New Trustees Appointed to Board of Trustees
Four dedicated alumni joined the Board of Trustees in 2019: Eric Estes ’91; John S. Gates Jr. ’76, P’13; Jeffrey B. Hawkins ’92; and Kelli Harrington Tomlinson ’94 (pictured).
Year in Review
Take a look back at 2019–20, including faculty, student, and staff highlights; campuswide events; the conclusion of Women at the Summit, Trinity’s celebration of 50 years of coeducation; academic and athletic achievements; the Trinity community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and much more.
Summer 2019 Highlights
Making the Most of Summer Experiences
Trinity students added new depth to their academic pursuits with a wide variety of internships and other experiences. Rakan F. AlZagha ’22 (pictured) was one student who shared how Bantams benefit from internships across the country. Meanwhile, Wendy Salto ’22 took on an internship with Infosys InStep in Bangalore, India; the Catalyst Summer Internship Fund provided stipends to help students complete unpaid or low-paid internships; and several students and recent graduates deepened their connections to Hartford through the Obama Foundation’s Community Leadership Corps.
New Tenure-Track Faculty Members Join Community
Nine tenure-track faculty members began new appointments at Trinity College on July 1, 2019, bringing an array of academic expertise and research interests to campus.
Liberal Arts and the Future of Tech
Ravi Kumar, President of Infosys, From The liberal arts degree is alive and well — and critically important to the future of tech, on CNBCMy friend Joanne Berger-Sweeney, president of Trinity College, refers to the liberal arts model as a T-model, or ‘breadth with depth.’ Students gain expertise in individual subjects through a breadth of well-honed social skills that allow them to collaborate across disciplines.”
Fall 2019 Highlights
Welcoming the Class of 2023
The members of the Class of 2023 already hold a special significance in the story of Trinity College: these are the students who will graduate in the bicentennial year of the college, which was founded in 1823. The President’s Convocation began the 196th academic year at Trinity and welcomed more than 600 new students.
Getting Involved in Hartford
Trinity’s 21st annual Do-It Day on September 7 saw more than 350 students strengthening connections with local organizations and people in the college’s home city of Hartford. Faculty and staff volunteered at Camp Courant for the first Employee Do-It Day. @trinitycollege on Instagram has more photos from the busy day.
More about engagement in Hartford:
Women at the Summit: Today
The college’s “Women at the Summit” programming celebrating 50 years of coeducation continued in the fall semester by focusing on women at Trinity today. Among the special events, Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney and Cornelia P. Thornburgh ’80, the chair of Trinity’s Board of Trustees, discussed ”Women in Leadership;” the Women & Gender Resource Action Center (WGRAC) hosted a walk through its own “herstory” at Trinity; and former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift ’87 talked about ”Sororities: Then & Now.”
Former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift ’87 See a video of the full conversation hereThe great value of this kind of education are the connections that are available to you.”
Discussing Diversity, Access, and Education
Trinity hosted a talk by author Anthony Jack (pictured), who highlighted the differences between access and inclusion in higher education. Later in the semester, the campus welcomed Paul Tough, the author of The Years that Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us, for a conversation about the ways higher education in America can both help and hinder young people in search of better opportunities. Tough included Trinity in his book, which was excerpted in The New York Times Magazine. Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney detailed the college’s commitment to equity and inclusion in an op-ed for the Hartford Courant, “How Trinity College is creating an inclusive future.”
New Podcast Recording Studios Open
Two new podcast studios debuted last fall at Trinity’s Raether Library and Information Technology Center. These Story Labs enable faculty, staff, and students to record and edit their own podcasts, audio stories, and other media on professional equipment.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy Visits Trinity
Murphy, who wrote a book on the history of violence in the United States, discussed the role he has played in the gun reform movement and answered questions on the issue of gun violence in America today.
