http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised $25,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com University of Hartford Student Newspaper Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:13:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:59:39 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860604 Barney School establishes chapter of national business organization. [caption id="attachment_3860697" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="The Barney School of Business recently installed their newest chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which contains 77 members ranging from undergrad and grad students, alumni and faculty. Courtesy of Prof. Pamela Weaver"][/caption] The Barney School of Business recently installed their new chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national business organization. In the world of business, innovation is the key to success whether designing a new product or forming a new organization at a college campus. Such is the case with Beta Alpha Psi. Historically an honors organization for accounting, finance, and information systems students nationwide that excel in their chosen major, the chapter at the University of Hartford is the fourth chapter in the state of Connecticut. 77 members, students, alumni, and faculty, were officially inducted into the fraternity Thursday night in a ceremony at the 1877 club after a successful petitioning process that began in December of 2009 to have the chapter recognized at the national level. “You have to go through a two-year petitioning period where you in effect form the chapter and then you have to do all these different activities,” said Professor Carl Smith, “after two years they come and evaluate you.” Beta Alpha Psi has three faculty co-advisors from the Barney School of Business that oversee the activities conducted by the fraternity: Michelle Bertolini, Smith and Donald Warren. An interesting fact about the chapter at the University is the level of membership among the graduate students at the Barney School. This is reflected in the current setup of Beta Alpha Psi’s executive board of students, which consists of two co-presidents that are at the undergrad and graduate levels. Other board positions are also filled by undergrad and graduate students. “Other chapters liked our model,” said Warren. “The fact that we use co-presidents with one for the graduate and one for the undergraduate because I don’t think anybody ever thought of that before.” The graduate student members of the Barney School’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi make up 40 percent of the student membership. This is a unique characteristic not just on campus, but also at the state and national levels for Beta Alpha Psi. “We’re one of the few chapters that have successfully mixed both grad and undergrad,” said Smith. “What we’re finding is we’re rewriting some of the policies at the national level because they were definitely undergraduate centric.” “What happens at a lot of universities is that they’ll have an undergraduate Beta Alpha Psi and then when the students move to graduate level, they kind of drift off,” said Warren. “We keep them involved and I think one of the ways we keep them involved is that we have a co-president from the graduate program.” In addition to a strong involvement from graduate students at the Barney School, there are other ways this chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has set itself apart from chapters formed at other schools in the past. While only one service event a year is mandatory for the organization at the national level, the Barney School chapter has done two or three in a single year. The chapter members have also utilized the current multimedia technology available at the Barney School to have meetings with other Beta Alpha Psi chapters at other schools without ever leaving the University. “It’s a major milestone for the Barney School of Business and for the accounting department to be installing a Beta Alpha Psi chapter,” said Warren.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/beta-alpha-psi-comes-to-university/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:48:58 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860648 [/caption] “Work hard and you will be successful” seemed to be the sentiment of the evening as two Barney School of Business alumni were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 1. Evaristo “Evey” Stanziale and Joxel Garcia joined the ranks of other talented alumni as they were welcomed into the prestigious hall by Barney School Dean, Dr. James W. Fairfield-Sonn. The Hall of Fame profiles the achievements of prominent alumni to provide a source of inspiration for students, alumni, faculty, and staff of the Barney School of Business. “It’s a great honor for me,” Garcia said during his acceptance speech at the induction, “Very few honors really touch your heart and this one does.” Garcia, who achieved an Executive MBA at the Barney School in 1999, is currently President and Dean of Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences.  