I have to admit that it is really too quiet for me on campus without the bulk of the students. I am counting the days until move-in weekend. For a glimpse of a typical lonely summer day for me, watch the video below.
That said, campus is not entirely empty. Between graduate classes, sports camps and the Horizons program, there are some important things going on. Today, I especially want to welcome a group of students who are here from Costa Rica as part of the continued collaboration between SHU and the Institute of Technology of Costa Rica that began with a mission trip to Costa Rica last spring. The TEC students are here on campus to volunteer in local schools and non-profits while taking advanced English courses through the SHU English Language Institute. The two universities are working hand-in-hand to ensure that students from both countries are civically and intellectually engaged while enjoying an incomparable global experience.
We received exciting news that the School of Nursing has received an HRSA grant in the amount of $341,470 over two years to fund nurse practitioner student education. This is the largest grant award for the School of Nursing since the program began 33 years ago. The grant will provide financial support to eligible graduate students who are enrolled in the master’s in nursing or family nurse practitioner programs. Congratulations to Sue DeNisco, Julie Stewart, Kerry Milner, Virginia Harris and Annette Hird who all played a role in securing this grant.
We are making progress on the construction of the Student Success Building across the street on Park Avenue and, of course, the façade of the academic building on the corner of Park and Jefferson is changing daily. Our campus continues to evolve and change. It’s an exciting time to be part of the SHU community.
The summer issue of the Sacred Heart University magazine is now available online. The summer issue is online only, while the spring and fall issues are printed as well as appearing online. This is another great issue with stories and photos from commencement, wrapping up our 50th anniversary celebration and more. You can check it out here.
Biology professor John Rapaglia is back to serving up hamburgers in Germany. Over the past few summers that he has spent there, he has served burgers at the Kiel Week Festival in Germany, and they have become increasingly popular—something that regular attendees of the festival look forward to. This year, he and his crew sold more than 4,000 burgers in 10 days and worked more than 200 hours. He says he probably could have sold $10,000 if he had the grill space.
The Connecticut Challenge bicycle ride is just a week away, and the SHU team is still looking for participants and volunteers. The team is hoping for about 15 more volunteers to man the SHU rest stop from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at the John Read Middle School on Saturday, July 26. Responsibilities will include setting up and distributing drinks and food, keeping riders motivated and entertained, cleaning up and having a lot of fun. Riders and virtual riders are also welcome, and if you just aren’t going to be around, you can consider sponsoring a member of the team. The team is riding in memory of Chris Cook, late son of Don Cook, former executive director of Athletics here a SHU. Chris passed away after a courageous battle with cancer, but during his two-year fight he was the beneficiary of some of the programs that are supported by the proceeds from this fundraiser. You can sign up here, or contact SHU team captain Tiana Williams.
The last few days have been perfect summer days and more is in the forecast for the weekend. Enjoy!