ALUMNI AFFAIRS OFFICE NEWSLETTER Fall 2009 Volume 1, Issue 5 Inside this issue: Alumni Update UVI’s New President - Dr. David Hall 1 Alumni Honorees 2 Buttolph’s ‘05 Peace Corp Memoir 2 Alumni Organic Farmers 3 A Message From The President It is my distinct honor and pleasure to greet each of you! I embrace this opportunity to reach out to you through this Alumni Update News- letter. I had the privilege of speaking to some of you one-on-one when I partici- pated in the 2009 Annual Phonathon sponsored by Institutional Advancement. As one of our most precious resources, I look forward to future opportunities where we can work collaboratively to enhance the develop- ment of UVI and transform this special institution into a great university. Dr. David Hall President www.uvi.edu On the same day that new students were being formally oriented into their new school life, the UVI community was being formally introduced to its new President—Dr. David Hall. The University’s Board of Trustees ap- proved a five-year contract for Dr. Hall beginning Aug. 1, 2009. Dr. Hall is the fifth president of the University and will succeed Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster, who has served as UVI president since 2002. A former professor of law at North- eastern University School of Law, Dr. Hall has had a career as an adminis- trator in the law school and the univer- sity. He was appointed provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Northeastern University in July of 1998 and served in that capac- ity until July 2002. Dr. Hall held the positions of associ- ate dean of Academic Affairs and later dean of Northeastern’s law school. He had previously been a tenured profes- sor at the law schools of the University of Mississippi and the University of Oklahoma, and is recognized as a preeminent scholar in the field of law. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Dr. Hall holds both a doctorate of juridical science and LL.M. degree from Har- vard Law School, a J.D. and M.A. from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. from Kansas State University. “He is eminently qualified for the position,” Board Chair Alexander Moorhead said. “He has a deep interest in the Univer- sity and we look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship.” In a meeting with staff on the St. Thomas campus, Dr. Hall said he wants to be the president of UVI be- cause the institution has values that are the same as his. He said he em- braces the University’s first value – “Students First.” In a December 1995 Wall Street Journal article on the Northeastern School of Law, Harvard Law Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. referred to Dr. Hall as “one of the most important leaders in legal education today.” The presidential search was con- ducted by a 15-member Search Com- mittee appointed by the UVI Board of Trustees. Dr. Hall is married to Marilyn Braithwaite-Hall, and is the father of three children: Rahsaan, Sakile and Kiamsha. Board of Trustees Selects Dr. Hall as New UVI President “Dr. Hall is eminently qualified for the position.” - UVI Board Chair Alexander Moorhead Pictured are Dr. Hall center, (left to right) wife Marilyn Braithwaite-Hall, and daughters Sakile and Kiamsha. On the evenings of August 24th through 27th, more than 40 volunteers, including new UVI President Dr. David Hall, participated in the Annual Alumni Phonathon. The event was held in the Eastern Caribbean Center’s (ECC) call center located on the St. Thomas campus. The phonathon, a primary alumni fundraiser for UVI, brought staff, faculty, alumni and students together for four nights to place hundreds of telephone calls to many of UVI’s 6,000 alumni living through- out the Caribbean and abroad. One objective of the Alumni Phonathon is to increase funding for scholarships to assist academically gifted students, as well as to assist students who experience financial hardships. The Phonathon goal was to raise $25,000 in pledges; however, the event has raised more than $32,000 to date. Although the average Phonathon gift is $75, alumni are always encour- aged to pledge any amount that they desire. “In 2008-2009, alumni contributions were significant in helping the Univer- sity provide more than $150,000 in scholarships to deserving students,” said Linda I. Smith, UVI’s Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs. In January 2010, the Alumni Affairs Office will unveil its Alumni donor list on the UVI website. “I invite all alumni who do not give to UVI at this time, to