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Southern will host three events in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Monday, April 24, 2017. All events are free and open to the public.

‘Days of Remembrance’

1-2 p.m.: Professor Jason Stanley, Ph.D., Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy, Yale University, will share the largely unknown story of his grandmother Ilse Stanley’s heroic efforts to save more than 400 Jewish prisoners from concentration camps between 1936 and 1938, as well as her efforts to help many others escape from Germany. He will read from his grandmother’s 1957 book, The Unforgotten.
– Learn more.

University Choir Concert: ‘We Will Remember….’

7:30-9:30 p.m.: The concert commemorates Holocaust Remembrance Day, and also honors the 100th anniversary of the founding of the New Haven Chapter of the NAACP.  Musical selections include Daniel Hall’s hauntingly beautiful piece for choir and viola, “Reflections from Yad Vashem”; Verdi’s “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” (Va Pensiero); Leonard Bernstein’s “Somewhere” from West Side Story; American spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan, Sheldon Curry and Thomas Trenney; a musical reflection for trumpet and choir inspired by Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech; and Wilhousky’s famous concert arrangement of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” – Learn more. 

Holocaust Exhibition in Memory of Elie Wiesel

All day: The Holocaust Exhibition showcases books, videos, mementos, and pictures from private collections and Hilton C. Buley Library. – Learn more.

What’s truly in our way of creating the life we desire? Are you ready to experience the freedom that comes with taking ownership of your life?

Evolving Soul presents “An Evening with Infinite Possibilities” with Stacy Mckenna and Anthony Mrocka on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 6:30 pm.

Esteemed Speaker and Executive Coach, Stacy McKenna will open up the evening followed by acclaimed Evidential Medium, Anthony Mrocka, who will talk about healing, bereavement, and connecting with loss.

Proceeds will benefit the Joseph V. Rossi Scholarship Fund. The event will be held in Southern Connecticut State University- Engleman Hall Room – C112.

See the event flyer.

Purchase tickets.

Academic Science and Laboratory Building

Southern’s Academic Science & Laboratory Building has been certified LEED® Gold, placing it among the top one-third most sustainably designed certified buildings in the state.

Designed by Centerbrook Architects & Planners, the nearly 104,000-square-foot building exceeded expectations with its sustainable features. Originally targeted for LEED® Silver, the Academic Science & Laboratory Building scored 63 points on the LEED® scale to earn BD+C (Building Design + Construction) Gold.

“We are grateful to Centerbrook Architects & Planners for their innovative, sustainable design work,” said SCSU President Joe Bertolino. “This is our second LEED® Gold recognition at Southern – the first was awarded for our new home for the School of Business – and adds to our growing reputation as an environmentally friendly campus.”

Southern has been recognized regionally and nationally in recent years for its greening initiatives — including new building design, energy efficiency and student-driven recycling programs.

Designing a sustainable facility that would increase operational efficiency and reduce the SCSU’s long-term energy and water costs was an important goal of the project. This is a challenge for laboratories, which are voracious consumers of energy and water.

What resulted was a building that saves the university 34 percent on its energy consumption and reduces water use by 20 percent.

“Science laboratory buildings present significant challenges from a sustainability standpoint, especially one with 76 fume hoods, as this one had,” said Centerbrook Partner Jefferson B. Riley, FAIA. “Through a holistic sustainable design approach we were able to provide students, faculty and staff with a healthy and uplifting environment in which to learn and work.”

Riley’s design, marshaled by Centerbrook’s project architect Reno Migani, AIA, and project manager Andrew Safran, AIA, captured six out of 10 points in Water Efficiency, including both points available in the Innovative Wastewater Technologies subcategory. This was achieved by the rainwater collection system that reduces the amount of potable water used to irrigate the quad by more than 60 percent.

The project also earned 22 out of a possible 26 tallies in LEED’s Sustainable Sites category. By connecting to Jennings Hall and utilizing existing resources, the new building’s program and footprint was reduced, while promoting connectivity between the science disciplines.

The Academic Science & Laboratory Building is the 18th project designed by Centerbrook to earn LEED certification. An additional six are currently slated for LEED.

“Southern Connecticut State University’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Academic Science & Laboratory Building serves as a prime example of just how much we can accomplish.”

