College of Arts and Sciences Awards

As office coordinator for two of the college’s most complex laboratory science departments, Mary plays a vital role in ensuring daily operations run smoothly. Known for her organization, efficiency, and deep institutional knowledge, she supports faculty, students, and leadership while fostering a collegial and collaborative environment.

Colleagues credit Mary’s professionalism and guidance as instrumental during leadership transitions in the Biology Department, where her experience and patience helped new department chairs navigate administrative and financial responsibilities. Her ability to anticipate needs, manage budgets strategically, and adapt quickly to changing circumstances has made her an indispensable resource across departments.

Mary oversees a wide range of administrative and financial processes, from managing large departmental budgets to coordinating complex research purchases and laboratory operations that support faculty and student research in areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. Her attention to detail and careful tracking of expenses ensure that funding sources remain accurate and aligned throughout the fiscal year.

Despite the demanding nature of her role, Mary is widely appreciated for her humor, collaborative spirit, and willingness to help others solve problems. Colleagues describe her as someone who consistently keeps the broader needs of the University community in mind while maintaining a positive and professional approach.

Through her dedication, reliability, and commitment to excellence, Mary Dowst exemplifies the spirit of the Barbara Cooke Staff Appreciation Award and the collaborative values that strengthen the University community every day.

Since joining the University of Hartford in fall 2023 during a period of significant administrative transition, Smith Kidkarndee quickly became a steady and innovative presence within the program. Stepping into a complex role at a pivotal time, they introduced stronger organizational systems and processes that continue to support both students and faculty while strengthening the program’s overall operations.

A major focus of Smith’s work is overseeing the practicum program, which includes maintaining partnerships with more than 150 training sites across the Northeast and guiding students through doctoral-level clinical placements. Through thoughtful planning and improved systems, Smith has streamlined documentation and placement processes, helping students successfully navigate this critical stage of their training.

Smith also revitalized Supervisor’s Day, reconnecting students and clinical supervisors through an event that has grown so significantly it now requires a larger venue. In addition, they serve as a key liaison between training sites and legal counsel, ensuring strong and sustainable partnerships.

Known for their open-door approach and genuine care for others, Smith is widely appreciated by students and colleagues alike for their warmth, problem-solving mindset, and willingness to help. Their service extends beyond campus as a board member of the Connecticut Psychological Association.

Through their leadership and commitment to student success, Smith Kidkarndee exemplifies the spirit of the Staff Appreciation Award and the values of the College of Arts and Sciences.

In 2025, Benjamin Grossberg received a prestigious Lambda Literary Award for his novel The Spring before Obergefell (University of Nebraska Press, 2024). The Lambda Literary Awards are the nation’s premier recognition for books by LGBTQ+ writers, and this marks Grossberg’s second Lambda win—an uncommon distinction. The novel, set in the months leading up to the 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, weaves an intimate love story with a pivotal moment in American history, underscoring the human impact of marriage equality.

That same year, Benjamin’s chapbook-length poetry collection, Detail from an Illustration of Paradise, won the Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize, selected by acclaimed poet Ellen Bass, a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. The collection explores the work of love through the stewardship of apple trees.

In addition, his fifth full-length poetry collection, When You Read a Novel the Dead Would Like, was accepted for publication by Cavankerry Press, a respected independent literary publisher. The collection reflects on mortality and the experience of losing one’s parents. Both poetry books are slated for release in fall 2026.

Taken together, these accomplishments represent a period of sustained and exceptional creative productivity. Alongside his national recognition as a writer, Benjamin continues to serve as a dedicated full-time faculty member, earning ratings of “exceeded expectations” in teaching, service, and professional development.

The Outstanding Faculty Award celebrates not only Benjamin’s remarkable literary achievements, but also his ongoing contributions to the intellectual and creative life of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Throughout his years at the University, Bryan Sinche has taken on some of the most vital and demanding roles on campus. In just the past two years, he has co-led the university-wide redesign of the general education curriculum, served on the Faculty Senate, represented faculty on the Board of Regents, directed the Africana Studies program, and continued his long-standing leadership as chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages.