Garcia trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School before opening up his own practice at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford. During his time at St. Francis, Garcia spotted a flyer for the MBA program at the University of Hartford. “I thought it was going to be bad news,” Garcia said, “but they said go ahead. Thanks to this school, I was able to accomplish so much.” That so much includes launching the national smallpox preparation and vaccination plans. Garcia also led Connecticut’s response to the anthrax attack. The other alumni that was inducted was Stanziale who achieved an BSBA at the Barney School in 1987. Currently Founding Partner and Vice President of SCS Commodities Corporation, Stanziale was also extremely appreciative of the honor. “I’m lost for words I’m so appreciative,” Stanziale said in his induction speech, “I found who I was as a person [through the University of Hartford].” A frequent contributor of CNBC, Stanziale founded the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker that executes millions of dollars worth of energy commodities every day. “I fell in love with the Barney School,” Stanziale said, “You come here and get that independence and the responsibility that comes with it.” Both Garcia and Stanziale had advice for the future Barney School graduates. “There will be mistakes and failures,” Stanziale said, “use it as a stepping stone for the future.” “Graduating from here really means something,” Garcia said, “we have a marketplace that really needs Barney. Look at the goals long distance and impact the world.” Both Garcia and Stanziale will have plaques commemorating their induction along with frame photographs of the honorees hanging in the Barney School’s executive classroom, Auerbach 326.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/barney-hall-of-fame-welcomes-2-new-members/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:47:26 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860600 [/caption] Over ten renovation projects and updates to residence halls were completed by the Facilities department while students were absent for winter break. Norman Young, Executive Director of the Facilities Department, along with the many employees worked hard this winter break to ensure that all needs in the residence halls were attended too, but the renovations did not stop there. Numerous restorations were conducted in University Commons, Harry Jack Gray Center, Auerbach Hall, Mortensen Library and the Hartt School. One apartment in particular caught the attention of Facilities. One apartment in quad five of the Village was revamped with new cabinets, counter top, and new flooring. Young said, “the kitchen there was in very bad shape...we opted to install new as a trial of sorts for both students and Facilities.” A card-swipe access on the Park River West Wing door was added. Bars were installed to enable the addition of privacy curtains in the bathrooms of B and D complexes. The Shaw Center project is running smoothly, and is expected to have the new building complete and occupied around the beginning of April. Young stated, “four new classrooms will be created on the first floor of Hillyer in the areas where faculty and staff move out of.” Other projects include the University Commons dishwasher replacement, new floor painting and seating in Wilde Auditorium, renovations to include office/print room in the Harry Jack Gray Center, upgrades to the vending area on the first floor of Auerbach Hall, flooring and painting at two study rooms to create tutoring space in Mortensen Library. Facilities advises shutting off all lights before leaving the room, unplug appliances that are not in use, and do not put articles in the toilet that would cause clogs. Just these few improvements would make the life as a student, or as a member of the Facilities Department a much easier one. Farrell said, “we need the community’s help with this.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/02/news/winter-renovations-refresh-uha/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860598 [/caption] Starting during the Fall 2012 semester, the College of Arts & Sciences will be welcoming a new minor of Environmental Studies, headed by English Professor William Major. One of the prominent reasons that the College of Arts & Sciences decided to start this minor program is because the University has several professors who have a background in environmental studies, such as Katherine Owens from the Politics and Government (POGO) program and Professor Bin Zhu from the Biology program. “Environmental issues will be increasing in importance in the twenty-first century and we need to have an academic focus in this area of study. There is significant growth in environmental studies and environmental science programs throughout the country – thus there is student demand,” Professor Major said. With the many environmental issues that we face today such as overpopulation and global warming, it is professors like Major who believe we need to make students more aware about what is going on in the world they live in. The minor will consist of 19 to 21 credits.  