The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Area students noted for accomplishments
Chase Collegiate School
WATERBURY — In less than 36 hours, Chase Middle School and Upper School students brainstormed, conceptualized, built and delivered Shark Tank-style presentations of problem-solving mechanisms and fun, creative, do-it-yourself games that were appropriate for all ages recently.
Chase’s biannual Innovation Days are a twoday period where students are prompted to work together on a challenge and put 21st-century skills into practice: collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking.
Chase students, including Stephen Palluotto, 2019, of Middletown, incorporate these skills on a daily basis, which helps prepare them for a world that values right-brain thinkers and creative problem-solving.
Boston University
BOSTON — Boston University awarded academic degrees to 1,797 students in September. Among the graduates were area students: Jonathan W. Levine of Durham, who received a bachelor of arts in philosophy, Thomas R. Mcneff of Cromwell, who received a bachelor of arts in biology, and Lily A. Hontz of Old Saybrook, who received a bachelor of arts in anthropology.
Eastern Connecticut State University
WILLIMANTIC — Eastern Connecticut State University’s Wind Ensemble recently presented a concert in the Concert Hall of the Fine Arts Instructional Center.
One of the performers was Connor Moran, 2018, of Westbrook. Moran, who played tenor saxophone in the concert, majors in secondary education certification and mMathematics.
Conducted by Kelly Watkins, the ensemble presented a collection of pieces by Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Philip Sousa, Ronald Lo Presti and Gustav Holst.
The Wind Ensemble is open by audition only and is designed to provide students with a student-centric instrumental playing experience. The small ensemble performs music from the wind ensemble and chamber winds repertoire as well as more contemporary works.
In other news, the theatre program at ECSU recently presented the holiday classic “Little Women.” The play took place in the DelMonte Bernstein Studio Theatre, with a special emphasis on being “sensory-friendly” for audience members with spectrum disorders.
Among the participants were: Ashlyn O’Boyle, 2021, of Killingworth, who played the role of Aunt March. O’Boyle majors in English. Sean O’Rourke ‘19 of Cromwell, who served on the set construction crew. O’Rourke majors in finance.
Also, a cast of ECSU students, alumni, faculty and staff recently performed in “Amahl and the Night Visitors” to celebrate the holiday season. Composed by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1951, the opera tells the story of the Magi from the point of view of a young disabled boy named Amahl and his widowed mother.
Among the cast was Annie Lion-Lee, 2018, of Old Saybrook. Lion-Lee majors in music.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
WORCESTER, Massachusetts — Melanie Dworak of Cromwell, a member of the class of 2019 majoring in computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research project in Panama City, Panama.
The project was titled Implementing Environmental Indexing and Monitoring at UTP. In their project summary, the students wrote, “Our team developed a sustainability reporting plan for UTP that allows comparison to other universities and provides clear steps for improvement on campus.”
At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university’s 40-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world.
University of Vermont
BURLINGTON, Vermont — Alice Ochterski, a Latin major from Middlefield, has been inducted into the University of Vermont chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. Membership is a rare honor, and academics and employers recognize it as a mark of intellectual breadth and exceptional academic performance.
UVM’s chapter was chartered in 1848, making it the eleventh chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a rich history in its own right, being the first chapter in the nation to elect women and African Americans to membership.