Awards

HESA Student’s Group Wins Case Study Competition

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Congratulations to Katrina Camerato (‘19) whose group recently placed first for the Northeast Association of College and University Housing Officers (NEACUHO) New Professionals Case Study Competition!  The annual competition, which takes place during the NEACUHO Annual Conference in October, offers new professionals (including qualified graduate students) an opportunity to put their skills to work and network with other new professionals.  

This year’s case study was an “all-encompassing case for HESA practitioners,” says Katrina.  While the case focused broadly on addressing increasing mental health issues in residential spaces, it also included obstacles such as budget cuts, an overworked staff, and issues with student satisfaction. Katrina was partnered with her group members on the first day of the conference, and they presented their proposal on the conference’s final day. The group proposed a year-long initiative that involved both campus and community partnerships in order tokeep their intervention low-cost.  

Katrina says she has her HESA program assistantship at the UConn Department of Residential Life to thank for helping her develop the practical skills and knowledge that allowed her to succeed in the competition.  “UConn has a flourishing Department of Residential Life, and I have really learned a lot from my time working with colleagues and students there,” says Katrina. She also credits her practica at Title IX offices for giving her practical experience, as well as her law and ethics class (EDLR 5119) for teaching her “how to properly read a case, find the holes, and propose solutions.”

For other students interested in getting involved in a case study, Katrina recommends reaching out to supervisors and colleagues. With her assistantship in Residential Life, Katrina was a member of NEACUHO and learned from professionals in her department that she could apply for funding through NEACUHO to cover conference costs.  After receiving full funding for the three-day conference, she began looking into what else the conference had to offer and found the case study competition. “I highly encourage students to look deeper into their professional organizations,” says Katrina. “Whether they are involved with NODA, NASPA, ACPA, ACUHO-I, or another organization, many of these professional organizations offer these types of opportunities!”

HESA Alumna Receives Award

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Congratulations to Lexy Parrill (‘17) who recently received the Chester A. Berry Scholar Award at the Association of College Unions (ACUI) National Conference.  The award is given annually to the author of an outstanding work of writing in the field of college unions and student activities. We caught up with Lexy to find out more about her research:

LP: My involvement in this work stems from an independent project I conducted as an undergraduate at Indiana University.  The project focused on memorial unions and, like any great research project, it led me to a series of unanswered questions. Ever since, I’ve been obsessed with the Union Idea and the notion that college unions (and campus centers) are more than just facilities: they are part of an educational philosophy that brings together the community using programming and physical space.

Lexy Parrill (’17)

I received this award alongside my mentor and research partner Mara Dahlgren. Mara was my advisor when I was a student at Indiana University. We have a shared appreciation for the college union idea, and we both understand the powerful role history plays in shaping our perceptions, attitudes, and–in this case–buildings. Mara is the Assistant Director of Activities and Events at the Indiana Memorial Union at Indiana University.

I received my bachelor’s degree in History, and I strongly believe that it is important to understand the context and background of an institution–in this case, the college union– in order to produce useful knowledge.  When Mara and I began looking into this phenomenon, we realized there was no central database that contained basic information about college union construction, naming practices, memorialization, services, funding, missions, student involvement, etc. We decided to develop this tool, and so far we have collected 750 unique data points (and counting!) from institutions across the world.

This data has allowed us to reframe the college union story and provide data to support (and rebuke) anecdotal stories. We plan to continue to collect information from additional institutions and set up systems to maintain our existing database. We hope this tool provides a jumping point for researchers and practitioners in the field of college unions and student activities.

The HESA community wishes Lexy the best of luck as she continues to examine higher education policies and systems as part of her exciting and important research.

We love to hear from HESA Alumni, so if you have a story to share click here to get in touch!

 

HESA Student Recieves Neag Scholarship

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This story has been altered from its original version.  The original version was written by Danielle Falper and was published on the Neag website on March 9, 2018.  It is available here. 

The Neag School of Education at UConn recently announced HESA student Denée Jackson as a recipient of the Neag School of Education Alumni Board Scholarship.

The Neag School of Education Alumni Board Scholarship provides a $1,000 award available annually to students enrolled in a master’s, doctorate, or sixth-year program and who have proven academic excellence or demonstrated financial need. The scholarship is intended to invest in the education and experience of Neag School students. For the 2019 academic year, there were 35 applicants.

Denée Jackson with her award. (Photo by Jennifer McGarry)

“The Neag School of Education Alumni Board Scholarship is one that aims to not only support aspiring educators, but also honor the passion and talents of those who are committed to doing what is arguably one of the most important and challenging jobs of today,” says Kate Lund, president of the Neag School of Education Alumni Board. “As a board, we are committed to awarding these important scholarships each year and are entirely grateful for the generous contributions from our alumni, who share our support of and pride in these promising teachers.”

Jackson received her bachelor of arts in communications from the University of Connecticut in 2014. Jackson was enrolled in a master’s program at North Carolina State University, but she returned to Connecticut after her mother was diagnosed with cancer.