Bants Flock to Campus for Homecoming
Trinity welcomed hundreds of alumni and families to campus for Homecoming Weekend festivities. To start off the weekend, the college honored 11 former Trinity athletes and coaches in the first Trinity College Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Alumnae Spotlight: ‘American Girl’ Talk
As the creators and hosts of the American Girls podcast, Trinity College alumnae Allison Horrocks ’09 and Mary Mahoney ’09 have found a way to tie together their childhood passion and their professions as historians. Read a Q&A with the alumnae here and see a video of their visit to the American Girl Store in New York City below.
Trinity in the News
Greatest College Admission Influencers of the Year
Forbes contributor Brennan Barnard reported that Angel Pérez, then Trinity’s vice president for enrollment and student success, emerged at the top of a list of the greatest influencers in admission in 2019. Dean of Admissions Adrienne Amador Oddi also made that list.
‘Squash on the Rise’
An ABC News video about the squash world championships being played in the U.S. for the first time featured an interview with Paul Assaiante, who coaches both Team USA and Trinity men’s squash.
Academics Spotlight: Engineering Life in Space
Engineering majors Maria Boucher ’20 and Katherine Bullock ’20 worked on a space suit system that will help keep astronauts alive in space. UTC Collins Aerospace hosted the summer internship and senior design project for the students, who were mentored by Trinity Engineering Department faculty.
More about academic experiences:
Winter 2020 Highlights
Study Finds Trinity College Among Best Liberal Arts Schools for ROI
Hartford Business Journal reported on a recent study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce that ranked Trinity No. 10 among U.S. liberal arts colleges in terms of its return on investment (ROI), or the amount of money graduates earn after leaving school.
Trinity Announces Launch of Grad Certificate in Urban Planning for Fall 2020
The program will be offered through the master’s program in public policy, in partnership with the Urban Studies Program. Trinity is the first institution in Connecticut to provide an urban planning program, even at the certificate level.
Faculty in the News
Film Based on Trinity Professor’s Book Makes Television Debut
The documentary film Who Will Write Our History, based on the book by Samuel D. Kassow ’66, Charles H. Northam Professor of History, made its television debut on January 26, 2020, on the Discovery Channel. Kassow said that the film chronicles “one of the most heroic stories of the Holocaust.”
Political Science Professor Offers Timely Perspectives
John R. Reitemeyer Professor of Political Science Kevin McMahon, who was featured in a winter 2019 profile in The Trinity Reporter, spoke with NBC Connecticut’s “Face the Facts” about gun legislation as it relates to ongoing political campaigns and the current Supreme Court.
Trinity Named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students and U.S. Scholars
According to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Trinity was among 19 colleges and universities in the country to be named a Top Producer for both the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar programs for 2019–20. Anne Lundberg, director of fellowships at Trinity, offered advice in U.S. News & World Report on “How to Win a Fulbright Scholarship.”
Celebrating Cinestudio at 50
Founded by Trinity students in 1970, the independent movie palace Cinestudio celebrated 50 years on campus. Co-founders James Hanley ’72, H’20 and Peter McMorris ’73, H’20 hosted special events and were featured in Connecticut Magazine, The Hartford Courant, and on Connecticut Public Radio.
Athletics Spotlight
Hartford HealthCare Connecticut Courage Award
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in association with Hartford HealthCare, selected Trinity men’s cross country and track and field captain Ace McAlister ’20 as a recipient of the Hartford HealthCare Connecticut Courage Award.
The Legacy That Can’t Be Squashed
Trinity College may be a small liberal arts college in New England, but it has a towering reputation in the world of squash. This winter, both the women’s and men’s squash teams won their 14th consecutive NESCAC championships. See a video about the urban squash program Capitol Squash below:
Spring 2020 Highlights
Trinity Innovation Center Opens in Downtown Hartford
The 13,000-square-foot Trinity Innovation Center in downtown Hartford opened early in the spring semester as a space for boundary-crossing collaborations and creativity. The new center—located on the third floor of One Constitution Plaza, directly across the plaza from Trinity’s Liberal Arts Action Lab at 10 Constitution Plaza—houses Trinity’s partnership with Infosys; Digital Health CT, an accelerator led by Startupbootcamp; and new innovation and entrepreneurship programming for students.