Two courses that will be required are Fundamentals of Environmental Studies, which is a 100- level, 3 credit course and an Environmental Studies Capstone course which is a 400- level course and it is 1 credit as well. Other courses involved include a variety of other environmental and chemistry courses such as Environmental Communication and Chemistry and the World around U.S. Although the Environmental Studies minor program does not start until the fall, Professor Major tells us that the program is already getting recognition from students. Many students are already enrolled in the current minor and also have a number of students who are doing contract majors in environmental science and studies as well. “It is our hope that the new minor will garner interest from students across the University” said Professor Major, “Students in any discipline are welcome to minor in Environmental Studies.” From pollution to nuclear, the world faces new environmental issues everyday. With this new environmental studies minor program in full effect, students will learn about the causes  and the prevention of these issues. This will become important when considering issues that will affect students’ futures and surroundings. “Many students have already come to the University sensitized to a number of environmental issues. Other students have a vague notion that they want to know more about the challenges and opportunities that come with the keener environmental awareness,” said Professor Major. Students who have graduated from environmental studies or science programs often go on to work in fields such as communication, education, government and many more. The interest of this new minor program is already increasing, with many teachers and students desiring to become involved. Professor Major and the rest of the staff working with this program are fully committed and intend to work closely with students to help them pursue their current and future interests. They also hope to introduce students to the program who may not have had an interest before.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-minor-focusing-on-environmental-studies/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:34:20 +0000 Sarah Wilson http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860492 [caption id="attachment_3860493" align="alignright" width="460" caption="Tiana Notice's father reads an apology letter written to him from the killer of his daughter, James Carter. | Courtesy of The Hartford Courant"][/caption] James Carter III, who murdered a University of Hartford graduate student almost three years ago, received the maximum sentence for his crime on Jan. 13. Carter killed ex-girlfriend Tiana Notice on Valentine’s Day of 2009 by stabbing her repeatedly outside her Plainville apartment. More than 40 of Notice’s family members attended the hearing, while the one person who was not present was Carter himself. His inability to be present for the sentencing, though Judge Frank D’Addabbo granted him permission, contributed to the decision to slap him with the highest possible charge for murder: 60 years, plus another five for violating a restraining order Notice had against him at the time. Also used against Carter in his case were letters he wrote to family members from prison that presented Notice in a negative light. Judge D’Addabbo referenced the letters in which Carter said “I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” as well as saying Notice’s family “must be taught a lesson,” according to the Hartford Courant. D’Addabbo also referenced Carter’s tarnished criminal record, using his several charges of assault, harassment and violation of a restraining order, all occurring since 2002, as justification for the 60-year sentence. The members of the family who were present took the sentencing as a great success, specifically Notice’s 20-year-old brother, Christian Muriel, who told the Courant “I believe justice was served, both for my sister and for the family…she can rest in peace now.”Notice’s father, Alvin, who has been advocating against domestic violence since his daughter’s death, said “I hope that he will spend the rest of his life in prison thinking each and every day about what he has done.” On Valentine’s Day 2009, after several reports from Notice about Carter’s failure to comply with the restraining order she had against him, Carter drove his PT Cruiser her house, stabbed her several times, and drove off. Notice was able to call 911 before passing away from the wounds. There was sufficient evidence against Carter in the trial, including the security camera that caught the crime on tape, neighbors who saw his car leave the scene and a claim by his own brother that he had confessed to him over a phone call that same night. Since Carter’s conviction, Notice’s family has filed lawsuits against Waterbury and Bloomfield police departments, claiming they failed to protect Notice when she went to them for help concerning Carter. They’ve also worked to strengthen domestic violence laws in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Notices started the Tiana Angelique Notice Foundation to aid victims of domestic violence, and have since raised ,000. ]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/maximum-sentence-for-grad-student-killer/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:20:18 +0000 Tierra Gunther http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860440 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/undergraduate-colloquium-fast-approaching-now-accepting-applications/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:17:38 +0000 Kristen Regula http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860321 [/caption] Succeeding in college is not just about academics, it’s also being happy enough to stay. Madison Rieger is the newest member of Career Services as the new assistant director of student retention programs. A graduate student, Rieger is working on her Master’s degree in Education and Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She has had the opportunity to work with several different age groups in the educational setting. In the process, Rieger found her niche working with college students. “I work a lot with first and second-year students now and I feel like I can really relate to them because I went into college undecided and I really had no idea what I wanted to do