Southern Connecticut State University recently hosted two inspiring ceremonies to honor the transformational legacies of two committed alumni — Rita Landino, ’64, and Neil Thomas Proto, ’67 — whose dedication to student advocacy, social justice, and access to education has spanned decades.
A Life of Advocacy: The Rita Landino Rotunda
On November 7, members of the Southern community gathered in Engleman Hall to dedicate the Rita Landino Rotunda, celebrating the lasting impact of the Counselor Emeritus of Counseling Services. A tireless advocate for women’s equity and student well-being, Landino played a key role in launching the university’s Women’s Center in the 1970s and co-founding Committee W, a union-based advocacy group for female faculty members.
Her work as a counselor broke ground in supporting survivors of sexual abuse and creating early safe spaces on campus for LGBTQ+ students. Since her retirement in 2001, Landino’s support for Southern has continued through generous giving — including a $500,000 commitment in 2025 supporting the SOAR (Support, Opportunities, Access, and Resiliency) program and student services. The ceremony included remarks by Interim President Sandra Bulmer, Vice President for Student Affairs Tracy Tyree, and scholarship recipient Danika Smith, honoring Landino’s enduring influence on student lives.
Click here for photos from the dedication ceremony.
A Commitment to Civic Duty: The Neil Thomas Proto Reading Room
Just one week earlier, on October 30, the university dedicated the Neil Thomas Proto Reading Room in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center. The space recognizes Proto’s remarkable $750,000 commitment to the university and his unwavering belief in civic responsibility, legal scholarship, and social justice.
A celebrated environmental litigator, author, and former Student Government Association president, Proto has established five endowments at Southern supporting pre-law students, civic engagement, and the preservation of New Haven’s political history — including a mayoral archive housed in Buley Library. The ceremony included a surprise mayoral proclamation, remarks from university leaders, and a heartfelt reflection from Proto himself, underscoring his lifelong connection to Southern and the city of New Haven.