The LEED certification system was established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000. Short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. LEED-certified buildings are found in all 50 states and in more than 164 countries and territories.

http://www.usgbc.org/projects/new-academic-and-laboratory-building

For students who are considering a career in scientific research or who are interested in doing work to help food, farms, forests, or the environment, a new internship program co-sponsored by Southern and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station could be an ideal way to become immersed in field- or laboratory-based research projects and engage in hands-on learning.

The Summer Undergraduate Fellows in Plant Health and Protection program offers 10 undergraduate research internships during summer 2017. During the internships, which will be funded by the USDA, students will participate in research projects focused on plant health and protection, including: plant pathology, analytic chemistry, entomology, microbiology, molecular biology, plant physiology, and forest health.  Weekly enrichment activities will include field trips to learn about research careers in the public and private sector, and workshops to develop scientific leadership and communication skills.

i-MvGxgZC-X3Interns will be provided with free housing, a meal plan, and a stipend. The nine-week program beginning on June 5 will culminate with student presentations at Plant Science Day held on August 2 at the CT Agricultural Experimental Station’s outdoor research facility, “Lockwood Farm”. Students interested in conducting scientific research in areas related to agriculture and crop health are encouraged to apply.

The program is open to undergraduate students from any college or university who: are U.S. citizens or permanent residents; are at least 18 years of age; will have completed two to four semesters toward a biology, chemistry, or related science major by June 2017; are in good academic standing; and can commit to live at SCSU and to work full-time from June 5-August 4, 2017 (not including July 4). Underclassmen and novice researchers (students with no prior paid research experience) are strongly encouraged to apply, as are first-generation and minority college students. The deadline for applications is March 10, 2017.

For more details or to apply, visit www.planthealthfellows.com.

Pina Palma, professor of Italian, has been chosen by the Faculty Scholar Award Committee as the recipient of the 2016 award.

Palma’s application, consisting of her book Savoring Power, Consuming the Times: The Metaphors of Food in Medieval and Renaissance Italian Literature (University of Notre Dame Press), was found to be “outstanding and impressive” by the committee, chaired by William Lunn, associate professor of human performance.

The committee was particularly impressed with the quality of journals that had positively reviewed Palma’s book, as well as the breadth of her work and her candid inclusion of negative reviews to balance positive critiques.

“Moreover, committee members volunteered that your publication was just plain fun to read,” Lunn wrote. “Your chapter on “The Language of Food in Boccaccio’s Decameron” was a particular joy.”

The book, according the the publisher’s website, “is an innovative look at the writings of five important Italian authors—Boccaccio’s Decameron, Pulci’s Morgante, Boiardo’s Innamorato, Ariosto’s Furioso, and Aretino’s Ragionamento. Through the prism of gastronomy, Palma examines these key works in the Western literary canon, bringing into focus how their authors use food and gastronomy as a means to critique the social, political, theological, philosophical, and cultural beliefs that constitute the fabric of the society in which they live.”

Palma earned her Ph.D. at Yale University and is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. She will be honored at the Celebration of Excellence event during the spring semester.

President Joe Bertolino said, “My congratulations to Pina, and the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Her achievement is yet another example of the tradition of excellent scholarship and research established by our faculty.”

Once again, Southern goes for the green!

For the third year in a row, Southern has been named one of the 361 most environmentally responsible colleges by The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com). The education services company known for its test prep and tutoring services, books, and college rankings features the university in the 2016 edition of its free book, The Princeton Review Guide to 361 Green Colleges.

Published October 4, the 160-page guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.

The Princeton Review chose the schools for this seventh annual edition of its “green guide” based on data from the company’s 2015-16 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools’ commitments to the environment and sustainability.

The profiles in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 361 Green Colleges provide information about each school’s admission requirements, cost and financial aid, and student body stats. They also include “Green Facts” about the schools with details on the availability of transportation alternatives at the schools and the percentage of the school food budgets spent on local/organic food.

science-garden

Suzanne Huminski, SCSU sustainability coordinator, says, “The SCSU community should be proud of this rating, because it is a hard-won reflection of the effort by our campus community.” Huminski points to Southern’s long and strong leadership record with energy efficiency, green building design, waste reduction and recycling. The university is also recognized for sustainability in curriculum, research, student involvement, and community outreach, and finding symbioses among all of these elements to strengthen the campus community and surrounding neighborhoods.