“I approach my learning with a ferocity because the more I learn, the more I can influence change and uplift communities,” says Jackson, whose mother inspired her to pursue higher education. “The more that I learn about oppressive policies within systemically unequitable systems, the more I can do to deconstruct them and build new equitable and inclusive systems.”

“Although my responsibilities sometimes require urgent attention, I have a legacy to uphold. I am hoping that my passion and grit, built on the foundation that my amazing mom instilled in me, will lead me to attaining my master’s and doctoral degrees while espousing my conviction of education as a means to attaining a more socially just world,” says Jackson.

Jackson is currently a Husky Sport mentor, facilitating coursework as well as professional development for a team of 40 graduate and undergraduate students.

She is also a graduate student intern at the UConn Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and assisted in the development of a new Greek life program, and advised the 2016 HuskyTHON to benefit the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Emily Daher (’18) and Ricardo Destinvil (’18) Receive Awards at Annual Neag Scholarship Awards Ceremony

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Peter J. Nicholls Scholarship in Educational Leadership

This scholarship was established by friends, family, and colleagues of Dr. Peter J. Nicholls, former Provost of the University of Connecticut. This scholarship provides support to a graduate student(s) enrolled in the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program.

Emily Daher

Neag School of Education Graduate Fellowship

Established thanks to the generosity of numerous faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the Neag School of Education, this scholarship is awarded to a graduate student identified by nomination in his or her program as having a strong academic performance and having gone above and beyond by contributing significantly to the Neag School.

Ricardo Destinvil

http://education.uconn.edu/2017/04/13/students-donors-celebrate-at-annual-scholarship-awards-ceremony/

HESA alum and current instructor Fany Hannon (’08)

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UConn Leader Recognized for Contributions to the Hispanic Community

Editor’s Note: This story, written by UConn Communication’s Kenneth Best, appears in UConn Today’s September 16, 2016 issue

During the upcoming celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on the American Spanish language television network Univision, one individual recognized for her contributions to the Hispanic community will be Fany Hannon ’08 MA, director of the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC).

Hannon’s work with UConn students will be seen by viewers of Univision’s affiliates in Connecticut and the Springfield, Mass., region as part of the network’s Nuestro Orgullo Hispano – Our Hispanic Pride – segments aired in commercial breaks as part of the month-long celebration, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Read the entire article here

Danielle Berkman (’18) -National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) December Of The Month (also known as OTM) Campus Winner

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Danielle has been an outstanding source of support and guidance for her staff since the first day of the semester. She has been devoted to checking-in with each RA regularly ever since. Before she even met the Hilltop Halls staff, Danielle wrote a welcome note to each RA, and continued to hand-write thoughtful messages throughout the semester as she learned more about each RA. Additionally, Danielle has made snacks and baked desserts to give staff members for the sake of making others cheerful. The notes and random snacks are just a couple out of many ways Danielle has made the Hilltop Halls staff smile and feel supported. These actions demonstrate Danielle’s dedication to fostering a happy staff. Danielle also cares for her residents. She led a planning committee of RAs to organize a Fall Festival in Hilltop Halls to give residents a fun way to get involved with their community. Danielle offered great advice during the planning phase of Fall Festival that resulted in a very successful area-wide social program. Outside of organizing programs, Danielle is very accessible to the community should any community members need help with a roommate conflict, or just want to chat about what’s going on in their lives. Danielle’s accessibility provides the Hilltop Halls community with another level of support that we all appreciate greatly.

https://otms.nrhh.org/otm_general.php3?otmid=339890&uid=52334&vid=q7mgrqfnm6k7t15p

AFA Award Presented to Greg Fink, HESA ’11

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AFA Outstanding Change InitiativeCourtney McKenna (Associate Director, Student Center & Campus Life, Quinnipiac University) and Greg Fink (Assistant Director) were honored with the Outstanding Change Initiative Award at the 2013 Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting.  Additionally, McKenna and Fink presented their 2-year transition for the fraternity and sorority community toward a university-centered learning paradigm.  Below is the presentation description:

“As institutions of higher education are forced to prove their value through scrutiny of what a college education currently provides, some institutions have begun implementing a learning paradigm–a philosophy that asks all community members (faculty, staff and administrators) to reexamine and rework policies and practices to ensure that student learning is at the core.  Presenters will provide insight into practices taken for a fraternity/sorority community to align itself with an institutional learning paradigm while simultaneously ensuring fraternities and sororities are reliable student learning vehicles.  Just as an intentional focus on values congruence can elevate a fraternity and sorority community through position actions, intentional focus on enhancing student learning can highlight why fraternities and sororities exist, while also supporting an institutional mission. ”

Well done Greg!

Pho (’12) Receives Award

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Kim Pho, HESA Class of 2012, was awarded the Richard D. Blackburn New Professional Award.
Richard D. Blackburn’s influence on and encouragement of new professionals is reflected in this award honoring an individual who demonstrates the potential for excellence in the field of college union and student activities. Congratulations Kim!