More about innovations in the liberal arts:
TrinVotes! Initiative Encourages Trinity Community to Register and Vote
Led by a group of Trinity College students, staff, and faculty members, the new TrinVotes! initiative is designed to increase the college’s voter registration and election participation, especially among first-time voters. Trinity recently received a silver seal for excellence in student voter engagement.
Meet Jerry Hansen ’51: ‘Mr. Trinity Himself’
Gerald J. “Jerry” Hansen Jr. ’51, P’78, ’84, ’88, GP’12, ’16, ’20 is famous among Bantams for his passionate commitment to Trinity. Admirers describe his devotion as an administrator and consultant for 30-plus years and his ongoing zeal for making connections with and among members of the Trinity community.
Promotions and Tenure for Faculty Members
The Trinity College Board of Trustees voted in April to approve the promotions to the position of associate professor with tenure of Ethan Rutherford, in English, and Per Sebastian Skardal, in mathematics. Previously, at its February meeting, the board approved the promotion to the position of associate professor with tenure of Reo Matsuzaki, in political science.
Trinity in the News
NBC Connecticut interviewed President Joanne Berger-Sweeney about how Trinity is working to create more opportunities for diverse students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and increasing the diversity of the student body at Trinity.- An article in The Hartford Courant in the spring highlighted Trinity’s involvement with the American Talent Initiative, a Bloomberg Philanthropies-supported alliance of colleges and universities that aims to enroll 50,000 more low- to middle-income students by 2025.
- Among those included on the Hartford Business Journal’s “Power 50” list are Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney and two Trinity alumni who are currently among the most prominent players in Connecticut’s state government: House Minority Leader Themis Klarides ’87 and Paul Mounds ’07, the chief of staff to Gov. Ned Lamont.
Women at the Summit: ‘50 for the Next 50’
While Trinity concluded its ‘Women at the Summit’ initiative celebrating 50 years of coeducation this spring, the women who were named as “50 for the Next 50” demonstrate that the future of coeducation at Trinity is bright and beaming with talent. Members of the Trinity community—including students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees—gathered at Hartford’s Society Room to recognize 50 exemplary women who will have a lasting impact on the next 50 years of Trinity.
Antiracism Actions and Resources
Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney, from her letter to the Trinity community, A Message of Hope and a Call to Act. In addition to the formation of a Task Force on Campus Climate, the college shared an Antiracism Reading List, among other learning resources.We are passionately challenging systems of oppression that have allowed systemic racism to endure despite the bold promises on which this country was founded. These same systems have endured at institutions across the country and here at Trinity. So how will we take action? We are being handed an opportunity to create the community we wish to be...”
Responding to COVID-19
The entire semester changed in the middle of March, when the college quickly made the unprecedented transition to remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trinity’s Information Services (IS) division helped bring courses from the classroom to Zoom; provided equipment, software, and support to faculty, students, and staff; and ensured that the business of the college could continue to operate remotely. Read an oral history of this extraordinary time, and explore some of the Trinity community’s COVID stories in the menus below.
Our COVID-19 Stories
Trinity Students Supporting Each Other with Rides, Rooms, Funding, and Other Resources
Trinity Alumni and Parents Step Up with Generous Support for Students
Successful Giving Week Powered by Trinity Community’s Support for Students
‘Global Health’ Course Helps Students Understand Complexities of COVID-19 Pandemic
Trinity Public Policy Courses Studying ‘Real-Life Civics Lesson’ of COVID-19 Response
Online Exhibition Celebrates Work of Studio Arts Senior Thesis Students
Athletics Spotlight
Matt Koperniak ’20 Signs Pro Contract with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals
Trinity baseball tri-captain Matt Koperniak ’20 signed a free agent contract with the MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals. Koperniak is the first Bantam to sign an MLB contract since James Wood ’10 was drafted in the 47th round of the MLB draft and signed with the Seattle Mariners. Koperniak was a two-time All-NESCAC honoree who led the Bantams to a 30-9 overall record and the NCAA Division III Regional Finals in 2019.