Southern’s focus on food security has been an important contributor to these kinds of connections. Huminski explains that student volunteers collect excess food from Conn Hall and campus retail locations and deliver it to soup kitchens and pantries in the New Haven area, primarily St. Ann’s soup kitchen on Arch St., near Southern’s campus.

“This project could never happen without a strong partnership and collaboration with our administration, dining services staff, management, and students,” Huminski says. She credits public health and geography faculty and students with research in the area of food insecurity. In addition, CARE [Community Alliance for Research and Engagement], newly arrived on the SCSU campus, is integrally involved with reducing hunger in New Haven, establishing food security as a priority at New Haven City Hall, and developing a network of non-profits that have streamlined goals and communication. Multiple student organizations organize food drives and donations, and for Southern students experiencing food insecurity, the SCSU Office of Alumni Relations coordinates campus visits from a mobile food pantry.

“There is a great deal of potential to further align and unify these campus-wide efforts, and together we’re working on this,” says Huminski.

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The Princeton Review first published its green guide in 2010. It remains the only free, annually updated downloadable guide to green colleges.

CARE, New Haven

Above, left to right: Yan Searcy, associate dean of the School of Health and Human Services; Sandra Bulmer, dean of the School of Health and Human Services; Alycia Santilli, CARE director; and Jeannette Ickovics, CARE founder

The Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) is partnering with Southern Connecticut State University to enhance its ongoing efforts to improve the health of residents in New Haven’s lowest-income neighborhoods.

Since its founding in 2007 at the Yale School of Public Health, CARE has worked to identify solutions to health challenges such as diabetes, asthma, and heart and lung diseases through community-based research and projects focusing on social, environmental, and behavioral risk factors. During the next three years, CARE will transition from Yale to SCSU’s campus, with SCSU becoming responsible for CARE’s community engagement work. Yale will continue to manage and finance CARE’s research agenda while gradually shifting that work to SCSU.

“This partnership with SCSU represents a powerful next step in the evolution of CARE by engaging with a local state university to drive deeper change into our neighborhoods,” said CARE founder Jeannette Ickovics. “This is an opportunity of mutual benefit:  a way to extend CARE’s work in New Haven, provide continuity and new energy to the work, and provide a platform to launch a center at Southern. “

The new SCSU Center for Community Engagement will help foster student service learning, advance community-engaged scholarship, and benefit CARE’s community partners, said Sandra Bulmer, dean of SCSU’s School of Health and Human Services (HHS). With Alycia Santilli as director, and Ickovics serving in an advisory capacity, CARE is beginning its transition to SCSU this month, Bulmer said.

Southern’s School of Health and Human Services is unique in Connecticut in combining seven disciplines under a single umbrella –  communication disorders, exercise science, marriage and family therapy, nursing, public health, social work, and recreation, tourism, and sport management. As a result, academic opportunities are highly interdisciplinary, while the school’s wide range of internships means that students participate in the community while earning their degrees.

“SCSU’s students and faculty are tremendous assets that will bring CARE expanded opportunities in community-based research, programming, and policy change, leading to further improvement in the health of New Haven residents,” Bulmer said.

During the transitional period, YSPH will remain as the central hub of CARE’s research activities, with a focus on data analysis from its New Haven Public Schools and neighborhood health surveys, said Santilli, who began her employment with SCSU Sept. 23 as a special appointment faculty member in the Department of Public Health.

“The potential of student, faculty, and staff power, combined with the legacy of work initiated over the past decade at the Yale School of Public Health, will be leveraged in a new way that I hope will have a lasting impact for another decade to come,” Santilli said.

“I am excited about the capacity and resources that this expanded partnership can bring to the SCSU campus community and the Greater New Haven area. As I become familiar with SCSU, two things stand out: the drive to best serve students and the commitment to social justice. These are simultaneously familiar and fresh perspectives from which CARE can begin to refine our focus on improving health in the New Haven community.”

Santilli, who has been with CARE since 2007, will spend the coming months transitioning CARE’s operations to Southern’s campus, developing CARE’s new strategic plan, and launching its new community engagement activities. She will split her time between offices at Lang House and Southern on the Green in downtown New Haven.

More information about CARE, including its accomplishments and publications, can be found on the CARE website.