and I kind of fell into psychology,” said Rieger, “I just happened to take an introduction course to fill a requirement and that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I do because I don’t think students should have to just kind of find their way.” This emphasis on helping students feel at home and comfortable no matter where they are in their college journey is an important part of keeping students at the University. After two internships and now a job in Career Services, Rieger has also found her place at the University. Along with her passion for what she does, Rieger also had personal reasons for choosing to intern in the state of Connecticut. “What brought me to Connecticut is that I have family in the area and I heard of the University of Hartford and the diversity on campus,” said Rieger. Rieger’s first internship was in 2010 with the University’s Health and Wellness Center. The second internship was with Career Services, the following year where she eventually got a job in Dec. “When a position [in Career Services] opened up, I applied because I really love it here,” said Rieger. Despite the short amount of time she has spent in her job position, Rieger emphasizes the professors as a helpful resource that will enable her to successfully work with students. “I think faculty does a great job of leading students and I think when we partner with faculty, it’s the best result for students because then they have the career side where we can help them do internships and find internships and [especially] faculty has contacts,” said Rieger. Rieger can relate to many students. She had originally planned to major in business, but instead got her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Skidmore College. “I went in completely blank and not knowing what my options were so I think I can definitely relate to going into college and just having no idea what you want to do,” said Rieger.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/new-assistant-director-for-student-retention/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:33 +0000 Kelly Bouchard http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860318 [/caption] The University is proud to announce that a new course is available for the Spring 2012 semester called “Patents and Copyright Protection,” which will be taught by Intellectual Property Attorney John Mutchler, a familiar face among University staff. While it is only available to undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, it provides information anyone could use concerning the proper, as well as improper, uses of copyrights and the processes and reasoning behind patenting, for anyone who has ever had a thought for inventing. The course also establishes the difference between a copyright and a trademark, two words thought to have identical meaning but with one difference – one is the product, the other is the producer and advertiser. This course is to be primarily an online course offered through Blackboard, although students will be required to meet in person once a month. “The class will meet once a month in the evening to review some of the submittals and to practice and learn how to use some of the United States Patent and Trademark Office website features, such as patent searches and patent prosecution history,” explained Mutchler. He also explained that the course work will be primarily composed of reviewing court cases and briefs concerning patents, copyrights and trademarks. Mutchler is hopeful that this new course will be successful among the students enrolled and possibly continue. “I have taught similar classes at the University of Hartford and at other universities for about five years and the students have provided good feedback, learn a lot and enjoy the class,” Mutchler remarks. Mutchler promises to incorporate humor into the class and will include existing examples in societ. He will also incorporate the various schools on at the University such as the College of Education, Nursing and Health Services,  the College of Arts and Sciences, the Barney School of Music, the Hartt School, the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, and the Hartford Art School. In addition to teaching at the Univeristy of Hartford in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, Mutchler has also held a professorial position at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/spring-12-brings-new-copyright-course/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:06 +0000 Shannon Irish http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860315 An event that spurred a tragedy and killed 46 people sparked the interest of Professor Stephan Bullard and student, Bridget Gromek who then began to record the event in a book to come out at the end of the year. Dec. 15,1967 may not necessarily be recognized as a significant date to many people, but to those who knew the 46 unsuspecting victims this day will remain the date of the Silver Bridge Collapse. The collapse was caused by the failure of one eyebar in a suspension chain, thus the collapse of the 39-year-old suspension bridge into the Ohio River. Further analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and much to the victim’s misfortune was  poorly maintained. For the University of Hartford’s Bullard, this event was significant and was one that was both intriguing and inspirational, therefore, worthy of writing a book. Bullard teaches an honors course on disasters. Each student must research a disaster and complete a full and detailed project on it. One of his