November 12, 2001

The need for the new Zachs Community Room at the School of Social Work is so great that the room was finished Wednesday afternoon, dedicated Wednesday night, and host to its first social work conference on Friday.

A gift of Judith M. Zachs and Henry M. Zachs, the room will be available both to UConn and to the local community.

"There existed a significant unmet need at the West Hartford campus for a gathering center for faculty, students, and the community," says Judy Zachs, who received a master's degree in social work in 1977. "There was also a need to reach out to the community at large to offer this type of resource. I am pleased to have been able to help the University and the community by providing this new focal point at the campus."

The room, located in the former computer center in the School of Social Work building, can be used for seminars of up to 200 people, and for receptions, meetings, and other activities. It includes a screen and other media equipment, coat rooms, a storage area for tables when they are not in use, renovated bathrooms, and a catering kitchen.

During the quiet phase of Campaign UConn, Zachs made a commitment to underwrite the cost of creating the Zachs Community Room to lend a stronger, more unified identity to the school. Her commitment also helped facilitate construction of the new computer center on the campus.

The center is a 7,500-square-foot brick building that includes offices, a high-tech classroom, a seminar room, and three rooms for computer users which cost $2 million. Five new offices for faculty and staff were constructed by the School of Social Work. The projects were designed by David Barkin of Barkin/Andrade of New Haven, and constructed by Enfield Builders.

The community room is not the first time the Zachs have supported the University. They also established the Henry M. and Judith M. Zachs Endowed Chair for Doctoral Studies in Social Work, the first doctoral program for the School of Social Work, and the only one at a public university school of social work in New England. They established a program to promote Judaic studies within the School of Social Work, have supported a number of other UConn initiatives, and are lifetime members of the UConn Foundation's Founders Society.

"The community room is a wonderful new resource for the University, and particularly the School of Social Work," said President Philip E. Austin. "The entire community is indeed fortunate to have such generous and committed friends as Judy and Henry Zachs."

A dedicated volunteer, Judy is on the campaign steering committee and co-chairs the School of Social Work development committee with Howard Dickstein '71. She was a member of the Foundation Board for six years.

For information about reserving the room, contact Johanna Parks at the School of Social Work: (860) 570-9144.

Val Merriman