The university is pleased to welcome 22 new tenure-track faculty members to Southern this academic year. Together, they bring a variety of skills and backgrounds to the institution that will serve to enhance not only Southern’s academic offerings but also enrich the campus community.

girard2Alex Girard, assistant professor of art, joins Southern’s faculty after serving as an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. He holds an M.F.A. in graphic design from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. He also has a B.A. in graphic design and painting from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He was previously an associate dean of academic affairs at the Community College of Aurora, Colorado, and is a freelance graphic designer.

 

bakerSarah Wojiski, assistant professor of biology, comes to Southern after more than five years at MCPHS University (formerly known as Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services). She holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. She also has an M.Ed. in secondary education and biology from Boston College, and a B.S. in diagnostic genetic sciences from the University of Connecticut, where she graduated summa cum laude. Her research includes the area of cancer, particularly leukemia.

grimesSara Baker, assistant professor of communication, joins us at Southern following an appointment as a course mentor at Western Governors University in Salt Lake City. She holds a Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She also has an M.A. in communication studies from San Diego State University, and a B.A. in communication studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She was previously an assistant professor of communication studies at Eastern Illinois University. Her research includes the role of gender, sex and sexuality in communication.

Mohammad Tariqul Islam, assistant professor of computer science, comes to Southern after serving as a teaching and research assistant at the University of Kentucky. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Kentucky, where he also holds a master’s degree (en passant) in computer science. He has a B.Sc. in computer science in engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. His research includes geo-facial image analysis.

fureyRachel Furey, assistant professor of English, joins us at Southern after serving as a writing instructor and fiction specialist at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Texas Tech University. She also has an M.F.A. in creative writing from Southern Illinois University, and a B.S. in English from State University of New York, College at Brockport. Her works – both fiction and non-fiction – have appeared in many publications.

 

millerMatthew Miller, assistant professor of the environment, geography and marine sciences, becomes a tenure-track faculty member after serving last year as a visiting assistant professor at Southern. He holds a Ph.D. in biogeography from the University of Georgia, where he also holds an M.S. in biogeography. In addition, he has a B.A. in geography from University of Vermont. He previously had been a visiting assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, and had an earlier stint as a visiting assistant professor at Southern in 2010-11.

smithJason Smith, assistant professor of history, joins Southern after serving for the last two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the U.S. Naval Academy. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Temple University in Philadelphia. He also has a B.A. in history from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He previously had been an adjunct instructor in the social sciences at Howard Community College in Columbia, Md. His research expertise includes U.S. naval science.

 

Vern WilliamsVern Williams, assistant professor of journalism, becomes a tenure-track faculty member after serving two consecutive one-year special appointments at Southern. He holds an M.P.S. in communication from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He also has a B.F.A. in photographic illustration from Rochester Institute of Technology. He previously served as director of multimedia and photography at the New Haven Register.

 

Jennifer Hopper, assistant professor of political science, joins Southern after serving for five years as an assistant professor of political science at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from City University of New York. She also has a B.S. in political science from Hunter College in New York, where she graduated summa cum laude. Among her areas of expertise is media coverage of the presidency.

ramachandarSujini Ramachandar, assistant professor of communication disorders, joins Southern after teaching and conducting research as a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds an M.S. in speech-language pathology from Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y., and a B.S. in accounting from Madras University in Coimbatore, India. She previously served as a speech-language pathologist at the DePaul School for Hearing and Speech.

 

bereiCatherine Berei, assistant professor of exercise science, comes to Southern after serving as a temporary lecturer in physical education teacher education at the University of Idaho. She holds a Ph.D. in sport and exercise science from the University of Northern Colorado. She also has an M.Ed. in health education and a B.S. in physical education from Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H. Among her areas of expertise is comprehensive physical activities in schools.

 

Andrea Adimando, assistant professor of nursing, becomes a tenure-track faculty member following two consecutive one-year special appointments at Southern. She holds a D.N.P. from Chatham University in Pittsburgh. She also has an M.S. in human nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, an M.S.N. from the Yale University School of Nursing and a B.S. in behavioral neuroscience from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn. She previously had served as an A.P.R.N. in child psychiatric emergency services at the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital.