students, Gromek, chose the Silver Bridge Collapse as her disaster. With much research and alot of effort, she was able to land a small university grant in order to travel to the site and make a short documentary on the tragic event that happened 44 years prior. Being so heavily involved as well as utterly interested, she also met with many of the people at the River Museum who had a great deal of information to share with her in regard to the topic. When Bullard visited his parents, not too far from Point Pleasant, he also stopped and met with the River Museum curators. Bullard realized that in history, there had never been a book written on such an event and with the aid of the museum’s materials, this seemed like a great project. Bullard soon asked if Gromek would be willing to work with him and she agreed. He contacted Arcadia Publishing. Although Bullard has no direct ties to the disaster, he finds the topic very tragic and interesting. “I’ve had the chance to meet with survivors and their families and for them, it is like it happened yesterday, even though it has been almost 45 years,” Bullard said. Despite the age difference in the victims to the age of the upcoming book, Bullard’s main goal is, “to capture this history before everyone involved passes on.” Jack Fowler, Executive Curator of the River Museum, stays very busy on Dec. 15 in Point Pleasant. The museum even includes a model, which recreates the situation on the bridge before the horrific collapse. Unlike the steel cables of the traditional suspension bridge, the Silver Bridge was constructed of chains similar to the chain of a bicycle. When referring to the book, he spoke of it having more information and pictures as well as memorabilia all compiled together to make it that much more effective to the reader. Fowler told West Virginia’s State Journal, “This is going to be a really good book.” The first draft of the book is due in  April, but Bullard hopes that the whole composition will be available by Dec. 15,  which is the 45^th anniversary of the disaster itself.]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2012/01/news/bridge-collapse-that-took-46-lives-to-be-topic-of-new-book/feed/ 0 http://hartfordinformer.com/2011/12/news/hartt-students-begin-petitions-to-saving-the-allen-llibrary/ http://hartfordinformer.com/2011/12/news/hartt-students-begin-petitions-to-saving-the-allen-llibrary/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:16:18 +0000 Kaitlyn Schroyer http://hartfordinformer.com/?p=3860016 [/caption] Hartt School students are in a flurry after the recent release of a letter from President Walter Harrison stating the possible move of the Allen Library. The Allen Library, located in Harry Jack Gray, provides services including sheet music, music scores, dance materials and more. The issue at hand revolves around the future of libraries and the oncoming digital age. “We want to plan for the future,” President Walter Harrison said, “We don’t want to be behind the curve.” That curve seems to be under debate as the Hartt students have stated the music library simply cannot go digital. Kendra Emery, a Hartt school student and someone who has worked part-time at the Allen Library, is one of the lead organizers of petitions circulating regarding the library’s possible move. “The digital age does not apply well to us,” Emery said, “Online quality downgrades a lot of times and hard copies of sheet music are vital for practicing.” Jessica Rugani, a DMA Composition student, said, “Modern music is subject to copyright laws. Sometimes, I can't get a score because it's too new and the publisher doesn't have a study score available for purchase yet. Early music is hard enough to find in paper form. It is up to the libraries that house the original documents, or the publishers who are responsible for various editions to digitize them, and I imagine that it is not financially viable for them to do so.” However, Harrison stated that this is only the opening of a discussion, not a decision. “We have not made a final decision about the Allen Library,” Harrison said, “We only want to open the discussion.” The possible plan that has currently been outlined by Harrison and is in the hands of a steering committee states that the Allen Library would be moved to a renovated part of the Mortensen Library where it would be upgraded. The current space occupied by the Allen Library would be given to the Greenberg Center for Judiac Studies once they have the funds necessary for the move. “We have not been addressed as students,” Emery said, “No Hartt student is on the steering committee.” “We, the students, feel as the library has been taken out from under us, and given away without real consideration of the consequences. Some of us are afraid we will lose our staff, or that the library will be downsized, when in truth, it is lacking in some areas and needs to be expanded, and still nothing has been told officially to the students to keep us from worrying or becoming upset,” Rugani said. Emery, along with other Hartt students, has drafted up a petition that currently has over 150 signatures. “We want to raise awareness and education about the importance of the Allen Library how it is,” Emery said, “The letter is unclear on how important it is to us and how much a change would damage our image.” “We want the Allen Library to have its own space and be successful,” Harrison said, “It is a vital part to Hartt and we wish to enhance it, not hurt it.”]]> http://hartfordinformer.com/2011/12/news/hartt-students-begin-petitions-to-saving-the-allen-llibrary/feed/ 1