partner with the University, fellow alumni and myself to become donors,” said Smith. To make a contribution, contact the Office of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs at (340) 692-4023 or email lsmith@uvi.edu. (Left to right), Trustee Deanna Rogers (‘87,) Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs Linda I. Smith (‘98, ‘03) and UVI Data Spe- cialist Peggy Fahie (‘96). Photo by G. Metz. Annual Alumni Phonathon helps to Provide Scholarships UVI’s Annual Giving Fund sup- ports the ongoing and unforeseen needs of the Institution. Each year Annual Giving funds are used to fortify programs of central impor- tance to our students. You can make a difference. Be- come a member of the Annual Giv- ing Fund today! Select a member- ship level that reflects your support for the University. Send Tax-Deductible Contributions to: Office of Institutional Advancement #2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802-9990 Tel: 340-693-1040 Fax: 340-693-1045 Annual Giving Circles UVI Partners - $10,000 or more Paiewonsky Circle - $5,000-$9,999 Founder’s Circle - $1,000-$4,999 Trustees’ Circle - $500-$999 President’s Circle - $200-$499 In March 2009 the St. Thomas/St. John Chapter of the UVI Alumni Association honored the first class of nurs- ing graduates from the University (then College) of the Virgin Islands with a Charter Day Gala entitled “Celebrating 40 Years of Nursing Education at CVI/UVI,” at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort on St. Thomas. Amongst the 1968 honorees were Celestine Belsijet, Jean Davis- Phaire, Mariga Fleming, Almira B. Smith, Norma Williams (deceased), Una George, Ivy B. Williams and Ophelia Powell-Torres. The honorees, humbled by their awards, accepted flowers, gifts and words of gratitude and love from family, friends, the UVI Alumni Association and col- leagues. In August 2009, the St. Thomas/St. John Chapter held its seventh Annual Alumni Recognition Award Breakfast at the Administration and Conference Center (ACC) on the St. Thomas campus. The Chapter honored alumni Donnie Dorsett (’00), Dr. Henry H. Smith (’76), Jean Forde (’85), Winston Smith (’90) and Terence Thomas (’88) for their work and contributions to the University and the Virgin Islands community. This year the Alumni Association was fortunate to have its 2009 Scholarship recipient, incoming freshman Aniqua Donadelle, present at the event. “Every year the Alumni Association tries to show ac- complishments of UVI graduates through the annual breakfast and now, through the Charter Day event,” said Chapter President Jacqueline Sprauve. “Both events are important because all proceeds go toward the Chapter’s scholarship fund for incoming freshman.” As part of the fall 2009 Freshman Orientation, the St. Croix campus hosted its first “UVI Alumni Giveback.” Col. Caroline Adams (‘88,’96,’99), Campbell Barnes(‘04), Sen. Louis Patrick Hill (‘00), Lydia Logie Moolenaar (‘91), Gary Moore (‘96), Carmelo Rivera (‘71), Sen. Sammuel Sanes (’09) and Wendy Wheeler (‘01, ‘03, ‘05) all shared their school, life and work experiences with incoming freshmen. A highlight of the event was Rivera’s presenta- tion, which fea- tured a collection of photographs of Shirley Chisholm and Thurgood Marshall’s histori- cal visits to UVI in the 1960s and 1970s. Alumni Update Page 2 Alumni Update is pub- lished by the UVI Alumni Affairs Office to provide news and information pertinent to the UVI family. Dr. David Hall President Henry H. Smith, Ph.D. ’76 Interim VP for Institutional Advancement Deanna E. Rogers ‘87 Alumni Trustee Linda I. Smith ‘98, ‘03 Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs Nanyamka Farrelly ‘99,‘06 Gary Metz Michelle Smitherman Jasmine Buttolph ‘05 Contributors www.uvi.edu 340-693-1040 Jasmine Buttolph (left), with shop owner Hamed (right), learns to play the drum at a nomad festival in the Sahara. -by Jasmine Buttolph ‘05 Jasmine Buttolph ’05 spent two years as a Peace Corps volun- teer in Morocco. Here she remi- nisces about her time living and working abroad. So...what was it like? Upon hearing that I spent two years in Morocco working as Peace Corps Health Volunteer, this question is invariably asked. It is a tough question to an- swer. How can one effectively sum- marize two years, especially in an unfamiliar country with unfamiliar cultural norms and languages? I was born and raised on St. Croix and I always wanted to join the Peace Corps. I heard stories from returned Peace Corps volunteers, and knew I wanted to travel the world and make some sort