Salute to Retiring Faculty
The close of the academic year is a bittersweet time as we say farewell to our students who graduate — and another group of important members of the Trinity community are also departing, alas! Five members of Trinity’s remarkable faculty are retiring this year — their individual and collective service to Trinity has been outstanding in every way, and we will miss each of them very much. Please join me in saluting and thanking our retiring colleagues:
Dr. Susan Farnsworth, Professor of History
Across the last 40 years, since she began teaching at Trinity in 1979, Dr. Susan Farnsworth has been a stalwart colleague not only for the History Department but for faculty throughout Trinity. She has taught generations of Trinity students about the Age of Dictators and 19th Century Victorian England, Vietnam and the Upheavals of War. She rendered heroic service as a long-serving member of the Committee on Rank and Tenure, chair of History and also chair of International Affairs, an active member of Phi Beta Kappa and faculty leader on many special assignments. She also had an active presence among her peers beyond Trinity as a regular participant in the North American Conference on British Studies, participant in planning the Jane Austen Society of North America annual meeting, and engaged in research on the political and social interactions between Darwinian scientists and the Liberal political establishment in Victorian England. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Farnsworth for the countless ways in which she guided students through the wonders of liberal learning, and helped colleagues to become effective teachers and scholars. As she starts her retirement, Susan goes with all best wishes of the Trinity community, and much gratitude for her legacy in the lives and work of students and colleagues she has influenced.
THANK YOU, DR. FARNSWORTH!!
Dr. Roxana Moayedi, Professor of Sociology
Joining Trinity’s faculty in 1989, from the start Dr. Roxana Moayedi brought a level of energy and vision to Sociology and many related disciplines. Deeply committed to principles of social justice, Dr. Moayedi insisted that her students engage in deep experiential learning in service programs designed to expose students to real world problems of inequality, the impact of race, gender and social class on human society. A champion for women’s development, Dr. Moayedi led the Sociology Program’s broad focus on women’s economic status and advancement globally. Dr. Moayedi partnered with the Washington Area Women’s Foundation on a portrait of the status of women and girls in the Washington region, and she published extensive materials on service learning and social justice education. Thank you, Dr. Moayedi, for your many contributions to Trinity and our students!
Dr. Mary Lynn Rampolla ’76, Associate Professor of History
In her letter applying for a History position at Trinity in 1994, Dr. Mary Lynn Rampolla, a member of the Class of 1976, wrote, “It was at Trinity that I decided what I wanted to be an, more importantly, who I wanted to be. What I learned at Trinity will always be part of me. I would welcome the opportunity to be part of Trinity.” Fulfilling her fondest wish, Dr. Rampolla has been an invaluable part of Trinity for the last 25 years, teaching and mentoring successive generations of Trinity students in the delights of history, particularly in her favorite courses like Travelers’ Tales; the History of Food; Kings, Commoners and Constitutions; and Sex, Scandal and Civil War: Tudor and Stuart England. After graduating summa cum laude from Trinity with majors in English and History, Mary Lynn went on to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. A medieval scholar, she then joined the faculty of Colgate University before stopping out to raise her family. She returned to academia at Trinity where she garnered praise from faculty colleagues across all disciplines. Tenured in 2001, Dr. Rampolla has given her time generously a member of the Curriculum Committee, Honors Program coordinator, Fulbright advisor, Rank & Tenure committee, writing program, chair of History, advisor to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta. As she moves into the next phase of her remarkable life’s journey, Dr. Rampolla goes with the great gratitude of her students, colleagues and Trinity alumnae across the generations.
Thank you, Mary Lynn, and may the strength, wisdom and love of the Trinity be with you!
Mr. V. R. Nemani, Associate Professor of Business Administration
Since 1991, Mr. Nemani has helped several generations of Trinity students to understand the complexities and importance of finance and accounting and principles of business administration. Mr. Nemani tirelessly shared his talent with students in both the College of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Professional Studies. He established Trinity’s Accounting Program and contributed to the development of the M.B.A.
Thank you, V.R., for your years of devotion to our students in Business!
The Honorable Barbara Bailey Kennelly ’58, Distinguished Professor of Political Science
Barbara Bailey Kennelly, Trinity Class of 1958, has been one of the true Trinity pioneers in public life. She was Trinity’s very first member of Congress, starting in 1982 as the Congresswoman representing Connecticut’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. While in the House, Mrs. Kennelly rose through the leadership ranks as Chief Majority Whip and a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. She was also elected to the position of Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, which made her the highest ranking woman in Congress at that time. She was only the third woman in history to serve on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, and the first woman to serve on the House Intelligence Committee. She paved the way for the later accomplishments of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ’62. After serving in Congress, Barbara was appointed to the position of Counselor to the Commissioner at the Social Security Administration. She served on the Policy Committee for the 2005 White House Conference on Aging and was appointed to the Social Security Advisory Board by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in 2006 and reappointed in 2012. Mrs. Kennelly then completed nine years as President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, an organization representing almost 4 million seniors and their advocates. She joined Trinity’s faculty as Distinguished Professor of Political Science in 2011, and for the last eight years students have reaped the many benefits of her insightful, experienced teaching and wonderful special presentations on the issues of our political life today. Mrs. Kennelly holds an honorary degree from Trinity, among many other awards. As she retires from teaching, she goes with Trinity’s deep gratitude, and because she is a loyal and loving alumna, we know that this is not farewell but simply a thanks and congratulations for taking another step in a long and distinguished career. Thank you, Barbara Kennelly!
Dr. Deborah Haskins, Associate Professor of Counseling and Program Director
Dr. Deborah Haskins joined Trinity’s faculty in 2011 as a teacher and also program director for the graduate Counseling Program, and from that moment she began preparing Trinity for an important step forward for our program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: achievement of CACREP accreditation for the program. CACREP (Commission on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs) is essential for programs whose graduates want to work in locations that require CACREP approval, such as the VA and other governmental locations, and this accreditation is the gold standard for Counseling programs. After years of hard work and dedication to all the details, Dr. Haskins successfully led Trinity to achieve CACREP accreditation in Fall 2018. In addition to this achievement, Dr. Haskins is a recognized leader in counseling and treatment of problem gambling, and her service and leadership in the field has received numerous awards. Thank you, Dr. Haskins, for your many achievements for Trinity!
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