During the 2024–25 academic year, Bryan was selected by Provost Katherine Black to co-lead a University-wide committee charged with reimagining general education. Bringing together 16 faculty members with differing perspectives, he guided a thoughtful, data-informed, and collaborative process that included multiple proposal drafts, campus-wide feedback, and extensive consultation with university leadership. The result was a comprehensive framework that earned overwhelming faculty support—approved in May 2025 by 89 percent of faculty across all colleges.

He continued this work in 2025–26, overseeing the complex implementation of the redesigned curriculum. Working alongside co-chair Zee Onuf, Bryan managed more than 100 course conversions and helped develop interdisciplinary tracks, review new general education courses, and select faculty grant recipients. Colleagues describe him as organized, transparent, flexible, and tireless in addressing unforeseen challenges.

In 2025–26, Bryan was unanimously elected vice chair of the Faculty Senate, meeting regularly with senior University leaders to provide faculty insight on budgeting, enrollment, curriculum proposals, and shared governance. He also served as one of two faculty representatives on the Board of Regents, contributing to major institutional conversations and advocating for clarity, equity, and transparency in faculty processes.

Since 2023, Sinche has served as director of Africana Studies, expanding the program’s steering committee, strengthening recruitment, overseeing course scheduling and assessment, and advising students pursuing the minor. At the same time, he has continued as chair of English and Modern Languages—a role he has held since 2016—where he recently led a full curriculum redesign, introducing new internship and professional writing courses and reimagining the department’s capstone experience.

Despite these significant service commitments, Sinche remains an extraordinary teacher. He consistently earns outstanding student evaluations and is widely praised for his mentorship and care. As English Secondary Education senior Crystal Clarke shares, “Professor Sinche leaves a lasting impression. He genuinely cares—and that makes all the difference.”

In addition to serving as a licensed social worker at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, Dr. Ebony wright Campbell works part-time in private practice as a psychotherapist, providing therapy to adults with a thoughtful, grounded approach rooted in both clinical skill and lived experience.

Dr. Campbell has built a successful and deeply meaningful career working with high school students, shaped by both resilience and purpose. As a sophomore in college, she experienced the profound loss of her mother in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. While devastating, this loss did not deter her from fulfilling her personal goal of earning a college degree. She would also be fulfilling her mother's dream by earning her degree.

She began her higher education journey at the University of Hartford’s Hillyer College before transitioning to the College of Arts and Sciences, where she earned a Bachelor’s in Sociology in 2004. She went on to receive her master’s in social work from Hunter College in 2006, and completed her Doctorate in Social Work at Capella University in 2017. Dr. Campbell is affiliated with the New York State School Social Workers Association and was honored in 2014 with the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from Hillyer College.

It was during her time at the University of Hartford that Dr. Campbell solidified her passion for working with young people. A calling that ultimately led her into the field of social work. Today, she blends experience, empathy, and high expectations to support students and adults alike.

Outside of her professional work, Dr. Campbell volunteers with Peer Forward, assisting high school students through the college application process. She is also the point person for the University of Hartford BIPOC Alumni Network, helping to connect alums of color together and give back to students at the university. She enjoys traveling internationally with friends, many of whom are fellow University of Hartford alumni. She also believes that good food, shared laughter, and meaningful connection are essential parts of a well-lived life. Her next adventures include a summer secret trip with Hartford alums, another to Portugal, and lastly Barcelona.

David W. Salzman ’04 is an alumnus of UHart’s College of Arts and Sciences. Following graduation, he earned a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Connecticut, where he made early contributions to the emerging field of microRNA biology. Driven by an interest in precision medicine, he completed postdoctoral training at the Yale School of Medicine, applying microRNAs to identify biomarkers predictive of patient response and toxicity to radiation and immuno-oncology therapies.

These discoveries were later translated into the ProsTOX and PrevIOTox diagnostic tests during his tenure as Head of Radiogenomics at MiraDx. He later served as a scientist at Biogen, where he helped guide the translational strategy for QALSODY, an FDA-approved medicine for the treatment of ALS.

In 2018, David founded Gatehouse Bio, a technology company focused on leveraging microRNAs for precision diagnostics and therapeutics. As CEO, he leads programs spanning immunology, cardiovascular, and neurological disease, and his work has contributed to peer-reviewed research and collaborations with academic medical centers and global biopharmaceutical partners.

He credits the University of Hartford with fostering the interdisciplinary mindset that continues to guide his work.