of difference too. The Peace Corps is an amazing organization with a simple mission and goals and a huge impact. The Peace Corp’s mission has three goals: • Helping the people in interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women. • Helping promote better under- standing of Americans on the part of the people served. • Helping promote a better under- standing of other people on the part of Americans. I served for two years in Morocco as a health education volun- teer. Morocco is located in North - West Africa, just south of Spain. I lived alone in a small Berber village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains where the Sahara begins. I learned a lot about Morocco and its rich and vibrant culture (dances, food, dress, lan- guages, customs). The Berbers are the indigenous North Africans. I speak Berber, French, and some Arabic. I studied French at UVI and used that training to communi- cate in Morocco. After three months of training, I received my site assignment for my two-year adventure. I lived with a family for two months who taught me about my town as well as what is polite and what is Hashuma (shameful). I have a new respect for people in for- eign countries trying to learn the lan- guage; it’s hard. I wish I could share a million anec- dotes about my time in Morocco. The experience was more rewarding than I can even begin to explain. I made many close friends and was able to organize meaningful health projects. I will begin my graduate studies in Global Public Health in September 2009 at Columbia University in New York City. Buttolph ‘05 - Shares her Peace Corps Experience Alumni Chapters Recognizes UVI Alumni The world is a book and those who do not travel, read only one page. -St. Augustine Alumni Recognition Award Breakfast honorees (left to right) Donnie Dorsett, Jean Forde, Terence Thomas, Winston Smith and Dr. Henry H. Smith. Alumni Update Page 3 Alumni Affairs Office Visit us on St. Croix UVI Great House Room 105 #2 Estate Golden Grove Kingshill, St. Croix 00850 Mailing address St. Croix Campus RR#1 Box 10,000 St. Croix, VI 00850-9781 Visit us on St. Thomas Faculty West #7 #2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802 Mailing address St. Thomas Campus #2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802 Who’s Who Among UVI Alumni • Dr. Sidney Rabsatt, ‘67 - is a Lemelson-Massachusetts Insti- tute of Technology (MIT) inven- tion grant recipient. Rabsatt was one of 35 finalist selected to spend a week at MIT exploring the invention process and the role of inventors. • Hadessah Lake, ‘09 - travels to Korea in October with the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Language Institute in South Korea as an English and Relig- ion teacher for one year. • Dr. Derick Hendricks ‘93 - received his Ph.D. in May 2009 in History from Morgan State University where he teaches Introduction to the Diaspora. • Jose Penn ‘80 - of the Penn’s Corporation (real estate and car rentals) won the 2009 Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) Small Business Advo- cate of the Year Award. • Keith James ‘98 - aka “The Cake Man,” won first place at the 2009 AgriFest for his plain cake and for his guavaberry tart. Over the years, James has won 11 Agrifest Awards for his Black Cake - seven for first place and four for second place. In early 2009, alumni Robin Mallor and Greg Kruszewski, both 1975 graduates of the University (then College) of the of the Virgin Islands’ Nursing Program, took a trip down memory lane and visited their former professors and fellow students on the St. Thomas cam- pus. During their visit to the Alumni Affairs Office, Robin and Greg shared the history of their days on campus, as well as what they’ve been doing since graduating in 1975. Living in Michigan and married for 36 years, both Greg and Robin were very impressed with the new de- velopments on campus. “When we attended CVI, there was no Reichhold Center for the Arts, the Sports and Fitness Center was a Navy hanger, and the new confer- ence and administration center was the cafeteria and bookstore,” said Greg. “Walking into the old Harvey Center and seeing the portraits of Dr. Lawrence Wanlass and Dr. Arthur Richards, brought back memories of what life was like when they were presidents of CVI,” contin- ued Robin. The couple caught up with a few classmates, former nursing instructors Drs. Maxine Nunez and Judith Gry- bowski, as well as a visit to the home of another former instructor, 86-year-old Professor Emeriti Ilva Benjamin. Both licensed