Peace Kabari ’20 Nominated by NESCAC for 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year
Peace Kabari ’20, a women’s basketball captain and All-American thrower in track and field for the Bantams, was selected by the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) as one of just two conference nominees for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. In addition, Kabari, men’s co-captain Ace McAlister ’20, Robert Allen ’22, and Travis Martin ’23 were each named as United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III All-Americans for the 2019-20 indoor track and field season.
Students Receive Fulbright Grants
Marlén Miranda ’20 (pictured), a double-major in political science and human rights, was awarded a U.S. Student Fulbright Binational Internship Grant in Mexico City. The grant supports internships in Mexican and multinational companies through the Binational Internship Program for U.S. students. Anthony Davis ’20, a public policy and law major, was awarded a U.S. Student Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant for Malaysia. Davis is scheduled to begin the program in January 2021.
More achievements by the Class of 2020:
Celebrating the Class of 2020
The Trinity College community celebrated the graduates of the Class of 2020 through two online events. With their Commencement ceremony postponed until spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of this year’s graduating class were honored with a virtual Baccalaureate program and “A Tribute to the Graduating Students of the Class of 2020” video, both of which they could view remotely with their families from anywhere around the world. The college announced Alexandra Sinson of Wisconsin and Tarek Abdallah of Germany as valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2020, respectively.
Summer 2020 Highlights
The Virtual Long Walk
Trinity’s new Virtual Long Walk has kept the college’s connections strong all summer by offering virtual events, stories about Trinity alumni and families, and resources and activities for the community.
Bantam Check-Ins featured alumni making a difference in their communities, working hard in the new realities of the times, and staying connected to their Trinity networks.
In one of many virtual events, panels, and presentations, Matthew Prince ’96, CEO and co-founder of Cloudflare, spoke with Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney about “The Intersection of Technology and Privacy.” Another of the most popular panels was “Hospitality Disrupted: Dining Out Post-COVID,” with David Chang ’99 and Danny Meyer ’80, P’20.
Dream Camp Meal Delivery
10,000+
Number of dinners that Dream Camp delivered to the doorsteps of local families this summer. The popular Trinity-based camp traditionally hosts children from the Hartford area on campus, but the pandemic brought about remote programming instead, along with care package deliveries and online culinary skills videos.
Virtual Summer Music Series
This year’s Summer Music Series was broadcast via YouTube, beginning with a carillon recital concert by college carillonneur Ellen Dickinson at the Trinity College Chapel.
Enrolling the Class of 2024
Amid the unprecedented context of a global pandemic, Trinity enrolled 610 exceptional students in the Class of 2024. The students hail from near and far, and from all backgrounds. The class is notable equally for its academic strength and achievements and for its diversity of perspectives.
Generous Community Invests in Student Success
Trinity alumni, family, and friends stepped up to support students, faculty, and the college as a whole during an especially difficult year. Generous gifts contributed to the Student Emergency and Equity Fund, enabled Trinity to meet financial aid needs of students, and made the college’s first Giving Week a success.
‘The Future of Education’ Webinar
Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney participated in “The Future of Education,” a web-based discussion hosted by global technology company Infosys, the college’s partner on the Trinity-Infosys Applied Learning Initiative.
A Reunion Message
Reunion Weekend 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Until a new date for the celebration is determined, Cornie Thornburgh ’80, chair of the Trinity College Board of Trustees, offered this message on the occasion of her 40th Reunion:
“We can look forward to the day when we return to the Long Walk as a celebration of our resilient community and the steadfast spirit all of us share… Trinity will always welcome us back and walking along that long cobblestone path will always feel like home.”
“We will see you soon!”