2025 Honorees

• Kristine A. Kennen, PsyD, Associate Director, GIPP PsyD Program
• Cindy Oppenheimer, Office Coordinator, Department of History, Department of Politics, Economics, and International Studies, and Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
• Jennifer Petro, PsyD, Director, GIPP PsyD Program

2024 Honorees

• Pam Masi, Executive Assistant, Dean's Office 

• Karen Shepardson, Office Coordinator, Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Physics

• Gwendolyn Williams, Laboratory Supervisor, Chemistry

2023 Honorees

• Nicole Mazzarella, Director of Collegiate Admission

• Jean M. Roberts, Chemistry Lab Supervisor

• Emily Scott, Manager of Student Services & Evaluation

2022 Honorees

• Sean Congdon, Laboratory Supervisor, Department of Biology

• Zachary Haines, Media Laboratory Supervisor, School of Communication

• Karen Schermerhorn, Academic Support Specialist, School of Communication

2021 Honorees

• Mary Dowst, Office Coordinator, Departments of Biology and Chemistry

• Nancy Dudek, Office Coordinator, Department of English and Modern Languages

• Donna Galin, Office Coordinator, Departments of Computing Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics (Currently Office Coordinator in the Department of English and Modern Languages)

• Susan Gottlieb, Office Coordinator, School of Communication and Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies

• Sharmon Kennedy, Office Coordinator, Department of Psychology

• Cindy Oppenheimer, Office Coordinator, Departments of History and Philosophy; Politics, Economics, and International Studies; and Sociology and Criminal Justice

2020 Honorees

• Shelley Fischer, Office Coordinator, Department of Mathematics (Currently Office Coordinator, Department of Education, College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions)

• Pamela Masi, Office Coordinator, Department of History (Currently Executive Assistant, Dean's Office)

2025 Honorees

• Kelly McGeever, PhD, Associate Dean of Student Academic Services and Associate Professor and Criminal Justice Program Director
• Natalie Politikos, PhD, Professor of Psychology

2024 Honorees

• Laura Enzor, PhD, Associate Professor, Biology

• Jack Powell, PhD, Professor, Psychology

• Julie Sochacki, JD, Clinical/Applied Associate Professor, Department of English and Modern Languages

2023 Honorees

• Sheikh Rabiul Islam, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Computing Sciences

• Margaret Tarampi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology

 2022 Honorees

• Susan Grantham, PhD, Professor of Communication

• Aime Levesque, PhD, Associate Professor and Biology Dept. Chair

• Hashini Mohottala, PhD, Associate Professor of Physics

2021 Honorees

• Robert Decker, PhD, Professor of Mathematics

• Kelly Weber, PhD, Associate Director, Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology, Clinical Teaching Associate Professor of Psychology

2020 Honorees

• Bin Zhu, PhD, Associate Professor, Biology; Director, Environmental Studies Minor

• Lynne Kelly, PhD, Professor, School of Communication

• Nicholas Ealy, PhD, Professor, Department of English and Modern Languages 

2025 Honorees

• Alexandra Arroyo '13, Assistant State's Attorney, Hartford State's Attorney's Office
• Lillian Kreppel '86, Executive Director, Co-Founder and Cancer Thriver at HPV Cancers Alliance
• Dr. Ira B. Schwartz ’73, Head, Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Section, Naval Research Laboratory

2024 Honorees

• Emma Asante M'06, VP of Community Relations, NBCUniversal Washington, D.C.
• Charles "Chaz" Davis '16, Director of Youth Services, Colorado Center for the Blind

2023 Honorees

• Lisa Schwartz Lobel ’89, Co-Owner, Boston Casting
• Aïda Alassane N'Diaye-Riddick '92, Founder, Empower Us 

2022 Honorees

• Thomas Carroll ‘79, Founder and CEO, Brand Equity Ventures
• Tangie McDougald ’11, CEO and Founder, Community Matters, LLC
• Pedro Segarra ’81, Workers’ Compensation Commissioner

2021 Honorees

• Robert Ellis ’72, Vice President, Director of Marketing, The Wyatt Company (Retired)
• Latoya Nichole Hampton ’03, Mitigation Specialist, Federal Community Defender Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

2020 Honorees

• Marcy Campbell ‘82, Vice President, Global Professional Services, Digital & In-store Commerce, SME Sales PayPal, Inc.
• James C. Rovella ’80, M’82, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection