NEW LONDON, CT –August 13, 2021– Mitchell College recently welcomed Dr. Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) Beaulieu as vice president of academic affairs. She will oversee all academic areas of the college, including Thames at Mitchell, the Bentsen Learning Center and the Mystic Program. Beaulieu most recently served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Haven. Prior to that she was founding dean of the Core Division at Champlain College in Vermont, where she served for 11 years, and director of Women’s Studies at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She has consulted on many areas of higher education, including general education reform and integrative teaching, learning and collaboration. Her research focuses on contemporary African American women writers. She holds a doctorate in 20th-century British and American literature from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, master’s degrees in literature from the University of York, England, and Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree from Providence College. Dr. Tracy Y. Espy, Mitchell College president, said, “We are so happy to welcome Dr. Beaulieu to Mitchell College. The breadth of her experience in interdisciplinary collaboration and new program development aligns perfectly with our innovative education model. Her leadership of Mitchell’s broad-reaching division of academic affairs will be invaluable as we build cross-disciplinary collaborations in our core curriculum and dynamic new concentrations of study.” Beaulieu said, “It is important to me to serve an institution committed to academic excellence, innovative pedagogy and robust student engagement. Mitchell College has a solid foundation in all three, and I look forward to finding ways to collaborate, innovate and inspire.”

Auditions for Fall Performing Arts at Mitchell College will be held September 2-17, 2021.

Registration for audition times is now open to all incoming and returning Mitchell College and Thames at Mitchell students! Register at mitchell.edu/audition now for:

• Select Chorus audition (new members)
•  Fall Theatre audition (new members)
•  Dance/Cheer audition (all must audition each semester)
•  Fall Instrumental Ensembles audition (all must audition each semester)

Interested in ensembles/music performance? Be sure to bring your instrument to campus!

Register at mitchell.edu/audition.

For more information about Mitchell College Performing Arts, visit mitchell.edu/performing-arts.

 

 

 

Mitchell College invites all incoming and returning Mitchell College and Thames at Mitchell students and parents to join us for a Fall 2021 Webinar during which Mitchell College faculty and staff will help students envision life on campus this semester! Together, we will guide students and families through the fall semester experience and answer questions you may have.

The Fall 2021 Webinar will take place on Monday, August 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (EDT); registrants will receive the webinar meeting link with their completed registration. Space is limited and registration closes August 10, 2021.

**Each student and family member planning to attend should complete their own registration**

The event will be recorded to be accessed later by anyone who can’t attend.

Within the registration, you will have an opportunity to ask questions you would like to have answered during the event.

 

 

 

NEW LONDON, CT – July 26, 2021– Mitchell College recently welcomed Dr. Hilton Kelly as ACE Fellow for the 2021-2022 academic year. The ACE (American Council on Education) Fellows Program pairs higher education emerging leaders with host institutions to enhance the knowledge and skills of the placed leaders and provide fresh perspectives and expertise to the host institutions. Kelly will be working directly with Dr. Tracy Y. Espy, Mitchell College president, during this full-year fellowship experience on various projects and initiatives. More than 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the program since 1965, with 50 different institutions part of this year’s class.

Kelly is Professor of Educational Studies and Africana Studies and Chair of the Educational Studies Department at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology and M.S. in labor studies from University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a B.A. in history from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Areas of expertise include sociology of education, the Age of Jim Crow, the lives, work, and careers of African-American educators, and social memory studies. He is the author of the book Race, Remembering, and Jim Crow’s Teachers.

Espy said, “We are honored to have Dr. Kelly here at Mitchell College for this fellowship, and look forward to collaborating on numerous projects, focusing on strategy, culture and policy, and to the amazing contributions he will make to the academic enterprise. The ACE Fellows Program is a wonderful opportunity to build community among higher education institutions, sharing best practices and helping further develop talented leaders.”

Kelly said, “It is so exciting for me to be at Mitchell College in New London. I am here at a peak time for learning about leadership as we are still grappling with a global pandemic. I am honored to work with and learn from Dr. Tracy Espy. She has a solid reputation as an innovative servant leader and a proven change agent in higher education. I look forward to meeting students, faculty, and staff throughout the summer and when everyone returns in late August.” 

 

 

 

 

NEW LONDON, CT – July 26, 2021– Mitchell College recently welcomed Nancy Cowser as Chief Advancement and Alumni Affairs Officer. In her new role, she joins the senior leadership team and will be responsible for designing, implementing and evaluating comprehensive development strategies and programs that support the vision and mission of the College through fundraising and alumni engagement.

