Alumni Notes: Early Fall 2022

September 13, 2022
  • Professor Christopher E. Smith ’88 Ph.D. was honored by MSU’s School of Criminal Justice.
  • Former POLS Honors Students Maye Henning ‘17 (CLAS) and John Dearborn ‘13 (CLAS) star at the Toronto Political Development Workshop held in January.
  • John Dearborn ‘13 (CLAS) has won the APSA’s 2022 Richard Neustadt Award for the best book published that contributed to research and scholarship in the field of the American presidency. Dearborn’s book, entitled Power Shifts: Congress and Presidential Representation was published by the University of Chicago Press.
  • Parth Patel ‘21 (CLAS) has been accepted into the University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine and started attending this Fall. A double major in Molecular and Cell Biology as well as Political Science, he hopes to expand his clinical and research experiences with a focus on health disparities.
  • Jason D’Andrea ‘16 (CLAS) is starting an on-line law journal at Fordham Law School with four students and two professors in conjunction with Fordham’s new Voting Rights and Democracy Project. The journal will focus on voting rights and democracy, along with equal protection and due process.   
  • Jason Charrette ‘16 Ph.D. recently accepted a position as a member of the teaching faculty in the political science program at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
  • Daniel Tagliarina ‘14 Ph.D. has been appointed Chair of the Political Science Department and Director of the International Studies Program at Utica University
  • Pierre Alexandre Aguirre ‘19 (CLAS) began pursuing a Masters Degree in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies this fall. His focus is on security, strategy and statecraft, with a regional focus on the Middle East.
  • Chris Burns ‘13 (CLAS) has been hired as Social Media and Communications Coordinator for MIT’s Security Studies Program, housed within the institution’s Center for International Studies. He produces a weekly podcast and video seminar series, and manages SSP’s brand across social media and other external communication channels.
  •  Bruce H. Caganello ‘59 (CLAS), who majored in political science at UConn, retired in 2021 from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties after a 50-year career in real estate. Mr. Cagaello chaired the Connecticut Real Estate Commission and was appointed by Governor Meskill to the Governor’s task force on Housing. He also served as president of the Greater Hartford Association of Realtors in 1982 and 1999. His other honors include the National Commercial Award from the National Association of Realtors in 2013, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CCIM Institute, a Public Service Award from former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bieciewicz, and a Distinguished Award for 50 Years of Service from BHHS.
  • Wes Renfro ‘09 Ph.D. was recently promoted from Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Quinnipiac University to Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives. He is also a Professor of Political Science.
  • Melanie Meinzer ‘17 Ph.D., started her own educational consultancy last year (Fellowship Trek) to support students applying for research grants. More recently, she taught an on-line proposal writing workshop for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences as a pilot program.