October 30, 2000

Some 100 professors emeriti gathered in the Nutmeg Grille Oct. 24 to enjoy camaraderie with former colleagues and University officials and accept some unsolicited praise.

"You have moved the University forward in a proud and productive way," said Chancellor John D. Petersen. "The University would not be where it is today without your contributions."

Petersen introduced his wife Carol to the group. He said they're happy to be a part of the community and look forward to getting to know more emeriti.

He urged emeriti to stay engaged with the University: "You bring expertise, experience and knowledge to the University and we cannot afford to lose that."

Ed Marth, executive director of the University of Connecticut chapter of the American Association of University Professors, underscored the point. The campus is much more than buildings, he said. "It's a living institution and you helped to make that happen."

The reception was jointly hosted by the AAUP and the Office of the President. "This is the third such event," Marth told the group, adding that President Austin is enthusiastic about keeping the lines of communication.

Karla Fox, associate vice chancellor for University affairs, spoke about the physical changes taking place on campus, including a second parking garage that will also house the University's Co-op; a hotel slated for completion by commencement 2001; and a partnership with the Town of Mansfield for a proposed town center. "The campus is changing dramatically," she said.

Fox thanked emeriti for the core values they brought to the University. "We're still on track, still carrying on," she said. "We're making UConn the greatest public research institution in the country."

For professor emeritus Angelo DiMauro of Winsted, the reception was an opportunity to see former colleagues as well as the changes on the campus.

"I miss the university atmosphere and the students," said DiMauro who spent most of his 32-year faculty career teaching biology at the Torrington campus. He has gone back into the classroom part-time at Northwest Community College, where he's teaching a biology course this semester. En route to the reception, DiMauro stopped off at a store to purchase rolls of colored tinfoil paper for a classroom science experiment the next day.

He still has students very much in mind.