Frances Penny, assistant professor of nursing, comes to Southern after a year as an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Connecticut. She holds an M.S.N. from the University of Connecticut. She also has an M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S.N. from Georgetown University. She previously has worked as a nurse in various hospitals along the East Coast and in California.

contrufoRaymond Contrufo, assistant professor of recreation, tourism, and sport management, joins Southern after two years as an assistant professor of sport management at State University of New York College at Cortland. He holds a Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Connecticut. He also has an M.S. in sport management from California University of Pennsylvania, as well as a B.A. in French from the University of Connecticut and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass. He previously served in sales and marketing positions with minor league baseball programs.

mcginnisKevin McGinniss, assistant professor of recreation, tourism, and sport management, joins Southern after serving as president and CEO of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. He holds an Ed.D. in sport administration/sport and physical education pedagogy from Columbia University Teachers College. He also has a Sixth Year Professional Diploma in educational leadership, an M.S. in physical education/athletics administration and a B.S. in health education from Southern. A former director of alumni affairs at Southern, he returns to his alma mater after 15 years.

Paul LevatinoPaul Levatino, assistant professor of social work, becomes a tenure-track faculty member following a series of special appointments at Southern. He holds an M.F.T. and a B.S. in computer science from Southern. He previously served as program coordinator for Wheeler Clinic’s Multidimensional Family Therapy Program.

 

 

hoffler

Steve Hoffler, assistant professor of social work, becomes a tenure-track faculty member after having taught at Southern for six years. He holds a Ph.D. in social work from Smith College in Northampton, Mass. He also has an M.S.W. and a B.A. in history from the University of Connecticut. In addition, he has served as a consultant with the state Department of Children and Families.

 

 

James Aselta, assistant professor of accounting, joins Southern after retiring from Ernst & Young as a management consultant and audit executive. He holds an M.B.A. and a B.S. in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J. He served as a visiting instructor last year for the University of Hartford, where he taught financial accounting and auditing concepts.

richardsonAnthony Richardson, assistant professor of management/management information systems, becomes a tenure-track faculty member following a pair of one-year special appointments at Southern. He holds an M.S. in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and a B.S. in management information systems from Central Connecticut State University. He has served as a project manager for Hartford Healthcare.

 

Robert Smith, assistant professor of management/management information systems, joins Southern after serving as an adjunct faculty member at Lincoln College of New England, located in Southington. He operates his own law practice and holds a J.D. from Quinnipiac University in Hamden. He also has a B.A. in psychology from Central Connecticut State University.

Natalie Starling, assistant professor of counseling and school psychology, comes to Southern after serving as a psychological and behavioral consultant for EASTCONN Regional Educational Services. She holds a Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Connecticut. She also has a Sixth Year Professional Diploma in school psychology and an M.S. in school psychology from Southern. In addition, she has a B.A. in school psychology from the University of Connecticut. She previously served as a contract school psychologist for the Meriden Public Schools.

bogelGayle Bogel, associate professor of information and library science, becomes a tenure-track faculty member following a one-year special appointment at Southern. She holds a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary information science from the University of North Texas. She also has an M.L.S. from Southern, an M.A. in education from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, and a B.A. from California State University. She previously worked as director of the educational technology program at Fairfield University.

 

 

The Board of Regents for Higher Education has voted to select Dr. Joe Bertolino as the 12th President of Southern Connecticut State University. A Board of Regents search committee recommended Dr. Bertolino among three finalists after a five-month long nationwide search.

“I want to thank everyone who participated in this process, especially the University Advisory Committee for their time and collective input,” said Larry DeNardis, Chair of the Regents Search Committee. “Dr. Bertolino greatly impressed the Committee and I am confident he will be a perfect complement to the great talent we have at Southern.”

Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Mark E. Ojakian agreed:  “Dr. Bertolino’s commitment to students and their access to high quality higher education is very clear. He is going to be a great advocate for Southern and our system.”

”I am both honored and humbled to serve as Southern’s next president,” shared Dr. Bertolino. “While there are certainly many challenges ahead, the institution’s potential far outweighs those challenges.  I look forward to working closely with the Southern team to ensure that we continue to build strong relationships and that our institutional core rests in our mission and in service to our students.”

Dr. Bertolino is currently the President of Lyndon State College in Vermont and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for System Integration and Related Efforts at the Vermont State Colleges. He replaces Dr. Mary Papazian who resigned as of July 1. He will begin August 22, 2016, at an annual salary of $294,700.

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Dr. Bertolino’s Curriculum Vitae can be found here: http://www.ct.edu/files/pdfs/SCSU-Joe-Bertolino.pdf

 

View a photo album from Jahana Hayes’ September 2016 visit to Southern.

The Council of Chief State School Officers today announced that Southern alumna Jahana Hayes, ’05, a history teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Conn., is the 2016 National Teacher of the Year.

Jahana Hayes, '05
Photos courtesy of Waterbury Public Schools

Hayes’ route to teaching began as a student. The first in her family to graduate from college, she was inspired by her teachers who urged her to dream bigger and who believed that she was college material, despite a challenging upbringing. She earned an associate degree from Naugatuck Valley Community College, a bachelor of science from Southern, a master of arts from Saint Joseph University, and a certification from the University of Bridgeport.

A veteran history teacher, Hayes also sees herself as an advisor, counselor, confidant and protector. She endeavors to fill the role her own teachers had in her life, guiding students to be their best selves and encouraging them to take ownership of their communities.

“As a teacher, I strive to facilitate learning in a way that engages students by connecting on a personal level and stimulating academic growth, while simultaneously producing contentious and productive members of society,” she says.

For Hayes, being a teacher is a privilege and an opportunity to transform lives and foster a sense of social responsibility in the next generation. As the 2016 National Teacher of the Year and a spokesperson for the teaching profession, Hayes hopes to motivate more people to become educators and continue to carry out this important work.

“I am honored to be the 2016 National Teacher of the Year,” Hayes says. “In the course of the next year, I hope to stoke a national conversation about education that is inclusive of everyone. I want to engage people who have not traditionally been part of the conversation to join in this important effort to prepare well-rounded students for success in life.”

The National Teacher of the Year program, run by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and presented by Voya Financial, Inc., identifies exceptional teachers in the country, recognizes their effective work in the classroom, engages them in a year of professional learning, amplifies their voices, and empowers them to participate in policy discussions at the state and national levels.

As the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, Hayes will spend a year traveling the nation to represent educators and advocate on behalf of teachers. She looks forward to sharing her belief in the importance of service-learning, and in making the teaching profession more attractive and appealing to young people across all demographics.

Every year, exemplary teachers from each state, the U.S. extra-state territories, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity are selected as State Teachers of the Year. From that group, the National Teacher of the Year is chosen by a panel representing 15 renowned education organizations, which collectively represent more than 7 million educators.

“The Selection Committee selected Jahana Hayes as the 2016 National Teacher of the Year because we believe her message of service-learning resonates in the education discussion today,” the committee stated. “In addition, we believe she has a strong story that speaks to educators and will bring an important perspective to the public discourse over the next year.”

“Teachers like Jahana Hayes are leading the way to a brighter future for America. What an exceptional educator — we are all proud,” says Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. “Extraordinary academic rigor, high expectations, and unwavering commitment to service outside the classroom are the characteristics that Jahana brings to Waterbury students each and every day. She is truly preparing the next generation of global citizens. I want to congratulate Jahana and thank her for making a difference in the lives of so many Connecticut children and families.”

“Jahana Hayes inspires her students to believe in their ability to change the world. She ignites a love of learning and builds their self-confidence. This well-deserved distinction provides Jahana the platform and opportunity to share her gifts, passion, and talent with students and educators across the nation. Without question, Jahana will inspire others to believe in the power of teachers to change the world through education,” says Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell. “Connecticut is so proud of Jahana. She is a true role model for educators across the nation who seek to deliver on the promise of an outstanding education for every student.”

“To be the National Teacher of the Year requires not only pedagogical precision, but also the ability to connect to the hearts and minds of a school community,” says Waterbury Superintendent Kathleen M. Ouellette. “Jahana’s own life experience, her passion for education, and the inspirational manner in which she impacts her students, all contribute greatly to her success. Jahana has masterfully refined a focused, pragmatic, yet heartfelt approach to an evolving global vision of education, bringing her to this pinnacle – the 2016 National Teacher of the Year! We in Waterbury, Connecticut, are very proud!”

Hayes and the other 55 State Teachers of the Year have been invited to an event on Tuesday, May 3, at the White House, where they will be honored by President Barack Obama.

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© 2016 Southern Connecticut State University.