Prior to joining Mitchell, Cowser was the Executive Director since 2017 of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer), the region’s designated economic development organization.

Skilled in strategic planning, project management, fund development and community engagement, she also worked in several other arenas, including healthcare, social services and mortgage banking. She holds a master’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Boston College.

Dr. Tracy Y. Espy, Mitchell College president, said, “Nancy’s deep connections in the community and significant experience in fundraising and relationship building are a boon to the College and our strategic planning efforts. We are so excited for her to share her insights and broad knowledge as we look to future growth.”

Cowser said, “Mitchell College’s mission to celebrate and develop the power of unique minds is deeply personal to me. I am honored to have the opportunity to draw on my past experiences to help elevate the College and to connect with our incredible students, talented staff and faculty, our supportive alumni and parents, our community partners and many others, to grow our network of influence and support.”

NORWICH, CT—Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that five of his Community Project Funding requests for local priorities in eastern Connecticut were included in a round of bills approved last night in the House Appropriations Committee. Additional action on other bills that will include eastern Connecticut projects are being considered in committee today.

Courtney’s five approved Community Project Funding requests so far would bring over $2 million in targeted federal investments home to eastern Connecticut. The funding would go towards a variety of important projects, including support for local law enforcement, programs to connect students with promising career paths, support for local health initiatives, and more.

Rep. Courtney’s Community Project Funding requests included in last night’s appropriations bills will:

• Purchase fluoroscopy equipment that will improve patient care and services at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, CT ($540,000)
• Support Groton Public Schools programming connecting students to careers in locally in-demand industries ($140,000)
• Create a new Digital Innovation Hub and STEM coursework at Mitchell College in New London ($555,000)
• Hire two additional substance abuse recovery coaches for the New London County region at Reliance Health ($120,000)
• Invest in a new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and Records Management System (RMS for the Norwich Police Department ($700,000)

“We put our heads together with local leaders in town government and the nonprofit sector in eastern Connecticut to support these local projects, and this marks a big step forward in making it final,” said Rep. Courtney. “The House’s FY 2022 budget package will now officially include funding specifically for local projects here in eastern Connecticut—from support for our law enforcement officers at the Norwich Police Department, to improved health care services in the Quiet Corner and New London, to exciting new programs for students and degree-seekers here in the second district. There’s more work to go until this budget becomes law, but this is where the process begins—in the House, with the Appropriations Committee. The 2022 budget is going to start off as one that targets support directly to some of our most important local priorities, and that’s great news for eastern Connecticut.”

“Day Kimball Healthcare is grateful to receive federal support organized through Congressman Joe Courtney that will be utilized in the acquisition of new imaging equipment. The Siemens Agile Fluoroscopy System will allow our team to provide an expanded array of services while concurrently improving efficiency and safety for our patients and staff. We are proud to serve as Northeast Connecticut’s primary access point for healthcare services, and this funding ensures our ability to continually serve in that capacity.”—Kyle Kramer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Day Kimball Healthcare.

“We are deeply grateful to Congressman Joe Courtney and our local leaders for their support of this initiative, which will address needs specifically identified through our work with the Governor’s Workforce Council, and for which Mitchell College is uniquely positioned to successfully execute.  The Digital Innovation Hub for Educational Excellence (DIHEE) furthers the College’s commitment to Connecticut’s Workforce Strategy through academic innovation and increasing access to training in both the STEM and mental health fields, all through the lens of neurodiversity and adaptability.”
—Tracy Y. Espy, Ph.D., President of Mitchell College.

“With assistance from the Community Funding Project Program, Reliance Health will expand its community-based Recovery Coach program partnering with First Responders and Municipalities. Recovery Coaches provide direct contact and resources to individuals struggling with substance use, abuse, and addiction and provide peer-driven supports that focus on wellness, hope, and recovery. We are grateful to Congressman Courtney for understanding the needs of his community and advocating for the funding necessary to address this health crisis.”—Carrie Dyer, Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Health.

“Support from the Community Funding Project Program will enable Groton Public Schools to jump start its Career Pathway Program.  Through this new program, Groton will partner with local businesses to develop internships and workforce opportunities for our students at Fitch High School.  Groton is extremely grateful to Congressman Courtney’s ongoing commitment to workforce development in southeastern Connecticut and we’re excited for our students to participate in this new program!”—Shannon Weigle, Grants Coordinator, Groton Public Schools.

This year, the Appropriations Committee announced it would formally accept requests from House Members to directly fund local projects, known as “Community Project Funding Requests”, which were required to have extensive community support. His requests were publicly disclosed here.