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NEWS:

Dr. Imo Aisiku '92 Tells Grads to Work
Hard and Achieve Anything at 136th
WSU Commencement


WSU Celebrates Success of Founder and
Chair at 36th Annual Pinning Ceremony


Seniors Honored at Annual
Athletics Awards Banquet

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NOTEWORTHY:

Stephen A. Morreale (Criminal Justice) has been invited to participate in the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Researcher's Roundtable. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPPS), the focus of the group is to support the work of EOPSS and the Special Commission to Study the Criminal Justice System.

In attendance at the initial meeting were representatives from law enforcement, corrections, courts, colleges and universities. Participants include Boston Police, Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Parole, Department of Youth Services, Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Northeastern University, Suffolk University, UMass Lowell, Boston University, Roger Williams University and Salem State University. Meetings will be held regularly throughout the year.



Christie Nigro (Visual and Performing Arts) was chosen to serve as an adjudicator at the 2012 Music Worcester Young Artists Competition, held on May 2. Awards were given to some of the best young performers in Massachusetts, ranging in age from 13-18, playing works on piano, violin, clarinet. flute, trombone and viola.



More than 2,500 Armenian Australians honored the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and demanded justice for the Armenian nation during a series of events held across Australia as part of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Week.

The National Armenian Genocide Commemoration observed at the Willoughby Concourse Concert Hall on Tuesday, April 24 saw a record turnout of more than 1,000 community members who were joined by a multitude of state and federal MPs from across the political spectrum, as well as descendant of survivors of the Greek and Assyrian Genocides.

Keynote speaker Henry Theriault (Philosophy) delivered a powerful speech on the ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide for the present day Republic of Armenia as well as the Armenian Diaspora. Theriault advocated the importance of reparations, including land reparations to the Armenian nation, as a long-term and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.

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AROUND CAMPUS:

Chmielecki Honored at the State House

250 people gathered at the State House Thursday, May 10 for the 2nd
annual 29 Who Shine awards honoring 29 outstanding graduates of Massachusetts' 29 public college and university campuses.

Worcester State University's Abigail Chmielecki of North Andover was honored at the event and attended with her family, President Barry M. Maloney, Dr. Charles Cullum, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, Dr. Sibyl Brownle, vice president of Student Affairs and Dr. Lisa Boehm, interim dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Governor Deval Patrick presented the awards to students; UMass Boston Chancellor Keith Motley, Salem State University President Pat Meservey and North Shore Community College President Wayne Burton announced the awards for their respective segments of the public higher education system. The program also included brief remarks by Education Secretary Paul Reville, Chairman of the Board of Higher Education Charles Desmond, Commissioner of Higher Education Richard Freeland, and UMass Lowell Class of '11 alum Mike Mizzoni, who won a 29 Who Shine award last year and spoke on behalf to public higher education alumni.

Attendees at the event included the co-chairs of the Legislature's Higher Education Committee, Representative Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland) and Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury.) Also attending the event was Representative Sean Garballey (D-Medford), co-chair of the Public Higher Education Caucus, and more than two dozen members of the Legislature who presented citations to student honorees from their districts.

Chmielecki, a member of the Commonwealth Honors Program at WSU, is a history major with a minor in Spanish and has a GPA of 3.68. She has served as a member of the WSU Board of Trustees for two terms, which included service on the Presidential Search Committee and participation in State House Day. In addition, Chmielecki was a member of the WSU Student Senate for two years. Her volunteer activities included working in a soup kitchen, organizing care package drives for troops overseas, and collecting shoes for "Soles 4 Souls."

"Abby's story reminds us all of the power of education to transform lives," said Governor Deval Patrick. "Investing in them is exactly how we invent a brighter future for Massachusetts." Photo credit: Eric Haynes/Governor's Office


CJ Honor Society Inducts 12 New Members
Dr. Stephen Morreale, Department of Criminal Justice

On April 22, the Worcester State University Lambda Rho chapter of the Alpha Sigma Phi National Criminal Justice Honor Society held its 2012 induction ceremony in the Seven Hill Lounge at Wasylean Hall. Alpha Sigma Phi recognizes students who earn a grade point average of 3.3 or higher at the university. This year's inductees were recognized for their attention to scholarship and dedication to WSU.

Dr. Stephen A. Morreale, chapter advisor, and Dr. Robert Brooks, chair of the Criminal Justice Department, welcomed the inductees, parents and friends. Dr. Lisa Boehm, interim dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, spoke to the students.

The following students were inducted at this year's event: Spencer O'Dwyer, Shayna Monroe, Ashley Latini, Joshua Demers. Philip Mullin, Sarah Martino, Elizabeth Raymond, Michael Ragno, Nathan Cathline, Adriana Robles, Daniel Williams and Gina Tambolleo.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, inductees were asked to speak about the importance of their education at WSU and what it meant to be accepted into the Honor Society. Several parents spoke with pride and about the ceremony and how motivated and articulate the honorees were.


WSU Director of Admissions Retires

Director of Admissions Beth Axelson will retire on May 16 after over 40 years with Worcester State. A surprise retirement reception was held in her honor on May 2 to celebrate her years of contribution and dedication to the WSU community. The WSU family wishes Beth a long and satisfying retirement!! Pictured with Beth are (l-r) Ben McElroy, assistant director of Admissions, Don Vescio, vice president of Enrollment Management and, Chris Dooley, assistant director of Admissions.


Multicultural Achievement Celebrated

On Thursday May 10, Worcester State University's Multicultural Affairs Alumni Council and Alumni Association hosted a reception celebrating the legacy of multicultural achievement at WSU. Students, alumni and faculty were honored and Soul Movement provided music for the evening.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Summer Sports Camps
Baseball - 9-3 p.m., July 23-27, ages 8-13 with Wednesday overnight in dorms and night-time Lowell Spinners game; cafe meals, $275 with game, $350 with game and overnight. For information contact Coach Dirk Baker at dbaker1@worcester.edu or call 508-929-8852.  

Girls Basketball - 9-3 p.m., July 16-20, ages 7-16, $190. For information contact Coach Karen Tessmer at ktessmer@worcester.edu or call 508-929-8769.

Men's Basketball - June 25-30. For more information contact Coach Dave Lindberg at dlindberg@worcester.edu or call 508-929-8593.



Social Justice Summer Academy
Discount for Children of WSU Employees
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Equal Opportunity is excited to announce the opening of the Middle School Social Justice Academy for summer 2012. The purpose of the Social Justice Academy is to introduce students to topics regarding identity, equality, access, and equity. The 2012 SJA will provide participants with a diverse curriculum and a variety of age appropriate labs, activities and team-building exercises. The goals of the academy are to educate and engage students; establish friendships; and explore opportunities and careers in related fields.

The Middle School SJA is a weeklong education experience held from June 25-29. The program will run from 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily on the campus of Worcester State University. Lunch will be provided daily in the campus dining hall. The Middle School SJA program cost is $200 and includes instruction, lunch, and a program T-shirt.

Children of Worcester State University employees will be awarded a $50.00 reduction. If you would like more information, please contact the Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Equal Opportunity at Worcester State University by calling 508-929-8117 or email diversity@worcester.edu. Application materials can be found at www.worcester.edu/diversity.

Local Farmer's Market
From mid-June until the end of October, Worcester Farmer's Markets holds markets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., at 306 Chandler in the Beaver Brook parking lot; Thursday at Salem Covenant Church, 215 East Mountain St., from 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Come shake the hand of the farmers who grow your food! For more information or to reserve a table, call Andrew O'Keefe, 508-753-7761.

Author Institute
The 2012 Author Institute will take place from June 25-29 and will feature notable and award-winning authors who present to graduate students and teachers from across New England. It takes place over a one-week period and features a different children's author each day. The presenters/authors work diligently to present not only their literature, but also a variety of genre's and literacy elements, ways to motivate and develop student interest in literature and authoring and formalizes teacher based activities and creativity for classroom use and interest in writing by both teachers and students. For more about the 2012 Author Institute, click here.

Singapore Math Summer Institutes
The Mathematics Department will once again host two Singapore Math Summer Institutes at WSU. The first institute, Numbers and Operations, will take place June 25-28. The primary goal of this institute is to deepen your understanding of the math you teach, regardless of whether you plan to use the Singapore books as your primary texts. Strengthening your understanding will help you to be more effective as a teacher. This institute will provide a supportive, yet challenging environment for professionals working together. The second institute, Where Content Meets Pedagogy, will take place July 25-27. For more information on both institutes, click here.

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TRANSITIONS:

Welcome to Anisa Hoxha,
Staff Assistant/Financial Analyst, Administration & Finance

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WSU IN THE NEWS:

Worcester State grads hear tales of inspiration
Telegram & Gazette
Rounds of applause rippled through the stadium seating of the DCU Center as a line of cap-and-gown clad graduates filed into their seats at the 136th commencement for Worcester State University yesterday. The class of 2012 waited patiently, only to emerge hours later, tassels turned and diplomas in hand.


83-year-old Robin Road Man Awarded Masters Degree
Westborough Patch
Friends, family and neighbors turned out to congratulate 83-year-old Bill Carr, who was awarded his masters degree in military history from Worcester State University.


African fashion in focus in Fitchburg
Telegram & Gazette
For the fashion show, Rose Ackam, proprietor of Chic d'Afrique, has included students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester State University and Clark University modeling a wide-range African fashion designs...


Six NoBo region students honored as part of the Massachusetts 29 Who Shine
NoBoMagazine.com
Abigail Chmielecki, a member of the Commonwealth Honors Program at Worcester State University, has been accepted at Suffolk Law School for fall...


Jim Polito Show, WTAG
WTAG.com
Morning talk show host Jim Polito talks with Keith Darrow (Communication Sciences and Disorders) and Linda Larrivee, interim dean, School of Education, Health and Natural Sciences, about hearing loss and the Speech-Language-Hearing Center.

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