nurses, Robin and Greg have always been concerned with eating healthy and growing their own food. Having used their entire yard, as well as neighboring lots to cultivate food, in 1993 the couple decided to leave Detroit and establish Three Roods Farm (3RF), a 23-acre family farm. “We decided to go into farming because we believe that personal health is best maintained by eating fresh vegetables and fruits; that a healthy society is best en- couraged by a cooperative relationship between the producer and consumer; and that organic farming can help restore the earth to health,” said Greg. Three Roods Farm caters to the community and pro- motes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA); a model developed in the early 1960s in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan, as a response to concerns about food safety and the urbanization of agricultural land. To help manage the farm, Greg and Robin work closely with volunteers from the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), an international movement that uses volun- teerism as a means to help people share more sustain- able ways of living. “Anyone over 18 years old can volun- teer. Most of our volunteers are in college, some be- tween degrees and they live right on the farm anywhere from five days to five or six months,” said Robin. In search of a more safe and effective approach to medicine, Greg was led to study homeopathy at Nehru Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital in New Delhi, India, where he earned his D.H.M.S. in 1982. He works three days a week at his practice in Romeo, Michi- gan. Robin works as a li- censed nurse three days a week at the Lapeer Regional Medical Center in Lapeer, Michigan. She has practiced Yoga since 1969 and re- ceived her teaching certifica- tion in 2001. The couple has four children and six grand- children. Greg credits the nursing education he re- ceived at UVI for his holistic approach to life. “I feel the nursing education I received from the faculty at UVI was holistic in nature. This allowed me to move to holistic medicine and now holistic farming,” he said. You can read more about Greg, Robin and 3RF at http://webpages.charter.net/rmallor. To update your alumni information, complete the UVI Alumni Update form at www.formdesk.com/UVI /alumni. We would love to hear what you have been doing since graduation. “I feel the nursing education I received from the faculty at UVI was holistic in nature. This allowed me to move to holistic medicine and now holistic farming,” -Greg Kruszewski ‘75 Robin Mallor and Greg Kruszewski at their 1975 graduation from CVI. (left to right) Greg Kruszewki, Dr. Maxine Nunez and Robin Mallor in front of the UVI’s Nursing Edu- cation building on the St. Thomas campus in 2009. Organic Farmers - Alumni Mallor ‘75 and Kruszewki ‘75 Who’s Who Among UVI Alumni continued • Dr. Jahn N. O’Neill ’99 - received her doctor- ate in Physiology from Howard University and is currently completing her doctoral training at Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Department of Oto- laryngology in Baltimore, Md. • Karen Bowry ‘98 - owner of The Mail Hub, received the 2009 SBDC Nascent Business of the Year Award. • Dr. Paul Flemming ‘99 - received his Ph.D. in Organization Management from Capella Uni- versity in August 2009. Dr. Flemming is the Director of Applications at the Economic De- velopment Authority and an adjunct professor at UVI. University of the Virgin Islands Alumni Affairs Office #2 John Brewer’s Bay Charlotte Amalie, VI 00802-0990 www.uvi.edu UVI Alumni Association Membership Application (Please Print Clearly) Name: □Mr. □Miss □Ms. □Mrs. □Dr. Gender: □Male □Female Email Address: Mailing Address: City State Zip Code Contact Numbers: Home Work Cell phone I, hereby register as a member of the University of the Virgin Islands Alumni Association’s Chapter (listed at www.uvi.edu/pub-relations/alumni/chapters.html) and pay the: □Annual membership dues of $35.00 or □Lifetime membership dues of $250.00 (one time only) SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US!! Please share information about your achievements with us or update your alumni record. Send details to the alumni affairs representative via: fax 340-693-1045 or email alumni@uvi.edu Become a member of a UVI Alumni Chapter in your area. Complete the membership application and mail to the Alumni Affairs Office. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - “The Office of Institutional Advancement - Celebrates 35 Years of Development”