Mitchell College senior and women’s basketball point guard Le’Sandra Turner was recently selected to attend the NCAA DIII Student Immersion Program in Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 19-22, 2022. The program takes place annually in conjunction with the NCAA Convention.

 Through the program, talented ethnic minority students with a strong interest in a career in Division III athletics, either in coaching or administration, receive full funding to attend the convention and participate in programming to gain an understanding of Division III, its members and its governance process. Student-athletes will also receive DiSC training related to workplace performance, including teamwork, communication and productivity.

 Matt Finlayson, Mitchell College director of athletics, said, “When I saw this opportunity come across my email from the NCAA, I knew one of our Mariners had to participate. I put out a call to coaches for nominations, and women’s basketball coach Courtney Burns recommended Le’Sandra Turner right away. Given Le’Sandra’s future career goals and her recent completion of a coaching internship here, this experience is the ideal next step for her.”

Burns said, “Le’Sandra immediately came to my mind as someone who would take advantage of this opportunity and learn all she can from it. We are very excited for her and look forward to hearing about her experience when she returns from the program.”

Reflecting on the opportunity, Turner, who is studying sports management, said, “Ever since I was a kid I knew I wanted to be a basketball coach, either men’s or women’s, and once my playing career is over, I’m certain I will jump into the coaching side of the game. However, I am very interested in exploring the sports administration side as well. Through the student immersion program, I’m looking forward to networking and meeting new people. I think it is so valuable to learn from other people’s stories and experiences with the profession.”

In this podcast, Dr. Tracy Y. Espy discusses the very unique value proposition at Mitchell College and what makes Mitchell’s education so distinctive. She talks about how college and the community go hand-in-hand, and why finding ways to help rebuild the community is an important and critical piece of running a successful institution. In addition, Dr. Espy talks about how empathy is the antecedent to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more or listen online at https://www.edupexperience.com/TracyEspy/.

NEW LONDON, CT – September 16, 2021– Mitchell College announced three new full-time faculty members for the Academic Year 2021-2022 in the areas of education, science and business. Dr. Christopher Clouet is an assistant professor of education; Dr. Lindsay Rush is an assistant professor of science; and Dr. James Patsalides is a visiting professor of marketing, a one-year appointment.

Clouet will teach educational psychology and early childhood education, including on the topic of parent and family involvement. Superintendent of New London Public Schools from 2004 to 2009, he most recently served as a special advisor to the commissioner of education for the Connecticut State Department of Education. Prior to that, for nearly 20 years he led several other school districts as superintendent, including Shelton, Conn., Westchester, N.Y., and Thomaston, Conn. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern Connecticut State University, a master’s degree in corporate and political communication from Fairfield University, a master’s degree in international studies from Brown University, and a Doctor of Education in educational administration from Columbia University.

Rush will teach broadly within the sciences including biology, genetics, chemistry, and research compliance. She has taught at several other institutions including at Quinnipiac University as a visiting assistant professor and at the University of New Haven. Her research focus is cancer genetics using the fruit fly Drosophila and zebrafish model systems and previous research has included undergraduate students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Franklin and Marshall College and a Master and Doctor of Philosophy in genetics from Yale University.

Patsalides will teach management, focusing on how to use a combination of data analytics and human interaction to help managers make better decisions. He brings more than 20 years of management experience and more than 10 years of teaching experience in higher education, including eight years as associate professor at Albertus Magnus College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology and mathematics from Canterbury Christ Church University, a master’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Art in teaching from Sacred Heart University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in education from Prescott College.

Dr. Elizabeth Beaulieu, vice president for academic affairs, said, “The addition of these three outstanding educators will contribute to robust learning experiences for Mitchell undergraduates and to our overall goal of academic excellence.”

Dr. Tracy Espy, Mitchell College president, said, “Growing our full-time faculty is a priority of Mitchell College. We welcome the unique perspectives of our newest faculty members as we work to enhance our curriculum with an eye towards innovation and collaboration.”