg Fink, Tiago Machado, and Kevin Sella.

We are always proud to see multiple “generations” of HESAs engaging in the professional conference circuit!

 

 

Ty McNamee (Class of 2015), continues to expand upon his professional conference experiences! After contributing to “Social Media: #DoItRight” with fellow HESA students who conducted assessment projects at the University of Glasgow, Ty will lend his talents to presentations this upcoming spring as well.

Alongside Nancy Bilmes, Director of the UConn Center for Career Development, Ty will present “I Have to Write a Résumé Now?  Using the Résumé as a Career Development Resource for First Year Students” at both the ACPA 2015 Convention in Tampa, FL, and the 2015 NASPA Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.

All of us here at UConn HESA wish Ty the best of luck with his upcoming presentations!

 

Garrett Schlichte (Class of 2015) attended the  NODA National Conference (NODAC) held in Orlando, FL on November 2-5, 2014. At this conference, Garrett presented “Challenging Students to Dare Greatly: Empathy in Peer Leadership.”

As a graduate assistant within the Division of Enrollment Planning & Management, Garrett uses his bubbly personality and eagerness to help others to support Orientation programming at UConn.

As always, we are proud to acknowledge the hard work of our students. Congratulations again, Garrett!

 

 

Every year, the UConn HESA program offers an International Experience where students can travel to partner institutions abroad to conduct research and assessment projects. The goal of this collaboration, structured through the Universitas 21 partnership that UConn belongs to, is to benefit not only the student researchers but the hosting institution as well.

After spending three weeks assessing the use of social media platforms by international students at the University of Glasgow, five UConn HESA students returned to the ‘States with a fresh set of data and suggestions for UGlasgow student affairs staff. After returning home, these five students applied and were accepted to present their experiences at the NASPA Region 1 conference on November 17, 2014. The group’s presentation was titled, “Social Media: #DoItRight.”

Congratulations to Jackie Lee, Caroline Green, Eileen Rodriguez, Em Loisel, and Ty McNamee on their successful presentation!

 

George Takei, an established actor, social justice activist, and social media mega-power visited UConn on the evening of November 5, 2014.

Preceding his speaking engagement with students and visitors to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, Takei sat down to dinner with various leaders within student affairs, including staff and HESA students from an array of departments and cultural centers on campus.

HESA students provided guidance to student organizations involved with the event, aided in the overall planning of the evening, and acted as ambassadors of the institution during Takei’s visit.

The event was sponsored by the Asian American Cultural Center, Asian & Asian American Studies Institute, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, Division of Student Affairs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Neag School of Education, Global Affairs, UConn Alumni Association, Community Outreach, Leadership Office, Residential Life, Rainbow Center, Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center, Women’s Center and the African American Cultural Center.